Day Forty Three - Home!
Home. Surreal. Happy to be home but sad it's over. What an adventure, and with the perfect travelling companions. For those who have hung with us for the forty days, thanks for taking the time to read our blog. See you on the next adventure :)
Day Forty Two - Melbourne
Heather and Lily chased us through the night on the night flight from Singgas. They were scheduled to arrive at 6.20 but flight info last night said they wouldn't be in until 7.05. I woke at 6.10 to discover they had landed at 6.08!!! So up I got (4.00 am Singapore time, I'm sure I've got a sleep-in coming my way soon!) and headed off to the airport. Pleased to hear Heather and Lily had a lovely final day shopping in Singapore and didn't have any hassles getting on their flight. We spent the day inside in the warm watching the rain outside the window and procrastinating about going for a walk (the weather finally won) while Heather and Lily headed on up the freeway home (with a few false starts!)
Day Forty One - Singapore to Melbourne
Up at 4.00am, taxi at 5.00am, flight at 7.00am, a pleasant surprise at Melbourne - through customs and with our luggage 15 minutes after getting off the plane (not the Melbourne I know, where is the hour long wait in the immigration line??? :) ), picking up Heather's car at 9.00pm, Hungry Jacks at 9.10pm (!!), At Belle and Pete's around 10.00pm. Yep, that's it in a nutshell, and Chloe did it all in socks, she's sworn off shoes for the time being, that should be interesting back in Adelaide. So happy to see Belle and Pete, looking forward to seeing Fletcher in the morning. Night all :)
Day Forty - Singapore
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I can’t believe day forty is finally here (even though we still have a few days to go before we get home). The time has passed slowly and in a rush all at the same time! We took it easy today, heading to the Bird Park. Heather ended up with an inquisitive pigeon on her head unexpectedly which had Lily and I laughing! We got up close to a beautiful horn bill as well as a few nasty mozzies! We enjoyed the waterfall aviary and then caught the tram back to the start. We headed to Holland Village for some hawker fair and finally settled on Bee Hoon, yum!! After a little shopping we headed back home to the pool. Greg and I packed late into the night as it's an early morning tomorrow morning. 4.00 am wake up, oh dear!
Day Thirty Nine - Singapore
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Well what a day we had today, we walked and walked and walked but had lots of fun. First stop was Little India where we headed straight to Komala Vilas for a northern Indian lunch…traditional style :) We ended up ordering poori and iddly sets and, whilst there may have been some initial concern about the eating environment, Lily and Heather were soon into it, eating only with their right hand! :) Next stop we visited Palwinda at Darsharni Salon (the word “salon” used quite loosely!) for some traditional henna decoration. Heather, Lily and Chloe were straight into it, choosing designs, and the lovely, but quiet, Palwinda only charged us $7 or $5 each. With 45 minutes drying time we thought we would end up with quite a bit of collateral damage, particularly from Chloe but Greg’s shorts were the only victims. Next we caught the MRT to Orchard to visit the ION sky deck. It was wonderful and we couldn’t believe the view. No doubt, Singaporeans are shoulder to shoulder on that little island. Next we headed to Bayfront to go to Gardens By the Bay. I had been waiting for this all trip and it didn’t disappoint. We visited the Flower Dome first and the building itself was truly overwhelming… as well as being so cool it was crisp, a welcome relief! We loved the flowers and the garden art. The animal statues made from drift wood were fantastic. Chloe discovered some flowers had a scent and from then on in was determined to smell every flower!. Next we went to the Cloud Dome and were lucky enough to arrive just as misting started. It was beautiful and we covered every inch. Finally we headed to the mega forest for the evening light show. Chloe loved it, ballet music, sparkles, what’s not to love!? By now it was dark so we walked across through Marina Bay Sands to Marina Bay and caught a bum boat to Riverside and back to Boat Quay. … and then, thoroughly knackered we caught the MRT home for well deserved swim and sleep!
Day Thirty Eight - Singapore
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Zoo day today :) Yay!! I've always loved Singapore Zoo, and even stuck with them in the early 2000's when everything was looking a bit tired. But I was thrilled that today Singapore Zoo is back to it's finest, a delight for the senses. I could tell you about our day but it's too hard to keep it linear. We had planned to keep to a schedule, see all the shows and feedings with our map in front of us, but it didn't turn out that way, every time we turned around we saw something else that we wanted to rush to. So in the end the map was out the window and we just wandered. We managed to catch the elephant show and even tried to muscle in on the feeding. The bloke reminded us that it was only for people who had brought a feeding ticket (we honestly didn't realise), at which point Chloe burst into tears so that man gave Chloe, Lily and I a basket and ushered us through to feed the elephants. Yay! :) We loved it all, the plants as well as the animals. But fairly unanimously the Cotton Top Tamarins got our vote, they were so gorgeous and at one point one jumped right out of his area onto the path in front of Chloe! Blah Blah Blah, I could go on but won't. Please enjoy our photos :)
Day Thirty Seven - Singapore
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We started the day with a taste test for Lily, Jumbu, or rose apple for breaky. Her thoughts? Like an apple and cucumber put together, she didn't mind it so much but wasn't going back for a second :) We had to grab some tourist passes so whilst Greg, Lily and Chloe explored the extensive pools outside our doorstep, Heather and I headed off on the train to Bugis (!!) to grab the passes. It was a long journey so we got back in time to get everybody ready to...go on the train and headed in to Orchard to experience the Mandarin Oriental's world famous Hainanese Chicken Rice. Our walk from the MRT to the Madarin was so thoroughly photographed by Lily that I think she would make Google street view proud! The chicken rice didn't disappoint (although the sky top restaurant has now become the executive lounge so instead we were on the 5th floor, not quite the same but still lovely). Lily had her second taste test for the day, dragon fruit, this time like a grape and a strawberry mixed together, didn't mind it so much but she wasn't going back for a second! We visited Lucky Plaza for a money changer (and a bit of 5-for$10 shopping :) ) before heading back to the MRT.
Next we moved on to China Town for a wander down Pagoda Street. By this time it was really hot and we were searching for an icecream but stumbled across a snow ice instead. When we asked the man to explain what that meant he smiled and said "like icecream" and scooted off to start our order before we could change our minds. What arrived on the plate surprised and delighted. It was a shaved strawberry ice mountain that was pretty much "like icecream" :) complete with opaque palm fruit (yuuuuuuuuum) and small jelly-like balls of.... something that exploded in your mouth when you ate them and tasted like fruit perfume.
We walked to Sri Mariamman temple, dumped our shoes, donned sarongs and headed on in. The roof of the temple on the outside was adorned with figures from the Hindi heavens with all sorts of gods and goddesses looking down at you. We decided they all looked slightly cranky. We were relieved to find our shoes were still there when we left (one man was not so lucky and was back inside the temple demanding to see the CCTV footage as his shoes had walked... so to speak!)
Then finally we headed to Boat Quay, fully intending to take a bum boat ride but finally deciding that, as shadows were getting long, we would stop for tea instead. We watched the clouds gather and the thunder and lightening pick up and stopped for a while on the quay steps to watch the boats go by before heading home.
Next we moved on to China Town for a wander down Pagoda Street. By this time it was really hot and we were searching for an icecream but stumbled across a snow ice instead. When we asked the man to explain what that meant he smiled and said "like icecream" and scooted off to start our order before we could change our minds. What arrived on the plate surprised and delighted. It was a shaved strawberry ice mountain that was pretty much "like icecream" :) complete with opaque palm fruit (yuuuuuuuuum) and small jelly-like balls of.... something that exploded in your mouth when you ate them and tasted like fruit perfume.
We walked to Sri Mariamman temple, dumped our shoes, donned sarongs and headed on in. The roof of the temple on the outside was adorned with figures from the Hindi heavens with all sorts of gods and goddesses looking down at you. We decided they all looked slightly cranky. We were relieved to find our shoes were still there when we left (one man was not so lucky and was back inside the temple demanding to see the CCTV footage as his shoes had walked... so to speak!)
Then finally we headed to Boat Quay, fully intending to take a bum boat ride but finally deciding that, as shadows were getting long, we would stop for tea instead. We watched the clouds gather and the thunder and lightening pick up and stopped for a while on the quay steps to watch the boats go by before heading home.
