Cambodia

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January 28^th

Cambodia was very interesting to visit.  You immediately see the effects of the “Killing Fields” as this is what things looked like 40 years ago in Vietnam.  The war may have been bad for Vietnamese people but they took what we left and made a new start.  The Cambodian’s however didn’t have the benefits of our being there and further more they lived through a horrible civil war taking even more out of the country.  You don’t come to Cambodia without being willing to face the hard life they have here.

We chose to ride the big bus for a change.  No special car or driver this time so we just rode with the masses.  Our first stop was a pepper plantation.  Not chili peppers or even Thai peppers but Black peppercorns, red peppercorns and greens one too.

Immediately you see the working family.  Dad, Mom and the kids.  Big kids and little ones too.  Simple board houses, dirt floors, hammocks hanging on the ground floor of the houses on stilts.  Dogs in and out just like the rest of the family.

Now into town and a market.  You can buy just about anything you want.  Ray Bans to Rolexes.  Dried fish to fresh fruit.  Even gold jewelry all in the same market.  Thankfully it wasn’t time for lunch and we moved on to a walk by the river.

Terrie spotted some boys jumping off the bridge over the river for play.  Her taking their picture sent the giggling and waving back up to dive again.  She made them famous.

Lunch was at a nice roadside restaurant.  No not your typical enclosed place but rather a ground floor with open sides to let the breeze flow freely through.  The floor was tile and not dirt, which was a nice touch.  I freshly caught fish was served first with what I call “Here is looking at you style”.    Then a squid and peppercorn dish that was very good.  Rice of course and a seafood soup.  Don’t ask what was in the soup because there was just a bit of everything floating in it.  That too was quite good.  Boiled shrimp and steamed vegetables can’t go wrong with that.  So in all a good meal.  We had a bit of time to walk around and watched a lady take her three Brahma cows out for a walk.  Had leashes on three of them just like we would take our dogs for a walk.  (I bet Terrie that she didn’t have a poop bag either.)

After lunch we headed over to fishing village and the going got tough.  Little ones met us about the time we walked off the bus.  Each spoke to us.  “Hello, Money”.  Some as old as 7 or 8 but many just walking.  Off into the village we went only to see barely standing wooden structures that they called home.  Kids, dogs, chickens, all together.  None were bathed.  Some of the youngest ones were carried by an older sibling.  The carried ones without even a diaper.  They just stared at us wondering what planet we had come from.  Terrie and I both found this difficult.  So little future for these kids.  We moved on sadly.

Last stop was a Buddhist Monastery where we wandered for a few minutes.  Interesting to see how much the monastery has in comparison to the people.  But they believe and support the many temples in and around their homes.

After returning to the ship we discovered a new place on board to eat.  The

“Canaletto”.  Just a quiet little corner away from the main dining room.  Perfect for us.  Can’t wait to go back.

Sea Day!!!!!

January 27^th

Sea Day!    Funny when we booked this trip we worried that there would be too many days at see with nothing to do.  We have now turned into real cruisers in that we look forward to sea days. 

For me my day was made up of Breakfast late, lunch, Monster Red wine tasting and catching up on the trip log.  Terrie had time to exercise, spend time in the sauna, nap and attend a cooking demonstration.  Nothing like a sea day to truly kick back and enjoy the time off.

We are both looking forward to Cambodia and two days in Bangkok but don’t know how we will be able to survive with a sea day in between.

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City

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January 26^th

Today dawned on the Saigon River as we meandered our way toward Ho Chi Minh City.  The ship is too large to make it all the way so we dock at a container port about 2 hours drive from downtown and we get a car and driver into the city.  Ho Chi Minh City has changed more than it’s name in the years since I was here.  Cleaned up, new building everywhere. But traffic and scooters still rule the roost here.  What a change from up north.  Chaos reins on the streets with few light, many round abouts and people driving and walking in all directions at once. 

