Back to the morning schedule. The
first thing I wanted to see in Sydney was the Sydney Cricket Ground. For a
youngster brought up on a sports diet of the exploits of the great Don, I
wanted a tour of the ground, if nothing else. Rose had tried to pre-book the tour,
in vain. When we reached the ground we realized why that was so. The premises
were closed because the Mardi Gras recordings happen in the Fox Studios that
are housed with the premises. Disappointed to the core, but not defeated, we
watched the Swans practicing Australian Rules Football in the field nearby. To get
over the first obstacle we headed to the Bondi Beach, the touristy beach of
Sydney. All along the way Praveen provided a running commentary of the sights
on the way and stories of life in Australia. I was bewitched by his narration. The
Bondi Beach was full of people. We managed parking and spent a few minutes
enjoying the lovely beach framed against the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean
and clear blue sky. He suggested a walk from Bondi to Coojie when I return to Sydney
in April after the drive.
We had to quickly retract from an
attempt to go to Watson’s Bay because of the humongous traffic. Most roads in the
city would close by 3 pm to get ready for the Mardi Gras Parade later in the day.
We did not want to get stuck in the bargain and headed for The Rocks. On the
way were magnificent sights of the St Mary’s Cathedral, Hyde Park – which is
the largest natural park in the centre of a metropolis – Oxford Street – that was
getting ready for the parade. The Rocks is in the close vicinity of the Harbor
Bridge and at the time of visit the area bore a carnival look with food stalls,
local artwork vendors, magicians and vendors of local produce. The kiosks in
The Rocks are so much in demand that they are booked many months in advance
from the Council. The gaiety was infectious and the choice of food amazing.
Praveen suggested a Turkish beef mince preparation. The portion was so large
that we felt that one portion would have sufficed for both of us together. Next
door was a kiosk selling juices that promised the earth from rejuvenation to
vitality. It turned out that the vendors were from Kerala, Johnny from Cochin,
his wife and sister.
The steel arch Harbor Bridge is a
magnificent structure that has separate levels for trains, vehicles and pedestrians.
The Bridge Walk is considered a very romantic and must do ‘stunt’. Certainly not
for the faint hearted, one has to use a harness and is not permitted to carry
anything with you, however small. A short eye cast away is the iconic Opera House,
the multi-venue performing arts centre. The view of the Opera House through the
Harbor Bridge from the Blues Point is beyond description. We walked around the
Circular Quay admiring the huge cruise ship that was docked there and the Hyatt,
where the Clintons stayed while on a Presidential visit to the country. The
city traffic is often disrupted due to ongoing works to set up a tram network
to replace all other vehicular traffic into the city within the next few years.
A must see, Praveen said, is the
Olympic Park, the venues of the 27th Olympic Games in Sydney in year
2000. The magnificent structures are intensively used by the State to promote
sporting activity. The tennis stadium hosts the pre-Grand Slam event, the Sydney
Open. The aquatics centre is a beehive of activity with coaching classes and
events being hosted to celebrate occasions such as birthdays. The water
fountain in the erstwhile Olympic torch platform has, surrounding it, the names
of athletes who won various medals at the Games.
To flavor a wholesale market Praveen
took me to the Flemington market. The massive complex is a wonder to behold.
Asians are the only ones to be seen in the market. The vegetables and fruits are
so fresh and cheap that one would be tempted to buy even if one didn’t need them.
The discounts being offered were crazy, to say the least. Prices were going
doing every quarter of the hour as it neared closing time. The complex housed
warehousing facilities too. Nearby was also a yard for second hand stuff and
cheap Chinese products. The Parklea market, closer to Praveen’s home is a
scaled down and more sophisticated version of the Flemington market. A visit to
the Bunnings warehouse, a household hardware store, is another must, said
Praveen. The awesome collection of materials for the home made my jaw drop.
Back at home Rose and Praveen set up
the Dji Spark drone that Praveen had got for me from Hong Kong. It will take a
while for me to get used to using it professionally even after Praveen took a
lot of pains to explain and demonstrate the features of the amazing equipment. In
the meanwhile, Elisha taught me how to edit videos using the GoPro App; a very
handy tool indeed. 
The evening was reserved for some fun
and frolic with two family friends of Praveen and Rose. Being so far away from
family such networks serve to recreate ‘home’ in Sydney for the nine families
that meet and plan activities together. The families of Shankar and Miller came
over for drinks and dinner. Before we got to ‘serious’ business Praveen drove
us in Rose’ A3 convertible to Chatkass,
a Gujarati restaurant. The crowds waiting to be seated gave an indication of
how popular the joint is. Once we got home the next few hours went by so
quickly that I wished I had more time with them. Miller gave me very useful
tips on travelling in Australia based on his own experiences. Later he set up
the stands and suction cup to house the GoPro camera on the car that would give
the best views. Shankar was a laugh riot and made time fly. It was indeed sad
to take leave of them, but the, I had to catch at least forty winks before embarking
on The Great Australian Solo Expedition the next morning.
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