2023 in review

I am sitting in the Charlotte airport on Dec 29. I have lots of time to reflect so thought I’d put a few things down. We really haven’t kept up with this site for years but so much happened this year so here goes.
Lyndon and I moved back to Hong Kong in January. We live in Stanley and have a great apartment overlooking the beach. He stays very busy with work at CEO of MetLife Asia. In March, Sarah and Ray got married in New Orleans. It was an amazing wedding full of lots of love. Lyndon and I went to Laos in April. The air quality was horrible!! May was a crazy busy month with Emily graduating from The University of Texas with an MBA, Catherine from Columbia with an MBA and Michael from UGA with a law degree. Michael studied all summer for the bar exam. Catherine, Emily and Amir came to HK in June/July for a visit. We took Catherine and Emily to Jeju South Korea while they were visiting. Michael came in August after he took the bar exam. We took him to Taiwan. Michael moved to Pittsburgh for his job and Emily moved to NYC. We came back to the US in September for Patrick Woods’ wedding and then Neisha’s a few weeks later. Michael passed the bar in October. We hosted Thanksgiving at our apartment in HK. Then we flew back to CT mid Dec. We all went to Atlanta for Christmas. It was the first time in years that all the Murphys were together for Christmas. Now I am sitting here waiting for my flight back to CT. Whew, what a year. Maybe, my New Year’s resolution will be to keep up with this better.

Biking trip to Fujian China

Lyndon and I signed up for a weekend bike trip in China. To give you a background on what we did,  this was the  write up from AWA in Blue and what really happened in black

Designed as a weekend getaway to cycle through Fujian’s famed tea fields and Tulou Roundhouses.  Tea lovers (Yum)and NON-hardcore cyclists (16 of us except for Gail and Allison who were beasts on the bikes ) are encouraged to join.  There are hills (one was 4km uphill  switch backs and another was about 30 minutes uphill.  Many rolling hills which seemed to be more uphill than down or flat. Most of us walked our bikes up at least some of the hills. I was very impressed by anyone who was able to keep biking all the way.  Fred I won’t mention his age but just know that he proved age was just a number.), hedged with seasonal crops ( tea, bamboo, tobacco, pomelo) , most famously Fujian’s Iron Goddess tea bushes that provide us our happy excuse to stop and taste both the landscape and Tulou hospitality, in a teacup. ( some delicious teas but more importantly  a place to get off the bike and rest your butt muscles)

It’s a popular myth that the Tulou were mistaken in satellite photos for missile silos by the CIA in the early 1980’s.  The Fujian Tulou it turns out are far more interesting:  multi-storied Feng Shui aligned, rammed with earth fortresses built from the 13^th Century onward to protect the “newly” arrived Hakka Clans and their rich culture.  46 Tulou in nine clusters are now UNESCO listed World Cultural Heritage properties.  Many Tulou escaped nomination, and the subsequent tourist hordes – and it is mostly these remote Tulou that make the bike ride. ( One area had a Catholic church and was an entire Catholic community, many had pictures of Mao painted on the sides to show support during the cultural revolution, cool wells, lovely old Chinese men and women who were so proud of their homes, roosters, pigs, cute puppies, and Buddhist shrines)

You will support heritage conservation by staying in two lesser known Tulou with two very different conservation strategies.

There are some challenging hills,( undulating was the word of the day)  but the cycling is not rushed.( there was a van and truck always following so if you could not make it they were there for support and walking with the bike was always an option)  In total you will cycle approximately 90 km of both beautifully paved country back roads, and tiny village pathways. ( when we did finally have downhill rides they were extremely steep too and some places had very rocky pavement.  Always a challenge!)

You will be staying in clean basic traditional Tulou guesthouses with personality. 

One is in a UNESCO listed Five Phoenix Design Tulou, ( some rooms had bathrooms attached others did not. There was a wedding in the village and fireworks at 3:30 in the morning followed by roosters at 5:00) the other is in a genuine Tulou roundhouse that is not a hotel but has a few renovated rooms for guests and architecture students. The accommodation is designed to not disrupt the daily lives of the residents, so there are no typical accommodation services. Rooms are comfortable and clean, and whilst basic, the views and experience are unforgettable ( some had a ” prison” toilet in them  This basically meant a toilet /sink combo sitting in the room.  The actual bathroom down the hall was best to use. We had one designated a ladies and the other designated as a men’s. No towels supplied so BYOT.  Some of the beds were antique styled.  I think most of us really liked the second night better even though it was a bit more “rustic” ) ). 

