Melbourne is Fantastic!

After exotic and immense Persia, we spent a couple of nights in Dubai. The idea was that we would be in Tehran for the US election, but we found out the election results on the cool little personal TV screen on the Emirates flight into Dubai.

Tristam described Dubai as the Las Vegas of the middle east. I have never been o Las Vegas, but the description is apt. We hung out in malls, checked out the gold souk, marveled at what people can do and took a 'desert safari' which was a package deal that included driving over sand dunes, banquet meal, henna tattoo and a belly dancing show. Dubai is a great stop for a couple of days. It was cool to walk though a mall and see European shops butted up to North American shops. It was a novelty (the novelty was taken to the extreme when Tristam spent an hour skiing inside one shopping mall) I'm glad we went, I'm glad we I got to see it... next time I go I'll be sure to take more money.

Indy picked me up from the airport just after 3am (that's friendship), I lost a day flying back, The air in Melbourne was light and warm and smelt of fresh gum trees and Jasmine. Memories of normal stuff came flooding back, like letterboxes and a opossum sitting on a power line. Indy and Nareen had pitched a tent in their back yard for me, which meant I had my very own room and it was outside the house so I could sleep in when the kids woke up. That first night (early day) I fell asleep to the sound of the magpies and bell birds waking up and chirping. I thought it sounded just like R2D2 outside my tent.

Melbourne is brilliant. While I was there I stayed at 5 different peoples houses (that's an average of two nights in each bed). when you stay at another's place you get to have a wee peek into their life, just for a moment see what they are up to and what matters to them. I love it. I can also see why so many people emigrate to the Antipodes; the lifestyle, weather, food and attitude of the people is just better, more relaxed and sunnier. And might I add, in Edinburgh I didn't get to see as many people as I wanted to, even though I was there for 2 months. Melbourne was different people really made an effort to come out and find me when they found out that I was there. That felt good. (the important people in Edinburgh were awesomely hospitable of course)

I was expecting it to be quieter, but I had forgotten hoe raucous the Australian wildlife could be. I saw splendidly coloured parrots in trees in Melbourne city, kangaroos bouncing through an inner city park. For the weekend I got out to the bus and heard koalas grunting and grizzling. Emely kindly took me out to see her family, swim in a local river and raft where the platypus play (we didn't see any on this trip).

I finally got to catch up with Flic, (you may remember her from Uganda/Rwanda/Congo/Burundi)She is working hard in landscape gardening, she is chilled and ace, and every bit as awesome as the day I met her. Both she and her family bent over backwards providing me with food, pick ups and drop-offs, train tickets, internet, maps, laundry... everything that a traveller needs. I'm looking forward to getting settled into New Zealand so I can return the hospitality.

Out of all the places I have traveled to I think Melbourne is the most livable. I have a few friends there who have now made it their home. A lot of the people I used to hang out with 8 years ago now have houses and kids. It kind of feels like being in a sort of time machine, I went away and when I got back everyone had moved on, grown up. I'm still dealing with the little things that changed while I was in Africa (moving ads in the train stations - like Harry Potter pictures, and iphones, and google street view) its kind of strange to see friends in such dramatically different roles without getting to see all the little stages and developments that led them there. It's kinda weird, but mostly cool.

I just want to say hi to all those lovely people who took me out, showed me around, reacquainted me with Melbourne, met up for me for tea, gave me a place to stay, extended the warmest welcome and reinforced a friendship... you all have a place to stay with me, just as soon as I find a place: Indy, Nareen, Taj, Sage and Myrtle; Flic, Glen, Maryin, Philip, Charlie and Jack, Jen, Tim, Will and George; Emely and Danny; Tosie, Kiowa, Elaina, Annie and Mark; Anita, Amy, Bridget, Marcus, J'nel, Abby, Hawthorn, Selene, Shelia, Madeline and Cat.

I know for the rest of you, that was really boring, but those people are really very cool.