Chewang Beach & scooter tour

March 31st, 2007

This morning we discovered the ‘free’ internet in the business center…okay, this is the 1st time on this trip where anything at the hotel was free….we felt as if we had struck gold, and sadly enough the 2 of us were quickly attached to the computer screens!

We shuttled back to Nathon where we rented a 115cc Yamaha Mio Scooter for the day. At $5, this was a steal..and gas to get us around the 60km long island wound up costing only $1.50. Many of the locals here travel via motorcycle or moped so it didn’t take us long to figure out the rules and etiquette of the road (re; stay left in the ‘bikers’ lane, and do NOT attempt to pass on the right as many other bikers and vehicles may be close by!)

Our 1st stop was Chewang Beach, Samui’s largest and most popular beach on the east coast. Once the ‘wow-factor’ wore off, Hat Chewang was just like the many busy large beaches we’ve been too; nice turquoise warm waters, sea doos busting the waves, topless bathers and several beach side bars/restaurants. We parked ourselves for a couple of hours, got in some sun rays and enjoyed some dessert before we continued our way south back towards Nathon.

Our last stop was to view the famous ‘grandfather/grandmother’ rocks aka Hin Da & Hin Yai. Apparently these 2 rocks have been slowly chiseled by the sea, wind and rain into somewhat accurate representations of male and female genitalia. After closer look, these things are hilarious….(I’m thinking about sending my pix to Maxim Magazine with my captions)

We concluded the evening with a quick eat at Coffee Island, a cheap café just across the street from the tour-operator office.

Diving at Sail-Rock

March 30th, 2007

After being picked up at 6:45am, we were then transferred along with 3 others to the pier. Our divemaster guide ‘Clive’, was this very laid-back pot head originally from the UK, who eventually moved over to Thailand in order for a ‘change of pace’. The 2+hour boat ride towards ‘sail rock’ was bumpy as ever, and I thought it was going to be yak time again….BUT, thanx to my 2 doses of gravol last nite and this am, I was able to ‘keep it all in’, although I was really hurting as we entered the choppy waters. Despite all the nausea and shitty feelings of wanting to puke, the 2 dives here were great; water temperatures about 31’, visibility about 25 meters, very little people around and we had the opportunity to swim through the ‘chimney’, a 6 meter, sectioned off vertical tunnel at 18 meters.

After a long and exhausting day, we enjoyed a nice dinner at the Promenade, the beach side restaurant at our resort…(and no we took a break from good ol thai food!)

Koh Samui

March 29th, 2007

This morning we took a ‘sawngthaew’ aka the ‘Red pick-up truck taxi’ to the airport for 80 baht. If you are able to flag one down and the driver can understand where you want to go, it’s actually one of the cheapest ways to get around town.

Of course at Chiang Mai International Airport we relaxed and enjoyed the complimentary drinks & snacks at the Bangkok Airways Boutique Lounge! (this is becoming a habit!). Shortly after a 2 hour flight, we arrived in Koh Samui, Thailand’s 3rd largest tropical island. Located in the province of Surat Thani along with 6 other habitated islands (Pha-Ngan, Ta-Loy, Tao, Taen, Ma-Ko and Ta-Pao), Samui seems to have something for everyone; cheap fan bungalows, backpackers ‘districts’ (bars, clubs, ‘girlie-bars’/lady-boy stuff), busy and secluded beaches along with and a handful of fancier high end resorts.

We soon landed at the Baan Taling Naam Spa & Resort (formerly the Le Meridien Baan Taling Ngam), about a 40-minute ride towards the south western part of Samui in Taling Ngam. You could tell you were in some place special the moment you stepped out of the cab. From the lush manicured lanes to the beach shuttle services via golf cart, we knew this was going to be a treat!…and an upgrade to an oceanview was an added bonus too!

