BridgeClimb
We embarked fairly early on our second day, stopping by one of the cafes in Chinatown for a snack to go. Our main event for the day was the BridgeClimb, which we scheduled before noon since we didn’t want to be up there in the mid-day heat. It was a pretty cool experience, but be forewarned: it’s expensive, you have to wear a jumpsuit (they provide these as well as lockers for your stuff), and you can’t bring your own camera of any type (even GoPros) because they want to sell you the photos they take of you/your group.
TIP: Get your tickets ahead of time and take a look at Groupon or whatever couponing apps you use! After we completed our climb, I looked there to see (since I wasn’t the one that booked it) and found the tickets for about half off. Whoops.
TIP: Wear comfortable clothes for walking that will fit underneath a jumpsuit, and good closed-toe walking shoes.
We had a bit of bad luck on our climb and found out the radios/headsets we were given for the tour didn’t work after we already began our climb. Good news was, we didn’t miss out on too much of the history and our guide had us fixed up pronto. When we told the people at the desk what happened, they even went out of their way to mail a book on the Sydney Bridge history to my house! That was pretty nice of them. Anyways, the climb built up an appetite, and as we were descending our guide was pointing out good places to eat nearby. That’s how we found the Hero of Waterloo Hotel and Bar.
The Hero of Waterloo
It sits in the corner of a fork in the road and has been open for 170 years! Rachal had a “celebratory beer” as she called them (it became her tradition after every stop to have one). The food was pretty good and the atmosphere was relaxing enough after all our bridge walking.
Museum on the Sydney Harbor Bridge
Once we were stuffed, we headed to the bridge museum that consists of a tower full of history and an overlook at the top. The cost was a couple of dollars, but was worth it for the phenomenal views of the Opera House and downtown Sydney from up there!
Sydney Harbor – Opera House Tour
After our touring, we decided to walk around the harbor where the Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia is and grab some gelato at a local cart. Back to the Opera House we went, joining an official tour of this historical building learning how and when it was built. What fascinated me the most was the design of its “sails” coming from a full spherical form and put together with different shaped and finished tiles. Absolutely beautiful up close.
Max’s Village Tattoo
Finally, Rachal and I decided to hunt for a tattoo parlor. Because what else would we do with the rest of our day? The first stop was Little Tokyo, which is nestled in a sketchy looking building absolutely covered in art. Pretty sure I could have lived there forever! Unfortunately, they deal almost exclusively in appointments. So, we had a look around and got referred to Max’s Village Tattoo. We got there and fortunately they had time for us! Unsure of what I wanted, I found a flash of origami dinosaurs. Rachal said I was ridiculous for wanting it, but I decided on getting a t-rex and she opted for a fancy arrow. The guys at the shop were really cool, and we found a good Japanese restaurant down the street to refuel. Ink in blood and food in the belly is a successful day in my books!
Watch the full video for today HERE.
Click here for Day Three!