Flyin'.....Flyin'......Flyin'........Brisbane

We left our house in SF at 4:30 in the afternoon to begin the trek to Australia. Judy found a limo service through Yelp that does a round trip airport transfer for $65, so we travelled in style in a Lincoln Town Car to SFO. The driver drove like a bat out of hell and got us to the airport just slightly after 5:00 even with the evening commute traffic.

We had a 6:30 flight to LAX and then a 3 1/2 hour layover in the LAX airport before our 11:30 departure on Qantas to Brisbane. Except for the really crappy Mexican food we had in the LAX airport, the layover was not so bad as we spent it in the Admirals Club there. This place was really nice, complete with complimentary snacks, internet, 4 complimentary drinks and really nice lounging facilities. They even had full shower facilities. Hell, it would be a pretty nice place to live, come to think of it.

We cashed in a ton of air miles to travel Business Class, but it was worth it. We were seated in the upper level of a 747(?) ............it was one of the biggest non-military planes I have ever seen........with all of the trappings of Business Class. They even brought us a set of pajamas to change into to prep for the 13 hour 15 minute flight to Brisbane.

Judy & I both managed to sleep pretty good on this flight, so it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. I watched a movie......The Hangover II. The first was one funny, but the second time around not so much...........then fell asleep. When I woke up, there was only 3 1/2 hours left to the flight, so I got in almost 8 hours of shuteye. I might've slept a little longer, but someone was ripping some serious farts and the noxious odor woke me up. All told, it took about 21 hours to get here, but neither of us were very tired at all.

We got our bags and caught a taxi to the hotel, but there was one small issue............it was 7:00 am and our room wasn't ready for check-in yet. Can you imagine? We left our bags in the storage room and headed out to see some of Brisbane. After getting some coffee and a quick breakfast snack, we decided to ride the Brisbane River Ferry up & down the entire route as a quick & easy way to see some of the city. It turned out to be quite a bargain for $4.60 each.

Speaking of money, one of the things we have immediately noticed is how expensive food is here. It was almost $20 for 2 cappuccinos, a bowl of muesli with yogurt & a croissant with ham & cheese.......and that was a good deal compared to what other things we saw at other places.

One thing that struck us was how predominately white Brisbane is. I guess when you live in a place like San Francisco which is a melting pot of different people, nationalities & cultures, it stands out when you go somewhere that is not that way. Another thing that stood out is how cordial & polite the Australian people are. They seem to be very pleasant & respectful. Now that I think about it, after walking around most of the day, I don't remember hearing a car horn honked all day. Think that would happen in the U.S.?

Couple buddies of mine

Anyway, we walked around Brisbane and saw some of the sights, including the Botanical Gardens, the Queen Street Mall, the Treasury Building (which has been turned into a casino), the City Hall, and other sights. Judy remarked that, while we were on the ferry ride, that Brisbane reminded her of Chicago on a smaller scale, with the tall buildings right on the water's shore.



Treasury Building



City Hall



Botanical Gardens

Brisbane is also lined with Jacaranda trees that bloom for about a 6 week period in September & October with a beautiful purple flower. (I only know this, of course, thanks to Google.) We were lucky enough to be here during the bloom and the color is incredible, especially when you see these trees mixed in with others, the color contrast really stands out.

Jacaranda Tree

After an early dinner, I think the time change is starting to kick in. It's about 8:30ish and Judy is fading fast and I might be doing the same if I wasn't sitting here and writing this. Tomorrow, we are off to Cairns and then Port Douglas. The Great Barrier Reef is supposed to be on the agenda there, but it still looks like high winds are still in effect. We will have to wait til we get there to see if that comes off.