Both are homestay style rather than hotels. Bedding is supplied and hot water showers available – though not in your rooms. 

Traffic was expected to  be bad on Sunday so we left a little early .  As luck would have it there was no traffic and we got to the airport in under 3 hours.  We had come straight from biking so we found bathrooms to change in.  We could not check in until 2 hours before the flight so we had to hang out at the one coffee shop for a  few hours.   We shared pictures, played cards, drank some beer and built pyramids with the cans.  Once we checked in we had enough people with privileges that we all got into the Cathay lounge.  A hot shower was a very welcoming sight.  The massage chairs were a hit too.   Our flight was delayed a bit but at least we had a comfortable place to hang out, charge phones, eat and drink. Once we landed in HK it took forever to get off the plane. By the time we got home it was after midnight.  An exhausting day but a trip well worth the exhaustion. I loved meeting new people and made some amazing new friendships.   I will post pictures as soon as I upgrade space on the blog .

 

 

Sarah’s Visit

Michael left on April 3, and April 6-8 was the Hong Kong 7’s. This is a huge rugby tournament held in HK every year. Lyndon went Friday night and I joined him Saturday and Sunday. It was lots of fun with people in crazy costumes and fast paced action. It is definitely something to do if you are living in HK.  The following week was supposed to be the calm before Sarah came but I tutored, subbed and had an art gallery tour/tea before she got here on Friday.

There was no rest for the weary as we got up on Saturday and went to the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery.  As you walk up to the top there are literally hundreds of gold Buddha statues ( about 3 feet tall) sitting along the walkway on both sides.  Each one is different in their own unique way. When you reach the top their are some buildings to go in and see,  a pagoda, more statues, and the temple with thousands of buddhas arranged along the walls.  I kept telling Lyndon and Sarah that there were monkeys there but that day we did not see any.

 

That night we had a galloping gourmet dinner and Sarah went as well.  It was fun for her to meet some of our friends and have a different perspective on our life in HK. On Sunday, after mass, Lyndon had to leave to go to the US so Sarah and I did more exploring.   We went to the Chi Lin Nunnery. It is a beautiful Buddhist temple complex which was built as a retreat for Buddhist nuns.  It was built  entirely out of Cypress wood and uses no nails.  It is currently the world’s largest hand-made wooden building.

After that we crossed the street to the Nan Lian Garden.  It is actually a very beautiful and peaceful garden. I was very impressed.  Everyone told us to go to the vegetarian restaurant there but we did not need to eat a meal at that time.  Maybe next time!

****More pictures to come*****

It was turning out to be a sunny day after a lot of morning rain so we decided to keep going.  I took her to the flower market and bird market. Actually tried the bird market but it was closed due to a bird virus.   As we were meandering through the streets we came across a shop selling flavored pappadams.  OMG they were delicious. I have bought more to bring home. Then we went to the goldfish market which I have never really walked through. I came across a bike shop and needed padded bike shorts so it was a very successful afternoon.

Monday morning was a bright and early start to go to the airport. We were heading to Phuket for three days.  This was designed to be a relaxing three days at the beach.  The weather was perfect ( hot and sunny) . We relaxed, did sunset yoga, I biked, we got massages, and took a night trip to Patang Beach.  We won’t go into details about that car ride but just know motion sickness runs in the family and Sarah is known for not doing well on curvy roads.  Wednesday afternoon we came back to HK.

On Thursday we went to Ocean Park. I had never been there and so it was a great excuse to give it a try.  It is a unique combination of rides, animals , aquarium and shows.   It has been around for over 40 years. It is one of the largest amusement parks in Asia. Knowing Sarah’s aversion to motion ( me too) I was wondering how it would go but we enjoyed MANY rides ( even multiple times) and survived.  We really enjoyed the animal exhibits.  The penguins, walruses, and pandas were some of our favorites.

Friday afternoon Sarah was heading back to the US to be in a wedding in California so we were going to have an easy day. Unfortunately, Friday morning we got the horrible news that Nana ( Lyndon’s mother) had died suddenly from a blood infection.  There was much to do in planning to get to India.  Lyndon was in the US and had to travel to India. I had to get an emergency visa. The kids looked into getting emergency visas too but it just wasn’t going to work.  SO after getting Sarah to the airport on Friday I had to head to the airport on Saturday.

Even though it was a sad ending, I loved our time with Sarah and look forward to more visitors.

