We’re back…

and coming to you live from Boracay in the Philippines.

It has only been nine days since our last post but a lot of travelling has happened since then. Erika spent a few day in Perth, then traveled to Hong Kong with a day in Singapore. Tony flew a total of 40 hours from Perth to New York and then Hong Kong to catch up with Erika. After we both spent a day in Hong Kong together, we flew to Manila in The Philippines and then on to Boracay. That is 9 flights and 2.5 days in the air between the two of us!

Tony’s trip to New York fulfilled the required scientific schmoozing and it was fun to hang out with our good buddy Matt in Brooklyn. The coolest (no pun intended) part of the trip was “polar route 1”. Cathay Pacific New York to Hong Kong avoids the pacific jet stream by flying over the top of the planet. The views were AWESOME! Huge ice flows in the Hudson Bay; snow covered far north Canada; the pristine and blinding white polar ice cap; Siberia with many frozen rivers and lakes; the endless stretches of the Gobi desert in China; and finally landing in beautiful Hong Kong. Seeing the Polar ice cap was a moving experience.

Erika spent her time walking around Perth, Singapore and Hong Kong while battling a cold. Fear not – she was not the one confirmed case of the swine flu in Hong Kong. That was in the hotel next to hers where all 300 guests are still quarantined.

Hong Kong was a very cool city. It is large and densely populated situated on several islands that surround a harbor. The feats of engineering in Hong Kong would impress the Colorado Cesare men; massive bridges and tightly packed sky-scrapers built right on the mountain sides. Hong Kong was a city of contrasts; gleaming steel and glass buildings next to dilapidated tenements, western restaurants and stores next to Asian markets and food stalls. Tony wished he could have spent more than a day there, and Erika wished she wasn’t down with a cold. We are looking forward to coming back under better circumstances J

We have now made it to The Philippine archipelago and are travelling with Erika’s mother (Emma) and her friend Judith. The four of us are having a great time and we will update on The Philippines on our next post.