For the past four years I’ve visited this intriguing city with its colorful people and  vibrant vibe.  This year we have our two friends, Scott and Sandy, visiting for ten days.  Scott’s an old pro at Antigua life but Sandy only spent a brief few hours here off a cruise ship.  And of course you can’t see much in that short time.  To see behind the walls, you need to take time walking the cobblestone streets.

Porta Hotel Antigua

Antigua is a city of culinary delights.  Being the Spanish School capital of all Central America, it draws people from all over the world.  And with this influx of multiple cultures comes an amazing array of tantalizing cuisine.  For Scott and Sandy’s first evening, we dined at the Porta Hotel.  Set in a lush back drop with pool and garden, we enjoyed some very fine dining.

Sandy and I had a chicken breast with lemon sauce and vegetables steamed to a perfect firm perfection.

Bruce and Scott had a white fish over mash potatoes with the same delicious vegetables.

On Wednesday we walked to Central Park where we introduced Scott and Sandy to some of our friends.  I saw Juana for the first time and introduced her to Sandy and Scott.

And Clara was also in the park.  She had a runner that one of my friends back home wanted to buy.

It was a warm day so we spent some time enjoying the hot tub and pool.  We had the entire complex to ourselves.

Meson Panza Verde

For our evening meal, we went to Meson Panza Verde, a restaurant I’ve been wanting to go to since coming to Antigua four years ago.  We had a lovely table with white tablecloth and a pink rose in what they call the cave.  We even were able to get a smile from Bruce and Scott.

There is a long pool with tables for two.  One table had a huge vase filled with red roses and rose petals scattered around the table in a heart shape.  It was going to be a romantic night for someone.

For dinner I had Parmesan encrusted tuna cooked rare with sautéed vegetables over rice.  Bruce had Frutti di Mare which looked delicious and he was kind enough to share his giant shrimp with me.

For dessert Bruce and I shared a macadamia parfait.  It was to die for.  Chocolate and macadamia on the bottom followed by rich vanilla ice cream and topped with merengue.  Definitely not keto except the macadamia nuts.

The entertainment for the evening was a guitar player who played sort of country folk songs.  Scott new the words to some of the songs so he sang along as we ate our meal.

Thursday was a busy day.  Scott and Sandy headed to Finca Filadelfia for a coffee plantation tour and Bruce and I visited with some folks in the park.  I love all the beautiful children and this little girl is seven months old and her name is Alexia.

We met up with Sandy and Scott for lunch at Roots where we had sandwiches.  Yes, I am getting way off the keto.

Afterwards we visited the chocolate Museum where Sandy dressed in Mayan clothing and role played the art of cocoa making.  We had an adorable young girl as our guide through the process of the cocoa bean.

We also stopped and checked out some lovely places along the way.

Fonda De La Calle Real

After several gourmet dinners, we decided to eat in a more authentic Guatemalan restaurant.  Fonda De La Calle Real is located avenue five not too far from the famous arches.  Bruce and I ate a combination of different foods which was very good.  Sandy had fish which she liked very much.  Scott had a pork dish.

I know it sounds like all we do is eat and it is hard to deny that Antigua is a foody’s paradise, but we do a lot of walking each day.   On Friday morning, Sandy came with me to the yoga stretch class and Bruce and Scott went to the gym.  Of course later we went to Luna de Miel for crepes.

Ni-Fu Ni-Fa

In the evening we went to Ni-Fu Ni-Fa for dinner.  This is an Argentinian restaurant located near our apartment.  The main food here is beef.  It was a lovely meal.  Scott and Sandy had filet mignonette and Bruce and I shared an Argentinian platter with sausage and sirloin.

This is not what you think.  Honest to goodness it’s a sausage!

And of course Bruce smoking his cigar!

Does he look like he’s smoking something else???

Caoba Farms

On Saturday mornings at Caoba Farms, the local organic farm, they serve breakfast, have vendors, and have live music.  We walked to the farm to buy some produce so we could cook a meal that night.

On our way home from the farm a young woman gave us a ride.  She said that she was buying produce for her restaurant called 27.  Later that day we decided to go check it out.  What a great little place.  Delicious tacos both vegetarian and with chicken.

Sunday we went to the Macadamia Farm.  Unfortunately, we did not get to see Lorenzo but we did get to have the delicious Macadamia pancakes.

Tomorrow we are off to Lake Attitlan!

