First Day in Australia

The sound of airplanes soaring through clear blue skies woke me in my canopy bed as golden yellow beams of sunlight streamed across the Indian Ocean turquoise walls of my room. I'm in Australia! I caught a glimpse of the city by street light driving away from the airport with Bernice and Steve so I was excited to see the city in sunlight. After a breakfast of juicy watermelon and oranges, I pulled on my swim suit and a tank top and walked out into the bright warmth of the summer sun. The air felt crisp and clean under a cloudless blue sky. We drove around the city, past the Swan River and over to Cotteslow beach to watch the waves splash against the tan sand while sunbathers relaxed on big beach towels. Then we drove over to a small beach to spread out our towels and enjoy the sun and waves. It was almost 100 degrees but a nice breeze kept the air comfortable, the Indian Ocean glowed crystal clear turquoise and I stepped into the cool water. The water looks like the frigid glassy blue waters in Lagos, Portugal where the ocean deepens and swirls into dark blues and greens across pristine beige sand.It was such a gorgeous day and so relaxing just to smell the salt water in the air and hear the ocean breath in and out across the shore. After a few hours in the sun, we took a drive in the Jeep around Fremantle, past Cappuccino strip and a few neighborhoods etched into the hillside. It reminds me a little of San Francisco with its layers of colorful houses with terra cotta tiled roofs. Industrial metal factories juxtapose little red wooden beach shacks, sharp modern architecture and immaculate landscape neighbor lively hippie pubs and cappuccino bars in a colorful cluster of old and new, fashionable and quaint, comfortable but unlike any other town I have experienced. I am really happy to be here, I feel so relaxed and carefree, just floating.

After my little tour, I went to the mall to buy a cell phone and grab lunch at a little take out sushi place. The mall is interesting because it is such a central location with everything from the grocery store, restaurants and pharmacy to department stores, surf shops and the tailor all in the same place. It was fun to look around, notice the fashion ad watch the kids in navy uniforms joke with each other on their afterschool shopping stop. I sipped a cappuccino then headed back to the house. It was so gorgeous outside I didn't want to stay inside so I took a walk along the little path around the lake in the neighborhood. Birds chirped, the sky hummed with airplanes flying over head, ducks bathed in the ripples bouncing off the shore as I passed couples walking their dogs, two girls bicycling and pretending to be in the Tour de France, a friendly old man shuffled past telling me to pick up the pace, clapping and grinning as he passed me in the opposite direction.A smile broke across my face, I couldn't help but laugh…I'm in Australia and its incredible, unimaginable and breathtaking. After a long day in the sun, we relaxed into yellow chairs in the sunset glow shading the dining room, unwrapped the steaming newspaper wrapped fish and chips and doused each delicious bite with hot red Thai Chili sauce. Such an amazing day, I've already enjoyed Australia so much and I just arrived this morning. I can't wait for what's to come in the next few days and months…