Day Thirty Six - Koh Samui to Singapore
Not much to tell today. We packed our, by what is now behemoth, pack! After check out we went for a swim, returned the car and waited in the airport lounge with the twins from hell, I kid you not, by the time we arrived they had already stripped down to their y fronts and were sliding around on the airport lounge tiled floor while their mother shouted at them in French to go and stand with their Father, in between checking her phone :) Ahhh, the human zoo :) We love it :) We got on board with all the hungover full mooners straight of the boat from Koh Phangan. We watched, amused, as they nursed their motorbike accident injuries and tried not to vomit, whilst hanging onto their souvenir buckets and flower headbands :) The greatest night of their lives...if only they could remember it :) he he he. We arrived in Singapore and all was going smoothly until... we couldn't contact Lily and Heather whom we knew were in the airport somewhere! Next ensued the most frustrating hour and a half of the entire trip. We had a phone that couldn't call them and they had a phone that couldn't contact us! So lucky we were in Singapore, the home of efficiency :) Between my information desk helpers and Mum's information desk helpers we finally got in contact and Lily and Heather came through immigration almost three hours after landing! It was such a relief to see them both and they both looked remarkably fresh considering their frustrations! We were weary but still had an hour on the MRT ahead of us (whose great idea was it to stay at Boon Lay?... oh yeah, that would be mine!). However it all paid off when we finally got to our quirky accommodation and collapsed into bed. Let the final leg begin!
Day Thirty Five - Koh Samui
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We went to Mae Nam beach this morning and then ...hallelujah, two reasons to celebrate. We had a huge storm with lots of rain, the first real rain of our entire trip. It was fabulous and Chloe immediately pointed out that she had a raincoat for just such an occasion in the back pack! Well? Why not!? She kept telling us "I'm going on an inventure!". Our second celebration was after Chloe's poo! Yep, long awaited and much worried over, but no probs peeps, the poo is finally here :) Greg got his hair cut...successfully (after much jibing from Chloe and I over the possibility of a number one monk cut :) ) and I had a foot fish spa. We went to Dr Frogs on the hill for tea which sounds dodgy but is a beautiful place in reality. The chef is friendly and food is amazing. The view is unparalleled and we got there just at that dusky time when it's hard to make out where the sea ends and the sky starts, just beautiful. Off to Singapore tomorrow. Can't believe that we are heading to our last destination. The time has gone so quickly and we have had so many amazing moments. Can't wait to hit Singgas for a bit of Hainanese Chicken Rice and some dragons beard if we can find it :) But most of all we are looking forward to seeing Heckie and Lily. Lets see what tomorrow brings :)
Day Thirty Four - Koh Samui
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We had a lovely lazy morning popping between the hotel pools and the sea and then headed up the beach for lunch. In the afternoon we went to Crystal Cove to try it's snorkeling out. I was completely underwhelmed. It's touted as the best beach on the island, and while peaceful and idyllic with lots of shade from the sea almonds, the water was murky and filled with slime. There were a few fish but they weren't worth the effort. So instead we entertained ourselves exploring the rocks at one end of the beach. Chloe was determined to be a rock climber and every time she got to the top she would turn into Elsa, I had to be Anna and Greg had to be Kristoff trying to get to her icy castle on the north mountain!! This kid hasn't even seen the movie yet! Can you imagine what it's going to be like after she has sat through the whole two hours!? Then she decided that she wanted to be Ariel the mermaid (another movie she's never seen! Lets face it, she hasn't seen any movies yet!) and we had to find the perfect rock for her to sit on. I promised her I'd Photoshop her a tail and some red hair. Check out the photo, if you think that's a classic, you should see the video of her singing on the rock!! :)
In the evening we went to the Bophut night markets, our last chance to pick up gifts in Thailand. All my pent up no-shopping angst was released!!!! I was like a kid in a candy store (that can only buy tiny tiny lollies!! Let's not forget our airline weight restriction!) boy, did I have fun. Chloe caught on and wanted to buy everything she passed! In the end she had to do with a chit chat that she has since named Mrs Sparkle and who now sleeps with her (Lovey the Dolphin has been relegated to the hair clip bag!!)
In the evening we went to the Bophut night markets, our last chance to pick up gifts in Thailand. All my pent up no-shopping angst was released!!!! I was like a kid in a candy store (that can only buy tiny tiny lollies!! Let's not forget our airline weight restriction!) boy, did I have fun. Chloe caught on and wanted to buy everything she passed! In the end she had to do with a chit chat that she has since named Mrs Sparkle and who now sleeps with her (Lovey the Dolphin has been relegated to the hair clip bag!!)
Day Thirty Three - Koh Samui
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We headed along the coast today to Coral Cove to see if we could snorkel. The cove itself was beautiful with massive round rocks at each end. The sea floor was also covered with boulders that served as an anchor point for some hardy coral, the smooth brain-like kind, not the standy uppy kind. With the waves (that you can't see in the photos) it made it quite difficult to get a footing but there were lots of fish to be seen. Chloe was quite excited that there were fish families and kept putting her head up to describe the family members! We didn't stay long because it was baking hot and it was hard to keep safe. We are going to head back tomorrow in the afternoon when there is more shade and less wind.
From Coral Cove we drove through Lamai and on to see monkeys pick coconuts. We watched as the man made shredded coconut and coconut milk, then we enjoyed (well, Greg and I did anyway!) the sweetest new coconut we've ever had. The coconut juice was amazing and we finished it all. New coconuts (their term for young) are used for coconut juice but old coconuts are more prized because they produce milk and flesh. It takes four months for a coconut to grow and coconut trees don't produce coconuts all year round (never realized that?!). Against our better judgement we sort of got railroaded into taking a photo with the monkey, to be honest he looks like he's about to make a break for freedom and good luck to him I say!
Next we headed off the main road to a village called Thong Krut. We had lunch on the beach at a place called Hemingways (the restaurant is named after the dog that came with the restaurant when they bought it! Hemingway was pretty cute but on a chain for his own good, not much road sense! He was very eager for a pat and for the second time today we were sort of backed into an animal encounter. Let's hope Hemingway doesn't have fleas or mange because he got a nice pat from us all) After lunch we spent most of the afternoon winding our way through beautiful back roads, marveling at how amazing the coconut groves and hills looked with dark stormy clouds above. We stopped lots to take photos, but as ever, none of them do it justice! It'll have to be one for the memory banks.
After a quick stop in Nathon, the island's administrative centre, we headed back to Chaweng for the hotel cocktail party (anything for a freebie! :) ) It was all very 'love-boat' with Dominic, the hotel manager, whom we shall call Captain Stubing from here on in, and various Gophers and Isaacs all milling around to make sure you had a good time. The party finished with a bang with two "girls" dressed in Brazilian carnivale outfits wowing us with an energetic dance number. Chloe was completely smitten by the girls and loved their feathery outfits so we had to grab a photo. To top the night off we headed to Little Boat for a quick bite. Chloe was insistent that she wanted a hotdog, which they don't serve at Little Boat but they suggested we head two doors down to the 7/11, which we did! Chloe's hotdog cost 29 baht which is just over a dollar, so between my $3 meal and Greg's, that came in just under $5, we had tea for under $10. We giggled with delight at our own cheapness :) and also probably because we'd had quite a few glasses of free wine at the cocktail party!....ahhhh simple pleasures! hahahahahahaha
From Coral Cove we drove through Lamai and on to see monkeys pick coconuts. We watched as the man made shredded coconut and coconut milk, then we enjoyed (well, Greg and I did anyway!) the sweetest new coconut we've ever had. The coconut juice was amazing and we finished it all. New coconuts (their term for young) are used for coconut juice but old coconuts are more prized because they produce milk and flesh. It takes four months for a coconut to grow and coconut trees don't produce coconuts all year round (never realized that?!). Against our better judgement we sort of got railroaded into taking a photo with the monkey, to be honest he looks like he's about to make a break for freedom and good luck to him I say!
Next we headed off the main road to a village called Thong Krut. We had lunch on the beach at a place called Hemingways (the restaurant is named after the dog that came with the restaurant when they bought it! Hemingway was pretty cute but on a chain for his own good, not much road sense! He was very eager for a pat and for the second time today we were sort of backed into an animal encounter. Let's hope Hemingway doesn't have fleas or mange because he got a nice pat from us all) After lunch we spent most of the afternoon winding our way through beautiful back roads, marveling at how amazing the coconut groves and hills looked with dark stormy clouds above. We stopped lots to take photos, but as ever, none of them do it justice! It'll have to be one for the memory banks.