Our last few weeks in Florida were relaxing.  Some bike riding, some yin yoga with my sis, and a few good days of pool time.  My sisters and our spouses had a great meal at Suri’s in Lake Worth then saw an amazing performance of Gypsy.  I do think the gals liked it better than the guys though.

I was still on the keto diet so I had salmon with a double portion of asparagus. My meal came with dessert which I reluctantly gave to Lorraine.

The six of us had a couple of other meals together and it was nice getting together with my siblings.

Through points and miles I was able to nab business class seats on American.  With that came the free perk of using their Admiral Club Lounge.  They had fruits, eggs and oatmeal.  All kinds of other snacks too including skittles and trail mix.  The lounge in Miami even had a separate room for the kiddies.  It was all quite nice but we were quite full boarding the plane.

Eduardo was waiting for us at the airport so all was good.  The ride took a bit long though.  A lot of traffic so instead of one hour it was closer to two.

It felt like coming home when we arrived at the apartment.  Luis already had the drinking water there and the front desk guy was the same one as last year.  Now I just need to remember his name.

The courtyard looked as lovely as ever.

After we unpacked we walked to the park where we ran into a friend we met from last year.  He and his wife stay in Antigua for several months each year.  We talked about how Antigua is our home away from home.  We stopped at Cafe Barista to Buy some coffee for the apartment and to have an afternoon cup.

Every year we come to Antigua, we run into this elderly gentleman from Canada who is writing his third book on the Mayans.  Today he was in Cafe Barista because he moved from his old place to another side of town.  We chatted awhile about Tikal and Mayan history and then we headed to the park so Bruce could smoke some cigar.

Fuego was puffing smoke and even had a lava glow.  Unfortunately I could not catch the glow with my phone.

We ate at San Martin and I had a salad and Bruce had soup.  Then we called it a day.

On Sunday we had a slow start but we made our way around the corner to a new restaurant called Beat.  It used to be an Italian restaurant but it was renovated and made into an organic restaurant with yoga studio attached.  We sat in a lovely courtyard.

 

For breakfast we had guacamole on grain bread with tomatoes.  I had coffee and Bruce had a smoothie.

We went food shopping today at the Bodegona and picked up a few veggies.  Unfortunately I can’t seem to get by the meat counter without gagging.  It’s times like this that make me want to be vegetarian.  So no meat means no keto.

While sitting in the park we get to talk to lots of people.  We start our Spanish lessons tomorrow so we are better able to communicate.  But with the children we just say hola, and smile.  This little girl wanted to sit on my lap for quite a long time.  I wanted to take her home and give her a bath.  We take for granted what we have in our country and how little so many in other countries have.  This little girl may not live in a home but on the street.

It’s a half mile to Parque Central from our apartment and we walk there two to three times a day, maybe more.  Sometimes we stop for a snack but I’m trying to forego all the pastries.  No rewards for 15,000 steps.  But we did get to see some parrots.  Boy were they noisy.

Views of the volcano were breathtaking tonight although my phone did not quite capture it.  I really need to start carrying my camera.

Bruce and I walked past a little park and it looked like a tropical oasis.

We were looking for a place to have a light supper.  We finally ended up at old faithful, Cafe Barista where we split a sandwich.

 

Today I did a yoga class at Beat.  It’s a great little studio right around the corner from our apartment.

Bruce met up with me and we had a little lunch at Cafe Contessa before heading up to Casa Jackson.   Casa Jackson is a hospital for malnourished babies.  It’s part of God’s Child Project which is an NGO in Guatemala but home based in the US.  I’ve volunteered there for four years and last year Bruce Joined me.  It’s one of the many reasons I keep returning to Antigua.

Today I spent time with little Josue.  He’s a little over a year old and his parents live far away.  He was sick today and the doctor who spoke little English could not tell me what he has.  Poor little guy.  But I did get him to smile.

Bruce had a group of kids he was playing with.  This little girl he called Rosie.

After a few hours we headed back to the apartment for a little rest before meeting up with some friends for coffee.

Tonight we ate at Zoola’s, a hostel near our apartment.

I had a delicious Arabic salad and Bruce had a pasta dish.

It’s wonderful to be back to our home away from home.

It’s been an interesting first couple of weeks in 2020 in Delray Beach.  As opposed to last year, this year has been quite chilly in the 70s with a constant breeze sometimes bordering on tropical storm.  So pool time has been sporadic and due to rain we haven’t been riding our bikes as much as we would like.  I also started the Keto diet so no bike rides over to grandma’s for coffee and cake.

