can it get any better than this?

After a satisfying dimsum lunch, we headed to The Rocks, the oldest area in Sydney and known to be "Sydney's outdoor museum" due to its historical significance.


Even though it was the end of September, Oktoberfest seemed to have started way in advance at a few pubs here. Images of blonde German babes balancing mugs of beer and big burly German men red in the faces come to mind.


Here at Löwenbräu, they have a poster grrl who looked just like Bridget Jones! Build up the muscles and drink in the beer and you'll qualify to be a beer waitress.


Preserved as Sydney's oldest colonial district, The Rocks have been carefully transformed while retaining its Old World charm.


The heritage and character is much retained, while pockets of street cafes and tourist shops were tastefully added to bring in the $$$ add life and vibrancy. Two things I noticed about Australians (other than their size!), is they really love their waterfront and markets.


It's not just any flea market selling 2nd hand stuff or unwanted items. Some of these are original handmade items which can certainly add charm to a room or as a gift for that special someone.


At The Chilli Factory, there were various types of sauces with varying levels of spiciness ranging from 1 to 10+! With names as delicious-sounding as Turbo Supercharge Extremely Hot Habanero Paste, Double Trouble Hot Chilli Wasabi Mustard and Morning Afterburn Hot Chilli Mango Sauce you wouldn't mind bearing the spiciness just to try them out. Typing this is making me salivate already.


Caricature drawing services is also quite popular here. I wonder if that man naturally looked congenial or he seemed pleased that someone thought he looked congenial enough to be photographed.


Accessories and costume jewelry are hits too. I've never been to the outback, but bush leaves must be significant enough to be coated in gold.


As long as you have an original idea and know how to market it, there's always an opportunity to make some $$$.


Next stop before the sun finally set - Bondi Beach! Finally, sand, sea and surf! They say you can see nudies here, but it must still be quite cold coz I didn't see any.


Even with the setting sun and from afar, you can tell that the beach is just so beautiful - just look at the colour of the sand and the azure waters. I must confess, I was about to post pictures of my beach outing but I held on to the dream of travelling out of Asia and experiencing a better beach.

Just for comparison's sake, here are some pictures I had meant to post up, but was too embarrassed had somehow left them in Drafts.




So uninspiring and flat, eh? I don't know if it's the brownness of the sand or the tepidness of the waves, but it's not surprising the Japanese flock to beaches in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia for a more fulfilling experience. To be fair, the beaches all the way south in Okinawa are more gorgeous and I should not lump all beaches in Japan under the same category.


Anyways, back to Bondi. Running a length of about 1km, it's popular not just for swimmers and surfers, but also those who walk their dogs, skaters, joggers and anyone who just love the outdoors. I was almost tempted to take off my boots and jump into the waters, if not for the sign stating the water temperature at 16 degrees!




There were even people playing with hula hoops nearby. After the sun set, the hoops seemed to come alive with neon lights!


It was time to leave Bondi and head to Darling Harbour for dinner with another Malaysian friend. Thanks to Esther & Joseph, who seemed to be pretty experienced bringing guests around, my 2nd day in Sydney was just as wonderful as the 1st!