After a quick stop in Nathon, the island's administrative centre, we headed back to Chaweng for the hotel cocktail party (anything for a freebie! :) ) It was all very 'love-boat' with Dominic, the hotel manager, whom we shall call Captain Stubing from here on in, and various Gophers and Isaacs all milling around to make sure you had a good time. The party finished with a bang with two "girls" dressed in Brazilian carnivale outfits wowing us with an energetic dance number. Chloe was completely smitten by the girls and loved their feathery outfits so we had to grab a photo. To top the night off we headed to Little Boat for a quick bite. Chloe was insistent that she wanted a hotdog, which they don't serve at Little Boat but they suggested we head two doors down to the 7/11, which we did! Chloe's hotdog cost 29 baht which is just over a dollar, so between my $3 meal and Greg's, that came in just under $5, we had tea for under $10. We giggled with delight at our own cheapness :) and also probably because we'd had quite a few glasses of free wine at the cocktail party!....ahhhh simple pleasures! hahahahahahaha
Day Thirty Two - Koh Samui
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We hit the road a little earlier today and headed to Bophut to visit Wat Hat Yai, better know as the Big Buddha. And for good reason because he is pretty big :) Chloe learnt her first lesson about relentless change. It doesn't matter how long or little you are away from a place change is inevitable and today Chloe found that out when she marched up the Big Buddha steps to discover that her beloved bells had been taken down because they were renovating the temple. You couldn't imagine a more disappointed three year old face! However she was happy to revisit her old friend, the monk at the bottom of the stairs who once again blessed us all with good luck. He's a funny old bloke with good sense of humour and limited English so it makes for merriment all round :) Next we headed to a temple on the next road which boasts it's own almost as giant Buddha, but not in gold. Here Greg was blessed again...by a little birdie from the sky and, would you believe it, this was not the last time he was pooped on by a bird today so you could say today he's been triple blessed! Time to buy a lotto ticket! It's not surprising that one of us got dive bombed by a pigeon given how many of the winged rats were at this particular temple. We had to scrape the pigeon poo off our shoes before we got back in the car!!! If ever there was a time we were going to get avian flu, today was it! :)
We stopped in Bophut for a smoothie and Miss Sarah's promised fridge magnet (so many to choose from, in the end Greg, myself and the shop owner were praying for Chloe to make a decision! It had to be just the right one!)
We drove back to Chaweng for a Vegemite roll for lunch and then Chloe heard the three piece band beside the pool downstairs (apparently today is pool party day, the bunting should have been a giveaway!) So we headed down to the pool to listen to Venga Boys, Kylie Minogue and Bruno Mars covers... I waited for the lambada but thankfully it didn't make the list! Chloe had a grand time bopping away in the pool while Greg and I people watched. A quick dip in the bath warm sea and it was off for tea.
We stopped in Bophut for a smoothie and Miss Sarah's promised fridge magnet (so many to choose from, in the end Greg, myself and the shop owner were praying for Chloe to make a decision! It had to be just the right one!)
We drove back to Chaweng for a Vegemite roll for lunch and then Chloe heard the three piece band beside the pool downstairs (apparently today is pool party day, the bunting should have been a giveaway!) So we headed down to the pool to listen to Venga Boys, Kylie Minogue and Bruno Mars covers... I waited for the lambada but thankfully it didn't make the list! Chloe had a grand time bopping away in the pool while Greg and I people watched. A quick dip in the bath warm sea and it was off for tea.
Day Thirty One - Koh Samui
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We spent the morning (what was left of it after we got up uncharacteristically late!) in the pool and the afternoon by the beach. Chloe dressed herself for swimming, snorkel pipe...check, sunglasses... check, green umbrella...check! She discovered a bubbler on the bottom of the pool today and spent a long time observing the bubbles settle on her skin underwater. She thought they were magical, "they are tickling my face" she said in the few brief moments that she had above water! At lunch she "helped" Greg research tomorrow excursion and then we headed down to the beach where we found our favourite ice cream man, the elderly Mr Blue, still plying the sand two years on, so of course had to grab a few ice creams. We also revisited our favourite local food place for tea, the 'Little Boat Seafood' where we eat no seafood! They do the best rice and Pad Thai (and also do takeaway which was great when Chloe used to have afternoon naps!). Chloe spent the afternoon searching for the perfect frangipani flower and finally found two for her hair and two for mine.
Day Thirty - Koh Samui
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Can we really be at day thirty already? Wow, where did that time go?
We hung around at the Centara today. We swam in the pools this morning (Chloe was bitten by an ant and that ended the mornings activities, as we headed back to the room for Stingose. Through the tears she wanted to know why the ant would do that to her, and, was it a boy ant or girl ant!) We grabbed a roll from the bakery and ate on the balcony for lunch. We were not disappointed, because as soon as we sat down two minor birds joined us, singing for their supper, just as they used to two years ago, dinner and a show :) ) In the afternoon we swam in the sea and built sand castles and then headed off to Bophut (a fishing village about 20 minutes away) for dinner. Chloe fell asleep in the car and the waiter, who was besotted by her, made her a bed of bar stools, and popped back every few minutes to check on her despite the fact that she was right beside us! Of course she woke as we were leaving so after reaching the pinnacle of bogan parenting by letting our three year old sleep on bar stools we topped it off by letting her have a banana and nutella pancake with sprinkles on top from a street cart for tea as we walked back to the car!
We hung around at the Centara today. We swam in the pools this morning (Chloe was bitten by an ant and that ended the mornings activities, as we headed back to the room for Stingose. Through the tears she wanted to know why the ant would do that to her, and, was it a boy ant or girl ant!) We grabbed a roll from the bakery and ate on the balcony for lunch. We were not disappointed, because as soon as we sat down two minor birds joined us, singing for their supper, just as they used to two years ago, dinner and a show :) ) In the afternoon we swam in the sea and built sand castles and then headed off to Bophut (a fishing village about 20 minutes away) for dinner. Chloe fell asleep in the car and the waiter, who was besotted by her, made her a bed of bar stools, and popped back every few minutes to check on her despite the fact that she was right beside us! Of course she woke as we were leaving so after reaching the pinnacle of bogan parenting by letting our three year old sleep on bar stools we topped it off by letting her have a banana and nutella pancake with sprinkles on top from a street cart for tea as we walked back to the car!
Day Twenty Nine - Chiang Mai to Koh Samui
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Ahhh Bangkok Airways we love you :) Their slogan is 'fly boutique, feel unique' and whilst I think that might be a bit of a stretch, as a relatively new budget(ish, depends on what deal you get) airline they are kicking major goals. None of this 'buy luggage weight' crap, or 'buy anything you might consume from us' crap. Air Asia may have it's place but Bangkok airways is more our style! We are relived that we no longer have to worry about luggage weight, 20kgs between the three of us was starting to cramp our style after a few night markets! And the food on BA, whilst always spicy (and usually with a coconut dessert) is always super tasty and very welcome :) But I think the thing that has gotten them over the line is their fantastic airport lounges. In Bangkok we chowed down on mushroom pies, muffins and apple cinnamon cake, with tea and coffee all for free. We thought that may have been just a once off, but no, in Chiang Mai we were invited to the lounge again. This time Chloe consumed most of the fresh popcorn bar :) whilst Greg and I nibbled on all sorts of other goodies, free wifi, comfy chairs and clear flight announcements at a reasonable volume. What's not to love:)
We were sad to leave Chiang Mai, I think we'll be back some time in the future, so much more to explore. However we were just a tad excited to get to Koh Samui, because after four weeks averaging 39 degrees every day we were thrilled to discover the forecast for Samui was a balmy 33 :) Although when we arrived Greg's weather app reminded us that it's "33-feels like 44"! Hahahahahaha. After almost a week at 41 we could tell that app that Samui felt nothing like 44, it was lovely (even though I stand by my belief that Samui has the worlds hottest airport, seriously! When are they going to invest in a bit of aircon?) We picked up our car, that was pleasingly larger than it looked in the brochure. Chloe was thrilled that her car seat was pink and we were thrilled that after 4 weeks of zooming around in tuk tuks, taxis, boats etc... all unbelted that she finally had some sort of safety harness that consisted of more than Greg and my arms. After arriving at the Centara we were disappointed to discover that Chloe's friend Kun Kun from the front desk was on holidays, but no matter, Chloe has made firm friends with Taki, whom it would seem would do anything for her :)
