All the family arrives in Puerto Valarta our 2nd home, for Dec 26th to celebrate.
Goldie (6) & Abigail's (4) Birthday's
Lots of dancing, singing and great food at Roberto's restaurant.
The Pinata was a hit !!
When it broke so did the kids with a frenezy of activity.
What a great feast poured out!
It was so much fun with the Grandkids what a great time for us, not having seen them for 5 months. Only 2 were missing Leah and Lauren but we will catch up with them in the future.
A 45 minute fast ferry took us to the country of Macau which has a Portuguese and Chinese influence.
Some of the street look very European with cobble stone roadways and balconies of every description.
Some of the streets were real tourist traps but fun to walk around. Lots of vendors to choose special gifts or try many new foods.
Combining the old and the new.
"Moose", greeted us in Hong Kong.Brain and Robyn's beautiful cats didn't seem to mind the intrusion of the traveling strangers.
Ralph, Jan, Christian, Brian and Robyn dining as we overlooked Hong Kong. "Thanks for the picture, Christian."
Arriving in Hong Kong was an exciting weekend as we stayed with a very special couple, Brian and Robyn and saw many wonderful sights.
Hong Kong is an island surrounded by many other islands. We took a ferry from Discovery Bay and Central H.K.
Brian, Robyn and Christian took us to The Peak in a tram and the lights of H.K. were a sight to behold.
Discovery Bay is about 25 minutes from the airport and a beautiful area that no one is allowed to drive a car in! A few people own golf carts to get around but most people commute by bus and ferry. We walked down the beach while many were out buying Christmas gifts and putting up lights for the holiday season.
A view from Brian and Robyn's condo, which was our haven for a few days. It was so nice to connect with people we knew and all shared the experiences of travel.
These statues are in Vang Tao Vietnam. They are a good reminder of what the Christmas season is all about.
"Christmas" - Christ came so that we may have life and life abundantly.
Jesus talking to the multitudes.
The women at the well.
FAMILY & FRIENDS
Honey bees ...handle with care !
Coconut candy wrapped in rice paper was one of our favourites.
Raising crocodiles for the meat and skin. You can even feed these lovely animals!
Our new friend......The water buffalo which is a symbol of Vietnam.
Lunch was and fabulous meal of "Elephant Fish", salad and spring rolls. All meals are followed by fresh fruit.
Down the river oconuts are taken to Phoenix Island .
The "live-on".
Catching a boat to visit the villages on the islands.
Reaching the dock at Unicorn Island so much for safety concerns as we were trying to disembark.
The first village had a beautiful garden around it.We were given tea and fresh fruit as the musicians played traditional music.
We boarded the sampan and headed down the the canal to the mouth of the inlet.
Okay, I even helped with the rowing!!
Everyone gets to try.
Gorgeous ocean side which is a popular Vietnamese holiday area.
The Seafood Restaurant was wonderful as the "Hotpot" was prepared for us. Yummy food!
From our table we watched the fisherman release his nets. The "boat" was a large bamboo basket which I was told was very difficult to balance in.
Sitting on the beach was great. 34 c. and a bit overcast so we would not burn! Beautiful sand and warm ocean, but unfortunately the sand is full of garbage and lots of pollution.
Heading home at rush hour was an experience as 4 or 5 lanes try to merge into 2 and the outside with motorbikes 3 or 4 abreast.
Many of the Viet Cong ( Communist) gorilla fighters lived underground an hour and a half from Saigon.
Tunnels were created to escape from the U.S. troops or to capture them.
Excellent camouflage techniques were used to hide the entrances of the tunnels. One also needed to be very slight to enter.
Many different types of entrances are positioned throughout the forest area.
This trap was used to kill the American soldier which traditionally captured tigers.
Making spring rolls??? The rice paper is drying on the bamboo racks.
Cooked tapioca was cut and served with crushed roasted peanuts and sea salt.Yummy!!!
Traditional dancers entertained us in the hotel during dinner.
With a quick costume change we saw dances from different areas of Vietnam.
Musicians played nightly in the restaurant. Monochord, Zither and Guitar.
