London!

We started our summer trip home this year in London.  We decided to spend a couple of days here because we figured, when are we coming to London again?  It seemed like a good idea when we were planning it, and it turned out OK, because we had the worst jet lag, and went to bed both nights at around 6:30.  We are such fun!

Here are the kids in Heathrow Airport.  We had about a 14 hour flight, and it was about 2 in the afternoon when we arrived, but it was midnight for us.  Party-girl Pooks was fine, but R-Man looks like he is ready for bed. 

We were planning to take the bus/tube from the airport to our hotel, which we thought would be manageable, but at the last minute I got cold feet and had Gary book a taxi pick-up... THANK GOD!  London is huge, and crowded, and it would not be easy to manage four suitcases, three carry-ons, and two kids, especially when you have NO IDEA where you are going.  Even the taxi guy had to use the GPS, and he was from there!  This is our place, we stayed in a cellar room, and even that was pricey... but we got our money's worth... remember we were in bed at 6:30 each night!!!

Here we are, eating dinner the first night... everyone is sleepy but Pooks. 

Here we are in one of those cool red phone booths... love them!  I don't know why the picture is sideways, but we were standing up at the time.  This is the next morning at 5:00 AM.  We actually ate breakfast at McDonald's, where we NEVER eat, because it was the only place open at that time.  All of the local, regular breakfast places didn't open until 9:00, when we were ready for lunch.  Actually, we think this is why America won the Revolutionary War... jet lag.  If you wake up 5 hours before your enemy, you have a slight advantage!

We were also the first people in Kensington Gardens, the gardens surrounding Will and Kate's house.  Exercisers slowly started trickling in as we were sight-seeing.  

The Peter Pan Statue.  

Walking down by the pond, and under the tunnel.  It really was a beautiful morning.
We finished our walk through Kensington Garden, and made our way to the Marble Arch (no picture) where we boarded the Big Red Sight-seeing Tour of London.  

Because really, what better way to see London than with every other tourist, and an obnoxious soccer-loving maniac giving you the details... Ahhh... good times! 

As usual, I have about 1000 pictures of our day, but I will just pick out a few winners to share.  If you want to see more, let me know!  Here is our first view of Big Ben from the roof of the big red bus.

Actually, we kept joking that we were the Griswolds...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgX6qlJEMc

This is the Golden Jubilee Bridge, and I think that is Parliament in the background.  

St. Paul's.  This is a really big church.  

Lucky for us, it is also a National Winner in the Loo of the Year Awards.  Unfortunately, London is like most of the other places we have visited in Europe... there are no potties!  If you want to go, you have to pay, which makes it feel like a rip-off... I guess that is how they keep people from loitering around any place too long... but it also makes any place that has a few shrubs into a rest area... just saying, would it kill them to have a few bathrooms???

Back on the street... empty bladders and all!  Phew! 

Here we are having breakfast for lunch, because of course, lunch doesn't start until noon, but when you eat breakfast at 5, you are ready for lunch at 10:30.  So we are in a bar, having breakfast for lunch.   Of course the bartender is like, "Water?"  And we replied, if it is too early for lunch, it is too early for beer... 

Our big red bus went over London Bridge, but it was just a plain ole bridge, nothing really spectacular about it, it wasn't even falling down, so we didn't stop and take any pictures, but we did stop here, the Tower Bridge.  

Back on the big red bus, and this time we get a great view of the Thames River and the London Eye, which is that big ferris wheel. 

We hop off the bus to see this guy, playing bagpipes.  We originally thought that bagpipes were Scottish, but I think every place we visited had at least one guy playing them. 

Here we are, with a Bobby, in front of yup, Big Ben... (Parliament!)

And once you are off the bus at Big Ben (Parliament!), it is walking distance to  many of the other sights from European Vacation.  So here we are, at Westminster Abbey.

And really, after spending most of the morning riding and walking around London, I have to say that the Brits are jolly good sports about having royalty money rubbed in their faces over and over again.  This place is huge, and gorgeous, but really, we are over the glory and greatness of Elizabeth, Philip, Will, and Kate.  Enough with naming stuff after yourselves, and the statues, and all of that stuff.  We get it.  You own London and you're nice enough to share it with the rest of us.  Thanks.

Outside Buckingham Palace.  Not a toilet in sight.  

The guard.

Gary actually got most of his face into Buckingham Palace.  That is as close as any of us got to HRH.  

What can you even say about this.  Even the path is dedicated to the queen. 

To use a bathroom we had to pretend that we were staying at this hotel near the Hard Rock Cafe.  While we were waiting I found this.  It was part of a huge display, and unfortunately there were none for sale. 

Back on the bus.  This is as close as we got to going into Harrods.  Because if you think the palace and streets are packed, you should see the mobs outside here.  

Will and Kate were nice enough to let us take a photo in front of their house.  I have to say, I would not like to live here, or in Buckingham Palace.  You can't leave your windows open.  And weirdos are always walking around your house and using your bushes as a rest stop.  I would much rather live just about anywhere else.  

The royal Kensington merry-go-round.  It was actually really pretty.   This is our last stop before we head home and to to bed.  It is pretty late, like 5:30, so you know... 

