Happy New Year!

It's been a few days since we last blogged. It's been quite hectic!

Friday night, we went to the Singapore Boat Quay, where old shop and warehouses have been converted to an exotic blend of eastern and western restaurants and pubs right along the Singapore river and Singapore's financial centers. Our selection? Chilli Crab eaten with the hands. (They even have a festival for this dish. More info on this dish at: http://www.tigerbeer.co.uk/www/217/chilicrab/)

On our last day in Singapore, Dec 30, Courtney and I went to the Singapore Botanical Gardens. What a fabulous experience, including the National Orchid Center. I think we took pictures of every single orchid in the park! (http://www.sbg.org.sg/)

Then we rushed to Singapore Airport for a brief two hr flight to Bangkok. We landed in the brand new airport, which is about 3 times bigger than the last one. And settled into our new hotel, the Montien Riverside, just a few blocks away from Tony's parent's condo and right beside the south end of the Chaopraya river.

New Year's eve morning was spent shopping at the famous "Chatuchak" weekend market, where you can find basically anything you want in the 15,000 stalls. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatuchak_weekend_market) But it was hot!

There were a few moments of apprehension when we heard that there had been some bombs going off around Bangkok (http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/01Jan2007_news01.php) during our dinner, but things quieted down and our family is OK.

On New Year's Day, Courtney and Tony went with Tony's dad to Ayudhya, the ancient capital of Thailand. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_(city) What an amazing set of temples, and other antiquities. Thank's to Tony's dad for playing 'Lee Tour Guide.'

Tomorrow, we go to Pattaya for some relaxation by the beach. And we owe you a "tropical fruit of the day". More, much more later.