Reflecting Cambodia

The kids have had so many experiences on this trip. For us, it has been great to experience this trip through our children's eyes.



Laos was wonderful. The people were friendly and happy and even though we spent a fair amount of time in rural and isolated villages, it still seemed fairly easy for our kids to connect with the Laos kids. Without speaking the same language they could play games, show pictures of snow and skiing, and generally have fun together. It was clear that the villagers had little material wealth in their lives and yet everyone smiled and people were sunny and happy.



We really enjoyed Cambodia too but this was the place where the kids were struck by the poverty and the desperation. It is just a border that separates these two countries and yet their worlds are totally different.



Levi is too young but I am totally proud of my girls for the interest they have shown in understanding such grown-up things like: civil war, genocide, the Khamer Rouge, communism, and the Pol Pot regime. (The hardest thing for Greg and I to understand is how this happened in our own lifetime.) The day that they were completely shocked was the day that we spent on a boat going through Tongle Sap (in the dry season this lake is 2,500 square kilometers and in the wet season it grows to 13,000 square kilometers) and the thousands of people who live on little boats on the lake. Everything floats. They have floating schools, floating animal pens, and floating grocery stores. The buildings that do not float are up on stilts 2 stories high.



It was over 35 degrees Celcius and the smell of drying fish in the air was thick. It was pretty easy to see that these people have nothing and live on nothing.



Our biggest challenge in Cambodia was trying to figure out what our 'role' was. In Laos we only encountered about a handful of beggars (less than I do going to work downtown everyday) but in Cambodia we quickly saw a difference. Little kids -- 2 and 3 and 4 years old -- coming over to beg, lots of disabled people (mostly landmine accidents and many of them only young teens), youth begging for money so that they could pay to go to school. Lots of people would try to sell us items we didn't want; then they would beg us to buy the items we didn't want; then they would nearly insist that we buy items we didn't want.



At first we bought items from children vendors but then learned (through more seasoned travellers) that this does more harm than good as it rewards the kids to stay out of school -- and we also learned that school is free (so we also learned that we could be easily scammed by 6 year olds). Needless to say, we had some interesting conversations with our kids about this dilemma and we were so impressed with their maturity and their insight and their appreciation for their own little world back home.



Cambodia offered some beautiful sights, some wonderful hospitality and we also met some very nice people. I'm so happy we were able to experience both Laos and Cambodia on this trip; together these countries offered so much to all of us.



... inching toward our dream of exposing our children to a world apart from our own so that they have a better chance of becoming culturally and morally astute adults.



Lana.

Merry Christmas from Thailand

Western or Squat?

OK, I miss our bathroom facilities. It is not the fact that we have to carry our own toilet paper and it is not the squat toilets that bother me either; the kids are getting more adapt at using them too -- it is just the overall hygiene in the bathrooms here that makes me weary.

I find it so funny that we need to take off our shoes everywhere we go. When you enter your hotel or guest house you need to take off your shoes, when you enter a temple you need to take off your shoes, when we enter some restaurants we need to take off our shoes at the door -- then there appears to be no rules when it comes to the bathroom facilities.

They are wet and because of the heat and humidity, almost always mildew and almost always a stench. In public facilities, many times there is no place to wash after.

In our guest house rooms it is better; typically western toilets but the shower is right above the toilet so you just stand beside the toilet for your shower -- the floor in the bathroom is always wet yet our shoes are at the front door because we can't wear them in the hotel.....

Unlike Greg, I do miss my bed from home but then the only other thing that would be really nice here would be a clean, dry bathroom. Western or squat? I really don't care, just clean and dry would be nice.

The one thing we do know, is that the worst scenario is a 'half western' approach to facilities. Just last week Greg was pleased to see a Western style urinal in the men's room at our bus station. A 'half western' approach is to have a urinal mounted on a wall but not hooked up to any plumbing. So let your imaginations fill in the gaps as he moseys up to the urinal ... and then quickly realizes that he has actually just pee'd on his shoes.

