The first stop was Chengdu, China. It is the home of the largest panda breeding center in the world. 
This is the Wenshu Buddhist Temple in Chengdu, China.
Chengdu has a population of something like 11 million, which would explain the high-rise buildings as far as the eye can see. For a point of reference, New York City has a population of about 8 million. And yet, I had never heard of Chengdu until a couple months ago. Everyone seems to live in high-rise apartment buildings. In this photo you can see a lot of older buildings, but there are so many newer high-rises, and many still being built. You can also see a school in the lower left hand corner.
Steve went out with his co-workers one night for some "hot pot" at a dinner theater. I think I really missed out on seeing the dancers, but I can't say that I'm sorry to have missed trying the Chinese delicacy of tripe (cow stomach). Chinese hot pot is a little similar to American fondue. This restaurant had it built into the table. There were two parts to it, one with hot oil with chili peppers in it, for cooking your meats in, and a second one with some type of sauce for dipping. And hot tea to drink, of course.
Here is a bakery/shoe mart. It is not everyday (in America) that you see a store that sells fresh baked bread to go with your shoes, but stores like this (that sell odd combinations) are actually quite the norm.
The second stop was Penang, Malaysia. Our trip was just after the Chinese New Year, so there were still thousands of lanterns hanging all around the Buddhist Temples. I like how this photo gives us a glimpse of the terrain. It was in a mountainous jungle. Very warm and humid all year round.
There were quite a variety of statues of Buddha. This one is the laughing Buddha, and you can see guitar-playing Buddha in the background, but there are also some massive statues of Buddha reclining or standing super tall. 
It is more common to buy food from a street vendor than in a restaurant. This particular vendor was selling squid, can you tell? It is nice to know exactly what you're getting! And you can stand there and watch them cook it!
The third stop was Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was entertaining simply to watch the mobs of motorbikes trying to get from one place to another. They managed to carry their families and all sorts of cargo right on their motorbikes. It was quite a sight!
I like this photo because it shows more street vendors, motorbikes, and a mess of powerlines. This is a major theme in Ho Chi Minh City. Seeing other places can sometimes make you appreciate certain aspects of home much more.
The fourth stop should have been home, however, with a layover scheduled in Tokyo less than 24 hours after a 9.0 earthquake, a couple of key flights were cancelled. Thus, the fourth stop was Singapore. While much of Singapore seemed really cool, the highlight was the Marina Bay Sands Resort and Casino. It is absolutely huge. It is 55 stories tall and has a great Sky Park on top. 
This is a view from the Sky Park. The 150 meter long pool has a negative edge that looks as if it falls off into downtown Singapore. This gives my stomach butterflies. It was truly amazing!This concludes the summary of my trip, but what I don't have any photos of is the great time I had at home with my kids for more than two weeks. Steve had stocked my freezer with easy dinners to make, arranged several family and friends to have me and the kids over or to go out. He sent each of us two letters in the mail. And he left several surprises that would show up in our house while we were out. I cannot put into words how loved we felt by all of this. And he put such a priority on spending time skyping with us each day, answering lots of questions from the kids, and asking each of us about our day. It really made it seem like he wasn't that far away. Nonetheless, after waiting a few extra days, we were all so happy to pick up Daddy from the airport. It was a great trip!
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