 

Michael’s visit/Easter

I have been subbing at HKIS all of March except for the days I went to Australia so it has kept me busy. Lyndon has been gone since last Friday and will get in on Friday. The best thing to look forward to is that Michael is coming for Easter, He gets here on Wednesday!

So I wrote that a few weeks ago, now that visit has come and gone . We had a great time with Michael visiting. We kept him busy so that he would not get too sleepy with his jet lag!

He arrived on Wednesday morning. I was teaching so he had to get to the apartment by himself.  That included exchanging money at the airport, catching the Airport Express train, taking a taxi from HK station and then getting into the apartment.  Good job!  When I got home we fixed dinner and went off to the races!  On Wednesday night, Happy Valley Racecourse has their  horse races. I have never been so it was a learning adventure for us both. We did make one bet (Alma Baby) but did not win anything.  He was very tired so we did not stay long.

On Thursday I had to sub again so he was on his own for the day.  After school we headed over to Stanley to shop around, sit on the rocks, and just wander in the beautiful weather. We picked up ingredients to make Indian food and mango sticky rice.  As you will see the theme is Michael wanting some home cooking.

On Friday, Lyndon was arriving and we knew he would be tired.  We worked out some and then went to the beach to hang out for about an hour or so.  That afternoon we took a ferry to Lamma Island. We hiked the Family trail from one end to the other.  Then we had some delicious seafood at the Rainbow Seafood restaurant before taking the ferry back to Aberdeen.

 

Saturday we planned another hike. This was to Rhino rock in Stanley.  It is not a hard or long hike but requires a lot of climbing.  It had some absolutely beautiful views and a rock that looks like a rhino.   We climbed down the steep slopes back to Stanley and St Stephen’s Beach.  It was a relaxing end to the hike.  We came back home and made dinner (White Lightning chilli)and rested our weary bodies.

Sunday was Easter.  We woke up and had cheese grits, eggs and bacon for breakfast.  Much bigger breakfast than we usually have.  Then we went to mass.  Afterwards we went into Taikoo so Lyndon could drop off some things at work.  Then we went for ramen. It is a different form of ramen but delicious all the same.  Then Lyndon and Michael went to see Black Panther I came home to get the next meal ready  (Yes I am full just typing this)  Not your typical Easter fare but pot roast it was!

On Monday we had time for one more hike. This time we went to the Sha Tin area to climb to Lion Rock and Amah Rock. It is a difficult climb  but we were  rewarded with scenic landscapes.  That night we went to one of our favorite restaurants, 22 Ship.

 

( a couple better pictures of lion rock to come)

Tuesday morning we got up to work out and hang at the beach a little more. Then we grabbed some breakfast at the beach. Michael had to come home and pack before heading out around 11:30. It was such a quick short trip but I am so glad he was able to come.  He may have a different story to tell since his flight form Dallas to Dayton was cancelled and he had to fly to Cincinnati then drive back an hour or so . He got home at 2:15 am and had class the next morning at 8:00. All in all door to door it was about 27 hours 😦

So now my next person to look forward to coming is Sarah – next Friday!!

 

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is on most people’s bucket list. We were fortunate enough to go visit Port Douglas and the GBR.  It is being affected by the environment so much with global warming, bleaching and dying off of the coral that it is one of those places you need to see while you can.   The Great Barrier Reef is a 2,300 km long ecosystem. It can be seen from outer  space.  It is home to hundreds of types of fish and coral.  It is made up of thousands  of reefs and small islands.  When snorkeling you must be very careful not to touch anything in order to protect all the species of coral and fish.  We had planned our long weekend attached to a few days Lyndon had to be in Sydney.  We were receiving severe weather texts the day before. It was not looking good.  When we arrived on Friday there was TORRENTIAL rain. They actually said roads were shut down and there was flooding in the area.  It was not looking good for the next day and our sail and snorkeling trip.  The rain and wind raged all night long.

The next morning the sun was starting to peak through. Maybe not too bad after all.  I grabbed sun glasses and sunscreen just in case.  (Thank goodness I did)  The boat ride was about an hour out of the port. It was a big catamaran/sailboat.  There were about 25 people on the boat and 3 staff.   I had taken Dramamine since I knew I was not great on the water.  SO glad I did. It was very rough sailing.  Many others on the boat felt sick as well. I held it together with lots of focusing out into the distance.

