(in date order from earliest to latest date)
7/18/11......I left Prescott, AZ on Sunday, July 10, having left my RV in the shuttle-bus parking lot. The parking is free, and they said there was no limit. I hope they mean it 'cause I'll be parked there for almost three months. Because of the hot weather in :Phoenix, I wore shorts, taking a pair of long pants in my backpack for winter in Australia, but it isn't winter at all here in Brisbane. Right now I'm sitting on the front deck of this gorgeous home overlooking the pool. The whole area is a lush green with very tall trees and dense growth. The Australians call it "bush." Actually it's pretty similar to Flagstaff, AZ where I spent the last month: days in the 70s, evenings cold for sleeping, rain all day yesterday. The air is full of exotic bird calls from seldom seen birds. There are large white cockateils which fly overhead emitting a terribly loud and unpleasant squawk.
What amazes me about my limited foreign travel is how much foreign cities are so much like the U.S.: Egypt, the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, and now Australia. We are becoming a homogeneous world; too bad. Diversity makes life much more interesting. As we were driving from the airport, I thought, "This could be Flagstaff, Arizona. I don't know what I expected, but I must admit I was a bit disappointed. I wanted "different."
The flight left Phoenix on Sunday 7/10, and I arrived in Brisbane, Australia on 7/12 (two days later)! Not that I flew all that time, but when date lines are crossed, one loses time. On the way home, I'll leave and arrive on the same day (October 4). I traveled through four airports which meant customs inspections coming and going in each, eight in all. I checked my one suitcase through to Brisbane because the airports are VERY big, and the customs lines are long.
I take my hiking stick with me, and I've never had a problem except in Auckland, New Zealand. Even though I explained I had episodes of vertigo now and then, they said they would have to ship it through to Brisbane, and they would provide a wheel chair and pusher. Well that made me feel a bit old and decrepit, donchakno, but I said OK. Take my hiking stick away; you pay! Like a lot of things we don't like at first, it turned out great. We whizzed through the customs lines. I may just request a wheelchair in the future! That was the only incident; otherwise the Air New Zealand flight was smooth, and the food was good.
I watched two movies in flight -- ones I'd been wanting to see: "The Social Network" and "The Lincoln Lawyer." I LOVE movies; so I was happy. My happiness continues here because the owners have about a thousand DVDs. I've already watched "Avatar" (awesome!), the latest Wall Street, and "The Great Debaters" (fantastic!). With Oprah as a producer and Denzel Washington as the lead, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Since I grew up in the south (Memphis), it brought up a lot of stuff I experienced and would rather forget. How this country treated black Americans is more than shameful. (If you want to read about my experience of growing up in the south, read "Vernon Can Read" on my website in the "People" section.
The owner has provided a Lexus (!) for me to drive, but after only one experience driving in Australia, I've decided not to drive here. They drive on the opposite side of the road, and the lanes are narrow. That and driving someone else's car, make me very nervous. So basically I am marooned for six weeks. There will be a lot of reading, watching movies, cooking, eting, forest walks (the boundary is national park land) playing fetch with the chocolate lab (Rajah), petting the cat (Emily), daily workouts, and catching up on the computer. Sounds good to me! Who knows; I may even write a story or two.
I do get to leave home each Saturday. When the youngest daughter takes Raj to the dog park, she drops me off at the "Village" nearby where I indulge myself at the open-air bakery. It seems very English to me, and yesterday I had a warm, meat, bacon, and cheese pie for lunch, choosing to pass up the famous steak and kidney. Then I went to the grocery. I provide my own food, and the first go round I spent about $75 Australian. Add to that a 3% Visa service charge, and the fact that one Australian dollar equals about $1.10 U.S., it adds up. Gas is $1.38 a litre, and there are about four litres in a gallon -- another reason for not driving.
