Sometime during the night, one of us woke up and could not see the tents outside our window. It was raining so hard, it was a white out, which continued until the sunrise. It would be a miracle if it stopped for the rest of the day. But it did, lucky us.
We left the ship at 10:30am, and had a quick ride on the shuttle. Perhaps because it is Sunday, the traffic was far lighter. At Darling Harbor, we took or time walking the waterfront. There has been so many renovations since first coming here twenty years or more ago. A new project at the end of Cockle Bay will add even more hotel space in the future.
Yesterday and today, we began seeing some really strange costumes on some locals. The give-away had to be the bizarre wigs worn by both the girls and guys. We will have to ask someone what this was all about.
Our destination was the Haymarket District and Paddy's Market, Chinatown, and Market City. One the way, we were pleased to see the progress made with the building of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centers, as well as the nearby Sydney Theater complex. Attracting thousands of locals and visitors, these new additions have fueled the local economy.
At the end of the harbor, we entered into Chinatown, which was barely waking up. Then we continued on to Paddy's Market, and Market City, home to 100 stores of factory outlets, food courts, and cafes. An amusement arcade was opened for business, but was slow to fill. If you had a desire for Asian/Chinese cuisine, the top floor of this mall would be a good place to go.
Back down on the street level, we entered Paddy's Market, full of souvenir stalls that sold everything from fashion to fresh food. Opened Wednesday through Sunday at 10am, this place also has a vibrant veggie and fruit market with a fish and meat market nearby. We always make it a point to stroll through here to browse and take photos. We bought nothing, but did take tons of pictures.
Time to turn around and head back. A most odd-looking new structure is The Exchange, a Kengo Kuma-designed building. This circular structure houses 12 food venues surrounding the exterior, with a library and child care facility on the upper levels. Another place full of inviting benches to watch the world go by.
And once again, we were seeing the most bizarre costumes on the younger crowd. So we had to investigate, and follow some of these characters up the escalators at the ICC Sydney Exhibition Center. Arriving up to the event deck, we felt like we had entered the "Twilight Zone". Everyone but us, had on some kind of costume and were participating in a contest for the Anime festival, a Japanese invention with animated figures, similar to cartoon characters. Donned with wigs of all colors and lengths, each and every one was different. From an ad we saw, this was a weekend event. The kids seem to love their pictures taken, then we left before we were spotted as the only ones without costumes.
Time for lunch, we went to our favorite spot at the Hard Rock Café in the Harborfront complex. Greg mentioned that this whole complex is scheduled to be re-modeled, and the famous cafe will be gone, at least from this location. This is one of the few cafes that still serves the Haystack Salad we like so much. Checking the menu outside, we noticed it said that kids eat free on Saturday and Sunday. So it was 1:30pm, and we thought the place would be full of customers. Actually, it was, but we got a wonderful table for two outside on the patio. As long as it did not rain (it did not), we would have a pleasant breeze (we did). And our salad with Tupelo-fried chicken and pecan halves did not disappoint. Beers were Carlton draft, and we shared a brownie/ice cream sundae. We don't know why, but there was a 10% extra charge for Sunday. Still, it was worth it for the view of the bay and harbor below us. We even saw the Pyrmont Bridge swing open for a boat to pass under, first time we ever saw that.
After our relaxing meal, we explored the Harborside Mall, stopping in a pharmacy to buy their version of Tylenol. Every worker in this shop worn masks. After crossing over the bridge, we were back to the shuttle stop. Since we had just missed the last bus, we were the first in line for the next coach coming in 20 minutes. Ever feel invisible? Guess that was what happened when the anxious folks began to arrive for the bus. Some of them squeezed and pushed to the street side to the point we were no longer first in line. Hey, wait a minute. We had to step in front of some folks to be able to make this coach. There has to be a better way to do this fairly, like ticket numbers. We know the drill as the same people seem to strike up a conversation with the bus employee, then slip right by him to board. If you are too polite, you will always be last or left behind.
Back to the ship by 4pm, we found out our good friends had to go to the hospital (not virus-related). Hopefully, they will return in Cairns in a few days. If you had to be hospitalized on a cruise, this is one city that would be among the best.
The sail away was at the Seaview Pool at 5:30pm. We arrived early enough to get a spot at the aft railing. Raw oysters were served in the shell and some cheese concoction. The Happy Hour special was extended to cover the Australian wines that were offered here.
Once the fuel bunkering was complete, the lines were dropped and we were on our way sailing out of the harbor and past the Seabourn Encore that had taken our spot this morning. Going under the bridge, we could see many groups of climbers that waved and cheered as we went under. This has to be one of the most scenic ports to leave. And it was made even better, with natives Greg and Heo joining us to point out the highlights. The sun was close to setting as we sailed out through the Heads.
Dinner entrees for us were barramundi and macadamia nut crusted chicken. A surprise came from our waiter with servings of Hokey Pokey ice cream. How sweet is that? The entertainer tonight was a singer, GuyTaylor, singing Sinatra to Michael Buble…the Kings of Swing.
We now have two days at sea on our way to Townsville.
Bill & Mary Ann
Monday, March 9, 2020
Report #122 Sydney, Australia March 8, 2020 Saturday Scattered showers & 71 degrees
