A Day With Eli

Eli posing with the Big Buddha.

Hello Most Great Ones,

It has been well over a week since Eli and Elsie departed from amazing Hong Kong, but we did so many things I could spend the next month just blogging that.  I am not going to do that, but I do want to  blog a great day I had with Eli.  Elsie needed some well deserved time out from us so Eli and I got on the rails and headed to Lantau to visit the Big Buddha.   After arriving in the town of Tung Chung on Lantau we took a wheezing, coughing bus up to Big Buddha, which rests high on a small mountain.  After checking the big guy out Eli and I decided to march 7 kilometers down the mountain on a well paved path.  This may not sound like much to a certain well hiked, retired Mobil couple, but the trail was pretty steep.  The views were quite spectacular and the bamboo jungles were amazing.  Half way down the mountain we came across a Buddhist monastery with monks dressed in traditional garb tilling their well manicured garden plots.  It was like going back in time.  There were also other Buddhist shrines, and gravesites along this path.  Finally we came upon a rushing creek with lovely clear pools.  It was a delightful trek and as I have said over and over again, Hong Kong never ceases to amaze me.

God bless you all.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk 

Son and dad.

Eli posing in front of the eternal pillars.

In a bamboo forest.

Asian pose in front of the trail head sign.

In front of the Buddhist monastery.

At a shrine.  

Interesting steps.

In the mighty jungle.

Clear waters.

 Great views.

 Mountain vistas.

Interesting Food

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

Eli and Elsie left this week, Eli back to Calgary, Elsie to Bremen, Germany where she will be a nannyfor three children.  This job will be for the next eight months.  I am happy for Elsie cause it sounds wonderful.  It was great having Eli and Elsie with me and we had many good talks and experiences.  We also had some interesting meals.  Here is a sampling of a few of them:

Till next week.  Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

Oysters with cheese and squid cooked abalone style.

Eli drinking fresh coconut milk.  The coconuts came from the trees at our hotel.

An artsy coffee.

 Eating at a deluxe buffet.  Steak, lobster, you name it.  Awesome.

 Eating on the beach at Boracay.

Elsie ready for some sushi.

Hot pot!  You get the food raw and then you cook it your self.  Not bad but Eli was a little skeptical.

Checking out fresh seafood in an aquarium.

Jumbo shrimp, lobster and fish.

Eli and Elsie

My Dear Great Ones,

Happy New Year!   I wish you all a wonderful and happy New Years! 

Having Eli and Elsie with me this Christmas season has been wonderful.  Here are a few pictures of what we have done so far in Hong Kong.

Love adios and peng on

Dirk

Cool Elsie.

Eli and Elsie in Hong Kong.

Eli by a buddhist shrine.

On the way down from the big Buddha.  Trail head.

Eli by buddhist pillars.

Night time view of Hong Kong from the peak.  Beautiful.

Eli by massive rubber tree.

Looking down at Hong Kong from the peak.

Checking out the peak.

At the Hong Kong zoo.

Watching the monkeys.

Eli and Elsie at the zoo.

Sushi!

By Lion Rock.

On top of Lion Rock.

By Amah Rock.

Biking with Eli.

Eli and Elsie at the Jose Rizal Execution Site

My Dear Excellent Ones,

Happy New Year!  2012 was an incredible year for me.  Thank you for your prayers and concen.  I really appreciate it and your encouragement helped me a lot.  

On the 29th of December me and the kids had a seven hour lay over in Manila.  We spent a big part of the time at Rizal Park and saw the following.

God bless you.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

There were statues of his execution plus statues of people in his life.

Elsie meeting Jose.

Family hearing the news that Jose is to be executed.

Elsie with the wife of Jose.

Elsie consoling the family.

Eli and Elsie getting to know some people.

Bullet holes.

Very sobering.  

Very powerful display.

Amongst the riflemen.

One of the priests.  Why was there a dog?  Not sure why.

The riflemen.

Jose Rizal.  Great hero of the Philippines.

Puka Beach

My Dear Great Ones,

Our last day at Boracay was fantastic.  Great weather, great times.  We sailed around the island on a catamoran (spelling) which was great fun and landed on a beach called Puka.  Beautiful, fantastic.  Best beach I have ever been on.  Later we headed back on a motorized tricycle and ate buffet on the beach.

A very sweet time and we are all grateful for it.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

Ready to board the Marion Jane.

Eli and Elsie getting comfortable.

A happy landing on Puka beach.

Sweet.

Taking a stroll.

 Building a turtle.  Cute.

A vast assortment of shells were for sale.

Riding a tricycle.

Eli squished in the back.

Another sweet sunset.