Really Nice Vacations

I’m writing.. finally..

When Warr said,”You travel so much. You should turn your passion (travel) into something useful.”, I went “hmmmm.. good idea.. hmmmmm..” Don’t get me wrong. I love to write; love to share my travel tales; but I am lazy And so, it took me 2 months & 2 high fever/viral infection to come this way. And then, there’s this sweet little note in my mailbox. From a lovely friend in Melbourne. Chi is pregnant.

I visited Melbourne in 2004 , months after I “reunited” with Chi (long story.. *sniff sniff* *cut*). It was the ….

First time I saw Chi again after seven years. I remembered the nervous me while waiting for Chi; then I saw her crossing the road coming towards the hotel;

First time I met Trev, Chi’s husband (boyfriend then) & guess what, it’s boy-meet-gal-in-stuck-elevator. Such modern fairy tale (Why do I not see cute guys in those elevators I take?);

First time I took scenic photos on a holiday trip & got addicted to it ever since (how I nagged at an ex-colleague who went snapping away at every single thing during our previous London/Paris trip; now I know the joy of capturing those precious moments. Priceless).

First time I went trekking & nearly got lost at this little town (Lorne) along Great Ocean Road (& I thought I was fit with my gym & yoga classes.. oh right, could hardly survive the other 1.5km stroll (uphill) in the Grampians).

First free & easy trip (well, tis’ a REAL one). Did lots, saw lots & remember lots - Watched the little penguins in the stormy rain, walked the waterfalls at Grampians, counted the 12 Apostles along Great Ocean Road, treated like a queen @ Yarra Valley with sumptuous bbq lunch & wine tasting, felt the ferns on a Puffy Billy trainride, dug gold @ Soverign Hill, fed the wallabies at a sanctuary, bought cherries & amused myself with Alexandra’s shopaholic buys at Queen Victoria Market, shopped the Sunday Art Market, savoured oysters & watched the cute waiter at St Kilda on a sunny day, tried to gamble at Crown Casino (but *HUH* where do I start?), wondered around Melbourne city & visited the museum (Chi & Trev said they have never visited that place. Me too - never visited the Singapore museum *grin*).

So, that Melbourne trip started something in me… I know I will be back to Melbourne some day (perhaps when little Chi/Trev is born) - will it mark the start of another “chapter”? ha!

Oh, food! I thought I should end this piece with something of interest to MOST of us, at least to Warr :D Must try - vietnamese food in Richmond area. Get a Melbourne friend (if you have a Melbourne-Vietnamese friend (like Chi), great!) to bring you around Richmond (not exactly the safest place to wonder around as a tourist). After you have tasted Vietnamese beef noodle in Richmond, you wouldn’t want to eat at that “authentic Vietnamese restaurant” down the street.