Well Hello Hanoi!

November 30th, 2018

Up and ready for our 3rd country in 3 days.  Took the bus to the airport.  Once checked in we were told an 80 minute delay.  It could be worse.  Time to catch up on the blog, homework and a bite to eat.

We landed in Hanoi, Vietnam.  We have a driver who picked us up from the airport.  We are staying at La Selva Hotel. It is fantastic! The staff is so warm and overly kind to us.  While they took our passport information down they served us fresh squeezed passion fruit juice and a couple plates of fruit.  I don't like passion fruit but you could refuse their excitement for sharing with us.   We stepped off the elevator and it was crazy turf carpet.  Did not expect that.  We got the family room.  It has two beautiful bedrooms, two bathrooms and a deck overlooking the excitement of the street.  It is all in a french style. The beds have multiple roses on them.  Breakfast is also included all for the bargain price of $110.

Out we head for dinner and  another night market.  This one is only on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays, but first we have to get there.   OMG! OMG! Really OMG!  It is the scariest thing ever crossing the street here.  It mights say one way but it isn't. It might say it is OK to cross but it isn't.  Scooters are everywhere dodging cars and people. People dodging scooters and cars. It is INSANE! They say to not make eye contact with the scooters or to change your pace because they estimate where you are going.  If you make eye contact with them it throws them off and they can hit you.  It is a good idea though to make eye contact with drivers of cars, but who has time for that.  I feel like we are playing the old game of Frogger to get across the street.

We had a nice dinner at Bun Cha Ta for dinner.  You take your shoes off as you enter the dining area and sit down at the table on mats and your legs go down into a pit.   We had Bun Cha for dinner. It is a broth based soup with pork and noodles.   It was really good.  They set a bowl down of greens that you are supposed to add to the soup.  They said they boiled them first, but there was no way the kids and I were having any.  Andy went for it.  We will see if it that was a good or bad decision tomorrow.

Made it to the night market.  Lots of fun stuff. Hudson got ear buds ($2), Saylor got shorts ($2) and these crazy things that everyone is kicking almost like a hacky sack but with feathers.  We continued exploring and found Hoan Kiem Lake.   There was the beautiful Ngoc Son temple.  It is connected to the land with a beautiful scarlet bridge.  It was all lite up at night and stunning. They shut it off to traffic on the weekends.  There were so many people out just enjoying life.  Music was playing. All kinds as you made the stroll.  Vendors selling stuff. Kids ridding the little powered jeeps/army tanks/segways.  Hudson somehow managed to talk Andy into letting him ride a Segway.  We have determined Andy is officially the tallest person here.  We had some nice little desserts at a french bakery and then walked back to our hotel.  We made it...alive! Wow, what a first day in Hanoi!

Hong Kong: Pits, Peaks and Points

Saylor's
Pit: Heat
Peak: hike and fish village
Points: One visit to Hong Kong is enough

Hudson's
Pit: dim sum restaurant
Peak: skyline light show
Points: Great ferry rides, Rubik's cube and cool headphones

Andy's
Pit: Finding out exchange rate was worse than he thought
Peak: Star Ferry and skyline views from it
Points: smells ranging from good to awful, HK is loud, proximity of old and new

Andy:   3 1/2 stars

Cindy's
Pit: Want some dim sum and got some from the dim sum.  Stomach did not feel good.
Peak: Ferry ride to see the skyline
Points: checked it off the list but do not need to come back.  Nice to go to the expat area for a little break.

Here We Come Hong Kong!

