Six Month Review

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Away six months now
Four and a half months to go
Seen & done so much.

Sarah has the day off and we'll be off exploring more of Freemantle today. It was cleaning day in the Dina household so I put in my two cents and helped with polishing the wooden windowsills and furniture. Ooh! You should see how shiny the coffee table is now. lol

We had an early lunch before heading into Freemantle to catch a Captain Cook River Cruise down the Swan River. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather - nice and sunny but not too hot. We pretty much stayed out on the front deck of the boat to enjoy the scenery. There sure are a lot of expensive houses in the Perth/Freemantle area. We passed by the most expensive Australian House that is worth $55 million. After a while I started to think that the captain of the boat sure does now a lot about real estate prices. lol It was cool looking at all the sailboats as well. The cruise was only about 1 1/4 hours so the time went by super fast. I was able to get a really good shot of the Perth skyline and also that of the Bell Tower.

Sarah and I decided to only take the cruise one way and then catch the train back to Freemantle. While in Perth we had to stop to run a few errands and pick up a few things. When we were good to go we caught the train back to Freemantle which only took about 1/2 hour. The fare was $3 for 2 zones...about the same as back home.

I guess since we had such an early lunch we were both famished...is having dinner at 4PM a little early? lol So to keep our minds off of the food we stepped out and picked up some yarn...sorry wool...to make a little something for Sarah's friend who will be having twins in September. By the time we finished up at the mall it was past 5PM so we could finally justify starting in on eating some dinner. Sharifa made Sarah's favourite chicken dish and I now know why it is her favourite. One word...DELISH! Yes, it has been confirmed...I'm obsessed with food! I just love it and can't seem to get enough!

I can't believe that I've reached the six month mark of my trip already and I think once I leave Australia the time will go by even quicker. I'm really looking forward to my time in Europe but it will also be sad to say goodbye to Australia since by the time I leave on July 15 I'll have been here about 9 weeks total. This is the longest stay in any one country on my trip. Mind you Australia is so huge and diverse that each state in many respects seems like a new "country". Thinking back on the last six months I've seen and done so much. Some of the highlights include:

* My time in Tam Ky - with the kids, with my fellow volunteers, experiencing a bit of small town Vietnamese life.
* Trekking in the hills and amongst the rice fields of Sa Pa.
* Overnight train journeys in Vietnam, Thailand and India and all the great people I met along the way.
* The Temples of Angkor Wat - simply amazing. The unforgettable children selling their wares at the Temples.
* Surprise Birthday cake in Ratanakiri, Cambodia.
* Biking all day long around Don Khong Island in the really hot and sunny weather.
* Kayaking down the river in Vang Vieng.
* The night markets in Luang Prubang and everything being shut down and deserted by the Government imposed 11PM curfew.
* The crowded streets of Ha Noi during Tet.
* The elephants in Thailand.
* Petting a tiger and living to tell the tale.
* Being mistaken as being Thai and the laughs that would follow when they couldn't believe I wasn't Thai.
* The amazing Temples of Thailand and then seeing one too many & feeling all "watted" out.
* Seeing the Taj Mahal with my own eyes for the very first time.
* Camel riding near Pushkar.
* Having a room "All by Myself" a couple of times while in India.
* Going to Pune and staying at Sangam, one of the Girl Guide World Centres.
* Hot Water Beach in New Zealand. Dig a hole, let it fill with geothermally heated water and you're all set.
* Hiking in Kings Canyon and making it up Heartattack Hill without any major incidents.
* Seeing Uluru with my own eyes for the first time, second time, third time...you get the idea.
* The walk up to the lighthouse in Byron Bay.
* All of the tree top walks I've been on in Australia. Never ceases to amaze me how big some trees can grow!
* And it goes without saying that the people, laughs and inevitable good times that follow have been great and it can only get better. Oh yes, and of course there is all of the great food I've been able to get my hands on! lol

I still have about 4.5 to 5 months of my trip left but I predict that to zoom by quickly as well. Here's what I have in the cards once I leave Australia...subject to change of course!
* 3 weeks in England, Wales & Scotland
* 3 weeks in Paris and Germany (Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt)
* 1 week in NYC
* A few days in Atlanta before heading down to Miami where I'll catch a cruise to the Caribbean.
* Back to Atlanta for another one and a half weeks.
* Halifax and parts of the Atlantic Canada.
* From Montreal I'll journey by train (hopping on and off) back to Vancouver. Likely will make stops in Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Jasper.

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