Once we got out to the reef area we went to a little island (the Low Isles) .  They had to take us to the island by a smaller boat. This is where we were going to snorkel.  We had to wear a wet suit to protect ourselves from the possibility of jellyfish.  They covered our entire body but surprisingly were not hot or uncomfortable.  We set off for snorkeling from the island and began seeing fish and coral right away. Some of the most interesting things were  the giant clams and different colored corals.  Some people saw some huge fish, I did not.  I only lasted out in the water for awhile before feeling nauseous.  Lyndon stayed out much longer.  Once everyone came in from snorkeling we took a walking tour of the island. It is home to MANY birds. One bird sounded like R2D2.  There was a lighthouse there and a home for the caretakers of the island.  They made it very clear that you could not  take any shells or rocks from the island in order to keep it protected.  After the island tour we went back to the boat and had lunch. Afterwards some of us went on the glass bottom boat (me) while others snorkeled some more (Lyndon).  We headed back home, into a few clouds but stayed mostly dry. The sun had stayed out most of the day so I was glad I had grabbed the sunglasses and sunscreen!

When we got back to the resort I went for a walk to the beach . It is a very pretty location that was a nature reserve.  There were many paths and trails to explore but we did not have  a lot of time. I got in a quick walk before we headed back into town for dinner.  We went to a place called The Watergate. It really was one of the best meals I have had.

The next morning I got up early to get another walk in.  I was heading around a corner to check out the pond full of frogs ( you could hear them so loudly) and there were two wallabies standing there. One bounced off but the other one was staring at me. I did not know if they were aggressive or not so I snapped a picture and left ( they are not). I did not get to the pond but oh well.  The wallaby had a baby in its pouch! So cute.

After the walk and breakfast we had to head to the airport.We got to Sydney in the afternoon and to the hotel by 5:00. The Sheraton was right across from church so we were able to make it to 6:00 mass. The cathedral is absolutely beautiful. When we were there 10 years ago it was under renovation so we did not get to see its true beauty.  We then went to the pier for dinner. That night we got a call saying my flight was cancelled but they were getting me on a later flight. So instead of leaving at 6:30 in the morning I did not have to leave until 12:45.  I took advantage of this and took a 3 hour walk around Sydney.  It is such  a pretty city!

 

 

Chinese New Year Boracay Phillipines

This year for Chinese New Year we went to Boracay in the Phillipines.  The trip was very long for a location that is really only a few hours away. We flew to Manilla, then to Caticlan.  After that we had to take a short bus ride to the port to take a ferry to Boracay.. From there we took a taxi to the hotel.  All in all it took about 8 hours.   We enjoyed our stay, relaxing on the beach, sipping drinks under an umbrella, running on the beach and even parasailing.  The weather was not supposed to be great but it actually was very nice. The beach was beautiful and the water was a perfect temperature.  The island is very picturesque but very touristy as well. There were sand artists everywhere.  One night we went to a restaurant called the Spider Web. It was in an old house that was converted into a hotel and restaurant.  And yes many spider webs!  It was situated for beautiful sunset views, so very crowded.  We had to share a table with another couple which was fine. We struck up a conversation and it happened to be that the man was Andrew Nicholson, a former NBA player and now a Chinese League player. He played at ST Bonaventure in college and was a physics major. I asked what he would have done if not played basketball and he said he had wanted to be a doctor. Pretty smart guy.  He and his girlfriend were very nice and we had an enjoyable evening ( and a beautiful sunset). The biggest drawback was once again it took forever to get home. Door to door was 12 hours!

Misc February

We were  able to join in many fun activities during the month of February as well as travelling during Chinese New Year. There was an exhibit of Chanel history , clothing, jewelry, etc.  I did a glass blowing class and made two flowers.  (with lots of help)

I attended a paper sculpture exhibit in Harbor City. Our galloping gourmet group went to an Israeli restaurant on Lamma Island. The food was incredible.  I went to a cooking class that focused on Fish.  We went on  a junk boat dinner cruise.  And we enjoyed an invigorating ( ie. exhausting ) hike of Jardine’s Lookout and Mount Butler .

