Perth - getting into the backpackers way of life

Leaving Hong Kong was a bit of a hassle, because as I was doing my online check-in on the morning of my flight, it said that there were no more seats available on my flight, and please contact the airline. I tried to ring them, but couldn't get past those annoyingly slow answering machines no matter what number I pressed. So I was getting little anxious and really wanted to get on my flight (not that I didn't like Hong Kong, but I just didn't want the extra hassle). I jumped into a cab which took me to the train station. And would you believe it- you can check in, your luggage and all, already at the train station in the city. So I got on my flight no problem and managed to get rid off my backpack as well. So handy!

I arrived in Perth 11pm on wednesday night, and as it was still hot outside, I fell in love with the place immidiately. The city reminds me a bit of San Diego. The streets look a bit similar, they have the same laid back atmosphere, there are many great beaches close by and the populatioin is very multicultural, with lots of foreigners. Though the difference is that in San Diego majority of the foreigners are Hispanic, whereas here they are Asian (plus there's a ton of backpackers).

My first day in Perth wasn't that grand. I had had this bad tooth ache for a while and decided to go to the dentist. After a little analysis, she basically told me that my tooth was kind of rotten from inside, since some bacteria had gotten under the filling and it was now destroying my nervous system. Nice! So my options were that either she would pull out the tooth (!) or then she would start this "pleasant" root canal treatment. (Aren't you happy that I'm sharing my gory dentist story with you?) After a little weep, I decided to go with the treatment. Which means I still have two lovely appointments ahead of me.. At one point my tears were dripping to my ears, which just added to the unpleasantness of it all. Luckily my dentist was really kind. She looked about twenty years old, which worried me at first, but she did seem very professional, altough she kept calling me "honey" (which might be irritating in any other circumstances, but because I was in such a fragile state, I found it comforting). To cheer myself up after the dentist, I decided to go shopping, but the effects of anesthesia unforunately didn't last and the pain was just too overwhelming, so I had to go back to the hostel and munch on some painkillers.

On my third night in Perth, as I was getting into my pj's after a long day of wine touring (we visited five vinyards, plus a brewery, plus a chocolate factory, plus we got a delicious lunch and cheese plates.. mmm... Bliss!) my Taiwanese roomie, and my only friend so far, since he was the only one who had talked to me in my drug dazed state (everyone else probably thought I'm a little weird just popping pills and lying still in bed), asked me to go clubbing with him and some others from the hostel and it since would've been rude to say no, clubbing we went. You know me, the techno lover - club hopper :) My Taiwanese friend was so sweet, as we were heading out he said "well, if you're wearing green, i'll put my green shirt on as well" (which resulted in everyone thinking we were a couple at first).

So there I was, dancing the night away, with a random group of people from all over the world. We had at least Taiwan, Japan, France, Germany and Finland represented, plus a male bimbo, who looked like Owen Wilson, but not sure where he was from. I found that the backpackers nightlife scene had changed, or then I've just grown out of it (I suspect the latter). Everyone was just sooo drunk, making out all over the place, wearing their next-to-nothing outfits.. I thought I had a short miniskirt (dad once made me go and change it to something more appropriate before dinner), but it was the longest skirt in the club. I got at least three drinks spilled on me and the techno was terrible (well, in my opinion it always is), but I decided to soldier through the night. Every now and then they had some good tunes on, when I could join to the "whooos" as the songs started. And I didn't want to leave, because my buddy was having a great time doing his coolest moves, whereas I was merely shaking and occasionally throwing my hands in the air. As the night proceeded, we changed clubs a few times and ended up in a bar with live band playing and by then, singing along to all the familiar tunes, I was having a blast as well. When we were heading home, this frenchie was gettting a bit too friendly with me, so to get rid of him, I told him I have a boyfriend, but he just asked "can I take you out next week then?" Hmm.. If I said I have a boyfriend now, I'm pretty sure I will still have him next week.

It's great that there is no entrance fee to the clubs and all the places are a walking distance from our hostel, but it's just crazy how strict their security is. You have to have your passport with you at all times, they take a copy of it, then take a picture of you and at this one bar, you even have to provide two different sets of id, like your passport and a drivers licence. Jeez...

Besides going dancing at night, I've spent the days exploring Perth, or mainly the areas close by. Been to the beach, the art museum, Fremantle - a coastal town 30min from Perth, an outdoor cinema, spent a day in Swan Valley on the wine tour.. It's great that in Perth (and Fremantle) there's this CAT-bus system that goes around the city and it's free. It's convinient, plus a great way to do sightseeing when you first arrive. So even I find the prices in Australia a lot more expensive than I remembered, luckily there's plenty of free stuff to do, like ride the bus :) No, but seriously, the museums are free also and the clubs, and it doesn't cost you a penny to spend a day on the beach. What more does a backpacker need?