On Monday I headed to Sydney via Canberra. 3.5 hours drive to Canberra, did some business there, stayed overnight, 4 hours to Sydney the next day. Drove all the way. Came back via Canberra on Thursday. Stayed at a hotel well out of the Central Business District (CBD).
My plan for Wednesday was get up early, 1 kilometre (about 5/8 miles) walk to train station, train to railway station nearest to the local branch of my Credit Union, only a nice 5 kilometre walk (about 3 miles) to it. Walk from there to a specific bank on the other side of the Sydney CBD, a nice 8 kilometres (about 5 miles), do my business and catch a train home. Another 1 kilometre back to the hotel. A total of 15 kilometres (about 24 miles). I’d be a bit tired but less so than if I tried to take my car in, and I didn’t know enough about the buses around there to know what to catch, also, I figured the exercise would do me good.
BTW I do prefer to walk when I can and am a fast than average walker, also in reasonable condition.
Got up and going early, arrived in town for the first walk at 8.30 am. Walked to the Credit union, did the first half of the business there and got the bank cheque (forget what you call them in the USA – but it’s as good as cash here, and safer than large amounts of cash to carry around). Then walked over to the specific overseas bank I was asked to go through. I was still feeling fit and happy with my exercise, but glad it would be soon over. Then the trouble began.
After a long heated discussion, they refused to do the transaction. By now, the cool of the morning was long gone, and it was a nice hot, cloudless, sunny day.
I had to walk back to the credit union, redeposit the bank cheque, and send the money another way. Then walk back to the railway station, and back to the hotel. On the last stretch, I could hardly move, the sitting on the train for the 15 minute trip was what killed me, the legs started to think they could go to sleep and it was all over. As I neared the hotel, I thought I was a candidate for a heart attack, despite the fact I shouldn’t be – over sized heart and very low cholesterol etc.
By the time I got back to the hotel I was one super tired bunny, my legs ached from the toes to the middle back. Thursday night after getting home, I spent 3 hours in a salts bath, and another 3 hours today. Still my legs are sore.
And you intend to do this for three days, oi vey, lady. Take plenty of fluids.
I told the overseas company about the problems, and he’s going to tell their chamber of commerce, and doubts anyone will now recommend people use their national bank for business in Australia.
Edited because an earlier edit was in the wrong place, now edited properly.