Zoom! I have finally arrived in Perth, in southwestern Australia, after a nightmarish trip that spanned three days. Things started going wrong when I found myself at Kansai International Airport, in Osaka (think SFO) for my flight to Tokyo Narita, when the helpful service attendant informed me that my flight departed from Itami Airport (think Oakland). Rats! This time it cost me, US$ 140, because I had to book a different flight to get to Tokyo Narita. Nothing lost but a few dollars, sleeping time at my Narita hotel, and a deep wound to my self-esteem as an experienced traveler.
The following day I took the hotel shuttle to Tokyo Narita International Airport, getting there with plenty of time to buy breakfast and shoot the breeze. When I went to check in, however, the service personnel were all in a huddle and the line was not moving. An hour passed and finally things started happening: The flight to Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia, had been delayed by 4 hours, long enough for me to miss my connection to Perth. The service ladies were wonderful, but there was little they could do, so they booked me on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Perth for the following day. That meant I would have to spend the night at Kuala Lumpur. I thought it would be on a very uncomfortable bench at the airport, or on the floor. But no, Malaysia Airlines came through and they gave me a night at the super-luxurious Sama-Sama Airport Hotel, which included dinner at the most lavish buffet imaginable. I wish I could have sampled all the delicacies, but it was 10 pm at night and I was travel weary, so I dined modestly and went to bed in a grand room that beats anywhere else where I have stayed in this trip.
I wish I could have taken better advantage of my luxurious surroundings, but it was an early call for me, and the whole experience soon felt like a mirage.
It took another 5 hours to go from Kuala Lumpur to Perth. I landed around 2:45 pm, and after another 45 minutes I had my rental car and was driving, without the help of Google Maps, into a new city. Fortunately Perth is a modern, ample city with good highway signs, and 20 minutes later I was in the downtown area, which has the same parking problems that all major cities have. What to do? Wait, I can actually speak with the people here! Nothing difficult on stopping by the side of a parking cop, who kindly directed me to a city parking building, where I can park for 24 hours for AU$ 30 (or US$ 20). The first order of business was washing clothes, and the second important task to complete was getting an Aussie SIM card. Now I am fully equipped to start my exploration of southwestern Australia.
I whistled away the late afternoon by going for a long walk to the shore of the Swan River, to admire the many lights of the skyscrapers that define the downtown area: The headquarters of energy companies (e.g., Chevron), mining companies (e.g., Rio Tinto), and assorted financial empires. By the way, with day temperatures of 16 C (or 60 F) the Aussies are freezing, and everyone is carrying thick jackets. I feel I am in cool heaven.
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