All week long the hype of Saturday's Mardi Gras buzzed not only throughout the group of us, but also the streets of Sydney. It was apparently a huge deal here in Australia (one of the largest and most famous Mardi Gras celebrations) and I couldn’t wait to see what it was all about. And just to clear things up, Mardi Gras is not exactly the same as what we're used to in America; here they have Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, a showcase/festival type event that draws in a huge crowd - this could be interesting. Friday night brought some frustration and a few tears when my digital camera fell and the LCD screen shattered, so the Saturday festivities were much needed to forget the previous drama from the night before. I also got a new camera Saturday morning and was eager to test it out and grab a few awesome parade pictures. After getting a great deal on a new Kodak camera, we spent the rest of the morning doing a little sight seeing with Luke and his friends visiting from Wollongong; the typical trek including the botanical gardens, the Opera House, downtown Sydney and so on. With 80-degree weather and bright blue skies, it was a beautiful day to explore the streets of Sydney. For lunch we all got kebabs, a very popular Turkish inspired meal here in Sydney (there's at least one kebab spot every block, no joke). The kebab is a pita/tortilla type thing filled with your choice of meat, sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and all sorts of other stuff, but you might figure that I don’t include anything but chicken and cheese with a little BBQ sauce. They aren’t my favourite, but they’re interesting and definitely very filling.
After a little more sightseeing, we stumbled upon Paddy’s Markets, a crazy busy tourist spot filled with souvenirs and Australian goods. The place has tons of vendors selling a variation of the same goods from one tent to the next. They have t-shirts of every colour with every famous Australian saying or landmark along with key chains, mugs, artwork, musical instruments, hand made jewelry, fresh fruit and produce, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. It’s a Sydney tourist’s best opportunity to collect goods for themselves or loved ones back home. I could spend hours here searching for things I may or may not need, but after 45 minutes the mayhem becomes too overwhelming and we exit the underground fair for some fresh air and a calmer atmosphere. After a little more wandering, we make our way back home to prepare for events of the night. The Mardi Gras parade begins at about 7 and takes place on on Oxford Street, which is relatively close by. Rumor has it that this event draws in a big crowd and we are advised to arrive early in order to get a good spot along the street. With this group, however, arriving on time, let alone early is an impossible task. After some wine and a little mingling, we finally get the group together and catch the bus down towards the parade. Unfortunately, we are only familiar with the buses that go on our normal route down George St., so this detour to Oxford Street made things a little more difficult. We got off after a few blocks in the right direction and began wandering the crowded streets of Sydney; tons people were out and all of the nearby restaurants were packed. It only took a few wrong turns and two bathroom stops to find the infamous Mardi Gras parade we had heard so much about; problem was we could see and hear all of the commotion, but the actual entrance was blocked, forcing us to take a detour into a different parade entrance. Only slightly frustrated at this point, we began searching for a spot where we could see all of the action. Again this was easier said then done; the street was completely packed and any chances of viewing were nonexistent at this point. The people here were cranky and rude, making the whole experience even more unenjoyable. Luke lifted me up on his shoulders to catch a glimpse and see what all the fuss was about. I took a few pictures with my new camera and some videos to show those who weren’t so lucky to get a lift. What I saw was a bunch of half naked people running around, shaking their stuff, and grinding up on each other – not exactly my idea of entertainment. As a group, we then collectively decided to ditch the parade festivities and find a nearby bar to hang out and possibly salvage what was rest of the night. We ended up going to Sidebar, an underground spot close by to where we live. We had a few drinks, but were pretty tired from the days adventures so we went back home shortly after we arrived...so much for the crazy Mardi Gras celebration we had anticipated, but oh well!
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