Disclaimer :
- I took this trip in February, long before the lockdown and the social-distancing were imposed.
- A bit of cheating today. This post is not new at all. I copied it from my Instagram post with some minor changes. I thought of doing a completely new one. But I think this one is as good as it can.
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Going to Sydney is an obvious choice for Canberrans who crave for a short escape to a megapolitan city. As calming and zen as Canberra can be, sometimes you just want to have a taste of the craziness of a big city life. So, that's exactly what I did. I jumped on the chance knowing that I had 5 days off before O-week.
The trip takes around 3.5 hours by bus, which is quite convenient I must say, compared to the trip I have to take going home (we will talk about this some other time). Plus, there was a big sale on the bus fares. Normally it would cost around 20 to 25 dollars on a single trip, which is a little bit expensive for a student like me. Now the return trips only cost me only 10 dollars. Who would miss the chance to visit Sydney with only 10 dollars, right? Exactly!
Now that I'd got my ticket, the next thing I had to think about was my accommodation. Accommodation in Sydney is surprisingly expensive - like really really expensive. A good backpacker that I am, I went straight to the hostel option. After an extensive browsing, I found the cheapest hostel option called Chiliblue Hostel that cost me 26 dollars for two nights.
Judging from the amount of money I had to pay - I didn't really expect much. Since I would be out a lot, I felt like I didn't need an expensive hotel because literally I just need a place to put my belongings and to sleep at nights. Surely, the hostel is located in red light district area of Sydney and the hostel was disgusting. I have been to many many hostels before and this is the worst of them all. But I guess I deserve it. What do you expect from a 26-dollars per two nights hostel?
As for the fun part (exploring Sydney) I both went for the cliches and the not so cliches.
- I went for the cliches and loved it
The most cliche things to do in Sydney would be visiting Opera House, Harbor Bridge, getting on a ferry to Manly. Right? I did all of them and would definitely do it again.
- Free tour
Well, it's not actually free per se. But you are definitely free to give any amount you'd like. Check this link (https://imfree.com.au/) if you are keen on joining the tour!
- Foods cost cheaper than Canberra
In Canberra a big meal costs at least 15 dollars. That's why I prefer to eat home and pack my own lunch. But in Sydney, a very big meal cost 10 to 12 dollars. Of course much more expensive choices are available if you are into that kind of thing.
- Going down to memory lane
I am not quite sure what possessed me, but the whole time I was in Sydney felt surreal. Was I hallucinating or Sydney really bears resemblance to Istanbul? And while we are on this game, I must say Canberra somehow feels so much like Ankara.
- What about New York?
Well I can't really talk about this as I haven't been to NY yet. But the buildings in Sydney look so much like those in NY (or perhaps in Brooklyn). That being said, Sydney is definitely a melting pot.
This is not going to be my last trip to Sydney. When the health crisis is contained, I will definitely come back to Sydney again. Until then, what else do you think I should have done in Sydney
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