Lana

Bugs Are Tasty

We did it. We finally tracked down some tasty bugs. We thought we'd have run into some Tasty Bugs long before now since this whole region is well known for them.

We had arranged to visit our driver's family in the country and as part of this we offered to bring lunch. He took us to a market just outside his local village and there they were; stacked high in abundance. They had been fried in oil,were mildly spicy and sold by the can full. (I tried one on the spot after our driver popped one into his mouth)

After a very nice walk around Toho's rice farm later in the day we opted to put Colby, Quinn and Levi to the test. It was time to eat bugs. Just as we were stunned by how easily they handled the grossly over sized spiders a few days back, our children amazed us as each and every one popped a bug back, chewed it up. They were all surprised at how they were not the worst thing they'd ever tasted. I'm sure they'd go for bugs before broccoli! Next on the menu - snake.

"New, Single-Use Needle?!?"

Although Greg does a great job with his various 'phrase books' (carting them around, practicing phrases, interpreting, teaching the kids new words), it became apparent with our brief encounter with the Laos Medical system that there was a significant missing question we needed to ask in Laos that wasn't in our phrase book: "is that a new, single use needle?"

We are all well and 'back in the saddle again' now, but we did have about 6 days of medical bumps-in-the-road which set us back a bit and had us re-adjust our Southern Laos village homestay plans.

Apart from the traffic risks, the only other thing that makes parents uneasy about travelling with young children in this part of the world, is the unknown and unfamiliar medical issues. New rashes, drinking water diligence, different tummy aches, dehydration, weird looking bug bites, bedding you don't want to look at...... All in all, the benefits far outweigh the risks, it is just the unfamiliarity and the element of the unknown and the unpredictable that makes a parent always a wee bit uneasy.

Our medical kit from home is enormous and we also have a great India/Asia medical book. We were doing really well but then Colby was affected by something that we could not get ahead of. It started with a sore tummy and general malaise, then a rash on her lower legs, then a fever. Her fever would spike but we were able to lower it with Advil, then we were confused if she was motion sick, or stomach sick. It was when she couldn't keep water or Advil down and when her fever was an impressive 39 degrees C (104 F) that we were thinking Malaria (you can get Malaria even if you are taking pills) or Dengue Fever and headed for medical help.

We were just getting off a night bus that had us arrive in Pakse, Southern Laos. Had the great fortune to get the most gentle and smiley-eyed tuk-tuk driver who also spoke almost passable English. It made me think that if my Dad was a tuk-tuk driver in Laos, he would be just like Mr. Chompit. He helped us find a guest house to drop off our stuff and then took us to a Medical Clinic. It was 7:00 a.m.

The Doctor in the medical clinic was very good. He assessed Colby, and then said that he needed to start blood tests to rule out Malaria. Mamma-bear threw the Doctor off a bit by insisting to see the disposable needle system and by asking so many questions. The Doctor asked me if I was a nurse and wanted to know how I knew so much.

Within 15 minutes he had her blood test back and there was no Malaria, but a significant infection which he identified as being respiratory. He gave us some antibiotics and told us to come back if she started to throw up again.

Our friendly tuk-tuk driver drove us home and within 90 minutes we were calling him back to get him to take us to the hospital. Her fever was 39+ degrees and she was dry heaving and complaining that her kidneys hurt.

We were seen almost immediately in the hospital. There was about 8 nurses happy to help us as soon as we got there. Even they were impressed with Colby's fever and returned to our observation room with a needle that they indicated through sign language that they would need to give her in her bottom.

Mamma-bear is in full force by this time and Greg is looking at flights to get us back to Bangkok.

No one speaks English in the hospital at a level that is of any comfort to me. I have to tell you that it is a beautiful thing when your own sick little girl can translate and communicate with the Doctors and nurses in French. Their French was better than their English, but the gaps in communication were not calming. Greg called our tuk-tuk driver into the hospital (In Laos, life is very slow. The tuk-tuk drivers wait for you to finish your errand so that they can drive you both ways; it seems like the 'value of time' is almost non-existent.) and he was our little angel who sat with us the entire time and translated for us in Laos.

