Eli and Elsie

Dear Most Excellent Ones,

I just enjoyed a most excellent time with two most excellent ones (Eli and Elsie) who kept me amused with their constant laugh out loud banter and wacky sense of humour.  We took a trip to Phi Phi Island in Thailand and then later, back in Hong Kong we explored Shing Mun Country Park plus spent New Year's Eve in TST.   It was a great time.

On the boat to Phi Phi island.  Elsie fortifying herself with coffee.

Eli making a face on a packed long tail boat.  This boat was the final mode of transportation to our hotel on Phi Phi.

Elsie riding the shoulders of Eli, so she won't get her feet wet.  We are disembarking on the beach by our hotel.

Eating a thai staple: fried chicken and pad thai.  Pad thai is great, but after about 4 days of it we were good.

The "kids," swinging together on the beach.

Elsie with her 1950's style sunglasses.  Cool.

Volleyball was played when sitting around in the sun got a little boring.

Waiting for ice cream.

Eli and Elsie winning a challenge at a Christmas Eve banquet on the beach.  They had to stand on a piece of paper together without any other part of the body on the stage.  The paper kept getting smaller and smaller until Eli had to carry Elsie and stand on one foot to win.  A bottle of wine and some caps were the prizes for their effort.

December 25, 2014.  Not a bad way to celebrate Christmas.

Happily walking through the street markets of Phi Phi.

Merry Christmas!

On the beach, made famous by the Leonardo Di Capreo movie: The Beach.

Checking out fish being dried out in the sun.  Black flies were also interested in the fish.

Cool man.

Elsie petting a golden lab pup at a tattoo parlour.  

At the "Viewpoint."  Phi Phi is a beauty.

We took a boat trip around Phi Phi.  One of the activities was cliff jumping.  Elsie was the only girl that jumped.  Here you see her flinging herself off.  Eli is next in the green shorts.  I hurled myself off too, but once was plenty.

Eli and Elsie floating around in the choppy seas.  We also snorkelled a lot and were astounded by the colors and vast variety of the fish.

In a banana grove.

Back in Hong Kong, Eli and Elsie bonded with some "wild," cows that meander around Shing Mun country park, free and happy.

Eli taking a break from one of our vigorous hikes.

Often I was tagging behind the "kids," on our hikes.

Hanging out by a sign in the butterfly park at Shing Mun country park.

New Year's Eve in TST.  Streets were blocked off to traffic so was fun to wander around.

Daniel, Elsie and Eli hamming it up.

High on Tai Mo Shan the tallest "mountain," in Hong Kong.

Two most excellent ones.

Happy New Year everyone.

God bless you.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Sweet Phi Phi Island

My Dear Most Excellent Ones,

I am currently on Phi Phi Island, Thailand with two of my favourite, most excellent ones, Eli and Elsie.  We arrived last Monday and have spent the past week catching up on sleep, catching some sunshine, catching up on some reading, snorkelling, shopping (at least Eli and Elsie are), exploring the islands, but for the most part we are just being rather lazy.  Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee) Island is actually made up of a few islands.  They are geographically, quite fantastic, for they are made up mainly of small limestone mountains.  There are several amazing fiords and lovely lagoons teeming with exotic, but so far, very friendly fish, throughout these "mountains."  For the most part snorkelling in Phi Phi is like swimming in an aquarium.  The water is warm and clear and the variety of sea life is astounding.  God is a creative genius, and for the most part I am in awe at what He has done, but when you see some weird fish, you can't help but wonder, "ah what were you thinking there Lord?"

Phi Phi is also a bit of a party place.  While I am in a nice quiet spot with the two E's in a nice cabin in a nicely landscaped park like setting, there is a teeming restaurant, diving, tattoo parlour, hostel, massage, bar, business that has attracted young 20 year old somethings from all over the world. Russian, Chinese, all variations of the Romance and Germanic languages, plus all dialects of English can be heard here.  Yet despite all this diversity there is great peace and people seem very relaxed and happy.  Maybe there would be more peace in the world if our leaders would meet in places like Phi Phi and just "chill" as the young say, have some Thai food, a beer, go snorkelling,  gaze at the sunsets and realize everyone enjoys basically the same things in life so lets enjoy them together. Yeah, I think peace summits should be on places like Phi Phi where uptight politicians would be made to relax and do some fun activities together.  Like snorkelling. 

Anyway, I hope you all had a great Christmas.  God bless you and as always:

Love Adios and Ping ON!

Dirk

 With two most excellent ones, Eli and Elsie.  This was taken at Ma ya beach, famous for the movie: The Beach.

 This boat is called a long boat, and is a main source of transportation.  The garland hanging on front of it is something to do with their buddhist religion.  The following pictures were taken during low tide.

The landscape is quite spectacular.

Christmas Day on Phi Phi.

 Our cabin is the one with all the wet clothes drying.  Typical.

 The long boats have long motors to get them through shallow water.  They are much too loud.

 This cave is a source for birdnests, which are then sent to China to be turned into the famous Birdnest Soup.

 Lovely fiords and lagoons are everywhere.

 The clear Lake Louise Blue waters are teeming with fish.

A screw pine.  The roots screw into the ground.

Amazing sunsets.

Have a great week everyone.

Needle Hill

My Dear Great Ones,

Last week I climbed up to Needle Hill with my lovely fiancee Celia.  Needle Hill is within walking distance of where I live and I highly recommend the hike for fitness and awesome scenery.

 At first Celia was not that impressed with the daunting task of climbing and climbing and climbing "milllions" of steps.

 Steps were pretty steep.

 Later the steps gave way to some magnificent views.  Shing Mun Reservoir.  Behind it is the urban landscape of Tsuen Wan.

 Look in the middle of this picture and you can see two bridges that are connected by lengthy tunnels on either side.  Hong Kong has several of these tunnel passageways connecting Kowloon to Shatin.

 A panoramic view of  the pictures above.

 Chinese directions on a tree.

 Tai Wai.  I used to live in the apartment complex below.

 Needle Hill with Shatin below.

 A much happier Celia celebrating the view.

 Trail up to the top.

Almost there.

 At the top 532 meters above sea level.

 Superb views.

 The view from the other side of Needle Hill.

 Shatin.

Have a great week everyone.  God bless you!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk