Back to San Francisco…….for now

7 Feb

About a month ago, I received word that our tenants were moving out. It came as a complete surprise to me because I really thought they would stay for a number of years. Also, they had a dog, 2 cats, and 3 chickens. Who would rent to them? It turns out that my neighbor and friend would….

Rather than be bitter, I have become determined to make a good situation out of the disruption of our plans. Nepal and India will have to wait. We will all return to San Francisco and stay through the Fall. My kids are all excited about returning. It turns out that Thailand was not a favorite destination for my eldest, now 8 years old. She is a book-worm and Thailand is not equipped with public libraries. And they have no Borders Bookstores!

We may try something new such as opening up a B&B with airbnb and take shorter trips ranging from a few days to a few months.

We spent a year in Thailand and we travelled the entire length and width of the country. We have so many fond memories and our children have learned and grown so much from the experiences. We managed to spend a day in Southern Burma, 10 days in Southern Laos, and 15 days in Penang, Malaysia. A few places off the beaten track remain our favorite places.

I can’t explain it but San Francisco seems to have a hook around our family.We love the parks, the fog-filled beach, our back-yard chickens, the street cars, the diversity of people, and the openness of the City. My kids will say they love the San Francisco Library, Golden Gate Park, museemechanique at Fisherman’s Wharf, Java Beach (where they listen to Daddy discuss trivial things with his friends over a coffee), and the nature hikes led by Dan and Shannon over at Marin Open Space.

I spoke with my upstairs neighbor, Rebecca, and she agreed to get a pair of goats and share in the care of them. Naturally, the kids are even more excited about returning to San Francisco. Goats are considered pets and because they are social animals, we will need to get two. Faa is already designing structures in the backyard.

My friends tell me that I am mad! Who is going to rent your place when you treat it like a farm? Chickens and now goats? Personally, I think it will attract more people. We will see…..

I still have a number of entries to write and photos to upload but I wanted to write this piece before we board the plane next week. I am a little melancholy about leaving but excited at the same time. I think it is because the call of travel will be too strong to resist. Where we will go next? I hope you keep in touch.

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Khao Sok National Park- Rafflesia Flower-Floating Bungalows

24 Jan

Faa swinging at Monkey Hole

There are 2 main trails within the national headquarters for the public. I took the 4-kilometer nature hike early one morning while everyone was still asleep. I started at dawn and eventually came to a swimming area of a stream. It was really magical swimming so early in the morning with not a soul around you. The water was not cold and was really refreshing. I walked further up the trail and saw signs warning of wild elephants and to back away if you see them. Wow! I continued walking hoping to see wild elephants but it was not meant to be. I understand that people usually see them at night.

Upon my return, I discovered I had 4 leeches. I apparently wasn’t the only one having a wonderful time. I didn’t even know that I had them. When I was eating a bowl of rice soup at the park restaurant, I noticed blood trickling down my leg. I discovered that I had 4 bites.

Leech on Daddy

After our 2nd night at the campground, it started to rain heavy and continuously throughout the night and part of the following day, Oa got a leech bite and she decided to sleep in the van. Our main tent had a leak and I spent a miserable night in the tent with wet sheets and blankets and a very sore back.

The next morning, we drove to a lodge. The kids loved the lodge because their friends were staying there. We met a home (un)school family from Austria a few days earlier at Lamson National Park. Their kids were the same ages as ours! They made an immediate connection and became best friends. We had to throw out a couple of blankets because they became moldy and my

back immediately improved, as I was no longer sleeping on cold and damp ground.

I discovered that the girl’s father, Jürgen, works as survival trainer. What an interesting person! He lived in the woods in Northern Italy acting as a mentor for many students. He is going to stay for 5 days in the jungle in Khao Sok National Park and a public education television station from Austria is going to film him. It was fascinating to learn about building structures, hunting instruments, and how to survive in the jungle with only a knife. He inspired me to buy a carving knife for my daughter and to do my own survival camp with my kids later.

The kids’ days were spent playing around the lodge, having mud parties, and hiking to Monkey Pool. The pool was a swimming area of a large stream and it has a swinging rope. This was a big hit with the kids.

Mud Party!

One late afternoon, everyone went to the hot springs about 20 kilometers away. The place was amazing. They have two large concrete outside pools. One pool is warm and the other is hot. We had been earlier (for my sore back) and it is open all night. We were the only ones there and it was quite an experience to bathe in odorless mineral water under the stars. Admission is 50 baht for foreigners and 20 baht for Thais. We ended up going several times.

Another day, when the rains stopped, we took a rain forest hike inside the park. There were leeches everywhere and we all got bitten. Faa’s friend has a fear of leeches so we turned back after ½ an hour. Tawan picked up a leech and it was standing on her finger straight up looking for a host to eat. I waved my hand and the leech would follow my hand. The leeches could be seen on the ground and they were all pointed up. They were fast movers as well! Here was the leech count: Dad- 6, Mom-0, Faa-4, Tawan-2, Panmai- 1.

