Around the World with Ryan and Katie

Mind the Gap

2009-09-16T16:38:00.010+07:00

London has been a breath of fresh air! We have really enjoyed the time that we've spent here and could see ourselves coming back for another vacation in the future. There is so much to see here that it is impossible to walk down the street without seeing something amazing and there is no way for us to take it all in during such a short trip.

As soon as we got to Heathrow Airport we were impressed by how easy it was to get around the city. We took the train from the airport into town and got off at Paddington station. We knew that our hotel was near by but had no idea which way to go as we left the station. That is when Ryan's excellent sense of direction kicked in. He picked a direction and basically headed straight to our hotel which was no small feat considering how many little hotels are squished into the row houses in this neighborhood.

As we walked we were pleased to pass many restaurants, pubs and corner stores. We stopped to get some snacks and then settled in our hotel room for the night. We crashed really hard after a long day of excitement and travelling.

Our first tourist trip was to head to the British Museum. We went to Paddington station and bought our Oyster cards which are a pay as you go cards for travelling on the underground and buses in London. Once we figured out which tube line and direction we needed to go it was quite easy to figure out where we were going. The bonus of being here in London is that we can ask for directions without the potential of a massive language barrier.

There was so much to see at the museum that we weren't able to see it all with one trip. We were very surprised to learn that there is no admission fee and we were allowed to take pictures! The highlight for me was definitely the Rosetta Stone which I have wanted to see since I was little. The Roman and Greek sculptures and artifacts were very impressive as was the clock room. There were many shiny pieces of jewelery and old weapons that were in varying degrees of degradation. Unfortunately we both developed intense headaches and after grabbing a hot dog from the cart (which turned out to be more like a sausage in a bun) we decided to head back to the hotel to try to relieve our brain pain.

After reviewing our wardrobe for our upcoming trans-Atlantic cruise we realized that our warm weather clothing was severely lacking. This was never a problem during our time in Asia and Egypt but the winds off the Atlantic during September can get awfully chilly. So after getting some advice on where to shop in London on a Saturday without getting run over by crowds we headed to High Street Kensington.

Our shopping went really well so after having lunch we took a double decker bus to Trafalgar Square which is the 4th most visited tourist site in the world. It was a busy place on the weekend with many tourists and visitors to the National Gallery. We did not intend on going to the gallery while in London but since we were there (and again the admission was free) we decided to head in and check it out. I am so glad that we did! I have a much greater appreciation of fine art after seeing the amazing paintings that were housed there. I have never seen anything like it and we were both awestruck. Monet, Picasso, da Vinci, Van Gogh and Ryan's new favorite Rembrandt were all there and we spend more time than I would have thought wandering around in a mind blown stupor.

After a long day of walking we decided to take it easy the following day. We headed to Hyde park in the afternoon which is very close to our hotel. Proms in the Park was going on which is a classical concert held by the BBC so there was many people in the park on their way to the concert. We stopped and listened at speakers corner to the brave people who stand on their soap boxes and spout on about almost any topic, with the main themes being religion and politics. The lady with the largest crowd was annoying and egging the crowd on with a racist theme which encouraged many audible and passionate retorts. It was quite the sight to see and although we did not agree with most of what any of the speakers were going on about, it was excellent to see everyone being able to speak their mind and spark a discussion.

Trots and Farts

2009-09-08T21:43:00.015+07:00

A couple days after our trip to the museum we decided to head off the see the pyramids that had been teasing us from our hotel room. We were really excited about this adventure and the day did not disappoint us. We got up early so that we could avoid the heat and the crowds. After a mediocre breakfast at the hotel (the food here has not sat well with our tummies) it was time to negotiate a price for the days taxi ride.

The hotel we are staying at is fancier that what we are used to, so the taxi prices are also equally as fancy. Unfortunately there are no cabs that come to this area and most taxi drivers don't know where the hotel is, so we were stuck taking the hotel car. On the upside our driver is excellent and we have a lot of fun with him while he is chauffeuring us around.

Our original plan was to go walk around the pyramids but we were convinced that the trip might be better on the back of a camel and we are very glad that we let ourselves be convinced. We arrived at the camel stable and negotiated the price of our tour around the pyramids and the sphinx. Once we came to a reasonable (cough, cough) agreement we met our camels and swung ourselves on. They instruct you too lean back really far as the camel stands up so that you don't biff it over the front. Camels are much taller than I was expecting so falling off was not something I planned on. I felt huge on the back of mine as we sauntered and bumped towards the pyramid entrance.

The entrance was not the main gate as I had expected. Instead we were ushered with our guide through a side gate and since we never received an official ticket I have a feeling a little baksheesh cleared our way through the gate.

The ride was bumpy, I had expected a smooth swaying action but instead it was a jolting up and down motion that had my butt and back aching. Our first stop was an excellent photo opportunity where we climbed off our camels and the guide took some of the best photos that we have gotten on this entire trip. You could tell that he had done this before as he set us up in front of the pyramids in great poses. After admiring the view for a little while we climbed back aboard our camels and headed to the next photo opp.

Our camels deserve a description as they had so much personality. Ryan's camel was leading the way and had quite a flatulence problem. My camel was so bouncy that I was afraid if I let go for just a moment I would be bounced right off his back. He also peed on his own foot while we were getting our photos taken at our first stop. I asked our guide what their names were and he told me 'Micheal Douglas' and 'MacGyver' which was hilarious and not what I was expecting at all. We decided to rename them for the course of our short journey and 'Farts' and 'Trots' seemed appropriate.

Onward to the next stop where we got a stunning photo of the Pyramid of Khafre as well as some more well placed photos courtesy of our excellent and funny guide. After this stop, our guide asked Ryan if he wanted to drive his own camel. Up till this point Ryan and the guide were on the same camel in front with me on my own camel tied behind to follow. After some quick instruction Ryan was on his own, cruising with a camel and a huge grin on his face.

As we continued touring the pyramids our guide was cracking jokes, pointing out items of interest and giving us really good information about what we were seeing. He told a story about why the sphinx is made up of a lion, an eagle and a women's head as well as talking about the destruction of the nose of the Sphinx which he attributed to Napoleon as most people do but there is also some evidence that Turkish soldiers shot it off.

The Sphinx was smaller than I expected (at 65 feet high and 250 feet long) but almost anything is small in comparison to the overwhelming size of the pyramids (at 450 feet high) which were the tallest man-made structures in the world for over 3800 years. We were also surprised to learn that it only took 20 years to construct the pyramid. Unfortunately all the slaves who worked on the pyramids were killed after their completion which will leave us all wondering how they were able to construct such an amazing and awe-inspiring wonder of the world.

