Travel 06/23/2011

Karen reporting:

We had a free day. No paperwork, no appointments, no schedules. We slept in and went to the breakfast buffet. Yes, Kasen and I both enjoyed bacon again. Maybe I will get tired of it before we leave here, but I doubt it.

Keith dropped off laundry again this morning and we played in the room. Kasen and Karis enjoy stacking cups and watching High School Musical 3. Karis loves music and has started clapping her hands to songs that she likes.

Karis drank more milk and rice today. She did start to show interest in foods that Kasen was eating. She would put it to her lips but never really ate any of it. We can tell she is much more relaxed with us and we give Kasen all the credit. She is making the adjustment for Karis so much easier.

After an afternoon nap, we went on a long walk around town. Luckily we stopped downstairs and got umbrellas because we got caught out in a big rain. We were searching for a new place to eat. Of the 3 recommended restaurants, two of them were closed and the third had no English or pictures on the menus. We knew better than to try that one! So, we ended up back at Lucys. Kasen has stuck with the burger and fries or rice choice, but Keith and I have tried several things on the menu now. They even gave us a shopping bag while we were there. I guess we must be their customers of the week.

On our way back, we stopped in several shops to begin planning our shopping spree. Lots of the shops carry the same items and each one promises to give us their best prices. We picked up our nicely pressed, folded and packaged laundry and returned to the hotel.

Other tidbits to share. Sidewalks are not just for walking. They are a great place to park cars which means you have to walk in the roads on a regular basis and try to avoid the constant flow of speeding taxis. Tissues are not just tissues. They also seem to be the answer to napkins. While the hotel does have regular cloth napkins at breakfast, lots of the restaurants just have a box of tissues on the table. The mattresses here are unbelievably hard. Sleep number, Beauty Rest and pillow top are not terms that would apply here. Think Flintstones. Bedrock. I always said that I could sleep on a rock and it has now been proven. Ice is a precious commodity. Very few places offer ice and you have to be sure it is safe for consumption. We indulged in our first Coke Zero on ice today trusting that the hotel ice is really as safe as they say it is. So far, so good.

So, until next time, fill up a tall glass with ice, pour a Diet Sundrop and think of me.