February 1, 2018 Dapeng Fortress

Today we went to the Dapeng Fortress  outside of Shenzen China. It is a fortress built in 1394 to protect the area from pirates . Once the pirates were no longer a threat and the British had Hong Kong, the fortress was no longer necessary. Today it is an historical village filled with cute alleys, courtyards and streets. There are many unique shops, coffee houses, and cafes. We went through a museum that was run by a local man. It is not an official government museum and the items were just collections of “things” collected over the years. They depicted life of the normal Chinese life . Some of the ladies on the trip joined in on the fun of drinking with the locals.   We learned the history of the village , ate lunch and then stopped in a kitchen to make traditional rice cookies. They showed us how they browned the rice, ground it into flour, added syrup to make the batter, mixed to the right consistency, pressed into molds, pounded them, then baked on the fire. We were able to take part in all the steps.  Unfortunately in my opinion the cookies were hard and dry. After that we went to an artist’s show/studio where we had a quick lesson in ink calligraphy art.  We painted plum blossoms on silk fans.  OK they were  not the best but it was fun.  It was a cold day and long rides on the bus but I really enjoyed it all. The other AWA ladies were so nice and fun. It is always a great way to make new friends while learning something new.

January 2018 ( Really Sept 2017 – January 2018)

 

 

 

 

I hate when I sit down to update the blog and realize how long it has been since I have written anything.  I know it is already almost the end of January in 2018 (!) but I guess I will backtrack and fill in what all we have done since September.

The best way to remember is to scan through the pictures on my phone.

September 26 – Walking tour of Wan Chai

http://www.jasonwordie.com/index.php/walks/hong-kong-walks/wan-chai/

I went on  a walking tour of Wan Chai by Jason Wordie. He does great historical walks in many parts of HK.  I really like Wan Chai , as it is one area that I know reasonably well since that is where we first stayed.  We walked through alleys, in temples, down streets full of history, and saw quaint sites along the way.

October 2 – Helped with hosting of the sailors

When US ships come to port the AWA hosts activities for them and act and guides/goodwill ambassadors.  This day I just helped with directions and maps for the sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan.

October 9 – Historical Walking tour of Wan Chai Gap

http://walkhongkong.com/ww2hongkong/wongnaichunggaptrail.html

Hiking is  a great past time in HK. Not only are they usually filled with beautiful views but also many historically significant landmarks.  This hike was led by Martin emphasizing the invasion of the Japanese Dec 8, 1941.  You see pill boxes, ammunition shelters, and many other details of the battle.  It was very interesting to hear all the history which I did not know. Be sure to check out the website above.

October 14 – Visit Sarah in NOLA, Whitney Plantation, Walking tour, City Park Sculpture garden.

I had the great opportunity to head to New Orleans for a few days to visit with Sarah. We went to the Whitney Plantation ( http://whitneyplantation.com/). It does not focus on the Southern Plantation life as much as the history of the slave trade and life.  It was a deep look at the lives of the southern slave.  The statues representing the slave children were mesmerizing. I wanted to take a picture of each and every one. The research that has gone into the display was so thorough.  Our docent was so into everything about these slaves. You felt her passion.

It was around Halloween so the streets were decorated. One house in particular was filled with punny skeletons and displays.

I took a walking tour one day when Sarah was in class. We walked around the French Quarter. New Orleans will be celebrating its 300th anniversary this year. Look out New Orleans!

Then we went to City Park. It has a great sculpture garden. I love that type of thing! I had plenty of good food and needed to walk that off.

 

 

Lyndon to Alabama and Atlanta

Lyndon was back in the US as well. He met up with Michael in Alabama and went to a game. They stayed with Marlene and Jack so got some great Indian food in the process.

October 19 – New York to visit Catherine, Come From Away

After NOLA I went to NYC to see Catherine.  We were able to go see the AWESOME musical Come From Away. I highly recommend it. I walked around the area on a clear blue sky autumn day.  I was able to check out the Union Square Farmers Market  and the new WTC .

To CT for a few days

Dragon Boating

So I have tried Dragon Boating but was not successful. I get sea sick so easily and even though I used Dramamine and the wrist bracelets I still got nauseous every time I went out. It also is a lot harder than you would imagine. It is not a natural row. The group of ladies are fantastic and I wish I could have done it.  I did hang in long enough to enjoy a day when we could have spouses try it too.  It was great fun had by all!

Annie (Stefanov) Fifer grew up in Avon!

Nov 7 – Shopping in Zhuhai

We had a day trip to Zhuhai China for some great shopping. These are a few of my finds.

After cleaning

before cleaning pilar from the 1800’s

made of camphor wood, smells so nice

November 11 – Auto Show

I am not a big car person but Lyndon had tickets to the HK Auto Show so I went with him.  There were some very old cars and some newer cutting edge types.

November 13 – Walled Villages of New Territories

http://www.jasonwordie.com/index.php/walks/new-territories-walks/

OK so another great walk with Jason Wordie. We explored the walled villages of the New Territories and Clan villages. SO much information. It’s best to just check out the site.

