Perth with Rachel (Lai)
A good excuse to update this thing: holiday pictures!
Sunset on the (Jetstar) plane. Good flight there, bad one back.
Our teeny-tiny run-of-the-house room at Aarons Hotel, A$79/night.
Rachel and I have our first breakfast of 2009!
I know, aren't we ever so touristy?
The Guildford train station, about 2km away from our accommodation in Swan Valley.
Rachel is a bigshot cosmopolitan 21st century woman. She ain't got time for you.
Ensuite cabin 11! With an attached bathroom (as the name would suggest) and kitchen.
Random vineyard.
I still don't get this.
The first of many 'Rachel from the back' shots.
Perth Vineyards Holiday Park, where our cabin was.
The beginning of our descent into alcoholism.
Beware the flasher's unassuming looks.
Content with a glass of wine after a fruitful flashing day.
Emo moon is emo.
Rachel's delicious concoction of white wine, coke and sprite.
SWEET ALL POTATOES ARE AMAZING. Ahh so yummy. We ate this boiled and baked.
Using the horribly expensive internet with its equally unfriendly 'mouse'.
Here's a cooking tip: Beef is hard to cook. You need special skills for it. Trust us.
We were inspired by our gourmet barbeque at Joan's a few months ago, which explains...
You know me and .gifs. We go together.
I'm kind of jealous because Rachel has all these cool shots and all I have are really unglam ones ):
Sandalford Wines. They were really, really nice to us (even though we were clearly a couple of wine noobs) :D It cost only $2.50 to taste up to 9 wines (we had the Element Late Harvest, Estate Reserve Cabernet Merlot, Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Verdelho (me) and Semillon (Rachel)). And there was this amazing dessert wine that was $5 just to taste (since they only make 1000 bottles of it a year), but since there was just a leeeeetle bit of it left she let us try it for free. It was SO GOOD... it kind of tasted like a meal in itself.
So yes, we were very happy with our visit to Sandalford.
See, I'm practically gleeful.
The day started off dreary and bleak because of an overnight shower, and in the forty or so minutes we were inside the sky magically cleared up! Yay.
A rose bush out of nowhere.
The joke of the century. NOBODY was walking. EVERYONE was in a car. So we walked around 5km in total on this day alone just to get to Sandalford and the chocolate factory and back to our cabin.
I swear it was just staring blankly at us.
Migratory (?) birds in their V-shaped flying sequence.
$2 worth of glo-stick fun.
Using my DSi's iPod to blare music while we cooked, ate and drank in our cabin (:
Yeah, we couldn't get enough of this.
$1 pool in the rec room!
Back in Perth city.
Here Rachel angrily flipped off a smoker and rattled out a string of expletives in a variety of languages, some of which I was certain did not exist.
Okay, she was just eating. But interesting angle anyway.
We love the hobo life!
Stupid camwhoring seagull. Does it not look Wikipedia-entry-worthy though?
Our accommodation for the last two nights, a youth hostel.
The signs on the road leading us to Cottlesloe Beach.
The houses here were really nice.
Couldn't resist a token emo shot.
Don't ride a bike here at full speed.
The sun finally starts to appear!
Does this not resemble a certain crest we know?
Fremantle (or "Freo"), a port town about 19km away from Perth city.
The negative implications of this are frightening.
Kakulas' Sisters.
This was such a quaint and cute bookstore.
A huge and beautiful brewery where we sought shelter from a sudden shower.
After the rain at the fishing boat harbor.
Kailis, where we had dinner. The helpful woman at the visitors center also recommended Cicerello's and Mussels Bay.
We didn't get to have our planned Seafood & Shiraz dinner at Swan Valley, so we settled for this ginormous BBQ seafood platter in Fremantle instead.
After 3 glasses of wine, it seemed like a good idea to hide behind a prawn.
We were freezing our asses off getting back to the train station. It had rained, we were by the sea, and weren't wearing appropriately warm clothing.
We both don't understand how people can possibly dislike Coke.
The (free!) Yellow CAT that we took to Harbour Town for a day of outlet shopping.