In the evening we headed to the Lamai walking street market and had a bit of a bash at some street food. Chloe was thrilled with her orange juice (obviously made from radioactively fluorescent oranges!!) that had bag handles on it for her to carry it with. We picked up some string bracelets and Chloe is now keen to find a colour that Greg would like to wear! hahahahaha :)
We were sad to leave Chiang Mai, I think we'll be back some time in the future, so much more to explore. However we were just a tad excited to get to Koh Samui, because after four weeks averaging 39 degrees every day we were thrilled to discover the forecast for Samui was a balmy 33 :) Although when we arrived Greg's weather app reminded us that it's "33-feels like 44"! Hahahahahaha. After almost a week at 41 we could tell that app that Samui felt nothing like 44, it was lovely (even though I stand by my belief that Samui has the worlds hottest airport, seriously! When are they going to invest in a bit of aircon?) We picked up our car, that was pleasingly larger than it looked in the brochure. Chloe was thrilled that her car seat was pink and we were thrilled that after 4 weeks of zooming around in tuk tuks, taxis, boats etc... all unbelted that she finally had some sort of safety harness that consisted of more than Greg and my arms. After arriving at the Centara we were disappointed to discover that Chloe's friend Kun Kun from the front desk was on holidays, but no matter, Chloe has made firm friends with Taki, whom it would seem would do anything for her :)
In the evening we headed to the Lamai walking street market and had a bit of a bash at some street food. Chloe was thrilled with her orange juice (obviously made from radioactively fluorescent oranges!!) that had bag handles on it for her to carry it with. We picked up some string bracelets and Chloe is now keen to find a colour that Greg would like to wear! hahahahaha :)
Day Twenty Eight - Chiang Mai
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In our search for the real deal we headed to Fair Trade Thai Tribal Handicrafts just up from the British Council today. It wasn't worth the trip and we have decided that we are happy to just keep spotting the glimpses of the old Chaing Mai where we can. We went to a lovely little restaurant in someones front garden today called 'Love at First Bite', or, due to a spelling mistake on Trip Advisor it is more commonly known as 'Love at Fist Bite'! :) Smoothies and cakes all round :) With the help of Chiang Mai's oldest tuk tuk driver (see portrait) we headed home for a rest as we planned to hit the walking street tonight...which we did, lots more variety and great street food. We even picked up the letters for Chloe's name in Thai (or so we've been led to believe :) ha ha ha) We had tea in the old city and then, at Chloe's insistence we headed to the night bazaar. She is just like her mother, loves to shop! We stopped at Boys Blues Bar again for few songs where Chloe promptly fell asleep, so home again home again jiggety jig :)
Day Twenty Seven - Chiang Mai
Day Twenty Six- Chiang Mai
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So today was all about Mae Sa. We headed north out the Mae Rim road with Pong, our taxi driver. We like Pong, a man of few words but a good sense of humour, who is totally aware that the 800 baht he is charging us to drive for half a day (about $36) is about half what we would pay through a tour company so he is strictly DIY, he drives, that's it, you take care of everything else yourself... just the way we like it :)
First stop was the Mae Sa Elephant Camp (or Elephant Club as Chloe likes to call it). We were in a bit of a dilema. Elephant camps are split into two distinct...well...camps (!) these days, the ride or no-ride camps. Elephant welfare has come a long way in the twenty years since I was here last which means a proliferation of camps where you don't ride elephants but instead spend a day with them learning to be a mahout. Sounds lovely right? And it is, the problem is that there are not enough high end tourists around to pay for this type of experience to support every elephant in Northern Thailand and like everything in this world elephants must now pay their way or there is no place for them. And now that using elephants for labour has been outlawed there are 1000's of elephants all over Thailand that are in a very precarious position. So then ride camps like Mae Sa that cater for mass tourists (like us) and home large numbers of elephants begin to not seem like such a bad thing after all. After much reading up we decided that there is a place for ride camps and that when you have a three year old the no-ride camps are just not an option...so...to make a long story short we headed out to Mae Sa. Chloe and I had a great morning and I was overwhelmed by how much better it is for elephants these days. Was it ideal? probably not. We loved watching the elephants bathing, were not so keen on the elephant show, loved the bumpy scary ride (you'll notice in the photos below pre-ride Chloe is wearing her new princess head band but post-ride it is in the bag. She got it into her head that the elephant might take it so desperately stashed it before we got on!) and got sloppy kisses (that end with a resonant "pop"!) from elephants all over the park. They are just everywhere, the place is crawling with them and they are so quiet, if you're not careful you'll turn around and walk right into one behind you!
Greg's morning was not so great. Bali belly has finally hit and Greg is the poor victim. It was a 50/50 split whether he even came this morning and Chloe and I were so pleased he decided to. Things were going OK (as OK as they can be when you haven't eaten in 24 hours, it's 41 degrees and your tummy feels like a cement mixer!) until the elephant ride! As Chloe said "I thought it was going to be smooth but it was bumpy!" Things were pretty downhill from there on in! Next stop was the Mae Sa waterfalls. Greg had to abandon us and head to a nice precipice to try and vomit whilst Chloe and I headed off to the falls. They were quite placid due to the drought but still flowing and very beautiful. Chloe was desperate to get her feet in the water to see if it would be "hot or cold Mumma!" On our return to the car park Greg looked like death warmed up and it was obvious that the butterfly park and elephant poopoopaper park was off the agenda and we headed straight back to Chiang Mai where Greg retired to bed for the day while Chloe and i had lunch!
Pong is driving tomorrow and we off to the east this time so hopefully we will all be well, fingers crossed. We'll be up early to try and beat the predicted 42 degrees :)
First stop was the Mae Sa Elephant Camp (or Elephant Club as Chloe likes to call it). We were in a bit of a dilema. Elephant camps are split into two distinct...well...camps (!) these days, the ride or no-ride camps. Elephant welfare has come a long way in the twenty years since I was here last which means a proliferation of camps where you don't ride elephants but instead spend a day with them learning to be a mahout. Sounds lovely right? And it is, the problem is that there are not enough high end tourists around to pay for this type of experience to support every elephant in Northern Thailand and like everything in this world elephants must now pay their way or there is no place for them. And now that using elephants for labour has been outlawed there are 1000's of elephants all over Thailand that are in a very precarious position. So then ride camps like Mae Sa that cater for mass tourists (like us) and home large numbers of elephants begin to not seem like such a bad thing after all. After much reading up we decided that there is a place for ride camps and that when you have a three year old the no-ride camps are just not an option...so...to make a long story short we headed out to Mae Sa. Chloe and I had a great morning and I was overwhelmed by how much better it is for elephants these days. Was it ideal? probably not. We loved watching the elephants bathing, were not so keen on the elephant show, loved the bumpy scary ride (you'll notice in the photos below pre-ride Chloe is wearing her new princess head band but post-ride it is in the bag. She got it into her head that the elephant might take it so desperately stashed it before we got on!) and got sloppy kisses (that end with a resonant "pop"!) from elephants all over the park. They are just everywhere, the place is crawling with them and they are so quiet, if you're not careful you'll turn around and walk right into one behind you!
Greg's morning was not so great. Bali belly has finally hit and Greg is the poor victim. It was a 50/50 split whether he even came this morning and Chloe and I were so pleased he decided to. Things were going OK (as OK as they can be when you haven't eaten in 24 hours, it's 41 degrees and your tummy feels like a cement mixer!) until the elephant ride! As Chloe said "I thought it was going to be smooth but it was bumpy!" Things were pretty downhill from there on in! Next stop was the Mae Sa waterfalls. Greg had to abandon us and head to a nice precipice to try and vomit whilst Chloe and I headed off to the falls. They were quite placid due to the drought but still flowing and very beautiful. Chloe was desperate to get her feet in the water to see if it would be "hot or cold Mumma!" On our return to the car park Greg looked like death warmed up and it was obvious that the butterfly park and elephant poopoopaper park was off the agenda and we headed straight back to Chiang Mai where Greg retired to bed for the day while Chloe and i had lunch!