Even though there wasn't much else around the resort for about 15kms, seclusion from all the action of the island was quite peaceful and calming. With 7 pools, awesome cliffside ocean views and our own beach with 'lawn chair hut', it was worth hanging out here!...(for those paying the RAC rates ranging from 350 - 1000US, it better have all the bells and whistles)

Tonite we hopped on our hotel shuttle towards Nathon, just 15 minutes north of us. Nathon is the main port town for passenger ferries and cargo boats arriving from and leaving for the mainland. We made a quick stop at Lesco Lotus aka Safeway of Thailand, then had a quick dinner at Coffee Creek Canyon….as we walked a few blocks towards the water, somehow we stumbled across a tour-operator office where we booked a diving excursion with Easy Divers. After an extended conversation with some dude named 'Andy', we committed to the booking and the 6000 Baht that came along with it!

Thai Cooking School

March 28th, 2007

Today, aC and I were shuttled via Tuk-Tuk to the Chiang-Mai Thai Cookery School, the 1st cookery school to open here in Chiang Mai. At the local market we were given an orientation of all the typical ‘stuff’ used in Thai cooking including the many herbs, spices, pastes, meats, fruits and veggies just to name a few. Back at the school, we sat through quick demonstrations followed by a ‘go-at-it’ for ourselves. Today’s menu included: chicken in coconut mild soup ‘tom-kha-gai’, red curry with fish ‘gaeng-phed-plaa’, green curry with chicken ‘gaeng-kheo-wan-gai, fried mixed mushrooms with baby corn ‘phad-hed-ruam-khao-om’, fried big noodles with thick sauce & pork ‘raad-nah muu’, thai fried noodles aka ‘phad-thai’, papaya salad ‘som-tam’ and steamed banana cake ‘khanom-kluay’.

Aside from learning some new skills and a few recipes, this was simply a full day feast! This was the 1st ‘cooking class’ for the both of us ever, and WE can’t wait (or atleast I can’t) for aC to add this to her repertoire! Thai food rocks, and we are looking forward to serving some of you thai food, aC + sW style!!

4 days later, we are leaving Chiang Mai, and we can’t believe how time has flown by! Every new city has been a unique, new and rewarding experience for us both, and Chiang Mai has been no different. For now there are only 2 weeks left in this adventure and I guess the ‘countdown’ probably has begun. We’re looking forward to some more snorkelling, diving and more sun during the next 10 days in the islands here in Thailand!

Trekking Day 2 - Elephants & Rafting!

March 27th, 2007

To begin day 2, we woke up to toast, boiled eggs and hot tea! By 8:00am, we resumed our trails, pushing ourselves up and down the terrain with more ease in the cooler morning temperatures. After about 40 minutes, we encountered our new tour guides for the next hour and a half; a bunch of gigantic elephants! Although uncomfortable on the back and rear, the undulating and hilly elephant ride gave us more appreciation for this animals’ strength, stamina, agility and obedience!..what a great time! (and guess what elephant shit looks and sounds like???)

After resuming our hike for another 2 ½ hours, we made it to lunch at the Shan Village. Without hesitation, we all stripped then cannon-balled into the waterfall lagoon which was very refreshing! The cowbell rung, and instant noodles in village style broth was served! (of course, aC loaded the chilli power on!).

The last hour of trekking took us down the mountain to the Maewang River for some Bamboo Rafting. Lifejackets weren’t necessary, as the dry season had kept the waters at knee level depths. Sure, this wasn’t white water style, but it had its ‘moments’ when 1) we nearly flipped the 1 meter-wide raft into the shallow waters 2) we had to play the splashing game with all the local kids as we floated by and 3) we nearly got stuck on the ‘un-authorized for riders’ climactic speed bump (1 foot drop off).

A sigh of relief, as the day was done. No better way to celebrate but with a few cold bottles of Singha!

After 2 strenuous but adventurous days, we were glad to be back in the city. After dinner and some oohing/aweing and complaining, we decided that a $2, 30-minute foot massage was warranted….and indeed it was!

Hill Tribe Trekking Day 1 - Hiking in the HEAT

March 26th, 2007

To make a long story short, ‘people of the hills’ or ‘chao-khao’ aka ‘Hill Tribes’ represent about 1% of the total population in Thailand. Most live in the highland areas of the north, as well as along the mountainous western border with Burma, farming lands with are unsuited for the wet-rice paddy cultivation practised by the ‘lowlanders’. Two main groups exist; the lower slope tribes (Karen, Lawa, Khamu and H’tin) and the ‘highlanders’ (Kmong, Akha, Lahu, Lisu, and Mien”. Each tribe upholds its own traditions, wears distinctive style of dress, and speaks its own language. Many of these immigrants were originally from China, Burma and Laos.

