Singapore

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Anna-Grace sent me a sad-faced text message reminding me it had been a month since my last blog post from grown up camp the World Cruise.

Well, I had an excuse.  The third leg of the World Cruise was a jam-packed whirlwind through Southeast Asia. 

AND, I had Laird along for the ride!!!

There was lots of shopping with the girls whilst he got settled in...but we did have some fun taking the gondola over to Sentosa Island.

The notoriously camera-shy Laird said it was ok to post some pics... (no, he is not in the witness protection program...at least as far as I know).   He had fun fooling around with a new lens he bought for his Canon.... he's quite an accomplished photographer and I can't wait to see what he captures when he  goes back to Africa for work in July.

Kitchy gondola photo...

That evening we went to the INCREDIBLE Supertree Restaurant in the Gardens by the Bay.  The restaurant is actually INSIDE one of the giant man-made trees of the gardens....and the view of the Singapore skyline was STUNNING.

The next day, whilst Laird recovered from jetlag (the flight from Hooterville to Singapore puts the LONG in longhaul flight, especially with connecting flights in Tokyo),  I hopped on the subway, or MRT as it is called in Singapore, to make a quick stop in Little India.

Yes, I know we were visiting India in a few days,  but  I wanted to see if I could find my way via metro.  It was fun! And FAST.

Glass bangles in all colors and sizes.  Yes, I might have picked up a few sets, in plastic, for one little girl in my life...

 The flower sellers were busy stringing all sorts of blossoms for the Hindu temples. 

The sights and smells of Indian life always make me happy.    What an adventure awaited us!

Cambodia Revisited

Way back during the World Cruise in 2012, we visited Cambodia.  While on the way to Angkor Wat, we stopped at a village, and I took some photos of the beautiful children there. 

This year, I was lucky enough to return to the same village, Betrang.  It has grown a little, as has all of Sihanoukville.

We toured a little more of the countryside before heading off to see the market.

A cheeky rice grower posed from a distance...

Sights along a village lane...

Lovely spirit house...

Had an unusual figurine inside.

Coconut drying on the shed roof.

Along the lane, a wedding was taking place, and we were invited to take photos!

We made a quick stop at a temple...

And found some monkeys hanging out along the eaves.

The local market in town was a jumble of sights and smells...

Never seen live crabs this color....

Loved this little lady toasting bread...

Take a right just past the half-buried dragon...

To the Sohka Beach Resort for lunch and OF COURSE a foot massage.

Oh, you KNOW I wouldn't pass up that chance!!

Saigon By Night

"The Heat Is On In Saigon"...

Or so the lyric from "Miss Saigon" goes.  To me, the heat and humidity were okay (it's the Louisiana training, I guess) but my poor pals from Canada and Denmark were limp as unwatered flowers.

So we stayed fairly close to home the Rex Hotel, and visited Lemongrass Restaurant for dinner.

Another cute selfie... this time with the Rex Hotel's Guest Relations Specialist.

An exceptional meal... including this okra dish.  Probably the best preparation of okra I've ever had.

Barely sauteed in the merest coating of oil...with onion slivers and lemongrass and chili.  

I ate every bit.

Saigon lights up at night.  Very much the modern city.

The Rooftop Bar at the Rex- scene of many a Vietnam War powwow amongst generals and war correspondents. Now, with a great cover band.

Across the street, in front of the statue of Ho Chi Minh, teens and twenty-somethings rehearsed for a big Party rally the next day.  It's hard to remember this is technically a Communist country.

"S" ordered an "I Love Saigon" cocktail...

And I ordered a "Five O'Clock Follies".

Amazing!!