Let me tell you how the Keto diet is going.  My other amigos are snacking on pound cakes and raspberry filled cookies while I snack on a carrot or some pork rinds.

I’ve lost about 9lbs in the first week but it has been slow going since then.  In fact, I gained 6 ounces one day for unexplainable reasons which almost derailed me.  But I am committed so here I go staying away from the marvelous pastries at Grandmas.

AutoNation IMAX 3D Fort Lauderdale

The four amigos made there yearly visit to the AutoNation IMAX in Fort Lauderdale to see the new Star Wars movie.  We saw it in 3-D and it felt like we were inside the movie.  The AutoNation IMAX in Fort Lauderdale is a must do if you like theatres that feel like an amusement ride.

We ate dinner at Tacocraft, an outside restaurant near the theatre.  I definitely would not recommend this place.  Burritos were bland with no sauce and the fajitas were the worst I ever had.  Their idea of veggies was only onions with three little pieces of pepper.

Coconut Creek Casino

The four amigos made there trips to Coconut Creek Casino and The Isle Casino and tried our luck which wasn’t on our side.  We all decided to give the casinos a rest.  It’s not much fun if you don’t get much play at the slots.

Lunch in Tequesta

Bruce and I drove up to Tequesta to have lunch with his former business partner, Barry and his wife, Sue.   We ate at a lovely little waterside restaurant called the Dive Bar which served a tuna ceviche.  It was great seeing them and catching up.  I was remiss in not taking any photos.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is a little oasis in the heart of Delray.  Generally you can feel the peace and tranquillity as you wander along the paths taking in the beauty of the reflective pools and lush foliage.  We,  however, went during their New Years celebration.  We arrived at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens before they opened and had front row parking.  Unfortunately there was a little rain show here and there but we were all thinking ahead and brought our rain jackets.  But we did see a rainbow.

Our first stop was the cafe where we had a little light fare.  Bruce and I shared a bento box where he ate all the carbs and I ate the salmon and veggies.

The crowds were heavy but not too bad and we were able to get seats for a performance by Fushu Daiko, a performing group that uses taiko drums.

 

During Fushu Daiko’s performance, the rains started coming again but it added to the intimacy of the performance.

 

The rest of the time at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens was spent dodging the crowds as the rains dissipated and more and more people arrived.

We finally called it a day and headed to the Poppies, a Jewish deli and bakery.  I had the best omelet ever there.

Visit with some New Friends

On our world trip we met some friends in Vietnam who live in South Florida.  We had such a great time with them on the trip we really looked forward to seeing them again.  Ina and Jim took us to their favorite sushi restaurants, Kevin’s Sushi.  I know it sounds so Japanese but the food was phenomenal.  We had a boatload of sushi and sashimi.

We had a lot of laughs and really hope that we can get together again.  Maybe get the group from the Mekong together on another ship.

Green Owl

The Green Owl is a great little breakfast restaurant right off Atlantic in Delray.  It’s open until 2 every day and has seating inside and out.  We had a great breakfast after going to church at Unity of Delray where we heard a great singer who did a wonderful rendition of Imagine by John Lennon.

Delray Beach had a craft fare on Atlantic so we checked that out but it was so crowded we finally ditched it and walked along the intercoastal.  There was a lovely breeze, cooling us off after the laborious walk on the avenue.

DaDa Restaurant

For dinner, we ate at Da Da’s.  What a lovely little restaurant in an old house with twinkling lights throughout the garden outside.  I had salmon and asparagus which were great and Bruce had something with ricotta cheese and a pasta.  I have to say half the things on the menu we were googling.  The ambiance and food were delightful.

Cold weather is coming across the country so I’m not sure what to expect in the next week or so.  Maybe a little more bike riding and definitely sticking to my diet.

 

 

In 2016 Bruce and I stopped off at Malaga on a Celebrity Reflections Transatlantic Cruise. We adored it. It was a beautiful little city and fun to walk around.

That’s why when I started planning our around the world trip, I decided to spend four nights in Malaga. We rented a one bedroom apartment in the middle of everything.

On our arrival we walked through the cute little alleys until we came upon a plaza with several restaurants. Not feeling overly hungry, we split a sandwich and I had coffee.

On our first full day, we met our friend Adriana, who I know from Guatemala. She stays in Malaga usually for several months.

