Welcome to Bris-Vegas!

So I'm going to try and tell you about the vacation we had in Queensland, based on what I wrote in my journal since it's been a few weeks. Early on Sept. 8 we got up and in the darkness- in a cab speeding toward the airport- we leave Melbourne and our comfortable apartment behind. We caught a 6:00 a.m. flight to Brisbane, aka "Bris-Vegas" due to its close proximity to the Gold Coast, and the fact that gambling abounds here (one of the first impressive old buildings we see, the old Treasury in downtown Brisbane, now houses a casino). I looked out the plane's window right before landing and see several aqua colored bodies of water and tan patches of land. The airport is dominated by the Virgin-Blue airline. We took a cab to our hotel but couldn't check in yet (too early) so we walked around the Southbank neighborhood we're staying in and came across a gorgeous archway of bright red-purple flowers. It looked as if someone spray-painted the whole area with bursts of dark pink and purple. We stopped for coffee and raisin toast in the bright sunshine, then walked around some more, finding a bench to sit on in a little park near the St. Johns Cathedral. Here, we watched the antics of an ibis perched on a roof while two smaller, black birds scolded and dive-bombed him repeatedly. The birds here are very loud. We went inside the cathedral, which was quiet and had a stained-glass corner dedicated to American and Aussie alliance during the war. Hand-made individual cushions with various Australiana scenes covered the hard wood pews. Next we walked over by the Brisbane River, and saw a stunning view of the Story Bridge. Stopped for lunch, where I had a lovely salmon sandwich and peach iced tea at Eagle St. Pier. We took a ferry back over to Southbank (locals also use ferries to get around the city here, it's not just a touristy thing). We wandered through an Arts market and found ourselves by the same floral arbor/archway. There were several recreational pools here, full of young children wading or swimming, or just chasing the nearby Ibis'. Checked into the hotel room- very modern, with a flat screen tv, king sized bed, red, green, orange and brown abstract art on the walls, and a little kitchenette. After a nap, we went to dinner at Gandhi Curry House, which had an amazing lamb curry, spinach potatoes with garlic and peppers, the best naan I've ever tasted, and a refreshing mango lassi. Couldn't resist sharing a dessert of fried bananas with vanilla ice cream and whipped topping.

Woke up the next day to warm, soothing sunshine--what I call "flip-flop" weather. It automatically puts me in a good mood. Had fun walking around our neighborhood some more and visiting a cute tea shop which served tea but also had treasures for sale like fabric-covered hand-bound journals, shell jewelry, and more. Mark and I boarded a City Tour bus, which traveled around to various sights and we got a much better feel of the city. We got out at the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens and saw a couple of lizards sunning themselves as well as a beautiful display of bonsai plants/trees. They had a picturesque Japanese Garden (but not as impressive as the one in Portland). After Mark went out and met some coworkers from the Brisbane office and I took a nap, we found some Japanese food for dinner. It was delicious.