Absence Alert

Abducted and Held Hostage

2012-09-10T00:09:00.001-04:00

By Gnomes. Yup. That's what happened. That's why we haven't updated this blog. For three months. True story.

Karl, Hudson and my uncles gnome collection. (Bamberg, Germany)

Ok, not exactly.

What did actually happen was that we decided to cut our travels a little short. Instead of coming "home" on the 3rd of September we returned to Canada on the 20th of July. We had spent the last 6 weeks of our trip zig zagging between Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany, visiting my relatives and childhood friends. We had a great time, and I promise to go back, post more photos and tell lots more stories about our time there.

We came back to Canada at the end of July for two reasons:

1. Hudson's grandparents were missing him like mad. He isn't yet able to convey it, but we are pretty sure he was missing them, too. When we decided to take time off from our jobs and our "normal" life, we did so mainly so that we could spend lots of time with our son. We did manage to do that and loved each and every minute of it, however we also inadvertently managed to deprive our parents of their time with their only grandchild (Yup, Hudson is the only grandchild on both sides of the family). For the past month and a half, we have been trying to make up for their time apart from each other.

2. As it turns out, two unemployed bums (one of us is actually on a leave of absence) can still qualify for a mortgage. When we compared the cost of renting to a mortgage at current rates, they were pretty close. We tried buying a house from overseas because ..well, yes, we are THAT crazy, but in the end that ended up being a pretty major fail. If we stood any chance of buying a home and actually moving in before Karl has to put on a shirt and tie again, we knew mid July was as late as we could push it.

Visiting family and house buying has been keeping us pretty busy, so that's my fairly bland excuse for not blogging for the past three months.

The good news, however, is that we get the keys to our new home tomorrow!

I have been spent the past few nights sorting and organizing all our photos. We have over 7500. That's the edited count, there were originally many many more. As I was going through them all, I realized just how much I wanted to keep this blog going even though we are no longer on the road. There are some many stories we did not get a chance to share, and it would be a real shame to forget them.

My laptop is almost out of batteries and I need to be up in a few hours so that Karl and I can start loading the moving truck, but I promise to start returning to this blog again. Join me?

Cheers,
M

Wordless Wednesday

2012-06-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

Here, There.... all over Thailand!

2012-06-07T03:45:00.000-04:00

Sorry to go so long between posts again. We've been so busy hopping around Thailand I have not had the time. And when I've had time - I did not have the internet.

So, a quick run down of some of the highlights since our last post:

1. We spent a few more "beach free" days in Hua Hin. Our second week there, we discovered the fantastic Black Mountain Water Park. Hudson and I went there on a Sunday, and then we brought Karl along again later on in the week. On our second day we got to the park a little past 10 AM (they open at 10) and aside from the staff we were the only ones there! Another Canadian family came a few minutes after us, then a Swedish couple.... then a group of about 4 Thai guys... and that was pretty much it. It was like having the park all to our selves. We had a fantastic time! The staff would turn on the wave pool for us whenever we felt like it, we soaked in a ginormous hot tub, we floated lazily down their lazy river, we rode the slides over and over and over and over.... you get the idea.

Hudson and mommy's "private" wave pool

Wheeeeeee!


Hudson really loved the slides

2. We rode the train. A lot. And tuk tuks. Mostly because we are starting to be pretty cheap when it comes to transportation (and there are no flights between Bangkok and Hua Hin) - we rode the train from Hua Hin to Bangkok (5+ hours) and then from Bangkok to Phitsanoulok (5+hours) and then took a tuk tuk to Sukhothai......So that we could be picked up by a car and driven to BLES ... which took another almost 2 hours. We split the journey up into 3 days (Day one to get to Bangkok, day two to Sukhothai, Day 3 to BLES), but it was a lot of traveling. And a lot of waiting. It seems that the word "schedule" is pretty loosely interpreted by the Thai people to mean something like - the train will come/get there. Eventually. Oh well.

Hudson, I decided, should be given the "easiest toddler to travel with" award - at least for this leg of our journey. He really has been great about the lengthy wait times and the bumpy rides. He even managed to fall asleep in the back of a tuk tuk barreling down the highway at about 80km's an hour, and gave us no fuss about it what so ever.

3. We spent 3 amazing nights and days at BLES - an elephant sanctuary near Sukhothai, Thailand.

I will try to write a separate post about our time there because it really was that amazing!

4. We took the train back to Bangkok, and then flew to Krabi so that we may enjoy the sunshine, beaches and swimming pools for one last week before we head off to Europe. It seems we arrived just as the monsoon did : (

Good news -I now have lots of time to write posts. Bad news - the internet is kind of patchy, so I may or may not be able to publish them....

Cheers,
M

Wordless Wednesday

2012-06-06T04:33:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2012-05-31T22:08:00.001-04:00

Beached Out

2012-05-28T01:34:00.000-04:00

A few years ago I heard this "bit" about how there really is no such thing as a vacation for a mom. It's just life, going on being life - except now there is sand in everything!

