Freo

don't let the exposed piping fool you, this place is pretty bangin

Ah dear friends, I'm back!  A great weekend filled with fun on the west coast.  Well, to start out, I met up with a buddy of mine and headed straight to the crib in Fremantle (spoiler: I had an awesome time and had to make separate post to emphasize that it is distinctly different).  Just south of the city of Perth, this suburb by the sea seems to be the place to relax and chill.  The first thing I noticed, was the casual atmosphere EVERYWHERE>  We took a bus and I was supposed to get a standard ticket for $4, but the driver looked at me with my bags and was like... watev  $2.75 plz.  cool.   Anyways, that's the kinda relaxed, easy-going vibe around Freo (Fremantle).  There's a bit of shopping streets with cafes and shops (shopppes?) but the staple of Fremantle's tourism must be the brewery.  The Little Creatures brew a couple of nice beverages though the surprising thing about this place, was that it was really family friendly.  I mean they have a sand pit for children to play in, while the grownups get properly intoxicated.  Although a bit expensive, it's definitely a place to spend an afternoon with good company.  They also offer free tours at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm,... and somehow I missed ALL OF THEM (complicated story), but we did get a free tasting out of it so I wasn't too disappointed.  As Australia is known for sunny hot climate, it makes sense for the drinks to be complimentary.  Lagers, pilsners,  ales, ciders..  all drinks of the refreshing sort.  quite tasty I might add.

Sunset over the Indian Ocean

 Anywho, as you may recall, I went back to the states during the 'winter' break.  The one thing I had forgotten to do was see the sunset of the ocean, and I'd be damned if I missed it in Australia.  So viola!  The weird thing that struck me was that this wasn't the Pacific Ocean (obviously); I just never thought that I would ever see the Indian Ocean.. word.   The water is quite a bit warmer and just nice. (In my quiver of vocabulary,.. I think 'nice' is a pretty good description.)  So me and said buddy watched the sunset with the warm glow of light and heat emitting from the ground.  serene, peaceful, relaxed...  then we got hungry.

tourist information for a restaurant: sell out or just that good?

Hallelujah Hollaback 

 Luckily, everything worth seeing in Freo is right next to the beach.. including 3 or 4 fish and chips restaurants.  Well after going to the wrong restaurant (another long story), I finally ended up at the mythical establishment known as Kailis.  Recommended by my housemate as the 'best place' for fish and chips, there was a lotta hype.  And having many fish and chips (fishes n chips?) in my time, I think I've got a fine pallet for such tastes.  So after a long trip (also a long story), I finally made it to the holy land. Hot weather, shaded table, ever so slight breeze... yep.  perfect conditions for fish and chips.  I looked at the menu and was faced with a dilemma.. fish n chips..  or full on seafood platter.  Well in any situation like this.. gotta pull the trigger. BAM.  mussels, calamari, shrimp, scallops, and, of course, fishnchips.  (why there's salad, I haven't a clue).  Then to complete the meal.. a nice lemon bitters drink.  Yep,.. to say I was content would be an understatement (note, I did share the platter.. I think it'd be too much for just one person to indulge).  Verdict: it was a damn fine meal. on a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 'delicious'.  I didnt know how much fresh fish made a difference, but it was all flaky with minimally light batter. (non of that crumbly cakey stuff).  The mussels came in a red tomato sauce.  The mussels were alright, but the sauce has a consistency closer to soup.  Also good.. just a bit messy.  The other fried food was great.  especially the scallops: lightly crispy and held together well for maximum dipping potential.  All-in-all: Awesome meal.  awesome time in Freo.  That being said, I did get to see a bit of Perth during the weekend, but I'll cover that next week. until then- keep it real.