Within 2 hours, Colby had an ultrasound, new blood tests (an event all in themselves as these are a prick to the finger and then just dripping blood straight on to microscope slides as they analyze), a shot, and a new prescription. She needed the shot in the bum to lower her fever (something she is not going to be happy to find out is written in the blog). Again, the Doctors indicated that Colby had a respiratory infection and assured us that her kidneys were fine.

We felt better knowing that two doctors had the same diagnosis, and that we could rule-out Malaria. Her fever lowered, we were able to start her on her medication, and with some slow days resting in the guesthouse, she turned the corner after 2 days and we went out to celebrate by walking 2 blocks to go out for dinner.

******

Dinner was great, a guide-book recommended restaurant, lots of tourists there. East-Indian food. Colby basically ate Naan bread, Greg and I enjoyed several dishes, Levi and Quinn both had a chicken rotis-- Levi didn't eat his because he saw a piece of onion; Quinn enjoyed it very much and ate the whole thing while I picked at Levi's as it was so tasty.

About 2:00 a.m. I woke with a rumbling tummy; a rumble that after spending a lot of time in Asia is easy to recognize, just hard to acknowledge -- this was an intestinal rumble -- somewhere along the line my food was contaminated, there was feces in my diet. At 3:00 a.m. Quinn was wide awake and scared as she too had 'the rumble' although more like a Tsunami. We instantly knew it was the chicken since I had a sliver of the food she ate and a sliver of the effects.

So, we just got one kid on the road to recovery, and then WHAM! Quinn is down and she is down hard. Poor kid. Food poisoning is horrid for anyone but it is really rotten for a little kid. Greg and I are more confident about this one as we know exactly what it is and we have the only remedy -- time.

So, two more days in the guest house room. Greg and I continuing to take shifts with the sick-kid while the other parent gets out with the remaining kids to continue to explore.

Our village homestay plans in Southern Laos will need to wait for 'next time' but all else worked out well in the end. Colby did end up getting a chest cough a couple of days later so that comforted us again about her diagnosis and treatment, Quinn is up and at it again but puts her fingers in her ears if anyone mentions the word 'rotis'.

On the bright side, a trip to Asia helps kids understand why their parents keep telling them things at home like, 'wash your hands after you go to the bathroom or you will get sick', and 'brush your teeth or they will rot and fall out'. Actually getting sick from improper hygiene methods will have this lesson (fortunately and unfortunately) embedded in their minds forever and I have to say that it is totally funny watching Levi look at people's teeth here. It is a rare thing to see someone with healthy looking teeth. When Levi plays with little kids here, he actually looks in their mouths at the cavities and missing holes. It makes me smile when at night he runs to me after he brushes his teeth and asks, "Mom, can you check my teeth for cavity bugs one more time".