November 28, 2018

Up at 5:30 and out the door by 5:45.  No one wanted to leave our wonderful home.  It was too short of a stay and too early of a morning.  Andy and Hudson each had their own tatami room.  I was able to get a load of wash done, but no dryer.  We had everything hanging up in the bathroom and cranked up the heat.  We got lucky and it all dried in time. A 10 minute walk to the train station for a 6:15 train. It is 1.5 hours  to the Osaka airport. Off on Cathay Pacific for the next 4 hours bound for Hong Kong! Cathay Pacific was definitely not as good as ANA. ANA really set the bar high.
Landed, through customs pretty quickly.  They were very efficient.  Jumped in a cab and went to a restaurant called Tim Ho Wan, it was supposed to be better than Din Tai Fung.  Not!  The bbq pork buns were amazing though.  Another cab and off to our amazing hotel. Prince Hotel.  Andy thought at this point in the trip it would be a really nice break to have a beautiful 5 star hotel in the heart of Kowloon.  It was on the street that has every possible expensive brand.  We dropped our bags and headed for the night market.  Lots of stuff/junk and lots of haggling to be had.  Kids wanted some knock off air buds and Beats.  Hudson really wanted a special Rubik's cube too. Mission accomplished! Took the Star Ferry for approx. 7 minutes  to Central port on Hong Kong Island.   The skyline is all that and more.  It really is the most beautiful skyline we have seen.  Grabbed the 8:00 ferry back because that is when the light show starts on the skyline.  It was a nice show, but not amazing.  I think maybe I hyped it up too much in my head.  Still the skyline alone is stunning.  Back on the Kowloon side again. Because  the room is once again small, really just for two people.  Andy booked another Air BNB in an area called Discovery Bay.  You can only get to it by ferry or a bus that is just for the community.  It is an expat community.  Signs are in english.  Andy and Saylor got back on another ferry and headed to the Airbnb place for the night and Hudson and I grabbed a cab and hit our hotel.

November 29, 2018

Up in the morning Hudson and I checked out of the hotel and left the family's luggage with the hotel.  We walked to the ferry and took it over the Hong Kong Island again where we met up with Andy and Saylor.  Jumped in a cab and we to the Flying Pan restaurant.  We were all craving an english style breakfast.  It feels like forever since we have had eggs for breakfast. We pretty much inhaled everything.  It is really interesting how this side was so different.  The old clashed with the new.  One street would be very old Hong Kong vibe and the next would be new and modern.

Took a ferry to Lamma Island.  It is definitely a laid back area. A great escape from all of the cities we have been in.  A few restaurants and a couple of shops.  Andy told us there an easy 2.4k to the other side.  All tired, a bit hungry  and warm we all still agreed to go.  1/3 of the way in there is a swimming beach. All of us warm so it seemed like a good idea to dip our feet in for a bit.  Kids found some fun sea creatures.  As we were leaving we saw a saw to stay away from the shark net - it helps to keep them away from the swimmers. Another 20 minutes of hiking, it is getting hot and steep as we need to make it over the hill to the fishing village and the kids and I start saying how this feels much longer than 2.4k.  Andy then says- No, 2.4 miles.  Thanks Honey- if we had know we may not have gone! Jury is still out if the miscommunication is from being tired or sneaky. :-)    The trail was nicely maintained and had some really beautiful views , but it was hot. So many beautiful butterflies! Butterflies of every color! Walked through a number of restaurants along the water.  They all had lots of fishing tanks filled with fish and seafood so it was easy to pick what you wanted to eat. Decided on Fu Kee Seafood. Had a great table right along the water. A big lazy susan in the middle of the table that we managed to fill up with fish, shrimp, squid and house noodles.  Headed back by ferry to Central, then another ferry to Kowloon.

Grabbed our bags, a taxi and off to our Airbnb. We drove by the gates of Hong Kong Disney.  Kids were excited to at least see that.  Got to our place, dropped the luggage and took a bus to the dinning area of the community.  Lots of great places to choose from with tables set up outside by the water.  We were able to grab some groceries for breakfast.  First time to get to make a real home cooked meal. Everyone is excited for morning.

 Final thoughts on Hong Kong... is a city is decorated in beautiful Christmas lights and garland. Every high end store you could want and every knock off item to match. The people are more aggressive here. Not as aware of others around them and not nearly as spotless as Japan. The food and taxis are a lot cheaper.  We got lucky once again and the weather was beautiful. Loved the junk boats on the water. Especially, with the jaw dropping skyline in the background.

Kyoto: Pits, Peaks and Points

November 28, 2018


Saylor's 
Pit: Hot hotel room
Peak: Loved the calmness and temples
Points: not enough time there, go to the Golden Temple about an hour before sunset

Hudson's 
Pit: Walking
Peak: Bullet Train
Points: Monkeys were really cute, lots of trains again, food was cool

Andy's
Pit: last night dinner
Peak: Golden Temple
Points:

Andy's Rating of Japan: 5 stars

Cindy's
Pit: Hot sauna room
Peak: golden shrine
Points: beautiful time of year and get a Airbnb - gives a nice feel of the culture.

