Luang Prabang, Laos October 28-30

Hi all,

It has been a while. We have not been able to get a good connection to make any postings. Luang Prabang is probably the prettiest spot we have seen yet. We have been staying at a beautiful guesthouse with bungalow that face the river. The huts are made of bamboo and palm leaves and have great verandas to sit out on and watch the sun sink behind the hills. We see folks out fishing and working their farms when we get up and they are still working hard when we shut out our lights. The kids frolic in the river without supervision and have lots of smiles.

We have climbed up thousands of steps to see the wat at the top of the hill in the centre of town and rented bikes. Great fun.

On the day we went to the Chuang Si water falls, we went swimming. I didn't really like the experience because little fish were chewing away at my feet. We had seen these spas in Bangkok where you could pay to get your feet cleaned off with little fish - yuck. So I wasn't keen on it.

Mira was very brave, she joined the 20 something crew of young men swinging out on the tarzan rope into the pool. She was admired by all. Kate actually fell asleep in the tuk tuk on the way out - incredible because these little trucks with spots to sit in are really loud and dirty but she slept.

The girls and Paul had their feet massaged at one of the hundreds of places ready to give you any kind of massage. The girls are loved here. They always attract alot of attention. The massage ladies really liked them and there were giggles all 'round. Kate laughed because they tickled her feet and Mira thought it was hilarious that Paul got the "tough massage lady' when Kate and Mira got the nice ones.

We went to the National Ballet of Laos to see the play "Searching for Sida." It was a traditional Laos folk tale with costumes. The girls loved it. Kate was not pleased that unlike western stories that always have a happy ending this one didn't even end... they kept on searching. Paul fell asleep as soon as the music came on.. just like home with the national.

We left on Saturday, October 31. The day started out calm enough. Our guest house was owned by a Swiss guy so I thought that they would take VISA - most don't. I should have asked. At 7:30, I went to check out and realized that I didn't have 1 198, 000 kipp on me... who does? So Paul and the girls were picked up for the bus station and ran around with the owner going to ATMs trying to get out enough kipp for our check out. When I got that done, they gave me a bracelet and neck scarf - for luck. I think I needed that! The bus was great - we paid the extra cash for the VIP bus. We had assigned seats so we weren't at the back... luckily. We weren't sure how long the trip would be... everyone kept flashing 6 fingers. Does that mean 6 hours or arrive at 6pm.. who knows. We left at 9 am.. by 10. Mira and I were choking back gravol. Kate had had the last kid tablets so Mira elected to chew the adult ones - that is desperate! She was sick and sick.. I was very very under the weather.. Kate slept in a drugged stooper. The switchbacks and tight turns lasted for hours. We stopped at noon for a 'free' lunch - none of which we could stomach. At 2pm the air conditioning stopped. At 4pm, Paul and others had to put a drunk and unruly passenger in his place... and the switch backs continued. We arrived in Vientiane at 7pm.... WE are FLYING to Hanoi! We should leave on Tuesday. We had a celebration last night. Survival of the ride... we all ate western food and it was good.

Sabai dii, from Laos, sharon

October 29 - Luang Probang

Sunset in Luang Prabang, Laos

Kate and I scooting about town.

Paul and Mira on their bike.

A weaver at the guild.

Hi all, we haven't added a blog in a bit.. the internet is soooooooo slow it is all very painful. We have a very fun day yesterday. We rented bikes and rode all over town.. It was way fun. So we have gone from traveling with seat belts and car seats to driving in tuktuks and now bikes. The bikes are great. They have a seat much like a motorcyle seat on the back where the kids sat while Paul and I provided the muscles. I had it easy with Kate an

d Paul hauled Mira around. There just weren't any rentals small enough for her to go on her own. We visited a weavers' guild and learned a great deal about dying and making fabrics here and spent some money on souvenirs. It was very informative.

Today we went off to the waterfalls and enjoyed a dip in the limestone water - the colour of turquoise. Very neat. We are off to Ventiane on Saturday by bus. I will try to post a photo or two before then.

bye for now sharon

Luang Prabang, Laos Day 1 October 27

Hi all Mira here,

We are in Laos and it is very exciting. The mountains are beautiful, green and lush. The town is very different from the other towns we have visited. It is smaller. I like it a lot better than Hong Kong and Thailand because everyone seems friendly and inviting. The buildings are very french with balconies made of wood and there are lots of cafes and everyone speaks French. There are really neat tuk tuks here. They are like a tuk tuk (motocycle taxi) except they are higher off the ground and more like a truck with bigger space in the back. They look a bit like Papa's old truck with three wheels and the canopy cut off. The river runs right through town. We bought a parasol last night at the night market. This night market was very different from the one in Chaing Mai. It was quieter and lots of crafts.

