theboonedoggle

Here we go...... We have been back for 3 weeks now and have been hesitant to write the final blog. 2009 had flown by and we are sad to finally say that its over. Coming home was a bitter sweet experience. It has been amazing to finally see our families and friends, eat at our favorite spots, expand our wardrobe and best of all...take hot showers when ever we feel like it - and we still savour every minute. The hardest part about being back is getting used to being in one place. We have reached our final destination and there is no next adventure. We know where we sleep tonight, we have a car parked outside to take us where we want to go and the clerk at the store charges us the same price they charge everyone. Although we were itching for this life a month ago, we now find it very unexciting. I wish someone would just try to rip me off to liven things up a bit - maybe we will become AT&T customers again! Just to sum up our trip.....we were away for exactly 9 months (276 day

We arrived midday at Macau International from Bangkok, to considerably cooler weather and a welcoming breeze.  Interestingly enough, we flew there on a Macau Airways plane, which was being leased to AirAsia.  It appears all the hype surrounding the buildup of the gaming industry on the island was ill-founded, and the airline reportedly was losing money flying its own routes.  Taking an airport shuttle to downtown Macau, we noticed all the construction-at-halt on the southern stretch where the newer casinos reside, and surprisingly few occupants.  Downtown Macau was much busier, though cramped.  We spent a single night exploring the city, and saw most of it in that time.  There were a few interesting sights, including the famous facade remaining from a church that had burned to the ground many  years ago.  We watched the sun set with the locals from a quiet public park on a hill a mile or so from the center.  The food was decidedly disappointing, billed as a mixture of Portuguese and As