Grocery prices: I shouldn't have started in the produce section. The first shocker was bananas at $15 a kilo which is about two pounds or $7.50 a pound U.S. In the states, I paid 47 cents . It's an unusually high price because of the floods here. Maybe you saw the news video of the cars being swept away. That was Brisbane. The area I'm in (Camp Mountain) wasn't affected, but it did rain hard yesterday. That's why everything is quite lush with a tropical feel -- very much like Seattle.
Back to cost of living: Actually meat and dairy are about the same price as the U.S., probably because they're produced here. Australians are big on "biscuits" (cookies) with their tea, and there is a whole grocery aisle dedicated to them, some quite cheap for just over $1.00 a package. It was hard to decide, but I chose a ginger nut and a shortbread, both with little sugar -- also a fruit spread with no sugar added. I bought a large chunk of Australian feta cheese from the butcher for $2.00 (lucious!), a nightly salad incentive. The rest was the usual staples, including pricey coffee and tea. The cost of fresh fruit and vegetables were the killer because it's winter here and because of the flooding, they must be imported. After the initial outlay, I spend about $20 a week on groceries.
Well that's enough for my first journal entry. I don't expect there will be much more in the next five weeks. I house sit until August 24 and am thinking of staying at a back-packers' hostel in Brisbane for a couple of days. Then the same in Byron Bay, which has been recommended by several people. I'm not planning too far ahead to allow for flexibility, but I know one thing: I won't be driving! I brought two guidebooks (Lonely Planet and Frommer's); so I have lots of reading to do, choices to consider, and decisions to make. Tea time now WITH two biscuits!
Tuesday, 7/19/11 Brisbane, Australia....They don't use washcloths in Australia. They don't even know what they are. There is no salt in this house either, and the knives are so dull they won't even cut butter. But these things are minor. Major is when the collect phone number that is printed very clearly on the back of my debit card doesn't work. "It doesn't accept collect calls," the Australian operator said. So I called the collect number on my Visa card, and that worked. When I explained my situation to Visa via a very bad phone connection, I was connected to Bank of America after only two disconnects, two "call back later hang-ups," telling my story at least five times to different operators, and all the voice mail and number entering that the above represents. (GASP!) Oh yeah, my online banking doesn't work either. I was finally able to find out my bank balance, and since all my bills are paid, I'm good for a month. Then we'll go through all this again.
The other thing I've learned (the hard way) about house sitting is to make sure I am close to public transportation. I am not driving someone else's car in a foreign country!
8/19/11 Brisbane, Australia.......Reading over this, I noticed I haven't described the house is at the end of a long driveway in a country setting. The house is beautiful, nicely furnished, with a big yard in the back and a swimming pool in the front. It has been carved out of the "bush," which is the word for any heavy growth. There are many birds around. I hear them, but I don't see them hidden in the tall trees. That changed this morning when a beautiful, white cockatoo (?) landed by the deck, soon followed by two more on the deck rail. They are almost two feet long with a feather crown that they raise and lower at will. They are really gorgeous, pure white birds, but they have a terrible, loud squawk, and there are lots of them flying overhead.
I was fortunate to get another house sit after this one: five weeks in Perth from 8/29 until I fly to the U.S. on 10/4. I have spent almost three months in OZ and only had to pay for four nights at backpackers' hostels in Brisbane city and Byron Bay at about $20/night. Of course the shuttles to and from cost more than the price of the shared room.
The weather here is beautiful: the bluest of skies and no coat needed during the day, and it's supposed to be winter here. Most summers I spend trying to keep cool, but this is ideal. There have been three monsoon-type rains during my five weeks near Brisbane. They are dramatic, intense, and over quickly. I like to sit on the porch and enjoy the wonder of it all.
Thursday, 8/18/11 Brisbane, Australia....It is a very Seattle-like day today: a bit of light rain and gray skies. A good day to cook (baby bok choy with mushrooms and onion), write in this journal, exercise, watch a video, nap, and catch up on the computer.