For more photos of Cairo and our trip to the pyramids click here...

ATM where are you?

2009-08-31T22:02:00.015+07:00

Our transition from Thailand to Egypt came as a shock to both of us. Our flight came to a rough and bumpy stop in Doha, Qatar for a three hour layover before continuing on to Alexandria. The landscape was so unbelievably different that we could have been on another planet. Sand as far as the eye could see and the sky was a blue that faded into a dusty brown as it got closer to the horizon. As we stepped out of the terminal to board our next flight we were heat by an intense wall of heat.

The flight to Alexandria was uneventful but the airport that awaited us as we left the plane was not what we were expecting. A large UN helicopter was sitting on the runway accompanied by a few fighter planes of various ages. The terminal was tiny and looked like it hadn't been repainted or cleaned up for decades. The scene inside was one of chaos since lining up in an orderly fashion is just not what Egyptians do. We waited patiently and made it to the official who took our passports and then directed us to a small kiosk across the airport to purchase our tourist visas. We brought the visa stickers back to the official who put them in our passport and then we headed to the one rickety luggage turn-style to see if Ryan's bag had arrived. Luckily it had and the only stop we had left before exiting the airport was to talk to customs. The customs area consisted of two tables, one with a group of Egyptian men arguing very loudly over a large piece of metal that one of them was trying to leave with. We were asked what we had in the bag to which we replied 'clothes' and then we headed out.

The air was hot and dry and we could hear the melodic and exotic call to prayer in the background. There was a row of Egyptians waiting outside the airport for friends and loved ones to arrive so we, being the only obvious foreigners on the plane, caused quite a few funny looks and blatent stares. After sitting down for a moment and trying to regroup we set out to try to get a taxi.

At this point we had spent most of our cash. Before we left Bangkok we didn't take any more out. We thought that the airport in Doha would have an ATM, unfortunately both the ATM's at the airport were out of service. Not knowing the state of the Alexandria airport we mistakenly thought that there would be an ATM there, but there was not. So as we tried to get a taxi to our hotel we had $10 US and $5 Canadian and a little bit of Thai baht. This was not looking good. We found a taxi and luckily for us he wanted $15 US to take us to our hotel. After talking to him for a bit we convinced him to take five of the amount in Canadian dollars. So much for that five that I had been saving to buy a timmies when we got back, but at least it came in handy.

The drive to our hotel was like something out of a movie. It was dusk and it is Ramadan which means that everyone can finally start to eat, drink and smoke after fasting all day. There were people all over the sides of the road but hardly any cars. Young men and boys were standing on the curbs passing juice in disposable cups to people in cars passing by and at one point our taxi driver stopped and grabbed one. We sped through the streets in a old car that was missing windows and door handles, quickly passing apartment blocks that were beyond run down, some with gapping holes in them. There were bonfires on the side of the road and we had brief moments where we wondered if we were actually going to make it to the hotel.

Finally the Mediterranean Sea came into view and we knew that we were on the right track. I have never been so happy to smell that salty air as we turned into the hotel parking lot. The bellboy came and got our bags and in true Egyptian fashion, ran them through the metal detector. Our turn through the metal detector came next. Once we checked in we headed up to our room and crashed for the night.

Alexandria didn't get much better as the days went by. The view of the sea from our balcony was amazing and the staff at the hotel were very friendly but we just didn't feel comfortable there. Our train ride to Cairo couldn't come soon enough for us. The concierge at the hotel helped us to book two first class tickets on the twelve o'clock train and also arranged a taxi to the station. Getting to the train station was easy, making sure that we got on the right train was the tricky part. The numbers on the train and the announcements are all in Arabic but thankfully a nice man made sure that we got on the correct train, although in true Egyptian style he asked for some baksheesh (a tip) in return.

Cairo has been amazing so far. We were picked up from the train station by a driver that worked for the hotel. He was very proud of his city and boasted that Barack Obama had been here to see the pyramids. The hotel is a five star with an amazing pool (I already have a sun-burned forehead), an excellent breakfast buffet, and a bedouin tent area where you can smoke flavoured sheesha (the apple flavour is very tasty). You can see the tip of one of the pyramids from our hotel room!

Yesterday we went to the amazing and overwhelming Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. Unfortunately but understandably we were not allowed to take pictures inside and I don't think I will be able to adequately describe the treasures that they hold in that building but they will forever be etched in my memory. The section on King Tut was our favorite. They had his death mask which was 11kg of solid gold inlaid with lapis lazuli, cornelian, gems and colored glass. The 71" long solid gold sarcophagus was equally as impressive, the detail was astounding. Seeing the mummy room was also an intense experience. They have the recently identified Queen Hatsheput on display and because I have read to much about her I was really moved by being able to come face to face with one of, if not the, most successful female Pharaoh ever.

For more photos of Alexandria and Cairo click here...

Skytrain to Paragon

2009-08-22T17:47:00.010+07:00

We have had alot of fun in Bangkok while waiting for Ryan's kidney stone to pass (and I am happy to report that the stone has passed as confirmed by the follow up doctor's appointment today). We love hoping on the skytrain and heading to Siam Paragon because there is so much to do there and we've had some interesting experiences.

Siam Paragon is only two stops away on the skytrain so it doesn't take to long to get there but the train is usually very crowded to the point where we are barely getting all our appendages into the car before the doors close and we're whisked away.

The mall is attached to a few other malls which makes it seem like you could walk through area after area for days, eating and shopping to your hearts content without ever going outside. We've gotten lost more than once during our wandering. Most of the stores located there are definitly out of a meer mortal's price range and include Chanel, Gucci, Hermes, Jimmy Choo... The jewellery store section is amazing and we also really enjoyed window shopping at the Lotus and Maserati dealerships.

In the basement is the largest aquarium center in southeast Asia, and I've heard that it's also the largest in the southern hemisphere. It was a little expensive to get in but included in the admission price was a glass bottom boat ride, a ticket to the 4D show and the cutest mini photo of us with a sea scape green screened in behind us. There were animals there that we've never seen before anywhere including water rats (really cute) and a whole section on unclassified fish from the deep ocean that were incased in creepy red colored globes.