Today, Faa, Tawan, Mom, and Francesca (mom of a homeschooling family from Austria) went on a ranger led hike up the mountain to see the parasitic and rare Rafflesiaflower. This particular species only grows here and it is actually a parasite. It attaches itself to tree vines and later drops to the ground. Four to five months later, it blooms for 3-5 days before it starts to decay.

Faa's hand next to flowering Rafflesia

It emits a foul rotting smell to attract flies. The flies carry the seeds to pollinate. The size makes this species the largest in the world. It’s the size of a soccer ball. However, another species of Rafflesia in Borneo (Malaysia) is the world’s largest. I am so proud of Tawanbecause everyone was afraid she would ask to be carried up the very steep mountain trail.

Close up of Rafflesia Blooming

It was only 2 kilometers but straight up. I was told that Tawan made it the whole way and was saying, “C’mon mommy, Faa will walk if we keep going”. Amazing. Faa was tired because she only ate a bowl of white rice before leaving. Tawan started running down the hill and the ranger had to run after her because everyone was worried about the traffic on the road below.

Longtail boat ride to floating bungalows

After 5 days, we sadly said our sad goodbyes and drove to the floating house rafts on the dam located in the national park. The houses are made of bamboo and just float on the water. We hired a long tail boat from the pier and when we arrived, we were amazed to find that we were the only guests. What a treat. We did make Panmai wear floating armbands. They had free kayaks for the guests to use and we all kayaked to a small island in the dam. We swam and explored the small island. It was rather far and it took a little work when the wind picked up later. I think I would not let the kids bring their own paddles next time – they kept getting in the way. Mom and Faa ended up zigzagging all over and I think they ended up kayaking twice the distance than us.

It was a little unnerving at first seeing the kids walking and running along the bamboo walk ways but Tawan is a good swimmer and we had the floating armbands for Panmai. However, think it is a good tip to bring your own life jackets for kids because the life jackets are all adult size. The staff sold fish food for 10 baht and the kids really enjoyed feeding the fish hanging around the houses.

Our floating home in Khao Sok National Park

Khao Sok National Park is a little expensive food wise. Things are about 40-50 percent higher here. Lodging is normal and we found that rooms were about 400+ baht a night.

Tip: Stay inside the lodge and you save daily entrance fees to the park. Foreigners pay 200 baht to enter per day. However, if you stay at the lodge (500 baht for a room) the ticket is good for 5 days. The town is very close so you can walk. Also, you can walk to the “Monkey Hole” swimming area.

Tawan catches giant toad in Khao Sok.

You take the first left leaving the park. There is a small stand selling shakes for 25 baht, which is the cheapest in town. They also sell some road stand food, which is not too expensive. This is opposite the rubber tree plantation.

Tawan navigating boat

The floating bungalows are difficult to get to without your own car or private transport. There are private bungalows and ones operated by the national park. The bungalows operated by the national park are the closest and cheapest to get to by boat. It is cheaper if you get others to come with you because you are charged by the boat. The boatman will stay the night or come back for you depending if he needs to pick up passengers. The bungalows cost 300 baht ($10 USD) a night. There is food there that is reasonable and they will cook you fresh fish.

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Eight Nights in Laos

15 Dec

We made it! Our first trip outside of Thailand and without the use of a car! It was very challenging but we pulled through with only a minimum amount of hiccups.

We drove to the border of Chong Mek and found a family that watched your car for 100 baht a day. Then it was a 5 minute walk to the border. Thais get a free 15 day visa but for me it cost $35 USD for 30 days.

Oa was smart and piled clothes for the five of us in a medium suitcase with a handle and wheels. It seemed to do the trick except when we were on dirt roads. I ended up hoisting the bag on top of my head for these situations.

The border crossing was effortless. In fact, the Lao border guards were so friendly they kept giving grapes to the kids. I don’t think many families cross this border. The kids also received nuts and other snacks from friendly Lao. Soon, we negotiated a ride in a van to Paske about a 30 minute ride away. It cost us 200 baht for the five of us. The van drove around the area until he had a full van of 11 people. I sat in the front seat with Panmai and off we went…..

The first thing that crossed my mind was the lack of cars on the road and the number of water buffalos. I love these gentle creatures and they seemed to be everywhere. Also, I didn’t see much trash on the roads. It was really clean. We think it’s because there are no fast food restaurants, 7/11′s, or other western chains that usually produce trash.

When we drove into town, the driver took us to a number of guest houses and hotels. Luckily, the Lao understand Thai really well. We later found out why……everyone has a t.v. set and the Thai soap operas are watched by everyone it seemed. We finally found a hotel that fit our budget that had 3 beds for 185,000 kip or $23 USD a night. Since we did not have our own bedding, the 3 beds was critical. Lodging is about the same price with Thailand. The room had an a/c, a small refrigerator, and private bathroom with hot water. The staffs were really nice.

I really like Pakse. Most of the tourists rush through the town on their way to the 4,000 islands but I feel they are really missing out. Pakse is a sleepy town and it is very easy to walk around the center. It is very safe and there is no danger being struck by a speeding car or motorcycle. Again, we were amazed how clean the town was compared to Thailand. There were small trash bins everywhere. Anyway, it was a joy to walk around town and explore the markets and streets.