I kind of scoffed at it back then. Who in their right mind would complain about a being at the beach??? But these days... I am scoffing no more. Because around this time last week I was really starting to hate the sand. And the heat. And the fact that everything we brought here with us is perpetually damp. And smelly. And sticky....

My friends, around this time last week I became officially beached out. Hudson even more so. He hears the word beach, crosses his little arms, stomps his little foot, rolls his little eyes and lets out a grumpy little ...NOOOOOO!

Not Karl though. Karl, who has always hated the beach has finally made his peace with it. Go figure!

Hudson and I have tried to be supportive and tagged along for the adventure, however since about day two of our stay in Hua Hin we have pretty much had to bribe even him with promises of french fries and german sausages (seriously - that's the way into my sons heart) from a boutique little hotel/restaurant near the kite school just to get him anywhere near the beach.

I am pretty sure we are not exactly welcomed there anymore however, since while I attempted to settle the bill on our last visit - Hudson climbed onto the table and out the window. Class, I tell you. And a golden star for my parenting.

Anyways, the beach is pretty well of the table - which presented us with another problem. What on earth do you do with a 3.5 year old when it's something like 40 degrees out, you have no a/c inside, there are no parks (at least not ones with swings and slides and such) and pretty well the only place you can go to by bus is the beach? It's been kind of tough. Hudson's little face was pretty much glued to his iPad for most of the day. And when it wasn't - it was sheer terror. Sadly, it was so hot neither he nor I really felt like doing much of anything else. I am not going to lie - we were all a little miserable.

And so - I learned how to ride the motorbike we rented, and a whole new world of exciting, fun things opened up for Hudson and I ;) A few days ago we went about 15 minutes out of town to a place called the Artists Village. It's a really neat open air studio/art market space. In addition to all sorts of arts and crafts, you can also buy your own paper/canvas/t-shirt/clay pot etc. and let your own creative juices flow. I was almost surprised, but we managed to spend two hours in the space. No whining. No tantrums. No time outs. No iPad. He was so good in fact, we stopped off for a pizza and ice cream date on the way home. It was ... nice. And a lot of fun.

Yesterday, I decided to test out his patience for motorcycle riding. We rode a full 40 minutes out of town (and no, we did not get lost) to get to a waterpark. He did awesome during the ride. I too really enjoyed it because the country is really scenic around here. As for the rest of the day - apparently even though the beach is no good, a splash pad, a wave pool and a lazy river still get two thumbs up. We even attempted some of the bigger slides, and while Hudson was keen, I was a little freaked out by the drops. (It doesn't take much for me) The fresh water and lack of sand make all the difference. Go figure!

Aside from being able to discover new places, Hudson really enjoys just cruising around on the motor bike. His gets really giddy whenever we go over the railroad tracks (which we have to do to get pretty much anywhere in this town), points out all the stray dogs along the road and loved it when we got stopped in our tracks by a small herd of cows crossing the highway.

Sitting on the bike and being stopped at a railroad crossing because a train is going by is pretty much Hudson's idea of heaven.

I've been thinking about coming clean about the whole not really loving the beach thing for a few days, but I did not want to sound like a whiner. Because really, who am I to complain about... well.... anything in my life these days.

Then I came across this here post over on Bethaney's blog and I felt a bit better about it all. It's nice to know we are not the only ones who sometimes struggle on what was supposed to have been a dream come true for us. Check out the comments on her post,too. Is it terrible to say I am glad our toddler is not the only one who has tantrums when he is supposed to be having the time of his life?!?! And we are not the only ones who sometimes feel a little frustrated by the whole thing. I feel so... normal!

Cheers,
M

Wordless Wesnesday

2012-05-24T12:38:00.000-04:00

New Wheels

2012-05-20T06:56:00.000-04:00

We debated this one for a long time. We really wanted to. Really, really wanted to. And if it was just the two of us traveling, we would have gotten one a long time ago. I mean, sure... the Thai do it all the time... but that does not mean it's a good idea.

But then we found one of these...

So we decided it to get to get one of these...

It's not ours per say - we rented it for the week. But it is a lot of fun! Hudson loves riding it. So much so in fact, that he sports his new helmet everywhere we go. Including at the beach.

Yesterday, we all piled on and rode down to the beach for dinner with Rob, Sarapee and their friend/neighbour Elizabeth. We were quite the little bike gang ;)

By the way, don't you love what Elizabeth did to her bike? It had some scratched on the orange part. so she covered them up with leopard spots. You can't really see it from the photo, but her seat has a zebra print. I think it's pretty awesome!

It's actually quite reasonable to rent these. We got a bit of a deal on ours because Sarapee knows someone, but if we rented it ourselves it would have been about 1200 Baht for the week. We probably would have spent at least that much in taxi/bus rides. And we get to come and go as we please which is awesome.

I can't wait to share some more motorcycle adventures with you soon.

Cheers,
M

Hanging out in Hua Hin

2012-05-18T12:58:00.003-04:00

"Are you guys planning to visit Thailand at all?" one of my girlfriends asked about 2 weeks before we set out on our trip.

