Poof Doof

4 April, 2023 | Sydney, Australia

These don’t have to be long. I can just say I visited one of the traditional queerer areas of Sydney and saw this.

The most fun I had in this area - Oxford Street in Darlinghurst - was in search of condoms.

It’s not that I thought it was terribly likely I would need to use condoms or lubrication (beyond solo activities) during my travels, but I brought along those I had just in case. It was only when in Sydney that I realized this stuff all expired well before the pandemic was upon us.

First shop I tried was called The Bunker.

“We don’t keep them in stock” the man behind the counter told me. “They simply don’t sell. But we do have some upstairs” he said, pointing to their more intimate facilities marked with signage I’m pretty certain would not be allowed in the terms of service of this platform.

“Oh” I muttered sheepishly. I had never been in one of those, and my awkwardness was immediately sensed.

He sighed “how many do you need?” I hadn’t even thought of this. “Five?” Another sigh, and he was back in a flash. I expressed my sincere gratitude and was off.

They didn’t have lubrication in a container size that wouldn’t risk a hilariously embarrassing incident with the TSA, so I went (literally) next door. This outfit was called “Adult XXX City” and was for a more general audience. The single review of the shop:

I am almost certain I met the same woman. I told her I was visiting and the situation and we ended up talking for like 30 minutes on a range of topics - travel, partners, etc. An absolute delight. All the while she was handing me individual lubrication packets from an enormous bag she had under the counter. I think I ended up with like 40 of them.

Alright this post ended up being longer than than I had anticipated. Next up: bike tour.