Guess who saw a Kangaroo!

12-29-05
Zoo
Wow! I loved the zoo. You know, I probably shouldn’t enjoy traveling alone as much as I do. The type A control freak in me is perfectly happy to walk around a zoo all day alone. I kind of like that no one could tell me when I should stop staring at the kangaroos or the orangutans. Adam spent the morning picking up the next three people from the airport, so I jumped up at 6:30 this morning and took off to the zoo. The ferry ride over was great. I think the people felt a little sorry for me, but only because they didn’t know that I was in control freak mode.

Next stop - Botanical Gardens
Even though the gardens lacked an actual garden, they were quite beautiful. The running path along the water reminded me of the river run in Austin. Well, not that I’ve run either path, but I do think it would be fun to do. I’ve decided that since I seem to walk 100 miles a day, I shouldn’t go through the trouble of putting on running shoes. Good justification, right? The Gardens overlook the Sydney Opera House. I grabbed a sandwich and made a little picnic for myself.

After a morning alone, I was ready for some interaction. I made my way back to the hotel to meet up with Mindy, Pam, Alan, and Adam. Their flights took a lot longer than mine due to connections, so they were a little out of it. We grabbed a few local beers outside of the Opera House then went for dinner at a Chinese Restaurant on the water. I’m trying to not eat Chinese, but since Australia doesn’t have their own food, I can’t easily avoid Chinese food. I felt a tiny bit guilty for eating kangaroo since I just saw them earlier in the day, but it was good, so I didn’t dwell on the thought for long.

Scott and I met up with Adam and his local friends for a while and had a few drinks around Darling Harbour. A few of his friends, particularly Jess, were incredibly friendly. A couple of them were a little on the chilly side, but I guess I would find that with any group of people regardless of the country.