As it turned out, her father-in-law was moving to Thailand. A little coffee date was quickly arranged. We chatted a bit about our trip, Rob showed me a few photos, we exchanged contact info, and I promised I would get in touch once we were closer tho Thailand...

Yesterday, we "moved in" into a guest room in Sarapee and Rob's home.

They met us at the hotel where we stayed our first in night here in Hua Hin and on the way home, introduced us to the local buses (They much cheaper then taxis or even tuk-tuks, but still very convenient.) There are two kinds really; the green bus which is basically a pick up truck with two benches in the flatbed and a raised canopy to keep the rain off, and the orange bus which is more like a traditional western style bus with comfy seats, only much smaller. The fare for the green bus is 10 Baht (about 30 cents) to/from the city center. If you need to go across the city center, the fare is 20 Baht. There may or may not be a set fare on the orange bus. When we rode it with Sarapee who is Thai, she was able to talk them down on the fair. When we rode it alone, we just kind of held out our hand with some change in it and the woman collecting the fare picked out what she wanted. It cost us 45 Baht to get to the beach today, which we thought that was quite reasonable even though it probably included the foolish foreigner surcharge.

The home of our hosts is very nice, but what has us completely smitten is their garden. As soon as we arrived, Karl found "the perfect" spot to set up his slack line - two coconut trees right outside our bedroom window. Sarapee picked and cut one open for us when we first got here - delish! There is also a starfruit tree (tree ripened starfruit is waaaaay better then anything you can buy in the grocery store back home), and papayas grow like weeds all around. It seems we came at a good time because there is lots of ripe fruit to choose from here in the garden but also at the market in town. Before we arrived, our hosts stocked us up on lychee fruit and mangosteens. I am pretty much in heaven!

Also, as you can tell from the photo above, it took Hudson about 2 minutes to discover a pond in the garden, and about another 10 or 15 before he became fully "submerged" in the experience. He can, and does spend hours in there, "fishing" or playing with his boats. We practically had to beg him to come to the beach with us today - he likes it that much.

Over the past day and a half, we've been really enjoying the company of our terrific hosts and some of their neighbours. Hudson and Sarapee are pretty much BFFs (at least so far as Hudson is concerned). This morning, the woman who lives across the street took me along (on her motorbike, which was an experience in and of itself for me) to a pilates class. I did awful, but I really enjoyed it and I think I will be joining her again tomorrow morning. As I write this, Karl and Rob are out enjoying some Thai Boxing. I would share more photos, but they took off with the camera.

Maybe tomorrow :)

Cheers,
M

Bangkok to Hua Hin by Train

2012-05-16T23:54:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, we to a train from Bangkok to Hua Hin. It took about 5 hours, and we took lots of pictures. (Un)fortunately, most of them look like this, on account of the fact that Hudson spent about 80% of the time hanging out the window just like this. Even the afternoon rain was not enough to get him out of the window. We were a lit nervous, especially after the Cambodian night bus experience, but all things went extremely well.

We got to the Bangkok train station about 1.5 hours before our train was scheduled to depart. We did not buy tickets ahead and I had read somewhere that Thai trains do tend run pretty full. It was probably a good idea because as we departed there really was only one or two empty seats in our car. By getting there early, we were able to score seats all together, but for our trip back I think we will buy the tickets a day ahead and do something a little more fun with our time before departure.

The train station itself was actually quite easy to figure out. There are several English speaking guides hanging around, and as soon as they saw us (We kind of stick out like sore thumbs, being a head or two taller then most Thais. Not to mention that my hair colour is no match for the sun here, and I rapidly fade to a redish blond no matter what I do) they came over, asked where we were going, told us what time the train would depart and pointed out a counter with an English speaking ticket agent. There were lots of cafes and restaurants to choose from, a pay toilet and even a shower for those on longer trips. For the 5 hour, over 200 km journey we paid the price our all our tickets was about 400 Baht (about $13.00). The seats were comfy (they even reclined), there were ceiling fans to keep us cool, there was a SEA style restroom in our car. Compared to the night bus - it was pure luxury! Thus far, we are giving Thai train travel six thumbs up.

And for those of you wondering, we were not the only ones traveling by train with a small child. We saw another family very similar to us at the terminal, and there was a Swedish (at least I think they were Swedish) family with not 1, not 2 but three kids under the age of 7 in our car! Now that's brave :)

Cheers,
M

Wordless Wednesday

2012-05-16T11:52:00.000-04:00

One Night in Bangkok

2012-05-16T10:11:00.000-04:00

We arrived in Bangkok around 9AM yesterday.

Our flight in was fairly uneventful. We've had so many of them by now, that it's really just a routine. Hudson knows it now, and like all routines that have been drilled into him, he knows to stick to it. The things that used to cause meltdowns; the security checks, the leaving of the stroller at the airplane door, the having to wear a seat belt... he now happily complies. As we took off from Singapore HE reminded ME that it was time to put up his tray. It's kind of nice to be the parents with the "well behaved" child. It hasn't always been that way.

