Hands Up!!!

 Hands Up !!! - Don't Shoot !!!!

My wife Beth, our former colleague David Ferguson, and I were in Hong Kong in 1993. The three of us had led a Sister Cities trip to Taiwan, flown to Hong Kong, and were decompressing.  We took a bus out to the far side of Hong Kong Island and enjoyed a nice dinner overlooking the ocean.

When it was time to go back I thought be fun to take a sampan back instead of the bus. So I waved a passing sampan down and negotiated a ride back to Kowloon.  The sampan Captain spoke no English and my Chinese consisted of xiè xie, (shey shey, thanks) but I thought he figured out what we wanted and we did the deal. I hoped he understood that we wanted to go back to Kowloon. This was not a tourist boat, just a regular sampan who happened to sail past.

Beth wanted no part of this risky deal and said she would take the bus back. "You don't want to miss this", I said, and Dave and I each grabbed an elbow and shanghaied her onto the boat as she protested.  We had a lovely boat ride as the sun slowly set and the day turned into night. It was beautiful and I was pleased that I had shanghaied Beth.  But the trip took longer than I thought and it became quite dark.

Then a big patrol boat came out of the night with their searchlight blinding us, with M-16 rifles aimed at us. The sampan Captain raised his hands and we followed suit.  The Captain ducked into the sampan and we wondered what he was up.  I hoped he was not coming out with an AK-47. But he just brought out his papers and they let us go on our way.

I think they were trying to stop smuggling or infiltration but am not sure.  It seemed to me they were acting a bit serious for just smuggling. This happened a total of three times.  Each time the patrol boat came up with searchlights and M-16's aimed directly at us.  

Beth was not overly happy with the rifles and still berates me.  The ingrate - after I took her on a lovely, impromptu, interesting cruise! You just can't please everyone. I figure any time someone aims a rifle at you and you don't get shot it is a good thing. And three times! It made for a memorable story.

I took the photos of sampans from a previous diplomatic trip to Vietnam in 1970. It was another diplomatic effort to win the hearts and minds of the people. The sampans looked a lot like our Hong Kong sampan.

Hot Springs, Arkansas

 

Good morning, Arkansas! Whether you love to lose yourself in nature, hit the road for an unforgettable trip, or hang out at the coolest local hot spots, there’s always an awesome new experience waiting for you. If you need a little inspiration, we have you covered! Scroll on to see some of our best recommendations. The Waterfront Views From Brave New Restaurant In Arkansas Are As Praiseworthy As The Food In a place as beautiful as Arkansas, it goes without saying that there are going to be some restaurants that have incredible views. One such place that we love is Brave New Restaurant. Despite the novel-sounding name, this waterfront restaurant in Arkansas has been around since 1994! READ IN FULL > Most People Have No Idea This Abandoned Art Moderne Hotel In Arkansas Even Exists Have you heard the rumors that some abandoned places in Hot Springs were playgrounds for gamblers and gangsters alike? One of these hotspots was the Mountainaire Hotel Historic District, which consisted of the twin Art Moderne stylish hotel. Now abandoned for nearly 30 years, these deserted towers are hiding secrets that will never come to light. READ IN FULL > Spend Some Time At The Vault, A Historic Bank-Turned-Restaurant In Arkansas We love it when an old space gets a new life, especially if it involves food. The Vault 1905 Sports Grill may just be the most delicious renovation on Van Buren's historic Main Street. The bank-turned-restaurant is a strong investment for any hungry tummies! READ IN FULL > 15 Gorgeous State Parks In Arkansas That Will Knock Your Socks Off These great locales across the Natural State are excellent for a family day trip. Take some time out of your day for some fun, exploration, and a nice stop off to grab a bite to eat! Make these gorgeous state parks in Arkansas your next destination, no matter where your travels might take you! READ IN FULL > Order The “3 Napkin Burger” At This Tiny Roadside Stop In Arkansas Since 1982, the World Famous Ozone Burger Barn has been serving the 3 napkin cheeseburgers. And once you see the size of this sandwich, you’ll understand why you would need 3 napkins. This small roadside stop in Arkansas serves one of the biggest burgers you’ll ever eat. READ IN FULL > Feel Like The Only Person In The World When You Wander Within Dry Creek Wilderness In Arkansas The Dry Creek Wilderness Area is an underrated treasure that offers a rugged adventure for anyone near the Ouachita National Forest. Although it's a rather small patch of land (compared to other designated forested areas within the state), Dry Creek has endless opportunities for nature lovers. Let's step into this quiet area for a secluded nature connection. READ IN FULL > ARKANSAS IMAGE OF THE DAY This stunning image was captured at Mount Magazine State Park. Photo Credit: Wanderlust & Arkansas Dust / Arkansas Nature Lovers Page INSPIRE YOUR BUCKET LIST  Sign up and start exploring with our new email newsletter SUBSCRIBE

Thanks to my high School Classmate Sue for sending us this article.  Very interesting.

Check out the abandoned modern art hotel. There is an interesting video about what Ark. college interior design students have envisioned for the abandoned buildings in Hot Springs - buildings that had once been hotels back in the '20's. Many of these buildings you have seen. I got this from my nephew. I think the two buildings on Park Ave he referred to were The Vault - an old bank turned into a restaurant on the first floor and a jazz bar on the second floor. The other building is The Waters - a restaurant on the first floor and an open air bar on the second floor. Both restaurants are quite pricey for my budget - like somewhere between $100-200 per person, depending on what you eat and drink.

I have not been to the Brave New Restaurant.

Craig, since you were a city planner, I thought you might enjoy the students vision.

Sue