Last night we headed back to go see what a Thai movie experience would be like. We were hoping to go see Transformers in IMAX but due to a scheduling error we ended up seeing Inglourious Basterds instead. Neither the theatre nor the movie dissapointed. The seats were huge, comfy and reclined nicely. There was assigned seating and you have to pay more depending on where in the theatre you want to sit.

A couple very interesting events happened on the same night as our movie outing. We were outside of the mall just after eating dinner, but before the movie, when we were escorted down the sidewalk away from the road by an official security military type. Then we noticed that the traffic was all blocked and no one was being allowed to go anywhere near the road. Soon after we saw the largest military motorcade we've ever seen. A line of very nice BMW's with flashing lights came down the road and stopped at one of the entrances to the mall. From the way the Thai's in the area were behaving (removing their hats and not minding the delay) we figured out that this must be the royal Thai family. We got a small peak in the back of one of the cars but it was fairly tinted. Our suspicions were confirmed when we went back into the mall to find an area closed off from onlookers with a sign saying there was a royal function in progress. We tried to get a better view but loitering was not being looked kindly upon so we headed up to our movie.

After the movie we had another run in with celebrities. The movie let out so late that the mall was closed. We tried to head to the escalators to leave but were bombarded with a large group of teenage Thai fangirls coming straight at us. They had surrounded the South Korean boy band, Xing and were following them around in quite the pack. During the rush to the elevators that ensued I was almost stampeded and crushed into a sign trying to get out of their way! Ryan bumped into one of the boy band members and I don't think he will ever wash that shoulder again (kidding!).

For more photos of Thailand click here...

Thailand Rocks!

2009-08-13T09:40:00.009+07:00

The problem started a little over a month ago while we were on the train to Hanoi in Vietnam. Ryan woke up with severe cramping in his back but since the bunks on the train aren't all that comfortable he thought that he had slept funny and that the pain would go away. Unfortunately by the time we got to our hotel the pain had only grown more intense. The worst part was that since we had arrived so early in the morning (4am) our hotel room wasn't even ready yet so Ryan had to hang out in the lobby and wander the streets of Hanoi while enduring really bad kidney cramps.

Ryan has had kidney stones before and it wasn't long before he determined that he was having the same pain as last time. When we went to the doctor in Canada they just gave him pain killers and sent him home to pass the stones by himself. We figured since we knew what it was that we would try to just let them pass and not worry about going to the doctor. The idea of going to the hospital in Vietnam was not very appealing anyway.

Fast forward to a week ago when we were in Chiang Rai. The pain still had not gone away. There were good days and bad days but the bad days were becoming the more frequent of the two. One day the pain became unbearable and we decided that a trip to the hospital was in order. We knew that there was one close by as we had passed it many times on our way to the night market on our bicycles. Unfortunately none of the English speaking staff was on hand at the hotel at the time of our emergency but they knew the word 'hospital'. The hotel that we were staying at was a ways out of town and no tuk tuks ever came down that far so the staff grabbed their scooters and we hopped on the back for the trip.

We raced down the road and made it to the hospital but when we entered the emergency room the nurse told us that there were no doctors there at the moment, they were all in a meeting and that we should go to the main hospital further into town. No problem, we all got back on the scooters and raced away again.

At the main Chiang Rai hospital, Ryan was immediately put on a stretcher and taken into the emergency. We became instant celebrities due to being the only foreigners in the place at the time. Ryan was poked and prodded in some very unpleasant places (I won't go into detail), sent for an x-ray and saw a specialist. The staff from our hotel waited patiently with us the entire time and helped guide us to the different departments that Ryan required. One of them even took his urine sample to the lab for us! We left the hospital with Ryan feeling slightly better and some medication to take but his pain soon returned as bad as it was before.

Our flight to Bangkok was the next day so we made the decision to get to the hospital here as soon as possible once we arrived so that these kidney stones could be taken care of once and for all. Luckily for us our hotel is right across the street from Bumrungrad International, the largest private hospital in south-east Asia. After speaking to the doctor in emergency and having an ultrasound done it was decided that Ryan should stay overnight so that they could keep him hydrated with IV fluids. I ran back to the hotel to pack him an overnight bag and call our travel insurance company while Ryan picked his room (you get a choice from 4 bed shared room all the way through to a royal suite, we went with a 2 bed room) and settled in.

The hospital was absolutely amazing. It felt more like a 5 star hotel than a medical facility and Ryan received amazing treatment the entire time he was there. The specialist came and saw him the day after he was admitted and set up a follow up appointment with us. He was discharged with a gift bag of medications and told that if he has any pain or complications to come back as soon as possible. Since then he has been keeping himself as hydrated as possible, staying away from cola beverages and waiting for the stone (which Ryan has named Scrapie) to pass. He has felt better in the last few days than he has in a long time and now all we can do is wait.

Night out with Family

2009-08-04T15:18:00.008+07:00

After a couple amazing dinners at our hotel our hosts decided to take us out in the family station wagon for a night on the town. The whole family piled into the car with us in the back seat and we headed to a roadside vendor/restaurant to have an amazing meal. The owner and father of the family ordered for us and while we sat down to eat we tried to overcome our language barrier as much as possible and chat. When we tried to pay for dinner he insisted that it was his treat. Our night did not stop there.

We left the restaurant and strolled down the street a little ways until we came to a dessert place where we ate yummy little snacks made from taro and egg. Then we walked to the amazingly beautiful clock tower and while we waited for the show to start, the owner and his wife bought us warm soy milk which was very tasty.

We had no idea that there was a clock tower like this in the middle of town. At 8 and 9pm every night there is a light and music show that is spectacular. We sipped our warm milk and enjoyed the show. Afterwards we were dropped off at the night market and told just to give them a call whenever we were ready and they would come pick us up. It was an amazing night and we really felt like part of the family.

The next day I got a little over ambitious and decided that we should bike all the way to the hot springs which are about 25km away. I figured that it would be a long way and that we would be tired by the time that we got there but I hadn't counted on all the hills. After we made it about 15km I was totally pooped out. I knew that even if I made it all the way there that there would be no guarantee that I would ever be able to pedal back. As soon as we made the decision to turn back it started raining. At first it was a lovely little drizzle but soon it was a downpour and we needed to find some shelter before becoming completely soaked. There was a little bike/small engine repair shack on the side of the road so we pulled in and the owner did not mind us hanging out under his roof for a while until the rain died down. Unfortunately after the rain the roads were really wet and by the time we got back to the hotel we had strips of water and gunk up our backsides and of course I had a white shirt on.