One day, we decided to hire a songtow for the day. We hired him for the entire day for 1200 baht and he took us to the Bolven Plateu where we visited 3 waterfalls and an ethnic village site. I had my reservations about the ethnic village but I was quite impressed with the set-up. Sure there were bus loads of tourists  (Lao + Thai) but they didn’t explore the area very much, leaving the trails and waterfall to ourselves. The ethnic village is set up as an eco-tourism for surrounding hill villages and it was built by a blind businessman (he became sick from malaria). I really enjoyed seeing the different houses built in the traditional hill tribe styles. Again, it was very clean.

There was a waterfall that we hiked to and we even walked on a trail which required crossing several bridges made from massive teak logs. The kids loved it but it did make my heart race a little. The bridges were not so high off the ground. Faa discovered a hanging vine which she used to swing over the stream. Tawan later joined in but was a little more cautious.

Later, we took the songtow through the rich coffee growing plantations of the Bolven Plateu and visited 2 other waterfalls. Surprisingly, not many tourists visit the falls. As a consequence, I was treated as a celebrity and asked to take a photos with visiting Lao tourists and a couple of Chinese businessmen. Our son Panmai was sought after by cheek pinching grandmas and mothers shouting out “I want your son to be engaged to my daughter”. Mothers would produce a 5-year-old girl and shove her toward Panmai. It was quite comical and both Oa and I laughed. The girls who are usually bothered in Thailand were mostly left alone. Many Lao were fascinated and stared at our girl’s fair complexion. Some would even ask Oa if the girls were from a different mother!

We could not bring ourselves from leaving Pakse. I really enjoyed walking to the morning market and drinking a coffee. Sometimes, I would go to a French cafe and have an espresso and a croissant. One night, I crossed the wooden bridge (a little unnerving due to the height and low rails) and walked to a fair at a local wat. It was quite interesting. I stood and watched a Lao man sitting and singing to a group of elder Lao women. He was surrounded by 20 or so women in their 50′s and 60′s and they were giving him donations. It was very heartwarming. There were simple booths which involved throwing 3 darts at balloons. You need to pop 3 to get a prize. Another one was to throw darts at a board of numbers. I guess you had to be higher or lower than a set number. There were a few food stalls and of course blaring traditional Lao music.

One day, I wanted to see Wat Phou so we again hired a songtow to drive us to the wat and later to the ferry to Don Dang Island where we would spend the night with a Lao family. It didn’t take us very long and soon we found ourselves at the Khmer temple that was dedicated to Shiva. It is a small complex build on a hill but never the less, I found it to be very impressive. But the stairs! The steps were so high and steep and this made Panmai and Tawan beg daddy to put them on my shoulders. I ended up taking up Tawan as the heat was making her a little cranky. Oa took Faa and Panmai. The trip up was rewarded with a beautiful view of the surrounding area.

Later, we made our way down and our driver (with our bags) drove back to pick us up. He took us to the ferry landing to cross over to Don Dang Island. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was a boat but I was having my doubts about the sea worthiness of it. The ferry was a small wooden platform built on two wooden canoes. On the platform was 2 motor scooters and 2 French women. I thought, “Where are the five of us going to stand?” One of the French girls  sat on her scooter to make room for us and the one-armed ferry operator motioned us to board. Luckily, the river was calm and the water looked like a gentle sheet so there were no waves, Fifteen minutes later,  we made it the island.

It was getting dark and we had no idea where to stay. After helping pushing the motor scooters across the sand to the road, we were met a man who told Oa about the homestay. We walked a little and the man phoned up the woman we would be staying with that night. It was a little expensive at 60,000 kip each. We would be charged for 3 so 180,000 kip or $21 USD.  Meals would be 20,000 kip again at 3 persons or $2.90 USD.

The husband and wife that hosted us were very nice and gracious hosts. She laid out folding mattresses for us in the open living room. The food was great and plentiful. We would have stayed 2 nights but the family had a t.v. in front of our beds which was a little annoying. The kids eyes became glued to the silly Thai soap operas broadcasted on the box. It was like a drug to them. We decided to leave for the elephant camp the next day. The island was really beautiful and there were very nice sandy beaches.

On the other side, we found a driver to take us to the elephant camp. Again, we would stay with a Lao family and we would take a 1 1/2 hour elephant trek to a temple ruin on a hill. At this homestay, the prices were the same but the conditions were much primitive and the food was not very good. They made a fish soup but the kids didn’t touch it and the hosts were a little offended I think. They told us to eat breakfast at one of the shops the next day. I have to point out that it is not their fault. Kids are picky eaters and the isolation of the village makes food scarce. They have to grow their own food and catch their own fish in order to eat.

The elephant ride (45 minutes each way) was really nice. One of the mahouts was chatting with Oa the whole time wanting information about America. We have a huge population of Lao in the San Francisco Bay Area. We found out that there are no more wild elephants in the national park anymore. The elephants are well taken care of and at night they are free to wander the fields near the forest. When the elephant gets too old (they live 70+ years), the mahout lets the elephant back into the wild to live. Sometimes the retired elephant does not want to go so the elephant stays in the village. We left the next day to return to Pakse.

