Paddy's Market

Our second to last day in Sydney we decided to hit some of the classic tourist spots. The first was The Chinese Garden of Friendship. After a big pancake breakfast that left us a little over stuffed, we waddled over to the garden looking for some soothing atmosphere. Little did they know that they were going to charge some big bucks just to let us in the door! So we did what all good tourists do, we refused to pay and just took some pics from outside to park.

Then it was off to Paddy’s Market. The Asian souvenir mecca for all things Australian (or Asian). To say it was visually over stimulating would be an understatement. This place was filled with pretty much everything you would expect to find at a Chinese counterfeit market. Fake designers, fake jerseys, fake bags, fake cell phone cases, and of course the all time favorites, fake sunglasses and fake watches. It was fun to walk around and look at all the goods, although we did get yelled at for taking some pictures (can't have the feds seeing photo proof I guess.) It was a cool little day, but to be honest we are just getting super excited to make it back home!

proof we were there

the pics make it look like we were there but we chose not to fool you

small doorway is quite deceiving given the multiple costco's that could fit in there

an entire Ace's Hardware store in a 10X10 cell

predictable

wearing his new goodies- hasn't taken off that damn jersey since

drinks while watching the NBA finals

Bondi Beach Blows?

The most famous beach in New South Whales is Bondi Beach. Of course we had never heard of it before arriving here, but hey- what do we ignorant Americans know? Bondi Beach is on the must see list of every informational brochure, tour guide, or book on Australia. So off we went for a cloudy day at the famous Bondi.

A train ride, bus ride, and walk later we both stood dumbfounded- is this seriously it?? Don’t believe the hype people, Bondi Beach is not all its cracked up to be. A beach surrounded by concrete and an endless parking lot, completed with a trashy main drag. The run down surf shops and cafes left little for the heart to desire and we quickly headed home.

Our recommendation: If you find yourself in Sydney and want some beach time, head to Manly Beach.

unimpressed

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Karen O in Stop the Virgens

Even after days of fun activities, our tour of The Opera House was still one of our favorite things. We figured that 10 full days in Sydney meant we wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon, having seen most of what there is to see, so we seized the day and booked a show at the Opera House.

As mentioned in previous posts, the Vivid Festival is taking place, including many funky shows at the House. Karen O, the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, created her own modern version of an opera: “Karen O in Stop The Virgens”. Imagine if Lady Gaga made an opera but without her catchy dance music… It was bizarre to say the least. The “virgens” were girls in ragged white underwear that wore creepy blonde wigs and literally seized on the floor for the entire show. Of course this seizing was perfectly choreographed and went nicely with the random screaming that occurred.

That all being said, it truly was a work of art. It included 50 musicians on stage from a string section to multiple drummers and an electric guitar. Karen O has a phenomenal voice and the costumes she wore were fascinatingly beautiful. The simple experience of attending a show at the Opera House was enough within itself and we enjoyed the whole thing.

(I don’t know how you were raised, but I was taught that going to the theater means you dress accordingly- well apparently an “opera” by Karen O attracts all sorts of hipsters who were adorned in ripped t-shirts and dirty jeans… we felt more than a little out of place. Sorry for no pictures!)

Our pre-show dessert was consumed before a picture could be snapped- typical

Drinks in the foyer

this one shot was all the rule breaking my conscience could take but at least i tried

a look inside the theater seating, very comfy seats btw