…this morning we were picked up at 9am sharp and shortly there after we met the rest of our ‘group’ for our 2-day trekking adventure. We were a mixed bunch with other couples coming from the UK, France and New Zealand. The 1-hour drive west of Chiang Mai towards the Samueng area was literally a ‘pain-in-the-neck’ as the rear canopies of this Datsun truck was made for 5 footers like aC, of coarse unless you wanted a view of the roof! At the Shan Village, a stop was made for good ol’ fried rice thai style with pineapples for desert. Shortly after we took a quick glimpse of the Hmong Village, noting all the wild animals along with the interesting bamboo-style huts.

Our trekking finally commenced at about 2:00pm, and no better time to get into the thick of things but during mid-day heat! I think aC almost panicked because we were low on H20 (we were later told we could purchase bottles along the way). This wasn’t your typical Grouse Grind, but in 36 degrees, carrying a heavy back pack, we were definitely in for more than we were originally bargaining for! Through the jungles, up the strenuous hills we passed by rice fields and made funny faces at the buffaloes, boars, and other wild animals. Finally after about 2.5litres of water and 2 ½ hours later we made it to the Karen Village, our place for the nite.

Currently there are more than 250 000 Karen in Thailand, scattered all over the northern hills. They are all skilled farmers, specializing in ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ rice cultivation. However, environmentalists would likely be pissed with their ‘slashing & burning’ of fields in order to prepare the for the new seasons' crop.

This was camping at its best, except you had the interesting experience of: sleeping in a hill-tribe bamboo ‘motel’, interacting with the local tribal members and learning about the local culture and using a bin + scoop of COLD water for showering!!! (i.e NO flowing water!) A shocker to the skin receptors at first, but with the bug spray + sunscreen off, it was well worth the goose-bumps! For dinner, our guide (Boo-ne) made some green curry + chicken? and green beans + chicken?. (who knows, we could have been eating wild ‘dog’ or boar)

bed time = 8:30pm….During the night, the weather did cool down significantly as temperatures were nearing 10 degrees, but in the ‘hills’ or mountainside, that is much cooler than you think!…I think aC had to make a trip to the squatter in the middle of the nite, and I can only speculate how she was able to perform all necessary acts while simultaneously using a flashlight (use your imagination!?!).

Welcome to Chiang Mai!

Bangkok airport today was busy as expected. In classic aC fashion we arrived at the airport 2+ hours prior to our domestic flight and found the best surprise of the day; the Bangkok Airways ‘boutique lounge’ was available to everyone, not just those high rolling super-airmile travellers….Along with the free internet stations, we tried some interesting ‘thai-style’ sticky rice deserts.

After a quick 1 ½ hour flight, we arrived in Chiang Mai just north of Bangkok. The Novotel Chiang Mai wasn’t too flashy, but for $24/nite, you really couldn’t pass on this deal. Better yet, our bed was a ‘Super-King’, likely the combination of 2 queens put together!

Feeling some exhaustion from days past, we just relaxed at the hotel and planned our excursions for the next 2 days. 1st on the list will be a 2 day trekking tour into a Hill Tribe Village which also includes some exciting elephant riding and bamboo ‘rafting’. Ac & I are also signed up for a full day Thai cooking class!…yippee, lots to look forward to in the coming days…

To conclude the evening, our hotel shuttle took a group of us to the Night Bazaar. As implied in the name, more of you know what….

Our perception of Chiang Mai has been quite pleasant thus far. Although we’re here during the hottest of seasons, there are much fewer cars on the road with minimal overcrowding on the streets, people appear much ‘warmer’ to tourists and many speak decent English.

Chao Phraya Tourist Boat & city walking tour

Today aC was on a mission, and as tour guide it soon became her job to navigate us through this hecktic city!

