Venitta's New Ride

Venitta has been at the merci of the Dubai taxis for the last two months and could take it no more. When she got the call that her Yaris was ready for pick up, she couldn't have been happier.

We all agree, she is the proudest Yaris owner we know.


So happy with her new ride.

While her preference is for her Yaris sedan back home, she is adjusting to the hatchback and lighter colour.

Angela's Birthday

We celebrated my birthday in Vietnam because Jeff had a meeting to attend in the morning and would have otherwise missed it had I not joined him - cannot complain.

I started my day with a leisurely breakfast and the newspaper, then was joined by Jeff at the pool around noon. We were scheduled for spa treatments in the afternoon at the incredible resort spa. After thoroughly being pampered, we got a ride into the quaint town of Hoi An to look around and have dinner.

What an amazing day!


The spa at the Nam Hai.

Spa reception - huge bouquets of white roses where everywhere in the resort.

Hundreds of koi greeting us.

Our private spa rooms - the front room was for relaxation and the back one was the actual treatment room.

Our foot baths.

Jeff enjoying chamomile tea and a foot bath.

Exploring Hoi An.

Handmade lanterns in every shape and colour.

The market at Hoi An. Check out this guys load.

Birthday dinner in Hoi An.

Singapore & Vietnam

Once again, I had the privilege of joining Jeff on one of his business trips to Asia. While I have visited Singapore before, Vietnam was high on my list of places to see and this was my chance.

I met Jeff in Singapore for a few days, where I strolled the streets of Chinatown, Arab and Orchard Street and took advantage of the sales at Raffles City Centre. We then flew to Da Nang, Vietnam, where we had the good fortune of staying at an amazing resort, the Nam Hai. I was to travel on to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for 2-nights on my own, however Jeff's schedule was changed at last minute, which required him to meet with some colleagues there as well.

While Jeff was quite busy with work, we managed to find some time together and I finally got to see Vietnam. I would go back in a heartbeat.


Jeff's office in Singapore.

View from our room -the signature Raffles Hotel in the forefront.

View from the second balcony of our room at the Fairmont in Singapore.

Out and about in Singapore.

Chinatown in Singapore.

The signature Raffles Hotel.

The famous Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling was made. Didn't go this time.

Our villa at the Nam Hai in Da Nang.

Jeff's office in Da Nang.

Our villa was amazing...the photos don't do it justice.

The bed was raised above the living room to provide unobstructed views of the beach.

The indoor area of the bathroom.

The outdoor shower surrounded by lush, tropicl landscape.

The neighboring villas.

View from our patio.

Jeff relaxing on our outdoor furniture.

Biting off more than he could chew.

The spa at the Nam Hai.

The main pool...1 of 3 large infinity pools.

Enjoying coffee poolside.

Jeff come to join me at the pool.

Our last afternoon at the Nam Hai.

Out and about in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

One of the many, talented artists in Vietnam. I left with 9 paintings in total!

The Indepence Palace.

Ho Chi Minh

Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City.

War Reminants Museum.

I got caught in a downpour, which had all the guests of the museum huddled undercover for a good 30 mins.

The bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City.

Baby Bump - Week 16

No hiding it now!

I have been extremely lucky to date with no food aversions and minimal morning sickness. At times, I have found myself sluggish but it hasn't seemed to hamper my ability to do my job. ;)


Baby in Beirut.

Family photo in Byblos, Lebanon.

Beirut

Jeff and Venitta had some meetings to attend in Beirut this week, so I tagged along. What a beautiful country!

On Saturday, we rented a taxi for the day with the hopes of seeing as much of Lebanon as we could in a day. We started our morning out with coffee and lunch in the heart of Beirut, Solidere. This pedestrian only area of the city had been demolished in the last civil war and was recently reconstructed to house retail and residential - when the crowds return, it will be a great place to be.

We had several people suggest that we visit Jeita Grotto. Not knowing exactly what we were in for, we were somewhat surprised that one of Lebanon's "must see" attractions were hidden in large underground caves. Coming from Dubai, we were quite happy to enjoy the cool outdoor temperatures and soak up the lush, mountainous landscape. However, we walked around and learnt that we were visiting the World's Most Beautiful Cave and saw the World's Largest Stalagmite (Guinness Book of World Records).

We continued up the coast another 30-40 minutes to the quaint, fishing village of Byblos. Rumor has it that Byblos is the longest inhabited city in the world and is believed to be the founding town of the alphabet. We strolled the cobblestone roads and stumbled upon a small cafe, where we enjoyed a snack before heading back to Beirut.

The following days, Jeff and Venitta worked, while enjoyed the resort amenities. We left Beirut on Tuesday evening, which proved to be just in the nick of time.


Venitta and I in Solidere.

Very quiet streets in Solidere.

We weren't allowed to take photos in Jeita Grotto, so this is the outside.

Glad to be out of the caves.

The train to take us back to the bottom.

Almost the bottom...we had to walk the rest of the way.

The quaint fishing village of Byblos.

Jeff and Venitta checking out the catch of the day.

Trying to suck in my tummy.

Local fishermen.

What else but shopping!

A much needed break in Byblos.

Cute cobblestone road that lead to the wharf at Byblos.

The Movenpick Beirut with an Olympic size pool.

View from our room.

Jeff and I in Solidere.