First stop the Notre Dame cathedral and the nearby Post Office.  Both carefully preserved and care for.  Post cards written to the grand kids so they at least can see what we are up to.  Eiffel of The Eiffel tower fame built the Post Office so it is a work of art unto itself.  Thankfully our guide is watching and carefully moving us from place to place in spite of the traffic.  We move quickly here from place to place.

And what pops up before us but a Hard Rock Café.  Can’t miss going into one of these so a brief stop to purchase a shirt or four.  Don’t know about the red flag and gold star that is on them but we will see how that feels. 

We notice here that there are large projects under construction but no one working on them.  Seems the way to do things here is start and keep building till you run out of money and stop till more funds arrive.  So many projects are in various states of completion.  One project recently completed and open is a first limited access highway from the port to downtown.  Completely separate lanes two for trucks and cars separated from two more lanes just for scooters.  Eight lanes in all and very nice.  One issue however is that you must be willing to go from beginning to end as off ramps aren’t built yet.  Works for us and by passes a famous military base from days gone by.  Long Bin.  Only vets will know Long Bin because it was the jail for military folks serving in Vietnam.

It was time for lunch and we had to answer the question Western or Vietnamese food.  The correct answer for us was Vietnamese and particularly Pho.  Just so happened to be near a place visited by Bill Clinton for this famous soup so we jumped at the chance.  Three bowls of soup, crispy spring rolls, and drinks, a big $16 US dollars.  Nice.  Pho 2000

People here take US Dollars cheerfully.  You can buy Dong but at 20,000 Dong for one dollar you quickly get lost in the massive number of zeros.  I cashed in $60 US and immediately became a millionaire.  But even the businesses here mark US prices and make US change.  Anything to get you to spend money. 

The afternoon was a bit stressful.  I think it is mandatory that guides take you to over to two “attractions”.  First the War Museum and then the Presidential Palace.  We were offered an hour to tour the War Museum but after 5 minutes it was time to leave.  Winners get to write the history and that they have done.  Mostly the same propaganda that the North was putting out for years highlighting everything we did wrong and not even mentioning anything good.  Also if you want to see equipment we left behind just go visit this place.  The Palace was not much better.  At least it had a nice garden around the place.  I did have to get the lecture about what the Ho Chi Minh trail was and how it was used.  Also we listened to the “hero” stories of how they changed sides in the last days of the war.

We left as quickly as we could.  I honestly believe that no guide could keep their job without putting their visitors through this.  Indoctrination is a part of life here but it got us moving back to the vessel for a quiet evening. 

Thankfully we made the trip back safely and just hung out at a ship’s barbeque by the pool.  Nice change from the last day in Vietnam. 

In all it was a good visit.  Ha Long is grand and certainly well worth the trip.  Da Nang was busy and a business town but for us a stepping-stone to Hue which we loved.  Nha Trang was our highlight and a wonderful stop, which we would visit again.  Ho Chi Minh City is pretty but not a highlight for us.  Now on to Cambodia.

ps....this was much hard place to visit

the famous street and gate where the tank came thru

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Nha Trang

January 25^th

Up early today as we can go ashore at 8 AM.  We are to meet Ong Dat a tour guide that has added a different touch to sightseeing in Nha Trang,

Perfect start as we spot our sign just as we walk out the gate.  Hop into his car and we are off to see the sites.  First stop a fishing village with their Blue and Red deep water fishing boats.  We also find out that Nha Trang is having a hard time since their largest groups to visit come from Russia and that has now abruptly stopped.

Seems Vladimir may be hurting just more than the Russia people.  Oh well we will add our two cents in today to help.

First stop a local clay charcoal stove manufacturer.  He molds and fires clay stands that are used for cooking with charcoal in the homes here.  50 a day.  All made by hand and crafted one at a time.  Each has character and after one year of use they are put out at the Lunar New Year for the poor to use and new ones bought.  Interesting backyard business to view as the charcoal fires produce pollution but changing it will affect so many lives.  Bigger issues than our minds can get around.

