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Marlie caught the bus to school today; her first day in a classroom in more than a year and a half. I think I was more misty than when she first left for kindergarten. This summer, since arriving home, has been far more of a roller coaster ride than we’d expected. There were the [...]  As we arrived home after so many months of wandering, my blogging friend, Sunee from Sunee Sees the World, nominated me to participate in the 7 Links Game started by Tripbase, where bloggers make a list of 7 past posts, which might be favorites, or most commented, or most helpful. The timing seems fitting [...] We’ve landed. Our world no longer consists of reservations and logistics, but is filled with boxes, dust, and leaking pipes. In returning home, we face so many transitions: possessing only what can be carried in a suitcase, to a houseful of belongings. Living in such close proximity as a family, to a life filled with [...] Sydney was never on the list. As we’d set off on our trip around the world, we had ideas of places we wanted to see, some specific and others rather vague notions. Although we knew we’d like to go to Australia at some point, we’d not included it on our “go lists” for this grand [...]
Our stay in Sydney happened to be during the Vivid Sydney festival of light. We watched the lighting of the sails of the opera house from our apartment. The long exposure created streaks as the ferry passed by. Ninjutsu demonstration in Japan at the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum The Kansai region of Japan is well known for its historical significance. Visitors flock to famous sites such as Himeji and Osaka Castles. It boasts many superlatives: Hōryū-ji Golden Hall, the oldest wooden structure in the world, Tōdai-ji Main Hall, the largest wooden structure in the [...] Our love for Japan began when we chose it years ago as a first overseas destination for our young children. Although our trip around the world with our now tween and teen girls was to be about exploring new places, all four of us found Japan creeping into our “I want to go there” lists. [...] Our stay was full of crazy changes and false starts in Hong Kong. Sometimes, unexpected turns lead to magic. This week filled with roadblocks. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed Hong Kong and will probably go back some time to explore it more. But, little we did turned out as planned. We began our [...] Bird nests for sale in Hong Kong. Made fro the saliva of swallows, they are a key ingredient in bird nest soup. This lovely package in a bird nest shop window is of perfectly arranged mealworms. They cook them into all sorts of things. Dried starfish at a dried fish market. Our apartment [...] We had to cut things from our list. If there is one thing our travels have taught us, it might well be flexibility. Reality is rarely a straight fulfillment of the vision we have ahead of time. So much so, that we usually don’t schedule everything, but allow time for a place to unfold to [...] We swam in our clothes in Vietnam. While we were staying in Hue, we made an afternoon trip to swim in the South China Sea. We’ve been collecting them: bodies of water we’ve been in. Sort of in the way tourists sometimes sightsee to check things off a list. Only wetter.
Headed into the [...]
A morning visit to the Market in Hue; this is a typical market in Vietnam. We liked the one in Hue more than those in Ho Chi Minh City because so many of the women were in traditional clothing and hats. A food stall selling herbs, eggs, and chicken. A woman selling fish. [...] Our first day in Hue, we decided to walk from our hotel to the citadel, the old emperor’s castle. After crossing the moat bridge and entering the old walled city, the cyclo-cabs descended like crows surrounding carrion. Several followed us up the street, repeating the “one hour tour,” “very cheap” sales pitch as they pedaled [...] “Just go slow, be predictable.” As we waded into the stream of scooters and motor bikes that fill the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, I reminded the girls of this mantra. Magically, the oncoming river of bikes managed not to wipe any of us out, although they did come within inches of us on [...] The Vietnamese carry everything on their scooters and motorbikes. We found watching the traffic in Ho Chi Minh City entertaining. At the Tan Binh Market Another heavy load at the Tan Binh Market. We saw people carry sheet metal, poles, several cases of cola, and all sorts of baskets of food on their small [...] |
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