I leave this first six-week house sit on Thursday next week. All reservations are made for two backpacking hostels ( days each in Byron Bay and Brisbane city), shuttles to and from, and the round trip on Virgin Air from Brisbane to Perth for another five-week house sit before returning to Sydney on 10/4 (at 5:45 a.m, GASP!) for my flight back to the U.S. Interesting that I arrived two days after I left and return the U.S. on the same day I leave OZ.
This house sit was made easier by the home owner's huge collection of DVD movies and music CDs, many of my favorite singers. I will never get through them all. The animals, Raj their chocolate lab, has a terrific memory and Emily, no sweeter cat in the world. I've been told she is very shy of strangers, but we bonded right away, and we both enjoy it when she sits on my lap and starts her engine (a very loud purr of contentment).
There is a duck couple that visits every morning for a swim in the pool. Also there are birds called kookaburras that actually sit in gum trees in the back yard, laughing their raucous laughter. Remember the children's song?
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Merry, merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh kookaburra; laugh kookaburra.
Gay your life must be.
Wonderful song when sung as a round. I remember it from years ago when I was a camp counselor on my 21st birthday. I had to look kookaburras up on Google. According to the home owner, they are brownish birds. I hear their laughter but seldom can see them among the sparse branches of the tall gum trees.
On my evening walk on the country road, there is a whole area of lavender wildflowers, Today I saw a rather large bird (2+ feet) walking on the ground. It looked like a wild turkey. It had a black body, a red head, a bright yellow neck band, long legs, and a large busy tail. Beautiful! I looked up "Australian birds" on the Internet and found that it is an Australian brush turkey. The Internet said the chicks hatch fully feathered and can fly within a few hours. It made my day -- one of those startling moments when you can't believe your eyes and have to look twice. I feel the same way when I see an elk amidst the evergreens in Pine, Arizona or stumble on a herd of peccaries when walking in Strawberry, Arizona (both were house sits).
I have rediscovered crumpets here, very reasonable at six for $1.00. Since Australia has a British history, there are a lot of English traditions here. Crumpets toasted with butter are one of the best!
Thursday, 8/25/11 Byron Bay, Australia.....After six weeks of house sitting near Brisbane, I spent the last four days tidying up the house and yard before the home owners arrived back from Russia last night. I have a strenuous schedule planned. Right now I'm on the shuttle bus from Brisbane to Byron Bay, a two-hour drive. I asked the driver if perhaps he made a wrong turn and is in the U.S. It is so like the U.S. here. We could be driving the freeway in almost any state, except the desert. It is very green and pretty flat with forests and farm lands on either side of the freeway. About an hour's drive from Brisbane, we reached the ocean, and I sighed a sigh of relief: pale yellow, sandy beach bordering the great expanse of sea. This is what I've been waiting for -- far away from the gigantic city of Brisbane. The Gold coast, "a surfer's paradise," is composed of little towns and is about 50-60 miles long.
I brought two guidebooks with me, and the more I read about Byron Bay, the more I wish I were staying longer than two nights. The guidebook says: "Byron Bay, a beach bohemia. Painters, craftspeople, glass blowers, and poets are so plentiful they almost fall from the macadamia trees."
The shuttle bus dropped me off at the hostel (Backpackers Inn on Shirley Street), and the first thing I did was walk the short, sandy trail through dense, tropical foliage to the sea. Paradise! ANOTHER paradise! There are so many! The hostel was better than I expected. The tropical setting and laid-back lifestyle reminds me of Florida, actually Key West. The downtown area is touristy but not gaudy -- a 20-minute walk from the hostel.
When I stopped people on the street to ask directions, NO ONE lived here, and I'm not surprised because it's a resort kind of town and very expensive. I said Brisbane was expensive. Well, you can double that for Byron Bay. Two pieces of toast or a muffin will cost $5. I'm glad I brought my own food, enough to see me through two days here and two days in Brisbane city. The cheapest dinner I've seen (not eaten) costs $12. Most are close to $25.