Then on to a local market.  Crowds of people all bargaining with the vendors.  Narrow paths through the hundreds of women all trying to buy something fresh.  Vendors have been up early picking vegetables, or butchers up slaughtering animals, and the fisherman just back from the sea.  Selling is women’s work as is buying.  Certainly a tight fit for a big American guy who sticks out in this crowd.  Everything is fresh and open air.  Just what you have come to know and love about markets everywhere.  We buy what we will be cooking for our lunch.  Carrots, sweet potatoes, taro, chicken, beef, fish, tofu and mushrooms.  This is a place you would never venture into if it were not for the guide.  Strange to think that these items were walking, swimming or in the ground just hours ago.

We catch an interesting pleasant smell and ask Ong Dat what it is.  He shows us a woman cooking on a charcoal fire.  It is a thin rice batter with a quail egg much the size of a dollar pancake.  Also on the stove is what seems to be a rice breakfast taco.  A spoonful of thin watery rice flour mixture and with pieces of squid touched with a bit of green onion.  Her stove is mixed into the market tables but she has benches.  Happily for her we sit down to a market breakfast cooked to order.  Soak it in a bit of sauce that we have no idea what it contains and it is quite tasty.  So what if we are pulling an “Anthony Bourdain”, we love it and hope that the rest of the day goes as well.

From the market we head off into the back streets of this unnamed little village and arrive at a rice paper operation.  Another family business in the front of the house with living space in the back.  Thin rice water cook into paper-thin sheets spiced with peppers and seeds or nothing at all.  Cooked for a brief moment on a smooth clay oven, rolled out on a bamboo mat and placed in the sun until crisp.  Thinner than crackers but tasty nonetheless.  Interesting for us to see that they use all their resources here.  Rice to make the paper, the hulls to feet the clay ovens.  Two ovens, four people and a thriving business all the space of a house. I always new the Vietnamese were hard working and today just reaffirmed that belief.

Again we are off down a dirt road this time to a rice noodle operation.   Rice soaked in water to soften, presses to extract the water and leave the paste, then dried only to be blended to a fine soft batter that is extracted into boiling water.  Cooked momentarily and turn out in piles of crystal strains of rice noodles ready to sell.  The man cooks the ladies feed and dry and package.  All in the rooms of the house where they live.  Small business at it’s best.

Quickly we move on to the home of Ong Dat and the highlight of the day.  Preparing our dishes for lunch.  Out of the car down a winding path to a large garden with an outdoor pavilion made for cooking demonstrations.  The sous chef with loads of bits and pieces lays out two chopping boards for us ready for the real adventure of the day.  Aprons on but Terrie takes the lead here and I take the pictures.  Amazingly I don’t have to wash up this time after everything is done.

Four dishes to be prepared.  Sea Bass marinated the Vietnamese way.  Beef thinly sliced with onions and mushrooms.  Chicken marinated with Basil and Ginger.  Tofu crispy spring rolls with sweet potato, carrot, taro and spring onions.

Ong Dat lovingly guides Terrie as she prepares the dishes.  Showing her the traditional Vietnamese methods, all the way through to cooking with chopsticks.  For me I get to taste and photograph and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

The driver, Ong Dat, the Sous chef, Terrie and I all sit down under a thatched canopy with the cool of the Vietnamese “winter” breeze blowing and have a brilliant lunch.

Terrie is in heaven and is smiling from ear to ear with the look of “Hey they like it.  They really like it”. 

We stilled had stops to make in Nha Trang.  Their special art is embroidery.  Everything from small works to massive two sided walls of every so dainty stitching.  A bit pricey for our budgets but great to view and wish for while we where there.  But it didn’t take long for us to move on back to our vessel with memories of a lifetime.  If nothing else about Vietnam remains the new ideas for cooking will remain as Terrie promises Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls and Chicken with Basil and Garlic when we get back.