It was absolute madness here (City Beach). This saleswoman would take her mic to the middle of the store and go, "There will be a special sale on ______ for the next five minutes. Take $20 off items that are above $50, etc. etc. Come to me and I will give you a green sticker for your discounted item." Which is how we both got jackets for $49 and $39 down from $69 and $59 which were both originally down from $99. Ta-dahhh.
We were just amazed at how all our stuff comfortably took up the entire bench.
That's just my stash.
RACHEL IS EATING A BANANA. Finally some good news for her bowels.
From Kakulas' Sisters in Fremantle to Kakulas Bros.' in Perth city.
Our first glimpse of tall buildings after four days.
Jacob's Ladder, an extremely long staircase we had to climb to get to Kings Park.
Aww. I wish I had one. Bench plaque I mean, not a kid.
Isn't it nice when it's something positive?
Clearly I love the Boab more.
The Lotterywest Federation glass walkway.
DNA tower. We're still Bio students at heart.
Kings Park is MASSIVE.
Sundial kindly takes a photo for us.
Such nice grass to sit on and have a picnic.
Fellow brethren.
"Let silent contemplation be your offering"
London Court.
Some guy got arrested and tried resisting the cops.
This is great. We should totally have this here. It's fun and convenient.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip. We felt really proud of ourselves for planning our own itinerary, doing all the flight and accommodation bookings (especially since it was such a last minute trip), and surviving the experience with just each other. So thanks Rachel, for making our holiday a great one!
In other news, if I haven't mentioned it to you yet, I'll be going to NUS business school (and staying in PGP). It's definitely not where I thought I'd be going or what I thought I'd be doing barely three months ago, but I'm learning to take things as they come and trying to be more adaptable. Sure, it sucked to have to reject the US uni offers that I had, but staying in Singapore also has its perks.
Well okay. There are barely three weeks left till term begins, and I'm really going to miss the freedom and luxury of time. But at the same time, I'm (kind of) ready for the next phase of life to begin. Here's to a good uni life ahead for everyone!
Sunset on the (Jetstar) plane. Good flight there, bad one back.
Our teeny-tiny run-of-the-house room at Aarons Hotel, A$79/night.
Rachel and I have our first breakfast of 2009!
I know, aren't we ever so touristy?
The Guildford train station, about 2km away from our accommodation in Swan Valley.
Rachel is a bigshot cosmopolitan 21st century woman. She ain't got time for you.
Ensuite cabin 11! With an attached bathroom (as the name would suggest) and kitchen.
Random vineyard.
I still don't get this.
The first of many 'Rachel from the back' shots.
Perth Vineyards Holiday Park, where our cabin was.
The beginning of our descent into alcoholism.
Beware the flasher's unassuming looks.
Content with a glass of wine after a fruitful flashing day.
Emo moon is emo.
Rachel's delicious concoction of white wine, coke and sprite.
SWEET ALL POTATOES ARE AMAZING. Ahh so yummy. We ate this boiled and baked.
Using the horribly expensive internet with its equally unfriendly 'mouse'.
Here's a cooking tip: Beef is hard to cook. You need special skills for it. Trust us.
We were inspired by our gourmet barbeque at Joan's a few months ago, which explains...
You know me and .gifs. We go together.
I'm kind of jealous because Rachel has all these cool shots and all I have are really unglam ones ):
Sandalford Wines. They were really, really nice to us (even though we were clearly a couple of wine noobs) :D It cost only $2.50 to taste up to 9 wines (we had the Element Late Harvest, Estate Reserve Cabernet Merlot, Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Verdelho (me) and Semillon (Rachel)). And there was this amazing dessert wine that was $5 just to taste (since they only make 1000 bottles of it a year), but since there was just a leeeeetle bit of it left she let us try it for free. It was SO GOOD... it kind of tasted like a meal in itself.
So yes, we were very happy with our visit to Sandalford.
See, I'm practically gleeful.
The day started off dreary and bleak because of an overnight shower, and in the forty or so minutes we were inside the sky magically cleared up! Yay.
