So you had thought I had disappeared?! In fact, I am thoroughly enjoying bohemian lifestyle in Sydney - hanging out in cafes, lazing around in the park etc. Yesterday Anna, who I had met quite a while ago in Patagonia and who happens to be living in Sydney at the moment, took me to a barbecue of some friends at Bondi beach. They are living right next to the beach-front in a beautiful apartment. So I happened to be the "stranger" at this happening which was actually scheduled so everyone could watch the AFL final on the TV. Really nice people I might add.
What the f__k is AFL, I can hear you say... The simple answer: Australian Football League - or short "Aussie rules" which has actually not much to do with football, nor with rugby, nor American Football. But it is actually quite interesting to watch. The field is a huge cricket oval (oval - yes that's right!), there are 36 players running around frantically on the green at any time chasing the ball (again oval in shape) - plus three referees and several other people each team which are actually not actively participating (called "runners" and "trainers")... If you think that this is all slightly odd you are perfectly right! No surprise it is actually only played in Australia. But here it is the most popular and most highly attended spectator sport! There were nearly 100.000 people watching the match life in Melbourne. Very good match. Only that Sydney (the "Swannies") lost to Perth (the dreaded "Eagles") by 84 to 85, much to the dismay of everyone around at the barbecue...
Today, Katharina, Anna, Justin and I went into the Blue Mountains, only two hours by car from downtown Sydney - a very different landscape. We walked a few hours through the very steep gorges and valleys, several hundred meters below the dry bushland at the top of the plateaus. Very beautiful eucalyptus trees, fern trees, waterfalls, birds etc. A perfect Sunday out in the nature.
In the evening, an old travel acquaintance from Buenos Aires rang me, so I had to go out for a few drinks. First real night out in Sydney for me, believe it or not. (And I had just dumped my only pair of jeans into the washing-machine a few minutes before Jamie rang, so I had to go in my ultra-nerdy hiking pants, the ones of the zip-off-legs-variety.) I was quite impressed. People DO DRESS UP SERIOUSLY hereabouts, especially the girls. It is all about designer stuff and so on - not much cloth, though. Deeply plunging necklines (in one case it went all the way down to the navel!), very high heels. It was actually some girls birthday-party at a rather posh bar, but the friend of mine, Jamie, did not know anyone either... I talked to loads of funny people, among them a bunch of pleasantly crazy girls from Perth - very entertaining. The perfect way to top off a day hiking in the bush!