Photos won't load - will try later. m

Chiang Mai, Thailand Part 2

So our second day here in Chiang Mai was more adventurous.. especially for me.

We headed out at the very early hour of 6 am for the Flight of the Gibbon. A zip lining adventure company that shows people the jungles from high in the canopy. We were promised 3 hours of zipping, repelling, hiking and bridge traverses... As already mentioned on this blog, I am not a fan of heights, however, I am not ready to be a stick in the mud so I signed up along with the rest of my very enthusiastic family. High in the mountains, we experienced cool temperatures for the first time since leaving Canada. It was a pleasant surprise.

We had intended for Kate to be strapped to Paul for the day however, once she saw her very brave sister jump off the first platform into thin air, her competitive spirit got the best of her and she was hooked.

Kate and Mira zipping above the forest.

We all had a lot of fun. I only struggled with the repels and the guides, thankful treated me with kid gloves. The rest of the gang, my wee kids included were over joyed to be repelled at top speeds from towering heights only to stop suddenly just before the forest floor. Early on in our zipping, Mira was trying to learn how to zip upside down and headfirst. She was very brave.

Mira getting ready to guide.

Kate was a hit with the guides. She really looked tiny, zipping across huge valleys. She wasn't long before she was letting go to open her arms as she slid along. I think Mira was ready to sign up as a guide. We saw lots of tea trees, coffee, banana, fig trees and the big banyan trees. One tree was over 700 years old. The view was breathtaking - literally and figuratively. I would give you more photos but the batteries died.. murphy's law.

We had a nice Thai meal - "oh, I am so tired of rice" says Kate. We had a wee walk and then a ride of all rides back to town. Kate was ill and I had to use all my powers of concentration to hold my cookies down. The road was narrow, no, much more than narrow - the width of a single lane road with traffic going in two directions, blind corners and lots of up and downs. We survived -I think.

Paul.

Proof that I was really up there! No photo shop here!

We have decided to fly to Luang Prabang, Laos tomorrow. It is more money than we wanted but when faced with a 3+ hour bus ride and 2 day long boat ride we decided to go luxury. So our next words will come from Laos.

That's it for now, the karaoke is sending me into hiding. Sharon

Chiang Mai, Thailand Part 1

Hi all from Chiang Mai,

Trekking in Northern Thailand

I have some catching up to do after two very exciting days. I am writing you from the lobby of our hotel in Chiang Mai. We can pick'em. The hotel is like many here. They have spent the big bucks on the exterior and the lobby, "ooh, Fancy Nancy!" as Kate said when she saw it - but - they have neglected the rooms for oh, a hundred years and I sure hope it is Karaoke night and that guy belting out really bad songs is not getting paid.

Chiang Mai is in the north of Thailand where the mountains and rain forests are abundant and where folks head to go for adventure..and we are no different. We had an extremely exciting day of elephant riding, trekking and rafting. (OH I hope they put that guy out of his misery or mine!).

The van ride wasn't too bad - Kate and I wore our sea-bands and no one was sick. We started out at the elephant camp. We climbed up into a house on stilts and got to watch the elephants come across a river to pick us up. It was so much fun watching Mira and Kate see the elephants for the first time. Kate and Paul got the first of four elephants on our trek and Mira and I got on one that didn't have a guide, it was just attached to the one in front. Giggles per dollar this was the best value activity. Mira and I were practically crying. Our elephant kept spraying us with muddy water, leaves or dirt. We were a mess. Then the elephants went up a steep hill side and down another indescribably narrow path of deep, slippery mud. The elephants would tilt forward to the point we would almost slide off our seat then tip side ways and so on. We were on a slow motion bucking bronco. Hilarious. It was so bumpy and crazy, I was glad I didn't have to hold on to Kate - Paul had that job. To end off, we traversed the river on elephant back. Really neat. We got to get photos and see all the elephants eat.

The Elephant Camp - This elephant didn't like the leash on its ear and when we were done, it just took it off.

Hold on!

Next we headed off to a waterfall (can't remember its name) and hike into a small village. The countryside is really spectacular. Green.

We ended our day on a bamboo rafting trip. Paul got to pole at the back and put his whitewater reading experience to work. It was lovely and cool.

Great day all around! Very tired girls to end the day. :)

Bangkok October 23

Homeschooling at the hostel?

Hi all,
We are preparing to leave the big city of Bangkok. Travel plans got lost in translation so we are leaving later in the day than we hoped. It is hot and humid and we are ready to seek out some fresh air. With all the rains in Bangkok, the river is very high. Here we are at a public boat stop... making our way to the road. Wet.

Paul as protector Demon of one of the temples at the Wat Arun.