Back at ship we discover that we have reservations for a wine pairing dinner in the special dinning room, formal no less.  We really had no room for dinner but wine is always called for and luckily the meal is more of a tasting which makes us both happy.

In all I can only say it will be hard to top this day.  The peace, the friendship, the shared love of cooking is priceless.

Sea Day 3

January 24th

A sea day and a break in our hectic schedule.  Four things to keep

Sam occupied today, Breakfast, Lunch, a wine tasting and dinner.

And you can bet he had time to fit in a nap or two.  Terrie however managed to fit in exercise, walking, stairs, along with two cooking classes and a nice stretch of sun by the pool.  Oh and did I say she didn’t miss the drink of the day or her 2nd Spa Day!

But truly in all we had a light day and it was fun because we are getting used to this sailing thing.  Tomorrow is a big day as we go off on our own adventure that we booked outside the safety of the cruise line.  So we shall see what tomorrow sounds like.

Docking in Da Nang

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January 23^rd

We were up early to go ashore.  Off the ship and also off the planned outings for today we had a plan of our own.  A car with a driver and a guide for 8 hours to visit places from the past.  If I was to name the excursion I might have to call it a Ghost Tour.  Leave Da Nang even though I have fond memories of this place, mostly sleeping on the side of a helicopter run way trying to get back up north. Heading north to the city of Phu Bai and Hue where I spent most of a year in the early 70’s.

What a drive along Highway One.  Along the beach and over Monkey mountain through a newly finished tunnel.  Passing fishing villages, rice paddies, and water buffalo.  New villages had sprung up along the coast since I was last here.  Things had grown and are growing as Highway One is getting a much needed widening process.  All good along the way as I recognized areas that we had only flown over in days past.

I knew I was approaching the old base when we saw the tower for the airport.  We had always been across from there so we slowed to see the massive warehouses that cover most of the old place.  A few of the old French barracks still stand unused among the huge warehouse complex.  I suspect that they will not last much longer.

The road we had used was mostly dirt with small shanties along it for people to sell things to the passer byes but this two had changed to a four lane highway which could change into a six or seven lane road if the drivers thought they had room.  Some things never change.  Bikes with goods strapped on, scooters with everything but the kitchen sink tied to them (wait I saw a kitchen sink on one).  How they can have a dozen live chickens on a scooter or several panes of clear glass or a family of four or six and still drive is a testimony to their skill and courage.  But in many ways it brought back memories of travel in and around Phu Bai.

On into Hue and a tranquil visit to the Citadel.  Thankfully our guide was born in Hue and shared so much of the history of the Nguyen Dynasty.  Good to see that they are working very hard to restore the place that held so many memories.

After a wonderful walk we headed up the Perfume River to a Buddhist shrine. Again quiet inside that contrasted with the beep beep of hundred of scooter horns outside in the streets.  I think any vehicle with a broken horn here would be considered unusable.  Traffic is amazing with round abouts everywhere, which could be renamed “free for alls”.  The only rule is the bigger you are the less you have to slow down.  Only little guys and chickens stop so just keep moving.

We turned and headed back to Da Nang and the ship with a stop at a stonecutter.  Marble Mountain was appropriately named as they do beautiful work in stone here.

A China Beach stop which looked nothing like the TV show but a “must see’ for the any tourist and then back to the ship.  Great day.  Memories.  Thoughts.  Recollections.

I am happy to have returned and happier still that Terrie was there so she could at least see the today’s version of where I was.  For me it was time I saw a peaceful Vietnam full of people going about their every day lives.  I was saddened by the site of many War Memorials that only recognized the people of the north without ever mentioning those that fought for the south.  I was disturbed by the recollections of the guide about the days of the “reeducation” camps where southern sympathizers were reeducated after the war.  I was disturbed by the information shared of the AmerAsian children and how those families were treated.  But I realized that the loosing side seldom gets an input.  At least they have moved on.  Many peacefully going on admitting to the history but not being bound by it.  That is much like our today generation, what happened here is only a page in a book rather than the real Days of our lives. 

