Boxing Day at Coral Beach

We started the next day with a walk by the beach and then a quick dip in the pool. Continuing with the mucking about of color values in the camera, here is a doozy of Girl-chick:

and another of the Tater:

No swimming was actually conducted at this beach  - too icky.
We went to the pool instead.

In the afternoon, we booked a ferry ride across to the island.
We did have to wait though:

and wait some more:

So we let the kids play with the camera. This is what life looks like to a three-year-old:

Eventually the ferry got to the jetty and we left on a boat ride:

And then we got to Coral Beach!!
We dashed into the water, safely equipped and all,

Some of us drank beer in the ocean and and some of us sat under the shade:

I think the Girl-Chick missed home so much she started making sandballs:

and at the end of the day, Tater had the biggest boo-lip ever!

Christmas at the beach

Yes, I realize Christmas is well over and it's a full force January winter storm out there but this was the first available chance I got to update since Christmas Day - we were at the beach for three days (without 'tinternet - gasp!) and then I was sick and then we were in Amsterdam for five days (also without 'tinternet!! HORROR)

So, continuing where we left off...

We woke up very, very early in the morning on the 25th because we wanted to hit the road early...
Like 0530 early.
Luckily we were forgiven by first one child...

And then the other...

because it was Christmas and there were some little presents to open!

Santa left a note indicating that the big things were at home in Canada because there was a miscommunication and the stuff was on another sleigh waiting at the Central Depot...

At near enough to the time Uncle Alvin said we should leave for the beach, we did...
And we snoozed,

and we vidioted

We drove by miles upon endless miles of palm oil plantations

until we got to part one of our destination:
THE TAIPING ZOO!

Now, please, the kids have never been to a zoo before because the nearest one to us is a decent five-hour drive away so this is a first for them. (It was all rather depressing though)

We rode a Zoo Train:

and we saw elephants:

tigers:

and birds - oh my!

We saw young love in action (everybody, awwwww)

and then we went back to the tigers because Girl-chick is obsessed with cats, the bigger the better:

There were indeed monkeys at play at the zoo (what kind of zoo would it be without them??)

And then we headed off to the beach where we sighed with relief and got in the pool...