We are getting very comfortable riding around town on the bikes. We can make it to the night market and back no problem, we just avoid making right hand turns as much as possible. Traffic is usually light and they are so used to having bikes and scooters on the road here. We've also biked to the Hilltribe Museum in town which is a small but very informative place which has displays on farming techniques, costumes, traditions and the history of the opium trade. After going to the museum we've decided against going on a hilltribe tour because it seems to do more harm then good to their culture and way of life.

More photos of Chiang Rai...

Step Over Chicken Noodle

2009-07-29T13:51:00.012+07:00

After talking to a couple people about bus tickets to Chiang Rai (including a really nice man who drew us a map of northern Thailand) we found out that the easiest and cheapest way to book seats was to head to the station the day we were leaving. Buses leave Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai every half hour and for a VIP a/c bus it only cost about 6 bucks each.

The bus ride was very smooth and went through gorgeous forested areas on a windy, hilly road. We arrived in Chiang Rai and since we booked our tickets that morning we were not able to arrange pick up with our hotel. No worries though, we had the phone number written down and our tuk tuk driver called and got directions.

The hotel is a little ways out of town but very close to the Chiang Rai beach on the banks of the Kok river. Our hosts at the Baan Nattawadee resort are charming and wonderful. As soon as we got out of the tuk tuk they offered us a welcome coffee and some dried bananas (which were very yummy). They showed us to our room which is spectacular and the grounds of the entire hotel are lush and full of flowers.

After getting settled in and relaxing for a little while we hopped on the bikes that are provided to us by the hotel and headed out to find a store which the hotel owner told us was about 2km away. We found it no problem and grabbed some snacks before heading back to have dinner.

Our first dinner at the hotel was an amazing experience. We weren't sure what to expect because there are no menus however we were in for a treat. Ryan went to ask how we go about ordering food and he was then invited into the kitchen. He came out to grab me to go in too and then we watched and learned how to make our own dinner. Ryan was given the job to chop up the chicken. He started chopping but apparently it was not quite right because the owner (who was cooking) grabbed the knife from Ryan and said "Farang chop (shakes his head), I chop". The entire time we were in the kitchen helping the staff would pop their heads in and giggle at us. The food was amazing and it wouldn't be the first time at this hotel that we will be amazed at the food.

The next morning we got up late and went out to see if there was any breakfast still available. There was coffee and toast so we figured that would do. As we snacked on our toast the staff came to our table with some tasty little cakes. We thought that was quite a bonus and a wonderful addition to our toast and coffee. Little did we know that they were preparing an entire Thai breakfast for us that arrived shortly after the cakes. We ate until we were totally stuffed and then there came - mango! Well, as we've said there is always room for mango so we finished that off as well.

The owner of the hotel supplied us with a map of the area and pointed out some sights to see. We hopped on the bikes and headed into town to get some errands done before going to the Rai Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park. We rode up to the gates and paid our admission. The lady at the counter told us that we could take our bikes around the whole park. We rode around for a couple hours looking at all the amazing flowers and picturesque scenery. The museum that is on site was a definite highlight. It was a large teak building filled with items that had been collected from temples around northern Thailand. It was wonderful and we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves.

We pedaled back to the hotel and were treated to another amazing dinner experience. The soup that they served was way too spicy for me. It was very tasty but it was making my eyes water, nose run and eventually I had to give up on it. Lucky for Ryan though, he can handle spicy way better that I can but it still packed a punch for him too. The owner told us that Thai people have this soup when they are stuffed up or have a cold because it really clears out the sinuses. Step over chicken noodle soup!

More photos of Chiang Rai...

No, not big bird!

2009-07-19T15:10:00.016+07:00

There is a saying that you don't know what you've got till it's gone. Well I would like to add that sometimes you don't know what you were missing until you get it back. That is how we feel about coming back to Thailand. There is a friendly relaxed vibe here that we felt as soon as we landed back in this paradise.

Our day of travel to Thailand started with a taxi to the Hanoi airport which is about 45 minutes out of town. Once we arrived we had some time to kill so we ordered some breakfast from the airport cafe. Well I ordered breakfast, Ryan tried to calm his apprehension of flying by ordering a coffee with baileys which turned out to be more like a baileys with coffee or possibly just some warmed up baileys. It was strong!

The flight to Bangkok went well, as did our entry through customs. Our next flight to Chiang Mai was delayed by an hour but our hotel pickup was still waiting for us when we got to the airport. As soon as we walked into the Aitsawarisa Hotel we knew that it would be difficult to leave. We were greeted with a welcome drink while we checked in and then brought up to our amazing room with the most stunning hotel bathroom we've had so far on our trip (I know, an odd thing to get excited about). The pool at the hotel is quite spectacular and is also environmentally friendly. It is a salt water pool that is heated by the waste energy from the air conditioning. We headed down for a dip as soon as we'd gotten settled in our room because it had been a little while since we've had the luxury of a pool.

Our first adventure out had to be the Chiang Mai Zoo and Aquarium. Neither of us knew what to expect but it turned out to be the nicest zoo facility that we have been to on our trip so far. The area that the zoo is located on is gigantic so there is a monorail and a tram to take you around the park. We figured that we hadn't done enough walking lately and decided to hoof it. There was so much to see in this lush and hilly zoo including elephants, lions, penguins, and many different species of gibbons and monkeys. Ryan had the pleasure of feeding one of the elephants some bananas and sugercane and then we both had our picture taken with it. The walk-in aviary was also very well done. After walking for a few hours and many kilometers it was time to head back to the hotel for some dinner.

On the way to the zoo we took a tuk-tuk but on the way back we used a songthaew (Thai for two benches) which is a pick up truck with benches in the back that drive around town. You hail them from the side of the road and then ask them if they are heading where you need to go. If so, you hop in the back and then when you are nearing your destination you hit the button that is on the roof and he will pull over and let you out. It's the Chiang Mai version of the bus.

Our second adventure was a gastronomical one which we could have easily done without. There is a restaurant a couple blocks away called The Big Bird Kitchen. They serve nothing but turkey and ostrich dishes. Since neither of us have ever tried ostrich we figured why not, can't be that bad right? Probably tastes like chicken right? Nope! Ryan had the big bird taco and I had ostrich curry and they were both really bad. Ah well, never try, never learn.

For more photos of Chiang Mai click here...

Amazing Indeed!

