Reserved Seats

George and I took advantage of the reserved seats in the metro in Singapore!

 We aren't disabled, pregnant or traveling with small children....that only leaves one reason for the seats....OLD!

I think we were both happy that when we were standing up in the crowded cars no one offered to give up their 'reserved' seat to us.  Maybe we aren't really that old!

Singapore - A 'Fine' City!

On our way to join the SE Asia tour George and I spent a couple of nights and a day in Singapore.  Ex-pats who live in Singapore refer to it as 'Asia-lite' because it is such an easy place for foreigners to live.  Another pet name for the city is a "Fine City" both because it is a beautiful or 'fine' city and because you can get 'fined' for many different things.  Here is the warning sign in the metro.

I resisted both the urge to eat and drink myself and to do a 'citizens arrest' on the guy who was drinking, horror or horrors, a bottle of water on the metro train.

Singapore is actually a very modern and beautiful city.  Also boasts the most expensive real estate in the whole world!

I especially loved the very unusual hotel behind me.  Looks like a big ship huh?  If I ever come back here I want to pay to go up to the park on the top!  Cool!

Thanks to British planning there are quaint bridges over the rivers which soften the look of the ultra modern architecture.  This particular bridge has a warning that no cattle or horses can cross!

One of the highlights of our day was a visit to the famous Singapore Zoo Night Safari.  I wondered how they would make it light enough for the visitors to see the animals but still dark enough to cause these nocturnal animals to be active.  The artificial lighting replicated bright moonlight perfectly so that the animals were out and about and ready to be photographed.

This is a fishing cat.  We never got to see him jump in the water but he was certainly intent on the water.

Can you find him staring at the fish in the water?

A spotted hyena

African gharail - looks like an alligator with a bulb for a nose

 Pelican

 Fruit bat - Yuck!!!  They are just giant flying rats!

 Cute little otter!

 Lions

 And a spotted leopard!

I love Singapore!  George comes here occasionally for work.  I'd love to come again....in fact, I'd love to live here! Dream on!  As I've said of myself before "Blessed or cursed by the wander fire."

Girl's Night out in Siam Reap, Cambodia!

 Katherine and I enjoyed a fun 'Girl''s Night Out' in Cambodia with our new friends from West Virginia, Deedee and Karen

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We caught a tuk-tuk at the hotel.

Braved the absolutely insane traffic. Photos can't really do it justice....but this should give you some idea!

Feasted on pizza with coconut cream sauce and washed it down with fresh mango smoothies.

Lucked into watching a fun Lunar New Year's parade...

And ended the evening with a 'fish pedicure'!

Everyone squeals when their feet first go in the tank and the fish start their nibbling! The preferred feet seem to be slightly 'older feet'.  I felt sorry for the young women there with us 'senior citizens'! We got most of the 'action'!

Even though my feet are quite ticklish, I loved it!  I could have stayed longer!

You can choose little fish...

Or big fish....

Look at this little fishy go to work on my callous.

My feet felt fabulous afterwards!  Fun night!

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Tiger, tiger!

Tiger Tiger, burning bright, 

In the forests of the night; 

What immortal hand or eye, 

Could frame thy fearful symmetry? 

In what distant deeps or skies. 

Burnt the fire of thine eyes? 

On what wings dare he aspire? 

What the hand, dare seize the fire? 

And what shoulder, & what art, 

Could twist the sinews of thy heart? 

And when thy heart began to beat, 

What dread hand? & what dread feet? 

What the hammer? what the chain, 

In what furnace was thy brain? 

What the anvil? what dread grasp, 

Dare its deadly terrors clasp! 

When the stars threw down their spears 

And water'd heaven with their tears: 

Did he smile his work to see? 

Did he who made the Lamb make thee? 

Tiger Tiger burning bright, 

In the forests of the night: 

What immortal hand or eye, 

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

      William Blake

Another amazing experience hugging these huge beasts!  

The two month old babies didn't seem quite as frightening! 

 Really just big kittens! 

They played and interacted just like cats....although big cats and I'm pretty sure he would

have completely torn up this piece of wood if given the chance.

 But how could you not love a little striped face like this?

Thinking of Megan!

My friend Megan LOVES elephants.  While on safari in Kenya, her prayers to see lots of elephants, especially babies, totally trumped my prayers to see big cats.  We spent so much time photographing elephants that we missed the cheetahs that were in the area.  Oh well!  Elephants are pretty amazing.

I couldn't help but think of Megan when we were in Chiang Mai, Thailand recently at the Maesa Elephant Camp where not only did we see elephants but we:

Got elephant kisses!

FYI - Elephant snot smells like wet dog!  Not very pleasant but how often do you have elephant snot on your cheek?

And elephant hugs!

The whole time they are hugging you, their trunks are busy checking your pockets and purse to see if you have anything interesting and yummy!

In the wild, elephants sleep about 4 hours a day and spend the rest of the time eating.  I guess that explains why their trunks are always searching for food!  

He knew that at least some of those tourist waiting for a ride were hiding sugar cane and bananas!  If he could just somehow manage to reach the treats!

We watched an exciting elephant soccer game! Not exactly like watching FC Barcelona but I did yell 'Goooooooal'! when they scored!

How in the world do you teach an elephant to paint?

And here we are riding over the mountain on Ozzie, a 29 year old male who is 'very strong and smart' and has 'lots of girlfriends'!

 An unforgettable day that would have been fun to share with Megan!

Salads!

After 2 weeks in SE Asia where the only safe veggie is a cooked veggie, George and I binged on salads at Sweet Tomatoes.

Never has a salad tasted so good!

#18 Margaret

Foster Guide Dog #18 spent the weekend with us! Margaret!

The grey muzzle gives a pretty good clue that she is an older dog, in fact a recently retired guide dog. Very recently! The person she has been guiding is at the Guide Dogs Campus getting a new dog and Margaret is have a retired dog eval at the vet clinic.  Lucky girl she gets to go back 'home' with her 'person' and the new dog.  In the meantime she had a biopsy of a lump on her foot so while she was with us she got to make a fashion statement with her E-collar:

And a stylish bootie for outside wear!  Looks like a Nike design huh?

Another sweet dog to love!