That said we had a great day. We visited the Wat Arun. It is called the temple of dawn and it is the most famous landmark in Bangkok. It is very interesting. It is completely covered in broken porcelain that was used as ballast in the ships from China. Early version of recycling.

The Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun...

Kate and Mira at the top...

We climbed or should I say, Mira, Paul and Kate climbed as high as they could go.. I went up one level and decided I was wise enough without going higher. There are three levels. Each level as a narrower and steeper staircase to exemplify the difficulty of reaching a higher state in Buddhism.. until the top of reaching nirvana.

After a much needed dip, we visited the National Museum. It was great.. if you asked me, less so if you ask Paul.

When I asked Kate if she wanted to see another Wat (pronounced wot as in water).. she said sure, What's a wat?

Talk to you soon from Chaing Mai

Hi all,
We have are still in Bangkok until Saturday morning when we will head north to Chang Mai for new adventures.

We are staying in a great hostel and the kids love the pool. Paul said at one point today that we should have just gone to a really good hotel with a pool in Ontario and eaten alot of Thai food. We headed out on the river today. Bangkok is the Venice of Asia. The canals are seriously polluted but are a quick and easy way to get around. It was fun to take the local transit on the water. There are really interesting contrasts between big beautiful structures, both new and old and slums. The river ties everyone together. We didn't walk far before

Canal views in Bangkok.

Kids goofing around.

Sign on barge. Paul wants it as a bumper sticker.

Long boats on the canal.

Very wet travelers.

Kate decided it was just too hot. She wilts like a water lily pick

ed out of her environment. We headed for the hostel pool. After a dip and lunch we walked to the National Museum - seeking both culture and air conditioning... it was closed. So off to the National Barge Museum. Hillarious. We took a taxi to the beginning of an alley that lead us past houses, canals, over bridges and through questionable areas to the National Barge Museum. It houses the royal barges used for parading the royals down the canals. It was interesting... then the heavens opened up and you couldn't hear each other for the rain pounding on the tin roof. The kids toured the museum, full of very long and beautifully ornate barges. They ended up watching a kick boxing match with the security guards, it hopes of waiting out the storm. No luck and we headed off. True Yukon spirit...

cheers for now. s

Grand Palace

Bangkok October 20

We had a complimentary breakfast today. Kate was very pleased because without even asking the clerks checked off the American breakfast instead of the Continental or Asian options. Kate got BACON!

Welcome to Bangkok!

Grand Palace

Once we decided to visit the Grand Palace, we had to get “appropriate dress” for Paul. Shorts are not acceptable. Fortunately, entrepreneurs have filled the gap and we rented pants for Paul - really ugly pants, pants that are so ugly he won’t let me show you on line kind of pants - for about 20 cents.

Upper Terrace

IT was so hot today, +34 and who knows what the humidity was. The palace was amazing. The palace and grounds are sprawling. The palaces were started in 1782 and have been added on to and changed through time. The Royal Monastery contains a jade Buddha. The Buddha has a different costume for every season. It is covered in diamonds, gold and rubies. Today’s costume was made with solid silver. The buildings have Cambodian influence, European design and marble from Italy. Whole buildings are covered in gold and glass tiles. Breathtakingly beautiful! Kate did ask at one point.. “what is with all the Buddhas here anyway?’ Mira was very impressed by it all and I have to say both Mira and Kate were inquisitive and asked lots of questions.

Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha

We traveled by Tuk Tuk today to find a Thai restaurant in another district of Bangkok. Kate and Mira thought it was great fun. I just held on to the Tuk Tuk and my kids and Paul wasn’t too keen on the pollution but it was fun and quick.. we made it to the restaurant just before the heavens opened up for the mid-day rains and thunder storms.

Kate enjoys a Tuk Tuk ride in Bangkok...

We are moving into town tomorrow to cut down on our commute. That said, our hour drive back to our hotel only cost us 340 Bahts (about $10).

Cheers from Bangkok, Sharon

Hi all, No photos yet but I will add them tonight.

We had a big hurry-up-and-wait travel day. Airport by noon. Paul and I both realized that we have lost some of our love of and muscles for backpacking heavy packs as we negotiated three subway lines with kids in tow to get to the airport. We got through all the security no problem to find Burger King on the other side. Kate officially declared that she now liked Hong Kong. "I can play at the parks here and eat at the airport!" Hmmmm so much for our worldly traveller.

Bangkok hit us with a wall of humidity. We had a night ride into the hotel - complimentary ride by the hotel - yahooo... Mira noted another reason why we didn't rent a car in South East Asia - adding to the already long list - they drive on the other side; they drive very fast; lines and signs are only guidelines; bikes and pedestrians are really speed bumps and now all signs in Thai script... very difficult to read.