Friday, 8/26/11 Byron Bay, Australia......I found two places with live music and went both nights while in Byron Bay, walking to and from town. Today I walked through town and continued until I overlooked the ocean. Spectacular view of the whole bay! Sunny, blue skies, and many surfers riding the waves. I stopped at an open-air sushi bar. It was a very attractive, unique place. The plates of sushi traveled around the counter on plates of different colors. You simply selected what you wanted as it traveled by. I later learned this was called a "sushi train." Very entertaining! The color of the plate indicated the price. The least expensive was $2.50; the most was $6. I watched as the man next to me (not a slim fellow) ate his way through at least five plates. One good thing is that everything, including gas, will seem cheap to me in the U.S.
I leave on the shuttle bus to Brisbane tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and hope to walk the beach before leaving. I lucked out at the hostel by paying for a four-bed dorm room, but I was the only occupant both nights. One can get a blanket, two ironed sheets, and a pillow case for $1, a set of plates and silver is free with a $5 deposit; key a $10 deposit; so I'll get $15 back tomorrow. This hostel is very clean. There is a spacious back yard with a pool, free hot showers, laundry room, and spacious kitchen with three commercial-size refrigerators, microwave, toaster, cooking utensils, two sinks, etc. Bikes, surf boards, volleyballs, etc. are all free with a deposit. Very reasonable place to stay for $25/night. Many people volunteer in exchange for free rent. Hostels are a great way to meet people from foreign lands, even if you are the oldest person here; like me!
Saturday 8/27/11 Byron Bay, Australia.....An overcast, misty morning; the rain held off so I had a very pleasant walk on the beach before breakfast. I was able to dip my toes in Byron Bay, part of the Pacific Ocean. The water was cool but not cold, and the surfers seemed to think it was perfect. I really lucked out with the weather: no rain Thursday and Friday; so I was able to see quite a bit of the city on foot. I asked about walking the railroad tracks behind the hostel to town but was advised against it because "the snakes love to sun themselves there." Nuf said. I've read that the ten most poisonous snakes in the world are in Australia!
The most frustrating thing about traveling is that while in a place, I discover what I want to do next time, but "next time is always some place else!
Traveling is addictive, and if I had it to do over, I would not have followed in the "lock-step" footsteps of my generation: college, career, marriage, kids, divorce. I would have worked my way around the world. I'm not much for "roots" when adventure waits. I figure you can do the "same old, same old," or you can do something new. I have always felt that HOME is where I am, and people often say I know more about their area than they do, and they've lived there for years. I also believe that basically life is either secure and boring or scarey and exciting.
Sunday 8/28 Brisbane, Australia....I called a member of the Unitarian Fellowship here, and she offered to pick me up at the hostel. There was more synchronicity in this than I could imagine:
1) The New Zealand-Australian conference was here this weekend
2) The speaker was the minister of the UUC in Perth where I'll be for the next five weeks; so I can attend services there.
3) The topic was "Standing on the Side of Love." The UUC organization by the same name sponsored a rally in Phoenix, AZ to protest its racial profiling and immigration policy. (Because the law targets Mexicans, when I was on the Yucatan Peninsula last year, I was too ashamed to say I was from Arizona; so just said U.S.).
4) The first reading was written by Chief Sealth, one of my idols from the Northwest, my former home.
5) The speech was on the main cause of our environmental problems: OVERPOPULATION and its effect on Australia. Overpopulation has always been MY issue. I was on the Board of Zero Population Growth in Seattle and the Board of Family Planning of Grant County in Eastern Washington State.