Our Final Day in Kyoto

November 27, 2018

By Cindy

Woke up, yep - still a sauna in our room, and head to the hotel's oensen.  The men and women's are separate because you bath nude.  If you have any tattoos you are not allowed to go in.  As you enter they had at least 12 little/short stalls where you sit down and shower and wash yourself.  Then you go in the pools.  One was very cold and the other warm and cozy.  I was uptight about there not being any clothing allowed, but got lucky because there was only one other person.  Andy and Hudson went to the men's and loved it too!

Out and about for our last day in Japan.  We took a taxi to the Arashiyama.  There is the  Monkey Park.  I woke up with a cold and just didn't feel up for the hike up the hill but Andy and the kids went.  They LOVED the monkey park.  It had a beautiful view of Kyoto.  Monkeys were everywhere and they feed them peanuts.  I was told by the kids that the monkeys were well behaved until food came out and then they were vicious little creatures. They could walk around with the monkeys but when they wanted to feed them they had to do it through a fenced area.

Walked from the park on the beautiful old  Togetsukyo Bridge over the river which offers great views.  Took the path to the Bamboo Forrest.  The bamboo was tall and a bit mythical as it swayed in the breeze.

Saylor finally got her wish granted and we had udon for lunch.  It was good but we all agreed that the ramen from Ramen Alley in Tokyo was the best of the three soups we have had so far.  Topped off lunch with a cherry blossom and green tea swirl ice cream cone.   The family  gave it a thumbs down.

Jumped on the train to the Golden Pavillion, Kinkaku-ji Temple.  A small walk up to the temple area and as we approached it was breathtaking.  We came at the perfect time, on the perfect day.  The sun hit this magical temple that is covered in gold and surrounded by fall colors with a remarkable reflection in the pond. Breathtaking..

...

This morning we checked out of our hotel and Andy found a great Airbnb.  It is the complete opposite,   3 bedroom, 3 bathrooms,  and a wash machine which is much needed at this point. Our host meet us in front of a mall and walked us to the house.  It is so interesting the amount of respect they show for each other here.  As we entered the street of the houses we had to pick up our luggage so it didn't make noise for others.    I love as you enter the property you have to go through a curtain and there is a beautiful courtyard.  Of course as you enter the house the row of slippers are waiting for you.

We love our place so much that we decided to stay in for dinner.  Andy was a trooper and went out to get us some dinner.  We have been in search of Ramune.  It is a lemon-lime carbonated soft drink from 1876. The bottle is made of glass and sealed with a marble on top.  The marble can block the flow of the drink, but Hudson got the hang of it.

Wrapping up some thoughts on Kyoto.  It feels like it is the soul of Japan.  It is spiritual and full of heart. Beautiful fall colors. Japan needs to put soap in more of their public restrooms. Not loving the toilets that are just a hole in the ground.    Temples are everywhere! Traditional dress all over Kyoto.

Kyoto Exploring

November 26th, 2018

We did really well with switching over to the local time.  Up at 7:00 this morning.  Saylor slept in the tatami room on the floor last night.  Very sweet to see her make her bed roll this morning.  Time to say goodbye to Tokyo.  Of course, not without a packed train.  We thought for sure we would have to take the next one, but everyone pushed (politely) and squeezed in.  When I hear the term packed like a can of sardines my mind it will definitely take me back to these train rides.  On the way to the next train I spotted Eataly.  I never made it there in NYC so this was my chance.  So many amazing things to look at.  They actually had a cannoli bar with a giant chocolate fountain streaming down from the ceiling. 

On the Shinconsin aka Bullet Train now.  It travels almost 200 mph.  It would be significantly cheaper to fly but Andy thought it would be a fun opportunity for the kids and it was.   We also got to see Mt. Fuji with it's beautiful snow cap. 

We arrived in Kyoto.  The sun is out and it is beautiful. Checked into the Capsule Hotel.  We went into our room and what a surprise! A small full bed and a single.  Plus the room felt like a sauna.   Tried to figure out the thermostat but it is in Japanese.  Not so easy.  Hmmmm, this is going to be interesting. 

Back down to the front desk.  Turns out since we booked the room on Agoda they don't really consider the size of the family for the room even though we indicated a family of 4.  The room is actually for one adult and one child under 12.  Thankfully Andy brought a camp mat just for this kind of situation.  The front desk said they could turn the temp down for us.  For some crazy reason the temperature can't go below 68 before midnight and I guarantee it was way hotter than that all night!