So it was time to jump back on board and relax.  Good day.  Beautiful place.  History lesson over.  Sail on.

Halong Bay

January 21^st

Neither of us could sleep.  Weather a bit warmer but a bit foggier too.  Horn sounded about 5 am and we were both up hanging over our balcony as we slowly slipped into the port of Ha Long.  Lights on shore were enticing to watch.  The brilliant light of our ship must have awakened a sleeping fisherman, who was bobbing in the port, as he jumped up and started rowing his skiff toward shore.  He should have remembered to not park in cruise liner parking.

This was a tender day and we had made reservations for an afternoon sail through the beauty of Ha Long bay but we were up and ready at 8 for something that didn’t happen till noon.  So quick decision, time to strike out and go ashore to walk the streets.  Turn right and walk till the sidewalk stopped.  An about face took us to a street market and a school and loads of street sellers.  Many surprised faces and a few giggles as I talked to the young girls selling souvenirs to us tourist.  Even the guys in the local corner Vietnamese 7-11 got a chuckle as we bought Coke Light and water.  Postcards in hand and a few surprises for people back home brought us to the time for a tender back to the ship to leave again for an afternoon adventure.

We boarded a Chinese junk just after noon and were invited to a Vietnamese lunch.

Tomatoes and Cucumbers, Spring Rolls, Fried Squid balls, Rice with Sesame Pork, Fried Taxi Crabs, Steamed Shrimp and Fried Fish.  All this as we made our way across Ha Long bay to the UNESCO site where the mountains jump out of the bay.

Amazing to quietly motor through this maze of beauty.  We did make one stop at a fishing village that is one of many through out  Ha Long Bay.  Totally floating with no connection to land.  On this one they had stocked pens of fresh fish, crabs and lobsters that left us guessing at the names.  Unusual species that  can only been seen to believe.

If I say we quickly moved through this area it is because we could have stayed for days and not seen it all.  We ended the afternoon with a walk though a lime stone cave that had huge rooms.  Reminded Terrie of Mammoth cave in Kentucky.

But the day ended with us return to the ship about dusk to a quick meal in the dining room.  We looked at each other and admitted that we were tired but very happy.  How can we be tired when we are just roaming around and enjoying vacation?  Oh well lights out.

2nd Sea Day

January 22

It is Thursday.  But by now I have to ride the elevator just to know the day of the week.  One day runs into the next and you have to plan your sea days carefully since you have no port to take your focus away.  The last day before Da Nang but I get ahead of myself.

Terrie and I have this down pat now.  We have a Sam’s list and a Terrie’s list of the day’s events.  Mine for the day is fairly short.  Wine sale on the Lido deck, Mariner Society Brunch and then a Veterans meeting.  Terrie however was much more active.  Two cooking demos, time out in the Sun, a sale of clothing on the Lido deck, and maybe a Samba lesson with exercise in between.  So here is how we did.

Sam bailed on the brunch, as it was way too crowded and fussy for a lunch.  Who needs another formal meal when you can trade that in for nachos and a beer by the pool?   The wine sale was visited but not inviting enough to participate in so the big event of the day for me was the Veterans meetings. 

Interesting group with the ship buying a round as thanks.  An Aussie, a couple of Navy lifers, a dentist, and a Marine F4 pilot with a couple of wives thrown in for good measure.  Most had not experienced Vietnam up close and personal.  The Aussie was a carpenter around Saigon, the Navy guys were in Vietnam but only saw the water however the Marine flew missions out of Da Nang.  I had to thank him for delivering the mail to us and saving our bacon even though he personally didn’t serve when I was there.  Without those crazy F-4 pilots we would not have survived and I had only waved to the sky in thanks.  It was nice to be able to personally thank one of those guys.