By the time I picked up groceries for dinner and took a nap there wasn't much time left. I had to be up at 6:00 this morning to catch the shuttle bus to the airport for my 9:15 flight to Perth,
Monday 8/29/11 Up in the Air to Perth.....Not much to report on Brisbane. I caught the shuttle bus at 11:00 in Byron Bay and arrived in Brisbane two hours later. The hostel was less than a mile from the transit center, uphill in a light rain, carryng a bag of food, my water sack, my hiking stick, my backpack, and pulling my suitcase behind. (I have to remember to pack light because it only get heavier as I go along.) When I got to the hostel (one of about five in a row), all I wanted to do was take a shower and a nap; so I did. It poured rain all day but cleared in the evening; so I could at least walk around the neighborhood. Turns out I was less than a mile from several pubs with music but not tonight because it was the big rugby game between Australia and New Zealand on big screens in every pub. In fact the stadium where it was played could be seen from the hostel. I enjoyed the walk though in the cool night air after being cooped up with many backpackers during the day because of the rain.
One of the best things about hostels is the cooking experience. The Brisbane kitchen was crowded with people fixing everything from packaged ramen noodle soup to fancy gourmet dishes to dishes native to their homeland. A very busy place!
This was another great hostel (City Backpackers, 380 Upper Roma) except that it was HUGE, more than 100 backpackers, I'm sure. Bedding was free with a $10 deposit for dishes and another $10 for the key deposit. My room had four bunks ($22/night). To get there, I had to go down the outside hall (uncovered in the rain), turn left past the bar, down the outside steps, into the locked door, down the hall, and into my locked room. Amazingly I found it on the first try. My hair was soaking wet from the rain by the time I got to my room. I was the first one there; so I got a lower bunk. The only thing I had to worry about was brain damage from bumping my head on the top bunk! Two roommates were from Germany, and one was Japanese. Most people seemed to be from Asia, France, and Germany. I saw only one other person close to my age. I have not met a single American here, and most of the foreigners stay for many months, even a year. And I thought my stay of almost three months is long. Most also work here. They can stay in the hostel free for working three hours a day. Some have work Visas; so they can stay a year. A French fellow I met is getting room and board plus salary for a full-time position on a farm near Brisbane. He says he never makes reservations for anything when he travels (shuttles, lodging, etc.). I, on the other hand make reservations for everything. Of curse there are advantages and disadvantages to this. I know I'll have a place to sleep, a way to get there, and it's cheaper to book online rather than in person. However, flexibility and spontaneity are compromised.
Friday 9/9/11 Perth Australia.....I'm settled in my Perth house sit until October 4 when I fly to Sydney to connect with my flight back to the U.S. The Virgin Air flight from Brisbane to Perth was a smooth flight of about five hours. I've heard is about the same distance to Bali...something to keep in mind if I ever come to Australia again. Doubtful since it's so expensive here. International flights still include food and one piece of luggage, but this Virgin Air flight to Perth charged for EVERYTHING: No meals, snacks, or drinks (not even water!) and no luggage. The menu was expensive and mundane. They did give me a cup of hot water; luckily I brought my own tea bags and Stevia, and my neighbor gave me her cream which came with her tea for $3.00. You can watch TV for about $10.00. Actually, when I think about it, this probably makes the fee for people like me a lot cheaper.
I am in a neighborhood within walking distance to four parks, the bus, and the city train. I have one medium-size, female dog, Bobbi, who is a joy, easy to take care of and good company. She is obsessed with ball playing and insists on carrying her ball in her mouth on the way to the park. We have one of those gadgets with a long handle which allows one to pick up the ball and throw it great distances without even touching it. that's a good thing because once Bobbi has carried the ball in her mouth for the length of the walk, you would not want to touch it. Our daily routine includes walking to the park after our naps, playing fetch the ball until she decides she's had enough and goes to the sand pile under the play equipment to dig a very deep hole in the sand. So far we have lost only one ball even though I brought the shovel from home in an attempt to find it. She is so much fun to watch. She is very well behaved and lets herself in and out of the doggy door; so all I really have to do in addition to the daily walk is to feed her. She eats EVERYTHING I give her and keeps the kitchen floor really clean.
I've been to the nearby shopping center several times and admit to eating two different meat pies at the bakery and a lemon/lime tart at the restaurant. I really enjoy shopping at the IGA there, although I have given up several of my staples, such as a carton of cottage cheese for $5 -- the same size I get for a dollar on special in the States. The prices don't seem too outrageous to me once I learned the average income in Australia is $50,000 year! Oh Boy....
