Chinese New Year Visits and Vacation

Hey all,

I hope you enjoyed the pics on Monday.  It was fun going through and choosing which to use.  And I have some more to share with you today.  These are of some of the other places we took Jeramiah while he was here.

As you know, Jonathon and I love traveling and so we had already been to a few of these places.  But seeing them through Jeramiah's eyes made them special all over again.  And we were able to visit a few places we haven't had a chance to do yet.  

Enjoy the pics and the comments.  I had a blast putting it together for you all!  And if you want a better look at one, just click on it for a bigger  picture.  

 

Jeramiah looks into China from the island of Coloane.  The mudflats in front of him are farmed by fisherman who trap mudskippers in little baskets.

 

New arrivals to Macau.  Kai Kai and Xin Xin.  These pandas were sent from China as a breeding pair and the locals built a huge park to accommodate them.  They are quite active.  (The only pandas I've ever seen  just laid around and slept.) We only got to watch them for about 10 minutes, and they rolled and played and nibbled on each other.  Just loved it and will be going back.  They only charge about a dollar (American) to go in and see them.

 

Jeramiah gets his first look at a street food vendor.  And knowing now how the meat is left out exposed, it was his last try at tasting anything.  LOL

 Jeramiah discovered this underground tunnel system up at the Guia Lighthouse.  We had a blast exploring it.  It went on for miles and we wound up on the other side of the mountain from where we started.  (Jonathon got sooooo bored waiting for us.)  It was totally awesome, and we got this great Blair Witch type video he's putting together.

 

The traditional kiss at the Guia Lighthouse.  We were waiting for Jeramiah to come to visit for the first time and it was lovely.  A short ride up on a gondola and a beautiful park at the top, complete with exercise paths, a small zoo and botanical garden.  We can't wait to go again.

 

Jonathon and Jeramiah check out the view from uptop the mountain at the Guia Lighthouse.  You can see in all directions and the mix of old and new is amazing.

 

Having a cup of coffee at Fisherman's Wharf.  The Chinese Lanterns will stay up through the spring festivals.  It was the busiest I've ever seen this area of Macau.

 

The dusk view from atop the Macau Tower.  We hadn't been there yet but when Jeramiah came we found out you could go up for free during the Chinese New Year.  We saw it both at night and during the day.  And we'll go back again on a clear day.

 

Did I say FREE?  Well...kind of.  What we didn't see in the advertisement--and yes...it could have been in Chinese somewhere--was the fine print that said it was a walk for charity.  Not a problem...we walk a lot.  But this walk was up the tower stairs!!!  Bloody hell!!!!  But, they were kind.  You could walk the whole 65 stories or you could do only half of that...start at the 31st floor.  *groan*  We made it, but treated ourselves to a bucket of beer and snacks as we watched the sun drop from the sky.  It was actally a blast and an afternoon we won't ever forget.

 

This is the famous Ah Ma Temple, the oldest structure on the whole island.  Because it was Chinese's New Year it was BUSY!!!  The faithful and tourists alike were everywhere.  Firecrackers were lit by tossing them into one of the incense ovens and were sooooo loud, our ears rang for hours afterwards.  But the carnival atmosphere was bright and festive and so much fun.

 Okay.  Now this is a great picture.  Over here they have these drinks.  They are really delicious, but at the bottom they put these slimy little balls in them.  I call them snot balls, slugs or lugies.  LOL  But in reality they are tapioca pellets.  But they are so slimy they make me gag.  We got one for Jeramiah and didn't tell him what was in it.  He was expecting milk tea, which he got, but then he got a surprise at the end.  And you can see by his expression it wasn't a pleasant one.  *snerk*

This pic was taken at the top of Monte Fort near Senado Square.  In the background is the famous Lisboa Casino.  At night it is all lit up and quite beautiful.  (see the tower pic of the sunset above)

 Hong Kong Disney.  And some new friends.  Because we are Americans it's like we're celebrities over here.  Everyone wants their picture taken with us.  LOL  These kids took our photo and then we had them jump in with us.

Minnie and Mickey celebrate the new year.  They are topiaries completely made of flowers.  The small bushes with oranges beneath them are for luck.  The gold medallion has rabbits on it for the year of the rabbit.

 We did Buzz Lightyear and had a blast.  I didn't shoot anything but my camera, but the boys got down and crazy doing it.  They fought it out until the last moment, but I think Jeramiah snuck by with a winning score.  I told Jonathon I'd give him a consolation prize later.  *giggle*

 Okay...so for those who've seen Harry Potter...doesn't this narrow bus remind you of the Night Bus in the movie?  It did us.  And when you ride in it you really feel it.  Only one seat on either side and the skinniest little spiral staircase you've ever seen.

 

The Hong Kong Skyline seen from The Peak.  This is an interesting place.  You can see the whole of Hong Kong, the harbor and the Kowloon peninsula.  Plus there is enough shopping to keep you busy for months.  We took Jeramiah to visit the doctor fish.  The video we got of him feeling them nibble for the first time was beyond hilarious.  LOL

Jeramiah and I at the Kowloon Harbor.  The Hong Kong cityscape is behind us.  I've seen a lot of skylines--San Francisco, New York and even Paris--but this was one of the prettiest.  The lights dancing on the buildings were elegant and eye catching.  If you ever have a chance to see it, do!

So, I hope you enjoyed this brief journey through my vacation.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.  There were so many other pictures and memories I wish I had time to share with you, but I don't have the space.  Just know having my son here visiting was a wonderful time for all of us.  And though Jeramiah said he wouldn't want to live in Asia--too much weird stuff--I believe this trip is something he'll never, ever forget!!! 

On Friday I'll be back with another great guest blogger, Deborah Brown, who has a wonderful blog about this and that!  LOL  Have a great ending to your week and don't forget to hug your family.  Next time you want to, they may be half way around the world.  *sigh*

Hugs,
CJ England

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