It was photo op time.

We went to the Cathedral de Malaga which was very beautiful. Mass was going on inside.

Afterwards we stopped for lunch. Adriana had carrot soup and salad.

Bruce and I had pizzas.

We walked some more and talked about our plans for the next day. We decided to rent a car and go to Ronda. By the way, this was at the objection of Bruce – he wanted to go by bus or do a tour but finally relented saying “whatever I want.” He is going to regret those words.

There were people in costumes making a living. All very light and breezy.

I didn’t mention but on my two flights I sat next to two very sick, sneezing feverish people. I was afraid I was going to get sick and by now my throat had begun to feel tight and sore. Darn. I thought I’d make it through an entire trip without a cold.

We woke up early and picked up the car. Adriana was waiting for us. Andy at the car rental place gave us directions and we were on our way.

Beautiful white buildings were everywhere. It was a scenic drive, rather lovely but I was in need of a cup of coffee. We followed MapsMe to what I thought was Mija a picturesque mountain town, only to end up by a gas station. Adriana sat in the back trying to give directions, but we couldn’t use her and the devise. That time we should have listened to her. I could tell Bruce was getting irritated, this being his worst nightmare, lost in some foreign city and not able to find his way out.

We followed MapsMe which got us totally lost. It said there was an on ramp where there wasn’t any. After driving back and forth looking for the ramp we all concurred no ramp. So we drove and took a wrong turn into this beautiful golf community that went up and up the mountainside. This wasn’t working out. Adriana, who speaks Spanish, asked this young man, he was a little pudgy with teeny tiny shorts, how to get out and find the highway. He spoke a little English so we both listened. It was hard to take him seriously. I think he was a sitcom character. But we did find our way out of the golf community but never saw the ALDI’s he kept mentioning. Still no luck with the highway.

We next stopped at a restaurant and got further instructions. The bartender only spoke Spanish so Adriana was on her own there but another fellow spoke a little English and he drew a map. Great. We thought we followed it but ended up in No Man’s Land.

At that point, Adriana asked a little old guy on a scooter how to get to the highway. He said for us to follow him. Ok that sounds like the best plan so far. We rode around the town, up streets and down streets. We were right next to the highway but he kept going. We followed. Then no more highway. He finally pointed and said, “Go there.” We did but found no highway.

As a last resort, Adriana jumped out of the car and ran to a police car. They said to follow them. The Spanish police were very helpful. They got us back on track after being lost for several hours.

It took us five hours to get to Ronda when it was a two hour drive. But it was quite spectacular. The drive up the mountain was quite scenic and twisty.

We found a parking spot relatively easy and walked to the area where you can see the bridge.

We sat and had a cup of coffee. Always the coffee. Cafe con leche. Bruce ordered an ice tea. What they brought him was hot tea and ice. He said it was good!

The town was kind of cute but Malaga is my town. We were ready to head back. It only took two hours to get back.

It looked stormy but we were lucky – no rain fell on us.

On our last full day unfortunately, I was feeling really punky so I slept in. We did our packing and met Adriana for dinner.

We found this great place, Nacalu, where Bruce and I shared a mixed paella.

Adriana had a delicious looking salad.

Our waiter, Ronald Antonio, was wonderful.

We said our goodbyes.

We are now on the train back to Madrid. We had a few laughs at the station while people lined their suitcases up to get on line to get the train. Then they were told they couldn’t do that so they took their bags back. Then slowly they put them back on line again. It was funny to watch.

We took the are fast train to Madrid and then a flight out on Thursday. I’m looking forward to getting home.

See you all soon!!

It’s funny how different cultures eat different foods, have different hygiene habits and basically live differently. In Cambodia we were told KFC was Khmer Fried Cricket. The Cambodians are known to eat all exotic insects including tarantulas. In Borneo, we never were served any form of bread during meals. Boy was I missing morning pastry. But there was fresh fruit with every meal. And of course rice and noodles.

In a market in Hanoi, food being sold by a vendor was very unappealing to my palette but I’m sure it was delicious for the Vietnamese.

While in Southeast Asia every bathroom had one of these of some sort or another. The first time I saw one, I thought I was supposed to use it to flush the toilet.