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we all took naps. Flying budget means you get all the flights no one wants, which means we had to get up pretty early - around 4:30 AM. By the time we arrived at our hotel and had some breakfast we were all in need of a nap. So nap we did ;)

First day anywhere requires a bit of an adjustment period - especially for Hudson. We spent most of what remained in the day playing trains and in the swimming pool. When it came time for dinner, Hudson already had a place in mind...

Right next door to the guesthouse where we were staying was another small guesthouse/restaurant. All we could see of it from our guest house's staircase were a couple of wooden tables and benches, and a huge frangipany tree draped in twinkle lights.

"I want to go there" Hudson proclaimed the moment he spotted the twinkle lights

It looked kind of quaint, but what really sold Karl and I on it was the Thai cowboy playing a mean guitar/harmonica and belting out all very best Clapton, Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel etc.

It was kind of an odd mix - Thai food and American folk music, but we all LOVED it.

Today, we re-packed all our gear, put most of it in storage and set off from Bangkok around lunch. It seems we've backed our Thailand schedule so full, we will only be spending 2 more nights in Bangkok and even so they will only be 1 night stop overs as we zig and zag up and down this country. Karl, Hudson and I are already hoping that the guy who played at the Moonshine (I think that's what it's called) last night is a regular feature :) We promise to bring a the better camera next time.

Cheers,
M

Putting a "Child" Back Into Childhood

2012-05-14T05:22:00.000-04:00

Our time in Cambodia was fun and wonderful... and heart wrenching.

While Karl and I enjoyed the temples, the villages, the markets and the delicious food (and I enjoyed not having to cook it....except this time, which I did enjoy very much), Hudson enjoyed ample time in the swimming pool and at the beach in Sihanouk ville.

For many, many Cambodian children, a day at the beach however is not exactly what it was for Hudson. While he played with his train and splashed in the surf, far too many Cambodian children come to the beach in hopes of making a dollar here or there. Some of them scavenge for food. A couple of times while we were there, young kids would come by where we were sitting, point to our plate and then proceed to shove our left overs into their little mouths if we nodded yes. Mostly they sell bracelets and little trinkets.

As if that were not sad enough, as they age many continue to come to the beach, only this time later into the night, and instead of bracelets they sell drugs. And themselves. It's the "natural" progression. A learned behaviour. The last day we were there, a little girl (seriously no older then 7 or 8) yelled out after Hudson as we walked by;

"Hey little boy, you so cute, I love you long time"

I am quite sure that she did not mean THAT, but I am also quite sure that one day in the not so distant future she will.

My heart still breaks when I think about it.

Fortunately, not too far from the beach is an organization called the Let us Create. I met some of the current staff and volunteers from this organization during a fantastic quiz night put on at the hotel where we were staying. I was so intrigued by their work, Hudson, Karl and I decided to pay them a visit the next morning. And the day after that as well.

Background: A mural painted by the kids Top left: Hudson liked playing with the boys in the "toddler room". They were all into trains :) Top Right: An English Language lesson Bottom Left: The courtyard provides a safe place for the kids to play Bottom right: The kids gather for lunch

The concept behind their work is really quite simple. They provide a fun, safe and stimulation environment away from the beach. They provide the kids who participate in their program a good meal and safe, clean drinking water (which is practically a luxury in an of itself in Cambodia), dental care and basic healthcare. They offer English language instructions. Recently, they have added a space for toddler care (many "older" girls from poor Cambodian families are charged with looking after their younger siblings while their parents work, and do not attend school on account of having this responsibility).

We brought in a ball during our first visit, and a boys played monkey in the middle. The blond kid was the monkey.

The center also employes Cambodian social workers who ensure a lasting and impactful relationship with the entire family of these kids is developed and nurtured. Donations collected help families pay rent or cover the cost of a school uniform. Many have been lifted above what is considered the Cambodian poverty line and no require their children to help by selling or begging at the beach. The hope is that by giving kids and opportunity to attend school, by fostering their creativity and resurrecting their self esteem, one day the cycle of poverty and exploitation will be broken.

Should you happen to be shopping around for a worthy cause to send some of your hard earned dollars to - we wholeheartedly recommend this one. We've seen the impact they have with our own six eyes.

Cheers,
M

Wordless Wednesday

2012-05-09T06:58:00.000-04:00

Managing Expectations...The Night Bus to Sihanouk Ville

2012-05-09T06:57:00.001-04:00

Politicians the world over have a bad habit of over-promising and under-delivering. The same is true in most third world countries I have visited. For example, a few years ago when I was traveling from Peru to Boliva, the bus stopped about a KM from the boarder and we were told in broken English, "ok you walk now". So I must admit that I really should not have been surprised with the night bus from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville, yet I was.

After spending two of our three weeks in Siem Reap, we decided we should see some more of this country and that the beach would be a good place to start. The only problem was that transportation options are somewhat limited when you are traveling with a 3 year old and are on a budget. In the end we settled on the 7 hour journey by night bus. We were promised full comfortable beds, AC, a toilet and hotel pick-up all for a very reasonable price of $20 US per person. We also figured that Hudson would sleep most, if not at least part of the way.

