March 2020 - Sydney

Our trip to Sydney was organised a year in advance. Who knew we would be flying during COVID-19 pandemic period. Really. Refund process is a painful process.

Friday 20th March 2020

Virgin Airline gave us popcorn and juice for snack. I watched a short animation called The Girl and the cat (directed by Ervin Han, Bernard Toh) and Judy. The flight was just an hour. We disembarked and checked-in to our hotel. It felt like a long day, but it wasn't. Unpack and slept.

Saturday 21st March 2020

My sister didn’t feel like waking up early or go to the Paddington market. We didn’t leave the hotel until 12 noon. She wanted to eat lunch at the Museum. No idea how to get there by public transportation. She didn’t feel like walking either. Later I found out her newly purchased shoes has hurt her feet. Oh dear. Who goes and buys a new pair of slip on runners on the day they are about to fly. There is no time to break in the shoes.

Thinking on the fly. We decided to catch a light rail (tram). However, we missed our interchange stop - China town. We were suppose to switch to another light rail line. Sis said it was my responsibility to tell her. I’m like what? You are an adult learn to listen to announcements.

The Power house museum only had a small floor space for Cue: 50 years of Australian fashion. The exhibit looked at the main marketing campaigns and  key looks only. My sister was so disappointed that it was not the entire collection/stock of everything created in Cue. Exhibition curators like to tell a story and this is the story they have chosen to go with. Only took 5 mins to go through it.

Only a few people roamed about the building. The Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson exhibition was pretty and insightful. I have seen the knits before, but I have never seen the party gowns, and it was fun read the back story of how they came to be a dynamic duo.

After the museum, my sister wanted to buy super glue for her new shoe. The sole has come lose you see. Off to the Daiso she goes. I wanted to shiny check some pokemon. Then two raid eggs were about to hatch. Sadly, I could only make it to one. The raid was located at old tram line area and there is an underground walk way. Neat. Sis only saw stairs and didn’t want to see what’s on the end of the rainbow. Well, I did and there are pathways leading to major streets avoiding traffic upstairs. Score!

My sister was bored by this point. She got the glue and some inserts for her new shoe. I suggested she try Share Tea’s bubble tea. Large size just $5. She had the Tiger one (with brown sugar) and I had matcha milk. She felt a little better. We went to Central to sit down and drink. I missed every available gym slot and T1 raids at this point. My sister felt bored, uninspired, tired, and wanted to have an early dinner and go home to sleep. Possibly play her online game. She didn’t want to walk anymore. Yet she didn’t want to go home on her own. Ugh. I recommended we take a tram down to Circular Quay and see who’s open for dinner.

Lots of tourists here hanging out and dining. People still take photos by the Opera house.

Loo break time at Circular Quay. Then I walked over to a T5 raid at The State Library. A few players here. Spoofers too. We found a Mexican restaurant on Elizabeth St near the library. There were had tacos for dinner. She wanted dessert else where. Charlie rabbit dessert bar in China town. Hidden in a mall. Pretty hard to spot. She found the Matcha mania a bit too bitter for her liking.

I did T1 raid and tried to battle Arlo but her pogo account ran out of potions.

Since much of my back up plans were rejected and skipped. There is nothing really much to go on with.


Sunday 22nd March

Sis didn't want go to a beach or visit a zoo. Sis didn’t want check out from the hotel until close to 11am. She rather sleep in some more. By 10:50am we checked out. I went to bash a gym and get me some PoGo gold coins. Yay! Something productive at least.

Got to Circular Quay and she shuns the take away shops. Ugh. We walked to the Botonic garden and she said it was too sunny for her. I can’t tell the sun to tone it down. The Calyx was closed apparently. No high tea for us. But she didn’t want to check out the other two cafes in the garden. Scared that they might be closed too. She scurries off to Myer. I went back to Circular Quay and had my lunch at food court with air con. Someone kindly put down two PoGo lures. Sweet.

Got myself a Green Grin juice. My system feels over stressed for that 48 hours. I need to recoup. I don’t like having to come up with a new plan every hour, it is tiresome.

I went to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music do a T5 raid with a few players, before heading back to the Royal Botanic garden, as I have never being in there before. It is pretty. The views are gorgeous. No afternoon tours though.No paddle pop ice cream either. You can get hot chocolate and sit by the benches near the pond, which has eels in them.

Then our time is up and off we go to the Airport.

PS. I will book an indigenous walk next time. I want to learn about native plants of Sydney.