We finally adjusted to all the nuances of Eastern Life. It was all fascinating but I did still miss some foods, especially breads and pastries which I really don’t need. It does make me see why Westerners have more of a weight problem though. Our flight out of Borneo took us to Kuala Lumpur again for one night. We stayed at the Sama Sama Hotel at the airport. It was lovely and they gave us a discount since we didn’t get there until 10pm and had to check out at 7:30 am.

The next day we flew Qatar Airlines from KLIA to Hamid International Airport and then on to Madrid. We flew economy but the plane had great legroom even for Bruce, a vanity kit, and overall good comfort level.

We arrived in Madrid and stayed two nights at the Barcelo Imagine where we rated that hotel with the best pillow and sheets in all our travels. For our day in Madrid, we walked to the metro to take to the old city.

Everywhere we walked there were street musicians. These two young men were playing in the station and were playing Celtic music.

We popped up into a square where there was a beautiful fountain and grand statue.

We walked around admiring the architecture.

And more street musicians.

And they were singing Sweet Home Alabama

And of course we had tapas.

This statue I thought was actually a man but it turned out it was a statue.

And I loved these beautiful tiles on the walls.

And I can’t forget the meat museum.

And last but most important, the bakery.

For dinner we ate at Casa Narcisa near our hotel. It was very good and very interesting. We tried to go eat at 7 pm but the restaurant didn’t open until 8.

They brought us a bowl of huge green olives.

Then some sort of potato cheese appetizer along with delicious bread.

We both ordered fish.

And after dinner they brought us cordials but when we told them we don’t drink, they brought us non alcohol cordial.

It was a lovely end to our day in Madrid.

We woke really early for our morning river cruise hoping to spot an orangutan in the wild. Since Bruce and I retired, we generally sleep in until 8 am. This trip has not been a vacation in that sense. Rising at 5 am sometimes feels like pure torture. I wish I could say I like it but I don’t think after 66 years that’s going to change. However seeing an orangutan is worth a mild bit of torture. Plus maybe I can see a sunrise. And there it was, sort of!

Oh and I want to say I couldn’t have my prerequisite 3 cups of java since we would be out on a boat for two hours without a “happy” room. But our first sightings were watching the jungle wake up. That included a family of Probiscus monkeys.

The males remind of Jimmy Durante for those of you who remember the old character actor.

We caught a glimpse of a hornbill as well.

But the defining moment was when we saw the orangutan. Of course he was far away and way up high in a tree. We could see him well through binoculars but my lens was only a 200mm. It was the moment I regretted not having my 300. Some of our fellow travelers had great zooms but they needed tripods for the extensions. So I got what I got and it was better than nothing.

The orangutan moved around a bit in the tree but as you can see from the photos, you can see why they are so hard to find.

They do sleep in nests but don’t stay more than one night in a nest. The guide said they don’t like their own smell plus they hide from humans and other orangutans.

After lunch Bruce and I spent some time by the pool just chilling out for awhile before our afternoon adventure.

On our afternoon river cruise it started raining monsoon type rains. We all donned our rain gear and kept on going. Unfortunately no more orangutans. We saw some more pretty birds.

And some more probiscus monkeys.

And this cute little guy!

For dinner we dressed in the Bornean dress attire. We were supposed to do this the first night but it took some convincing.

On our third day we rose again at that unbelievably early hour. We almost decided to sleep in but were afraid to miss anything. As it turned out, we didn’t see any more orangutans. Just more birds.

In the afternoon we went to the Gomantong Caves. We saw a red leaf monkey on the boardwalk trail on our way to the cave.

The cave was pretty yucky. Bat poop everywhere. I prayed I wouldn’t slip and fall in it. It smelled pretty bad inside.

And there were millions of cockroaches everywhere.

And long legged centipedes. This was a place filled with creepy crawlers.

We saw the bats come out of the cave but since there were raptors, they did not stay in formation. Overall I would have passed on this but at least we saw the red leaf monkey.

Our last morning, we sat alone for breakfast by the river. All the people we had been grouped with had left before us.

We took the 2-1/2 hour boat ride back to Sandakan and had lunch with the few people on our boat. For our final afternoon, we went to the Rainforest Discovery Center and walked the canopy walkway.

It was in the heat of the day so not much wildlife to see.

Our last stop was Sandakan Memorial Park commemorating all the soldiers who died during WWII.

The park was lovely with beautiful foliage.

But the story was a very sad one.

Borneo was a wonderful place to visit. Borneo Eco Tours and Sukau Rainforest Lodge was great. We really enjoyed the trip. Bruce and I were the only ones in the final group who actually saw an orangutan in the wild. So I have to say it was a success!

