Go Alan and Patti 2020

This thing has followed us from January in Singapore to today on the Northern Neck in Virginia.  This virus could be paradigm changing, so is worth a blog entry or two.  This will be an evolving blog, an evblog. A record our thoughts during the great quarantine. First, we are are well and careful.  The Northern Neck, while close to many places, is remote enough to avoid the virus spread in more populated areas.  So far.  We are keeping our heads down and communicating with everyone we can think of. Here is our list of developing coro trends: Ubiquitous social media contact.  Patti and I don't follow Facebook, Instagram, etc., but we do text, email, blog and now Zoom.  It seems reaching out is more important.  Longer times between haircuts - the seventies are back (heaven forbid) Reliable happy hours everyday at 5:30 (or so) Zoom (whatever that is)

It was bittersweet, but we're home.  It's good to be home, but sad that we had to cut our trip short. Overall, it was the right decision. We took a couple of videos on the trip.  Because of their size, both are hard to upload until we got home.  The first is of the Chinese new year celebration in Bangkok.  Our hotel was right in the center. We could watch the dragons and hear the drums from our hotel restaurant which was open to the street. Singapore was amazing to the end.  It's clean modern image is a high standard for the rest of the world, including the US.  Our flight left at midnight, so we had plenty of time to walk around the airport shopping mall, which is named "Jewel".  The mall is so large, it is like a shopping mall with an airport attached to it.  And in the center is the indoor waterfall and light show. At 12:00 midnight, we got on our flight from Singapore to Newark, NJ.  It turned out to be ahead of schedule and ar...

Today is our last day of our trip and we are in Singapore.  We fly out tonight at midnight and then arrive in Newark 18 hours later at 5:30 AM.  Should be "fun". We're ready though, given the uncertainties of this trip, two and a half weeks is enough.  Maybe again another time. We really regret not making it to Vietnam. Ernie & Cathy had a perfect itinerary planned. Meanwhile,  today we have our condo and the pool until 5:00.  The "pool" is an understatement.  There are probably ten pools and hot tubs. Best pool anywhere, but no swim up bar. Over the last two days we went downtown to walk on the Singapore river and to see the view from the top of one of the tall buildings in the business district - Level 33: the world's highest brewery. Looking at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel with an infinity pool on top, adjoining shopping center & Formula 1 track in the distance. In the bay just off of Singapore there are hundreds of ships ...

We're back in Singapore.  The continuing spread of Chinese virus forced our decision.  We decided not to continue on to Vietnam.  And it would be hard to enjoy the trip while thinking about our health and whether we could get stranded somewhere in Asia. So we reluctantly left Ernie and Kathy and flew back to Singapore on February 1st. In spite of all this, we have been having a good time.  We were in Bangkok for one day.  Bangkok was a large hectic city with temples and gold buildings here and there.  That's not fair, but was our impression after taking a 3 hour tour in a taxi. We took a bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. A VIP Supreme bus. 10 hours. And contrary to Kathy and Ernie's opinion, it was great. Well maybe not great, but very good. We got to see a little of the country and a little about life in Thailand. Chiang Mai is a busy smaller city in northern Thailand.  Easier to get around and cooler.  After Singapore and Bangkok, co...

Saturday we flew from Singapore to Bangkok.  There was at least a little concern about the Chinese virus that started in China and has shown up in some non-China cities.  (Singapore was already screening the temperature of all passengers when we arrived Jan. 20 and quarantining those who were sick)  Continue on the trip or abandon the remainder and fly home early?  Hard to know how much to react. We really just want a relaxing trip. What is amazing is that people in Singapore and Thailand are continuing with their normal lives. And that includes public events like the Chinese new year.  Maybe we're being a little over concerned?  Don't know. Anyway,  Ernie and kathy (our traveling friends) booked a quiet boutique hotel right in the center of Bangkok's China town.  It was anything but in front of our hotel.

Today is the Chinese new year.  If we were home we never would have noticed. Singapore is beautiful. Very clean and safe. No trash, no dogs, no vagrants. Wonder where they hide them.  Public transportation makes it easy to get around. The subway system is amazing. If this isn't urban utopia it would be hard to find better. We have been here 3 days.  Jetlag is starting to fade and body is catching up. Parks and sculptures are everywhere.  Flowers. Patti is in heaven. And inside the Singapore airport is the tallest indoor waterfall - 40 meters.

This is the first post of the new year.  Christmas was wonderful and everyone was healthy.  We wish that to continue in the new year.