2009-07-13T17:50:00.025+07:00

Our arrival in Hanoi was 1 and a 1/2 hours earlier than expected which meant that we were hanging out in front of the train station at 4:30 in the morning. This caused a small problem because our pickup from the hotel was not due come until 6. So after waiting in the rain (we heard it had been raining for 3 days straight before we got to Hanoi) for a little while trying to figure out what to do we decided to get a taxi.

The taxi seemed great at first. He had some great techno beats going and we zipped around the empty streets of Hanoi. Then we noticed that his meter was jumping up quite quickly. We probably should have got out of the taxi but it was really early and we weren't sure that we'd be able to get another one so we sucked it up and paid. Oh well, lesson learned.

Our hotel is located a couple blocks away from Sword Lake which is a gorgeous place to go for a walk after dinner or have a coffee at the cafe. Our first day we just wandered around the lake taking in the scenery and relaxing in the room after the long train ride. The next day we headed out to the Temple of Literature which is Vietnam's oldest university. There are turtle statues that have the graduates of the university's stories inscribed on them and we went up and down the isles of turtles petting their heads for good luck.

We grabbed a taxi back to our hotel and stopped on the way to buy tickets for a very Vietnamese art form, Water Puppet Theatre. The show started at 5pm the next day and although Ryan thought that there needed to be more explosions and some puppet ninjas it was very cool. After the theatre we went back to the room and started packing for our Halong Bay tour that was scheduled for the next day.

The bus that was due to pick us up and take us to Halong Bay arrived a little late because we switched hotels and although we informed the tour company the message did not get passed on. After a 15 minute delay they found us and we were on our way out of the city for the 3.5 hour drive. We arrived at the our amazing boat and had a wonderful lunch before checking into our cozy little room. Words cannot even begin describe Halong Bay. It was way more impressive and awesome than either of us could have ever imagined.

The tour's first stop was Amazing Cave and it was indeed amazing. As we walked in it was a little underwhelming because the first area in the cave was a little small but each area got bigger until we were in a huge cavern that was stunning. They had some of the spots lit up with colored lits which gave the cave a very surreal feeling to it.

Once we got back on the boat we had a little time to change to get ready for kayaking. We hopped into a tandem kayak and paddled into a small cave which had a roof about 6 feet above you. At the other end of the cave, it opened up into a lagoon and the only entrance to the lagoon was the cave that we had just passed through. It was beautiful so we took our time and slowly paddled around enjoying the scenery and watching the birds circle over the large peaks jutting out of the water. I must admit that Ryan did most of the hard work during the kayaking and I'm really glad that he knew how to steer and has such strong arms!

We were quite hungry after our (well Ryan's) strenous excercise but the tour schedule allowed us a little free time before dinner to swim or take photos. Swimming would have been nice because it was crazy hot on the boat but when we looked down into the water we noticed that it was teeming with jellyfish. These jellyfish were not the harmless little kind either, they had tentacles about 5 feet long and looked painful. We decided that maybe swimming wasn't the best idea especially after we heard that one of the other guests on the boat had been stung a little earlier and did not enjoy the experience.

Dinner was served at about 7:30 and there must have been about 8 courses of the tastiest food that was so well presented. There were fruits that were carved in the shape of the boat and a pineapple that was hollowed out with a candle in it like a little pineapple jack o lantern. We were so full after the meal so we went up to the top of the boat and watched the stars from the sun deck. We hadn't seen so many stars in the sky since we were kids and it was truly an epic and romantic evening.

Click here for more photos of Hanoi and Halong Bay

Hot Days in Hue

2009-07-05T18:53:00.017+07:00

Our time in Hue has been absolutely amazing! We are a little sad to be leaving here tommorow to head to Hanoi but we are excited for the new adventures that await us. If it is anything like what we experienced in Hue then I am sure that we will not be disappointed.

We are headed there by train which is the same way that we arrived here in Hue and a 18 hour train ride is an adventure in and of itself. We arrived at the station in Ho Chi Minh at around 11am and had a coffee while we waited to board the train. Once onboard coach 10 we headed to our cabin and found our soft sleeper bunks. I had top bunk which I later came to regret because the air conditioning vent was right above me making the bunk very cold. As well, the overhead light stayed on all night. No worries though, I still had a decent sleep considering the swaying from the train that ensued all night as well as the jarring stops when we arrived at stations along the way.

It was about 6am when we got to the train station in Hue. The boss of the hotel that we are staying at was there with a sign to pick us up. Since he came on a scooter he arranged a taxi for us and then paid the tab when we got to the hotel. We were then treated to a surprise. Since the hotel was booked up we had been upgraded to the family suite. We had a living room, 2 beds and a flat screen television that swivels between the two areas. It is a gorgeous room!

We headed out to find a close restaurant and realized that we were no where near the tourist area of town and the eating options with English menus or staff are pretty much non-existant. There is a supermarket close by so we headed there and stocked up on snacks, drinks and got a few slices of pizza. The lack of English on menus didn't stop us when we went to have a coffee at the Violet cafe. Ryan figured out where the section of coffees was on the menu but there were many options to choose from. He picked one at random and we were pleasantly suprised when we got Vietnamese coffee with milk. This wasn't ordinary milk but condensed sweet milk. This is a treat that we will be taking back with us for sure, it was so tasty!

A couple days later we went on a whirlwind tour of the sights in and around Hue. The tour started with a trip to the Imperial Citadel. Next was the garden house where the grandfather of the emperor once lived. Afterwards we were off to the Thien Mu pagoda which sits on the top of a hill and has amazing views of the perfume river and the surrounding area. We flew through these sites very quickly so it was a welcome treat to relax for a little while and have lunch. The meal was done buffet style with many yummy options and we ate our fill before hopping back on the bus and head to the tomb of emperor Minh Mang.

The tomb was on expansive and beautifully treed grounds. Our tour guide gave us a little information about the emperor, he had 400 wives and supposedly got 4 of them pregnant in one night! Our guide joked that the reason this emperor died so early at the age of 50 was due to the fact that he had so many wives (and concubines) and about 160 children.

Tu Duc was the next emperor's tomb that we visited. He was the emperor that was in power when the French took control of Vietnam. He felt that he was not a good emperor because of that as well as the fact that he was not able to have any children due to getting smallpox when he was a child. The stele where the emperor's record their autobiography was self critical and the pond near his tomb that is normally full of water was left empty at his request to show his remorse for what he felt was a poor rule by him. The area that this emperor was buried on was even larger than the last tomb that we visited and we took some time to wander around before getting back on the bus with the rest of the tour group.

