My short two days in Sydney just before Christmas were action packed but soaked. It rained almost the entire time I was there and not a little drizzle either. But undaunted, I made the most of my time and saw as much as I could. I was particularly fascinated by the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, though there is no way I’m climbing that thing. Looks insane.

I arrived in Sydney around noon after a daisy chain of flights and took the airport train into the city. I left my bags at my hotel before venturing off to explore. Usually when I have limited time in a city, I go for the hop-on/hop-off bus because it highlights the key things to see and provides transportation in one go. The bus in Sydney was a good idea. What was not such a great idea was siting on the top deck, but I did it anyway. The bus driver was either impressed or thought I was insane, perhaps both, after he offered me a towel to wipe off a seat upstairs. But I did get to see more that way. From the Central Station through Chinatown past Darling Harbour through The Rocks past Circular Quay over to the Opera House and back up past the Royal Botanic Gardens and Hyde Park, the route covers the major sites in the city.

My series of flights had left me rather jet lagged, but good food, lots of water and a good night’s sleep (on Sydney time) set me to rights in short order. Normally I would have gone for sunshine, but that was in short supply. I called it a night and prepared to try again the next day. Check back tomorrow for more pictures of Sydney.

Title quote: Charles M. Schulz