When in Sydney...

...Actually, I don't know how I'd complete that phrase. When Kim and I first decided to go to Sydney, we had no idea it would be an adventure comparable to The Hangover. 

Thankfully, neither of us lost any teeth or fell victim to a drunken dead-end marriage, but it was pretty ridiculous! Even after the funny look our driver gave us after we told him we were staying in Kings Cross, we did not expect such...characters. And by characters, I mean the guy from O'Malley's (pictured below) who smacked a pint of Guinness into the female bartender's face because she refused to serve him anymore drinks; the Caucasian woman who cried in my ear about having been denied service because she's "a-colored"; the Ferris Wheel attendant who gave me incorrect change and proceeded to disrespect me (She later felt the wrath); the African man at the club who shared poems about the stars to profess his love for Kim and I; the the random guy who shouted "Negras" as we came out of the train station; the guy who asked if we ever rode the "coke train"; the visibly-high stripper who fell asleep on stage (lest we forget the other one who used fire in her set); and EVERY-SINGLE-PERSON who asked us if were from Africa despite a clear American disposition. I cannot make this up, I promise!

But on a more civilized note, Kim and I basked in the glory of Paddy's Markets and The Rocks. These are two of Sydney's most prized markets—the former is about the size of Madison Square Garden filled with stalls of competitively-priced clothes, shoes, jewelry, artwork, accessories, cosmetics, toys, and soaps whereas the latter was more a boutique selection with full-priced items. Can you guess where we had more fun? When we weren't shopping (or drinking), we ventured off by the triple decker train to walk Darling Harbour, stroll the Government House and the Royal Gardens, watch "Faustus" at the Sydney Opera House and stop by the Winter Carnival. Even after managing to do all of these activities and then-some, there was so much more that we could have seen. But above all else, I made sure Kim had a proper Ozzie experience with a meat pie.

[Pieface...]

[Kim pleased with Pieface =)]

Unlike most of my stays at hostels, I didn't have the opportunity to meet anyone new. The roommates that we did have left immediately because of the harsh conditions. It was ICE cold and all we had to sleep under was a skimpy blanket. I woke up sore from going numb in the night. Kim and I had a word with the owner the next day and were able to score a nice, fluffy blanket. I cannot help but wonder why this wasn't the blanket given upon arrival! If you see this name, beware!

[Don't say I didn't warn you.]

No less, it was something about Darling Harbour and the Opera House that made me fall in love with Sydney—and even considered a future in the city. I'll have to take this time to get over the characters I've encountered. In the meantime, enjoy these photos. Click to enlarge. 

xx