We're quickly approaching the end of another school year, and the time shows no hints of slowing down. While Melanie, Sheree and the girls were in Bangkok (see below), their husbands were given the green light to travel to NE India. After some research, we discovered that it was possible to spend part of a day in Bhutan without a visa (or the required $200 per day per person for securing a visa!)

We left on Friday evening and arrived in Calcutta at around 2am. We spent the rest of the morning at a hotel and then took a one-hour flight straight north to Bagdogra. This is the airport and air force base at the base of the Himalayas in the NE part of the country. We then had a 4-hour minivan taxi ride to Darjeeling, arriving at a great Tibetan run hotel. We arranged to get up for sunrise the next morning and were rewarded for the short night of sleep - the sky was clear and our view of the mountains was beautiful (we even caught a glimpse of Everest)!

(part of our view that morning)

(trying to smile at 5am)

Our next day and a half were spent wandering through the streets of Darjeeling. It's at about 7,500 feet, so the days were very pleasant and the mornings/evenings were quite chilly.

(This was how most loads were carried on the steep streets)

From Darjeeling we took a 3-hour jeep ride to Kalimpong, a smaller town directly east of Darjeeling. Our ride took us down through a cloud, a forest of ferns, many tea plantations, a forest of enormous evergreen trees, a deciduous forest with leaves turning color and falling, and then along a quick moving river, before climbing the mountain on the other side.

From there we negotiated a jeep driver to take us to and from Bhutan the next day. After agreeing to the price, he asked his Bhutanese friend to drive us, as he had never been there, so we even got a guide to take us to a monestary a way out of town! We traveled through the plains in India and hit the border of Bhutan about 100 yards before hiting the mountains...

(our view from the monestary over the plains of India)

The next few hours were spent wandering around the town on the Bhutanese side of the border. Although we didn't get too far into the country, it was great to take a peek...

(2 boys in traditional Bhutanese outfits - all Bhutanese citizens must wear them)

Our last 3 days were spent in Kalimpong and then in Gangtok, Sikkim. Sikkim was its own kingdom for a long time and it still requires foreigners to have a permit to enter. However, it was a great place that is really catering to trekkers... our treks were limited to paved streets, but maybe some other time....

Instead of a 5+ hour drive back to the airport, we were able to secure seats on the Indian government subsidised helicopter! Not a bad way to finish up!

(spices in the market in Kalimpong)

(2 boys at 2 different monasteries)

(a view of the terraced mountains from the helicopter)

Four days, four girls, three hotels, two flights and one city – Hong Kong
Note for American readers pram = stroller.
I just got back from 4 days in Hongkong (my first time) with one of my best friends, Sheree, and her 2 daughters, Grace (3 years) and Sophie (3 months). While Marc and Sheree’s husband Stuart had an adventurous week in Northern India, Sheree and I wanted a shorter trip! We also got a free night at the Island Shangri-la (a 5 star hotel) from a friend who won it but could not go.

The four of us had a great time, although Sophie did not say as much we could tell from her obvious enjoyment of naps in her pram at exactly the right times! We got in late on Friday night and got the complimentary shuttle to the VERY nice hotel near the airport. The bathroom had a window into the main room so you could see the TV from the bath which Grace thought was pretty cool (she likes baths). We all slept really well and woke up late and therefore almost missed the buffet breakfast (which would have been a shame as it was delicious).





From our hotel window we saw a cable car going over water and off to a distant peak so we decided to do that. It turned out to be “The Path of Enlightenment" with a huge Buddha on top of the peak. As an alternative to taking the cable car one can walk all the way on a small path with lots of steps. This, we assumed, was the “Path” but we were feeling pretty enlightened as we comfortably sailed over the top of those people who had chosen to walk!! At the top was a fake "old" Chinese village. We went into a few of the cheesy tourist shops and walked around and then went back down.

Our hotel joined a mall and also subway which we caught across to Hong Kong Island to check into the Shangri-la. Sheree and I were hard core “mums”; carrying 20kg packs on our back and pushing one kid each in prams up and down escalators and on and off trains -during which Grace fell asleep. At our train stop we got off into another mall and so just followed the signs to our hotel through the mall. We then relaxed by the pool and outdoor hot tub. Grace made the most of both by going back in fwd between them. I did some laps and Sophie slept.

The hotel was lovely and the service impeccable. It was decorated in an opulent old style and although magnificent and luxurious seemed a bit dated. The buffet breakfast though worth US$40 each was fantastic (luckily (!) included in the package) Not only was there an omelet counter but also separate pancake/waffle and noodle counters, as well as beautifully decorated and presented everything. Including bowls of fresh strawberries and blueberries!

After breakfast we decided that this was our big chance to go antique shopping; I carried Sophie in a pouch thing and Grace did a good job of walking. We found a whole street full of antique shops as well as a cool little street with market stalls filled with curios (good for buying and photographing). We came across a shop with a big cat (named Mimi) that kept Grace distracted while Sheree bought a mahjong set and I got a little box. We then walked through the market and bought a few things. By this time Grace was hot and Sophie awake so we went back to the hotel and enjoyed the pool some more before out late check out!

At this point we were feeling exceedingly adventurous and made a decision that could have been bad but was actually OK - we decided to take the ferry as our means of transport to our next hotel which was back on mainland Kowloon. So 20kg packs, kids, prams and now a mahjong set, we set off by taxi to the ferry. The water was pretty rough and as the ferry pulled up we made a quick contingency plan for if the gang plank was dubious. However, when the ferry pulled up all was fine and the crew was very helpful. The ferry was not that impressive and mercifully short as we both felt seasick in the large swell pretty soon into the ride. Before we knew it we were there and off safely and got to our 3rd hotel!

The step down from five star to three was pretty brutal but with Grace running around and Sophie crying we eventually got our room key. That evening we decided to check out the markets, so again Sophie in the pouch and Grace walking we hit one of the markets. We saw a market full of tacky stuff where Grace got some things she will no doubt treasure, and then saw the Goldfish Market which consisted of a street of shops with all shapes and colors of fish in plastic bags from floor to ceiling. Really very fun but Grace was convinced that we could take some home and had them all picked out so we had to leave up-happy.

On Monday we went to Disney Land. Luckily within the first 15 minutes we were able to see Cinderella as Grace had been talking about her all the way there. Sheree then took Grace on some rides in Fantasy land. It got pretty hot so we just walked through Future Land and Adventure Land, decided they were not for us and went home. A good day I think. I spent a lot of time hanging out with Sophie on park benches and being waved to by Sheree and Grace from various rides between having Sophies's photo taken with Korean and Chinese tourists who thought she was a cute baby and for reasons only known to tourists of these races wanted a photo with her (and me)!

Our return flight required an early morning to get the shuttle to the airport but all went very smoothly and we made it home! I feel like I got to relax and definitely had fun - and Sheree and I can check Hong Kong off our list.