WYD SYD? Oh, we're home...

Monday, July 14, 2008
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
For those of you who don't know, or like us you just plain forgot, The Pope is in Sydney for World Youth Day. As a result we arrived at Sydney airport on a plane loaded with about 250 very excited young Popefuls here for the WYD SYD experience. The flight was intense especially with The Farting Priest making regular rounds of the plane to check that everyone was happy, safe and well behaved.

Three weeks ago we left Sydney with a suitcase each totalling about 40kg of luggage. Yesterday we returned with 4 suitcases - we bought everything we could think of including new suitcases. Our luggage weighed-in at a little over 80kg, and that's after we threw away old pairs of shoes, shorts, jeans, underwear and several kilograms of moisturiser.

Of course, having so much luggage means we have no idea where the camera is, and because we can't be bothered to unpack, it will probably remain lost for a few days. When we find it I'll upload some photos.

In the meantime, highlights of the trip include...
People, people everywhere
Shopping, shopping everywhere
Never being charged for excess baggage
Me totally losing it at San Francisco airport when I found out I couldn't get a window seat
The 20 kilometre walk from out hotel, to Brooklyn, to the World Trade Centre to Hells Kitchen and back to our hotel.
The large number of pigeons who chose not to dive bomb me (for a change).
The two complete strangers who took over the entire Men's' Formalwear floor at Macy's to help Steven find a nice suit.
Gettin' Freaky with Spiderman in LA
120 television stations and nothing to watch
Half Price meals big enough to feed 4 people
The front corner, on the first floor, near the big window, of the Virgin Mega Store in San Francisco (but we can't tell you why).
The Weather Experts who predicted thunderstorms for New York 12 days in a row and were only right on one day.
Learning our baggage allowance had doubled (possibly the biggest moment of the holiday)
Listless, lonely and lost - the people of Times Square
Landing in Sydney, getting though customs and into a taxi in only 15 minutes!

Steven now understands every American song, TV show, film or book he's ever come across but I'll never understand why a large apple juice is half the size of a large coke.

As always, it's nice to be home.

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