Lana

Never Get Married In Cambodia

The day of our arrival at Yellow Guest House in Siem Reap, a Cambodian wedding began in the open lot next door. There were tables, colourful decorations, and the bunches of gold coconuts and silver bananas hanging at the entrance. We thought nothing of this and only started to make inquiries when they started testing the sound system. More on that later.
Over that past few days I've learned a little about how marriage works here in Cambodia; mostly from one of our guides "Toho". What I now know is that the man's family "pays for the woman" and that the man is expected to live with and give money to the wife's family after the marriage. Toho told us that a woman can cost around $5000, but I'm sure this can fluctuate. To put this amount into perspective - Toho's family makes $200/year growing rice. Although there are "Love"marriages here, Toho told us that he would follow his mother's choice if she found him a wife. The other really important factor is that the woman's family pays all the bills for the wedding ceremony. It's these pots of money that determine the marriage timeline. We were told that a woman gets married as early as 17 while a man will often be in his twenties.
The wedding next door was starting to heat up by Friday afternoon. The music pounded from a pick-up truck that was stacked with speakers. We literally had difficulty hearing one another when we stood outside of the guest house and I'd even go so far as to say that it was hurting my ears. There was no dancing at this time, just music and what looked like a few libations. Later, there were speeches and after that interview of various guests. The kicker here is that they never once turned down the sound system. We have no idea how the guests, who were all sitting next to the speakers, managed to enjoy themselves - so I asked. The answer kinda makes sense. At a Cambodia wedding it is very important to demonstrate how proud you are. Part of this is to include as many people in the music, speeches, annoucements as you can, for as long as you can.
The wedding ceremony started up again the next morning at around 3am; music and speeches included. It wasn't until Sunday afternoon that the whole thing was coming to a close when a true dance party for the younger set takes place. Just like in Canada, the older folks head home just as the "loud music" get going.

Greg

Cambodia Not "Same Same"

The trip from Laos into Cambodia was a long one, as we chose to jet as quickly as possible from Pakse (Laos) to Siem Reap (Cambodia). Although we were told that we'd arrive in twelve hours, the 'three bus' excursion took us 15.5 hours.
The border crossing was a treat. It's just what you'd picture from a spy novel, except the overabundant guards and officials are all sitting lazily in the excessive heat of our afternoon arrival. The paperwork, like the heat, was also stifling but we had loads of officials to help us get through it all. All of the officials were very helpful. I had read some worrisome accounts of crossing this border and had my antaennae up - but it all seemed very legitimate.
Crossing into Cambodia I starting to see if I could identify any significant differences from my window seat. First and foremost the vegitation seemed to go from dense tropical green to dusty scrubland with very few mature trees. I only assume this is due to a dryer climate. The other significant difference was that the homes and small buildings, which were often bamboo in Thailand and Laos, were made from hardwood, or grass. I commented to Lana that it seems a little like Cambodia has all of Thailand's second hand scooters - they were really beaten up compared to what we'd seen elsewhere. We also began to see a lot of cattle carts along the roads. You could easily compare these carts to Canada's Metis Red River carts except they are much more refined in their production since they've been used in these parts for thousands of years. Finally, the poverty here is more apparent. This is something I'd heard was the case, and now could see first hand.

Greg

New Photos

Hello from Siem Reap, Cambodia - home of Angkor Wat.

I put a bunch of photos on the gallery a day ago, but only managed to annotate them this evening. Enjoy.

I just can't believe it's almost Christmas. Could be the muggy 35 degree heat.

Greg

Plastic is Ruining Asia

When I asked our tour guide just today, he reassured me that Laos is getting much better than it used to be. "People used to throw garbage all over the place," he said. I had just finished telling him that Laos would be much more beautiful if plastic didn't exist. That, or some meaningful method of trash collection.

You hear on occasion that people visiting Canada for the first time find it really clean. I can tell you that this is because they've just come from Laos. Do not get me wrong - I'm not talking about run down buildings, dirty and dusty everything, or even the open sewers. I'm just talking about simple plastic. I'm talking about wrappers, bags, dishes, cups - just everyday garbage. It's everywhere! You can walk down any street and not take two steps without finding another jettisoned bit of the stuff. It's the only thing I've found that is ugly.

Here in Laos they are missing both a certain mentality and believe it or not - waste bins. Try to find a waste basket around here will drive you to littering! Unlike in Canada where I'd sooner litter in my vehicle than throw trash on the ground, there is a pervasive ease about litter in these parts. It's not the street people, or the backpackers; it's everyone. I've watched boat and bus drivers deposit every last stitch of garbage out the window, or over the gunnells .

The irony is that much of what they toss out in these parts is biodegradable. It's the plastic that sticks around. The coolest thing is to go to a local bus station and see how inexpensive food is packed for a journey. You'll see Banana leaves folded into a tight package, or a fresh coconut being prepared for consumption. Just the other evening we bought some really good sticky rice that was stuffed up a length of bamboo. Cool!