Those who know me, know I have a fascination with primates. In fact, if I was younger and had time for yet another career, I would have loved to have been doing the work of Jane Goodall or Dian Fossi. Well I wouldn’t want to meet my demise in similar fashion to Ms. Fossi but would have loved to spend days studying the gentle giants in the wild. So having spent time in Uganda, I felt it only fitting that I spend a little time in Borneo visiting our orange relatives.

We flew from Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan arriving mid afternoon on Sunday. We were staying at a nice hotel, Four Points Sheraton, which had a lovely infinity pool.

After spending sometime poolside, we decided to take a stroll around the town. We came across a group of young adults apparently in some kind of scouts.

After I took the picture, they all wanted their photos taken. And what we were finding is that so many people were speaking English. I found out that they start learning English in school at age 6.

A band was playing western music on the street and a small crowd gathered for that.

Whenever I’m in a new city we always look for a bakery. We found one, which actually turned out to be a chain. There seemed to be one on every street.

Bruce and I bought a cookie to share.

For the most part, Sandakan looked fairly impoverished. Buildings appeared quite run down and seemed to lack some basic conveniences.

We had an early dinner at the hotel and to bed early.

We were picked up at 8 am by Vincent to tour the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary where we saw young orangutans at play.

The volunteers work with the orangutans to keep them off the ground. Every time the volunteer came out and put this young juvenile back on the boards, as soon as he walked away, the youngster was back on the ground.

At feeding time, a ton of tourists converged on the viewing area but no orangutans showed up. I was a little disappointed but we had a few days to see one in the wild.

We walked the boardwalk and only saw a brown tree racer.

We visited the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center and learned about the work they do to protect the endangered sun bear.

While walking on the boardwalk our guide pointed out a green viper in the tree.

There also were some Macaques in the trees.

As we were walking out, I said to Bruce “what keeps the orangutans from coming over here?” With that, a commotion in a tree and loud noise made us go, I guess nothing. The ranger was very upset and he didn’t want us there. He tried to get us out but those of us with cameras wanted to take some pictures. Of course they came out with nothing but a dark blob in the shot. Oh well! It was exciting at that moment.

We had a nice lunch at one of the local resorts.

We took a 2-1/2 hour boat ride across the bay and up the river feeling like we were in a jungle all alone.

Every so often we came upon a village and our captain would slow down.

We finally arrived at the Sukau Rainforest Lodge, our home for the next three nights.

We had a lovely villa where we could hear the sounds of birds and other wildlife.

We went on our first river cruise at sunset and saw the probiscus monkey.

and a colorful kingfisher.

Our next two mornings we will need to be up by 5:30 to go for a river cruise to spot wildlife. In pursuit of the orangutan.

There were no direct flights from Hanoi to Sandaken so I figured it would be fun to spend two nights in Kuala Lumpur. It really was only one full day, since we arrived at 8:30pm on Friday night and were leaving 6am Sunday morning.

Getting through the airport was a feat in itself. It was a mall inside a mall. It took some time to figure out how to go to the taxi stand.

So our plan was to visit the Batu Caves and walk around the city and see the Petronas Towers.

Our hotel was about 45 minutes from the airport but it was very nice. It was under the Marriott Umbrella Autograph Series called a Hotel Stripes.

After we checked in, we went to the rooftop bar for something to eat and to check out the view and the pool.

In the morning we had breakfast at the hotel. They offered a combination of Eastern and Western foods. No rush today because we didn’t put a lot on our agenda.

We decided to take a cab rather than the train to the Batu Caves. I think our stamina is wearing thin and if we can do it the easier, softer way we will. If we didn’t need to change trains, I would have done it but our cab fare was only $5. We arrived at the Batu caves along with hundreds of other people.

I was one of the few women not wearing a hijab. However, I did need to wear clothes that covered my knees and shoulders.

The Batu Caves are limestone caves discovered and visited since the 1800’s. The Batu Caves are a Hindu shrine and there are 272 steps to climb to reach the temple cave. There are several other caves but they were closed the day we were there.

The large golden statue of Lord Murugan holds court above the plaza in front of the cave entrance.

Macaque monkeys patrol the staircase as well as the caves. They are everywhere and will grab things right out of your hands. Someone lost a bag of chips.

Someone didn’t hold onto their umbrella.