After taking the skytrain to Saphan Taksin station to the Sathorn Pier, we boarded the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat for 100 Baht (about 3.00 cnd). On paper the boat system appeared simple, but once you were on this thing, very few locals spoke english = recipe for getting lost or getting off the wrong station or missing the last boat. Fortunately, aC was at her best, calm and always collected navigating us through the streets to find pier after pier. To say that getting around in Bangkok is not easy would be an understatement....Aside from the stupid traffic and the short skytrain routes, street signs are poorly positioned while boat schedules are not as simple as 'hopping on' the Toronto Island Ferries!

Our 1st stop this morning was the Grand Palace, a royal compound where important religious and royal ceremonies were and still are conducted. One of the highlights here was the Emerald Buddha, one of Thailand's most revered objects of worship. Shortly after we ventured through Chinatown and found this place as busy as ever. With our stomachs growling, traffic stalling and people bustling through the side streets and alleyways, we found ourselves on a mission to get out of the crowds ASAP in search for food. 'Street-meat' (not the kind in Canada) and food vendors were plentiful, but neither of us were feeling adventerous today. After asking 3 different locals, the employee at 7-eleven eventually directed us in the correct direction. Atlast, we found our joy for the next 20 minutes; "Hong Noodle House", and yes served with won-tons and roasted duck for a measily 40 Baht (just over $1 cnd)

...after chowing down on 3 bowls, we walked up towards the 'backpackers' district; Kao San Road. Again, lots of street shopping, many food vendors, and of course lots of tourists!

We somehow found the closest pier where the final boat run of the day was awaiting shortly (good job aC). We then surfaced back on Silom Road (Sala Daeng Station) where we got a glimpse of Patpong, Bangkoks red-light district. We had to make countless efforts to dodge these dudes that were promoting 'ladee show', 'sex-show' and 'ping-pong ball show' (you figure it out)...anyways, the advice i received from a few colleagues regarding the scams and 'she-males' in many of the clubs here, kept us out of there.

After a quick dinner at the MBK Food Centre (awesome spring rolls, padh-thai, fried rice), we found ourselves back for another 2 hour massage. This time, Body-Tune (yes, they have 3 locations in Thailand + the one in Siem Riep) just down the street from our hotel was on the hit list. Ms. 'Deang' was the bomb....she was awesome....and we may find ourselves earning more airmiles here next week!

Well, this brings our quick snap-shot of Bangkok to a close, and we hope to get a few more clips in on our way back from the Islands here in Thailand. Anyways, this city is ruthless; traffic is a complete disaster, massage parlours can be found on every street, food vendors on all corners, street shopping on every major district and plenty of she-males walking around looking like their cosmetic surgeon really did a bad job!.....Although not quite 'Wat'ed out (temples) yet, we're both looking forward to Chiang Mai and the rest of what Thailand has to offer!

Welcome to Bangkok

March 23, 2007

This morning we said good-bye to Jules & Jeff as they made their way back to Toronto via Hong Kong. Travelling with these 2 love-birds has been a blast.. It was also a great time to 'catch-up' on all things in TO for the past 3 months....We wish them a safe trip home!

..and Welcome to Bangkok Thailand!

Woe.. it is stinkin hot & humid here, and traffic sucks beyond suck! Our hotel, the Grand Mercure Park Avenue was near the skytrain along Suhkumvit Road, so getting around was fairly convenient.

Our 1st stop was the Tokyu department store followed by the 'MBK' Centre at National Stadium Station. Nothing but more flea market shopping; floors of cell phone booths, pirated DVD's and classic souvenir shit (clothing, trinquets, etc..). The 'MBK Food Centre' was a hit, serving 'street-style' food in an air-conditioned environment.

After a scroll through the Siam Square area (the main shopping and entertainment zone of Bangkok) we chose 'Lavender Massage' for another 2 hour session of pulling, stretching and kneeding...unfortunately 2 hours quickly became 1 as my rookie ladie wasn't willing to apply more force (as i had later requested) beyond what she could handle...that was plain bullshit!..she was lazy and i think never wanted to break a sweat...well i guess for 200 baht, thats what you get in this part of the town!