My first week here it rained almost every day; so I had an excuse to watch their large collection of videos, read, cook, nap, and settle in. Today I am determined to learn about the local bus and train into the City, about a 15-minute train ride. I have a list of things to do from several sources. High on my list are the three bus routes which are free.
The home owners have an olive tree, and they have jars and jars of the most delicious, home-made Greek olives. They are delicious, and I am O-D-ing on them. They've offered to let me take some back to the States -- a real bonus as they are out-of-sight expensive; so I never buy them. The other bonus is many kinds of teas, some of which sell for $800 (Australian money) a kilo, which is about equal to the U.S. dollar now. I am trying all the teas: ice tea for lunch and hot tea with "biscuits" (cookies) in the afternoon. I always add a bit of green or white tea to the mix: Silver Tips, the one that costs $800 a kilo.
Wednesday 9/14/11 Perth, Australia......There ia a fantastic transportation system here. One can buy a Smartpass card which allows a person to take a bus to the train station and another bus to King's Park by simply "tagging" on and off (pressing the card against a card reader). So efficient! And there are four different routes (2 north and 2 south) which take you to many different cities. It costs me about $3.20 one way with my card to get to the Perth central business district.
King's Park was #1 on my list of places to visit in Perth, and it did not disappoint. It was magnificent; at the height of wildflower season. I went on the free, guided botanical garden and bush walk. The park was covered with wild flowers native to Australia, in tended flower beds. The bush, on the other hand, was left wild. It too was covered with wildflowers, especially the beautiful, star-shaped freesia, which the Aussies hate because it is not native to Australia and is everywhere in the bush. Actually it was quite beautiful. Another was a miniature, red-orange gladiola, also an invasive plant. There were a variety of tiny orchids, which had not been seen for years because of the drought. No animals though. I have yet to see a koala or a kangaroo. The park is huge -- many acres, and there is a bus that goes around the entire park for $8.00. I didn't take it as there was more than I could see in the area by the information center. The park has manicured lawns and sits high on a hill overlooking the city and the water. The panoramic view was breathtaking, and the day was perfect: sunny with a cool breeze. If you want a mild winter (May-September), Australia is the place to be. I seldom need a jacket here. It's the first "summer" I can remember that I haven't spent trying to escape the heat, even in Flagstaff, AZ which is a much higher altitude. One year I drove all the way north to the ocean in Washington State before the temperature got below 100!
By the time I left King's Park, I was exhausted so just did the bus, train, bus thang back to Duncraig, my temporrary home, about 20 minutes from downtown Perth. The bus stop is about 1/2 mile walk on top of that.
The supermarket (IGA) in the small mall near my house isn't big, but it is very efficient. Each item has an electronic tag; so all prices are updated by computer. So much more efficient than replacing paper, sale tags by hand as they do in the States.
Saturday 9/17/11 Perth, Australia......Lancelin (about 1-1/2 hours north of Perth by car). As we leave the bush country around Perth, the trees become fewer and fewer until we reach the area of sand dunes bordering the ocean. Lancelin is a small, quiet, resort town. We went for a long walk on the white sand beach after making our way along a very pleasant path that meandered through the dunes. Sunday was very stormy with strong winds and rain but we were able to take another beach walk before leaving Monday morning.
Tuesday 9/20/11 Perth, Australia......Bobbi, the dog, and I jus got back from a long walk aroung the lake in a huge, nearby park. The trail was paved part of the way and left natural for the rest which trave4sed gorgeous bush land. The grass along side the trail was about a foot high, a vibrant green, and very lush. The tall trees had interesting shapes, unlike the straight ones in the U.S. forests. I only caught glimpses of the lake through the dense bush, but the walk itself was one of the most enjoyable I've ever experienced. It is obviously a favorite of dog walkers, as we met many on the trail; 90% had dogs.
