the Australian Bight was miserable. I lay down on our bed for most of the 3 days. I should have know that this was a cakewalk compared to what was coming up, but we arrived in Fremantle on a bright sunny day.
Things were looking up!
Fremantle is actually the port for Perth which in land and about 30 minutes away from downtown Perth.
The city, as we have found in al the other Australian port is spotless and the people so very very nice.
When we got off the ship and out the front door of the boat terminal we were greeted by this flautist.
We got on the tram provided by the ship and in 5 minutes were in the city of Fremantle.
It is quite old but spectacularly clean. Time was so limited and we had to be back on the ship by 5pm.
We didn't spend much time at the start of our day because we wanted to get into Perth. The tram let us off right in front of the train station.
WINDOW IN THE TRAIN STATION
As with all the cities in Australia they don't tear down their old buildings but rather they fix them up and so you see these grand old buildings with architecture that is spectacular.
We paid $3.60 for a ride into Perth - Take a look at the cleanliness of the train.
The seats are upholstered and the carpets on the floor perfectly clean.
Not a bit of graffiti, no initials scratched into the glass, no bums on the train either.
I think we are barbaric in the states. There are signs asking you to give up your seat to an elderly person.
I used to see this in Montreal but I don't recall such a sign on the Metro in Miami.
Well Perth is a lovely city and although our time was short we went to the main tourist center to see the shops. They design their shopping areas in either wide boulevards with only foot traffic like Lincoln Road Mall or narrow passageways with store packed beside on another.
This is the enterance to an alleyway from the main shopping boulevard. Photo below is in the alleyway
There are small stores throughout and below is a candy store. We ate a piece of what they were making.
The candy was still very warm. Peppermint.
We wandered in and out of the different shops. There are so many jewelry shops in Perth it's amazing the quantity of merchandise they carry.
We were standing just in front of this entranceway to another alley when the clock chimed 12 and Len took the photo of the mechanism at the top.
They actually go round and round jousting and one knight falls backwards.
As we were walking back to the train, sitting on the boulevard was this aborigine playing a didgeridoo.
The quick train ride was nice, it was quite hot in Perth, almost 90 so the air conditioned ride gave us a chance to relax.
Back in Fremantle we walked around for a bit and found a Didgeridoo store that we could not pass up.
You would not believe the variety of sounds they make. The are bamboo that have been hollowed out by termites. The real ones cannot be carved out they must be hollowed out by the termites and there is such a variety of aboriginal art painted and carved on some of them.
Needless to say, you will hear Len practicing on his when we get home.
We were exhausted once we got back on the ship around 4:30. It was cooler by then and we sat on our balcony and watched the sun set while we ate dinner. We are on the port side of the ship and the view was gorgeous and Marina laid out the bed so beautifully.
Since it was Valentines day, they made a special dessert for us.
They really go out of their way to make passengers feel special.
The next morning we were at sea again heading up the west coast of Australia due north. We are in the
Indian Ocean heading towards Bali which is a 3 day trip. We went up on deck where Len shot this photo of a flying fish,
The night of the 15th was horrific! So was the 16th, 17th and into the early morning hours of the 18th.
You can't believe the sounds a ship can make in a really bad storm. There are not 1 but 2 cyclones in this area - The one to the west of us was heading towards western Australia an we were caught in the outer bands. Len and I ate almost nothing for 2 days and we lay on the bed waiting for it to pass.
It is now 4 am on the 18th am and sitting on a salt covered balcony blogging.
We were supposed to have dinner with the Chief Engineer but had to cancel because you cannot walk a straight line from the bed to the bathroom. Just as the storm was starting Len got these amazing pictures.
Needless to say they may have to drag me on board to leave Bali!
We were standing just in front of this entranceway to another alley when the clock chimed 12 and Len took the photo of the mechanism at the top.
They actually go round and round jousting and one knight falls backwards.
As we were walking back to the train, sitting on the boulevard was this aborigine playing a didgeridoo.
The quick train ride was nice, it was quite hot in Perth, almost 90 so the air conditioned ride gave us a chance to relax.
Back in Fremantle we walked around for a bit and found a Didgeridoo store that we could not pass up.
You would not believe the variety of sounds they make. The are bamboo that have been hollowed out by termites. The real ones cannot be carved out they must be hollowed out by the termites and there is such a variety of aboriginal art painted and carved on some of them.
Needless to say, you will hear Len practicing on his when we get home.
We were exhausted once we got back on the ship around 4:30. It was cooler by then and we sat on our balcony and watched the sun set while we ate dinner. We are on the port side of the ship and the view was gorgeous and Marina laid out the bed so beautifully.
Since it was Valentines day, they made a special dessert for us.
They really go out of their way to make passengers feel special.
The next morning we were at sea again heading up the west coast of Australia due north. We are in the
Indian Ocean heading towards Bali which is a 3 day trip. We went up on deck where Len shot this photo of a flying fish,
The night of the 15th was horrific! So was the 16th, 17th and into the early morning hours of the 18th.
You can't believe the sounds a ship can make in a really bad storm. There are not 1 but 2 cyclones in this area - The one to the west of us was heading towards western Australia an we were caught in the outer bands. Len and I ate almost nothing for 2 days and we lay on the bed waiting for it to pass.
It is now 4 am on the 18th am and sitting on a salt covered balcony blogging.
We were supposed to have dinner with the Chief Engineer but had to cancel because you cannot walk a straight line from the bed to the bathroom. Just as the storm was starting Len got these amazing pictures.
Needless to say they may have to drag me on board to leave Bali!
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