Banteay Srei & Chong Khneas Village

March 22nd, 2007

For an extra $5, our drivers gave us the deluxe package, taking us to Banteay Srei (28km away) and the Chong Khneas floating villages along Tonle Sap Lake (15km away). This extended ride along bumpy gravel roads into the countryside was probably the most eye-opening and humbling experience we’ve had by far. The way of life among the poorest of poor was immediately in front of us, hitting from all angles…

…aC's idea to stop along the road to give away some goods was great, although met with several heards of kids who swarmed us like fleas! The shampoos, body creams, kleenex and pens/papers (courtesy of the Sofitel) were all happily accepted like money.....they pushed and grabbed for everything within arms reach....it was survival of the fittest, to say the least!

After some Vietnamese food at Soup Dragon, we headed towards Tonle Sap Lake. Well, the Lonely planet sure didn’t tell us that the so-called government run boat tours charge a mandatory $20/person fee. This may have been some scam, but at the time, there weren’t many other options (our book quoated $6-$10).

The boat ride was a great opportunity to see a different way of life and livelihood for locals, set more along the outskirts of a river and extending into the lakeside. Fishing was life, and living in a small boat among hundreds of others was all that existed. As Mr. Cambodian rapper ‘fifty-cent’ powered off the engine to give us a break, our boat was quickly invaded by about 6 rafts, each loaded with young children (and all their fruits and refreshments for sale). Initially the sight of these 'pirates' frantically paddling towards us was intimidating, but we quickly realized there was a race to make 1st contact and a sale to any tourist.

Like previous nites, our lonely planet told us to check out the Dead Fish. (I haven't been to many restaurants where piles of live crocodiles are sitting near the 'wc'!"

...more Temples; Bayon & Ta Prohm

March 21, 2007

Today Mr. Lev brought with him a ‘friend’, whom also happened to be our registered tour guide for the day. For $20 we figured we’d get a little more out of the temples as we walked and gazed at all the unknown.

Our 1st stop in the Ankor Thom region was the Bayon, famous for the different faces among the 54 towers. We later passed through the Terrace of Elephants followed by the Terrace of the Leper King. For lunch we headed back into town to the Khmer Kitchen… I guess you can’t beat a pitcher of Tiger for 3.50?

After lunch we scrolled through Ta Prohm aka ‘Lara Croft’s Temple’ ala Angelina & co. The growing roots through some of the walls and ceilings was visually swarming! Next, we quickly visited the Royale Palace before we headed back to our hotel. Thai Chivit was so good we made a 2nd visit!

Tonite we also said farewell to Linda, who heads off to the Thailand tomorrow morning. We wish her all the safety and luck in her travels and hope to share many exciting stories when we all return to Vancouver in about 3 weeks.

Siem Riep & the Temples of Angkor

March 20th, 2007

At 9:00am sharp, our 2 drivers Mr. ‘Lev’ & Mr. ‘They’met us at the lobby and kindly took us to the largest and oldest temple in Siem Riep, Ankor Wat. (I think mr. car accident was demoted and given a temporary leave of absense?!?!)

With the aide of Linda’s lonely planet guide and another supplementary book, we navigated our way through this massive temple, fully engaged with the 3 soaring towers and the unique carvings and architectural designs depicting the old culture, religion and old civilization of the Khmer.

A decision to scroll past some local vendors and food stalls came with some neat surprises. Many children of all ages were constantly approaching, trying to sell you something for the magic number: ‘1 dolla’. Many hot ticket items included; guide books/pictorial books of Angkor, Lonely planet books (of all over the place), hand held fans and postcards. ‘No-thanks’ was quicky met with persistance and a few more kids coming to sell out of competion. As these kids stared you in the eye, by osmosis you could really feel the frustration, the desperation and the poverty. Walking away with a Lonely planet guide for $2 was robbery (although most copies were photocopies), as was getting a couple of sets of postcards for a $1.

For lunch we stopped off at the Bayon II, a popular spot among the many tour groups here in Siem Riep. This place was high end; clean furnishings, air-conditioning, and well dressed servers. Menu however was reasonable as most items were in the 2.50 to 3.50 US range for decent stuff.