We went to the Fushimi-inari -taisha Shrine and 10,000 gates (painted in a vibrant, rich orange).  We walked through all the gates and it was peaceful even with all the others around. There was a big tree trunk that everyone walked up to and rubbed their hands all over it and then all over their bodies.  We had no idea why, but was not going to miss out on the opportunity for good luck or energy especially after all of our bad fortunes we got at the shrine in Tokyo! :-)

Walking back down to the train station there are a bunch of food stalls.  Again, amazing choices.  We got noodles, beef yakatori, some interesting dried persimmons and the most amazing crisp pork belly up and served on a skewer!

 

Got off at the Gion station to explore the area.  The highlight was a place called The Candy Show.  Right in front of you they make the hard candies that are the cute little round ones with a design or picture in the middle.  It was really fascinating to watch.  They are on instagram so be sure and check it out.

 

Saylor was tired and stayed behind to catch up on school work, but Andy, Hudson and I headed out for a katsu dinner at Buta Gorilla (Pork Gorilla) in the Nishiki Market  area.  A nice, happening area but yet still very quant.  We noticed a restaurant where you have to take your shoes off as you enter.  I love that! We got pork katsu, shrimp katsu and a wonderful Japanese beer to wash it down.  Before dinner they brought a bowl with some kind of granular ingredient in it with a wooden dowel to grind it to a powder form.  Then you add one of the sauces from the table to it.  It was tasty sauce for the katsu even though we had no idea what it was.  After we got a bean fish for dessert.  They are these cute fish made out of batter.  They open their mouth and they add the filling that we picked.  My vote was of course for chocolate and then the boys voted for cookies and cream ice cream to go in the fish mouth.  A nice end to a busy day. Back to the sauna room  we go!

Pit, Peak and Points - Toyko

November 25, 2018

By: Saylor and Hudson

Saylor's Pit, Peak and Points

Pit: Too many people on the train.

Peak: Exploring the culture. 

Points: Different, beautiful architetcure, delicious food

Hudson's Pit, Peak and Points

Pit: Lots of walking

Peak: Shrines 

Points: ramen, vending machines, Mario cars

Final Day in Tokyo

11-25-2018
By: Cindy

We slept! I got up about 4:45, Andy and Saylor shortly after and then Hudson slept until 8:00. Sweet! A quick 7-11 run with breakfast at our little table, homework and a shower.  It was a relaxing morning since we didn't head out until about 10:00.  Took the train to Shibuya.  When we got off they had a section set up with the Harry Potter 9 3/4 train stop.  Kids got to wear scarfs and take some cute pictures. Then headed  to check out this crazy 7 story Don Quijote store.  Lots of wacky stuff.  I mean lots. You name it, they have it and then some.  Got some kind of corn dog looking thing, but it was a sausage with chunky potatoes on the outside. I finally got my yakitori. It was beef and melted in my mouth.  We all inhaled it.

Another train to Takeshita Street.  It is where all the trendy fashion teens hang out.  I think it was equal parts fashion and dessert places.  Not sure how everyone stays so thin here with food everywhere!

Hailed a cab- the driver pushes a button and all the doors open.  They wear proper white gloves while driving.  Off to another shrine.  We were fortunate enough to see a wedding party walking the grounds.  There was an area where you buy these wood rectangles- the size of a postcard.  You write your wishes on them, hang them and they present them during a ceremony.

You guessed it, another train.  This time to Akihabara for electronics area of Tokyo and Saylor and I popped into a Maid Cafe.  It was wacky.  I felt like I was in a little girls rooms with a blue sky and clouds on the ceiling, a disco light and unicorns.  The waitresses are dressed up like french maids and are there to entertain you.  You can ask them to sing a song, tell a joke, or dance etc.  We all had enough and were ready to chill out back at the apartment.  Two trains and home. Final night in Tokyo.  Grateful to have visited, definitely want to come back, lots of people, amazing food, crazy amounts of random vending machines along the streets (everything from bananas, cans of cream of corn and all drinks),

 not enough garbage cans, so, so many trains.  A giant thank you to Andy for getting us around and making sense of which train to take and when. Thanks to Esther who loaned us her Suica cards.  A must when taking all of these trains.  You just load money onto them and use them as you go.  Saves a ton of time and energy. Must get a fancy Japanese toilette with all the buttons for our home. Wear good shoes when you visit because you will walk, and walk and walk some more.

Part 2 of 11-24

November 24th, 2018

By: Cindy

Ready for part 2 of our day.  Headed out to the train station and found a festival about 2 minutes from our place.  There was barely any room to even walk.  Don't stop or you will be pushed.  There was every single food stall, a ton of booths that sold offerings and a shrine surrounded by hundreds of lanterns.  

