Disaster

One of the worst things that could have happened, barring permanent physical injury or serious robbery, seems to have happened. It seems half my Africa photos have gone; this happened 2 days ago, but it's taken me till now to feel up to writing about it.

Sequence of events was something like this.

Buy 5 CDs to put my photos on (one to send back to the UK, copies for Mill, Didi and Roger and one for me to keep with me as insurance-I am paranoid about digital camera disaster).
Go to internet cafe that promises CD burning.
Be told I can't do it myself-no, that would be too easy.
Give CDs and memory card to 'computer expert', who knows how to burn CDs unlike me.
Return and pick them up.
Decide to check them.
Find every CD is about 300 photos short.
Shrug shoulders, I'll just tell him to fix it.
Check memory card.
Find memory card about 600 photos short.
Freak out.

There are a couple of things that are giving me a vague hope, but in essence I think I've lost the first 3-4 weeks of the overland tour. Not using the memory card again till I get back to the UK-just in case. You can insert whatever language you reserve for the occasion when you discover your boyfriend/girlfriend is cheating on you with Jordan/Peter Andre and you sever your big toe by dropping your favourite possession on it, which then shatters. That's about how I feel.

So, trying to move on, Perth. I haven't been quite as sight-seeing mad yet as I was in Cape Town, but have enjoyed the place. Compared to Africa, it's a nice temperature-I've even been wearing trousers and had a long sleeve t-shirt (Olympics) one day. I think if I'd come straight here from England, I'd have melted. I had a walk round the city on Wednesday, which is compact and pleasant. I shall head up to Kings Park when I get the chance to get the proper view over the Murray River and the city (was distracted by the photos).

I spent yesterday in Freo (if you're local), or Freemantle (if you're looking at signposts). This is where Australia failed to defend the America's Cup they won in the '80s. It's also where the British built a brutal prison, which I took a tour round. It took a riot in 88 to accelerate the prison's eventual closure 15 years ago. It looked very much from the 18th century and you can understand why the inmates were unhappy with conditions. The chapel was really quite lovely, and I was amused by the prominence of 10 commandments.



Notice that killing is OK, it's just murder that isn't. 44 people were executed here. They have about 10 or so wedding here a year-a mixture of former inmates, guides and people who think marriage is a life sentence, so you might as well start it in a jail.

I also went to the Maritime museum, which hosts the America's Cup winning boat Australia II and was quite diverting. The most interesting part was a temporary exhibition on Australia under attack. This focussed on the Japanese attacks on Australia in the second world war (air, sub and boat) that I didn't even know had occurred. It's pretty awful what I don't know sometimes. The attacks were numerous and killed many people-250 in the first and worst air strike; later a destroyer with 465 on board disappeared after a fight with a Japanese boat that sank. The government is still dragging its heels over looking into this properly-they went to exhume an unidentified body presumed to come from the boat and couldn't find the body.

Rather than the home of great sights, Freo was mostly a nice place to wander round, which is what I did before heading back to David's. Last night was my last night in Gen Forrest with the family Withers:




I didn't even have to get David and Skye to dress up, they just did it as Lesley looked on and I got the camera. This one is very cute:



And for those who know David, there's definitely some Aussie mashed into his accent now. I was leaving David and Lesley's marvelous hospitality, as today I have ventured across town into the suburb of Attadale to stay with my Dad's cousin Gwyneth and her husband Andy. this is the view from the living room!




People are being ridiculously kind-I have offers of places to stay in Melbourne and Brisbane too and these are people who've met me! I am very humbled and grateful-hence my knee jerk reaction to make embarrassed jokes. It's almost like being complimented.

Tomorrow I head off to tour the SW corner of the state on a 3 day tour to see the dolphins, tall trees and Albany. This was on the list of Stanford recommendations, which I am still treasuring; everyone I've spoken to says they're some great spots. After that, it's back for another couple of nights with Gwyneth and Andy before they head to Adelaide and I head to a hostel. I expect to spend most of the time in the hostel crying, as that's when England play Australia at the WACA and I'm going to give touts too much money to see what unfurls. I've got a bad feeling about it.

My VIP backpacker card is proving a very wise investment-so far I've counted as a concession everywhere I've been and have already saved the price of buying it.

Oh, and a special message to those attending the Juxon street Xmas party tomorrow. Have a bloody good time. Or you'll have me to answer to.

And those not attending, already have me to answer to.