On the streets again, I'm a right old slapper.

6/6 - Up sharp, breakfast and walking the streets touting for gigalo business. Surprisingly, no joy!! The big cities are not friendly places. There's no Hello's and big smiles, well, there was one. She laughed at my touting. I miandered in the direction of I know not where and found Paddy Market, a tourist tatt place in an old building. Strangely enough full of tourists and one gigalo. Bought nowt and kept miandering, passed the Powerhouse museum, it was shut, so I continued over a bridge and down to Darling Harbour. This is a real yuppy place with big big yachts and bistros with big, big glasses, so I'm right at home. Now watch me gigalo. There's a Blues/Jazz festival starting tomorrow, so I"ll stay another night and check it out. I was going to head over to Manly and get a ticket for the rugby on SUnday, but I'll chance my arm and go on Sunday. The lad at reception said I should be OK to pick up a ticket at the gate. As I walked along Darling Harbour the bistros transformed into museums and aquarium and I-Max with lots of school kids buzzing around and making me smile. Darling harbour is partly what I expected, but mstly not. I expected an old place, it's still a good place to stroll. I headed for the Botanical gardens next, I hope. I did a bit of shopping along the way, as I passed Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Cartier etc. Window shopping that is. I did a bit of artful dodging as I passed the Law courts in fear ofmy sisters wrath, not the judges strolling by in their wigs, what's that all about Grandad. Then I did a bit of plonking on a bench at the top of Hyde park. It's nice around here, very Victorian like. Lots of old buildings, so long as I don't look over my shoulder to the law courts. I think I'd get asked to leave a city if I stayed over a week for fear of wearing out the cities benches. I have lost count of how many benches I've shined today. This is a nice part of town, a good people watching spot too.
I bought some tangerine/clementines/satsuma/orange things and headed for the gardens, passing a barracks museum, several registeries and a couple of libraries on my side of the road, all very olde worlde and skyscrapers on the other side of the road, very contrasting. The old knee is giving some grief, it must be the damp and cold. I popped a couple of paracetamols, well, I hope they were, I'm floating through the botanical gardens now. This is a lovely place to stroll lots of open grass, big old fig trees that look perfect for a bit of tree hugging, if you haven't treid it you should, lots of cockatoos toos, lots of all sorts, but still no gigalo business. There is a small rose garden, that I smelled before I saw, it is one of my favourite smells, roses. I got my first glance of the Harbour bridge, since arriving and then the top of the Opera house. I spotted a nice bench, near the Government building, still in the gardensssss, so I couldn't resist it and nodded off for a few seconds, the sun went down quick. Only jesting. I think I am more tired than I realised, mind you I have been up hill and down dale bench hopping for about 4 hours, not to mention window shopping. You can tell it's lunch time, the jolly joggers are everywhere. This is a prime spot for it. I rolled on down to the harbour, passing several joggers, I might add, going in the opposite direction. I found an irreststible bench overlooking the harbour, so watched the joggers rush hour while I ate an orange thing. And so to the Opera House. It is a magnificent building. It's a bit weird close up, sort of not very posh tiles, but still magnificent and the steps up to it are great, shallow and long. I don't need the bannister and ALMOST look normal going up them. THat is something I've noticed, I don't get the constant stares at my gait, as in S.E. Asia. People look, but not so many and not so obviously. It's a n ice change.
Strolled around the Opera House, then sat on the lovely steps for some nuts and an orange thingy to show my step appreciation. Onward but not too far, at last I've found what I've been looking for a few hours now, a toilet. I've been dying for a wazz. Now I can have a brew and a very nice sausage roll. The last time I hada asausage roll was with Paige. This cafe is below the Opera house and looks out onto the Harbour Bridge. I sat and scrutinised the walkers going up to the top. I think I may be able to do that, I'll have a think. On again, around the Circular Quay. This is my favourite part of Sydney, that I've seen. There's the bridge, the OPera House and ferries coming and going. I checked out the Manly ferry for when I leave on Sunday. Every 30 minutes, $6, can't be bad. Out onto the streets from the Quay. I've given up touting, so headed for the hill to the Rocks. I like this part of town. Lots of pubs and old harbour buildings. I was close to the Harbour Bridge now, so perched on a bench and watched the walkers. It is steeper than I thought, but I reckon it's a go. Not this time though, next time I'm in Sydney. The knees throbbing now, it needs some sunshine, or perhaps a Guiness and low ad behold there's a pub with some seats outside. The beer in Sydney is sold in schooners, less than a pint and just about right. I got a table of looks here, as I did my John Wayne roll up the hill. The pub is opposite an old ware house type of building and when I sat I noticed the tennant is Saachi and Saachi. I thought they were bosh not refurbished warehouse material. What do I know?
I enjoyed the Guiness, the knee is much better now, so I rolled down the hill to catch the train back to Central, without stopping at any passing benches, the arse of my jeans is getting a bit threadbare. A quick e-fix back at the hostel and then a power nap. I'm nearly caught up on the kip now. I was going to stroll into town for some snap, but when I walked outside I noticed the cafe attached to the hostel is doing what looks like decent nosh. I must have made a bad choice, but it filled the hole. The brew was smashing. Decided to give the booze a miss and did some research on swimming with the whale sharks at Ningaloo reef. It's very expensive, but there may be mantas there too. I think this has to be done, although it is coming to the end of the whale shark season and I am off to NZ for the rugby first. A brew and a natter with one of the lads in the dorm, Kevin, he is a bit weird, but nice enough. He probably thinks the same about me.
BED.