Continued to walk to Omoide Yokocho where there are lots of yakitori bars. Also know as Piss Alley because there were (and I am pretty sure still aren't ) any bathrooms.  This is an area that was very popular during the war.  Most places just hold a couple of people and specialize in one kind of food like just chicken yakitori or beef or ramen.  We ready that some only let locals in.  Wasn't sure if I believed it until we tried to go in one that had open chairs and they told us they were full.  Did find one that would take us.  We got some rich ramen with tempura on top.  

A train to Shibuya to see the world's busiest pedestrian crossing. It was crazy! It was fun but I noticed there was a Starbucks at one of the corners and it had a second floor.  We went up and watched the crossing from there.  So busy!  At least I thought it was busy until we caught the train back.  I felt like there wasn't even room to breath.  Everyone is smooshed together and basically sways together as the train moves.   It was just too much for me. Finished the night with a little ice cream and in bed by 10:30.

Jet Lag Adventure

November 24, 2018

By : Cindy

Up early at 4:00 am which is really good given that is 11:00 am back home.  We chilled for a little bit and then at 6:00 headed out.  First stop, 7-11!  We have heard so many people say that 7-11 has great food that we thought we would check it out.  No slurpies here, but there was a sort of make your own ramen bowl.

We got an egg salad with ham sandwich (because that kind of sounds like breakfast right?), 2 port buns and some water.  Came back to our place and ate at our little table with our legs crossed on our bamboo mats.  Not sure what has gone wrong with our 7-11s, best pork buns we have ever had! Made our way to the outer market of the old famous fish market.  So many stalls and bizarre things to see.  First thing we bought was some yakatori.  There is a machine that they thread each skewer on and it rotates around the heat and cooks evenly then drops out at the bottom. Andy and the kids had chicken hearts yakatori.  I was not so brave and just had chicken meat.  Saylor kept saying that she felt like she had a bloody nose because she couldn't get the taste of blood out of her mouth.

Next stall were these eggs that they cook in these big square pans and layer them.  Turns out like a big square omelette that they cut into pieces and sell separately.  They were a little too sweet for me.  Almost like sugar was added.  But that next item was ice cream with cookie dough baked around the outside.   It is so interesting that they don't want you to eat in front of their stall.  They want you to move off to the side, but not walk around with it. I think something to do with the possibility of the food falling and making a mess. The adventurous eating continues with Andy and the kids eating sea urchins. The guys was cutting them and cleaning them right in front of us.    Hudson got it in his mouth and then right back out again.  Saylor got it down and enjoyed it.  Saylor is a  bad ass! The stall that sold giant pork shumi was very good.  Found a charming sushi restaurant.  We set at the bar and watched the chef work his magic.

 Andy was helping one of the kids with their chopstick usage. The chefs and patrons were all staring at us and laughing.  Talking more in Japanese and laughing more.  Pretty sure they were laughing at us.  Glad we could aid in starting their day off with some laughter even if it was at us.  :-) In the fish section Saylor had some raw tuna that is the best she said she ever had. We ran across many vending machines.  Some had clothes for cats so of course we had to get one for Saylor's friend.  It is the kind where you put in the money and you don't know what you are going to get.  Like a gumball machine at home.  We ended up with the shark hat for the cat.  Now that is unique.

  In the middle of it all we went to a  Buddhist shrine. We made an offering, said a prayer and rang the bell.  Something special about respecting a religion and taking the moment in.

  A train to Asakusa for Senso Ji Shrine and Nakamise Dori street for souvenirs. Approaching the shrine was omiKuji paper fortunes.  You donate some money. There were boxes with sticks in them.  You politely shake the box until a stick comes out - similar looking to a chopstick.  You take the marks on the stick and  match it to a box on the wall.  Once you find it, you open the box and a fortune is in there.  Our first couple of fortunes were not good.  The kind that say..."Don't take a trip right now." Ummm, too late on that one.  Along with multiple other bad things on it.  You take the bad fortunes and fold them length wise, tie them to some metal bars and hopefully set them free. We had a number of bad fortunes in a row and finally got a good one. 

As you approach the shrine there is a large water fountain with cups and long handles.  You are supposed to wash your hands and I believe your mouth before entering. Incense were burning and the air was spiritual. 