Later that day, I found out that December 2nd was a national holiday and there would be parades and celebrations throughout Laos. It was to commemorate the overthrow of the monarchy back on December 2, 1975. Flags were already being flown everywhere. There were two flags flown – the Lao flag and the hammer and sickle flag. I found out from one of the staff at our hotel that an island (4,000 islands) would have boat races, live music, and a fair. We left the next day for Don Khong, the largest island in the chain of islands in the Kong River bordering Cambodia.

So off we went to Don Khong. We quickly found a hotel on the banks of the Kong River. The place was packed with Lao tourists. There were 3 stages set up and a big flea market selling clothes, food, household items, and a few games. The boat races would start on Saturday and would feature constestants from other towns and villages of Laos.

We decided to rent some bicycles one day and the man figured out how to make a child seat for Panmai. He tied a small plastic chair to the back of the bike and we used a sarong as the belt to keep him strapped inside. We then cycled to the other side of the island. No traffic and we stopped at one spot to take a swim in the river.

We reached the other side of the island and we discovered a problem – no place to buy food. The kids were hungry and Faa was crying from hunger pains. We finally found a woman selling home made snow cones so we bought a few. She also sold a cracker snack and we bought those too. We sat in the back of her shop and were soon joined by a dozen very curious and shy kids.

Later, grandma showed up with a basket of cold sticky rice and fried frogs and salted small fish. The girls and I ate a little and were so very appreciative of the family’s generousity. Sadly, we left and cycled back to our hotel. We did make 1 more stop at the river to swim.

We made a mad dash (slow, really) back to Paske then to the border.

Now, we are back in Thailand. We drove to our condo and discovered that our area suffered the most damage in the Bangkok floods. Our community was submerged in 2 meters of water (6 feet) for over 3 weeks. The water is gone now but the place looks like it was hit with a nucler bomb. I’ll write all about it in the next post.

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Pha Tam National Park, Village Homestay, Slice of Paradise

28 Nov

It’s been nearly 1 month since our exodus from the Bangkok floods. We decided to go to Ubon to visit a college friend of Oa. She is married with 2 kids and helps run her husband’s medical clinic in Ubon. They are so busy!

Later, we decided to go to Pha Tam National Park. We were so excited because we decided to rent a tent from the forestry department. It was great and there were only 2 other campers. The weather was fantastic! The views of Laos across the Kong River was absolutely amazing. We hiked a few kilometers to see cliff drawings and they were also incredible.

We had planned to get up early to see the sunrise but we woke up too late. Typical, especially with 3 young kids. We drove to some sandstone rock formations and the kids loved the climbing. We took a trail to a large rock area with deep crevices in some places measuring 2 meters deep.

The next day we drove to the famous waterfall that is small enough to swim in the cascading pool. There were no people there and it was so beautiful. In fact, Oa and I had to constantly remind ourselves that we were still in Thailand! The national park was so clean, the weather cool (chilly at night), and no one around!

We drove to another waterfall and went to visit the carnivorous wildflowers. We hiked to the wildflower fields and once again, we were amazed that the place was empty. We had the whole place to ourselves. NO ONE AROUND! The wildflowers were in bloom and the colorful blooms were abundant everywhere. Oa discovered a sandy beach next to a stream and we felt we were in paradise. The kids wanted to spend the night and spend a few days at this spot.

Sadly, we hiked back to the parking lot and Oa asked one of the food vendors if she knew of any place to stay in the village, like a “homestay”. Incredibly, the woman offered a room in her home. We accepted without hesitation and we followed her into the village. Her home was a beautiful wood home-built on stilts. I counted 9 wood stilts and the house was about 1 1/2 meters high. The upstairs was open except for a small room that was partitioned by flimsy poster board. The bed was very large and it accommodated all five of us. I think the room was the husband and wife’s room.

We ate a delicious soup with sticky rice for dinner and loads of curious neighbors came over to see the strange guests. A neighbor had 2 puppies which were a big hit with the girls. The village girls were very shy but after an hour or two they warmed up and I even managed to hold the youngest. All in all, our hosts were generous and very kind. The sound of roosters at 2 a.m. and later at dawn completed the magical spell of our stay.

The next morning Oa did some laundry and we headed back to our beautiful oasis. This time we took the bikes out of our van and rode them to the trail. We swam in crystal clear water and the kids played in the sand. Oa and I both agreed that this place is a very rare spot in all of Thailand. You are in the midst of wildflowers next to a sandy beach on a clear stream. And the amazing part is the solitude. No one is around.

We departed the park and we were shocked that our generous host said there was no charge for the food and accommodation. Oa insisted she take some money but as I have said earlier, the people of Issarn are so friendly and generous. It is a shame that so few people visit this area of Thailand. The people are so kind and if you want to experience a simple way of life in a traditional Thai village then this is the area to visit.

Now I understand why I love Thailand so much. It is so diverse and the people are simply amazing!

