Sydney: POURING!!!
From the moment we woke up, until we shut our eyes for our night sleep… it was like a cloud burst! The rain poured! The wind howled! Sydney’s weather service said 391.6mm of rain fell in the past four days! To be honest, it was unnerving. The nonstop rain had me worried of another Hurricane Harvey flood! Really, the only thing we could do is drink coffee and eat. We found a little shop in a covered food court. Although we got a little wet, and had to stay quite a bit longer than expected, the delicious brews helped lift our spirits!
When we returned to our hotel room, we noticed a leak in our ceiling. Moving the suitcase near the drop, I realized the rain water was coming through the floor also. Though we were on the third floor, the wind was blowing the water into our room. The floor, curtains, ceiling and my pillow were all soaking wet. We phoned the front desk… they brought up a bellman’s cart to help move our things to another room so ours could be repaired. Upon entering the new room, we noticed the greeting on the TV said “G’day Thelen, Mcbrearty”… Who’s Mcbrearty?!?!?
Due to the close proximity and the covered underground mall access, we returned to Pancakes on the Rocks for lunch. Barry and I split a salad but since I am unable to eat tomatoes, he had plenty! I also had a gluten-free pizza with a Parmesan sauce, pesto, garlic and pine nuts. Delicious! It really hit the spot!
In the lobby of our hotel is a nightly Happy Hour. From 4-6, drinks are half off. I enjoyed an Australian red and Barry had a beer. We met several nice people including a gentleman from Cupertino who would be taking the Ruby Princess for a 16 day, New Zealand cruise. While sitting in the lobby bar, we found out that Radiance of the Seas (in port for the day) was going to be late sailing out. It rained so hard, we never got to see the ship we sailed over to Sydney on in October… and sadly, we didn’t get to have coffee with our friend Erwina! All crew members had to conduct a full sanitization on the ship with everyone disembarked. So much for our plan of meeting up!!!
In addition to rooms receiving water damage, large pieces of the ceiling were falling in the lobby! Scared us to death!!! They were soaked with water and then heaviness forced chunks to fall into the empty restaurant.
Unfortunately, the rain put a damper on the long planned Lunar Festival. I decided to brave the rain to get a photo of the dog. My birthday falls in the Year of the Dog.
“People born in the Year of the Dog are usually independent, sincere, loyal and decisive according to Chinese zodiac analysis. They are not afraid of difficulties in daily life. These shining characteristics make them have harmonious relationship with people around.
Strengths
Valiant, loyal, responsible, clever, courageous, livelyWeaknesses
Sensitive, conservative, stubborn, emotional”
Across the harbor, not a soul was out in this usually bustling location by the Opera House. Determined to get the Rooster, I trudged through the watery walkways. The Radiance was still in port… two hours after its set departure time. Now I had photos of the dog for me and the rooster for Barry.
“People born in the Year of Rooster according to Chinese zodiac have many excellent characteristics, such as being honest, bright, communicative and ambitious. Most of them are born pretty or handsome, and prefer to dress up. In daily life, they seldom rely on others. However, they might be enthusiastic about something quickly, but soon be impassive. Thus, they need to have enough faiths and patience to insist on one thing.
Strengths
Independent, capable, warm-hearted, self-respect, quick mindedWeaknesses
Impatient, critical, eccentric, narrow-minded, selfish”
As it turns out, we are not compatible according to the Chinese astrology. Oh well… we will ignore the warning and continue to enjoy each other!
As I walked back to the hotel, I realized this was the fifth broken and abandoned umbrella I’d passed. I realized my 4.99 AUD was quite a savvy purchase, as mine was still in tact. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit calmer weather and I will no longer need my umbrella!
