15, Ancilla Street, Mullalloo

That was home for 5 days, at Perth....the Air BnB

I've always loved to do homestays on travel, and Air BnB is like the perfect answer. I so love it.

To me travel is not all about sight seeing.....it's always about getting in touch with the people and feel of a place. That's the connect I most enjoy. And homestays are an unmatched conduit there.

This one I found by searching for Air BnBs near ECU. It was about 5 kms from campus, a distance I thought I could even walk if there was no public transport, as we knew nothing about the location or facilities before going.

In fact it wasn't just me finding and checking out the place; Chantel Allen did a more thorough check on me. Once I booked, I got a conditional acceptance. She needed to see my earlier reviews on Air BnB. I fortunately had them. She then had a chat with me, only after which did I get the confirmation.

And that's when you also realize how much Air BnB works on trust.

Before I reached, the message I received was this:

If I am out the keys are in the white box to the right of the front door. I am only using the top lock while you stay. Your room is down the hall to the right with the white bed.
Call me if any problems.

See what I mean?

I had a simply wonderful five day stay with Chantel.

In fact second or third day I'm telling Diksha stuff from my stay experience and she says "she seems awfully quiet, you two bonded that much ?!?"

Chantel has a lovely house cat, Buddy.....and two fluffy fat hens, lemon and thyme, in her backyard. I was telling her how it was that which made me choose her home over others in the area. When you don't know anything about the person you're going to stay with, just 'love for animals' becomes reason enough :)

The house, we later learnt, is located in a very upmarket locale at Perth, and just a twenty minute walk from the beach. The room was small and simple, can work just for one person, and that suited me perfectly.

As Diksha stayed at campus right from day 1 and had orientation sessions each day, I spent a lot of time at home. I got to watch a lot of SBS food, Chantel's favourite channel as she's a professional chef. Interesting to note was, I'm neither a foodie, nor do I enjoy cooking, but I got hooked to the channel. So much so that even when Chantel wasn't around, despite surfing around, that's the channel I'd settle into :)

Buddy (the cat) was initially wary, but soon got friendly. Friendly enough to communicate with me. This one evening when I was home alone, he wanted to be let out and he asks me. I wasn't sure what to do, but he was so persistent. He looks at me, then looks at the slider, then looks at me again....and his expression seems to say "why are you not getting it?". I had to let him out :)

Some pics: That's the house

And that's Chantel, with buddy on her lap

The drawing room

The backyard, and you can see Chantel putting the hens in their coop

Diksha in my room, after one of our shopping days...you can see from the number of shopping bags around

Chantel was getting some work done in her backyard; that's Steve, and it was fascinating to watch how he got all his equipment in his station wagon, that little concrete mixer included, and he'd quietly work all by himself.

Well, I don't know what I was doing with the hens

That's Deech with buddy, we both did a wine and dine at home the last night

One morning I was so amazed to see Chantel literally under her car, and I'm like "wow, I don't think I've ever gone under my car like that" and she says "aah...here we all learn how to maintain our cars even before we learn how to drive". I was so impressed.

Buddy again.....isn't he pretty !!

Fixing myself some breakfast in the kitchen

Diksha chilling in the backyard

A final selfie before I left

Plan was that I cab to the airport and Diksha would take the bus back to campus. When I got in the cab my eyes must have been brimming over, and the lady driver asked if everything was okay, so I told her I was leaving my daughter behind and all that. She says "which campus?" I told her, and she says "I can give you ten minutes more with her, ask her to hop in, let's drop her and go". 

Nice people till the very last minute see :)