Phuket, Thailand

This past weekend, we went to Phuket, Thailand with the Long's. Phuket is Thailand's largest island located 535 miles south of Bangkok. We left Singapore around 8:30am Friday morning and arrived in Phuket an hour and 15 min. later. The flight was short and sweet and no major incidences to report.

After clearing customs and getting our luggage, we were greeted by a staff member from the Indigo Pearl (the resort where we stayed). While waiting for the van to pick us up and take us to the resort, the lady informed us that the room which we had booked was no longer available. The previous guests decided to extend their stay, so therefore we were going to be upgraded to their largest suite upon our approval. Originally, we booked a two bedroom place. When we arrived to the hotel, we were greeted by the manager who was very apologetic about our room. She told us to go check out the suite and if we didn't think it would work for us, then she will make other arrangements. We hopped in the golf cart and off we went to view the room. The manager opened the door and we walked into a huge private courtyard which included it's own private pool! The place was awesome, however not very kid friendly. Besides the pool, we were concerned about the steep circular staircase, the lack of rails on the gazebo steps and the various drop offs into the vegetation throughout the residence :) Downstairs there was a living room, kitchen and bathroom. Upstairs there was a large bedroom with a seating area, dressing area and bathroom. Despite our concerns, we decided that the room was too sweet to pass up. We just knew that we needed to keep an extra close eye on Paige.

We spent the rest of Friday and all day Saturday swimming and hanging out at the pool. The resort itself did not have it's own private beach, but we wandered around the public beach for a short time. Unfortunately the beach wasn't the cleanest. The water was warm and clear, but a bit rocky. Saturday night, both family's arranged for babysitters through the hotel. This meant the adults got to enjoy an evening without any bibs, highchairs or wipes :)

The guys arranged a boat trip for Sunday. They charted a speedboat (with a captain and first mate) that would take us around some of the local islands. We all knew that this could have been either a great idea or a disastrous one, depending upon how the kids did. We also knew that if the day wasn't going well, we could turn back at anytime. We met in the lobby at 8:30am to catch a van that would take us to the harbor. We went snorkeling, saw where The Beach was filmed (movie with Leonardo DiCaprio), ate lunch at Phi Phi Island Nature Resort and saw some beautiful beaches. The girls did awesome and really enjoyed their day on the boat. They fed fish, hung out with the captain, took turns driving the boat and even took naps! We returned to the harbor around 4:00pm. We enjoyed one last "adult only" dinner before we headed back to Singapore Monday morning. We really enjoyed our weekend and are glad that we were able to experience Phuket with the Long's.

The End Is Near!

We finally have a return date....yea! Mark's last day of work is Sept. 12th. He will be returning to Chicago on the 14th. Paige and I are actually leaving on Sept. 7 and flying to L.A. to visit family for a week and flying back to Chicago on the 14th. I know call me crazy, but I've somehow convinced myself that this would be the best way for us to get back to Chicago, plus I'm ready to go home. Anyways, here's my rational:

1) The flight we took over here from Chicago was 21 hours (which included a layover in Newark). The flight from Singapore to L.A. is 16 hours (every hour counts)!

2) The flight from L.A. to Chicago is 4 hours, but we will have a week in L.A. before we fly home.

3) We were contemplating stopping in London, but decided that it probably wouldn't make things easier, since we would only be there for a few days. Plus the flight from Singapore to London is 12 hours and London to Chicago is 8 hours.

4) Although it will be a long flight for just Paige and I, in all actuality it was just Paige and I on the flight over here. If you recall, Paige wanted nothing to do with Mark.

5) The way the plane is configured, Mark probably wouldn't be able to sit with us anyways. He sat in a different row on the way over, since there are only 4 seats across.....two in the middle and one on each side.

For some strange reason, I'm not dreading my return flight as much I dreaded the flight over here. Maybe it's because I know what to expect or perhaps I'm just focused on getting home rather than the journey.

