WAWA WEWE FROM VANCOUVER!

OOPS I KNEW I forgot something!!  The Blog!!!  Well here is a quickie. 

HOMECOMING

What a welcome. My heart still smiles and I get a little misty eyed.  First of all, I had the sweetest Tiwanese seat mates on both flights coming back. Of course I am invited to come visit them the very next time through Taipie! Then I arrive at YVR 6 pm with a personalized Jim Airport Pickup service. 

Arrive at #5 Greenland home.  There in my living room window is a huge sign WELCOME HOME MOM MOM, surrounded by Christmas lights.  Inside the apartment the whole kitchen and living room is decorated with draping garlands, strings of lights, hanging decorations, and a table full of fresh fruit. It was ingenious and creative.  Allan, Braden and Isaiah had paid a visit a few days before I came home!  I will never ever forget this homecoming!  I was actually speechless which is really saying something.  Wow.  The only word that comes close to describing it.

Out to dinner in Vancouver, lots of chating and catch up time.  Then came the real fun.  Jet Lag. No sleep.  12 hours in bed for 6 hours broken snooze time.  Followed by the flu for NYE - which of course goes really well with a hot date at Hotel Georgia. sob.  then a cold for the Whistler trip.  Now I am healthy and rested, and leaving in 4 days!  But it's been great to see everyone that I did get to .... see.  And Home For Christmas.  the ever important thing. 

LAST FEW WEEKS IN BALI, SOME WAWA WEWE

On the Amed Coast:  desolate, well ok with the exception of Yoshi, my very fun new friend from New York City!  We managed to bond very nicely over beer, satay, around the pool, on the motor scooter, and snorkelling. 

Bobo:  a very desponent, gentle and intelligent soul employed at my 'hotel', who risked life and limb, well ok maybe just increased stress levels and some minor bruising by 'teaching' me to drive a motor scooter. On the wrong side of the road.  But hey, I had lots of fun AND came out (relatively) unscathed.  We had a heart to heart chat by Day 3 about 'attitutude, connecting with people, and the glass half full vs half empty'.  I left feeling like a real jerk for challenging his attitudes.  But the pay off came on the next day with a Bobo with a changed attitude, doing a professional job serving and caretaking.  The second day he thanked me and I felt a huge sense of relief.

Bettina:  yep we had a very good time thank you!   In spite of mixing a rabid non-smoker with an frequent ferocious smoker, we managed to really enjoy each others company with a journy to Lombongan Island.   Snorkeling, walking, scooter renting, getting very very lost and repeatedly going in circles for 2 hours. It was not funny until after dinner and retiring for the night.  Then we became quite hysterical when we realized between the two of us we have over 100 years combined life experience, and 50+ countries, yet we get hopelessly lost on a 10 km X 30 km Island!!!    I will not go into great detail about 'the body that washed up on the beach in front of our beautiful hotel.  Three days after the Lombok - Timor ferry sank with 250 people on board and 30 survivors.   

TRAVEL UPDATE ALERT

Off I go and what an adventure, even for an experienced wanderin soul this is a little extreme.  How do I describe in one word:  heart pounding excitment, eagerness, wonderment, wanderment, flabbergasted, spiritually tickled, personally awed, and overall totally blessed???? 

Ok here's what's happen'

Departure YVR with Belle and Ellen 3 pm January 20 for MUMBI INDIA!!!!  We connect onward to Goa for a few days, then hire  car for another few days of personalized sightseeing.  Travel to Calcutta by Feb 5. Then a train on my own to Varanase for a few days to check out the funeral pyres on the Ganges.  After some days of exploring, I will meet Suzan 'somewhere' then continue by train to Dehli in time to board my flight to NEPAL! 

I leave Nepal for Bangkok on March 22 where I'll meet Jim to explore SE Asia.  Due home end of May then HELLO VANCOUVER and my favourite Pacific Northwest for summer time hiking, biking, camping, barbques (Deb!) and music festivals.  Let me know if you have something else 'to do'.  And when you are available for what :)

BLOGGING  probably irratic. especially in India.  But I intend on continuing and hope you do too! 

ONWARD SEMI-FEARLESS WANDERERS!