slumdog

Bad bad boy - I got back to my hostel VERY late last night, after a good night out. Got chatting to a fella originally from Northern Ireland who's lived in Oz for ten years. We hit it off and ended up drinking in one of the many pubs in Darlinghurst area of city.

But strangely I still woke up at half seven..... and despite forecasts of bad weather, it was hot and sunny in the city, so I decided I would go check out one or two of those beaches. There are loads in and around Sydney ... it's just getting to them. Back on Blue, it was great to be riding again, but navigating my way round the city was tough. You know roughly where you want to go, but the road you're on won't allow a right turn. Two blocks down and one across, and you're into a one way system instead of being able to double back. Not stressful, just frustrating that I couldn't just follow my nose like normal. Eventually ended up going through a toll tunnel - which I didn't need, and which I still need to pay (by phone) - and finally emerged in the sunshine in an area where the road signs made sense.

Spent a couple of hours on isolated Lady Beach, which had great eye candy, plus views of the city skyline, then motored the short way to the famous Bondi Beach. It's a lot like Weymouth, if I'm honest! Same lovely sand. But with bigger waves, which the surfer dudes seemed to be enjoying. Sat and watched 'em awhile, eating chips and avoiding predatory seagulls. Bondi area is geared-up for young teens to mid twenty-somethings.... a lot like that night in Melbourne when I first arrived, with pec flexing himbos and chest jiggling bimbos galore. Not my cup of tea really, as the people watching is a bit dull, and almost voyeuristic when they're all so scantily clad.

Not wanting to be late for my theatre date, I rode back into city centre, which was a breeze compared to finding my way out. Parked up, showered and set off on the half-hour stroll.... oooh, those clouds look a bit dark. Suddenly there's the most incredible heavy downpour of rain. Really fat drops and wind and thunder and lightning. The city went from early evening brightness to dark in the space of a couple of minutes. Everyone was dashing from one shop awning to the next, timing the pedestrian crossings with a slight drop in the wind. Rain went on and on - not just a quick shower like I've seen here before - and it was a lot like in Thailand, Karen... remember that warm heavy rain that, if you had nothing better to do, and knew you could change your clothes, you'd revel in walking through? But I was on my way to the Sydney Opera House, and didn't want to be late or soaked. In the end, I just had to keep going. The rain stopped just in time for me to arrive there drenched through. So I sat through Act 1 soggy and slightly distracted.

Julius Caesar is a nice, straightforward bit of Shakey, easy to follow, and even in this business-suits and office chairs production, pretty powerful stuff. Good, but serious and heavy. And quite funny to hear the famous lines spoken with an Aussie accent too, ha ha! Mark Anthony could have just stepped off the set of Neighbours... "Mates, Romans, Countrymen..."

Fancied an antidote to serious culture, but my Irish mate was working late, and it was raining again, so I trudged back to the hostel to dry off and to find all nine of my dorm-mates had done the same thing. We were all wet and had decided to call it a night early(ish) ... it was about 10.30pm by time I arrived. Interesting bunch here, two other guys, rest all girls, ages range from 19 to 24. And then me. None of them believed I'm knocking on the door of 42 though, so that was good.... they may have just been saying it to keep the codger in the corner happy! They live like total slobs though... it's a human subculture I've discovered. Our room is a complete mess with all their crap on the floor in a pile that they all seem to rummage through like Slumdog Millionaire kids. Quite entertaining to watch, but I keep stepping on stuff I'd rather not... phone chargers (ouch) and used underwear (euck!)