On the way back to the city we ditched the bus and instead travelled by dragonboat down the perfume river. It was a very calming way to end a whirlwind trip around Hue.

Check out more photos of our time in Hue here

Lions, Tigers and Bears! Oh my!

2009-06-28T15:48:00.018+07:00

The bus ride from Sihanoukville to Ho Chi Minh city was the longest one that we have been on yet. We left Cambodia at 8am and did not arrive at our hotel in HCMC until 9pm. We may have been able to shed an hour off that time but we had a small complication when we got to the Cambodia-Vietnam border. Our passports and visas checked out just fine but when the health officials boarded the bus to check for swine flu symptoms one of the passengers on the bus had a fever. This caused a chain reaction of officials getting on the bus, then off, then back on, then the traveller with the fever got off, then back on with a mask. After about an hour of being held up and not being allowed to get off the bus we were on our way.

The bus pulled up in Ho Chi Minh city and since we had done a little research before we showed up, we found our hotel just a block away from where the bus dropped us off. The Elios Hotel is gorgeous and we have completely enjoyed our stay here so far. Free breakfast at the rooftop restaurant is very tasty and the view from the outdoor terrace is amazing. There is a great park across the street from the hotel. After dinner the park is a hive of activity. Vietnamese people use the park for large aerobic sessions, walking, stretching, and all types of exercising.

Our second full day in Ho Chi Minh was spent at the Saigon Zoo which is one of the oldest zoos in the world. It was built in 1865 and was much better than we had anticipated. There were lions and tigers and bears! Also, hippos and pygmy hippos, rhinos, crocodiles, and giant squirrels. Our favorite by far were the Asian leopard cats. These are the cats that form the wild percentage of our cat at home, a Bengal named Naji. I could have stayed and watched them all day. Their mannerisms were so similar to our cat that it was like being with her for a little bit.

After the zoo we hopped in a cab and headed back to the hotel so that we coud find a nice place for dinner. I must add that the cabs and the cab drivers here have been phenomenal! They always put the meter on and the prices are very reasonable. Many of them don't speak any English but our hotel staff have been very helpful translating which was required yesterday when we tried to get to the Independance Palace.

Going to the Independance Palace was like going back in time to the 70's. They have left the palace in much the same condition that it was in when tanks broke down the gates and ended the war in 1975. There was a replica of that tank in front as well as an american plane and helicopter. The highlight for me was the basement which housed the command center and radio equipment. The presidents office and reception room on the second floor were also magnificent. There was also a gambling room with a round sofa, mahjong table and barrel bar and a private movie theater.

Our next stop in Vietnam is Hue (which we have mispronouced many times to the travel agents amusement) and we will be travelling there by train on Tuesday. It is about a 20 hour train ride and we have soft sleeper seats booked. I'm so excited, I've got dibs on the top bunk!

Want to see more photos of HCMC? Click here!

Cows Have the Right of Way

2009-06-25T11:59:00.012+07:00

We haven't been in a car for about a month at this point so it was a bit of an odd feeling when we hopped into the late 80s model Camry with our driver to head to the Kbal Chhay waterfalls located about 30 minutes outside of Sihanoukville. Our driver brought his daughter with him which was appropriate since it was Father's Day back home in Canada. The falls are a very popular spot with the locals to have a weekend picnic and this day was no exception. There were families everywhere enjoying the wonderful weather and cooling off in the water.

Two boys that were hanging out in one of the tiers of the falls almost got more than they bargained for and were in a tough spot when we saw them. They had been swimming and clamouring around when the smaller boy slipped and ended up in a precarious position. The older boy tried to save him but you could tell they both needed some help. They were in very real danger of being swept over the last tier of the falls and down a long drop. Luckily there was a well placed rock that they were able to grab hold of.

At this point there was a crowd on both sides of the waterfall watching the drama unfold. The boys looked like they wanted to try to get back to shore by themselves but everyone was motioning for them to stay where they were. One wrong move by them and they would go over. People started searching for something they could reach the boys with and eventually a man came down with a long stick and another found a harness. The rescuers slowly made their way out while trying not to slip themselves. Once they got close enough they formed a human chain and grabbed the boys, first the younger one and then the older boy. Both boys made it back to shore much to the growing crowd's relief. It was a very dramatic way to start our trip to the waterfall.

We decided to check out the other side of the falls and headed over to the narrow rickety bridge that went over one of the streams feeding the falls. On the other side were Cambodia style picnic areas and vendors selling drinks and snacks. A little ways past some of the picnic spots was a smaller stream with many levels of smooth rock and tiny rapids. There were lots of Khmer people hanging out in the water, splashing each other and just having a good time. Ryan and I both waded into the water and wandered around a bit enjoying the coolness. The rocks underneath were very slippery and unfortunatly I was not careful enough and fell on my butt. I scrapped up my hand a little but it was nothing serious. My pride was injured more than anything else.

On our way to go back over the bridge Ryan peered into the trees and saw the biggest spider we have ever seen. This spider had a leg span as wide as my face. Once we had gotten over the shock of that we started to go over the bridge. It was at that point that I noticed that a cow had decided to cross the bridge coming right at us. We both figured that the cow had the right of way there and backed off to let him pass.

We got back into the car where our driver and his daughter were waiting to take us back into Sihanoukville. He decided to make a little tour out of it on the way back and took us up to the top of Sihanoukville mountain which was really more like a big hill. On the top was an amazing temple and an excellent view of the city spread out in front of us. There was a sense of peace on the top of that mountain and we strolled around the temple grounds enjoying the silence.

Life's a Beach!

2009-06-17T17:20:00.012+07:00

Since our trip on the boat we have been just relaxing and enjoying all that staying near the beach has to offer. I have been reading alot while chilling by the pool and we go for wonderful walks down the beach when it's not raining. The rain comes and goes here at this time of year. It's not quite the true rainy season yet so we still get many hours of sunshine. When the rain does come it is usually a heavy downpour that is over quickly.

The power sometimes cuts out due to a storm but it's usually restored pretty fast and since they use propane to cook here we were still able to get a tasty Indian meal the other day while the power was out. The only part of our order they were unable to make was the lassi because they needed the blender for that.

We eat amazingly well for very little money. Our typical dinner costs less than ten dollars for food and drinks for us both and there is so much food that you can hardly finish what's on the plate. Highlights include pork and chicken schnitzel, coconut chicken curry, and chicken barbeque with baked potatoes. One exception to our tasty meals was when we went for an early dinner at the Twin Baby restaurant. Ryan had a cheeseburger that left much to be desired.

