It took me a while to figure out the CityRail system. The maps of the various lines bore little resemblance to the physical dimensions of the city. Instead, they were a schematic of the system, with a simplified geometry. Eventually, I figured out how to correlate the names on the CityRail map with those on my street maps, and where the junctions between lines were. Still, I found that there were a lot of places that you just couldn't get to without a transfer or two.

I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon walking the Oxford Street "Golden Mile" through Darlinghurst--Sydney's equivalent of San Francisco's Castro district.

On the way there, I passed through Hyde Park, with its war memorial and reflecting pool. The sidewalk around the pool seemed to be a favorite hangout for skateboarders, who acted a little territorially toward pedestrians who wandered through their space. The subway station nearest Oxford Street was on the far side of this park, so I actually ended up visiting it fairly often.

Oxford Street is certainly not the Castro. If nothing else, it's a bit smaller and flatter. The stores along the street were mainly cheap souvenier shops, local video and book stores, designer fashion outlets, pubs, bars, and restraurants. There was a lot to see and the atmosphere was very pleasant. But I was still a little jet lagged, and not quite as energetic as I could have been. I had bad Vegetarian Phad Thai at one of the bazillion Thai kitchens along the street, and watched the world go by. It was a good way to spend the afternoon, though I'm sure it would have been a lot more fun if I'd been well rested.