One Spring Day

I was walking home one day and was lucky enough to see this sweet sight. Sometimes it takes little things like this to make you stop and enjoy the moment.

A Bird Craft for Spring: Free downloadable Bird Birthday card

Birthday Cards are getting so expensive that I have started making my own. This one is for my sister.I don't know about you but I probably send out on the average eight a month. With the average cost of a card 4.00 that equals 384.00 a year. Here's a fun and Easy Birthday card you can make. I've done most of the work for you. 

Supplies you'll need:

White card stock

String

Felt pens

Glue stick

Free downloadable Bird Birthday card

 1) You can make it really simple on yourself by downloading on white card stock my colored version.

Free downloadable Bird Birthday card

2) Or you can color you own.

Free downloadable Bird Birthday card

3) See above:  Color the inside of the wings, tail and head piece. 

3)Then place glue on the remaining white area.

4) Glue your piece of string in place.

5) Now glue your birds together. 

Free downloadable Bird Birthday card

6) Fold the colored and not glued areas open and write your Birthday wishes on them. 

Now your loved one can read your note and then hang it somewhere to add to the cheer of the day!

Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

I decided to end my blogs about my trip to Asia now even though there is so much more I could have written about.  Asia is an amazing place full of kind and generous people. It’s a story of extremes,  two worlds that mix in an usual way. One is high Tec and the future and the other one grounded in the past and the slow moving country side. I thought the Chi Lin Nunnery pictures show this best. You will understand what I mean once you see the contrast in these pictures.

Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

 I hope I will get a chance to explore these countries more because this trip only scratched the surface of this amazing part of the world. Thanks for traveling with me through Asia. I hope you enjoyed it. 

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

I have always wanted to see Hong Kong and I must say I was not a disappointed, it is a fabulous city. Lining the passage of Victoria Harbor on both sides are high skyscrapers that would put New York City to shame. The sky line like other Asian cities has a quite whimsical feel.

Hong Kong

Boats of all kinds and sizes are constantly moving back and forth on the passage. It’s a fast moving city. Lots of fun shopping experiences no matter what your budget is. 

Hong Kong 's elevated sidewalks.

One of my favorite things about Hong Kong, which I have never seen before, are the sidewalks in the sky. You can walk great distances on covered sidewalks a couple of stories above the street.  They break off in many directions connecting one building to another. 

Hong Kong view from Victoria Peak

We also took a tram ride, straight up and I mean straight up to visit Victoria Peak, which is a must see on  a clear day.  You felt as if the tram would tumble backwards down the hill at any moment. The view is of the whole city and it is amazing.

Hong Kong Bird Market

We saw the bird market which was sad and sweet at the same time.

Hong Kong at Night

One of the highlights for me was sitting in the Inter Continental Hotel Lobby at 8:00 with our new friends watching the light show which is fantastic. Many of the buildings change color and design, lasers shoot off the tops of buildings and then there are the lighted boats that drift by the large four story windows of the hotel.It is another must  see when in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong, Kowloon Park

There are so many things to see. I loved Kowloon Parks bird Atrium, the Temple Night Market, the Star Ferry, of course some of the temples and the Nunnery.

Hong Kong, Kowloon Side

Hong Kong has a very glitzy side and a very old China side. 

Hong Kong

                                            Lots of very small business and very large ones.

Hong Kong, Kowloon Side

                                       Lots of young people in great clothes and on cell phones.

Hong Kong, Kowloon Side

It combines the old and the new.

An old temple carved stone pillar against a modern building. 

Hong Kong, Alley on the Kowloon Side

 I
                                    And like almost every Asian city they love their neon lights.

Hong Kong, Kowloon Side

Monks and Nuns in Ho Chi Minh City

In Ho Chi Minh City we were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. It was a sad occasion as  a famous old Monk had died.   Our driver told us this in the international language of moving your hands around until someone guesses the right answer.This is what we saw.

Monks in Ho Chi Minh City

Monks in Ho Chi Minh City

Monks in Ho Chi Minh City

Monks and Nuns in Ho Chi Minh City

Nuns in Ho Chi Minh City

Funeral of a Monk Ho Chi Minh City

Funeral of a Monk Ho Chi Minh City

Funeral of a Monk Ho Chi Minh City

It was beautiful.

Chan May, Vietnam

My husband and I took a tour away from the cruise ship.  It took us through the Vietnamese country side which was simply beautiful, so peaceful and green. People were working in their rice paddys. We’d pass through towns that lined the little traveled road. People would be playing games and selling in small markets. It made me yearn for a simpler quieter time. Of course I realize their lives are hard and they are poor. But maybe there is something our lives are missing that they have. 

 Vietnam, Country side

 Vietnam, Country side

 Vietnam, Country side Hunting Frogs

 Vietnam, Country side Growing Bananas

 Vietnam, Country side 

 Vietnam, Country side 

 Vietnam, Country side 

 Vietnam, Country side 

 Vietnam, Country side 

 Vietnam, Country side 

Perfume River and Palace Hoang Thanh in Hue, Vietnam

Perfume River, Vietnam 

Perfume River, Vietnam 

Our tour then took us down the Perfume River. (it’s called the Perfume River because beautiful smelling flowers float down it giving the river a sweet scent) We traveled in a wacky looking dragon boat.  It was a joyful time looking out at the banks and the river and it did smell good. 

Perfume River, Vietnam 

Perfume River, Vietnam 

The boat was run by three generations of a family all working together. They were also selling clothes and things on the boat. 

Perfume River, Vietnam 

We were then taken to a Palace called Hoang Thanh which is being restored because it was bombed during the Vietnam war. My husband and I asked if we could break away from the tour because I had a list of things I wanted to see. The tour guide agreed telling us to be at the bus at 3:15.

 Palace Hoang Thanh in Hue, Vietnam

Well after just a few minutes I realized that that was not going to be enough time, we could never walk fast enough. So we looked around seeing one tiny horse and carriage with a very colorful looking driver we decided to run over. We agreed on a price and the stops we wanted and then off we went bells ringing and huffs clumping. 

 Palace Hoang Thanh in Hue, Vietnam

We’d leap out and run through the gates take a quick look at that part of the palace then back to the horse. It was hysterical. Even our driver was laughing at our craziness. 

 Palace Hoang Thanh in Hue, Vietnam

 Palace Hoang Thanh in Hue, Vietnam

 Palace Hoang Thanh in Hue, Vietnam

 Palace Hoang Thanh in Hue, Vietnam

 Palace Hoang Thanh in Hue, Vietnam

We did get to see much more of the palace then we would have on the tour but I could have spent many more hours there. 

 Palace Hoang Thanh in Hue, Vietnam

So I digress.  We had to get back to the bus by 3:15 but when the horse and driver dropped us off at the gate it was a different one and I had no idea where we were and it was 3:10. So across the street we saw these bikes with two seats and drivers.  We checked on the price and seeing our great need the price was high so we started running. It was also very, very hot so we weren't running fast though it felt like it. One of the bikes came up beside us and we started bargaining with him as we ran. Soon a price was decided upon and we jumped on.

Us on the two seated bike.

 Thank goodness because it was a lot farther then we had thought. He rode us through some twisting and turning streets then down a main drag that if we would have had time to think about it we may not have deemed it safe. My husband and I couldn't stop laughing even though we were worried our tour would not wait. We did make it and it was well worth all the craziness.

Chan May

 

Chan May