I hope that next time I come the Laos people continue to improve their penchant for littering.

Greg

Certa Fied Sleep

I'm cured! My back has been flawless since arriving in Asia. I even carried Levi on my shoulders for most of a day with a 70 lbs pack and live to tell the tale. Although I spent the last few weeks in Canada visiting a chiropractor for the very first time, I've now learned that all I really needed was a concrete floor and a bamboo mat. Cheap!

You see, the beds here are nothing like our super-duper, really cushy, pillow top, deluxe feather tick covered beds back home. In fact, I've yet to see a single bed skirt! I'm sure that there is accommodation way outside our budget that might compare to Lana's luscious, lump of mattress heaven back home - but we're not about to break the backpackers' code of conduct. In fact we can honestly say that we have superseded the code. Where a typical backpacker has a single bed, we most often will be sharing. You see, a double room, or even a triple is always made up of single beds. Usually Levi and I are in one bed with one girl on the floor and the other with Lana. What can I say- Asia is a cozy place.

The salient features of a mattress here has nothing to do with a certification from the North American Chiropractic Association, or how bowling balls dropped from a height will not wake up your partner. Here it's more about a conspicuous lack of bugs, stains and prominent lumps or protruding springs. You are also looking for it to be level. My current bed has a box spring that is broken in the very middle, where it rests on the floor.

The honest truth is that I am worried that I'll return to Canada, to my expensive mattress with it's 800 count sheets and be crippled by it. I'm seriously considering a nice piece of plywood - Canadian maple likely. A nice hard surface to keep my back in line and my sleeping sound.

Greg

What's My Line?

The roads in Laos, for the most part, are pretty good. We know this because we've traveled from Northern Laos to the extreme south in a matter of 24 hours - it was a marathon. A 10 hour bus that left Pakse in the early morning and arrived in the nation's capital Vientienne near 8 pm. We then took a "sleeping bus" another 11 hours to Pakse near the southern border with Cambodia. It wasn't half bad, although a Laos sleeping birth will only fit a man from Laos. I basically slept sitting up.

The good thing about a sleeping bus is that you do not have to sit and dwell on your mortality and that of Laos pedestrians. You see - a major highway here is not much more than a two lane street in Canada with a few very important and specific variations. For example, many homes and businesses along the route are standing mere feet from the road. In front of these homes is where the vendors in small booths sell their wares, where the kids play and make there way home from school, where mothers feed their children and mechanics weld new leaf springs onto rickety tuk-tuks. Mix into this a wide (I mean wide) array of beasts; everything from dogs, ducks, chickens, pigs, lots of cows, and I did see one pet bear. On more than one occasion, while I was awake anyway, we swerved for ducks and slammed our brakes for cattle.

The art of not killing domesticated animals is one thing. There is a whole other level for pedestrian and road traffic that's taken me some time to figure out. You should know that the "rules" are posted nowhere, that signs are almost irrelevant (our bus stopped at all of one traffic light, as this was likely a novelty - it was the only one I have seen up until that point). The best I can figure is that it goes something like this:

1. Bigger vehicles have more rights and are likely to be driving towards the center of the road, especially at high speeds - yes, on the line.
2. Mopeds and other two wheeled vehicles are to ride towards the outside of the road. Give a little double honk to remind them if they forget.
3. If you see a break in traffic before you need to make your left hand turn you should take advantage of it and ride on the opposite side of the road into oncoming traffic and make your left hand turn from the wrong side of the road.
4. Passing anywhere is "A" Ok! Oncoming traffic isn't even a problem provided you give them enough time to move over. Remember Rule #1 - that bigger has more rights.
5. Go with the flow. If there isn't space to turn or too much traffic - simply nudge your way out into the lane until someone stops.
6. Pedestrians can walk into busy traffic - be sure to give lots of notice and walk slowly so that the traffic can move around you.