Pong is driving tomorrow and we off to the east this time so hopefully we will all be well, fingers crossed. We'll be up early to try and beat the predicted 42 degrees :)
Day Twenty Five - Chiang Mai
We had a rest day today, not too much rushing around. After a late start we headed to Nemman Road for lunch and then back over to our side of town to organise an elephant visit for tomorrow (decided to go with our airport taxi driver!) Tootling around in tuk tuks and songtheaws, we lamented the absence of northern Thai culture. So far we haven't seen any of the evidence of true Lanna culture that so impressed us when I visited 20 years ago and Greg visited 15 years ago. It seems that, whilst lovely, Chiang Mai has become a little Bangkok. We are determined to find it though and have our eyes peeled for some of what we knew. We had a swim in the apartment pool this afternoon and then a home cooked tea! Chloe was thrilled with penne and pesto and chocolate mousse that she and Greg made while I was at the supermarket. Sounds weird but it was so nice to eat simply. Unfortunately the mousse meant that whilst I was trying to sing her to sleep Chloe was doing windmills with her arms and shouting out "woohoo"! Oh and in case you're wondering what the temperature was today..... (drum roll please) 41 degrees :) Thankfully the lack of humidity meant it didn't feel that hot :)
Day Twenty Four - Bangkok to Chiang Mai
A day of travelling today, a ferry and three trains to get to the airport (best way in our opinion, fast, efficient, clean and reliable!) The flight to Chiang Mai was preceded by some time in the Bangkok Airways lounge, free wifi and snack (we also pocketed lots of plastic cocktail forks and coffee stirrers to play with - loose parts backpacking style!) We had a yummy lunch on the plane, swift trip to our air bnb and a walk through the markets in the evening. After record temps in Phnom Penh, an average of 38 on Samloen and in Bangkok, we were greeted with 40 degrees in Chiang Mai. Hot but bearable, lets see what tomorrow brings :) Highlight of the day was washing!!!!!! Two loads of clothes, almost everything we had, and the first load was dry before the second even came out :)
Day Twenty Three - Bangkok
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Today we hit the tourist trail in Bangkok and visited two of the most heavily pickpocketed attractions on offer :) The Grand Palace and Wat Poh. We were fully prepared for the hordes of Chinese tourists and their umbrellas, as well as the heat that Trip Advisor seemed to suggest were inevitable but felt that they were both experiences we wanted to share with Chloe. And frankly, we had a great time. It was hot but we were lucky enough to have the breeze at our back all day. The Chinese tourists are so amazingly rude and thoughtless, loud and pushy that it was really rather comical and as they spent all their time pushing each other out of the way for the key selfie spots that left lots of other places for us to explore. At the Grand Palace we loved looking at all the sparkle. It is truly a spectacle. It has changed dramatically since we both visited last time, gone is the quite, serene almost spiritual atmosphere and many of the statues and places of worship that you could go right up to in the past are now behind balustrades and fences (and with good reason, I don't blame the Thai, the Chinese have little regard for anything and I could see if you let them go rampant the place would be ruined in a week) However it was still fantastic and over all of the arguing Chinese you could still hear the bells that hang along the inside of the roof lines pinging in the breeze. We caught a very fast (very fast!) tuk tuk round the corner to Wat Poh to see the giant reclining Buddha and although my favourite part (the soles of his feet) are currently being renovated it was still a fantastic spectacle. Chloe was very impressed. It also has changed dramatically to cater for the overwhelming numbers but inside it was quite and serene and Greg got a cup of coins for Chloe so should could participate in the 108 wishing pots, placing one coin in each of 108 brass pots so that she could make a wish at the end. Her wish was something about being able to play tug of war (??!!) I couldn't quite understand, but I told her that the last time I was at Wat Poh I wished for her! She told me "Silly Mummy, Buddha didn't do that wish, you and Daddy did!". Ha! So wise :) So the rest of the day has involved making the most of this wonderful hotel and all the little afternoon tea and cocktail perks before we head back to normality. Quite excited to be heading to Chaing Mai because where we are staying there is a ..... wait for it.... washing machine!!! Yay! We took a gazzillion photos today and found it hard to cull so there are quite a lot in the gallery today. We hope you enjoy them :)
Day Twenty Two - Mother's Day - Mere's house :)
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I have to start this post off with a big Happy Mothers Day to Heckie and Janny, sorry we didn't get to speak to either of you today, we figured you would be asleep in Australia by the time we got back to the room and a bit of wifi. We hope you both had a wonderful day and we'll try and get through tomorrow after lunch (BKK time). Our hotel seems to be the gift that keeps on giving and this morning it gifted us the best buffet breaky I've ever had (and I've had a few!). Words can't do it justice so I'll leave it there. After breakfast an old friend from Brunei, who now lives here and is the primary reason that we stopped in Bangkok at all, came to pick us up. Chloe was so excited about meeting Meredith and I just couldn't wait for her to get here, it's been many a long year since we got to have a good chin wag. She falls into that category of friend that is eternal, you know the type, the one that just gets you. And to top it off I also taught two of her kidlets (who are now charming young men). We had such a wonderful day and Chloe not only enjoyed monopolising Caitlyn's teddy bears (Caitlyn and Phil were away in Singapore) but playing with Sam and Dave. She had a ball (literally!) playing with Sam in the soft play room and was thrilled to discover that he had a monkey almost identical to hers! It was so nice to see Sam and Dave again, thoughtful, friendly, kind, engaging boys...must've been their kindergarten teacher! hahahahahahahaha :)
In the evening we hit the complimentary cocktails again, (mostly for the finger food because we are to cheap to buy tea!:) ) Chloe put on a fashion show in the mask Mere gave her and then preceded to dress us in our complimentary slippers and instruct us to run round the room in them! Day Twenty Two down!
In the evening we hit the complimentary cocktails again, (mostly for the finger food because we are to cheap to buy tea!:) ) Chloe put on a fashion show in the mask Mere gave her and then preceded to dress us in our complimentary slippers and instruct us to run round the room in them! Day Twenty Two down!
Day Twenty One - Phnom Penh to Bangkok - Halfway!!!
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After a final walk to the temple for some photos we grabbed a cab to the airport with the slowest taxi driver in PP (who managed to ram another car from behind on the way, luckily there was no significant damage or I doubt we would have made it at all). What a revelation PP airport is. Clean, modern, filled with art, organised and timely, it could easily become our new favourite airport!! The flight was quick and before we knew it we were in Bangkok. We caught a train into town (Chloe fell asleep en route), caught another to Siam at the interchange and then a third train down to the river where we caught the boat that goes to our hotel.
So... our hotel... well, quite obviously someone has made a mistake, we are currently sitting on the 29th floor in one of the royal suites overlooking the river and were just treated to ring side tickets to a fireworks show on the river from our lounge room window. We were waved through check in, instead ushered up to the executive floor where they didn't bother us with the banalities of checking in until we had enjoyed a high tea, all the while we were looking furtively around waiting for someone to realise that we weren't supposed to be there. However that didn't happen so we got our glad rags on this evening and headed back for the free cocktails!! Chloe was thrilled at turn down time to receive a small stuffed silk elephant that she has since named Gerald... it's like a twilight zone. Greg only booked at this hotel because it's pool is out of action so it was supposed to be ridiculously cheap compared to it's normal prices. Now that we are in the royal suite we can just let them know if we want to swim and a staff member will come and escort us across the river so we can swim at the Sheraton and then escort us back!!!! Who knew this sort of thing happened!! Greg and I are starting to seriously doubt his conversion from Baht into dollars when he booked, he must have got it wrong but we have both promised each other not to look at the credit card statement until we get back to Oz, in for a penny, in for a pound, I'm starting to love this back packing thing!!!!! :) Whoops!
So... our hotel... well, quite obviously someone has made a mistake, we are currently sitting on the 29th floor in one of the royal suites overlooking the river and were just treated to ring side tickets to a fireworks show on the river from our lounge room window. We were waved through check in, instead ushered up to the executive floor where they didn't bother us with the banalities of checking in until we had enjoyed a high tea, all the while we were looking furtively around waiting for someone to realise that we weren't supposed to be there. However that didn't happen so we got our glad rags on this evening and headed back for the free cocktails!! Chloe was thrilled at turn down time to receive a small stuffed silk elephant that she has since named Gerald... it's like a twilight zone. Greg only booked at this hotel because it's pool is out of action so it was supposed to be ridiculously cheap compared to it's normal prices. Now that we are in the royal suite we can just let them know if we want to swim and a staff member will come and escort us across the river so we can swim at the Sheraton and then escort us back!!!! Who knew this sort of thing happened!! Greg and I are starting to seriously doubt his conversion from Baht into dollars when he booked, he must have got it wrong but we have both promised each other not to look at the credit card statement until we get back to Oz, in for a penny, in for a pound, I'm starting to love this back packing thing!!!!! :) Whoops!
Day Twenty - Koh Rong Samloen to Phnom Penh
We said goodbye to Samloen today and although we'll be happy to see some aircon we'll miss our many shades of green bathroom and and weird round bed. We saw the hornbills again on our morning walk and managed to squeeze in a kayak (take 2, the red kayak sank on our first outing so we had to head back for the blue one!). Our prayers worked for the ferry, we had great weather and it was fast and fun BUT... we didn't think about praying for a dry trip on the Sihanoukville road. The rain was torrential and, in some parts, the lightning was cracking in the fields beside us, it was right over our heads. The weather didn't seem to effect our drivers speed (or the aircon controls, we were freezing!) and at first I wished that all of the motorbikes would get out of the way so we wouldn't claim one of them as a victim. But as the rain got heavier and the bikes began to pull off this just left all the heavy traffic, trucks, buses, cars etc... (including our Luxus...yes, I said Luxus not Lexus!!) to put their foot down and play chicken on bends in the hills with zero visibility! It was a heart stopper but we made it after five long hours! We picked up the drivers wife and his three year old on the way and he and Chloe watched the Gruffalo in the traffic jam that is Phnom Penh. We had a final swim in the dark at the Billabong and packed our bags ready to head to Thailand in the morning. So long Cambodia, it's been swell, looking forward to visiting again.
