Sydney: Day 1

Scenes around the Sydney airport--Dozens of Asian men snap photos and smoke cigarettes while leaning against Vodaphone-emblazoned luggage carts. A woman with a cheetah print head covering talks with a tall, slender man in a white tunic that almost reaches his sandals. A takeaway cafe called "Go!" displays pumpkin-spinach pizza, various meat pies, and chocolate rope bread. A camera crew interviews a woman about security measures at the airport. Outside, people wrangle their bags toward the long line at the taxi stand. I watch as one taxi after another fills with people just a few seconds apart. I am definitely in a country bigger and busier than New Zealand! Laura and I are on different flights this time--she wont' arrive until later in the evening--and her friend Isaac has kindly agreed to meet me at the airport. I locate Isaac near the taxi stand and we head downstairs to buy train tickets. Laura befriended Isaac in San Diego and he moved to Sydney 2 years ago. He is relaxed and personable and we chat easily on our way to his place in Bondi Junction.

At his apartment, he introduces me to his roommate, Dave, as well as other friends visiting from the U.S., Nathan and his wife Courtney. It will be several hours until Laura's flight arrives so we decide to explore. We are all starving and Isaac leads us to East Ocean restaurant in Chinatown, which specializes in dim sum food. Dim sum means "little presents" and Isaac orders heaps of all kinds of these little dishes. Spinach balls, sticky rise encased in some type of large green leaf, egg tarts, duck with plum sauce, spicy sweet green beans, and jasmine tea. All five of us are feasting and passing the delicious, steaming dishes around the table. After we finish, we wander outside and hear the sounds of drumming. We move closer and see men dancing inside elaborate tiger costumes. Isaac explains that this is part of the Chinese New Year celebration. The costumes are amazing--the eyes, mouth, and ears move, making them incredibly animated and exciting to watch. The lions dance around doorways and scare the bad spirits from the shops in Chinatown. I see a man lowering a red envelope tied to a piece of lettuce from a second story window. The lions "eat" it and the money inside the envelope pays the dancers and drummers for their show. Isaac offers me an emperor puff --custard-filled dough balls--and we watch until the lions, the drummers, and the trail of people following them disappear around the corner.

We walk to Darling Harbor past rushing fountains, strolling people, and several ibis birds. Lounging on the wooden steps near the shore, we listen to a guy in white face and body paint play a digeridoo. Farther down, we notice an incredibly lifelike T-rex dinosaur with it's "trainer" playfully stalking people walking by. You can see the human legs underneath the costume, but the person controlling it moves so accurately like an animal that combined with the sound effects and realistic texture, it scares some kids (and a few adults! haha)

Next, we reach the botanical gardens. They are filled with beautiful plants---but I don't find them any more impressive than the ones in Christchurch and Dunedin--until I notice the bats scattered throughout the trees. Isaac explains they are actually a similar species called flying foxes. I watch in amazement. One hangs upside down, stretches his wings wide, and soars through the air toward another tree. They chatter loudly, it reminds me of cicadas. Their open mouths are like Scream costume masks--long and narrow. I already love this city--urban pleasures and animal-filled forests are within walking distance from one another!

I have just enough time to stroll past the opera house and sit in the shade before we collect Laura from the airport. The six of us while away the rest of the evening passing around the acoustic guitar and bottle of wine, cool summer air wafting in from an open window.