THINGS WE LEARNED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

We learned to forget everything you ever knew about being a pedestrian and crossing the street. Except for the "hold hands and stick together", that still applies. Best advice we got was "Don't Run!!"  It really got to be fun, stepping into the street as bikes, tuk tuks, and cars whiz past you....not for the faint of heart.

We learned how good the food is here, and discovered some amazing spices, fruits and vegetables. We even took cooking classes, and will try our best to recreate some of the fabulous cuisine when we get home. We also learned that crickets, scorpions, beef penis and balls are surprising to see on the menu, but just because it is on the menu, doesn't mean we have to eat it. Although, we did get a sick sense of enjoyment out of watching others bravery.

We learned you pronounce tuk tuk ....."took took", and Laos has a silent S.

We learned that small plastic tables and chairs aren't just for kids. Every city and village has them lining the sidewalks and all the locals and some tourists sit and eat their meals this way.

We learned that when traffic is congested, you can just drive on the sidewalk, or the wrong way, or on the sidewalk going the wrong way. It all works so smoothly here. And horns are used in a positive way, not a negative way, and again, it works.

We learned that history really does keep repeating itself, and not in a good way.

We learned that the human spirit is so strong and resilient, even when they have experienced the worst things imaginable. The Cambodian people say they want to end the violence and the only way to do that is to forgive and move forward. Very strong and very smart people.

Oh, and we also learned when in Hong Kong, don't use the phone booths. 

This has been a wonderful holiday,  up there with the best. It was a real cultural experience and fascinating to see and learn about the differences between the countries. We loved meeting our fabulous and fun loving fellow G travellers, and our fearless leader Zoom Zoom. We also loved meeting all the people that we crossed paths with along the way.  We hope to come back to this part of the world again and spend some time getting to know the beaches.

Homeward bound now....always a good thing.

 

LAST STOP, HONG KONG

Wow, there are a few people in this city.....and for a moment, I thought Supergirl was one of them. One of our first street experiences, literally 2 or 3 minutes on the street, and we saw a woman rush into a phone booth ( clear plexiglass on three sides) and start taking off her pants. I am thinking, OMG, Supergirl lives in Hong Kong, but no......she just had to pee.....and she was out of that booth, fully dressed to join us at the crosswalk before the light changed. Good morning Hong Kong.

We have spent 2 days in the city exploring. The first day on foot, and today we bought a day pass for the train.

We took the Star ferry over to Hong Kong Island and wandered around. 

We rode the Ferris Wheel/Observation Eye on the boardwalk,

and took the tram/funicular up the Peak to get some great views. Would have been better if  it had been clearer, but even with the clouds you could see for miles.

Escalators to get to observation deck.....

Yesterday, being Sunday, we saw first hand what Jill and Mike had told us about. All the maids, nannies and hired help get Sunday off and congregate with their friends.....everywhere. In parks, on sidewalks, overhead pedestrian walkways. There were thousands of picnics and dance parties being had everywhere in the city. Most are from the Philippines or Indonesia.

We also found some interesting stairways....

And one in the making....

We found Kowloon Park.....and more nannies.....

Hong Kong Park....

As well as some great streets and markets....

We had our last dinner down on the waterfront, watching the laser show that is projected from various skyscrapers out over the harbour. The skyline of Hong Kong Island was stunning, with so many of the buildings lit up, multi coloured, or with different designs flashing. It could have been a perfect picture to end the blog, if only I had remembered to put my battery back in my camera!!!

I borrowed this pic from the internet, but this is exactly what we saw, so pretty.

Stay tuned....

SOMETHING'S FISHY

After our temple marathon, we opted for a change of scenery and headed into the countryside to visit a rural fishing village. Along the way we stopped for a snack of sticky rice, baked with black beans, over coals in a piece of bamboo.

Fishing village....

Fish drying on racks on the ground.

River is low as it is the dry season.

Monk laundry across the river....

Family home...

Next up, a floating village on Lake Tonle Sap. This was incredible to see. 

Store...

The recycling depot...

Kids playing in their front yard...

And then, because we were so close, we visited another temple. Beng Mealea is in the jungle and very overgrown. It was bombed during the Viet nam war and is not being restored. We were told one of the Indiana Jones movies was filmed here but not sure about that. The late afternoon lighting made it look mysterious and magical.

Our final day together as "The Sticky Rice Gang" ended with a great dinner and a visit to the Cambodian circus. 

We are spending four glorious days by the pool before flying to Hong Kong.

Stay tuned....