Things got off to a bit of a rocky start as we waited for a car/ shuttle bus to pick us up from our hotel. At 7:30 PM, our pick up was already half an hour late. We watched bus after bus pull up and leave the front of our hotel.

"Maybe that's them" I joked with Mira as a pickup truck loaded with people pulled up front.

We both laughed...but the joke was on us. This WAS our ride. (To the bus station)

Fortunately Hudson and Mira got to sit in the cab, but I was squeezed into the back with approximately 10 to 11 other people and all our luggage. Given the wide eyes of every other person in the back of the truck, whoever they booked their ticket with also left out a few tidbits of helpful information.

Never the less we arrived at the bus terminal safe and sound and on the outside the bus actually looked somewhat like the promised bus in the flyer.

One look inside however clearly indicated that the surprises were going to keep on coming. As you can somewhat make out from the photos below, the bus looks nothing like promised. It was in fact not even a 2 deck bus but a regular bus with "beds" on the floor and bunks built above. The bed might pass as "comfortable" if you were say 5 feet tall, however I would not advertise a pail in small closet as a "toilet".

So... where is the silver lining? Well, as you can see from Hudson's smile, he LOVED IT! This was one of the greatest rides of his life and he beamed as he climbed up and down from Mira's top bunk to my bottom bunk. He loved it so much that others, who were also not so impressed, were smiling and laughing along with him as we bounced. And I am not exaggerating when I say bounced. The suspension on the bus has certainly seen better days, as have gears 1, 2 and 3. And let's just say we are NEVER complaining about the state of our highways. EVER.

In the end we did make it safely to Sihanouk Ville. Although a little sleepy, were no worse for wear from our adventure. Granted it was NOT at all what we expected, but it wasn't that bad and I think if we knew what we were getting ourselves into, we would have been somewhat satisfied. Afterall - you do get what you have paid for - even here in Cambodia.

So would I do it again? Maybe. We have been debating about how we will get back to Siem Reap to catch our flight. Hudson's vote to goes to the "bumpy sleeping bus". But, I think we will hire a taxi this time. Hopefully there will be a few less surprises along the way.

~K~

Humble Pie

2012-05-06T23:43:00.001-04:00

While camping at Abel Tasman, NZ, I accidentally backed the car up over some of Hudson's toys. The victims were two duplo cars. They held up surprisingly well, but the weight did bent one of them in such a way that we could never again attached any other duplo pieces to the base. It also wobbled rather then rolled from that point on. Despite the damages, we have continued to haul that car with us everywhere we have been since, even though Hudson does not really like playing with it anymore.

In Siem Reap we acquired two new books (Dr.Suess's "The Lorax" and "Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories") and a new toy train ... and since we are starting to get pretty close to our weight limit in all our bags, something had to go. The duplo car was put on the chopping block, and into the trash bin it went.

We went out for the day, and when we came back the trash had been taken out. The duplo car base sat on TV cabinet. Alright, so maybe we did not ACTUALLY put it in the trash.

The next day before we headed out, we did a quick sweep of the room. The duplo car base was put in the trash. When we came back however, it was sitting on top the the TV cabinet, again.

On the third day, it was "finally" taken out of the room. Incidentally, it was on that day that we visited the floating village nearby and took the "photo" above.

It was almost a week ago now, but both Karl and I are still tasting that Humble Pie.

Cheers,
M

Think I can do a wheelie this thing?

2012-05-03T10:06:00.000-04:00

So the short answer is no...but a moto will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go in Cambodia.

Often when traveling in a country like Cambodia, it is difficult to get out of the city and off the beaten path since nearly all modes of transportation pick you up and take you to the tourist destinations. Sure renting a car is always an option, but really who in their right might would choose to drive on these chaotic streets.

So imagine my surprise when Mira stumbled upon the Khmer Ways site one afternoon. Khmer Ways is a company that rents you a moto with a guide to take you through the Cambodian countryside. I must admit at first I was a little gun shy. After all it has been a few years since I have ridden a motorcycle and the the chaotic streets of Siem Reap are not exactly the place you want relearn, but sometimes you just have to go for it.

After a few minutes of practice on the moto, I was comfortable enough to hit the streets following closely behind my guide. A few KMs out town we said goodbye to the tarmac and hit the dirt roads through farming villages. The dirt roads got narrower and bumpier the further we traveled, until we were booting down a sand path no wider than few feet wide. Although I really enjoyed the ride, it took a little while before I tried taking some pictures while riding.

Everywhere we went the people were very friendly, and children would often run out of their homes to shout hello and wave, although there were reminders that this was not such a peaceful place only a decade ago. Signs cautioning residents to be aware of land mines were posted in many places along the route and I we passed no less than 3 farmers in an hour that were missing a leg or a limb.

We reached our first pit stop Phnom Bok hill and temple, and after hiking up the 200 or so steps, we were able to get a good look at the area. My guide explained the devastating impact of the Khmer Rouge on this area of Cambodia, as this was one of their last strongholds. Two large machine guns and numerous bullet marks on the temple atop the mountain were lasting evidence of their presence.

