Fortunately, according to Google Maps, it was a 10-minute walk, so it was 15-20 in my own pace. Walking (with a big bagful of souvenirs) definitely helped getting back some of the calories from that fatty lamb dish, and I used the walking time to melt a Difflam candy in my mouth and assess how Aussies dressed up for early winter.
Truth be told, I decided I would be back here in the next couple of years, June time to be specific. I liked my first visit, so maybe a return next year would be decent, provided I save up some disposable income. But well, dream’s good. Back to checking out decent winter attires.
My attire that day was decent but I was still feeling the chill, so I looked at others and how they coped with it. First thing was scarves. Some wore thin scarves, some wore thick wooly scarves. Second thing was the coats. Some wore it like it was a fashion statement, some wore it like a proper utility to combat the cold temps. But one thing was a bit more frequently seen – lightweight winter coats. Seems no one likes to don weighty stuff. Also, some wore thick hoodie shirts with base layers underneath – I even saw one wearing a hoodie with a wool turtleneck underneath, which was fascinating. It was either a coat or a thick set of shirts. But one thing was for certain – in the afternoons, no one was dressing light. Because in the sunny morning earlier while waiting for the bus, I saw a few that wore office formal attire but they held their coat on their arms. So maybe the thing here is – sunny morning, can afford lighter wear depending on tolerance, but on later afternoons and evenings, must wear more. And true enough, the sun was setting, and the chill started getting more colder.
Soon, I reached Broadway Street. But before I went back to the hotel, I dropped by the 7-11 nearby to stock up. I came back with a choco muffin, a bottle each of orange juice and Gatorade, and a packed slice of banana bread (again). I was going to skip it but man, this one at 7-11 looked moist. I love a moist banana cake, should be a decent morning grub. There was a restaurant a couple of blocks away from the store that sold Turkish food (Metro Pita Kebab) and I bought a “Kebab Box” – mixed meats, side of Turkish-style fried rice. I did eat a Greek gutbuster and a big seafood feast earlier, but I had to taste this one. A short walk later, I got back to the hotel. I grabbed some chamomile and mint tea packs from the lobby along with a cup of cappucino, and I went back in my room.
This day wasn’t as exhausting as the day before. The worst of my fever has subsided, I only pegged three things for the day, within close distance to each other (it was all within Sydney proper) with not much traveling on vehicles, and I had gone back to the hotel before 6pm. Not bad, I could sleep early. After changing to a comfortable set of shorts and a sleeveless shirt, I turned on the warmers and I spent an hour lounging in bed, sipping coffee and watching anime (“The Apothecary Diaries”, specifically).
Before I got to sleep, I had to settle my laundry. I have enough attire to last me two more days, but I have three days worth of clothes to get washed, including what I used for this day. The hotel I booked didn’t have an in-room laundry machine, so I had to use their laundry service. So I grabbed their plastic laundry bag on the corner shelf and stuffed it with my clothes, including handkerchiefs and face masks. I changed to a decent sports attire (short pants and a hoodie) and went down to the hotel desk to hand it over, and I was to pick it up by late next day. Costed me around 25AUD to get done, but it’s a small cost for portability.
By 7pm or so, I had to have the kebab bowl. Well, suffice to say I kind of regretted not asking for more spicy sauce. The takeaway box was definitely filled to the brim with meats and rice. There were sauces too, but the thing was a bit too oily. I would have preferred something to cut through all the rich meat taste and oils. I only finished half of it, and I kept it to the side covered, maybe in the morning if it was still edible I would consider picking it up to eat again.
The “Lemsip” thing tasted weird. It has a strong citrus taste, but something in the taste background is fucking with it. Maybe the medicine in the drink. I gargled with the Betadine mouthwash as well. It was weird, as I used Bactidol for many years and this is the first time for me to use a Betadine gargling product. I’ve used Betadine for my wounds when I was a kid, and for many years I wondered how it tasted. 20+ years later, now I know what it tasted like. Like gargling lukewarm liquefied rust with a hint of galangal, and it triggered my gag reflex every time I do a back-mouth gargle. I was careful with spitting it out, as I didn’t want the thick brown thing splashing on me or the white towels.
And by 9pm, I was getting sleepy. So I turned off all the lights save for the TV, and I just kept watching anime until my eyes got really tired and I just turned off the TV using the remote and dozed off quick.
Fun day, I’d say. Arts, food, shopping. Light day, no muss little fuss. Well, save for the scallops and the uncontrolled whooping cough earlier in the day.
Next day? A beach and a zoo, both via ferry. Should be a fun last full day at Sydney.
Briathrail // Albert 2MNG 
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