Sydney, AustraliaMay 28, 2007
S 33°51.438
Today, our first weekday in Sydney, was spent taking care of things necessary for the next segment of our trip. For example, we went to the Vietnamese Consulate to apply for a visa for entry into Vietnam. The visa is required in advance and only valid for 30 days. Getting to the consulate was our main priority for the day.
Elise had the address and we reviewed the location on the map. “No problem,” I said, “we can
walk… it’s only a 1 KM according to the scale on this map.” We arrived at the consulate after walking two hours, and at least 6 KM, only to find that the consulate had moved. We noted the new address posted on the gate and figured we would just walk and find it… no problem.
After another hour of walking we found the address posted on the gate; only to arrive at a house that was definitely not the consulate. We saw a gas station down the road where we tried to ask for directions to no avail.
OK, let’s just call them we decided… we found a pay phone and Elise dialed the two numbers, but only received a ring with no answer. Next we figured we would try to find a Vietnamese restaurant and see if someone there could help us… yes, desperation set-in and this wasn’t a viable plan. Luckily, as we were hatching our great plan, a young lady overheard us talking and provided directions via the train.
When we got off the train, which led us back to the same street we walked down hours ago, we instantly found the building—a building which we passed at least once! We figured we walked at least five miles one way… we were definitely taking the train home.
The consulate took our applications, money, passports and itinerary and told us to come back on Thursday. At least this time we know where we’re going.
Elise had the address and we reviewed the location on the map. “No problem,” I said, “we can
walk… it’s only a 1 KM according to the scale on this map.” We arrived at the consulate after walking two hours, and at least 6 KM, only to find that the consulate had moved. We noted the new address posted on the gate and figured we would just walk and find it… no problem.After another hour of walking we found the address posted on the gate; only to arrive at a house that was definitely not the consulate. We saw a gas station down the road where we tried to ask for directions to no avail.
OK, let’s just call them we decided… we found a pay phone and Elise dialed the two numbers, but only received a ring with no answer. Next we figured we would try to find a Vietnamese restaurant and see if someone there could help us… yes, desperation set-in and this wasn’t a viable plan. Luckily, as we were hatching our great plan, a young lady overheard us talking and provided directions via the train.
When we got off the train, which led us back to the same street we walked down hours ago, we instantly found the building—a building which we passed at least once! We figured we walked at least five miles one way… we were definitely taking the train home.The consulate took our applications, money, passports and itinerary and told us to come back on Thursday. At least this time we know where we’re going.
Other Notes: After we dropped Elise off to get some rest (she’s fighting a cold) we headed out towards the Sydney Harbor Bridge. As we walked across, we had beautiful views of the Sydney Opera House and other historical landmarks across the Sydney skyline. We stayed in North Sydney until after dark to photograph and enjoy the skyline… stunning. We caught the ferry back from North Sydney and admired the views the entire way.
This really is a beautiful city!
This really is a beautiful city!
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