New Neighbors

It may just look like a wad of leaves to you.......but to this little guy it will be home sweet home. He has been working diligently for the last 2 days, adding bits to this nest in my lemon tree. Can't wait to see the finished product, and maybe even some "grandbirds"!

More Christophers on the island.

We have been so happy to have Scott and Cathy visit us in Singapore. We have been doing the "Singapore Grand Tour" with them and having a blast! We just got back from a weekend in Thailand (more blogging on that later), and they are off to Malacca today. Don'tcha want to come visit too?

Good bye to Brad...

I've had to say good bye to Brad, but I'm happy to report that he is actively seeking employment in Singapore! Keep your fingers crossed for him, I know first-hand what a great chef he is!

Pulau Ubin and beyond!

"Bumboats" lined up to take you over to the island.

Spicy seafood, washed down with lots of cold beer!

The elusive Hornbill.

I love finding new places to take people when they visit Singapore. Several of our friends had been recommending Pulau Ubin, an island just 10 minutes from Singapore, but at least 100 years back in time! It is a small village that thrives on the "city folk" tourist trade by providing good, fresh seafood and bikes for rent. No kidding! That is all you do over there, but it is jungle and quite a change from busy, metropolitan Singapore. Brad, Stan, and I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon with friends hiking and enjoying a huge, family-style seafood lunch.

More Cambodia Bayon and Ta Phrom

Brad and I at the South Gate to Bayon Temple....darn bus!!

The famous "enigmatic Bayon smile".

Tracy, Connie, Val and Brad.

Ta Phrom temple where the huge tree roots were left to illustrate how the jungle had totally engulfed the temple.

Ta Phrom temple.

You may be getting tired of posts from Cambodia..sorry! We had such an amazing time here exploring these temples from the 11th century Khmer civilization. These 2 temples were great because they were so different. Bayon was once a walled city, so has gates with massive carved stone faces and lines of soldiers leading up to it. The temple has 5 towers with faces carved on each side. They are said to represent the ruler, and allowed him to watch all sides of his kingdom at once. You can see that the faces are carved out of huge blocks of stone, and you can only wonder how the artisans fit each piece together.

Ta Phrom was featured in the "Tomb Raider" movie, and has been left to the jungle. It really helps you imagine what the early french explorers found when they first stumbled upon the ruins. Also what great efforts have gone into restoring them. Giant trees still grow throughout the temple, their roots in many cases holding the walls together.

Kmer Food

Chicken Amok, don't you love the bowl? Several meals were served in folded banana leaves...no dishes to wash!!!

Barbeque pork, with HOT pepper dipping sauce.

Oh yes, a cold Angkor beer to wash it all down. This tiny bottle was $1.00, and happy hour lasted all day, buy one get one free!

The "Happy Special Pizza" was recommended by the Lonely Planet guide book. You have to guess what the secret ingredient was that made it "special!"

Cambodia

Our first day in Cambodia was spent at Angkor Wat, a temple built by the ancient Khmer people. Angkor Wat is
a world UNESCO site and listed in the book, "1,000 Places to See Before You Die." It had huge towers, very graphic bas-relief of battle scenes, and many carvings of graceful Apsara dancers. We spent several hours cllimbing and exploring these ruins.