We heard Tokyo has the number one pizza place in the world and when you are married to a New Yorker you have to check it out.  30 minutes by train and we were at Pizza Studio.  They wouldn't take us because we didn't have a reservation so we ordered two pizzas to go.  While we waited we saw some Mario carts zoom through the neighborhood.  Yep, they were go carts on the streets of Tokyo where people dress up as Mario and zoom through.  Our pizzas were ready and no one was sitting at the outdoor tables because it was a bit cold I guess. Not for us Seattlelites though.  I quickly got in trouble for eating at the table.  OK, off to the bench across the street. The pizza was kind of OMG!  The crust was the best any of us have ever had.  If you could take this crust and the pizza from the gas station at Snoqualimie Pass you would have the perfect pizza! BTW this is a Michelin stared pizza place. Once done I tried to give them their boxes back.  Nope, that was wrong too! They wouldn't take our garbage and there are no garbage cans in Tokyo. One more crazy rule.   It is so crazy with all these people and no garbage cans. Train back to our neighborhood. On the walk to our place we stopped in Lawsons.  Kind of like a 7-11 and they are everywhere.  We tried a piece of fried chicken and some water.  The chicken was devoured and we had to buy 3 more. Who knew everything could be so good here! A block further and there is a cute little bakery with everything you could want.  Seeing the Santa and reindeer pastries was pretty adorable and festive.  Some downtime was needed before we headed out for the night

Ready, Set, Go!

November 22 & 23, 2018

By: Cindy

Last night the family voted on Burger Master to be our final dinner before we head out.  It was

tasty.  A full on American burger and fries before we hit the skies. 

Up at a reasonable time and to the airport via Lyft.  We were expecting chaos  but it was weirdly calm.  walked right up and through security.  Our first time flying ANA airlines.  We are all thankful that it has been great given we are on this plane for 10 hours.  Upon sitting down t=we were given clean (well pretty sure they were clean, they were in plastic) blankets, pillows and nice headphones.  Interesting meal options for lunch.  Everyone got excited when we were all given Hagen Daz ice cream.  Nice touch ANA! Not that I would normally talk about a bathroom in a plane but they are spacious with lotions and potions to choose from and the thrown with lots of buttons to push to clean places that you can imagine.  Also they set up a "Help Yourself" snack and drink bar.  We crossed over the International Date Line.  Kids thought that was fun but I didn't.  That just meant that I lost a day in my 40's and am now that much closer to the big 50! We flew over Russia and now time for another meal.  Who knew I could write so much about a plane ride. 

Grabbing the train from the airport we had an hour to the Tokyo station.  Got off and went downstairs to Ramen Alley.  So many ramen restaurants! Found one we liked, place our order and paid through a vending machine then got in line.  Waited for 10 minutes and was seated.  Maybe the place could hold 15 people tops.  The best ramen ever! Just what we need for the next step.

Grabbed the next train (30 minutes) to Shimbuku station.  Got out of the station and it was lite up and people everywhere! 15 minute walk to our airbnb.  A great little place with two bedrooms and a tatami room. 

Sticking with tradition, as we entered the place we took off our shoes.

There was a full closet of house slippers to choose from. 

A quick 10 minutes rest and off to explore.  Went to Golden Gai. It is very old little restaurants and bars. Then let ourselves get lost.  Lost in that fun way where there is no specific place you need to be.  Every corner we turned there seemed to be something unique.  The city was full of life and energy, unlike us.  Back we went for some sleep. 

The Countdown and a Little Change in Plans

November 13, 2018

Yep it is happening...we leave in just a little over a week.  The countdown app says 8 Days 17 Hours 49 minutes 38 seconds.  A few days ago we got an email saying our flight out of Vietnam is now a couple hours earlier and has a six hour layover.  Our original thought was to have a relaxed morning (It is my birthday after all) and then head to the airport.  There was going to be a reasonable 4 hour layover.  We have taken the day in a totally different direction because what can you do with a six hour layover anyway? Now we have re-booked with another airline. We get up even earlier and have a 10 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia because why not squeeze in one more country on this crazy, fast paced adventure of ours.   We have hired a driver to pick us up and make the most of our time.  With the new airlines we opted to buy a meal on the leg from KL to Sri Lanka. My big birthday dinner was a big $3.00 each.  At least this year there will be no debate on where to eat. :-) Andy went all out and sprung for a chocolate chip muffin for me too...a big $.75.  That's love.  :-)