Strangers in a Very Strange Land

         Yes, a trip to Australia was near the top of our bucket list (we really don’t have a bucket list, it’s more like a short teacup memo). But…”So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh!” was our song as we were hurriedly ushered out of our hosts' homes on our Australia journey. As we and our host were preparing for a trip to the beautiful Blue Mountains (which we still hope to see one day), Covid Downunder (and indeed all over the world) hit, and the trip leaders instructed us to “move out”.  If the truth be told, nobody really knew what to do.

     So, after a tense hour with half made sandwiches left on the kitchen table, we and most of the other members of FFLI found rooms at a hostel in Sydney’s embassy section, just a short walk from the world-famous Sydney Bridge.  Our kind hosts drove us there.

     We were lucky and got a large room with a private bath. Others in our group got accommodations that were not quite as nice.  The house had a lovely garden, TV,  and a great buffet breakfast.  News on the television was unsettling, overall about the pandemic, and specifically about flights to New York.

     We all made the best of it. The hostel was a short walk to commuter ferries that go downtown across Sydney harbor. The streets were mostly empty, but the few people that were there were often overheard as wondering why we tourists didn’t go home, which sounded worse in an Australian accent. The Sydney Opera House was closed, so we couldn’t have a tour, but we were able to walk around the half dome structures and into the lobby. From there, we took a short walk to the delightful botanical gardens, which has plants and birds native to this part of the world. It made a lasting impression.

On our departure day, it was difficult to get accurate information about whether our flights would actually take off. We moved to a hotel near the airport, and waited, worried that we’d never get out. Instead of souvenirs, what was “hot”, and expensive, were masks and alcohol wipes. We did board, but changed our plans, abandoning a visit to a cousin in LA. Wonderful to be home and safe.

G. Schechter