Day Nineteen - Koh Rong Samloen
Day Eighteen - Koh Rong Samloen
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We had a lovely lazy start to the day today on the hammocks outside our room. There was a light rain and the resort dogs joined us under the umbrella, much to Chloe's delight and terror in equal measures :) In the afternoon we went swimming in the ocean, having to head out quite far before the water cooled down. Chloe has mastered her life jacket and is now able to float freely without Greg or I stopping her from rolling over. She likes to pretend that she is a mermaid and spins round and round in little circles. In the evening we booked a boat for tomorrow to go snorkeling over the reef and then headed back down the beach to our bungalows for tea, fish BBQ :) Samloen is yet to be inundated with all the normal tourist crap like t-shirt sellers, people trying to paint your fingernails or plait your hair, coffee shops etc... In fact there isn't even a shop. The beach has a cluster if different sets of bungalows and that's really it. You can wander up and down and eat at somebody elses bungalows if you want but there aren't any restaurants etc... We wonder how long it will last. It's still surprisingly in it's natural state in comparison to any other island that we've even been to. In fact there is a pair of hornbills that wake you in the tree right next to our bungalow. Last night at tea we sat and chatted with the dutch couple who we have been seeing on and off over the last few days. Chloe took quite a shine to Annalike and they sat for ages with Annalike teaching Chloe the names of animals in dutch. Annalike had lipstick on and both she a Daniel smelled fantastic which reminded me that we have become a little bit "lord-of-the-flies" whilst on Samloen! We haven't washed our hair in days and have surrendered one set of clothes to the constant sweat, I am not even wearing earings (!!) Perhaps tomorrow we need a pamper day!!! On the way back to the bungalows we took the opportunity again to trot through the phosphorescence and watch our feet glow and the fish dart away covered in sparkles under the water. Chloe was able to pick up individual glowing plankton that were washed up on the sand. A hand full of sparkles :)
Day Seventeen - Koh Rong Samloen
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So, we cant talk about the 17th day until we talk about the 16th night! The lack of aircon wasn't as much as a problem as we had anticipated and the ridiculous round bed (what on earth were they thinking?) also seemed to be OK for the three of us... the wildlife however was a different story!! Whilst Chloe and Greg slumbered on, I lay awake for hours listening to what sounded like a huge unknown animal snuffle up and down the side of the bungalow and snort through the small gap in the sliding front glass doors until it finally lumbered away to the bungalow next door. The morning revealed that it was probably a monitor lizard eager for a snack, but at least we didn't have a monkey issue like the dutch couple next door!! After our first night I am forced to admit that even though the temperature is at about 29 degrees at night it doesn't feel that hot with the new round the clock power powering our fan... however! there is a good chance that after Lipe and Samloen I will be using the power of veto on any non air conditioned accommodation Greg is thinking of booking in Asia in the future :) ( he has always been the adventurous one!)
Today was just one of those wonderful days where everything we did was special and memorable (the only down side is that our camera ran out of battery early on so we have no fish photos!) We headed through the jungle on a little path to the other side of the island to Lazy Bay, took us about 30 minutes (the photos below do not do it justice at all!). Chloe was thrilled to be on a jungle adventure and kept shouting "Badou? Badou, where are you?" (Badou is a jungle elephant from a fav program!). She traveled most of the way on Greg or my shoulders but when she got off, was keen to go cross country (only making it about a meter off the path :) ) We saw a horn bill but happily, no monkeys, Lazy bay was a beautiful blue with clear shallow water and a dinky little jetty that had great schools of fish underneath. We pottered about under the jetty and then headed up to the only eatery that seemed to be plonked there directly from another dimension. It was huge (could have seated 100), beautifully furnished with couches and papasans, breezy, with fantastic food... and not another soul there. It was completely surreal, like stepping into the pages of home beautiful in the middle of Cambodia, only to find it uninhabited.
After our trek back we rested under the fan (Greg was a ball of sweat and I was like a beetroot!) and then in the late afternoon went kayaking. Again Chloe loved it and "helped" Greg paddle. We think we'll go again tomorrow so stay tuned for a photo :) After tea we walked home along the beach and Greg decided to look for phosphorescence in the water (there were rumours it could be seen at Lazy Bay) and much to our delight, as he splashed along in the dark, his feet were shrouded in a fluro glow. As he disturbed fish in the shallows they stirred up the water too, creating glowing spots int he water like underwater fireflies. Chloe joined him and together they glowed back to the bungalow, a really special experience to share.
Today was just one of those wonderful days where everything we did was special and memorable (the only down side is that our camera ran out of battery early on so we have no fish photos!) We headed through the jungle on a little path to the other side of the island to Lazy Bay, took us about 30 minutes (the photos below do not do it justice at all!). Chloe was thrilled to be on a jungle adventure and kept shouting "Badou? Badou, where are you?" (Badou is a jungle elephant from a fav program!). She traveled most of the way on Greg or my shoulders but when she got off, was keen to go cross country (only making it about a meter off the path :) ) We saw a horn bill but happily, no monkeys, Lazy bay was a beautiful blue with clear shallow water and a dinky little jetty that had great schools of fish underneath. We pottered about under the jetty and then headed up to the only eatery that seemed to be plonked there directly from another dimension. It was huge (could have seated 100), beautifully furnished with couches and papasans, breezy, with fantastic food... and not another soul there. It was completely surreal, like stepping into the pages of home beautiful in the middle of Cambodia, only to find it uninhabited.
After our trek back we rested under the fan (Greg was a ball of sweat and I was like a beetroot!) and then in the late afternoon went kayaking. Again Chloe loved it and "helped" Greg paddle. We think we'll go again tomorrow so stay tuned for a photo :) After tea we walked home along the beach and Greg decided to look for phosphorescence in the water (there were rumours it could be seen at Lazy Bay) and much to our delight, as he splashed along in the dark, his feet were shrouded in a fluro glow. As he disturbed fish in the shallows they stirred up the water too, creating glowing spots int he water like underwater fireflies. Chloe joined him and together they glowed back to the bungalow, a really special experience to share.
Day Sixteen - Phnom Penh to Koh Rong Samloen
A big day travelling today. Up at 5.00am to be ready for the driver at 6.00am. We headed off to Sianhoukville with our driver, Warna, who unfortunately was the boss of the company and so spent the whole five hours on his phone chastising and directing other drivers in Khmer whilst texting on a second phone. We thought the speed limit of 60 to 80 would suit us just fine until we realised that was miles per hour, not kilometers. There was a fair bit of tooting small motorbikes off the road, heading off into the dust when there was not enough room and playing chicken with oncoming traffic. Luckily Greg was in the front, I don't think I could've held my nerve, not looking forward to the trip back! The country side was a real eye opener, a bit like rural India and mostly very dry, but so interesting. We stopped at "The Stop", a place that had been open a month.. Opened by a bloke who had worked for the Aussie embassy, he said he understood the value foreigners put on good bathrooms and had always thought if he ever had the money he would open a restaurant. The surroundings were fantastic, food excellent and the bathrooms (all six of them in the womens side plus a childrens room and a disabled toilet!) were clean, airy, cool and spacious, the absolute antithesis of every other bathroom on our trip so far. Normally you expect the toilet to be a sweat box torture endurance test so therefore it's only fair that this blokes loos get a mention in our post :). Our crap driver got us to Sianhoukville at 10.58 when our ferry left at 11.00 so the pressure was on to pick up tickets and get a seat!! The ferry took about 45 minutes and then we got a smaller boat to our resort. It is lovely with reflective glass walls so you can see all of the view all of the time. Food is great and they now have not only got wifi but also power 24 hours round! Yay!
Day Fifteen - Phnom Penh
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It's now been more than ten years since we lived in Asia but there are so many little things that make it feel like home. The one that struck me this morning was the shower head on the hose! :) Why don't we do that in Australia? I think they have it all wrong on 'The Block', if I were the judge there would be no perfect 10's until you had a shower head on a hose. If we ever get round to a reno at Tennyson Ave there will be a shower head on a hose, you mark my words! :)
Today we thought we'd be super organised and ring Heather and Jan in Australia to wish them Happy Mothers Day. Turns out we were more organised than we thought as Mothers Day is not until next Sunday :) :)
This morning we decided to head back to the central market for a bit of people watching. Chloe found the ultimate in pink and purple attire in the form of a tie dye top (!!??!!) She haaaaad to have it because "Me and Amelia love pink and purple". She bartered the lady down to $3 which Greg and I thought was a bit steep but there was a reason. Imagine our delight (read 'horror') to discover a perfect pair of tie dye shorts underneath!! I explained to Chloe that they weren't meant to be worn at the same time, that the top was to be worn with her navy shorts, saving the tie dye shorts for her white t-shirt ... see above the outfit she chose for dinner!! She asked for the photo to be taken so she could show her friend Amelia! She is in love with this outfit and it has been laid out carefully ready for tomorrow!!
