August 30, 2001- Musical Airlines
(photo-Sydney Harbour Bridge & other sights)
I can’t believe it was only last night we were in Siem Reap watching a show of indigenous dances. The costumes were stunning and the dancers graceful movements were enthralling. The similarity to Thai dances wasn’t coincidental. Cambodia borrowed from Bali (Indonesia in general) and Thailand. Then Siam borrowed from Cambodia.
After enjoying a cold shower (the water spirits didn’t shine on us) we headed for Bangkok in hope that Cathay Pacific would get us to Sydney. Due to the work slowdown of Cathay, we were ticketed on Cathay directly to Sydney and also booked on Cathay to Melbourne with Qantas taking us to Sydney. Both scenarios involved long layovers in Bangkok, stops in Hong Kong, and on and on.
When we got to the airport at Siem Reap, we decided to check our suitcases through to Sydney. We figured that, ultimately, they had to get there. If we checked them to Bangkok and retrieved them before finding out what flight was really going to Sydney we’d have to go through customs and pay re-entry and exit fees all over again. We boarded a two-engine Bangkok Airline plane and waited to see what fate had in store. This would be our 11th flight with on time arrivals and no lost luggage. No one had yet questioned all the medication we were carrying (ten months worth) or the two syringes we had just in case. Was our luck running out?
On landing, we headed for the Cathay Pacific desk in Bangkok expecting to have to negotiate crowds and irritable agents. Neither happened. Three agents worked with us for forty minutes to get the best arrangements made. They got us onto a not too full British Air flight direct to Sydney that left in two instead of five hours. They found our luggage at Cathay and transferred it to Brit Air. We got exit row seating and all this happened with smiles and efficiency. Once the plane took off we looked at each other and said, “We’re really going to Australia.” The one thing we didn’t anticipate was that because we eliminated the layovers we’d get in early the next day. How early? Due to noise abatement rules in Sydney no planes can land before 5 A.M. We landed at 5:08 A.M. The 747 touched down like a ballerina executing a “tour jete.” Everything was going smoothly, but would our hotel have a room?
Smooth Landing-Bumpy Entry
First we had to clear customs (piece of cake) and quarantine. They don’t fool around with food, plant, or soil contamination. There are dogs sniffing, forms to fill out, stiff fines (thousands of dollars), and possible jail time. You have to declare if you have sports shoes that have clods of earth sticking to them. We threw away my larder of a few rice cakes and raisins only to realize that I had gum and candy in the suitcases. We fessed up and they let us pass. One question on the immigration form was whether you’d ever been convicted of a crime. I thought that, given the history to this country, an affirmative answer to that would expedite entry.
With one thing and another we got to the hotel at 7:00 A.M. They had a room, but no key. It took all day to get one made so each time we came and went the desk clerk had to escort us and open our door. Our room is the size of a New York hotel room but has more furniture in it. It will do. It’s about $75U.S. with breakfast, but this is the big city. We were exhausted, so we grabbed a bagel at the corner Starbucks and went to sleep for 3 ½ hours.
When we woke up, we wanted to check the Weather Channel, but there was none. We did surf by Judge Judy. We hit the streets to buy a phone card and get acquainted with yet another culture. The other culture we met was not unfamiliar. It seems that our hotel is in Chinatown. The bi-lingual signs and Asian people gave it away. It was like a bad joke. Getting the phone card to work was another issue. To code it we had to press "hash" on the phone keypad. It took several tries before realizing their "hash" was our "pound" key.
Same, Same, But Different
We went to the Harbor area to take a cruise and find the real Australia. The people on the bus who babysat us until they were sure we got off at the right stop were real Australians. They look like Americans and almost sound like them but there’s a twist. Not only do they hang on the world upside down and drive opposite half the people on the globe, but their brains are wired a bit differently too. Some examples: the biggest money making event in Sydney is the Gay Festival that is held for a full month in June; they sell food in sporting goods stores (it’s like buying a sandwich while shopping for shoes at the Athlete’s Foot); they sell sushi in some Internet cafes; if you come to a crosswalk and wait on the sidewalk the cars won’t stop; if you step a toe into the road between the lines of the crosswalk all traffic instantly comes to a screeching halt; they thank you before you do something for them (if you hand a clerk an item in a store she’ll say, “That will be $5, thank you.”) Father’s Day is Sept. 2; they have no pennies (when the register rang up $6.68, the clerk asked for $6.70); we had an adapter to fit Australian plug configurations, but it’s not grounded (we found one that was “earthed”); Imodium here is to help with “wind pain” (we should send it to Florida during hurricane season); I haven’t been able to discern which direction the toilets swirl (clockwise or counter) because the ones we’ve seen shoot a water jet into the bowl at such velocity there’s no time for a swirl to develop.
Our harbor cruise was relaxing and informative. The city is built on hills and buildings vie for a waterfront view. Between the skyline and the water it’s a glistening gem of a place. The opera house is prettier in a picture than in reality. The base is a dark tan color and the white sails are dingy. I’m sure it’s magnificent at night. Since the sun was shining, we lunched outside at a bayside café. Dinner was at Darling Harbor in a small pub. Restaurant food is a bit high but groceries seem reasonable to low. Gas runs about $1.50-1.75/gallon. It’s sold by the liter.
We’ll head out tomorrow and might take a ferry to the zoo to meet all the new animals. We saw some strange birds mixed in with the pigeons and seagulls in a park. Everyone agreed they weren’t kiwis, but no one knew what to call them. Lots of historic buildings have been turned into shops but the exteriors evoke a past that isn’t so distant. The U.S. isn’t old compared to most countries but compared to Australia we’re entering our dotage.
Toby
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