Hey Sydney

In New Zealand, spring has just begun, but in Sydney it is already in full swing. The Mutti arrived in Sydney with bright sunshine and pleasant 23 degrees. At Sydney Airport, there is also the opportunity to get a SIM card. It was definitely worth it, given the miserable Wi-Fi in the hostel. From the airport, the cheapest and fastest way to the city is by train (18$ AU). It was just a 5-minute walk from Kings Cross Station to the hostel in Darlinghurst. Little did I know that I had chosen a very naughty spot to stay on Darlinghurst Road. Right in the red light district. But more about that later.
The hostel was full of work and travelers. Youthful, with unspoiled testosterone, which led to very different, sometimes funny, but also sometimes annoying behaviors, especially when combined with increased alcohol consumption. Were we that bad back then? Probably worse! It also leads to various odors. The hallways smell of 18-year-old musk and cheese feet. Lovely! In the morning, this heavy air is vacuumed and heated, which puts you into a state of semi-consciousness after waking up and going to the bathroom. Awesome! I could have waited half an hour for the air to settle to the ground, but if you are kindly woken up by the vacuum cleaner, you might as well get up.
Before anything happens in the bathroom, I first put in my contact lenses and say "opjepaast'! In the beer haze, the gentlemen of creation are not as accurate, and they prefer to hang out in the hallway rather than clean the bathroom superficially. And when a cockroach walks by while reaching for my coffee cup, the Mutti has a strong urge to blow the place up. By the way, the hostel is high-rated. No idea why! I don't want to know what other hostels look like.

Of course, I didn't spend the whole time in the hostel because Sydney has a lot to offer.
So, time to meet good old friends!

As Nathalie and I realized, we hadn't seen each other in three and a half years, and it's so wonderful that we can see each other again and spend some time together. We don't just live around the corner from each other.

Nathalie had plenty of local tips for me.

So, the next day, I headed to Coogee Beach to start the Beach Walk from there to Bondi Beach.

There are beautiful little beaches and a wonderful view of the sea. When I arrived at Bondi Beach, I first had an Acai Bowl with avocado, red berries, and muesli, on recommendation, before the Mutti sunbathed a bit on the beach. There is a lot to see here, especially Asian tourists, who are very funny to watch, as well as the beach girls and the surfer boys and men, who energetically run towards the water and the waves with their boards.

In the late afternoon, back in the city, I took a quick detour to Hyde Park and the Night Noodle Market, there, to grab some food. I couldn't do much more on that day. I was exhausted from walking and the sun. So off to bed, they vacuum early in the morning.

The next morning, I had breakfast with Nathalie. Soy and Quinoa bread with smashed avocado, feta, and tomato. Yammmmmyyyyyy!!!!

After that, I went on a sightseeing tour. All by foot! Sydney is quite big. Darling Harbour, The Rocks, and Circular Quay.

To relax in the afternoon, I took the ferry to Manly after all the walking. Tip: Take the ferry from the Sydney Transport System, it only costs half the price compared to the fast ferry!

However, it was so crowded there that I decided to walk along the coast until I slowly started making my way back to the hostel, tired from my activity cravings.

In the evening, after having a small meal, I went to Stonewall In on Oxford Street for a beer.

On the way back to the hostel, passing the table dance bars and the ladies of the oldest profession who had positioned themselves there, was very amusing. Especially the older gentlemen at the entrances to the table dance bars, who were almost bursting with offers for nearly naked meat inspection, received only a tired smile from Mutti. They were probably their own best customers.

Rain was forecasted for Friday. A little haircut, a little coffee, and soy and quinoa bread with smashed pumpkin, some research on Cairns and Airlie Beach, and then cabin fever. This hostel is leaving quite an impression. There is always noise in every area of this hostel;
Lounge: TV at full volume
Rooftop Terrace: Two different types of music playing at the same time because everyone prefers to listen to their own music with speakers rather than the hostel's music
Shower: The crappiest Assi-Hip-Hop playing on the speakers
Room: In and out, with doors slamming
Finding a cafe: Almost impossible in the afternoon because they close at 3 PM here
Being woken up at 1 am by a drunk roommate asking, “Are you awake?” The night was finally over at 3 am when the girls had to continue their loud Girl Talk in the hallway. But it didn't matter, I would have had to get up at 4:30 AM anyway to drive to the airport shortly after five. Out of the big city and into the country. Cairns, Airlie Beach, and the Great Barrier Reef await.
There was a little relief for my nerves at the self-check-in counter. The nice lady from Tiger Airways (similar to Eurowings) offered me a free upgrade to an emergency exit seat. Very gladly!
If you receive an urgent message in the next few days "German drag queen tortures backpacker in Cairns with German sledgehammer into mental madness," then I fought back.
Lounge: The TV set to the Musicantenstadel with Florian Silbereisen playing on repeat, and the remote control was taken away.
Rooftop Terrace: Marianne and Michelle doing their best.
Shower and hallways: Helene, loudly sung by Mutti. Also: Permanent clattering on tiles and wooden floors.

In this sense: Let's go crazy with Schlager music!

Have Fun & Be Proud!

Yours, Jan/Mutti