Wednesday 9/21/11 Perth, Australia......BoThe home owners are on a plan where visits are free. I also had the vet check out her feet, as one was bleeding last week, and another caused her to yelp while in Lancelin. The first mentioned seemed to have healed, and the second was caused by a split nail. I came home with three medications. I was very impressed with the woman vet (Dr. Helen) and the whole appointment. The receptionist even provided Bobbi and me with towels, as we got a bit wet walking over in a surprise rain shower Bobbi was an angel during the visit, not fearful at all, and so well behaved. She is a jewel of a dog, and I will miss her.
Thursday, September 22, Perth, Australia....Today's great adventure is taking the free red, yellow, and green free bus routes around the city. I think I have finally mastered the walk, bus, train system into the city. I was pretty nervous the first time, but since my destination is always different, there is still a lot of apprehension.
Today is overcast and cold enough for a jacket. I've saved tomorrow, a sunny day to visit the city of Freemantle where I've heard there are markets and buskers on the weekends. It will mean switching trains in Perth.
Friday 9/23/11 Freemantle....The Swan River is very calm and wide. there are huge mansions overlooking the river; se just passed one worth $58 million. it supposedly has a swimming ool, bowling alley, and cinema. The owner is connected to gold mining in this mineral-rich country. The boat ride takes 1-1/4 hours and is very pleasant. Cost is $25 one way, but I asked abut discounts and got it for $18. I took the local bus to Freemantle this morning. It was one hour and three busses later before I saw the water and even longer to get to Freemantle, but I got to see more of Perth. After the boat docks in Perth, I'll take the train back to Duncraig (about 15 minutes) where I'm house sitting.
The two large Freemantle markets were typically tourist attractions and fast food; however there were some great produce stands, and I bought a kilo of oranges (about 5) for $1.50 AU (75 cents U.S.). Freemantle seems like an interesting, small town; I need more time there.
Saturday 9/24 Perth, Australia.....Two days of rain are forecast starting tomorrow; so I decided to make the most of today's beautiful weather. Cottlesloe Beach was high on my list of things to see. It involved a walk to the bus, the train to the city, transferring trains, and a longggg walk to the beach. Adele, the homeowner, said she planned to have breakfast at the Indiana Tea Room on her birthday; so i knew it must be special. The tea house overlooked the beach with its swimmers and body boarders. The ocean was a beautiful aqua marine. I knew the menu would be pricey; so I was able to hide my shock at $27 for a hamburger. I settled for the mushroom soup for $12, hoping it came with bread. I intended to come for breakfast, but as itturned out, they weren't serving breakfast today, even though they only serve it on weekends. The mushroom soup was the best I'ver ever tasted, and it came with delicious, warm, buttered focacia bread. Now I'm REALLY hungry! Fortunately I brought a ham and cheese sandwich which I'll eat on the beach if I can't find a fish & chips restaurant nearby. Later....I was so hungry after the outstanding mushroom soup that I went right across the street and had two pieces of .fish (no chips) for $9.60. Outstanding! And lots cheaper than the $32 it would have cost at the Indiana Tea House.
Sunday 9/25/11 Perth, Australia......Turns out to be a sunny day after all, with the rain forecast holding off until tonight; so I'm going to take Bobbi on that long walk around the lake in the nearby park. Then there's dancing at 4:00 to a live band at the neighborhood pub -- a lot of exercise today!
I am really taking advantage of my time in Perth, sight seeing every day it doesn't rain. I only have eight more days here, and I could use a lot more time. Makes me kind of regret my six weeks in Brisbane where I was in the country without transportation; so didn't see any of the city. Oh well, another lesson learned. It was a relaxing time (reading, exercising, walking, watching videos, cooking, the computer, etc.), and I am never at a loss of things to do, plus I learned to always be sure I am near public transportation in the future.
to be continued... -----------------
Egypt trip and Yucatan Peninsula trip in Mexico to be entered soon....or at least by Christmas!