Rick's Next Adventure: Saying Goodbye to Sydney

A few things to wrap up my Sydney visit as I sit waiting for my ride to the airport....where once again my flight is delayed at least a couple of hours.

The other night I went to the Sydney Mardi Gras parade, along with 300,000 other people. In order to get a place in the front, it was recommended to be there by 5 PM, the parade didn't start until 7:30. I went along the parade route looking for a good spot and noticed that people had brought stools and chairs for the wait and I wished I had one.

As I passed an alley I saw a little girl, dressed in her school outfit, with her parents standing behind her. She had a stack of milk crates in front of her, and was holding a sign that said $10, but was crossed out and marked down to $5! I bought one and thanked her for saving me from standing for hours. The places around me filled up pretty quickly. Om one side of me was a young guy from Brazil and the other side a couple from Great Britain. We all passed the time talking and eating the snacks all had thought to bring.

It was actually a pleasant time, the wait wasn't bad at all. As it became time for the festivities to begin, two young girls tried unsuccessfully to shove their way to the front. This made them unhappy and a bit petulant, to say the least. They then tried to make me feel bad that they "couldn't see". A few examples:

You're tall, why do you need to be in front?
It isn't fair that we can't see.
Why do you need that stool? Give it to us.
Don't you know that it is rude to keep us from seeing the parade?

I patiently explained that I had arrived two hours early to get the spot, but they were stuck on how unfair it all was. Sadly, they were American girls from Brooklyn. They tried various variations on their theme, but none of us were willing to give up our hard-earned spots. Eventually they moved on, flirted with some boys and managed to get closer to the front. The parade was great, over 200 floats, 13,000 participants, seemingly from every walk of life. It lasted 4 hours! I think my favorite was either the Beekeepers with their giant bee, or the airline attendants with their airplane.

On a completely different subject, the shopping here is so much better. Though they have new malls it is the old and decadently fancy ones that I love. The Queen Victoria building and the Strand have to be seen to be believed! Don't buy anything though, the prices are awful!

It has been a really nice two weeks here. My hotel/apartment at the Fraser Suites was conveniently located near a train stop, had fantastic views and most importantly had super nice and professional staff. There were a couple of small hiccups that were appropriately addressed...they even sent me off to the airport in a private car for free!

See you soon! I'll be heading to Italy for another campervan trip during the month of June, this time with my sister Linda, and maybe my sister Laura. First I've got to get a new passport, then off I'll go again. G'day mates!