Getting ready to leave

We are just getting packed and ready to head to the airport. We had an interesting experience last night. We asked the staff at the hotel about getting good seafood and they sent us to a place very close by. There are several seafood markets and several restaurants in a cluster. One had a sign that stated the New York Times rated it as one of the top ten restaraunts in Asia. We checked out their menu and another restaurant (but theirs had no English) and we were trying to decide where to go. This place was crazy because all of the fishing boats are working right on the coast by the market and they deliver the live fish to the market. You then go and pick out what you want, take it to the restaraunt you want and they charge you to prepare it. We were at the really nice place and I asked her if we could just pay someone else to pick out our fish and she said no. This was the only way it is done. So, we headed off to the market. Of course, they are fishing for the same things in the South China Sea, so we didn't really recognize much. We fortunately found a woman working there who spoke English. She picked out some type of trout and a lobster. She was moving on to the scallops and I told her that we probably had enough for the two of us. She told us that the really nice place doesn't cook it as good as the other, and she offered to walk us over and talk to the manager about what we wanted. This guy also spoke some English, so it was helpful. Apparently, people who go to these places don't often get side dishes, which is why she was trying to give me so much seafood. Many of the people in the place were only eating seafood and nothing else. We asked the manager for something, rice or noodles or a vegetable. He didn't seem to understand completely, so I told him to surprise me. He did ok, we got spinach and crispy noodles. The dinner was really good, even though they steamed the fish. The Asians can steam anything. Most don't have ovens, so they have mastered the art of steaming. They even make bread this way. The entire experience was very interesting. Brian got a picture of our dinner before we bagged it. The lobster was pulled out and managed to splash us as she was holding it up. Gabe thought that was pretty funny. It was hands down, the freshest seafood that I have ever had!

We also had a scary experience yesterday. We took Gave to the beach and as we were walking out there, I noticed that his eyes were watering. I thought he was crying at first. Brian and I thought it might have been because we had just seen a European man in the skimpiest thong imaginable, which is why we would have been crying. We sat on the sand for about a mintue and his eyes got worse. We went back to the room and they were swelling. Luckily, we brought every medicine under the sun and we gave him some Benedryl and baby Tylenol. We think he was allergic to something out there, maybe the salt from the ocean? He got cranky and finally feel asleep. His eyes looked much better when he woke up. It was the stragest thing. Now we are worried that he is going to have a problem with allergies. We are especially worried that he will be allergic to dogs. Yikes! (cross your fingers on that one)

I better get back up to the room. Gabe will be getting up soon and we will have to get him ready for the big trip. We are so excited to get home. Upon our arrival, we will go through customs and immigration. As soon as they stamp Gabe's passport, he will be considered an American citizen. Yeah!!! This is a big day. Then it is off to Chili's where I can drink the water and practice my freedom of speech. The joys of America!!! See you all in the States!