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Preah Vihear, Soldiers, Barbed Wire, Landmines & Million Beer Bottle Wat

22 Nov

Preah Vihear was very surreal. Lots of soldiers, barbed wire, bunkers, and looking into military binoculars at tourists visiting the temple from the Cambodian side. The two armies have camps opposite each other separated by an open area. Oa thinks they play soccer in the late afternoon but I don’t get that feeling. It felt pretty tense with soldiers everywhere and stationed on roads. Most of the area was off limits but you could walk up to the top to view the temple from a distance. Also, you could visit the stone carvings on the cliff. Along the way to the top there were two men with artificial legs laying in a hammock who were quite drunk from the local whiskey. They were selling some candle/flowers. I did notice a lot of signs warning of landmines along the border but I believe this is from the Khmer fighting 25 years ago. It still feels like a military zone with tensions running pretty high. Hopefully, peace and a solution will be worked out by both sides. I was told that there was 4 days of fighting but it was at a border site in Surin back in February.

Preah Vihear is an unfinished Khmer temple that predates the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Preah Vihear is a temple that sits on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. The border and temple has been in dispute ever since the French left Cambodia. The Thais had control of the temple when Cambodia was part of France’s colony of “Indochina”. Later, when the French granted Cambodia Independence, they drew up the boundaries and included the temple as part of Cambodia’s territory.

Boundaries and sovereign territory is a very sensitive issue in Thailand. Thailand is extremely proud that they never were a colony of the European powers. When the French and British were occupying Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Burma, and Singapore, the Thais were forced to give up part of their empire to appease the French and British. The Thai King, Rama V, who is revered in Thailand, managed to keep Thailand or Siam independent. Thailand acted as a buffer zone between the two former super powers.

I don’t know all the facts and history of border dispute but the World Court granted the area to Cambodia but Thailand has never accepted its decision. It was back in the 1960′s. The area of the temple was only accessible from Thailand until a year ago, when the Cambodians built a road to the temple on their side. Standing on the top of the cliffs in Thailand, you can see that the tops of the mountains appear to make a natural boundary between Thailand and Cambodia. The temple sits on a mountain that also has cliffs but it is not part of a continuous mountain chain, it is seperated a kilometer away from the main mountain.

In any case, the fighting has stopped and the United Nations is involved in the dispute. Both countries still lay claim to the site and both respective armies patrol the areas. Unfortunately, access to the temple site is no longer accessible from Thailand. It was very interesting to see the area though. The Khmers had built these temples over 1,600 years ago and there are a lot in Thailand and of course in Cambodia. The temples are really beautiful and have distinct influences from India. You can see these from the carvings. The carvings are representations of stories from ancient Indian stories (Ramayana, etc.).

One unfortuante experience was the landmine signs we saw on some of the border fences. The areas are still considered unsafe. I believe the Khmer Rouge had set many landmines between the border to keep out the Thais and Americans. The Khmer Rouge also were fighting the Cambodian government after the Vietnamese invaded and removed the Khmer Rouge government. If you recall, it was the Khmer Rouge who were responsible for one of the world’s worst genocides that killed over 1.7 million Cambodians. We saw 2 men who appeared to be village famers that had artifical legs made of wood. The farmers who cross back and forth on the border areas are most at risk from being maimed. I don’t know if there are still cases of lanmine explosions today.

All in all, we had very interesting geography and history lessons with the kids. Panmai again like to play with the Thai soldiers and the girls had fun looking into the high powered military binoculars. I just love a child’s solution to a grownup’s problem. “Why don’t they share? If someone wanted something of mine then I would give it to them”. Maybe we adults should take the advice of children.

Later in the day, we drove over to the “Million Beer Bottle Wat”. I was surprised with the ingenuity of the complex, There were about 1/2 dozen buildings and all were made with discarded beer, energy drink, wine, and other bottles. They even used the bottle caps to make pictures. They even had a crematorium made of glass bottles. We wondered how this worked because when you burn the dead body, it is very hot inside. Wouldn”t the bottles break? We understand that when the sun shines down that there is an incredible reflections of the sun’s rays. It was overcast and cool when we were there so we didn’t see this. Great idea though to reuse materials as buildings.

Today, we leave for Ubon another city in Issarn in northeastern Thailand. It is on the border with Laos, one on my favorite countries. We still have a week or so before we are returning to Bangkok so maybe we will cross the border. Oa has a college friend that lives there so maybe we can leave our car with her and go across. Paske, a sleepy town across the border in Laos is very laid back and is the gateway to the thousands of fresh water islands about 3 hours away.

All the best,

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Koh Kood Island

15 Nov

We are on Koh Kood, Thailand’s 4th largest island and it is simply stunning. There is only 1 road on the island and most of the resorts are best accessed by speed boat. Most of the visitors come on a package but we opted not to as they are quite expensive. We took a 2 hour ferry to the island and a truck (songtow) dropped us off a place which offered us a deal for 1200 baht ($40 USD) a night with free breakfasts for the 5 of us. There are a lot of “mom and pop” establishments offering rooms and bungalows that are inexpensive but not on the beach. The island is not developed which is very refreshing. It’s an interesting island with a mixture of locals and Cambodian workers. There are still a lot of rubber tree farms.

