Pies and bouquets

One final post. This one may not interest anyone who isn't currently in--or planning to visit--Asia, because it's all about specific places and experiences we had, without a lot of detail about them. But it's a fun record that we'd like to have for ourselves, and it may make some entertaining light reading if you use your imagination. It's still a work in progress.

The best…
Coffee: German Bakery, Kovalam, India
Beach: Agonda in Goa (Mark); Perhentian Besar (everyone else)
Massages: Tamarind Village, Chiang Mai
Hotel: Tamarind Village (Patti & Chloe); Puri Alam Bali in Munduk (Ciaran)
Pool: At Laluna Hotel in Chiang Rai (Ciaran); the Padangbai dive pool (Chloe); the Tamarind Village in Chiang Mai (Patti)
Food: Cashew nut chicken all over Thailand (Chloe); thalis in Singapore’s Little India (Mark); the kids’ combo at Pepperoni’s in Hanoi (Ciaran); passionfruit ice cream in Hoi An (Patti)
Overall meal: Every dinner at Les Manguiers, Kampot, Cambodia
Runs: Long Beach on Koh Lanta (Patti); along the river in Vang Vieng, Laos (Mark, who adds that he was not attacked by even one dog on that route)
Market: the night market at Luang Prabang, Laos
Moments: First cold BeerLao after the two-day slow boat ride to Luang Prabang from Thailand; receiving Rosie’s Christmas package at the main post office in Hoi An; arriving intact at the Mumbai airport

The worst…
Bus ride: From the Vietnam-Cambodia border to Can Tho by local minibus (8 hours)
Food: Everything in Munduk, Bali, especially the breakfasts
Boat trip: The hydrofoil from Cat Ba Island to Haiphong, Vietnam, which also wins the award for most unpleasant and dangerous boat trip
Overall experience: the Vietnam border scam at Ha Tien

Miscellaneous awards
Most scenic boat trip: Slow boat from Thailand to Laos
Cutest dog: Kmao at Les Manguiers, Kampot, Cambodia
Most unusual souvenir: George the coconut
Most difficult moments: Homeschooling the kids
Single most useful toy we brought along: Close tie between Lego and Nintendo DSi
Saddest place we visited: Tuol Sleng, Cambodia’s genocide museum
Most positive and unexpected development: Ciaran's keen interest in reading
Most dangerous car ride: Taxi to the Mumbai airport
Things that make you go hmmmm: The preponderance of windowless hotel rooms in Phnom Penh, because apparently not so long ago they were hot property—no one can throw a hand grenade into your room if there’s no window
And the award for greatest patience goes to: Ciaran, for sitting through 9 hours of Hindi films during our last three days in India

More to come....someday.