

My time in Australia went by way to quickly but truly reminded me how much I enjoyed living there and all the lovely friends I have made.
Sending much love to Oz always!!!

My week zipped by as it was full of work and not a lot of play. The one thing we did, thanks to my hosts, was eat a plethora of Filipino food (and sit in traffic). The food is amazing! Very different, a blend of as many nations as have influenced the region. Some dishes were very Spanish, some Asian, and some reminded me of Fiji. Lots of meat and a tasty local beer called San Miguel to wash it all down.
Did I mention that it is HOT in the Philippines? And I thought Singapore and Thailand were broiling. Manila brings it to a new level. The traffic rivals some of the worst I've seen... but the people are kind, generous, and extremely friendly. I was called Ma'am constantly and although I still wish it were "Miss" it is very lovely.
I didn't have time to explore but these few pics are from cab rides where I was greatly entertained by the local modes of transport. Jeepneys are big bus-like vehicles made by a company called Sorel (sp?) They are as individual as their owners and I could spend all day looking at them. Tricycles are basically motorbikes with side cars. They are unique in that they have a structure around the sidecar that makes them even more functional. Up to 10 people have been seen draped all over a tricycle but the usual load is between 4-6.
I look forward to returning to the Philippines and hopefully Corey and I will squeeze in some diving there as well.

Most of my time again was spent working but I did have some wonderful meals with work hosts. One night we went to an amazing Chinese dinner and the next day for lunch they took to me to a famous cafe. It is called Tsui Wah and there are a few all over the city. It reminds me of a US style diner but of course the food is Chinese although the menu is quite varied with even some sandwiches and more.
One day I had some down time and had been eating too much so I took a very long walk. For some reason I really can't get lost in Hong Kong, it's a pretty logical city for walking and is quite safe. Some of my pics are from this walk.
One night on my own I went to a very local style eatery. I had a big plate of clams and another big plate of broccoli. I was in heaven as of course I washed it down with a big Tiger beer!