Thursday, May 22, 2008

Directions: Lost and found

There are two kinds of people in the world, apparently. The first will ask for directions when they're lost. The second will whip out their trusty map to get around. I must say I'm quite proud of my map-reading and orientation skills, and that has proven to be very useful when I was on my trip. Ironically, when it comes to finding directions in some areas of my life, I don't know how to navigate, and no one seems to know the way either. Like that how?

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Sydney, 15 May, Day 4

Left Melbourne bright and early on Thurs morning. I must admit I was a little reluctant to say goodbye to a city I've fallen in love with. There was a fog in Sydney, which caused some delays at the airport. That must have been my perfect opportunity to run back to Melbourne. But I didn't, obviously. And when I eventually arrived in Sydney an hour and a half later, my new tour guide Jon was waiting for me, in a...Saab convertible! That was certainly a pleasant surprise and a great way to drive around the city, without the top (of the car).

Our first stop was to have brunch. We went to a place called Bills which is known for their breakfast menu that's served all day long. Had scrambled eggs and corn fritters, the restaurant's signature dishes, and got acquainted with my new tour guide.

After brunch, we were picked up by some Harley bikers for a tour of the city. That was my first time on a Harley and I was made to wear a very heavy oversized leather jacket and a very heavy helmet. I must have lost some of my height during the ride. Well, we toured around for an hour, stopping at some of the scenic areas for photos.

I always had the impression that Harley riders can't smile cos it spoils their macho image so I made sure nobody smiled while taking photos.

I then checked into Park Hyatt, my new nest for the next two days. I love the hotel becos it's really modern and has a warm, inviting, and non-scary feel to it. And guess who was staying in the same hotel at that time? Sir Elton John. He was occupying the two top suites there, so I had to settle for third best. Haha...Darn.

And since there was plenty of free time before dinner, I had the afternoon to explore the city on my own. Armed with a map, I pretty much combed one third of George St and some of the adjacent lanes. This is where I bought most of the souvenirs.

Inside the Queen Victoria Building.

For dinner, Jon and I headed to Tetsuya, supposedly the fifth best restaurant in the world, and this is where - to put it crudely - I lost my fine dining virginity. It was a freaking 12 course dinner, complete with wine pairing. I must have drank like over 8 wines that evening (becos some wines are paired with 2-3 courses, and some courses have their own designated wine). By the 8th course, I was stuffed beyond words. Tipsy too. Check out the photos. (If you actually do a count, you'll realise that there are more than 12 courses...)