Out of Istanbul...G'day Perth !

G'day mate...howzit goin'?? You can see more people jogging in the city of Perth than on any jogging track  or by the Bosporus in Istanbul. I have forgotten how fit and trim Aussies are as they jog to their offices in the early morning, men and women alike. its amazing how they survived in the chilly and windy 8 deg C in their tees and shorts while I shivered in my triple layered outfit..including a leather jacket! more are either casually riding their bicycles  or walking to work....what a healthy nation!

And i have also forgotten how gorgeous Aussies are...no....make that, drop-dead-gorgeous!! Think of Nicole Kidman and Princess Mary and you'll get my drift. They are really gorgeous but I couldn't bring myself to stick my camera into their faces for fear of being sued or being rude. The Turks loved to be photographed but the Aussies are more reserved,so I shall respect their privacy, for today. 

Perth skyline at night......its almost like a fairy tale city, ain't it....

Perth monuments...with names of all soldiers who was killed in battlefields.....

it really is beautiful......

The only downside to Australia is....their currency has appreciated by more than 28% ! While its good for them to import products in ( and they imported almost everything) they have literally "out-priced" themselves to tourists.They might not feel it if they are living and earning Aussie Dollar but things (and services)  are expensive now, even when they were having their Sales and Offers. Someone like me would not be buying things as I know that I can get better and cheaper things in Turkey. Especially since Turkish Lira has depreciated about 24% now...so its much cheaper to shop in Turkey or Istanbul !!! See...more reasons for you to go to Incredible Istanbul !!!  

Perth is a clean, friendly and "tourist-friendly" city. Most time, you'd be forgiven if you thought you were in other Asian countries because you can hear people speaking Chinesse or Bahasa Indonesia everywhere. There are so many non-ethnic ( residents or citizens ) here....and this is evidenced from the many Chinese, Turkish, Japanese, Malaysian, Indian, Indonesian, Koreans and other restaurants all over the city. I guess one will never miss home when in Perth where food is concerned. 

What I love most is the free CATS bus services. There are Red, Yellow and Blue CATS buses that will take you for free all around the city. The buses, services and frequencies are superb and you sometimes wonder how the city could afford giving such new,clean and modern buses with excellent services for free. Any normal Capitalist would immediately seize the opportunity to make money out of it but Australia is known for being a Caring Society or Country. They have very high 'quality of life' and nobody lives below poverty line here. Years ago when I was living in Australia, I used to hide my designer products as they tend to scorn on accesses and "show-offs". The only luxuries they don't mind showing are their cars!

what a pleasant surprise....there is a Turkish stall at the Harbor Town Outlet Center......
in fact, Gozleme is very popular in Perth and you can find them in many shops in the city...
but here, they are thick and filled with many things while in Istanbul, its rather thin and crispy...

functional and fuss-free shopping at Harbor Town Outlet.....
be prepared to meet all visitors to Perth here....
almost all visitors and tourists will come here .....
especially on friday when it closes at 9pm as compared to 5pm on normal days..

CATS Routes and Time Table.....in case you find yourself in Perth someday....
and I'm sure that someday will be soon !!!!

bus stop for Yellow Cat bus as well as for the normal (paid) buses...
the bus will arrive at an average of 8 min. interval.....

close-up of the Time table for the Yellow Cat..
noticed the electronic signage showing that the bus will arrive in 2 min....
its also by audio for hearing impaired person..
and the bus will be there as mentioned....
all these for FREE...can you believe it?

after doing your shopping at Harbor Town Outlet, you can take the Cats again to go home...
the bus will tilt to the side to allow prams or wheelchairs to get on...
and the designated seats at the front can be put upright for the prams and wheelchairs...voila !!

So, how do they balance their budget to afford such caring society? Well...their taxes are a bit high at 49% but as my "Relocation Consultant" once told me..."...but..you don't see poor people here, do you?" makes sense...don't you think so? 

The people are super duper friendly and they'll talk to you as if they've known you for years. While having our lunch at a restaurant, we got to know of a life story of one beautiful lady (and her policeman hubby) including lessons on how to get employment in Perth. Its really that amazing!! Strangers literally chat you up in the street..and it is so casual and everybody smile at each other...its almost unbelievable! During my entire stay i never met ( not even once) any rude person or met with any rude or unpleasant events....it truly is a pleasant city. Not surprisingly....PERTH is a dream city to live in to many out there....