The ABC's of Travel

It has been a week or so since we set foot back in Canada. Mark, Bella and I sit together around the table at our Mayne Island home. Our clocks are still adjusting to this new time zone. It is refreshing to breathe in the clean island air. It is comforting to be back home. Tonight we reflect on our adventures in lands which seem so far away. The alphabet becomes our storyboard. Here are our ABC's of Travel, according to Anita, Mark and Bella...

A 

Australia, airplane, airport, active, acrobats, Ashley, amethyst, Auntie Angie, Auntie Amanda

B

 BIG Buddha, reclining buddha, bamboo swing, Blinky Bill, boomerang, Boroburdor, Bali, Bondi Beach, banyan tree, bats, bicycles, becak, batik, Bund, bargain, blue bottles, bumper cars, 

bouncing castle, backpack, beaches

C

China, cormorant, crystal, chopsticks, countries (5!), cockatoo, 'Climb on!', Chinatown, cherry blossoms, crack in the pants, caravan, Chengdu, Cam

D

dragonfly, dog, Dali, dancing, Dragon Snow Mountain, dunes, drum

E

elephants, escalators, Eric, eat, earthquake, empress, emperor, 'eye' spy, entrance

F

figure 8 knot, fashion, family reunion, friends, fun, fish, floods, full moon, flags, fast train, fruit carving, fish spa, foot massage, faeries

G

Great Wall, goggles, gamelin, Georgina, giraffe

H

horse, hostels, holy bath, heavy bags, Hop-On/Hop Off bus, Hagan Daz, Hong Kong Disneyland, hammock

I

Indonesia, Ian, imagination, ipad, incense, ice cream, indigo, instruments

J

Jucy van, J.J., Java, Jakarta, Ko Jum, jeep, jetlag, journal, jam

K

kangaroo, koala, kecak, kite, Khao San Road, kayak, King of Thailand

L

love, lifeguard, lanterns, long time, longtail boat, Lijiang, lotus pond

M

monsoon, movies, momos, marmot, Marianna, monkey, markets, mango shakes, map, museum, Muk, motorcycle

N

Ni hao!, noodles, night, new, naked, nature, net, noise

O

offerings, Opera House, overnight train, ocean olden times, Olympics

P

paddle, P, P's Guesthouse, paddle, Pillow, panda, pig, pelicans, postcards, prayer wheels, passport, plane

Q

quake!, quartz, quick, queue, Queen of Thailand, quail eggs

R

rockclimbing, ropes, rabbit, rice paddies, rubber

S

skipping, shells, sarong, swing, snake, sunsets, snorkelling, sunrise, squat toilets, swim, sandcastles, 

sand dunes, Shanxi, Singapore, Sydney, Space Mountain, Shanghai, shopping

T

tea tree lake, Thea Sisters, temples, Tim Tams, tree top walk, Thailand, toboggan, tandem bikes, tuk tuk, terracotta warriors

U

umbrella, Uncle C.K., Ubud

V

volcano, vomit, van trip, veggies, vendor, voyage

W

warrior, wallaby, Wayan, worship, wat, waterpark, waves, waterfall, Where in the World?

X

XOX, Xian

Y

yo yo, yak, yawn, Yogijarkarta, yummy, yogurt, yuan

Z

zhu zhu pet, zebra, zoo, zodiac, zzzz...