November 21 – Art GalleryWalk

picture made out of pins

these are the pins

Thanksgiving

We were not able to go back to the US for Thanksgiving but the kids all gathered in NOLA.  We usually do the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving day so they found a Turkey Trot to run together in New Orleans. I love that they enjoy each others company.  We hosted a Thanksgiving dinner in HK on Saturday with some of our friends. Two were British and had never had a Thanksgiving dinner.

December 5 – Heritage Festival Naming Ceremony

The heritage festivals in HK are quite elaborate.  The Jiao Festival and Naming List Posting Ritual in Tai Po is not an exception.  They host an elaborate Chinese Opera which is held in a theater which they build specifically for this festival.  It is huge!  The people come from all over to pay their respects to their gods.  They have a posting of all the people born into the clan. It is rolled out on a long wall. I really can’t do justice on the explanation so I will try to find a website with its explanation.

December 11 – Walk around Kennedy Town and exploring with Avril

My friend Avril, who I met through AWA, lives in Kennedy Town and has a great sense of adventure.  I told her I never had ridden the trams so she said she would take me along to explore.  We went in to Kennedy Town and Sheung Wan.The dry foods markets are always full of interesting foods.  We found dried lizards and starfish along with many others unmentionables.  The Queens Street Rest Garden/ Chinese Medicine Garden was set in a tiny square near Central.  It has many herbs and vegetables and their uses in Chinese medicines.  Some were very hilarious in what they help (reduces wind, bloating, etc) . If you have  time walk through and read the displays.  Next we went to the Rabbit Café for lunch. Yes a rabbit café. The rabbits are free to roam the café. You can pet and feed them as you have you tea, coffee, or meal.

December 14 – Go Back to US

We went back to the US for our Christmas and New Year break. Man was it cold!! It was below freezing almost every day we were there. There was a day or two that were above but not many. We also had a lot of snow.  We had a White Christmas ( about 6 inches) and of Jan 4 about a foot ( along with high winds)

Christmas was fun , having everyone together, but Sarah and I both got strep.   For New Year’s we decided to have a party. So often when we come home people have gatherings so that we can see everyone. We thought it was our time to host.  It was great fun having our friends gather to celebrate the new year.

 

Christmas, New Year’s, Atlanta, Dayton

nativity made by the kids from their bitmojis

neighborhood

welcome 2018!

Even though there was a big storm in Jan 4, Sarah was able to get out Jan 3 to head back to school, and Lyndon, Michael and I got out Jan 5 to head to Atlanta.  Emily and Catherine were able to join us in Atlanta with no travel delays either. We decided to get to Atlanta for a quick trip while we were in the US and it was a bonus that the College Football National Championship was being held there that weekend. On Friday night we got together at Kevin and Kathleen’s house for dinner. It was so nice to see some of our CST friends that we have not seen in SO long. Another bonus was that ALABAMA was playing Georgia in the finals.  Janice was volunteering downtown and there were many events, concerts, etc going on .Lyndon and Michael went to the FanFest at the convention centerWe went down to Centennial park on Saturday to see Charlie Puth and Jason Derulo. It was freezing out but we still had a good time.   On Sunday , Catherine, Emily , Lyndon and Michael went back down to the fanfest for more fun.  That night I cooked for the family ( Meaning 25 people!)  It was great that everyone  ( mostly) was able to come . Monday was the big game.  It was cold and rainy but Lyndon, Michael and I went down again to centennial park . Lyndon kept trying to get tickets but they were so expensive.  We watched the start of the game at Centennial Park . Michael wanted to see Kendrick Lamar at Halftime so we stayed. After that we decided since ALABAMA was losing and the GA fans dominated, we thought we should head home during the third quarter and be able to watch the 4th from home.  Good call. It was an incredible game and came down to the wire but they won in amazing fashion , a last second overtime win. ROLLTIDE!

Friends for about 30 years !

trying to stay warm

looks who has the highest score

It was all over! Rolltide. Exhausting win

After we went back to CT , Michael and I had a little bit of time before he had to head back to school. I drove with him back to UD, just in time for the basketball game. I flew back to CT the next day to ready myself for the next part of my journey.

January 16 – Hong Kong

January 20 – Hike cape d’aguilar

Lyndon and I went on a hike to Cape D’aguilar. It is near Shek O. It is  a long walk along a road that leads to the cape.  There you are rewarded with beautiful views.  Between the lighthouse, cave, rocks, and whale bones there were so many things to see that  the walk was well worth it.  I would recommend packing  a light lunch when you do this hike and sit on the rocks to enjoy your meal with views.