After lunch we spent some time walking through the ‘Old Market’, a local staple where you’ll find everything from souvenirs, vegetables, seafood and meat. Worst part of this place had to be the stench and the flys buzzing around the raw meat meat in the 30+ degree heat! I guess food quality control here is zippo.

A timely pass-by of ‘Body-tune’, a recently opened massage joint with a few locations in Thailand, led us all to try a 2-hour ‘thai massage’. For $25, we splurged but this place was clean, very modern and looked like someplace where you’d unlikely contract some disease.

After being stepped on, kneed in and hyperextended in all directions,, we all joyously shared our individual experiences at dinner. The ‘Blue Pumkin’ was funky and hip, WiFi equipped and quite popular among tourists. Lounging on sofas while eating pasta was great!

The night ended with some pool time where the 4 of us later used the ‘mens-only’ steam room, while 2 other speedo-ridden Japanese dudes wandered through thinking what the hell are 2 women doing in our changerooms?....i'm quite certain they actually didn't care at all!

Welcome to Cambodia

March 19th, 2007

An early start at 7am took us to the Hong Kong station where we chose to use the ‘express baggage check in’. Cautious at 1st, but later convinced that it really would save us some time at the busy airport on a Monday morning. (uhmmm, yah that is the whole idea right??) Lets cross our fingers that our bags arrive in Cambodia!

Turbo-prop jet and 80 passengers was all it took to get us to Siem Riep Angkor, Cambodia. After a very slow process of attaining our Visas, we made it through customs, but not before the agent had asked aC for a $1 tip. Ac flipped her a Hong Kong dollar coin, but that just didn’t cut it. With a disappointing look on her face, she waved us both through and continued her job as if no request had been made.

After checking into the Sofitel Royal Angkor, we met up with Linda who is also on a adenture of her own in southeast Asia. With the arrival of Jules & Jeff shortly after, the 5 of us found a few ‘tuk-tuks’ (moto-taxis) and ended up at Chivit Thai for some cheap thai food…A very delicious meal to complement the splendid display of all the mozzies!

The $5 return ride later came with some minor drama; our driver never ‘shoulder-checked’ to his right and wound up swiping this other dude who was attempting to overtake us. Fortunately no one was injured, only a few nicks on both bikes..(and probably a very painful leg on the biker)...funny thing was after all the action, the only two that appeared in distress were aC and Linda!?! the 2 drivers shook it off apologized to us, then continued onto their routes.

We were then able to negotiate a flat fee of $15 for subsequent 'all-day ride along passess' for the remainder of our trip.

Last nite in HK

March 18th, 2007

ahhh...1st hang-over on this trip...this can't be real?..ahh..shit, the food has also started to erode the lining of my gut (way too many times to the shitter today.)

For some reason, i felt the 'itch' and eventually took the plunge in sneaker town or bauw-hie-gye. Not much bargaining power in these retail 'stores' but lots to choose from. After checking out of the hotel, we made our way to the Mandarin Oriental, our final nites' accomodations. (thank you Sandra for your kind invite!)

Located immediately in front of the Airport Express Hong Kong Station and the IFC mall in Central, the Mandarin is this incredible 5 star property with all the bells and whistles you'd ever want in your hotel room including a 50-inch LCD monitor with an impressive Denon S-301 control center. Sandra couldn't resist the idea of surfing the net on this awesome Sharp flat panel!

For dinner, no better place but enjoy a burger, fries and RED BEAN pie at McDonalds! Yummy!! and truly a treat we've been missing for the past 3 weeks! After sending Andrew off we scrolled through the area of Central, noting the hundreds and hundreds of Philipino Nanies hanging out in every public corridor....i think i saw a lady eating 'asoe-sahnna' with bahloote!

To conclude the nite, we visited the pool, just to remind myself that i still suck at the breastroke and will never make it as a lifeguard!