Our breakfasts have been excellent too. About a block away is the Cinderella cafe which has the best coffee and yummiest bacon we've had since we arrived in Cambodia. They make an excellent ham and cheese omelette and apple strudel with ice cream too.

We do more than just eat (occasionally, lol). There are always some errands to run. We found a little used bookstore within walking distance which is very handy considering I've read 9 books since we arrived in Cambodia. We also went downtown to a computer store to buy a mouse. It was getting tricky updating the blog and preparing photos without one. The computer store was definitely no Future Shop or Best Buy but they had everything that you could need.

At night after dinner we come back to the hotel and sit on the balcony facing the street watching the world go by. The smells from the barbeques that go on all down the street waft up to us. Last night we finally saw our first Cambodian convertible (a red Lexus at that). I would have thought convertibles would be more popular in this climate. We also saw a Aston Martin Vanquish which seemed very out of place in this impoverished country.

Tomorrow we are off to get our visas for Vietnam and we should be heading to Ho Chi Minh next week. It's funny that the only reason that we came to Sihanoukville in the first place was to get those visas but instead we have fallen in love with this little Cambodian beach town and are finding it very hard to leave.

Beer on a Boat

2009-06-10T15:19:00.016+07:00

After one false start booking a tour to the islands around Sihanoukville, the weather cooperated and we headed off to Victory beach on a tuk tuk to meet our boat. We were the first people to arrive so while we waited for the boat to get to the dock we wandered around the beach and up and down the pier.

More people started to arrive at the dock and then we saw our boat come around the corner. Once aboard we were treated to coffee, tea, donuts and banana bread and then set off with our 21 fellow passengers to check out the rest of the ship. It had 3 decks, a sun deck on the top, a bar deck on the mid level and the kitchen with dining area on the low level. Robert, the owner, was very proud of the boat that he built and for good reason. It was very comfortable with lounging areas and relaxing seating on every floor.

Ryan and I grabbed two seats facing the back and drank our coffees as we started on our way to the first island. After we had finished our coffees and admired the view for a little while we headed to the bar and Ryan had his first draft beer on a boat ever. We toasted with the owner and hung out at the bar chatting with him until we arrived at our first destination.

The island was lush, untouched and gorgeous. Ryan and I dove into the water and enjoyed swimming around in the open ocean. Ryan originally had fins and a mask when he first jumped in but the fins were more hindrance than helpful and there was not much to see with the mask unless you went far away from the boat. Too much silt and sand had been churned up and visibility was not that great. After a very nice swim we climbed back aboard, showered off the salt water and headed back up to the bar. On our way to the next island we chatted some more with the owner and met an Australian woman who was currently working as a biologist in Vietnam.

On the way to the second island we had an amazing buffet lunch that was prepared on the boat. By the time we had finished lunch and had some fruit for dessert we had made it to our second destination. We saw Robert and his dog Lucy head into the water and swim to shore. After that a couple more people jumped in the water and headed to shore and we decided to do the same. It didn't look like that far of a swim but once we got into the water it seemed much further than we originally thought. We made it to the beach without a problem and wandered around until we saw Robert and Lucy come back from a path through the jungle. He pointed the way to us and off we went into the jungle in our bare feet.

The air was much cooler in the midst of all of the trees and the path that we walked down was covered in leaf litter and the occasional giant millipede or trail of ants. We had to make sure we didn't step on anything so we walked very carefully until the path turned sandy again. The path through the forest had lead us to the other side of the island. It was completely deserted except for a small group of wood huts. The beach was stunning but the most amazing thing was that the sand squeaked under our feet. We jumped into the water and played in the waves for a while before heading back to the path through to the other side of the island where we swam back out to the boat.

On the way back to Victory beach to catch our tuk tuk and head to the hotel, we laid out on the sun deck and relaxed while watching the water and the islands drift past us. We had such a great day that we have decided to do it again!

There's Always Room for Mango

2009-05-31T14:59:00.011+07:00

Sihanoukville, an accidental stop we made in order to get our Vietnam visa quicker, has turned out to be a quiet and calm beach oasis where we are relaxing and having a great time. It is low season so the hotel that we are staying at, Beach Club, and most of the other hotels, restaurants and attractions are really quiet and uncrowded. The beach is practically deserted when you compare it to the beaches in Thailand.

There is a long stretch of beautiful golden sand for us to wander up and down on, checking out the critters in the sand and lingering in the tide pools waiting for us to discover them. So far we've seen crabs, little jellyfish washed up on the shore, small fish and big bugs, even a dieing cuttlefish that was leaking murky ink into the water. When the tide is out there are many rocks to scramble around and sit on while watching the ocean and feeling the sea air on our faces. One day on our walk a cute puppy with ears that he still needed to grow into followed us around and tried snacking on a dead crab that Ryan found on the rocks.

At night the restaurants that line the beach have barbecues and you can sit in round wicker chairs right on the sand while you eat dinner. Ryan had a mishap with his chair while reaching for the bill after our dinner on the beach and tipped over into an ant hill. Unfortunately he was bitten many times before he regained his composure but has suffered no long term damage.

Our favorite place that we have eaten at so far was last night when we went to the Snake House. There is a long garden path that has lush vegetation on either side as you make your way down to the restaurant. Once inside you notice cages all the way around the outside of the seating area that have snakes, lizards, frogs and birds in them. Our table had a reticulated python underneath the glass table top. The food was excellent, Ryan had borscht and I had beef stroganoff. We finished off the evening with coffees and chocolate mousse. It was an excellent night out and since it was on the 30th of the month (our last fancy dinner out was on April 30th when we went out for our anniversary) we have started a new tradition that we hope to keep up even when we return to Canada of going out on date night every 30th of the month.

The meal at the snake house was far from the only good meal we've had here. It seems like every new place we try has excellent food. Our other favorite is LaPona where the chicken curry and chicken with cauliflower have both been scrumptious. After dinner you get a plate of fresh mango which is like getting free dessert. We have both decided that there is always room for mango, no matter how full you are.

Best Seat on the Bus

2009-05-23T10:24:00.011+07:00

Since our last plane ride was a little bumpy and neither of us are huge fans of air travel we have decided that travelling by bus might be more ideal. We booked the bus to Phnom Penh through our hotel in Siem Reap where the receptionist that did the booking was very pleased to be able to get us the best seats on the bus. It turns out that the best seats are right up front on the top of the double decker bus. Not only did we have a view out the side window, we were also able to look at the road out in front of us. It was a very interesting ride and unlike air travel you get to see the landscape change in front of you.

