We need more pylons.

Day 5: Sunday, June 21st, 2015

Steps taken: 17,662

I was only asleep for a few hours before I woke up.  I tried to go back to bed in order to get to take up around 6 or 7 to be good for the day, however that didn't happen.  I checked FB, played some more games since I was feeling restless, and didn't fall back asleep until 6.  I woke up at 10, cleaned up, checked on a few things, and checked out of the Sydney Boulevard Hotel around noon.  

The weather was a factor in my lethargy as well.  I walked to Kent Street where Base Camp was in the rain.  It was only a ten minute walk, but the rain didn't make it pleasant since I was lugging around my suitcase.  Thankfully, Behemoth is pretty decent in light elements, and I've made my backpack waterproof enough by always having my important papers and things concealed in a garbage bag.  I made it to Base Camp, read a bit, checked in, and then met Alex from Germany who was also going on the tour.  After talking to him for a few minutes I went to go redeem my pylon ticket that I was given for doing the bridge climb.

Before making my way back to The Rocks I bought a few drinks from 7-11, and got lunch at the Fitness Center again.  This time I had a bratwurst filled with cheese, and a Tornado Potato with chicken salt.  If you're not familiar with this food masterpiece/abomination, they place a potato on an electric drill and run it through a meat slicer of sorts.  Then it is stretched out giving it an open, lengthy spiral shape.  It is deep fried and then seasoned.  It was good and greasy.

I took a slightly different path to get to the Harbor than the day before, and found myself back at the street vendors.  There was a cookie and chocolate seller that I don't think was there yesterday with novelty pop culture cookies/baked goods.  I talked with the vendor about Doctor Who for a few minutes, and then bought a TARDIS shaped M&M flavored cookie.

To get to the pylon I had to climb some stairs to the bridge level.  I got to the pylon after walking the pedestrian side of the bridge for a minute or two.  I climbed up to the top of the pylon, and took some photos.  There was some information about the bridge on the observatory and ground level, but Amanda had covered most of those things.  Too bad she wasn't there to give a Pylon Tour.

When I got out of the pylon I walked to the other end of the bridge to North Sydney, and went down to the street level and wandered around there for thirty minutes or so.  I went to the coastline on that side, and came back to the bridge.  It was nice to see most of the places I had been to already from the other side, and to be on the side I saw from the Opera House and the bridge.  I returned to the bridge, and made my way back to Base Camp making a quick stop at a book store a few blocks from the hostel.

At Base Camp, we had a little less than two hours before our group meeting so I relaxed back in the room.  Almost everyone else had arrived and were doing the same.  We made basic introductions, and then went upstairs around 7pm to meet our CEO Caitlin.  From there we went to a pub down the road, and did full intros and got the basic rundown of the tour (G Adventures: Australia All Encompassed) while filling out paperwork.  There was currently 19 people on the tour although a few people were leaving at different points and I believe a few others joining later on.  No more than 20 at a time.  A nice small tour although not as small as Romania.

After the main meeting was over, we could have either stayed and ate there or do whatever we wished.  Since I wanted to check out the ChinaTown section of Sydney and it was close by I decided to go there for food.  I was there for an hour or so.  I stopped at a shopping center, and got a pork bun and a green tea bubble tea for dinner.  Then I made my way back to Base Camp.  I did some interneting until 10, and went to bed because early the next morning the main adventure would begin.https://www.gadventures.com/trips/australia-encompassed/OAAE/