After processing the history of this place we were back on the bikes and after riding for another hour or so it was time for lunch so we pulled off the road near the river to find a shaded platform on stilts overlooking the river. My guide asked me to relax as he prepared a feast. It was so peaceful in the shade, the birds sang and every now and then the fish would jump out of the water after insects. Lunch was a feast of local fruits, veggies and even some frogs legs, all cooked right there on the bank of the river.

After lunch we hit the road again to see more of the countryside, another temple and bumped our way along the roads back into Siem Reap. All in all it was a great day and a completely different experience that I would recommend to anyone, even if motos aren't meant for wheelies.

~K~

Wordless Wednesday

2012-05-03T06:09:00.002-04:00

The Toy Store in Our Hotel Room

2012-04-29T07:45:00.003-04:00

Every time we pack up to get on another airplane, we do the tally. We are now officially traveling around with approximately 30lbs of TOYS!

There is the train set, the pool toys, the beach toys. The bedtime books, the colouring books, tracing trails books, tracing letters books, the play dough....

In an effort to stay within our weight limit and still keep Hudson from going insane, have swapped books and toys here and there, bought some new ones, lost a couple... and improvised some.

A couple of days ago, Hudson raided the mini bar and made "trees" to go with his train set. That Pringles can under that chairs in the background - that's a tunnel! We've also used toilet paper to make runways for his airplanes, ~~and decorated the balcony of our hotel room with it.~~ : )

I am pretty sure this puts Karl and me in the running for parents of the year .... no?

Cheers,
M

Khmer Cooking Lesson

2012-04-28T11:05:00.002-04:00

I am back from my cooking lesson which was a lot of fun. Khmer cooking, which is a whole lot like Thai cooking (in my by no means expert opinion at least) is wonderfully light and tasty. And, to my surprise it's actually fairly simple and straight forward and I should be able to replicate it when I get home. Once I figure out what all the ingredients are. And track them down. Here's to living in a small town!

As much as I LOVE me some green mango salad (and I mean LOVE), my favourite thing to cook (and eat) tonight was the steamed fish I made.

Here is the recipe from the card I was given after my lesson.

Traditional Steamed A Mok Fish Stew

2 tablespoons cooking oil
120 g white fish fillet sliced into bite size pieces
5 tablespoons Khmer Curry Paste (see recipe bellow)
2 cups of young nhor leaves or spinach
8 tablespoons coconut milk
2 ego yolks
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon aromat
Banana leaves to make into cups

Method
Combine all ingredients and spoon into banana leaf cups. Steam for 20 minutes.

Kroeung - Khmer Curry Paste

2 dried red chillies, soaked, drained and blended into a paste
3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp fresh turmeric, sliced
2 tbsp galangal, cut small
1 tbsp lemon grass stalk
zest of 1/4 lime
1 tsp salt
1 tsp kapi
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
3 cayenne peppers

Method
Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until they form a smooth paste.

A couple of my own notes about the above recipes;

The recipe for the curry paste will make about twice the amount you will need for the fish. You can refrigerate the other half and use it later - or you can fry it up, throw in some chicken, coconut milk, potato, carrot and onions and voila! - you have yourself a red curry. All you need is some rice and another dinner is done.

Galangal is very similar to ginger. You can substitute, it won't taste exactly the same, but I do not think it will make it taste "bad" either. You can find real galangal in south asian or indian grocery stores.

I have NO IDEA what kapi is, but it is a dried spice so if you ask around I am sure you can track it down.

You can use a blender, but tonight we used mortar and pestle. It takes a whole lot longer to make the paste by hand (hint - the smaller you cut things, the easier the mashing will go) but doing it by hand gives your curry a much nicer texture, and I am a real sucker for texture when it comes to food. So maybe do this on the weekend. Or get the husband to mash it while he's watching sports :)

Regarding the fish;

The recipe above is actually pretty much exactly what we used, except I do not remember putting in any oil. In fact, I am fairly certain we did not. When you are cutting the fish, do not cut it into cubes (which is what I have always done in the past) Instead, follow the lines in the meat (when you look at a piece of fish, you will know what I mean), and cut it into thin (no more then 2 cm) slices. Your steamed fish will not flake and fall apart like mine always does. Let the fish marinade for about 10-15 minutes before spooning it into the banana leaves.

About the banana leaf cups: (sorry, I wish I took a picture to show you what they mean by that)
We took 2 pieces of banana leaves, placed a plate on them and cut around the plate to make a circle. Place the 2 leaves together, but make sure that the patterns are opposite (one leaf runs up and down, while the other runs side to side) Pinch the leafs on four sides (one at a time), fold and pin them together to make a sort of a box shape. (Alright, not the best instructions but it's kind of difficult to explain - I will try to track down a tutorial somewhere)

Set aside some of the coconut milk before adding it to the mixture. When the fish was done cooking, we reduced a small amount of it (about 1/3 cup) and spooned it on top of the fish right before serving. The aroma of the reduced coconut milk.... yum!

