Travelog for: SaruMaru

SaruMaru's favorite color is yellow.  His favorite fruit is banana and favorite flower sunflower!!

Mommy took us to visit her friend Marina.  She is really nice and made us some mate.  It's a drink from Argentine and you fill the cup with sugar and tea, then pour hot water, stir, and drink through a metal straw with a filter at the end.  It's almost like a reversal of the standard tea ball and teacup. 

Marina told us that when you drink mate, you say thank you only when you have enough.  Otherwise, if someone refill the cup and you say thank you, that's no more tea for you!! Now I have to remember that.

Hello! SaruMaru here. Mocha and me are currently staying over at Robito's house in North Bay Village for a few days.

Yesterday Robito went somewhere with his Mom; he was acting very mysterious and didn't want to tell us where he was going or what for. I wonder what's going on?

Anyhow, since we were going to be alone all day, we were told to entertain ourselves in whatever way we pleased. So Mocha asked me to help him climb onto the drawing board that they have here (it's an easy feat for me, but he isn't as agile and nimble!)

He then said that he wanted to draw me. I thought it was a fun idea, so I posed for him. Holding the same position got a little tiring after a while! Mocha colored my portrait with markers, too, so it took him a long time. But I was happy with how it came out! I'm taking it home with me!

Robito and his Mom arrived soon afterward. I'll write more about this later.

So, a little later after Robito got back, he called us and told us he'd been to a craft shop, and had a surprise gift for me. I couldn't see what it was, but that's because he was hiding it behind his back! That's why he had acted so mysteriously as he left earlier in the day.

I'm very happy with my new visor. It fits me perfectly! I'm glad Robito remembered my favorite color, too.

Doesn't Mocha get anything, though? He seemed kind of disappointed... But, Robito still acted mysterious, so maybe he's hiding something for Mocha, too? I hope so!

I had a lot of fun today. I made a new friend--a mouse named Vince. He had his little son Vinnie with him. They're traveling the world and been to many different places and seen a lot of different things, so conversing with them was very entertaining.

We had a little welcome party for them, with a lot to eat and drink. I'm still stuffed as I write this! (Stuffed--ha ha ha! That's right, of course I am! Oh, never mind...)

After the party, Vince and I looked at a big album of postcards together. But there were too many to see them all today.

A little later Robito finally gave Mocha his present. It was a beautiful sled. Mocha was so happy that I just couldn't be jealous... I had to be happy for him, too!

Besides, I'm sure he'll let me ride it too. He'd better!

Today we partied! We're finally going home tomorrow morning, Mocha and I. But, we're taking good memories from Robito's home. I hope I get to stay over again sometime in the future. Maybe after we've all traveled a bit--then we'll have stories to tell each other!

After the party I fooled around with a pretty dishcloth I found. It had a beautiful drawing of sunflowers on it. So I lay on it for a while and played with some bananas. It's OK that I played with my food. I ate it afterward!

Bye bye, Robito, Vince and Vinnie! It was so nice getting to know you better. I hope to make many more friends like these!

Boy we got busted!  I didn't know that my partying photos are all over the Net!  There I was next to the big bottle of Barcadi.  Mom didn't buy it that I didn't touch it at all...  But honestly I didn't!  Not that I remember, at least...

Anyway I was grounded.  But fortunately mommy relented and took us out to the beach.

Here's a picture of me at Hobe Beach on Virginia Key.  The fancy buildings are at the Brickell financial district just south of downtown Miami.  It was a warm, sunny day out.

Well, after I said farewell to my monkey friends, I went back with Palmito to Marina's home.  I had a nice rest over there, until the travel bug bites again...

When I heard Marina mentioned that Mocha and others are traveling to Hong Kong, I just got a bit jealous.  So, Trapito, Budd and I found a nice box and we all squeezed in for a trip half way around the world.

However, even though we arrived in Hong Kong, the box was not opened.  Budd was so antsy she almost clawed her way out.  When finally the lid was opened, she snarled "What took you guys so long?" at a very surprised  Mara-Joy.  And when they tried to explain that they were gone to Macau for a few days... that sure didn't improve her mood a bit...



But anyway, while a bit disappointed about missing Macau, I was really happy to see Mocha again.  I showed Mocha the birthday present I brought along from Marina and the silly little moose cried.



Mocha tried to find some alcohol for the party (no, it wasn't me!!!) but couldn't, but we all gathered around and chatted and had a very good time.  Look what a big party we had - Mocha, Mister_Right, Romeo, Budd, Mara-Joy, Trapito, and a Koala bear they met in Macau.

Today I am so excited that I get to see Hong Kong. 

We enjoy a dim sum lunch.  Budd is in charge of ordering food.  She checks off her order on the list and submit it to the waiter, while I pour some tea for everybody.



Yummy!  Food is here!


This is in front of the restaurant.  They have big posters showing the abalone, lobsters, dumplings and other delicacies they offer.



We walk along the promenade by the harbour.  We can see the buildings on Hong Kong island.



Look there is even a Chinese junk!



We are now on Avenue of Stars.



There is a statue of Bruce Lee.  I try to pose like Budd did, but unforutnately my legs aren't long enough.



We find the handprint for John Woo, the movie director.



Let's take a group picture!!

Today we visited a Buddhist nunnery with Tarepanda and her mom.  Her mom was worried that the nunnery may be closed for the holiday but Tarepanda replied that she can't imagine a Buddhist temple closing for a Christian holiday.  Indeed it was not. 

While the Chilan Nunnery is a relatively new building, it used architectural technique from the Tang Dynasty, around 7th century.  It is an all wooden structure built without using one nail.  As Tang Dynasty is the period with heavy cultural exchange between China and Japan, this style of architecture is commonly found in Japanese Zen Buddhism temples.

Anyway, here's the entrance.



A fierce lion guarding the gate!


The front hall is behind me.




The corridor.


A watermill useful for grinding flour, though they are not really using it now.

Hello again!! I am in Athens!! I am too tired to take photos now so I'll be back in a few days!!

My first photo in Greece with my new friend Mumble, who left yesterday!

My first bookcrossing meetup in Athens!!

Well in the meetup of March there were a lot of books

and of course a lot of food, coffees, cigarettes and sweets as greek bookcrossers used to






In this bookcrossing meetup I met 50 persons and I stayed here for 5 hours!! Am I a boocrosser now???

Hi again!

I've just arrived at Szeri's home in Budapest. I have already spent some days in the city, to be more exact, in a post office in the city, because she was on vacation for a few days. I met a guy there, and what a surprise, he is hosted by Szeri, too. We will have plenty of time to get to know each other as we will travel together to Lake Balaton next week.
Now I've got to go, we will help our host choose her dress for her 10-year-graduation meeting that will be held tonight. Probably I will  go there also with Szeri.
Bye for now,

SaruMaru