The resort is nice and even has a pool but we simply are not comfortable only because of the elevated wooden walkways over the rocks. Panmai has already tripped twice and it is a little nerve racking. The pool is very nice and it over looks the sea. We rented a motor scooter today because everything is quite far but once again, there isn’t much development here. We rode Thai style ……meaning the whole family was on the scooter. I drove very slowly and we were often the only one on the road.

We rode to the waterfall and walked about 200 meters through a jungle to reach the first level. It was spectacular. Faa, Tawan, and I swam to a rope swing and Faa played “Queen of the Jungle” for some time. The fish in the waterfall are not afraid of people and they were giving us a “fish spa” and eating the dead skin off our legs. It really tickles. The girls explored a little more and found polliwogs and interesting shells to make ear rings and colorful leaves.

Along the way, we stopped at one of the most beautiful beaches that I ever seen in Thailand. The white sand is in front of a mixture of “Sea Pine” and coconut trees. The sand is clean and really fine. It’s the perfect sand castle mixture which Tawan quickly found out. It’s the best beach on the island and of course a couple of expensive resorts sit in front of it. Luckily Thailand has public beach access for everyone to enjoy.

We noticed a backpacker resort with bungalows that rented rooms for 250 baht (8 USD) while we drove to the beach about a 5 minute walk. I drove back and spoke to the owner and his daughter showed me the bungalow. No pool, breakfast not included, but the price and location is the best on the island. And guess what? The owner of the resort where we are staying owns both! Anyway, they will arrange all the transport for us tomorrow at our convenience. So, we will load up on breakfast, use the pool, and head on over.

The girls are really excited about the move. We are ecstatic because we can breathe easier because there’s no dangerous rocks to fall into while walking the elevated walkways. We promised them a candle party at night at the beach. The place has kayaks for 150 baht (5 USD) a day which is set against a lazy inlet. We definitely will take them out for a spin. I forgot to mention, the water is crystal clear. It’s so clear that you can see fish swimming in the ocean from the shore. No jellyfish nor sea lice/mites!

The off again, on again trip to Koh Kong, Cambodia is now permanently off. We just don’t want to be bothered with the 170 kilometer drive back to the border. The town is a small border town that is mostly a stop off for tourists going further south in the country. It’s the poorest area of Cambodia and was known as a “Wild West” town during the Khmer Rouge days. Some day in the future we will come. So, we will stay another 2-3 nights here on the island instead.

Wish us luck for finding accommodation at the Surin Elephant Round-Up. We called a few places and the prices were 3 X the normal price. We noticed that there is a huge drop off of tourists due to the floods so we are just going to drive there and see what we can find and hope for he best. The plan is to see the elephant shows (battle re-enactments, etc) and to attend the Red Cross Fair. I like the Red Cross Fairs. It’s very exciting and loud! You will have announcers giving their spiel with portable speaker/amplifiers. The only problem is that the guy standing next to him is doing the same thing so the consequence is a drowning out of noise and you can’t understand anyone. Even when you are standing directly in front of them! I think the kids will be enthralled. Panmai loved the Trat Loi Kratong Festival. He was weaving in and out of the crowds and pushing through the crowds with his tiny hands.

I have stopped paying attention to the Bangkok Floods, the politicians bickering, and the ever changing news on when we can return. It’s too stressful and depressing. I suppose there is a limit on how much one can take. I really feel for the people in the encampments and especially for the people who have had the homes underwater for weeks now. I do hope there is a speedy recovery and that people’s lives can be restored to a sense of calm and normalcy. We feel so very fortunate that we have the ability to escape and return at a later date.

So……….I have no news to report about the Bangkok Floods. It’s bad, really bad but the central part of the city is dry. The suburbs to the north, east, and west (our place) are used as corridors to drain the billions of gallons of water and it will take 2-4 weeks to drain out into the river. We cannot get to our home but we will start to make our way back at the end of the month. We are safe.

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Jellyfish, Dog Attacks, Loi Kratong

11 Nov

The kids and I swam in the ocean and we felt a stinging sensation. It wasn’t really bad but it did give a terrible case of the itchys to Tawan after we got out. I found out that the microscopic creatures are “sea lice” or “sea mites” and I am wondering if the jelly fish had come to eat them.

We captured a few blue jellyfish and brought them ashore to examine further. They are amazing creatures and I have to say one of my favorites. Maybe we will do a lesson on them. I am so curious about them. We found out that the blue and the grey jellyfish are edible! The locals add the bark of a tree and it turns the jellyfish red. Sounds interesting.

I met an American teacher from Oregon that is working in Bangkok and I was shocked to hear his story of being attacked on a stretch of lonely beach. And it happened where we were playing in the ocean! Apparently, this mean ferocious dog approached him and within a few minutes 2 other dogs joined in the melee. The guy high tails it in the ocean to escape the dogs but they manage to bite his knee. Later, when the dogs left, he walked back and took himself to the hospital. He had 18 double stitches and needs to get a week’s regiments of rabies shots. He did find the owner and he agreed to pay for all the medical bills and even gave him a bottle of wine.

