City & Solitude

On our second day in Sydney, Isaac and Dave take us to Bondi Beach. In less than 10 minutes on a bus, we arrive at Bondi's shores. Normally, city beaches disappoint me. But while Bondi is certainly busy, it's wide white swath of beach is quite clean and lovely. Walking around, I am amazed at how utterly tan everyone is. The sun in Australia is intense and the country has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world. I am not one who tans well, therefore, I lather up with spf 50 all over my body and plonk a wide brimmed hat on my head. We take turns--a few people swim amongst the crashing waves, while others stay and watch everyone's stuff. Bondi is an interesting people watching spot--sunbathers strut in various states of undress, a man sells books for $1 from red shelves, and people of various abilities try out the surf. After swimming and sunning (well, not so much sunning for me!) we walk part of the coastal route from Bondi to Coogee and admire the scene from clifftops above.

Later, we quench our thirst with drinks on the rooftop of the Glenmore hotel in The Rocks district. Dave tells us that many historic hotels have been converted into pubs but this particular one still houses travelers as well. The view of the opera house from here is fantastic! We move on to dinner at the Australian Hotel. I order basil and onion pizza topped with emu! It tastes like high quality steak and is delicious! I try some of Dave's kangaroo and that is yummy too. Who knew?

After 2 days of city exploration, we decide to train to the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. The train ride to the town at the base of the park, Katoomba, is two hours. I look out the window for awhile then read some of the Pattie Boyd book I bought at the beach yesterday. Before I know it, we are there. Given that I live near some of the most iconic mountains in the world, the Grand Tetons, I wasn't sure how impressive this site would be. But as soon as we arrive at the first lookout, I am floored. The wind blows a waterfall into a mist so fine it looks like smoke drifting past the rock face. The mountains are not incredibly high but what is striking is the length and depth of the immense gorge below, thick with trees. Halfway through the hike to Pulpit Rock, I see a thin, jagged rock protruding from the side of the mountain. I gingerly climb out on it, look down and feel vertigo. There is so much to look at, it is frustrating because I can't take it all in at once. Soon, we arrive at Pulpit Rock and marvel at the sandstone rocks rising from a thicket of green while sharing chocolate with hazelnuts. I love a bustling, artsy city with superb architecture as much as the next person, but also appreciating the majesty of nature in quiet solitude.