I now have less than a month left and I know it's going to fly by. We have a lot going on between now and then. We are going to Phuket, Thailand this weekend for a few days and then off to Australia in two weeks. Although I've enjoyed my time over here, I'm looking forward to going home.

Recent Photos

A Visit From Grammy

Again, our internet has been on the fritz. We keep getting plates of fruit and letters of apology for the down internet service. Since it is up and running today, I thought I would get some blogging in.

Two weeks ago, Mark's mom came for a visit. She arrived on Sat. and left the following Sun. It was a short trip, but we were glad she was able to visit. During her stay we visited Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street. We went swimming, shopping and to the Botanic Gardens. Paige had a lot of fun spending time with her Grammy, she especially liked sharing her room.

Like most grandparents, Grammy did a little spoiling while she was here. She even took Paige to the mall one day and let her ride all the rides. Paige was super excited about that, considering her mom won't let her near the things. Now, not a day goes by that I don't hear "Ride Barny?"

Uniquely Singapore

For some reason our internet hasn't been working well lately....hence the lack of blogging. Hopefully the problem has been solved and I can catch everyone up.

Two weeks ago, the place we are staying hosted an evening called "Uniquely Singapore". It's a once a year tradition where they share crafts, games, and food unique to Singapore with its residence. Mark and I decided to get a babysitter for the evening, since the festivities didn't start until 7pm.

Singapore is home to 4.5 million people, the majority being Chinese. However, Indian and Malay also have a significant presence. The evening celebrated a bit of each of the cultures. Staff members dressed in traditional bridal attire as well as other traditional outfits.

We tried our luck at several of the games (some a bit more challenging than others), but we each walked away with several prizes for Paige. I got a henna tattoo, which I was told would last three days, but ended up lasting a week.

We sampled local cuisine, again influenced by the three main cultures. Satay, boiled chicken and rice, fried carrot cake (not as good as it sounds) and curry just to name a few. We ate dragon fruit and attempted to try durian ice-cream, but couldn't get past the horrific smell.

The evening ended around 10. Both Mark and I had a good time, just wished Paige could have joined us.

Singapore Zoo

After talking to several people that I've met, I was told that the Singapore Zoo was a must. We decided to check it out last weekend with the Long family. It is by far the best zoo I have been to.

We arrived early (8:30 am) in hopes to beat the heat. Plus, we knew that Paige would only last until mid-day before she would run out of steam. The zoo was unlike most I've been to. Many of the animals roamed free within their environment and weren't confined behind glass or fences. The monkeys swung from trees above us and the kangaroos hopped along the walking path.

After lunch and completing 2/3 of the zoo, we decided to call it a day. We are hoping to make it back to the zoo one last time before we leave. However, next time we want to go on the night safari.

Singapore Sale

One of the so called benefits of being in Singapore during the month of July is The Great Singapore Sale. As I have previously mentioned, shopping is one of the nations past times......malls galore. So it's no surprise that most people here get super excited for this event. Being the shopper that I am (and now that Paige is camp), I have had a little extra free time to check out this so called event.

Being that we live right off of Orchard Road (the Michigan Ave. of Singapore), I thought it was a convenient place to begin. I meandered through several stores, some familiar and some not searching for a bargain. Unfortunately, what I consider a bargain and what Singaporeans consider a bargain are two different things. When a store advertises BIG SALE, I expect to see some great deals....after all it is The Great Singapore Sale. Imagine my disappointment when the items are marked down only 10%-20%. This is nothing considering that the original price is already significantly more than what I can get it for in the states.

I don't understand all the hype surrounding this event. I still haven't figured out if this is the only month that sales occur, or if the "sale prices" will remain the same minus the sale signs (which seems like a common occurrence in some US stores). I guess I will find out in Aug.

Needless to say, I think my shopping days are over in Singapore. Between the crazy prices and the fact that all I fit into is XL, I'm putting shopping on hold until I return home.