I'm sure that this type of informal system moves massive amounts of traffic with very little infrastructure here in Laos. It's like the whole country is one big traffic circle. In fact, we've only seen one cow killed just today. Oh yeah, and one man unconscious and bleeding - not bad.

In my humble opinion they could save even more tax dollars if they simply stopped painting lines on the roads - whose line is it anyway!?

Greg

New Pictures Posted

The Laos of My Mind's Eye

Trekking into the hills of Laos was the adventure we were looking for. We were fully prepared for the dense jungle, steep narrow trails, muddy creek crossing and perhaps some creepy crawlers. What we were not ready for was the expanse of the cultural divide we were about to walk into.

It was when we made our way through our first tiny village that we knew we were in for a special experience. We were first met by a few pot bellied pigs, then chickens, and the occassional duck and/or dog. As we entered the village we see a variety of items laid out to dry - rice, peppers, bark. Next it's naked children, mothers and young children in busy groups. It's the dry season and most of the people only farm for the four months of the wet season planting and harvesting various types of rice. The other eight months the villagers stay productive hunting, foraging and even doing handicrafts or other types of labour to gain extra income. The people we see before our eyes are subsistance farmers - something that seems incredible to a Westerner as we've moved so far away from this style of living.

After 5 hours of hiking we stop in a larger mountain village where we stay for the night. You take your time enterining a place like this as everything is new in an acient sort of way. The homes, the tools, the foot worn earth, the lay of the land, and the people themselves, all paint a perfect picture of life so many years ago.

The most amazing thing of all is how generous and friendly the people were. All it takes is a friendly greeting and you see them light up. The kids around the place we were staying warmed up to our group after only a few minutes. Levi spoke their language and was playing, oblivious to any differences, with joyful abandon.

I could go on an on about how great it was for all of us to encounter such an example of what I can only think to call "honest living", but suffice it to say that the two short days experiencing village life in Laos are unforgettable.

Greg

Phi - Phi, Phi-Sigh, Ya-Ya, How-How

The elephants were a big hit - Colby, Quinn and Levi were in elephant heaven. This was the "Win" that Lana and I needed after many long travel days. Levi, first seeing the elephants, quickly stated that, "this is the best day of my life."
We splurged on a two and a half day "Mahout Training" course at the "All Laos Service Camp and Resort". We really had no ideas what to expect, other than we'd get to meet the world's largest land mammal up close and personal. What we got was a lot of one on one time with these gentle giants.
The camp was setup around the elephants' daily routine of eat, drink, bath, repeat. The first ride we were on cozy bench seats behind the seasoned Mahouts. We squealed at the steep descents down the river banks and held on for dear life. By the end of the first day we were doing the same sort of "too steep for human" trails on top of the elephants' necks bareback. You quickly learn to trust that the elephant will not take unecessary risks, that they will only be given direction within the confines of what they think is appropriate. Lana often remarked that we don't let Levi ride his little bicycle without a helmet and flourescent vest - while we happily let him sit atop a full grown bull elephant, a full 15 feet in the air.
Your first brief lesson is commands. You're given a sheet of commands and asked to translate them phonetically into your own language. The most common was Phi-Phi - or "Go-Go". You then add various commands to "Phi" such as "Sigh" which translates to "Go-Left". Ya-Ya means "stop doing bad" and How-How is "Stop". We learned and applied the commands as best we could - knowing full well that the real Mahout at our backs would apply a more firm nudge or command where necessary.
The days were lazy and there was lots of room to run and play - something Levi had been missing in the bustling, densly packed cities we'd been inhabiting.
By the end of our training, our bottoms were sore and our hips seperating from our time in the "saddle". Levi, like everywhere else in Asia, was lavished with extra attention and was quickly riding the large bull elephant Boon-Soo. I think this 47 year old male was everyones favourite because he always performed the best Boom-Boom or trunk spray during bath time, that and he was a sight.
Completely content, we left the elephants for a few days of trekking to remote villages - but that's another blog.