At the market we showed Chloe all the fried insects for eating (she began chanting 'eat one Daddy, eat one Daddy' but i didn't get the video out quick enough to catch it! :) ) Next we headed to street 178 to look at the art for sale. Sadly, like Vietnam there are no longer any independent street artists, instead each shop is a carbon copy of the next with acrylic art around the same few themes, particularly targeted at the Chinese and Russian market. It was lovely for a wander though. Back at the hotel we enjoyed our last swim and an ice cream. Greg's caramel ice cream was definitely walnut and coffee, whilst Chloe's vanilla ice cream, without shadow of a doubt, was durian... and surprisingly yummy! :). We headed of to Besto for tea, a 'vegetarian paradise', where Chloe ate bread and white rice, at least we tried :( We are heading to Sihanoukville tomorrow for the ferry to Koh Rong. They tell us that there will be no internet so we may not be able to post over the next four days. Love to all back in Oz
Today we thought we'd be super organised and ring Heather and Jan in Australia to wish them Happy Mothers Day. Turns out we were more organised than we thought as Mothers Day is not until next Sunday :) :)
This morning we decided to head back to the central market for a bit of people watching. Chloe found the ultimate in pink and purple attire in the form of a tie dye top (!!??!!) She haaaaad to have it because "Me and Amelia love pink and purple". She bartered the lady down to $3 which Greg and I thought was a bit steep but there was a reason. Imagine our delight (read 'horror') to discover a perfect pair of tie dye shorts underneath!! I explained to Chloe that they weren't meant to be worn at the same time, that the top was to be worn with her navy shorts, saving the tie dye shorts for her white t-shirt ... see above the outfit she chose for dinner!! She asked for the photo to be taken so she could show her friend Amelia! She is in love with this outfit and it has been laid out carefully ready for tomorrow!!
At the market we showed Chloe all the fried insects for eating (she began chanting 'eat one Daddy, eat one Daddy' but i didn't get the video out quick enough to catch it! :) ) Next we headed to street 178 to look at the art for sale. Sadly, like Vietnam there are no longer any independent street artists, instead each shop is a carbon copy of the next with acrylic art around the same few themes, particularly targeted at the Chinese and Russian market. It was lovely for a wander though. Back at the hotel we enjoyed our last swim and an ice cream. Greg's caramel ice cream was definitely walnut and coffee, whilst Chloe's vanilla ice cream, without shadow of a doubt, was durian... and surprisingly yummy! :). We headed of to Besto for tea, a 'vegetarian paradise', where Chloe ate bread and white rice, at least we tried :( We are heading to Sihanoukville tomorrow for the ferry to Koh Rong. They tell us that there will be no internet so we may not be able to post over the next four days. Love to all back in Oz
Day Fourteen - Phnom Penh
Day Thirteen - Phnom Penh
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What a huge day we had today. Chloe started the day as a good old back packer, helping Daddy wash our clothes in the bathroom sink to hang on our elastic washing line :) We took some of the bigger bits to a laundry round the corner, $1USD per kilo!! Then, to make a long story short we headed to the National Museum, had lunch at the Foreign Correspondents Club, went to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda and then headed home for a well deserved swim! It was such a big day filled with walking around Khmer carvings and statues, being quiet in pagdoas an walking round the city in the heat and Chloe didn't complain once, she was an absolute trooper. She was full of questions, she wanted to know what Vishnu did when he was alive, how did Hanuman help Shiva, where the king's bathroom was, why did the king want you to dress 'conservatively' (that's her new word, we had a big chat about why Mummy had to wear a sarong in the palace) and why he wasn't at home????? She was so inquisitive and patient all day. Back at the Billabong in the pool she learn't how to jump off Daddy's shoulders (much to Mummy's horror!) and had another practice with her snorkel and face mask (she's determined to get it!) Check out our photos below (and yes Jan, I know Chloe and I are dressed as twins, we are running low on options until our clothes dry! :) )
Day Twelve - Kuala Lumpur to Phnom Penh
We made the most of the buffet this morning, not knowing what Phnom Penh would bring :) We jumped on the monorail out the front of our hotel and made it to KL Sentral JUST in time to jump on the airport bus (Greg was buying the tickets while I was shoving the luggage under the bus and it took off as soon as we sat down!) The trip to the airport was quick and uneventful, you really can't beat that bus! At the airport we dropped our bags and, as there was no one in the immigration queue, we grabbed a quick lunch. However on our return the line had miraculously tripled and we made it to our boarding gate just in time to walk straight onto the plane, another minute and I think we would have missed it! Our plane was full to the brim with a group of old Hajahs all coordinated in navy shirts and red tudongs and I can only guess that the chatter and cackling must be what it's like when Heather goes on a scrapbooking retreat!! Chloe fell asleep just as we were about to land in Cambodia so we were ushered through immigration, past all the lined up hajahs and I was practically ordered to relax on a chair with Chloe! I don't know what I was expecting Phnom Penh to be like but so far it's a bit uncalculable, so far the only thing I know for sure is that it's hot...really hot!. Our hotel, the Billabong, that I had been dreading, turned out to be great, huge room and a great swimming pool that we made the most of almost immediately. We soon discovered that the huge room was difficult to cool with the little aircon but it wasn't unpleasant. We went for dinner with Kevin Tutt and he introduced us to fish amok and lac loc. The power went out half way through dinner so the lovely waiter came and stood at Chloe's shoulder with a torch so that she could keep eating :) Lets see what tomorrow brings!
