We <3 New York!

In December, Wes had some business meetings in New Jersey so we made a long weekend of it and spent some time in New York. It was Wes' first trip there and we had a great time.

We spent some time at the Met

From New York Dec 08

From New York Dec 08

Then, we walked around Central Park for a while.

From New York Dec 08

We flocked with the other tourists to Rockefeller Center

From New York Dec 08

We had some great views of the city from Top of the Rock - we timed it just right to watch the sunset.

From New York Dec 08

From New York Dec 08

From New York Dec 08

Our Broadway show of choice for the weekend was Spamalot - very entertaining.

From New York Dec 08

On our last day in town, we took a harbor tour and were lucky to have great weather.

From New York Dec 08

From New York Dec 08

Just before we left town, Wes met the Rock.

From New York Dec 08

Hawaii Part II

Here are just a few more pictures from our trip to Hawaii - these are all from our time on the Big Island. The volcano was very impressive, as was all of the scenery that we saw on our drive around the island.

 

 

 

 

Hawaii

We have been having a great time in Hawaii so far. We have 4 days left! Here are a few pictures of what we have been doing so far:

Wes on Waikiki Beach - just across the street from our hotel

Both of us at the Pearl Harbor memorial

After our luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center

At the top of Diamond Head, overlooking Waikiki

Houston Art Car Parade 2008

Today, Wes and I braved the sweltering heat and watched the art car parade. With over 280 entries, it was very entertaining and sometimes impressive. Next year we might try to get there in time to get a spot in the shade. Enjoy the slide show!!

Northern Thailand

Between Vietnam and Laos, we spent a little while in northern Thailand. We visited Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai primarily. It is a beautiful country and we had a wonderful time. Enjoy the pictures!

Laos

On our Asian vacation last fall, we had a chance to go to Laos.

We crossed into Laos from northern Thailand and took a two day boat trip to Luang Prabang. We spent 5 days in Luang Prabang before heading to Bangkok on our way to Malaysia.

Here are some pictures from way back then. Sorry to keep you all waiting!

Washington Trip

Last month, Wes flew up to Baltimore for some software training. I followed that Thursday and we spent a long weekend taking in the sights. On Friday, we had a chance to visit Rachel and her new baby Amelia (of course, we managed to not take any pictures!). The rest of the weekend, we took in the various things to see on the Mall, went to the National Zoo, and to the National Arboretum. It was a really fun weekend.

Vietnam

This slide show traces our travels through Vietnam. Over two weeks we traveled most of the length of Vietnam, traveling by car, bus, boat, kayak, bicycle, train, and motorcycle.

Trip highlights:

Hanoi
- Visiting the museum of Ethnology, which showcases the many ethnic groups in Vietnam
- Eating Pho in small noodle shops
- Walking the crowded streets looking for handicrafts
- Watching a traditional water puppet show
- Drinking Vietnamese coffee, strong with lots of sweetened condensed milk
- Experiencing the spectacle of visiting "Uncle Ho" at his mausoleum

Ha Long Bay
- Kayaking among the karsts and past fishermen
- Relaxing on the deck of the boat
- Visiting caves

Hue
- Checking out goods at the local market
- Wandering the ruins of the imperial city
- Taking a motorbike tour through rice paddies and back roads

Hoi An
- Walking the Old Town, a UNESCO world heritage site
- Getting clothes tailored in the local shops
- Taking a cooking class and learning to make papaya salad and pumpkin soup
- Eating and drinking in the trendy local restaurants and bars
- Visiting the ancient My Son ruins
- Biking through nearby villages
- Taking a boat to an island in the river for a sunset BBQ

Nha Trang
- Playing cards with tripmates on the overnight train
- Getting dirty (then clean) at the mud and mineral baths
- Visiting nearby fishing villages
- Snorkeling in the South China Sea

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
- Touring the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum
- Enjoying Annette's Birthday dinner at a trendy restaurant
- Taking a cyclo tour to the major sites

Mekong Delta
- Paddling small canals to visit a coconut candy factory
- Eating a fried "elephant ear" fish

Xi'an

We know this post is long overdue. We have been keeping ourselves busy with travel, starting work, and buying a house, among other things. Without further ado, we present the first installment in the series on our big 2 month travel adventure.

Our first stop was to fly north into mainland China to see the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an before we left.

We stayed at the Bell Tower Hotel - here is the view of the Bell Tower from our room.



The next day, we did a tour that included a neolithic village and the terracotta warriors.









The next morning, we rode bikes on the old city wall and then went to the museum. While on the wall, we saw Samantha Brown filming a travel show. Very exciting!

Beijing

While Angela was in town we all had the opportunity to go see some of the sights in Beijing.


Wes and Angela check out "night food" street. They passed on the fried scorpions and snakes and settled for some pan-fried dumplings.



The next morning on the Mutianyu Great Wall, the gang encountered a martial arts group. Wes challenged a group of seven year old purple belts and was belted purple.



Wes and Annette on the way up the wall.



Guarding the rampart.



"Oh no! I dropped my keys!"



Angela makes the final push up a VERY steep ascent.



View from the top.



Whew! Angela is smiling more now that she is on the way down.



At the Temple of Heaven Park



Annette and Angela flashing peace on the place where emperors used to worship the heavens



After the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven, the girls were ready to do some shopping at the Pearl Market. Here they are bargaining over a nice silver and jade necklace.





On day two we headed for the Forbidden City. Much of it is under scaffolding; preparations for the 2008 Olympics are in full force.


Wes and Annette at the FC.


We had planned to etch our names into the walls at the Forbidden City, but then we saw this sign - dang!


Wes in a big pot that used to hold water to extinguish fires.


Angela and Annette relax in a quiet area of the Forbidden City.


Wes and Annette at the lover's tree. Awww...

Shortly after we left the Forbidden City, we were stopped to do an interview for BBC news! Angela was the big star, Annette looked stylish on the side, and Wes got cut out of the frame (eh, who needs fame?). You can see the report HERE.


Next we hiked up to enjoy the view from the White Dagoba. Not to be confused with the White Pagoda (or the similarly named planet in Star Wars).


After hours of wandering around the city and hiking up the steps to the Dagoba, our feet were tired! We decided to get off them for a while and cruise around in an electric boat. We were evidently quite the attraction, since the locals in passing boats couldn't resist taking our picture.


On our final day, we decided to check out Lamma temple.



They own the Guinness world record for the biggest Buddha statue carved out of a single tree.


Here are the knees of the Buddha. It was pretty impressive.



Not much headroom in there for the deity.


Wes spins a prayer wheel. Always remember to turn counterclockwise!


A&A pose with a lioness statue.


At the Beijing airport, Angela was nearly arrested after she decided to dump out this huge pot of flowers!


Ah! Home sweet (temporary) home back in HK. This new countdown clock has been installed in the terminal. Hong Kong is apparently hosting some of the equestrian events.