A Fine Balance

I've often thought of myself as having a fine sense of balance. That is until I came to Laos. Whether I'm on a river, in the street or trekking through the jungle, I'm constantly presented with examples of how I'm not as good as I once thought.
It seems that you are either endowed with a fine sense of balance in this country or you will not survive your first few years. Each and every day we see small families riding on tiny scooters. I do remember this from my trip to India - but it seems to be taken to a whole new level here. I've seen two children under 4 years riding behind their mother without using their hands or feet. People ride along in groups of four on individual scooters having four way conversations while holding (and sometimes texting) with their mobile in the other. Beyone that there are the mothers cradling infants at their chest while riding along at 60km with no helmet, using only one hand.
On the river the Laos people are graceful; jumping in and out of long narrow boats with ease. They punt the same boats using long bamboo poles while standing at the narrow prow. I imagine that I could do the same - but know I'm kidding myself.
Then there is the shameful experience of travelling through the jungle alongside a Laos guide who steps gingerly across a narrow bridge in his flip-flops while the Canadian has to scrounge around for a bamboo pole to use as an aid to struggle across the pumy gap.
I'll always think of Laos as a well balanced place.

Better Than the West

There is no doubt in my mind that the world would be a better place if we all ate like they do here in South East Asia. I'm not talking about eating with chopsticks, or all eating out of the same bowl; more that there is an emphasis here on quality and variety without the focus on volumes of sugar, carbs and fat.

Floating for two days down the Meh Khong river made it apparent that green and leafy vegetables are a staple crop here in Laos. The banks of the river, even the abundant sandy bits, were strewn with manicured gardens - fenced off to prevent thieving Water Buffalo from having there way with the tasty shoots. On top the gardens, abundant fruit bearing plants are ripe with fruit: coconut, mango, papaya and the beautiful banana tree with it's magnificent leaves.

With a street vendor covering almost every square in of sidewalk - you get to see a lot of food being prepared. The flavours of the fruit, veggies and more importantly the spices are impeccable. The kids are only slowly adjusting to the street vendors - they've been a little squeamish up until now. If they could only see the kitchens in the backs of the restaurants we've been frequenting they may appreciate having their food prepared before their eyes.

At any rate - the Laos people are a slim and energetic bunch who must be reaping the rewards of such a perfect diet. I'm always struck by the street vendor who's selling fatty treats for the westerners who is indulging in a meal or snack that looks like raw and/or unprocessed food.

I hope that I can take something away from this country whose population likely don't even realize how true their culinary habits are. My fingers are crossed.

Greg

Slowing Things Down in Laos

So we're finally in Laos. The trip from Bangkok via Chiang Mai, in the north, was an interesting one.

Lana bought us tickets for the overnight train in a "deluxe" aircon coach. Just getting to the train station was fun as we always have to really cram ourselves into the taxis here.

The train was a real treat - full of tourists and friendly porters and "stewardesses" for lack of a better word. Most of us had a fitful sleep and arrived in Chiang Mai, no worse for ware. Chiang Mai was not what I had expected and it had grown a great deal since Lana had visited 20 years ago. As the second largest centre in Thailand the pace was just slightly less than Bangkok's. Where we expected to do a great deal of shopping - we ended up disappointed with the quality of the wares in the night markets and bazaars. Lana had gone wild on her last visit and bought the lion's share of her trinkets and clothing here. The big hit was a visit to an "umbrella factory" where talented t-shirt artists did original drawings on shirts. Levi ordered a Cobra on the front and a Scorpion on the back. Quinn was jealous of the shirt and we've been looking for this type of service ever since. We also visited a huge shopping mall on the advice of a bazaar vendor who said there are no child sizes in the markets. The place had the most interesting food fair you've ever seen. I was brave and had a lunch that was a little sketchy as I couldn't tell what the meat was. Levi and I watched the movie 2012 with Thai subtitles while the girls shopped, with little success, for three hours.

