The first week here in Sydney has been a very eventful one already. From spending hours on the plane here and in airports, to many drinks already had in local restaurants and pubs, to walking through the historical parts of the city, there has been no lack of excitement. One highlight from this week was the walking tour of the Rocks area in Sydney. This area is the location of the original settlements of both British Navy and British convicts who colonized the island. The area has been modernized with new shops, restaurants, and entertainment spaces, however, it still contains the same classic look and feel of the same limestone and sandstone buildings that the original British settlers built. Another highlight of the week was on Wednesday night, when some friends and I, ventured into Bondi Beach and stumbled into a local pub, much like a dive bar in The United States. Here, we were able to chat with the wait staff and bartenders, most of whom were local young folk, who told us about their lives outside of the pub. Some were students, others pursuing higher education, and one even was working on a start up in the area. Hearing the local stories was definitely the highlight of the night and eye-opening to just how similar their lives really are to ours in Lewisburg. Finally, just earlier today we visited the Walkabout Wildlife Reserve. Here, we spent time petting kangaroos and wallabies, coming face to face with a Koala, and seeing what life was really like in the brush. It was interesting hearing about the lives the aboriginal people lived in the area. These people greatly respected the land and other living things, giving careful consideration to never take more than needed or hurt the land. Seeing how the animals so freely interacted with us was eye opening to just how wild the country was only 400 years ago. This week was certainly eventful and I am looking forward to spending more time this coming week doing some more independent and small group exploration of the city, specifically around the CBD and the northern beaches.