Terrie’s day was much more eventful.  So full of decisions that she had to bring out the coin to flip.  It was terrible to have so much to do and so little time.   The two cooking classes made the cut and we accidently met and both stopped for Nachos together.  It was that after decision that brought out the coin.  Samba lessons or a sunny deck chair.  My job was to sit back and stay out of the discussion.  Heads or tails…and the winner was the sunny deck chair. 

And so the day went.  Nice day most relaxing and we ended with another day in the up scale restaurant with a nice wine.  Can’t beat the cruise life.

1st day at Sea

January 20^th

A nice night sleep with a gentle roll on a vessel is good.  It makes for a nice start to the day.  Seas during the evening calmed down to smooth sailing.  Not much to see outside but loads to do inside.  Terrie and I laughed at ourselves as we sat down to map out our day plan.  What to do at 9, 10,11 etc.?  What deck is it on and how do we find our way around.  Our ship isn’t one of the new mega cruise liners but big enough for us to have to think about how we are getting around.  And yes we missed a few things on the calendar but in all we had time for most things.

We are finding ourselves going through computer and phone withdrawal.  Little or no connection makes for nervous hands.  How many times we laughed as we reached for a non-working phone.  I even decided to wear mine as a security blanket.  Seems to calm the nerves even if it isn’t on.  Terrie is having texts-attacks.  Fits and spasms of reaching for a phone to text something but stopping in mid air because it isn’t on.  We will learn…..maybe.

Terrie’s day included a cooking demonstration and I wandered into a jewelry talk.

I think I should have taken up cooking.  Her recipe looks great but mine cost me a bit.  (All good she liked it).  But there was time to try and unwind.  We sat outside by the pool and enjoyed the drink of the day and a Tiger.  Just go to Singapore and you will know what a Tiger is and it isn’t a kitty cat.

The cruise line offered us a free night in the upgrade restaurant so we kicked off the cruise with a special dinner and nice wine.  Always a welcome treat to get things started.  Oh and did I mention it was formal night.  Terrie was stunning and I clean up nice.  Pic’s  to follow.

These days are so stressful that we turned in and sailed smoothly and quietly into the darkness excited to be arriving in Vietnam by morning.

Departing Hong Kong

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January 19th

All the planning and worry came to a halt today as we set off from the Intercontinental Hotel in Hong Kong with our American size bags.   Early boarding at 1130 and would you believe Sam and Terrie arrived at exactly 1130.  We opted for a cab but the baggage overwhelmed the cab so the driver just stuffed luggage in every place possible.  And whoever said we needed to close the trunk lid, it drives just fine with it flopping in the wind.  I just hoped that nothing of importance fell out along the way.  Thankfully it was only a short ten-minute zoom through downtown Hong Kong to the Harbor City pier where we began the boarding process.

A few lines and a few forms later we were standing on the Lido deck having a nice lunch as they finished the room cleaning.  A nice room, a good view and luggage to unpack is a perfect way to start off a trip.  But the evening entertainment was the best part.  A lifeboat drill, followed by the entire group trying to go to dinner didn’t spoil our beginnings. 

Always on a cruise you run into “interesting” people.  A dinner low light was being seated next to a couple that was a walking perfume counter.   This person wore something like White Shoulders but not a hint but more of a bath in it.  The cloud around overcame the air itself.

What else was an annoyance was the three people that didn’t show up to clear immigration.  Now we couldn’t leave till everyone was processed.  Have you ever heard a British Captain begging three people to release the vessel by getting their clearance?  Well now we have. 

11 PM we set sail to a light show on shore.  Just watching row after row of high-rise apartments pass by as we sailed out of Hong Kong.   Chinese style.  Hundreds of buildings 40 to 50 stories high all made from one blue print.  We sailed by so many we couldn’t count.  This was the mass of China that we had heard about. 

