31 Dec 2011 To 01 Jan 2012: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

The omens weren't good as Dec. 31 started. We wanted to hike to a huge landmark Buddha statue at the top of Small Mountain. You know, rub the Buddha's belly for good luck? Anyway, the trail got smaller and smaller and we felt like we were entering a Stephen King horror novel. That and the showers and we decided it might be better luck to go back down. Then in our room the fluorescent tube light started to blink off-and-on, like an Alfred Hitchcock horror movie. Finally, our little hotel invited us to a New Year's buffet ---- but not til 10 pm! No way my tummy could last til then; the third horror as I had to pass on free food.  

But things got better. Crowds in a festive mood arrived at the docks in decrepit Soviet-era hydrofoils. Dozens of families or friends set up picnics right on the main sidewalk ---- could that happen in your town? Then as night fell the shore area went crazy in lights, motorbikes by the tens of thousands, and open-air shows ranging from kids' carnivals to bad karaoke to pretty cool performers. A real scene on a balmy breezy night. Kajillions of motorbikes paraded and honked towards a midnight finish line. Boys crawled on the concrete breast statue ---- never to early to learn? Ironically, the bars became more colourful with all those little black dresses.  

Back at the free buffet, the watermelons had been carved into that classic greeting ---- Happy New Year everybody!