And another one grabbed more food.

I saw this monkey actually twist the cap off this water bottle and drink. They are very smart.

This poor little guy, I don’t know what happened to him.

It’s a bit of a hike up and you can take a break and different sections on the stairs, but remember the monkeys on your way up.

Up above the cave was quite massive.

Inside the entrance to the cave were vendors and little Hindu shrines.

We walked around the cave looking at all the Hindu Temples while fighting off all the monkeys running around the place.

We took the descent slowly and carefully since the steps were steep and I didn’t want to risk getting bitten by a monkey.

There were many vendors around the Batu Caves selling fruits and spices. It was fun looking at all the different types of foods they had.

The rest of the day we walked around the city, where there are so many skyscrapers.

We finally ended up at the Petronas Towers.

We found out it was the eve of their Independence Day and all kinds of activities were going on. We ate dinner in the courtyard at the towers at Chinoz on The Park. We had sushi and hummus and Pita.

They were getting ready for a concert in the park while we were eating.

As we walked away the towers were brightly lit and very festive.

The streets were lit up as well. It was really fun to walk through this city but we had to get to bed early because we had to catch a 6am flight to Borneo. Even the telecommunications tower was festively lit. I kept calling this their space needle.

one final shot!

Next stop Sandakan and onto Sukau Rainforest Lodge.

We took a leisurely trip back from Halong Bay. We first stopped at a little farm on the side of the road. They were growing green onions, basil, beans and a variety of other herbs that I did not know but have recently tasted.

Our next stop was a huge shop with very clean happy rooms. We have been in the habit of calling restrooms happy rooms ever since our tour guide, Quang, coined them happy rooms at the Saigon Reverie. The shop had some great sculptures outside. They were even available for shipping.

Once we arrived at Intercontinental Lakeview Hotel we said our goodbyes to Ang. We had a room with a lovely view again.

We sat by the pool for a little while and had some coffee and cake at the hotel. For dinner we went into Hanoi and ate in the same building we ate at last time, just a different restaurant.

After dinner we wandered through the streets, feeling free from the restraints of a tour guide.

It was a nice last night spending it with Terri and Keith. They are off to home and we are onto our next adventure in Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia.

When I was planning this trip to Vietnam, I knew I wanted to go to Halong Bay. I found the riverboat cruise company that offered a two day package out on the bay and we were set. Many of you have seen the iconic shots of pillars of rocks shooting out of the water surrounded by pristine aquamarine water. Well this is the place. Not Phuket, Thailand although they too have these amazing boulders but on a smaller scale or so our guide has told us.

Before we reached Halong Bay we made a stop at a Pearl processing center and learned a little about pearls and their shells.

It was interesting but we didn’t want to purchase a pearl necklace.

When we finally arrived at our ship, the Paradise Elegance, we found it befitting it’s name. Classic design with dark woods and glass. It reminded us of an Agatha Christie novel. I almost felt I should be wearing evening gowns to dinner at night especially when they served water in cobalt blue glasses.

Lunch was awaiting us in the dining room. It was a mixture of salads, sushi and Vietnamese cuisine. It was all very good and served buffet style.

After lunch we headed out for a hike in one of the large caves. We transferred to little boats to get there.

The climb into the cave was about 900 steps with stops to look at the view. They told us upfront that if you didn’t think you could do it, don’t go. There is no turning around.

When we reached the top the view was magnificent! I was awestruck.

One of the cave formations looked like two legs dangling off the side of the cliff.

Entering the cave itself brought tears to my eyes. I’m not sure why. I’ve been to Luray Caverns in Virginia and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico but something about these caverns provoked an intense feeling of wonderment in me.

One of the formations looked like a turtle and turtles are sacred. People left money by the turtle and you could rub its head for luck. Of course we all stopped for a quick rub!

After the cave we went kayaking. We were in two man kayaks but they didn’t have backs. Ouch!

I think our tour guide, Ang, really liked this gig. Beats working in a factory!

On the second day I wasn’t feeling too well so Bruce and I stayed on board while Terri and Keith did some kayaking. I spent most of the day photographing.

Wherever we stopped boat girls rowed out with beer, booze and pearls peddling their wares.

We stayed on deck trying to capture a sunset. In fact, I ran around the ship but to no avail. However, I did get some interesting photos.

We had a wonderful last dinner on board.

In the morning, we had breakfast and then headed back to Hanoi for our last night in Vietnam.