The Trip Over and Our First Encounter With Perth

It was a long journey but we have finally arrived in Perth.  It seemed everything leading toward the final move was extremely stressful - saying good-bye to friends, and family, our house, etc. - and for the most part to me I was in some kind of zone apart from reality.

But here we are.

Our weekend of festivities we had planned with family went well.  We ended up nearly blowing the first night as we were very late getting away from home. The last Monday before our flight our families and we got together for the late lunch/ early dinner and then headed to the airport.  I bought these shirts for us to wear primarily so we could spot Vinny and he could spot us should we be separated.  

The shirts actually proved to be quite the conversation ice-breaker many times.  I think they also helped us get through security.  After all, what troublemakers would make themselves so noticeable?

Vinny was very excited about the planes and was thrilled upon our first takeoff. 

 He stared out the window for a little while but soon got bored with it and kept the window shade closed.

Vinny took the trip very well. He really enjoyed the fact that on every 747 there was a DVD screen in the rear of the headrest of every seat.  What he doesn't know is that WE enjoyed it just as much, as it occupied him.  Most times he was almost angered because we had the audacity to bother him whilst enthralled.  

For an airline, Qantas personnel were very attentive and kind.  The airline even fed us actual dinners and two breakfasts.  Would you like to know something else?  With a totally unexpected act Qantas airlines won my admiration; they brought out ice cream bars for everyone!

He also enjoyed riding the train between terminals.

When we arrived in Brisbane I was selected for a random security search.  It was exciting because we had seen the exact process done many times on Border Security: Australia's Front Line -- at least the swab part. Remember our shirts?  I noticed that he didn't really push the swab down on my luggage very hard which led me to believe he wasn't really searching me; either he just wanted to be closer to my awesomeness or the brightness of the awesomeness shirt truly blinded him and he couldn't distinguish me from someone "dangerous."

Rebecca was quite disappointed that we didn't get to meet any of the people we'd seen on Border Security. I think she was also somewhat disappointed in the fact that we didn't get searched.  We had worked very hard writing down each thing that was in each of our six checked bags and had our carry-ons at the ready.  Rebecca pulled the list out and the first customs guard asked "what's that?" and she promptly told him it was everything in our bags.  He grinned and passed us along.  The customs officials at the counters asked a few questions and we answered them; no opening of bags occurred.  Again, I place credit on our shirts and one cute little boy.  That's the key to getting through security :)   

Strangely enough, I met my first real Australian in Australia in the head.  He had been in front of us in the security screen and was getting a hard time getting some duty-free alcohol into past.  He told me Perth was an extremely beautiful place, even though he'd never been there.

And he's right.

This is the apartment they put us in.  It's the top one on the corner on the right.

It's right across the street from a very spacious and nice park.

A short walk north and we get to the river.  Across the Swan River you can see downtown Perth.

It's actually a very nice downtown area.  It's very clean and busy, albeit crowded.  The apartment itself is kind of small and a little bit dated and dirty but it's ok for now.  The biggest problem was the heat didn't work.  So Rebecca's friend (who has been taking very good care of us) got on the phone with Rebecca's employer and they got it worked out.  I'm sure the employer gave the apartment owner an ear-full.  

Vinny took the camera and took a few pictures of things he liked.  There weren't any fans around, but he did find something else he's quite taken by. 

The power outlets are different.

He always loves to take pictures of himself.

He liked how I'd hung a ginormous dragon serpent scarf over the TV.  It occupies a corner of the apartment and is very noticeable, so I covered it.

I guess he likes the little alcove that used to be a balcony.  

The next day we got out and headed for the city.  There were two objectives:  get phones and get bus passes.

On our walk from the apartment to the ferry we encountered some pretty strange trees.  Anyone know what these are?

We got on the ferry and headed across the Swan River.  Vinny had never been on a ferry before.  He had a blast.

Trust me.  He was having a blast.

And so were we.

There.  See?  He was having a blast.

The streets of Perth near the river are quite beautiful, despite a lot of construction around the area.

I think the palm trees are really nice.

This is the bell tower, made of glass.  The bells in it are real and very loud.  It is surrounded by a small moat.  I think it is very beautiful.

There was also this fountain adjacent to the bell tower with mosaics stretching into the water.

The streets on the river are lined with palms and flowering plants of all types and sizes.

The town is literally lined with green areas, except in the suburbs and downtown.  I haven't seen the suburbs yet other than subiaco, where we went on an expedition to find our phones.

We found this absolutely ginormous tree on the corner. It isn't in Subiaco, but on the riverbank near the bell tower.  We thought it was a magnolia, but Rebecca then saw the fruit and it wasn't what you would find on a magnolia.

Here is the fruit.

They have these areas where there are pedestrian malls, where you walk along streets that are closed to traffic.  The malls are filled with shops and restaurants of all types.  Rebecca had the idea to find a bookstore and look for Rachel's new book.  

And here it was.  They had three copies of it.

But afterward, they only had two.  And we want is signed, Rachel.

We went to the post office where, interestingly enough, they sell all manner of things; things you would never expect from a post office, like a sewing machine and toys.  The phones we wanted weren't at the downtown post office so a very helpful, nay EXTREMELY helpful Chelsea helped us out and found a post office in a suburb where they had the phones we wanted.  She had them hold the phones and all we had to do was make our way out to Subiaco (the hipster suburb) and get to their post office.  We took the train out, retrieved the phones, and made our way back.

It was getting late so we headed back across the ferry and into South Perth.  Rebecca stopped at IGA and I headed to the park with Vinny so he could have some playtime of his own.  He had been such a good boy walking around the city.  We like to help him know that whatever we do, we value his opinions too, and we knew that he wanted to enjoy the playground.

He really got a kick out of this rolling log that I called the "hamster wheel."

On the way back to our apartment I noticed that there was this huge aloe bush.  It wasn't a potted plant.  It was a bush, and very large.

All in all it's like a nice little tropical paradise that has -at the moment- cold weather.

And even if we don't enjoy it -which we do- the boy does.  And that's important.

Next the plan is to head to Rebecca's workplace and open a bank account with their credit union.  Wish y'all could be here to share this place with us.  It's proving to be quite the adventure: beautiful, friendly, and pretty nice weather.. even if it was cold at night.