Closing Entry

After posting photos for the latest blogs for Malaysia and Singapore, this entry is a closure to our summer hiatus to SE Asia.  This trip encompassed travel to 6 countries, 13 cities through 16 air flights, 10 airports, 6 airlines and at least 17 types of local transport.  For those of you who do not know me so well, I am a great fan of lists.  So here goes...

I want to express our gratitude to all of those who supported us along the way: 

• Scott, my loving husband, who supported this fanatical  and fantastical dream.
• The Early's for making their home available as a home base during our travels.  This was our home away from home between country tours. 
• Work, for covering for me during a 3 month absence.
• Richard and Candace for their advice and support.
• Bob and Karen for being there!
• Marie for her electrical adaptors.
• Friends and family who checked in on each step of the way with words of encouragement.
• Friends who supported Sonja and Daniel when I departed early in June before school was dismissed for the summer.
• Friends who helped with the house and our dog Luby!
• Sonja and Daniel for being great travelers!!!
• Friends who kept Scott occupied while while Kj, Sonja, and Daniel were traveling for 5 to 6 weeks.  We have never been separated for this time before and we missed him terribly. 
• Fellow travelers for their works of advice, sharing stories and kind way they visited with Sonja and Daniel.

For those of you who were not aware, we are grateful to not encounter the following on our travels:

• Dengue Fever.  There was an epidemic in  Singapore during our stay.
• Travelers Diarrhea and Bangkok Belly.  Who would have thought that we would all remain perfectly healthy traveling for 3 months in SE Asia.  Ironically, Sonja on her first full day back in Spokane was ill and throwing up. 
• Islamic Terrorists.  We changed travel plans in south Thailand and north Malaysia due to Muslim terrorist violence.
• Military Coup. There is rumor of another miliary coup in Thailand/Bangkok.  Most recent was in September of 2006.

We will sadly miss:

• Chopsticks
• Making small talk with taxi and tactic drivers.
• Swimming with the elephants in Thailand.
• Chaos in Saigon.
• Smell of street venders food in Vietnam.
• Pho for breakfast.
• Mangoes and grilled corn on Maenam Beach in Koh Samui.
• Tour through Vietnam country side.
• Reading local papers-especially Singapore with all the Asian news.
• Grandeur of Angkor Watt and other temples in Siem Reap.
• A healthy sweat in the Buhkit Timah reserve.
• Tioman, Malysia.  Snorkeling at Tulai Island.
• Sounds of the jungle.
• Eating outdoors and outdoor living.
• Local cold beer:  Bia Hoi, Saigon Beer, Beer Lao, Tiger
• Hawker food in Singapore.
• River taxis in Bangkok.
• Massage on the beach.
• Malayasian smiles.
• Spending the summer with Sonja and Daniel. 

Items that did not make the blog:

• Using the toilet at 3:00 a.m. and discovering a live rat splashing in the toilet after using the toilet before flushing.
• Using squat toilets in the rain with no roofs and seing a brilliant yellow frog on the wet block wall at eye level.

What we will not miss:

• Smell of open sewers
• Negotiating prices in the markets. 
• ISN.  Impolite smoking neighbors.
• Not being able to drink tap water.
• Sunburns.
• Sand in our sunscreen.
• Waiting, waiting, waiting.