Intro to Oz

From the air, Australia looks really flat compared to Indonesia. Indonesia has volcanoes, mountains, and lots of big, green hills. Australia, at least the area over Perth, has none of that.

I made it to Perth with no troubles at all, my flight actually landed earlier than it was supposed to. Will picked me up at the airport and I could see him waiting for me just beyond the customs area. It was so, so great seeing someone from home. You have no idea how much I’ve missed seeing familiar faces.

My first full day in Australia, I was up early and then back to sleep after breakfast. Apparently I needed a nap after all that eating! Ah, ok. In reality, Will is still fighting jet lag after his 20 hour trip here the other day, so I figured I’d nap when he napped. When we were both finally up, showered, and ready to go, we headed out for some sightseeing.

I told him ahead of time that it’s good that he’s here because otherwise I wouldn’t really be feeling up for the sightseeing. After many months of temples, museums, cathedrals, markets, mosques, world’s biggest this, and world’s oldest that, I haven’t been in much of a sightseeing kind of mood recently. Having Will here with me, though, gives me motivation to get out there and see things. He just traveled 8,000 miles and 20 hours after all; he wants to see stuff!

Our first stop was the Perth Mint which, while seriously overpriced (and not just because I have sticker shock after being in Asia for so long), was actually kind of cool. We got to watch a 200 ounce gold boullion being poured and I now know my weight’s value in gold – over $1.8 million!

After the Mint we went to the Perth Zoo, probably the coolest zoo I’ve ever been to before. It’s set up in such a way that most of the exhibits hardly seem like exhibits all, not the kind you’re probably used to with bars and glass and huge dividers between you and the animals. In fact, one exhibit called the Bush Walk allowed us to get seriously up close and personal with birds, wallabies, and kangaroos. So close that I got to pet a kangaroo! At the zoo!

Well, more later since this is already a day late. . .