An hour and a half of sailing finally brought us to darkness and the end of our first day of the cruising.

Hong Kong - 2015 Day 2

If day one was middle class Hong Kong, our day two was a investigation of the masses of people in the working under class of Hong Kong.  I visited Hong Kong in my youth and this was more like what I remembered.  Masses of people, open markets, and elbow to elbow walking.  Today was focused on experiencing the food that is Hong Kong.

Breakfast was congee in a large open seating area above the market.  No place that you would ever find on a tourist route.  Congee is a hot rice much like cream of wheat but with small bits of pork and fried bread dough.  If you think of a Mexican market then build on top a open area surrounded by food stalls with open seating.  Probably the best wording here is “interesting”

Off walking again through the crowded streets and alleys.  Few cars so the streets are mainly shops with stall in front built out in the street.  A look at a housing project built in the late 50’s that was as clean as could be. 

Remember we are on a food tour so another stop at a tofu stall for three kinds of tofu.  Some fried with fish, some fried with scrambled egg inside and some like pudding with sweet water.  Finding this spot took a guide because it isn’t in the Michelin rating guide.

But we wanted to discover what people do and that we did.  Stopped on the street for a quick pick me up of Octopus on a stick and fish balls with sauce.  You see these being eaten all the time and it was our turn to try.  Everything is in another shop.  But meat here, fruit there, veggies somewhere else and fast food is no different.

So we headed off to herbal tea for a body balancing sweet tea. (but certainly not Southern sweet tea).

Our last stop of the walking tours was to visit a sit down of smoked goose leg and a plate of smoked pork.  They callee it barbeque but it wouldn’t win any prizes.  Don’t get me wrong it was very tasty and well worth the stop just so Terrie would investigate the Ladies room….but that you will have to get first hand.

The day was grand certainly something we will remember forever thanks to Jo and Big Foot Walking Tours.  We parted ways outside of a Tea Shop that he guided us to so we could experience tea served correctly (thanks Owen).  And back to the hotel for true pit stop before riding the subway like pros and a last ride across Victoria Harbor on the Star Ferry. 

Pickled duck egg-pork Congee

fish balls

octopus on a stick

Tufu and Cod

Hong Kong 2015

With modern travel in one day you can wake up in a new world.  And so our day began on Saturday the 17^th.  Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong opened their arms to us as we began a journey into the past and present of the Far East.  Terrie and I set out to explore some of the places where I had been and to find new places neither of us had discovered before.

Saturday morning we met our walking tour guide Jo from Big Foot Waking Tours to spend the day discovering what life is like on Hong Kong Island.  We chose this as a way to break away from the usual tourist view and jump in with both feet to what life is like in Hong Kong these days.  

Our day began with a stop for breakfast Hong Kong style.  It was best described as French Toast with Coconut jam and Iced milk tea.   Not what Mom usually served but certainly a wonderful start to seeing how real people here live life.

From there we boarded the Star Ferry, which I had first been on with my parents many years ago.

We used the subway system to go over to Hong Kong Island which was new to both of us and returned in the afternoon to Kowloon via the

We spent the day amazed with the new clean Island and we learned the way they are making life better with creative thinking.  They have moved ahead with the installation of escalators that move through residential area right up the side of the peaks.  Just like we build a new highway they have invested in moving people instead of cars and trucks.  Free to ride, stops along the way, out in the open they move you right down the hills in the morning and up the hills after work revolutionizing how people get around and opening up the peaks for better living.

Jo stopped us by a primary school and playground, churches and temples, the developing art areas that are spring up as Hong Kong grows.  A highlight was the lunch in a normal Dim Sum local spot packed with people going about their normal day.  Exactly what we had wanted to see and do so we could get a better understanding of Middle class China.

After walking, learning and discovering, we topped off this first day with a Cantonese meal in a Michelin Two star restaurant Yan Toh Keen.