 

So my New Year’s resolution is to post every month.  We will see…….

Tantalizing Tibet Sept 14 – 20

I was very blessed to be able to travel to Tibet with  an incredible group of women from the American Women’s Association in Hong Kong.  There were 11 of us from a variety of countries,  Annie ( our leader from Avon CT..small world), Andrea (Germany), Gabriella (Moldova), Elizabeth ( Norway), Amal(Egypt), Diana (Canada), Glenys ( England), Marika ( Belgium), Jillian ( New Zealand), Joni ( Philippines) and myself. Eddie was our leader from Country Travels here in HK. We left very early on Thursday  morning to fly to Chongqing China.  From there we were supposed to fly to Lhasa Tibet. We did eventually get there but we had a couple hours of delay. They were doing military training at the airport in Lhasa so flights were delayed and you really did not know how long the delay would be.  We were off walking laps in the airport when we all of the sudden saw “Boarding” for our flight.  We rushed back and boarded the plane for Lhasa.  The elevation in Lhasa is 3656 meters (almost 12,000 feet). Most people can take altitude sickness medicine to help ease the symptoms of high elevation but I can not. It is common to get headaches, shortness of breath and nausea. Immediately upon landing you could feel the thin air.  Deep breaths were difficult. As we left the airport we were each handed a Hada ( a white scarf used in ceremonies and welcoming. Our delay made us get in later than expected and the hotel ( The Shangri La) had to keep the restaurant open long enough for us to get food. This was our room on the 2nd floor. We had dinner then went to bed.  Usually you would have had an afternoon to adjust to the altitude but we did not get that luxury. All night long I had a terrible headache. Thank goodness our room had been upgraded to a suite and I was able to go out to the sitting area and not keep Gabriella awake all night.  The hotel also had an oxygen room where the air was pumped in with extra oxygen. I went down there in the early morning and sat there for about an hour. It really did help.

The next morning, after a good breakfast and some caffeine for my headache, we started our touring.  The first stop was the Potala Palace. It is probably the most famous landmark in Tibet. It is an UNESCO world heritage site. It was the Winter residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to  India in 1959 after the Tibetan uprising. It was constructed in 1645.

After lunch we went to the Sera Monastery,  It is one of the best preserved monasteries in Tibet. Several hundred monks live and study here. Much of it was destroyed in 1959 . Many moved to Mysore India where they have a sister monastery. In the afternoon you can watch the monks debate but today they were testing so they were debating against their teachers.

That night we had a great meal of traditional Tibetan food.  They eat a lot of Yak – grilled, butter, yogurt, milk, etc.  Fortunately, Eddie, our guide from HK, started learning our tastes and we started having less food and more vegetables.

Saturday morning we woke up early to go to the Ganden Monastery.  It was about a  2hour drive  . At the end it was 9 km of switchback turns. Very twisty and turny. Yuck! It also is at a much higher altitude , 4500 meters ( 14763 feet)  We hiked around the monastery which gave us beautiful scenery.  It is one of the “great three” monasteries in Tibet, along with the Sera and Drepung.  It was built in 1409 . Much was destroyed in 1959 but was later rebuilt. . The hike was unbelievably beautiful, with prayer flags hanging all over and small monuments to different dieties all over.  At the main room we were lucky to be there when the monks were coming in to pray. It was quite the experience.  Unfortunately in many of the rooms of the monasteries you can not take pictures.

 

In the afternoon we visited the Jokhang Monastery (or Temple).  It is considered the most sacred and important temple in Tibet.  It is located in Barkhor Square.  The people are so devout in Tibet. They pray in the streets, in the squares, at the temples.   It is  a beautiful Temple with a diverse mix of architecture.  After we toured the temple we walked around the streets to do some shopping and people watching.  After much shopping ( the theme of the trip)  we went for dinner at a home.  It was called the Tibetan Family Kitchen. The family cooked for us and showed us how to make dumplings. Everything was fresh and delicious.

 

On Sunday we left Lhasa and headed to Gyantze. On our way we were treated to another day of beautiful scenery.  We had lakes, rivers, dams, glaciers, mountains, sheep, and local villages.   We stopped at a small village to walk and take some pictures. The homeowners were so sweet. They invited us in to their house. We took lots of pictures and some even tasted their homemade barley beer.  They showed us how to use their solar stove in the courtyard.

