Mardi Gras 2008

So we realize it’s been a couple weeks since we posted to the blog. Unfortunately, Carey’s been a little under the weather recently; she seems to have caught a nasty Australian bug. We did, however, manage to get out and about this past weekend for a night on the town. It just didn’t seem right for us to let Mardi Gras pass by without attending Sydney’s most famous parade. We had heard and read about the parade before we arrived in Sydney, and from everything we had gathered it was sure to be quite a spectacle. And in that regard, it definitely didn’t disappoint.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the theme of Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade, it is known as the world’s largest gay & lesbian parade. Its famous for the crazy, flamboyant, over the top, everything goes costumes worn not only by the parade participants but also by most of the observers. Fortunately for the blog readers, we didn’t take any pictures of the many assless chaps we saw, however we did manage to snap a shot of this lady displaying one of her prized possessions.
Our plan was to meet up with some friends at a pub right on Oxford street (the heart of the parade route) about an hour before the festivities started. By the time we arrived, the streets were already lined with people of all ages dressed in all sorts of crazy attire. We must admit we were a little hesitant and unsure of what to expect (read: Greg was a little unsure if he wanted to attend the parade at all). However, it turned out to be one hell of a party. No one can say the gays don’t know how to have a good time. Lots of booze and a constant loop of Madonna’s greatest hits seem to be their formula for a first-rate party.

And although we opted to head to a local Vietnamese restaurant to grab some dinner with friends before the three hour parade concluded, we can now say we experienced the unique celebrations of Sydney’s gay and lesbian community.

Happy Mardi Gras!