A rose bush out of nowhere.
The joke of the century. NOBODY was walking. EVERYONE was in a car. So we walked around 5km in total on this day alone just to get to Sandalford and the chocolate factory and back to our cabin.
I swear it was just staring blankly at us.
Migratory (?) birds in their V-shaped flying sequence.
$2 worth of glo-stick fun.
Using my DSi's iPod to blare music while we cooked, ate and drank in our cabin (:
Yeah, we couldn't get enough of this.
$1 pool in the rec room!
Back in Perth city.
Here Rachel angrily flipped off a smoker and rattled out a string of expletives in a variety of languages, some of which I was certain did not exist.
Okay, she was just eating. But interesting angle anyway.
We love the hobo life!
Stupid camwhoring seagull. Does it not look Wikipedia-entry-worthy though?
Our accommodation for the last two nights, a youth hostel.
The signs on the road leading us to Cottlesloe Beach.
The houses here were really nice.
Couldn't resist a token emo shot.
Don't ride a bike here at full speed.
The sun finally starts to appear!
Does this not resemble a certain crest we know?
Fremantle (or "Freo"), a port town about 19km away from Perth city.
The negative implications of this are frightening.
Kakulas' Sisters.
This was such a quaint and cute bookstore.
A huge and beautiful brewery where we sought shelter from a sudden shower.
After the rain at the fishing boat harbor.
Kailis, where we had dinner. The helpful woman at the visitors center also recommended Cicerello's and Mussels Bay.
We didn't get to have our planned Seafood & Shiraz dinner at Swan Valley, so we settled for this ginormous BBQ seafood platter in Fremantle instead.
After 3 glasses of wine, it seemed like a good idea to hide behind a prawn.
We were freezing our asses off getting back to the train station. It had rained, we were by the sea, and weren't wearing appropriately warm clothing.
We both don't understand how people can possibly dislike Coke.
The (free!) Yellow CAT that we took to Harbour Town for a day of outlet shopping.
It was absolute madness here (City Beach). This saleswoman would take her mic to the middle of the store and go, "There will be a special sale on ______ for the next five minutes. Take $20 off items that are above $50, etc. etc. Come to me and I will give you a green sticker for your discounted item." Which is how we both got jackets for $49 and $39 down from $69 and $59 which were both originally down from $99. Ta-dahhh.
We were just amazed at how all our stuff comfortably took up the entire bench.
That's just my stash.
RACHEL IS EATING A BANANA. Finally some good news for her bowels.
From Kakulas' Sisters in Fremantle to Kakulas Bros.' in Perth city.
Our first glimpse of tall buildings after four days.
Jacob's Ladder, an extremely long staircase we had to climb to get to Kings Park.
Aww. I wish I had one. Bench plaque I mean, not a kid.
Isn't it nice when it's something positive?
Clearly I love the Boab more.
The Lotterywest Federation glass walkway.
DNA tower. We're still Bio students at heart.
Kings Park is MASSIVE.
Sundial kindly takes a photo for us.
Such nice grass to sit on and have a picnic.
Fellow brethren.
"Let silent contemplation be your offering"
London Court.
Some guy got arrested and tried resisting the cops.
This is great. We should totally have this here. It's fun and convenient.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip. We felt really proud of ourselves for planning our own itinerary, doing all the flight and accommodation bookings (especially since it was such a last minute trip), and surviving the experience with just each other. So thanks Rachel, for making our holiday a great one!
In other news, if I haven't mentioned it to you yet, I'll be going to NUS business school (and staying in PGP). It's definitely not where I thought I'd be going or what I thought I'd be doing barely three months ago, but I'm learning to take things as they come and trying to be more adaptable. Sure, it sucked to have to reject the US uni offers that I had, but staying in Singapore also has its perks.
Well okay. There are barely three weeks left till term begins, and I'm really going to miss the freedom and luxury of time. But at the same time, I'm (kind of) ready for the next phase of life to begin. Here's to a good uni life ahead for everyone!