Australia part one...Sydney.
Oct. 28th, 2004 10:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valis2I think I've decided to split the Australia LJ entry into three pieces, one for each of the cities I visited.
So about Sydney.
I got on the plane in WI after rushing to finish packing up a show in MI and driving several hundred miles. Got to the airport still sick. Had a great set of flights, layover in New Zealand (YAY!), and arrived in Sydney at 9:30 am. I had taken a lot of time out the week before to put together maps of the cityrail system, and a map to Rookwood Necropolis.
The first map I printed out somehow gave me directions to Grosvenor St instead of Gloucester St, and it took a bit for me to figure it all out. They had shut down part of the street for some parade or something, and three people in brightly colored suits were playing brass instruments and walking on stilts on an empty road. Apparently they were early. It was quite surreal.
When I finally got the hotel location sorted out I realized that my map was not detailed enough to show the Lidscombe train station in relation to the Necropolis. I asked the Concierge to print me maps. Then I ran back up to the room one more time to change bags or something, and I noticed that none of the maps that he had printed out had anything to do with the Necropolis. After all, the Necropolis is enormous, one of the largest cemeteries in the world, acres and acres of gravestones, and it shows up clearly on maps. So imagine my surprise when I can't find it on any of the twelve pages he's so kindly copied for me. Because he's copied every single map that has to do with the East, like the Blue Mountains, when the Necropolis is actually to the southeast.
While waiting for him to come to grips with the odd absence of my target destination my friends suddenly entered the lobby. (I went to Aust with my very dear friends, who are married, and their six year old son. They arrived there nearly a week before I did.) Great timing...had the Clueless Concierge gotten it correct the first time, I would have left without seeing them until later.
We all went to the fishmarket for lunch. It was wonderful. There were ravens shouting at each other on the roof top, and one of the stores hosted a pelican named Pedro who occasionally wanders in and gets a fish or two flung at him. Pedro at this time was on the roof top, suavely ignoring the ravens, and was not to be tempted by anything.
I left their dear company, and took a cab to the Necropolis, which hadn't been my first intention...after all, I had spent quite a bit of time printing out, studying, and memorizing cityrail maps of Sydney. The cab driver insisted that he could get me there quicker than the rail, and, as the sunlight was already fading, and the Necropolis closes at 5:30, I said yes. Turns out it still took the same amount of time due to heavy traffic, but the cabbie was wonderful, and quite surprised that I should want to wander a cemetery and take pictures. I explained to him my obsession as best as I could, and he gave me his Messenger address so that we could chat when I got back to the states. He was worried about me getting back to the train station, which was sweet. He probably thinks I'm a loonie, but he was awfully nice, and corrected the Clueless Concierge's last attempt at a map, which would have let me wander the streets lost until I expired. I am tremendously grateful to him for that (thanks Michael!!) because I was so sick and worn out that finding the train station on the first try was a dream come true.
The Rookwood Necropolis was amazing, astounding, and I did not have enough time!!! Plus, I was so sick still with my sinus misery that I had very little breathing capacity, and it was very difficult to do my usual cemetery wander. I ended up starting on the wrong side, sadly, and missed many fabulous, fabulous markers and photos, but I still took about eighty or ninety, and a few are definite keepers. None are jump out and grab you pics, though, disappointingly. I've made a few new icons from these pics, and can't wait to start using them. There were fabulous examples of some sort of local gravestone artisan, because several of the turn of the century stones had lovely roses and calla lilies carved into them, and I was impressed. There were incredible mausoleums and terrific iron railings and...just wow.
All in all my time in Sydney was way too short. I'd love to see more and experience its history and art, but I just didn't have time.
Afterwards we went somewhere to eat, and I can't remember it at all. Then I got up early and took a plane to my second destination, Cairnes, which I will babble about in part two. I think that I won't put this entry behind a cut, but the next two I will have to because they'll be much longer. Stay tuned for exotic fruit, crazy birds, and the Motel Rooms of Doom.
So about Sydney.
I got on the plane in WI after rushing to finish packing up a show in MI and driving several hundred miles. Got to the airport still sick. Had a great set of flights, layover in New Zealand (YAY!), and arrived in Sydney at 9:30 am. I had taken a lot of time out the week before to put together maps of the cityrail system, and a map to Rookwood Necropolis.
The first map I printed out somehow gave me directions to Grosvenor St instead of Gloucester St, and it took a bit for me to figure it all out. They had shut down part of the street for some parade or something, and three people in brightly colored suits were playing brass instruments and walking on stilts on an empty road. Apparently they were early. It was quite surreal.