For a treat, we drove to a local fishing village. We bought crab and squid. A kilo of fresh de-shelled crab was only $10 USD and a kilo of squid was $7 USD. We had a local steam the squid and it was delicious. However, I was in for a big surprise later…… Let’s just say it is not a good idea to eat raw seafood.

We checked out of our room at the Red Cross Center near Hat Lek the next day and we drove to Trat to celebrate Loi Kratong. Luckily, we found a spot to park our car as the area around the small lake was packed with people. Panmai loved the crowds and he screamed with delight as he moved in and out of groups of people. It was a challenge keeping up with him.

We finally made it to the water and prepared to set our floats in the water. One glitch though…..none of the kids wanted to put their kratong in the water. They wanted to keep them. Twenty minutes later, Faa and Tawan couldn’t resist the temptation of lighting their float’s candle and insense and set their kratongs afloat. Panmai insisted  on keeping us and demonstrated his desire by clutching his in a bag with both hands and letting out a scream if any of us ventured to close to him.

 

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Escaping the Bangkok Floods

2 Nov

We left Bangkok about 5 days before the floods came into our area. Apparently the sluice gates broke and a lot of water entered the western part of Bangkok which made it to our area. I heard there is about 3 feet of water in our area. Unfortunately. the water and food supplies have been disrupted throughout the city causing fresh water and food supplies to be strained. Many stores’ shelves have been empty for a week now. The water treatment plant has also been contaminated which made matters more difficult.

On the bright side, many locals have been catching a bonanza of fish and will sell you freshly caught fish brought to your door. Yes, they will either boat to your home or walk. The fisherman have wooden spear-like guns propelled by long rubber bands. I saw dozens of men along the klongs spearing the fish as the water rose higher. There is also a lot of pressure from surrounding areas to open the flood gate valves because their homes have been under water for several weeks now and the water is draining very slowly. It is expected to take another 2-3 weeks for the water to drain out of the city.

Anyway, we are all safe and are now at a Red Cross Center about 30 kilometers from the Cambodia border.They have reduced the rates on their rooms 40% for flood victims which was very nice of them. The Red Cross Center shares a larege area with the Thai Navy Seals so the area is very family-friendly, safe, and clean. The Seals have contrcuted lots of rope ladders and swings at the beach. It’s lots of fun for the kids.

We were on Koh Chang, a nearby island, but it is now high season and they have raised their rates over 70%. The whole island is full of Swedes, Russians, and other Northern Europeans escaping the cold winter I guess. In any case, the rates are too high for our budget.

We just found out that we need to move again in 2 days because our room is reserved for the weekend. So, we are going to drive to the border of Cambodia today to see if we can drive our van into the country. If so, we will stay there for the next 3 weeks.

So, apart from inconveniences, we are all doing well. It’s very unfortunate with some people in Bangkok and the surrounding areas though. I think at least 900 people have died now and over a million people have been affected. Many people have had their cars and homes ruined by the floods. It is going to take awhile to recover. There are thousands of flood victims who are sleeping at evacuation centers.

The girls are doing great. We have tons of books that the kids are reading. Tawan is teaching herself to read and she refuses my offers of a phonics lesson. :(  The book that we are writing is going very slow but we are on Chapter 9 now. It’s very funny because I don’t know when it is ever going to end. The story starts off as an adventure story of kids getting lost in the dense jungle of Burma, escaping Burmese soldiers, poisonous snakes, hunting with a sling shot, and now the girls inserted magic flying elephants that flew them to a castle in the sky. What imaginations!

Faa and I are taking turns reading “James and the Giant Peach” to everyone. We finished ”BFG” and “The Witches”. They just love the Road Dahl books. If anyone has any recommendations for other books similar to these, please let me know. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the last book we have in the R. Dahl series.

We will keep you posted. If we make it to Cambodia, we will most likely be off line for the next 3 weeks.

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Budget & Cost of Living in Thailand

12 Oct

Hello All,

A few of you wrote to me asking about our budget and I thought rather than emailing back to each one of you that I would post a group email.

Let’s see…. There are five of us in our family. Our kids’ ages are 2, 5, and 8. Our budget is about $2,000 per month which comes out to $66 per day. We have been spending on average $400 per month over our budget. It is a learning experience and we are constantly making adjustments. We have not been keeping a tally of the daily expenses which really added up.