Today marks the end of our journey through China. Our 10-day tour through Beijing, Xian and Shanghai was specactular and the past week in Hong Kong has certainly been an eye opener. Never did i think that a place could be 1000x more loaded and crowed with chinese people than Richmond BC. No matter where you go, whether its walking the sidewalks, crossing a street, entering a subway, paying for food, eating at a fast-food joint, or going to the can, there are always PEOPLE, either kicking your feet, elbowing your shoulder or stairing down the front of your shirt!....personal space here = 'please come into my space'

An intense and somtimes irratic environment seems very undesirable to the both of us, but who knows, maybe that Hong Kong ID will come to use one day in the distant future?!?!

City Tour part deux

This morning we got up early and caught up on our 24 Season 6. Now that we've seen episode 12, Jack Bauer and the rest of CTU can be off our minds, atleast until we're back home again!

This afternoon, we helped Auntie Susan and Uncle Harvey prepare for their journey home . A 'clean sweep' of the entire room was necessary as Uncle Harvey's head seemed to be elsewhere while he was packing (??fogotten dress pants and a drawer full of Auntie Susan's Beijing 'goods'. Woe, the entire family was on fire and there weren't any excuses to be heard!?!

Well, we've spent the past 4 weeks with the 2 of them, experiencing and learning so much about each other and the family as a whole. They've certainly made our trip very fun and entertaining and their 'youthfullness' has always rubbed onto us in the best of ways! We thank them so much for committing to this trip many months ago, and making it a blast for us all!

Our long time friend from the Killarney days Ron Lo, took us around for more street wandering, eating and shopping highlighted by an awesome dinner at this local 'Hong Kong style' dump in the North Point district. You'd think you were eating in the middle of some fish market with people constanting protesting (just ordinarily talking) crammed like sardines and tile floors more slippery than House of Gourmet on Dundas. BYO sake was perfect as we all pigged out on delicious seafood!

We had to make a visit to Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong's prime time clubbing and bar district full of the many ex-pats. In celebration of St. Patricks Day, hundreds gathered the streets wearing festive costumes while drinking the nite away. We landed at 'The Keg', where Ron introduced us to his beer drinking softball team. After 2 1/2 weeks of enormous chinese crowds, it was nice to be imersed again around people who 1) dont have black hair and wear glasses, and 2) don't play the Fee-Fye-Foe phone number game.

Macau

A 1 hour ride on the 'Turbo Jet' ferry took us across the waters to Macau. Our 1st stop was for lunch at the famous 'Fernandos', followed by a quick stroll through the local beach front area. After a 20-minute bus ride back into town, some of us had the 'casino-itch', so we made a stop at the newly built Wynn Hotel. Just like its sister in Vegas, this place was huge, grand and sparkling. Combine the hotel-front water show and you got yourself a wannabe Bellagio! None of us took on the many 'bacarrat' tables, but aC couldn't help bet spend some time at the slots. In our usual fashion, i left her alone to focus and to feel her luck out. 20 minutes later, she was $350 hk richer, and her eyes were sparking like she had hit gold. "Noodle-soup is on me tonite' was her only reply to everyone!

Macau is Vegas, without the towering monster hotels, the Hummer limos, the latinos on every street corner handing out XXX invites, the Cirque du Soleils', the Celines', the Sigfried's and all the silicone infested crowds. Nevertheless, a fun place for the day, but like any gambling town, there comes a time when you just need to 'get out'.

After an intense and annoying method to standby for an earlier ferry, we made it home just before 10 pm. A long day, but a great experience for us all!

We concluded this day with a late nite dinner at Pacific Place.

Mong Gok & the Ladies Market

This morning we went to another district called 'Mong Gok', popular for a couple of things; the 'Ladies Market' aka 'noiy-yun giye', more damn cell phone shops, and sneaker shops aka 'boaw-hie-gye'. As implied in the above names, we split up and looked for our own deals. My 1st impression was you can find every new cell phone, blackberry and electronic gadget, but you may want to brush up on your prices as things do seem much more costly in Hong Kong.

Chinese people are notorius for celaphaning anything that can be celaphaned and covered for protection or for whatever mysterious reason (ala remote controls, chesterfields and oven dials). Along with this 'style', every sneaker you saw in the many shops was no different; more damn celaphane and more damn shrinkwrap. Next thing you know, they're tin-foiling their cell phones!!!

