Whoa!

The first thing I want to write about is that I saw the entire city from the plane on the way in, including the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House! Simply incredible.

OK, now that that is out of the way...I'm here! Arrived around 10am this morning to gray skies and moderate temps. Just minorly disappointed that the weather is kinda crappy, but it's bound to clear up, right? Sydney is supposed to have something like 342 days of sunlight a year. I'm just glad it's not boiling hot, which is normal for the middle of the summer, which it is right now. As for the plane ride - I can't believe I'm saying this, but it actually wasn't that bad. Not something I'd want to do anytime soon, but definitely tolerable. My butt fell asleep numerous times, but I hung in there. Plus, there was no one sitting next to me and the woman two seats away is a Jersey-born ex-pat who lives in Canberra and she gave me her number to call if I'm ever in the ACT! That's just the way things are here, folks...strangers giving out numbers to other strangers on public transportation. I even met 2 D.C.-ians on the shuttle ride to my hostel who I might hang out with later. Man, people really are friendly when they're lonely.

So far all I've seen of the city is my hostel (very nice...you can view it at http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/details.cfm?hostelid=29), this internet cafe, which doubles as a sushi bar where I had my first meal in Sydney, and the HSBC on George Street where I withdrew my first AUD. So I think it's about time I get outta here and explore a little, eh?

Cheers amigos!