As we continued we stopped at the roadside where they had a collection of Tibetan Mastiffs. They  are massive dogs. We had our pictures taken with them.

The Yamdrok Yumtso Lake  is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet.  It is about 638 sq km (246 sq miles) in area.  It sits at 4441 km (  14,570 feet)  above sea level. The blues were so vibrant.   We had a couple of passes that were very high. I  think the highest was 5039 meters (16532 feet) .  It was a challenge just to walk a few feet.  Everyone was struggling for air even though we really were not doing much walking. Our lunch was set up on the lake in a tent.  They even had a portable toilet tent ( really just a hole dug but surrounded by  a tent). The food was delicious and the view spectacular.

 

We were going to head straight to the Pelkor Chode Monastery but as our tour guide Thundrup was so flexible, we went to the Old Town area before dinner instead. It has on old west feel to it.  There are cows and horses on the main street.  Many of the houses are planned to be torn down and the residents moved to a more updated area. There are mixed reviews from the residents here.  We came a cross a group of men playing a traditional Tibetan dice /drinking game. They were having so much fun. After dinner a few of us tried to stay and watch the Fortress be lit up .  We waited a long time and only parts were being lit. By the time we got home all the lights were on. It was hard to get a good picture but it was very impressive.

Monday morning we went to the Pelkor Chode Monastery. On our way out some of us ran through the market to catch a glimpse of the locals.  We saw yak being butchered, metal wares being sold and a variety of fruits and vegetables.  The monastery was built in 1418. Originally it housed 15 different monasteries made up of three different sects.  This was a rare showing of tolerance between the Buddhist groups in Tibet.  Today it is only made up of the Gelugpa Sect. Its most famous structure is the Kumbum.  It is a 32 meter high structure made up of 9 floors, 108 gates, and 76 shrines and chapels throughout the 9 tiers.  It has about 10000 images of  Buddha throughout.

Our next trek was off to Shigatse ( also known as Xgatse)  . It is the second largest city in Tibet .  Its name means “Fertile land” .  It sits at 3800 meters above sea level. We got there and checked in in time to do a little shopping before dinner.  Our dinner had some live traditional Tibetan music, singing and dancing.

Tuesday morning we headed to the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. On our way there we stopped by the  Pala Manor.  We had to walk over a rickety bridge to get to the street since the road was under construction  It housed many artifacts from Tibetans under British rule . While I was waiting in the shade I turned around and the cutest little boy was looking at me through the gate.  The courtyard was beautiful and I said that to the women sitting there . They came over and opened their gate and invited us into their garden . Next we  stopped at another local home.  The woman served up butter tea and potatoes.  They were very open to showing us every bit of their house.  Once again the warmth of the people was overwhelming.

The Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is also called the Heap of Glory. Founded in 1447 by the First Dalai Lama. It has been expanded since then.  It covers nearly 300,000 square meters.  It was a very peaceful and serene feeling monastery.  . We were walking around and hardly anyone else was there.  It was very refreshing.

We travelled back to Lhasa in time to shop on the Barkhor Street before dinner.  Andrea and I went to get a blind massage.  There was a school  for the blind at one time and now there are  a couple of blind massage locations.  It was quite an intense massage.  I felt sore afterwards. Shopping was a main event on this trip.  There were so many beautiful and tempting things to buy.    We went back to the Shangri La for our last dinner together.  Another theme to the trip was great food.  We had an incredible meal with an incredible view.

 

At the Shangri La we were on the 6th floor this time.

Wednesday morning we sadly had to head to the airport.Our flight back to Chongqing was delayed due to military training again.  We knew we would miss our Hong Kong connection in Chongqing, the question was could we get 12 people on the next flight to HK or would we have to go through Shenzen and then drive back.  We sat at the airport from about 9:30 until 3:30. Finally we got our flight that took us to Chongqing. We had missed the HK flight so then we had to get a 9:30 flight to Shenzen. From Shenzen they coordinated 3 cars to drive us back to HK. It is about a 2 hour drive when you add in the border crossing.  They grouped us by location. I was the third out of four in my car so I got home about 2:15 AM. Needless to say it was exhausting.

This trip was a trip of a lifetime. The people I travelled with were so friendly. The locals were warm. Our tour guide, Thundrup , was full of information and kept us enthralled at every turn. Eddie, our HK leader learned a lot throughout the trip and changed our schedule as needed. He told us at the end of the trip how he would adjust our meals each night.  He also learned how to deal with women who loved to shop and take pictures.

If you ever get the chance to go to Tibet, take it!!!