Our travel downtown

Yesterday morning Sarah went off to class and I was feeling a little homesick so I headed over to the mall. The MacQuarie Center Mall has a lot of places to grab a bite to eat. My plan was to eat breakfast and walk around for a while. As I wandered around I decided to try a place that I couldn't find in the United States so I settled on a place called "Happy Jacks."  I ordered an sausage, egg and cheese on a croissant, a potato patty a cappachino.  Actually the Happy Jack Restaurant does bear a surprising resemblance to a Burger King. So I am not as adventurous as I would have you believe.

After Sarah finished her classes we had a quick lunch at her apartment and then took a bus down to the center of Sydney. It took about an hour to get there but it was a great way to see the outskirts of the city. I will tell you this: Public transportation is the way to go down here. Sydney is one of the largest cities in Australia and I wouldn't even think about driving.  Never mind the fact that they drive on the left side of the road, they also seem to drive very fast. I am amazed I haven't seen any accidents the few times I was out on the road. I also noticed that the busses seemed to be pretty full and the riders came from all social classes. Back home it seems that only those who can't afford a car are the ones who ride the bus or take a train. Down here there are many more suits on the bus than there are bag ladies.  

Sarah has the busses figured out because she has taken a few trips downtown with her friends. The bus picks them up just down the street or across campus at the mall.  They also have a train that run from a little bit closer in. right now they are constructing a stop at the edge of campus but they had a little snafu. The design engineer miscalculated the height needed to accommodate the trains and they have to reconstruct the whole thing at a cost well over several million dollars. (I wonder if it as the same guy who designed the big dig in Boston?)

We did a lot of walking once we got downtown. We went from the famous Sydney Opera House over to Darling Harbor. We marveled at the architecture of the buildings in the city. It was amazing how they blended the modern with the more dated historical. I also noted the churches along the way. My friend Neil said the Anglican Church was he most prominent but I saw a Presbyterian, a Baptist and a Catholic Church on our travels. It was a vivid reminder that God is everywhere and that he can be found in every church the world over. So next time you think that God is hiding. Just look around. 

I was reminded of that line in Psalm 139, "Where can you go from his presence...  If I rise up or if I lie down, he is there..."

Cal