After another Mickie D's 5AM breakfast we head out for our last morning in London.  Another stroll around Kensington Gardens and one shot in front of the Royal Albert Hall.  

All aboard... we are getting ready for our cruise.  

Tomorrow, France.  

Kota Kinabalu

I started to write this blog when we got back from our trip, but then, as you may know, Gary had a seizure, and then a couple more, and so we have been spending time taking care, and meditating, and appreciating life, and trying to slow down a bit, because the doctor keeps saying that the root cause (other than the lesion) is stress. 

And so, telling this story took a back seat, until today.  Because tomorrow we start another trip home, stopping in London, Ireland, Wales, and while we are looking forward to it, we are also a bit nervous. 

I guess it was a slow time of year for travelers to Kota Kinabalu, and we were staying in a kind of remote area, but for the entire week, we were at the resort with only about a dozen or so other people.  At breakfast, we were usually the only ones, which has its perks... no line at the omelet bar, no line at the toaster, no waiting for water, but also has the drawback of having everyone who works there watch what you take, and what you eat, and even if they are not really watching or noticing, it makes you put back that second donut, because really... what if they are watching?!?

Another thing that the staff was considerate enough to do each morning as we walked in to the restaurant was to turn on Rod Stewart's Greatest Hits.  And that guy really had some songs!  I thought about writing this post entirely in Rod Stewart lyrics, but really, we didn't take a downtown train, or wake up Maggie, so I had nothing.

Here's the pool, also deserted.  Great for splashing and making lots of noise!

Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah, a region of East Malaysia. Because the islands of Malaysia are mainly Muslim there are lots of Halal food stands and restaurants.  In Arabic, the word halal means permitted or lawful. Halal foods are foods that are allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines. According to these guidelines gathered from the Qu'ran, Muslim followers cannot consume the following:
pork or pork by products
animals that were dead prior to slaughtering
animals not slaughtered properly or not slaughtered in the name of Allah
blood and blood by products
alcohol
carnivorous animals
birds of prey
land animals without external ears 

That was just FYI.

I had a plate full of veggies and rice, and while I was eating I was trying to think of which land animal doesn't have external ears.  Do you know?  Do chickens have external ears?  What kind of rule is this? 

R-Man was playing it safe by eating just a plain carrot.  No ears on those.  Luckily he wasn't eating corn!

Pooks also had some veggies and something on a stick.  You are never sure what it is, especially here.

Last food stall photo of the night- sugar cane juice.  How many of those can you drink?  More than you think! 

Another day by the pool.

As you know, R-Man is a rule follower.  We call him OSHA because he always takes the time to read the rules and to insure they are adhered to.  So, he loved these pool rules regarding attire.  He said we had to take a picture because it was funny.  Sexy Shorts are not allowed.

Ahhh... the day of our great fishing and crabbing trip.  Here we go, on our three hour tour. 

No poles, just line, sinker, bait.  Old school. We decided to have a competition to make it a bit more interesting.  Five points for each fish you catch, and ten for each crab in the trap of your choice (before it is pulled up).  Can you guess who won?  Let me give you a hint... it is the one person not born near the ocean in Florida. 

 

Yup, it was me, with this beauty... the only thing we caught all day...

other than the bait in the crab trap.

Zero points for this baby!

Here is one of the many monitor lizards that were sharing the hotel with us. 
 

The floating mosque.  We didn't visit because modest clothing was required, but we had only sexy shorts (just kidding).

Downtown there are several waterfront restaurants with big menus, but all they seem to choose is burgers. 

With fries, of course.

R-Man met this guy waiting for the bathroom and wanted to take a picture with him because he liked his shirt.  It looked like a big candy corn.  Who could say no?

Back at the market.  More sugar cane juice.

Here we are getting foot massages.  The faces are because we are all in one huge room, with like 50 chairs all facing forward, but there is this big Chinese guy behind us is snoring like nobody's business.  We were cracking up, and just dying because no one else seems to think it is even a bit funny that this guy is OUT! 

Here is a blurry shot of what it was like. 

Near our hotel, at the Shangri-La Hotel, which was PACKED by the way, was an orangutan sanctuary.  I cajoled Gary into going, despite the 98 degree, 98% humidity weather.  It was the perfect day for a walk through tropical jungle, into a nature sanctuary. 

So we join the line of sweaty explorers and make our way up to the look-out, where we are going to wait to get a glimpse of some wild (sort of) orangutans, as they come to the platform for some food. 

In the brochure, they fail to mention that orangutans are mostly brownish, as is most of the nature around them.  Additionally, the trees cast a mottled shade, that acts to further conceal the animals.  That is how they have lived so long in the jungle, DUH... they are camouflaged... and so I have about 45 pictures exactly like the one above.  Can you see the THREE orangutans in the picture? 

I can understand why they have this sign, because after one hour of sort of seeing camouflaged orangutans, I was ready to wear a banana hat to get one to come closer!

Instead, I snuck some pictures of the gift shop post cards... don't let them fool you!

This is what I thought my pictures would look like!  HAHA! These are probably not even real orangutans...

One of the carvings at the hotel. 

Nice, huh? 

Back at our hotel, on the deserted beach...

Waiting for the sunset...

Who had fun?  We did.