     We could actually reduce this by 40% if we chose to but my wife would have a fit. :) We don’t pay for rent because we bought a condo 12 years ago but rents in Thailand are really cheap. Our place would cost about $300 a month.
     Here is a breakdown on what it would cost to live here:
Rent: Live like a local $125/ Comfortable up to $300/ Luxury 5 star $1,000 up to $4,000
Food: Street food stalls run about $1.00 for a rice dish. Fruit and vegetables are cheap. One kilo of mangoes is $1.00 A bunch of bananas is 75 cents to $1.00. Key is to stay away from imported big box stores and the 7/11′s. A restaurant at a Japanese chain would cost about $3.00 – $5.00 a dish.
Transportation: Buses run about 50 cents up to $1.25 in an a/c bus. It depends how far the distance. A 45 minute bus ride would cost about $1.25. Taxis average about $3.00 per cab ride within the city. The skytrain and subway is about $2.00. Gas runs about $1.30 per liter. Diesel is cheaper at $1.00 per liter. Tuk-tuks are negotiable and tourists are always overcharged so I don’t know what the average price. Motorcycle taxis depend on the distance and if in rush hour but the average is about $1.00 – $1.50.
Misc.: Everything else depends on what you like. Private violin lessons costs about $17 for 1 hour. Internet is about $30 per month.We don’t have cable nor go to the movies but I heard that cable is about $50 a month and movies are under $2.00 for regular seats. The private seats are a bit more. We like taking the kids to special events like the opera, ballet, and classical music and the prices are about $30-$40 a seat. We don’t do this very often and we end up going to performances put on by the international university near our house (much cheaper).
     Bangkok is a city of extremes. There is everything for the budget backpacker, families, and professionals. Bangkok and popular beach cities like Phuket and Samaui are the most expensive in Thailand. Also, these places are the most westernized but still maintains an Asian feel. When you go to the countryside, it is much, much cheaper and the culture is more Thai. I assume this to be because they don’t have all the venues that big cities have in them. Also, people are a lot less stressed out in the country.
     Bangkok, like most Asian cities is over crowed with pollution problems. The estimated population for Bangkok is around 12 million people I think.
     I got a big laugh when I looked up our yearly income which would put us just above the US poverty line. We don’t feel poor but I suppose we are frugal and we do without a lot of things. My wife and I don’t work for an employer and we made a conscious decision to be full time parents for our kids. Sometimes, when a wealthy friend picks up a tab for a $$$$ dinner, I wonder if I made a right decision. But when I go home and hear the scratchy sounds of Faa and mommy practicing their violin, the demands “Daddy read me a book”, or being shown a princess castle made from overturned chairs and blankets; I know we made the right decision. Well, at least for us.

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Cobras and Floods

11 Oct

Hello Everyone,

     There’s been a lot of changes lately. We are going to move to the eastern coast and stay at our parents house in a nearby village. It’s a simple stone house that sits on 3 acres of land and its about 5 kilometers from the sea. The area that we are moving to is very close to the border of Cambodia so we are going to try to make a short trip there.
     We are restless again for nature. We are going to try our hand on gardening and raise a few chickens. However, we need to figure out a way to snake proof the property as there are lots of cobras in the vicinity. I didn’t realize that they have spitting cobras in Thailand. I thought they were only in India. Anyway, we will talk to the villagers to see what they are doing to keep them at bay. I would hate to see our chickens end up as a midnight snack.
     We will go to the Red Cross Snake Farm in Bangkok to show the kids which snakes are dangerous and how to stay safe. The ones I am concerned about are the King Cobras and some kraits because they will defend their territory. There are a lot of rubber tree plantations around the area. In any case, snakes are nocturnal and are attracted to mice and rats so we need to keep the house clear of them. I wish Oa was not allergic to cats. :)
     Recently, we met an ex-pat dad from New York at our homeschooling park day and he is very experienced about building mud houses. I am really itchy to get my hands dirty again and to do some construction so maybe I will build one. We will see.
     Sadly, I just reviewed our spending pattern over the last 10 months and we stayed under budget for only 3 of the months! :(  We realized that the small stuff really adds up and some western foods are quite expensive here. So, no more cheese and we are going to start making our own yogurt with water buffalo milk. Also, we have returned to being vegetarians but we will splurge on fish now and again. Hopefully, these actions will get us back on track to staying under budget. Fruit is really cheap and plentiful here so Faa and I are constantly inventing our own fruit shakes with star fruits, mangoes, bananas (so many varieties here), papayas, dragon fruit, lime, and pineapple. No more trips to the big box food stores! We are trying to only buy local from now on.
     I can’t believe that December is right around the corner. It will be 1 year away from San Francisco. In all honesty, we all miss it very much. I think it’s the nature and cool weather that we miss the most.
     It looks like we will be in Thailand for another year. We are set on India and Nepal for our next trip. Luckily, the airfares are pretty cheap with the low budget airlines. We also have discovered that these countries are even cheaper than Thailand so we are excited. My dream is to start from Kathmandu and make our way down to the beaches in Goa.
     Death toll is 270 due to floods here in Thailand, 2.6 million homes flooded are the latest figures for Thailand. Bangkok is going to get hit with a triple whammy this week – heavy rains, floods coming from the dams up north, and rising seawater from the gulf. We are alright but some parts of Bangkok are expected to get hit really hard. Many people are using boats to get around town where there was once roads. They say the damage is going to knock off 1% of Thailand’s GDP this year.
     Faa turned 8 years old last week. Oa made a pinata to bring to park day with the Bangkok homeschool group. The pinata was loaded up with treats but there was only one little problem…..the pinata was indestructable! Sticks broke bounced off the pinata and broke. I ended up cutting a hole and emptying the contents.  :)  Next time we’ll use lighter paper.

Tim

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