Rattlesnake Point

We thought we'd take a stroll through the fall colours of Halton, at Rattlesnake point, just outside Milton.

Apparently we weren't the only ones with that idea, it being Thanksgiving monday (2013)! Still a pretty decent way to spend a fall holiday in Ontario.

India

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Tiruchirappalli

We flew to India from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After more than two years in South Korea, and then backpacking across Asia for two months, we thought we were more or less prepared for anything. But entering India was like going down the proverbial rabbit hole! For instance, in Thailand, they are expecting, nay, counting on tourists. They are waiting for you, smiling - you smile back, then you hand them your money and do all the things tourists normally do. Everyone is happy, a good time is had by all, etc. Tiruchirappalli (or Trichy, for short) was not expecting us. It's not that we were unwelcome. Far from it. It's more that we were unnoticed.

Smith's Falls, the Perfect Detour

For our anniversary in 2012, we thought we'd make a pilgrimage to our nation's capital. So, we loaded our bikes onto Little Car's new

hitch-mounted bike rack, and off we went! If you're ever going to Ottawa, leave early and make a quick stop at the Railway Museum of Eastern Canada (http://rmeo.org/),

they have a delightful collection of trains, cars, and odd little rail vehicles. It's in Smith's Falls. It's not big enough that you get lost,

but they had enough interesting and interactive exhibits to keep us occupied for about two hours.

This converted 1947 Cadillac served to carry the CPR president on his inspection rounds.
The Dental Car, and a couple of other cute little rail vehicles.
The Dental Car was towed from town to town in Northern Ontario, providing free dental care. It has dental facilities (obviously), a kitchen, and two bedrooms. It was in operation until the late 1970s.
Locomotive 6591 is a diesel electric powered locomotive and was in service until 1982. The gentleman walking to the right actually started her up right after this picture was taken.
We actually got to pump this baby down the tracks - it moves pretty quick, but its hard on the arms.
These little cars, also known as speeders, were used to quickly transport crews over short distances.
The historic Smith's Falls railway station, now a museum. Note little car, hiding behind a civic.
This snow plow, built in 1935, was in service until 2008.
Not too sure about this car. It's meant to drive both on and off tracks, and was owned by Hershey (so the plaque says).
We'd have been happy if this guy followed us home! Lovely little wooden caboose, built in 1945, retired in 1990.
This steel framed wooden car turned 100 in 2012! Happy birthday.

Vietnam

Kunming to Lao Cai to Hanoi

We travelled through Vietnam in the spring of 2009. We started in the north, having spent some time in China. The overnight bus trip from Kunming to the border town of Lao Cai would have been fantastic, if I was 5'2" and about half my weight (infrastructure, as they say, is created with an end user in mind), and could withstand motion sickness like an astronaut! The road had potholes like craters in an asteroid belt; I think the driver enjoyed hitting them as hard as he could. At least we had bottom bunks - one European fellow we met had the center top bunk with which to cradle his 6'4" frame. There was some small comfort in looking up from time to time to see his limbs splayed in every direction. Misery, as they say, loves company.