Do let me know if you try this, I would love to know what you think! I think it's probably my new favourite dish :)

Cheers,
Mira

Wordless Wednesday

2012-04-25T10:18:00.001-04:00

Cambodia (and a souvenir from Singapore)

2012-04-23T08:58:00.002-04:00

Day 1 in Cambodia: We explored the hotel. And by that I mean the swimming pool, mostly.
Day 2 in Cambodia: We explored Angkor Wat, and I explored Angkor Thom while the boys headed back to the hotel for further exploration of the swimming pool.
Day 3 in Cambodia: We "explored" HBO, mainly. And the Cartoon Network. The Discovery Channel. And the National Geographic Channel. Then back to HBO.

Why?

Well, it seems to have something to do with Day - 1. Or -2. Or anytime up to a week ago or so, which is when I think Hudson contracted what we think is "Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease". (Not to be confused with hoof and mouth disease, which we are pretty sure he does not have. Seeing as he has no hoofs).

If you happen to be a grandparent of Hudson's - please ~~calm down~~ read on. "Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease" is the unfortunate name given to a rash which Hudson we think Hudson contracted while in Singapore. Although unsightly, it is pretty much harmless. He has no fever, and if he did, we have ample Advil to deal with that (and there is ample more available in the shop across the road). Should he get a fever or so much as start to complain about his rash, we will take him to a doctor. We (Karl and I, have both had rashes as children, and (arguably) we turned out O.K. He'll be fine. It's under control. Breathe.

Aside from the 24 hour stomach flu Hudson had when we were in Hawai'i, this is the first time we have so much as contemplated taking him to a doctor. Considering the state of Cambodian hospitals, we have however chosen what we think is the better alternative. We are keeping him inside, away from the dust and grime of "real" Cambodia. We have A/C and the cartoon network in the hotel room which seems to have entertained him quiet well. He hasn't even been swimming today. We bought some generic Polysporin and are applying it to his boo-boos regularly to help speed healing and ward off any possibilities of infection. He's drinking lots of apple juice ~~and being fed a steady supply of M&M's.~~

Just to be safe, I plan to scour the hotel lobby during happy hour tonight to get a second opinion. I would be willing to bet my airplane ticket back to Singapore that there is at least one retired (western) doctor staying at this hotel (it's pretty swanky - the waiters put napkins in our laps and all). I just hope I get to them before the 2 for 1 drinks take hold :).

Aside from the unfortunate timing of Hudson's ailment, we are finding Cambodia incredibly.... complex.

It's beautiful. It's also heart breathtakingly poor.

Our hotel is beautiful, cleaner and better looked after then most places I have stayed in in N.A. It's on one of the main road in Siem Reap - which is paved (kind of). In a few places it has signal lights which are more or less (more less, then more) obeyed. There is an Apple Store across the road. (I have not been inside, but Karl described is as being "Full On"). Also, for our shopping convenience, a Tissot watch shop just down the road (also explored by Karl and not me - just for the record).

There is a very western looking supermarket across the road. You can buy peanut butter, yogurt, cheese, wine, baguettes ... anything under the sun. It employs two security guards. One stands at the door and looks marginally intimidating. He sports a pair of Havaianas as part of his uniform, but I am pretty sure he could still take care of business if it came down to it. The other is stationed in the parking lot out front. His job seems to be to open and close car doors for the customers who pull up in a car, then stop the bustle of tuk-tuk, motor bike and bicycle traffic as they back out onto the road.

Dinner last night came from a restaurant just outside the hotel and cost US $5.00 (for both Karl and I), which is a step up in terms of quality and price compared to what street vendors charge. Our tuk-tuk driver drove us to and from Angkor 3 times yesterday for $15. He waited for us in the parking lot each time. I am pretty sure we could have talked him down to no more then $10, I just do not have the heart to.

Venture a block behind our hotel and the pavement all but disappears. Cheap shops, all carrying pretty much the same cheap merchandise spill out onto the road.

"Hello Lady! Lady! Silk scarf for youuuu .... I make good price.... for you mother .... madaaaaaam!"

In their sign songy voices, shop keepers shout I walk past. It's hard not to make eye contact, but I really do not need a silk scarf. Or 2 for $5. That's the pre-negotiation price. I can't help but wonder what it actually costs to make these things. Still, I can't bring myself to buy one.

We picked up a brochure about sustainable tourism in the lobby. It warns against buying from street vendors, especially children, because it encourages them to stay on the streets rather then finding gainful employment or staying in school. I am not sure if I agree with that either.

To be perfectly honest, I don't know what to think. Prone to over analyzing these types of things, I have been kept awake for the past two nights.

In the meantime, I can hear the young Cambodian pianist has begun to play/sing his repertoire of jazzy versions of rock and roll hits. The already cheap drinks are now going two for one and I have a doctor to find.

Cheers,
M

P.S. Head on over to our Facebook page for photos. The sights here truly are amazing!

