Departure & Arrival ~

Orinda - SFO

Saturday we took the B.A.R.T. Bay Area Rapid Transit from Orinda to SFO...and Mar tagged along...so' nice! The Bart dropped us right into the international departure area...China Eastern Airlines. We quickly checked in and sat a waited with Mar for a little while!

Nick & I departed out of SFO on time ~12 noon and flew 13 hrs to Shanghai arriving local time 4 pm the next day ~ Sunday!

Hey lookie there..KLM "Royal Dutch Airlines is also flying to Singapore....go Dutchies!

We had an 8 hr layover in Shanghai. It was raining quite a downpour in Shanghai with thunderstorms and lightening.  But after 13 hrs of flying we were glad to walk around a bit and stretch out.  We both took a nap there stretching out on the airport benches!

At 12 midnight we flew onward to Singapore -

Oh look here how funny....from the movie list on board..."interesting" title option huh?

chuckle! chuckle! Yep! Yep! Yep!

 ...another 5 hrs flight and arrived in Singapore, Monday morning right on time! Gosh such a large airport and very nicely done!  BIG! People were friendly & helpful.  Nick & I found the ground transport area and got a shuttle to our hotel ~ Por-ce-lain Hotel pretty close to downtown.  So glad we booked that before (Thanks Jim & Mar for the encouragement!) the evening before departing from SFO.  

By this time we had been up 33 hrs already! We were excited to get to our destination ...Wow Singapore! The traffic drives English style    ...on the left.  Sure takes getting use to - when you step off the curb!!

We we took a shower & a 2 hr nap this morning and got up so we would not have that jet-lag...! "Let's go see what this beautiful & interesting City is all about! 

Do you see what I see??? Does that look like a ship on top of those buildings? Crazy big!

Lots of tall buildings and you also see the English influences that had been here from the past still very much present.

Oh my goodness...Ellen was excited...ladies...there is miles & miles of shopping here on Orchard Road....not 1 mall but miles of malls....where are my girlfriends????!!!!

Come quick!

Does this not make you think of Dobbie Gillis???  OK you ole' timers! ha!

Maynard...where are you?

Well it was around 5 pm today and we thought...hmmm we think we are tired....dah! Lets get back to the hotel and rest a bit!  By the way it is 90 today and yes dear friends & family....high humidity! HOT & sticky!

So those air conditioned stores & malls are a good place to be!

...an old building from the past surrounded by many skyscrapers!

We did fall asleep - and slept till around 8:30 - just a few hours and then got dressed again to have a bite to eat...and enjoy the coolness & evening atmosphere....

Time to have a bite to eat in Chinatown!

9:30 ~ dinner in Singapore...and lots of people were out and about too! 

By this time we were ready to crash....it has been a delightful 1st day in this interesting City! 

Still hard to believe we are here!

Oh yes...we meant a gal who was vacationing with her boyfriend from Holland "Sandra" was full of information and shared her 5 week vacation with us  ~ she loves Indonesia the most she said...also had done a 1.5 yr trip through eastern Asia a few years back.  Nice to hear ~ Fun to speak Dutch so very far away...and hear her excitement on this very first day! Sandra was heading back to Holland that evening!

Almost.....Just a few Days Left!

Our Car sold to the first interested party! Yea! We are so pleased everything continues to go so pleasantly and smoothly...Thank you Lord!

Nick & I got busy searching the airlines to Singapore and our one way ticket for such a reasonable price was selling quickly...Summer vacation is here!  So we quickly bought our 2 one way tickets with China Eastern Airlines departing on June 22nd this coming Saturday at 12 noon...yea again!  We did a 'dry-run' trip with the Bart out of Orinda here close by Jim & Mom and we did the trip to SFO in one hour...this last Saturday.  Had lots of questions to ask the attendant at the ticketing counter and wanted to be sure we could get those back packs on board with us as a carry-on...and yes they can!

So that is what we plan to do this Saturday...Jim will drive us to the Bart station and that way it is much easier for him too. 

