One of the questions I asked my sponsor was about the availability of fruits and vegetables. He says the usual tropical fruits are easily available at roadside stands and in the supermarkets. Standard North American fruits have to be trucked in.

I am not much of a gardener, Stilly, so taking seeds along would only be a form of cruelty to the vegetable world. Besides, the whole purpose of this trip is to break out of the old mold and fly free in new air. I hope to have a house with bougainvillia and mangoes growing in the yard. I want to see a carabao wander in to munch on the grass. I want to sit in the morning on a patio and drink my coffee while the fruit bats wing their way home.

Re: new thread - I think it might be fun if we think a lot of people would join in. Not many are here on this one. Will one more thread hurt anything? I doubt it. Is it needed? Once again, I doubt it. But it's a fun thought and appreciated, Kat. Thanks.