Big change of plans! Instead of going to India right away, we decided to go to Cambodia, Singapore and then on a cruise. We were so excited! In Cambodia we stayed at The Royal Crown Hotel. It had two pools and the people were very nice. Angkor Wat is in Cambodia and it’s one of the biggest religious temples in the world. It was fun and big and we even saw people getting married there.
In Cambodia we also learned about land mines. They were used during the Vietnam War and with the Khmer Rouge. The land mines killed lots of people and it’s very sad. Some are still in fields and people try to use metal detectors to find them because they don’t want more people hurt or killed.
We stayed in Cambodia for a week and then we flew to Singapore. Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world. It’s really clean and there are a lot of rules there. Some rules are no littering, no jay walking, you can’t buy gum in a store, always flush the toilet in a public bathroom and ask permission to hug someone in public. Our hotel had a pool on the roof and it was big with see through glass.
We got on a cruise ship in Singapore. It was called the Volendom. There was a kids pool, a sports deck, movie theatre, shows like dancing and singing, ping pong tables, restaurants, a casino, library, Club HAL and more. Club HAL is where kids can play video games and do arts and crafts and play board games. I met lots of friends on the cruise like Luna, Claire, Jasmine, Sophie, Erica, and Gina. Everyday the ship stops at a different place, except sea days. We stopped in the countries Malaysia, Myanmar (which used to be called Burma) and Thailand. On Christmas Day we were in Phuket, Thailand. We swam in the ocean and it was fun. When we had supper that night on the ship we saw dolphins in the water! We also were on the boat for New Years. We listened to a band and had the count down. Everyone was so excited! I’m wishing everyone a happy 2015!
Our cruise ended after 14 days. We didn’t change our plans this time and flew into Delhi, India. I wasn’t feeling well on the plane and ended up being a bit sick in bed. I just wanted to sleep. I went to the Children’s Hospital in Delhi. It was really, really busy but everyone was very nice. The doctor gave me medicine and antibiotics. Soon I was better and we went to Gandhi’s Museum, the markets, a Sikh temple, Indira Gandhi’s house and more. We saw a snake charmer and went on a crazy cycle rickshaw! Delhi is very busy. There are dogs running around, cows and water buffalo on the streets, cars honking their horns, big buses and trucks, and tuktuks everywhere, lots of people on the streets and many poor people all around. One day we went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. It was beautiful. The outer part of the building is made out of marble. The King had it made for his second wife who died while she was having their 14th baby. Her tomb is inside the |Taj Mahal and so is the King’s. The entire thing is symmetrical, except for his tomb. When we were inside we had to wear white shoe coverings so the marble doesn’t get ruined. Now we are in Kochi. It’s in the south of India. A couple of days after we got to Kochi my Mom and I went out for a walk looking for a place that did henna design tattoos. Henna tattoos last for a week or two and the dye is from the henna plant. We found a little house on the street where a 16 year old girl did henna. I was a little scared it would hurt but it tickled. I got it done on my foot and after my Mom paid for it the girl asked if she could put a design on my hand as a gift from her. After she did my hand we talked with the family while my mom had tea. I sang for them and then one of the younger girls from the family sang us a song in Hindi. Then the girl who did my design sang a Bollywood song and she was really good. She said she loved 1 Direction and sang us another song. My mom showed them pictures of our family and everyone was crowding around the table to see my mom’s phone. When we left everyone waved to us from the door and said goodbye. It was a lot of fun. When we were walking back to our hotel we saw a goat riding a motorcycle. Well it wasn’t riding it, it was just on top but hey it’s India so anything goes! I’m glad we got to come to India and it was great now bring on Australia!