We had a great dinner in the the hotels' very cheesy restaurant. It is actually a ballroom dancing class centre so people were trying out their moves. There was live music - Hammon B organ and Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree - streaming through the air..

Mostly, the dancers consisted of an ancient old man dancing with a young Thai woman and it must have been cougars' night out to ballroom dance. Interesting. The food was amazing though. They brought us very mild Pad Thai and Mira was hilarious (Kate was already asleep in Paul's arms). She loved it but it got spicier and spicier. In no time, Paul was saying that she will be drinking Club Soda by the dinner's end... "no, I will be drinking that beer!" adds Mira.

Anyway, I just tried to find out how to get downtown via bus, tram, train and have left with a tour brochure and the understanding that taxi is the only way to go.. all through alot of gests and not much understanding all around.

Have a great day. sharon

Kowloon October 17

Hi all,

Yesterday we hit Kowloon. For a huge city with 30 million people there are a ton of green spaces and parks. Much needed reprieve from the heat and humidity. It was so hot yesterday. Kate just kept saying..." I don't like it here, it is too hot!" Mira and Kate showing off the Mira plaza in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

The fish, flower and bird markets were bit hits with Mira and Kate. Mira took a lot of photos of the birds in cages and enjoyed the colours of the market.

Scaffolding shot - how'd they do that?

Kung Fu girls. Did I say we were blending in? Nah.

So we did a ton of walking yesterday. The kids were troupers. We were in the bird, fish, flower and then electronics neighbourhoods but not food areas until much later in the day. They powered through the day! I am not sure what today brings and tomorrow we will be off to Bangkok and the blogs will probably be less frequent. ttfn. s

Ocotober 17? I think Hong Kong and Jet Lag

Hi all,

So we survived another day of serious jet lag... Paul looked up on the internet in the middle of the night all about jet lag and it suggests that it takes one day to recover for every hour of time change... which means from Ontario time, it we will take half a month to recover. We are more optimistic than that. Kate and Mira were both suffering yesterday. Mira looked like she was ill and Kate, well, Kate just slept on the subway or in our arms - heavy kid. Paul and I experience this wierd wave of fatigue that washes over us and then fades away. Needless to say, I haven't been out running yet.

So October 17? I think... We had to ask what day it was to start off our day.

We took the very clean subway to a gondola on Landau Island on this morning to see the world's largest sitting Budha. Kate was singing BBBBBBBBBudha on the way. Better than the music of Sound of Music I guess. You can see how happy Kate is in the photo.

MTR Tswen West Station and our intrepid travellers...

The gondola was a bit of a challenge for me given my fondness for heights and swinging boxes held on to cables by a bolt. But it was all good. It goes from on point on the Island to the village where the Po Lin Budha and monastery is located. It spans a large river where we got to see the fish folk wading into the water with the styrofoam boxes. They put their catch in these and send them to the market, one of which is beside our hotel. It looks like very cold hard work.

Tswen Fish Market, Hong Kong.

The day wasn't too clear as it hasn't been since we arrived but the sight was still impressive. The Budha is huge. It is 34 metres tall and weighs 240 tons. The biggest part.. all the steps. Kate wasn't too keen to climb up the 286 steps. Mira is always game and headed up. It wasn't long before Paul and Kate had a competition to go up the steps by twos and we all made it up in great time. I was thinking about my CPR recert... with lots of less than athletic folk bending over to breathe to make it to the top. Once at the top, the trees were beautiful and we could hear the monks from the monastery chanting. It has a bit of a carnival atmosphere but it was peaceful and beautiful too.

We climbed down to check out the temple. It was spectacular. Every square inch is covered in detailed carving, painting or imagery. Gold, red paint, dragons... The incense was very intense. Mira starts to giggle before Kate gets a whiff any odor because she knows Kate will make some comment and cover her nose.

We ate at the monastery... well, I ate, Paul and Mira nibbled and Kate sat there with a piece of noodle in her mouth that she eventually spat out - very princess like. The meal cost less than our Starbucks coffee.. Hong Kong is very western you know.

Here are the royal Empresses now...

En route home, we found in an outlet mall a very western mall. I broke down and bought the kids Cheerios and peanut butter and honey. The kids and Paul are all in the room enjoying them now. At least I will know that Kate and Mira have eaten today.

Across from our hotel is a fabulous park that has basketball, soccer, playground, running track, gateball (like croquet), playing boards, seniors' activity centres etc... all out doors. The park is decorated for the upcoming East Asian Games in Early December and for the Lantern Festival from the beginning of Octoboer. I have added on pic.

Let me know what you'all think of my ramblings. ttfn. sharon