Day Eleven - Kuala Lumpur
Day Ten - Kuala Lumpur, Sunway Lagoon
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This morning we headed to Sunway Lagoon waterpark with the other Bishops. It was so different from what we remembered and must be at least double the size of when we visited over a decade ago. But it was an absolute blast. From the river rapids ride in an over sized tube to splashing about with sponge Bob square pants in Nickelodeon world we had a wonderful time. Chloe finally got to see her beloved sunbears in the flesh (the one at Adelaide zoo is never anywhere to be seen!). She thought he was "soooooo cute" but was a bit worried he might be too hot. We saw white lions, caught fish, meandered along the 'beach', flew in a pterodactyl and doused each other with water cannons. Chloe found a new favourite animal (the pygmy marmoset, also "sooooo cuuuuuute!") and a new favourite icypole (the traffic light, "I have been wanting for one of these my whole life!"). As a thunderstorm broke we headed back to KL, damp and tired but happy. We had a 'royal picnic' in our hotel room for dessert and Chloe picked out our royal roles for us :)
Day Nine - Kuala Lumpur
Day Eight - Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur
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Well, we've finally made it back to some reliable wifi so we'll post day five, six, seven and eight all together!! Not sure how to make the gallery page work properly so I'll post the photos onto this page as galleries or slide shows :)
Chloe discovered a litter of kittens at the restaurant we had breakfast at this morning and that was on the fast track to be her highlight of the day...that was until we went on the monorail (after a taxi, aeroplane to KL, and then bus KL sentral) which is now her new favourite form of transport (although I'm not sure how long it will keep the crown, as the Filipino trike got ousted by tuk tuks, "tuk tuks are my most favourite thing!" she shouted enthusiastically with the wind whipping through her hair and a huge smile on her face. Tuk tuks were quickly replaced by longtail boats only a few days ago, and of course now monorails are the go)
KL is fairly hectic compared with laid back Lipe but Mel is pleased to be in a room with aircon and not a single Langkawian mozzie in sight :) We looked a bit out of place at the Parkroyal in our backpacker gear. Greg's months of research paid off and whatever deal he managed to strike means we are batting well above our average at the moment (you always know you're on a winner when they don't let durian into the lifts! and it's extra special when the soaps are the 'St Gregory' brand!! ha ha :) )
Chloe discovered a litter of kittens at the restaurant we had breakfast at this morning and that was on the fast track to be her highlight of the day...that was until we went on the monorail (after a taxi, aeroplane to KL, and then bus KL sentral) which is now her new favourite form of transport (although I'm not sure how long it will keep the crown, as the Filipino trike got ousted by tuk tuks, "tuk tuks are my most favourite thing!" she shouted enthusiastically with the wind whipping through her hair and a huge smile on her face. Tuk tuks were quickly replaced by longtail boats only a few days ago, and of course now monorails are the go)
KL is fairly hectic compared with laid back Lipe but Mel is pleased to be in a room with aircon and not a single Langkawian mozzie in sight :) We looked a bit out of place at the Parkroyal in our backpacker gear. Greg's months of research paid off and whatever deal he managed to strike means we are batting well above our average at the moment (you always know you're on a winner when they don't let durian into the lifts! and it's extra special when the soaps are the 'St Gregory' brand!! ha ha :) )
Day Seven - Koh Lipe to Langkawi
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The resort cat joined us in our bungalow this morning after we left the bottom door open, which complicated the packing process a little. The bungalows are two story and neither the stairwell nor the lower veranda or top balcony have much (or indeed anything) in the way of a hand rail so as much as we have loved our time in Koh Lipe, time in the bungalow has meant constant and close supervision and strict rules about where Chloe can and can't go, so the idea of a cat to chase added, lets say, a little flavour to the whole packing process! :) We had time to spare waiting for the ferry so had a final cuppa at the Lipe cafe on Hat Pattaya beach. As we left, the lovely waitress, Henna, handed us a paper bag full of fresh fruit and freshly made cake to take with us! In Langkawi we commenced the search for an icecream and hit pay dirt only a couple of meters up the road in the form of the Gelato Cabana. Made on the island daily, it was so yummy we were forced to admit that we preferred it over any of our ice creameries on the Parade! Chloe chose a woven hand fan from a tourist shop (BRIGHT pink of course!) and kept us cool with mad fanning for the rest of the day. We headed to Tomato (apparently a mamak institution) for Chloe's first real Roti Kosong. Oh yum, say no more :) We walked home and headed down to the beach for sunset. We were all quite taken with the patterns on the sand from the crabs rolling sand balls to create their burrows, Greg and I for their beauty and Chloe because she liked to run on them and flatten them!! ha ha :)
Day Six - Koh Lipe
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Our last full day in Koh Lipe today so this morning we headed out in a long tail boat to circumnavigate the island. It was great to put all the places we now know into perspective. Chloe loved coming round the final headland as the boat rocked and big waves crashed over the bow as we headed into the wind. She was particularly fascinated watching a sea eagle climb up into the sky and then dive down to try and catch fish. On our return we headed two doors up from our bungalow to the Sea La Vie bar for morning tea at the top of their tree house above the water. It was gorgeous and we just chilled out while Chloe pretended to be a sea eagle in it's nest :)
In the late afternoon we headed to the famous sunset beach and after 10 minutes and a quick search for shade that wasn't mozzie infested we caught a tuk tuk straight back to sunrise beach and watched the sunset reflected on the boats in front of us. Much more pleasant, Sunset beach won't be on our list of repeat experiences. More green mango salad for tea and Chloe feel asleep again. We walked back carrying her along the beach and tried unsuccessfully to get the perfect photo of the blood red full moon.
In the late afternoon we headed to the famous sunset beach and after 10 minutes and a quick search for shade that wasn't mozzie infested we caught a tuk tuk straight back to sunrise beach and watched the sunset reflected on the boats in front of us. Much more pleasant, Sunset beach won't be on our list of repeat experiences. More green mango salad for tea and Chloe feel asleep again. We walked back carrying her along the beach and tried unsuccessfully to get the perfect photo of the blood red full moon.
Day Five - Koh Lipe
At dawn today we walked the opposite way down the beach and, as pristine as yesterday mornings beach walk had been, this end of the beach was most definitely the working end, with hundreds of long tail water taxis moored on the beach and all the rubbish and cigarette butts of a hundred boat captains waiting for fares. However, it did have it's own authentic charm and we were delighted to discover an art work of collected cigarette lighters hanging in a tree that clinked and chimed in the light morning breeze. Chloe was even inspired to try and make one for her tree when we get home, we need to put a bit of thought into what materials we can use instead of lighters, I think milk bottle tops might be more up our alley!! It was all about fish today as Chloe really grabbed the snorkeling thing by the horns. It's impossible to keep her face out of the water. With Mum and Dad keeping their distance from the coral, with the fish bite firmly in their minds, Chloe was happy to lie on her tummy and be extended over the coral at a safe distance. We also discovered a small school of tiny little black fish that lived around the knot at the end of a mooring rope in waist deep water. We spent much of the afternoon trying to catch them in Chloe's upturned snorkel mask. We visited the "world famous" 'yohoo yohoo' lady on the walking street for a banana smoothie and she lived up to her reputation. Chloe fell asleep at dinner over our...you guessed it...whole fish!
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Day Four - Koh Lipe
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Our first full day in Koh Lipe and we already in island mode :) We didn't overstretch ourselves today, keeping our big decisions to where to eat and when to swim. Chloe had her first sea trial of snorkeling. Where we are staying you can walk a short way out to the coral and stand up to watch all the fish, perfect for Chloe to have a putter about. The pipe was a bit of a challenge because every time she saw something exciting she wanted to speak and the pipe would fill up with water. So we ditched the pipe and she didn't look back, coming up for a quick breath and then popping back under. Unfortunately Daddy's bathers seemed to offend a particularly territorial type of fish who wanted to ram him every time he got close (a source of great humor for Chloe and Mummy!). Determined not to be beaten he set off with the mask and pipe over the coral and returned... with a fish love bite that was bleeding - fish: 1, Daddy: 0!
Day Three - KL to Koh Lipe
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Well, our slightly weird Hotel-California like experience (you know the one, where you can check out but never leave sort of feeling!) at the Concorde turned out to be a cracker. The perfect hotel for a KL transfer and we'll be back to this strange hotel should the need ever arise! Greg and Chloe were up well before dawn for a beautiful symphony of bird song and then it was onto the courtesy bus for the flight to Langkawi. Having never been to Langkawi before we didn't quite know what to expect but weren't disappointed. It seemed to be trapped in a time warp, like Koh Samui but 20 years ago (with the obligatory Starbucks!). We headed to Telaga Harbour and went through immigration with Chloe deeply asleep. Immigration on the Thai side in Koh Lipe was on the beach, nothing like getting you passport stamped while you feet are still in the sand :) Castaway is beautiful and has rated quite highly on Chloe's Boracay scale (the scale on which all beaches are measured apparently!!). It's not without it's challenges, a two story hut with no hand rails and little in the way of a balcony balustrade has kept Greg and I on our toes and it'll be interesting to see how the no-aircon goes tonight. However the water is a gorgeous blue, warm and, in the afternoon, shaded so we are happy bobbing in among the long tail boats. Wifi connection is a challenge so we will post when we can :)
Day Two - Melbourne to KL
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We woke to a fantastic sunrise this morning, perfect way to get the day started. Into the shuttle and off to the airport. We checked in and only later realised that the man at the check-in-counter had not tagged our bag, instead sending it on it's merry way nude, so to speak. We realised this almost simultaneously about four hours into the flight and so crossed our fingers that our bag would find us! Had breakfast with the other Bishop clan and discovered that we were seated only a few rows apart. Chloe was overjoyed to discover that she was going to be that close to Jazz :) The flight was uneventful and between Jazz's in-air-entertainment club and Bali the air host who like to fold paper into Star Wars rocket ships, Chloe was a happy chappy. We were so unoccupied that we decided to have a fiddle with the camera settings. Our bag dutifully popped out at the other end and we fist pumped to the dismay of the others waiting :) Happy snuggled up at what can only be described as a completely comfy but slightly weird hotel :) We are off the Lipe tomorrow so may be off line for the next four days (although we may get some sneaky wifi at the restaurant, lets see!"
Day One - Adelaide to Melbourne
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Welcome to our trip.
Day One saw a whirl wind exit from Adelaide and Lavender Lambs first flight. In Melbourne we caught up with Christie, Pete and Fletcher. It was lovely to see Fletcher walking and lucky he was quick on his feet because Chloe wanted to shower him with hugs and kisses, wanted or not! :) It is brisk here, looking forward to the warm weather. We are over-nighting at the airport hotel before our morning flight to K.L.
Day One saw a whirl wind exit from Adelaide and Lavender Lambs first flight. In Melbourne we caught up with Christie, Pete and Fletcher. It was lovely to see Fletcher walking and lucky he was quick on his feet because Chloe wanted to shower him with hugs and kisses, wanted or not! :) It is brisk here, looking forward to the warm weather. We are over-nighting at the airport hotel before our morning flight to K.L.