Today started with a sorry ass attempt to get some fitness in. After learning that the treadmill at my apart-hotel was out of order I decided to go for a quick run outside. I walked out and was greeted by warmth and beautiful sunshine - as well as a butterfly that smacked right into my leg. I got my short run in and then readied for our visit to Bodhi a restaurant specializing in Yum Cha (dim sum I'm told). It was as leafy as described in Lonely Planet, sitting right in Cook Park. And the food, well...
Adayna is something else. She tried the first 3 dishes, frowned at each one and proceeded to gag while eating a tasty Sweet Potato and Corn wrap. If you saw her you would have thought she was a contestant in Fear Factor. To all her family and friends: you all know the difficulties associated with Adayna befriending food, but I continue to encourager her. It wasn’t as much a variety as I’m accustomed to in Seattle, but I enjoyed it. The Hum Bow-like buns with barbecued pork were special. I think I had about 6 with a soothing Green Tea to top it off.
Okay, so I stopped tasting anything new after the gag action. Trez and Travis enjoyed dish after dish while I sat there looking pretty and enjoying the sun. Bean curd this, tofu that, spinach this and lettuce wrap that. I kept waiting for the platano wrap, but it just never came. Girl loves her platanos. Must be a Latin thing. After yum-chawing it, we headed to the Royal Botanical Gardens. On our way there, down Macquarie St., we passed by the Sydney Hospital, a majestic compound absent of any patients. Guess national healthcare systems are that good - hint hint to you universal healthcare haters.
The Royal Botanical Garden is amazingly beautiful. Makes the botanical gardens in Brooklyn and the Bronx so junior high. You literally want to snap a picture at every tree, flower and bird. I must admit I kind of wanted to just frolic and skip through the park in its entirety. We strolled through the park amazed at what was in the trees. Colorful parrots, “plubbers”, crows that go “Bah” like sheep and white-as-can be cockatoos. The pictures will speak for themselves. This botanical garden will make any guy stop and smell the roses. It inspired Travis to coordinate couple shots by the Rose Garden.
I was fascinated by how extensive and beautiful the Garden was. Those of you who know me know that I have a sincere appreciation for natural beauty but still beauty alone does not capture my full attention. I needed to see and do things while there. I directed photo shoots, took lots of candid shots and jokingly complained about getting to what turned out to be my most memorable location in the Garden - Macquarie’s Chair. I forgot to mention how hard we laughed at the Garden. Travis and Trez are a constant riot and Macquarie’s Chair was the joke of the day. Trez was intent on taking us to Macquarie’s Chair which sits at the furthest point in the Garden and overlooks the Harbour Bridge and The Sydney Opera House. As we approached the harbour point, I knew Macquarie’s Chair was worth the wait. The chair has 3-steps and was ordered to be cut of stone by Governor Macquarie as a gift to his wife. The hands responsible for this landmark were convicts who were housed in an under-water prison strategically placed in the middle of the harbour. If you could picture a mini-Alcatraz you’d get my view. Any prisoner attempting to escape met a fate of cold water and sharks. While enjoying this view we met a really cool Ozzie who gave recommendations and spoke of his experience in our states - visiting Philly, NY and LA. For those of you inquring, Philly was his favorite and NY was too crazy. I wonder what I’m getting into.
Our mission after the garden was to find a local watering hole. We hit The Rocks and contemplated 2 options - the Lowenbrau bar and an Australian Pub. We chose the former, a sizable Bavarian establishment. We sipped pints of the German classic - Lowenbrau - and talked to the Audio Visual / bus boy / everything man. He’s got us thinking about New Zealand again and encouraged us to do a crocodile hunt while in Cairns. Those beers hit the spot but had us desperate for food. We’d gone all day thinking we’d finish up with some yummy Oporto chicken, but instead we were left standing on the KFC line. Oporto was closed! Now I haven’t had KFC in a million years, but this hunger was something else.
I was not happy. I wasn’t mad, but I wasn’t happy. These 2 talked Oporto all day and here it is we get to the door and they are closed. I saw a Subway on the corner, but I didn’t want any sandwich from “Jared”. I didn’t want any more Asian food given my good (Sydney) and bad (Santa Monica) experiences in the last couple of days. This Southern boy wanted some chicken. So these two settle on KFC. Out of protest, I said I wasn’t hungry. While they were ordering I’m looking up at the menu and I see chicken sandwiches, but I also see an unfamiliar word associated with the KFC I know - “Schnitzel”. Never had one and didn’t want one. It sounded so harsh - “Schnitzel”. Why would anyone go to KFC and order a “Schnitzel”? Adayna asked me one final time if I wanted anything and I said “No”. I looked around to see people eating and I knew this would be my last chance for food. I ran up to Adayna’s cashier and said “Look, I only want a chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato”. And she said “Oh, a Schnitzel.” “Yes, a Schitznel”.
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