ADP: When the weather gods deliver a day as brilliant as the one we had yesterday in Sydney, it would be foolish not to spring out of bed and make the most of it.
Well, these Ambassador Girls don’t exactly “spring,” but we did manage to zip out the door by 10:00 am to grab a long black at Speedos Café in Bondi Beach. The place was packed to the rafters with sun-worships clad in sundresses, board shorts and bikinis, and we were slightly scandalized to see less spandex covering up the guy’s bottoms than the women’s. We were also shocked to note that the lithe and gloriously toned chicks wandering down the street were housing huge portions of French fries (or “chips” or “wedges” depending on where you’re from), yet they all looked like finalists from Australia’s Next Top Model. Mental note to the Ambassadors: Sign up for surfing lessons immediately and go running daily to neutralize calories from beer, cocktails and wine consumed nightly
After breakfast, it was time to hit the beach.
Maybe it was our ultra-pale skin, loud American accents or unabashed gawking, but we somehow managed to attract the attention of two massive lifeguards who were naked save four inches of navy fabric stretched across their important parts. Completely distracted by eight-pack abs and shoulders as wide as a Texas linebacker, I totally forget what their first words were. I recovered quickly enough to ask about “Backpacker’s Rip”….something that I’d heard about while watching my first episode of Bondi Rescue. They pointed in the direction of a group of surfers, but I’ll admit that I wasn’t exactly checking out the view of the water.
With the noontime sun beating down overhead (and no sunscreen in our bags), we decide to jump in the Ambassador Van and head check out those iconic Sydney sites that first captivated us eight years ago.
After graduating college in 2000, I went to New York City to work for NBC Sports Advertising Sales Department. My first assignment was to help assist with the Sydney Summer Olympics (rearranging the order of advertiser’s spots) and I probably watched 99.9 percent of the broadcast—including those incredible shots filmed of the Harbor Bridge, the Opera House and Circular Quay.
So, when I jumped out of the van and saw those images in living color for the first time, I was probably a little more thrilled than it’s cool to admit.
We spent the rest of the day checking out area at The Rocks (super touristy, but cute) and Circular Quay, polishing off the downtown experience with a glass of champers at the Opera Bar.
A great start in Sydney---here’s to many more experiences, drinks (and hottie lifeguards) to come.