Nick & I have rented a car to get around here for the week to do our last runs here and there. 

Our flight in the 1st leg is 13 hrs to Shanghai China with a 8 hr layover at the airport. We arrive in Shanghai local time a 4 pm.  Maybe we can lock up our stuff and enjoy the city for a few hours...we hope to do that! Then back to the airport with a departure at 12 midnight and another 5 hr flight to Singapore our end destination.  Arrival time: 5 am in the morning!  Pretty early to hit the town -but we hope to find a hotel and "CRASH!"

We send our Love & hugs to all our family & friends out there on the Web!

We arrived here in the Bay Area on Thursday afternoon! Weather has been really nice...CA Sun...! We so enjoyed our trip to see the family & friends and then down to Modesto CA to see more family & friends! Even meant up with Jerry & Wilma Mishler whom we will be reconnecting with in Cambodia...gosh Wilma says: "I can't believe you both are joining us in Cambodia!!!" Yes we still can't believe it either! Amazing!

So good to see Jim & Mom again..it had been Feb when we last saw them...for their Birthday's. Today we picked up Mom at the carehome and brought her to the salon for a haircut. That went really well...both Jim & I were pleased with transfering Mom from carehome to car and then into the building. The ladies were so happy to see her!

We washed the car yesterday, scrubbed & clean after driving over 1000+ miles in the last 2 weeks.  Took pictures and entered the car onto the local Craigslist here in the east Bay Area.  Would you believe it ~ already a call and the person wants to come and look at it tomorrow Sunday.  Hey - we still have some things to do around here...yikes...! Anyway...we'll see how it goes. If we get our asking price we might rent a small car to run around it if need be!

So dear friends & family...we can Skype, email and stay in touch with the blog.  Do hope to hear from you too!  We still do not have our ticket's because we need to sell the car and of course do a little sorting out of things: go to the Indonesian embassy, check on one-way tickets to Singapore..etc. Our goal would be around the 18th possibly to fly out of SF. Once the car sells...well that will give us an idea!

Keeping you posted...hugs to all! We 'kids' are getting excited...but still think we are heading back to Bend after our visit here...but NO HOUSE TO GO BACK TO...dah!

Love to all~

We're On the Road Again!

Hello Friends & Family! 

We left Saturday May 25th after loading up the final things in the car...finishing up with the last items in the storage unit...gosh that was a lot of work...and we are bushed!  Our Buyer came to pick up the key and we shared a little more with Doug and wished him lots of happiness in our sweet home we have owned these past 12 yrs.  Off we went north...to the family & friends in the Seattle area. 

It was a good visit and the family too is excited for us in the adventure that lies ahead! We said our good-bye's and did stop by our dear friends Al & Sue in Seattle too!

Now we are "on the road again" heading to Modesto CA!

Maps of Malaysia / Cambodia

We plan to fly into Singapore and then travel north into Malaysia. 

Coming to a Close in Bend Oregon ~

 

Well dear friends & family...here we are the Day we are closing escrow on our home here in Bend...we should be recording soon at the recorder's office! Nick is making his last trips here and there and finishing up in the garage.  Will be packing our backpacks later this afternoon and one suitcase we plan to bring along. 

Tomorrow morning we will be handing over the key to the purchaser and then heading north to Seattle to visit the family for a few days.  Which will be great! Then drive down to Modesto to say our good-byes to family & friends there.   Then on to the Bay Area to visit with  Mom & step-Dad Jim and we will put our car on Craigslist to sell! Once we have the car sold - well then we will find us a one way ticket from San Francisco to Singapore!  Now that is the plan for now!

We are parting with our family and friends for a while...but only for a while...till we meet again!  We are reachable by email & Skype and this travel blog too!  So only a 'face' away or a email away or a blog away from you all! 

Will keep you posted! 

17 more days to go...we are plugging along...box by box!  Nick is doing a trememdous job of stacking and organizing the 10 X 10 unit...amazing how so much can go in there...if only it is well organized!