When I finally got the hotel location sorted out I realized that my map was not detailed enough to show the Lidscombe train station in relation to the Necropolis. I asked the Concierge to print me maps. Then I ran back up to the room one more time to change bags or something, and I noticed that none of the maps that he had printed out had anything to do with the Necropolis. After all, the Necropolis is enormous, one of the largest cemeteries in the world, acres and acres of gravestones, and it shows up clearly on maps. So imagine my surprise when I can't find it on any of the twelve pages he's so kindly copied for me. Because he's copied every single map that has to do with the East, like the Blue Mountains, when the Necropolis is actually to the southeast.
While waiting for him to come to grips with the odd absence of my target destination my friends suddenly entered the lobby. (I went to Aust with my very dear friends, who are married, and their six year old son. They arrived there nearly a week before I did.) Great timing...had the Clueless Concierge gotten it correct the first time, I would have left without seeing them until later.
We all went to the fishmarket for lunch. It was wonderful. There were ravens shouting at each other on the roof top, and one of the stores hosted a pelican named Pedro who occasionally wanders in and gets a fish or two flung at him. Pedro at this time was on the roof top, suavely ignoring the ravens, and was not to be tempted by anything.
I left their dear company, and took a cab to the Necropolis, which hadn't been my first intention...after all, I had spent quite a bit of time printing out, studying, and memorizing cityrail maps of Sydney. The cab driver insisted that he could get me there quicker than the rail, and, as the sunlight was already fading, and the Necropolis closes at 5:30, I said yes. Turns out it still took the same amount of time due to heavy traffic, but the cabbie was wonderful, and quite surprised that I should want to wander a cemetery and take pictures. I explained to him my obsession as best as I could, and he gave me his Messenger address so that we could chat when I got back to the states. He was worried about me getting back to the train station, which was sweet. He probably thinks I'm a loonie, but he was awfully nice, and corrected the Clueless Concierge's last attempt at a map, which would have let me wander the streets lost until I expired. I am tremendously grateful to him for that (thanks Michael!!) because I was so sick and worn out that finding the train station on the first try was a dream come true.
The Rookwood Necropolis was amazing, astounding, and I did not have enough time!!! Plus, I was so sick still with my sinus misery that I had very little breathing capacity, and it was very difficult to do my usual cemetery wander. I ended up starting on the wrong side, sadly, and missed many fabulous, fabulous markers and photos, but I still took about eighty or ninety, and a few are definite keepers. None are jump out and grab you pics, though, disappointingly. I've made a few new icons from these pics, and can't wait to start using them. There were fabulous examples of some sort of local gravestone artisan, because several of the turn of the century stones had lovely roses and calla lilies carved into them, and I was impressed. There were incredible mausoleums and terrific iron railings and...just wow.
All in all my time in Sydney was way too short. I'd love to see more and experience its history and art, but I just didn't have time.
Afterwards we went somewhere to eat, and I can't remember it at all. Then I got up early and took a plane to my second destination, Cairnes, which I will babble about in part two. I think that I won't put this entry behind a cut, but the next two I will have to because they'll be much longer. Stay tuned for exotic fruit, crazy birds, and the Motel Rooms of Doom.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-29 03:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-29 10:45 am (UTC)Did you see any ravens at Rookwood? At one point I turned around and there were two standing on the fountain watching me.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-29 02:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-29 11:19 pm (UTC)Have you seen the website for http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/ ? It's funny, and it provides recaps of some of the major network shows, including CSI. http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show.cgi?show=15
The CSI stuff is great...I laughed out loud a few times reading their very thorough recap. "Once again, it's all about Catherine..." reads the introduction line for the latest episode.
What's even funnier is that they don't even bother recapping the CSI Miami show...
Although Horatio Caine may be God's red-headed stepchild and the Greater Miami-Dade area's personal crusader for justice, He's also a supercilious blowhard who made damn near every scene on every show irritating. After one season, we'd had enough, hadn't we?
I laughed so hard at that.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-30 02:55 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-29 03:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-29 10:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-29 11:26 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-29 08:20 am (UTC)One thing I remeber about Rookwood Cemetery was a fun-run a few years back, which went around the perimeter. The only reason I remember it was that the fun-run was called "Run Like Hell".
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-29 10:50 am (UTC)I did have to take the cityrail back to the Circular Quay to get to the hotel...surprisingly enough, I got on the right train on the first try. I always thought that "quay" was pronounced "kway" but I heard it pronounced as "key" while I was there.
You should give Rookwood a chance if you are a taphophile...it is probably one of the most amazing cemeteries I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few.