We decided on a package deal to get us across the border. This package consisted of a 7 hour van ride to Chiang Khong - a small town near the border. We had a pleasant overnight stay at a really cool Guest House and then were shuttled to the border to be ferried across the Meh Khong river, where we were loaded ( a lot like cattle) onto an overcrowded Slow Boat for a two day trip down this majestic river. We stopped for a single night in remote Pak Beng - a riverside village. The second day on the boat delivered us safely to "the jewel of Laos" - Luang Prabang.

So today we have decompressed with some excellent/expensive coffee, and a visit to numerous travel guides to plan our next week or so. We think this will include a Mahout (elephant trainer) camp, a trek into the jungle to stay at a local village and a Laos cooking course for the girls. We really like this place and are in no hurry to leave.

The internet, like the service and pace of life in general, is slower in Laos - something we're adjusting to.

I've got dozens of great photos to post. Coming soon.

Greg

Pictures Posted

Just posted a bunch of new pictures from Edmonton to Bangkok.

"Hellii Kopptter"

From our very arrival we started hearing a phrase that kept being repeated. It's definintely one of those "lost in translation" things. The curious thing was that everyone would be looking, pointing or fondling Levi as they repeated this strange phrase and laughing. It wasn't until a day later that we finally figured out what the big deal was. All the locals, especially the ladies, think Levi is the spitting image of Harry Potter. Must be the first movie.
Anyway - Levi is getting the lion share of the attention here in Bangkok. We thought Quinn with her blonde hair and blue eyes would draw the most attention - but then we realized we're in Asia where male progeny are just more important.
Levi's getting a little less disturbed by all the attention with every encounter. Poor guy - being mauled by all the Thai ladies.

One Bag of Tears

So we did it. We've cleared the first "true backpacking" test. We've made it to Bangkok after 36 hours of travel. The trip from our doorstep to the Edmonton airport was flawless. The 6 hour holdover in Vancouver turned into 8 hours with our delayed Air China connection. We passed the time with naps, cards, Nintendo DS and a lot of tag with Levi. The longest leg of the commute was the flight to Beijing. Thankfully the newer plane had some modern ammeniteis (aka individial movies) that helped us pass the time. I was really impressed with the food and service on Air China. This was the start of my "adventure eating" as the Pork with Rice was a very tasty load of what looked like bacon fat.

 

We arrived in a relatively empty Beijing airport and were hurried through the many protocols they have; including having our temperature taken by infrared camera. We hit the tarmak just in time to board the final leg to Bangkok.

 

Arriving in Bangkok went well other than Quinn's missing backpack. She was really shaken by this but I think we've convinced her that this is "normal" and that stuff like this is "all part of the adventure".

 

The kids have been real troopers and have made us very proud. We are just heading for our first breakfast - something they call "American Breakfast". The rest of the day will be spent getting to and finding a suitable guest house for the whole family - likely on Koh Sahn road.

 

Greg

Time to Go

It's 11:19 on November 24 and we've just laid our bags by the front door. The taxi will be here in a few hours and "I think" we're ready. More like "I hope" we're ready for a full-on backpacking, adventure tour, extravaganza.

I can't say that we are excited -yet. I'm pretty sure by the time we land in Beijing, on our way to Bangkok, the kids (Colby 12, Quinn 10, Levi 5) will understand that we're going some place a little different than familiar, St. Albert, Alberta.

We have our first night booked - and that's about it. We will bolt over to noisy Koh Sahn Road - where the hippest, and most rambunctious(read obnoxious)travellers hang out due to the abundance of cheap accomodation. While in Bangkok the plan is grab a visa or two and see a market or two. Our goal is to have silk sleeping sheets custom made in just a few days as a practical keepsake that will protect us from "koodies". That alone is sure to be an adventure.

As Thailand is wired from end to end - I'm sure I'll have another post later this week detailing the long flight that is the start of our 40 days in South East Asia.