In the evening, we all met a bunch of Sandra's other friends for a neat surprise dinner near the World Trade Centre, all orchestrated by Andrew several weeks ago. Yes, she was surprised and I think very delighted to see all the people that were just too 'busy' to fit into her schedule. Good work Drew!

We concluded our night with some drinks at a nearby lounge in Causeway Bay.

Shenzhen

This morning aC, Sandra and Dad headed out to Elizabeth House to renew their Hong Kong Identity Cards. (why and for what reason they really covet this, i'll never know?!?!)

In the afternoon, all 7 of us, re-united as a group again, took the MTR, then transferred onto the 'KCR' heading towards Shenzhen, China. Travelling on public transit is quite convenient with the use of the debit-style 'octopus' card as a quick swipe is all that is needed to pass the turnstiles. For day-trippers, getting a 1-day China Visa was not a problem as both Sandra and Andrew, who made a last minute decision to join us purchased their $20 stamps with little difficulty.

One hour later after more immigration check-ins, passport stamps and a few departure cards, we finally made it to this small city northwest of Hong Kong. Our 1st stop was a quick preview of the 5-storey market place, a local favorite for all that fake shit again, and another opportunity to find those deals with bargaining power. During this time, Dad made his quick escape to 'pre-view and select' the ladies for our massages! He had been talking about this massage experience all trip, and this was now his time; to show his prowness, his enthusiasm and his passion!

As shopping ended, all 7 of us headed for the 'Massage Place', anxiously awaiting for the opportunity and golden gem that Dad had been raving about for so long! We all got into our silk 'gowns' and were ready for the show. For a second I thought I was Chris Tucker on Rush Hour 2, standing in front of a staircase full of long black-haired beauties, hand picking them one by one. However, in the end each 'lady' headed out from their post and met us each at our cozy leather arm-chair. The routine was simple; sit, relax or wince and tell your masseuse in chinese that the pain you're experiencing from their iron-fisted approach was totally fine and to continue at their pleasure! 2 hours later, most of us felt loose, relaxed and for some more soreness. For a few, the 2 hours was just a warm-up as the luxurious 3 hour package became a popular upgrade. How can you beat getting a massage for $5/hour cnd?!?!?! (just don't ask your local registered RMT!)

Our final hours were spent back in the market where we picked up a couple more duffle rollies (i don't need to tell you why), a few Northface back-packs, and of course a bunch of leather goods for the ladies to enjoy!

City walking tour

March 13th, 2007

After sleeping in till 10am, aC and I strolled the streets along Hennesey Road and weaved our way through 'Causeway Bay' and up towards 'Times Square'. We made a quick pit-stop up this apartment building to check out some 'closed-door' private shopping (thanx Pat for your detailed instructions). Unfortunately, the styles and assortment of stuff didn't interest any of us.

In the evening, we took the ferry from Wan Chai over to Kowloon where we strolled the streets in Tsim Sha Tsui ('TST'). After a quick breeze on the 'Street of Stars', we were staggered by the bright lights, designer labels, endless cell phone shops and shoppping malls. We then lounged in the lobby of the Peninsular Hotel where oddly enough we recognized the rear profile of a female, but too familiar to be one of our friends...."Julia!"...."hullowe". We can't wait to hang out with her & Jeff next week in Siem Reap!

We later met with Michelle whom we haven't seen for over 4 years. She took us to her friend's restaurant, 'Hutong', located on the 28th floor facing all of Hong Kong Island. A great choice with delightful asian-fusion cuisine complemented by superb views of the Kong Kong Island lights and billboards.

Back in Hong Kong for a Week

March 12th, 2007

On our way to Pudong airport, we took the Maglev (Magnetic Levitation Train) aka the ‘fastest train in the world’. At a top speed of 431 km/hr, we covered 30kms in just under 7 minutes!!! That is called getting to the airport on time!

After another great experience on Dragon Air, we finally made it back to Hong Kong, marking more than the ½ way point of our trip.