Worldess Wednesday

2012-04-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

Oh, Singapore

2012-04-17T14:13:00.000-04:00

We've been in Singapore for two weeks now, and this is kind of my first post. Gulp. Ok, so let me think... I can't say that the internet connection has been poor, so I am going to have to go with "we've been busy". And we have been really busy, so it's not really an excuse - I am merely stating a fact here. Right?! Right!

So Singapore....

Like Hawai'i, Singapore typically would not have been on my short list of places to see. (But now that we are here and we have been there, I am glad that we came). Basically, the only reason we came was because Karl's brother Greg has made Singapore his home for the past 3 years. And he LOVES it here. LOVES.

After two weeks here, I can officially say that there is plenty to love;

If you have been following this blog for any time now, you will know that Karl and I are suckers for a smart public transit system. And boy does Singapore deliver when it comes to that.
You can basically take the subway anywhere, and get there in under an hour (and that's with a three year old in tow). It will not cost you much (fare depends on how long the trip is, but the most we have paid was about $6.00 SNG for a one way ticket for all three of us), and it is super clean. SUPER. Hudson ate something off the floor (true story) the other day and he hasn't had the runs or anything :). The city buses are double deckers, and many of the bus shelters have ceiling fans to keep you cool in case you have to wait for one.

(How is this possible you ask? Fines. Super heavy fines. That are, get this - actually enforced. Take note, rest of the world.)

Then there is the architecture. Sadly, it's kind of hard to take pictures of this because the buildings are so darn tall and so darn close together, but this one we especially loved.

Yup. That's a climbing wall. A 3 story one. On the 10th floor of a condo building. Why the heck not, right?

Also, if you have $$$ (and with the highest millionaires per capita rate of anywhere in the world, many do), there sure is not a shortage of things to do around here. Some of Hudson's favourites thus far must have been the ZOO

and the water parks. We've been to two so far, Wild, Wild Wet which is near in the north east near Malaysia, and another one called the Lost Port of Wonder on Sentosa Island which brand new. Just in case you find yourself in the area, our vote goes to Wild, Wild Wet. A bit pricier but LOTS more to do, less lines, cheaper food outlets...

And speaking of food....

The choice here is unreal.

For the very first time in our lives, Karl and I ate at an Indian restaurant that
1) was called something I could not pronounce and definitely can not remember. In either case, it was not called "Monsoon Something or Rather", or "Little India"
2) our food came to us in little piles on a banana leaf, and I could not tell you what exactly it was that we ate
3) we at least attempted to eat it with our hand only
4) for all it's authenticity, neither Karl nor I got sick from it
(all good things in my book)

We have no food pics, so instead here is one of a temple near the Indian restaurant where we ate.

~~For the record though, Hudson ate McDonald's before we got there and watched a movie on his iPad while Karl and I geeked out on our culinary adventure.~~ (I can't believe I just told you all that)

Yesterday we went to a Japanese place for lunch. We didn't cut Hudson any slack this time, and he fared OK all things considered. After watching us torment him with some pork and rice, the chef (it was one of those places where they cook your food on a grill right in front of you) fried him an egg. A foodie he is not, but we are working on it!

Things we are not so crazy about here?

This place is under construction pretty much around the clock. In the neighbourhood where we are staying, it gets so loud we can barely have a conversation as we walk down the street. I have counted as many as 15 construction cranes in my line of sight (without having to turn my head even slightly). There is very little of "real" Singapore left. Everything is being bought up by developers and turned into towering condo buildings. (Some of which, I have already admitted look pretty cool, but still).

Also, have you seen the movie "The Lorax" yet? Read the book maybe? Because "Thneedville" is EXACTLY what this place feels like to me. Nothing here is "real", but all is made to look perfect and perfectly beautiful.

The beach where Greg goes to slack line every Sunday is man made. Fake sand (ground up rock, much sharper then any real sand I have ever walked on) was brought in from lord knows where. Perfectly shaped and edged pieces of sod have been placed around to bottoms of those palm trees. The atmosphere there actually quite fun a cheerful, but I imagine few take the time to take in the sunset...

Singapore is basically a one huge shipping hub. One fifth of all the containers in the world come are trans shipped through these waters. Half of the world's annual supply of crude oil come through here. Ships from all over Asia come in, load and unload. Military planes and helicopters circle the skies almost constantly. It's one thing to read about that on Wikipedia, it's something different all together to see it right in front of you. It's still about 32 degrees outside as the sun sets, but looking out onto the water from Tanjong beach, I can't help but feel a bit of a chill.

:(

Cheers,
M

Thank you! (and postcard contest winners)

2012-04-17T04:04:00.000-04:00

Before we start catching up on the back log of posts we've been meaning to put up, we just wanted to say

to everyone who left me a comment, sent us a message or signed up to "Like" our Facebook page. You guys have really made my day and are helping me in a huge way to get out of this "blogger's block"/funk I have been in lately.

Also;

Gill - a postcard is on it's way to YOUR mailbox.
Lori - send us your address! You are getting one whether you want it not.
Mom - as if we were not going to send you a postcard anyways.
Trina - how could we not send a postcard to out #1 fan?!?! We'll be dropping one in the mail for you, too!

Cheers,
Mira