We drove through small towns with lively markets, houses on stilts where small children ran around while their parents napped on hammocks under the house or prepared food with a baby at their hip. There were chickens, roosters, oxen, cows, pigs, ducks and many dogs. Ponds full of blooming lotus, rice fields stretching out from either side of the road, and kids going to and from school on bikes with their blue and white uniforms on.

Our bus driver was confident behind the wheel and had no qualms about using the horn as any good Cambodian bus driver would. His horn would sound to say 'watch out here we come' or 'please move over so we can get by' as he passed large trucks, cars and a plethora of scooters on the undivided highway. The scooters that we went past seem to be able to carry anything imaginable from entire families with televisions to 6 double mattresses (the driver had them strapped his back and the sides of the scooter).

Our next bus ride from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville was on a slightly nicer bus. It was the first bus I've been on that had a stewardess. We got sugar buns for breakfast and were treated to the most mind numbingly horrible pop songs ever conceived. The highlight of the music was the backstreet boys (I'm not even being sarcastic) and also included such gems as Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On'. We only had one set of headphones with us on the bus so we both decided to suffer, it wasn't fair for just one of us to get those songs stuck playing in our heads over and over and over...

We arrived at the bus depot and as we departed our bus the tuk tuk feeding frenzy ensued. They swarm you, trying to be the one to take you to your hotel. Luckily for us we had pick up arranged and broke free from the crowd with our driver. The tuk tuks in Cambodia are a little different from the ones in Thailand. Here you sit in a two wheeled covered cart that is pulled by a scooter. In Thailand the tuk tuks were all one piece units, in Bangkok they had three wheels, in Phuket they had four. They have all been quite comfortable to ride in, even though there is no air conditioning you get naturally cooled from the wind in your hair and the dust in your face (there is more than one reason to wear sunglasses here).

In Cambodia, as in most of Asia, traffic runs on a give way system. That means that every driver worries about the vehicles that are in front of them and if someone needs to get into your lane, or turn left in front of you, you slow down to let them by. The whole system seems to work very effectively considering the amount of vehicles and we have only seen one minor accident since we've been in Asia. There are hardly any traffic lights, only on very major intersections, and even those lights aren't paid attention to like they would be in Canada. Traffic lights have count down clocks to tell you when the light is going to switch so everyone starts going a few seconds before the green light.

Pedestrians do not have the right of way here as they do in Canada. Crossing the road is a little like playing frogger. Sometimes you can get all the way across when there is a break in traffic, but often you have to cross half way and then stand in the middle of the road until the other side is clear. As long as you are deliberate while you are walking you can cut in between the traffic coming along and all the scooters just go around you and compensate for you. The few pedestrian cross walks that there are have the funniest symbols to let you know when it is ok to cross. There is an animated running man on the sign and as it gets closer to a red light, the running man starts moving faster and faster. We got quite a giggle out of it the first time we saw it.

Upside-Down Pigs Make Horrible Noises.

2009-05-15T17:23:00.016+07:00

After our trip to Angkor our time in Siem Reap has been spent relaxing, eating and wandering around town enjoying the sites and sounds as well as talking to locals and learning more of the language. Our favorite place to eat so far has been the Le Papier de Tigre which has the best lasagna I have ever tried. Ryan is very partial to their Khmer Cannelloni which has an excellent Cambodian curry twist to it.

Another notable place to drink and dine is the Dead Fish Tower. It is an establishment that would break every building code there is in Edmonton but it is so much fun! It's like swiss family robinson but with a crocodile pit. It would be quite scary to get really drunk because you could easily end up falling off one of the many platforms. There are hammocks to laze around and tires with glass over them for tables! We had drinks there one night after dinner and we were very amused to get to hang out in this adult tree fort.

The free breakfast at our hotel has also been a treat. Every morning we have an option of 5 dishes, we usually go for the scrambled eggs or the omelette, each comes with a lovely selection of local fruit. The mangosteens and the dragonfruit have been our favorite so far but the lychee and pineapple are also really tasty. The best part, especially for Ryan, is that coffee refills are free and plentiful.

We also headed off the the Butterfly Garden for lunch yesterday. Unfortunately a more appropriate name would probably be the Butterfly Graveyard due to the fact that we saw many more dead and injured butterflies than live ones. I do appreciate what they are trying to do as a portion of their sales go toward good causes such as Cambodians living with Aids/HIV, but the garden was not as romantic a spot as I had hoped for. Still we had a good meal, some nice photo ops and their pond had some gigantic and gorgeous koi in it. Also there was lots of other wildlife to see including skinks, agamids and frogs.

Besides the food we have also had some great conversations when we go out to eat. We talked with a young Cambodian traveller for a while at the hotel restaurant about the places he has been around south east Asia. The next night we discussed temple and border disputes between Cambodia and Thailand with one of our waiters. We also received our best language lesson from one of our waitresses who taught us how to say 'no, thank you' (very helpful with the touts), 'excuse me' and 'the bill please'. Whenever we use our new found language skills we are usually met with a surprised laugh and smile from the locals which makes our effort well worth it.

Amazing Angkor!

2009-05-13T10:08:00.024+07:00

Our exceptionally hot day at Angkor started with the gates to Angkor Thom. We hopped out of the tuk tuk to walk through the gigantic gates and were met on the other side by our driver who had taken us on the 7 km trip outside of Siem Reap to the Angkor park complex. Our initial impressions of the size and scale of the site were only enhanced when we reached Bayon, the temple of 216 faces. We had been to the museum a couple days before, only there we were not allowed to touch any of the displays. Here we were very excited to be able to climb around the site through the many passageways and steep staircases.

After Bayon we headed north towards the entrance of Baphoun and then down the long elevated walkway. On the opposite site of the entrance way is a very large wall fashioned into the image of a reclining Buddha statue. From there we headed through an overgrown gate to the royal enclosure area and Phimeanakas. We stopped at some stalls over to the side to grab a cold drink and recharge in the shade. A couple of friendly fellow travellers from New York stopped with us and we chatted for a while while being accosted by a plethora of child touts. I shared some crackers that we had brought to snack on with the kids which seemed to appease them for a while.

Next stop was the terrace of the elephants which had immense carved elephants along a 350m wall. We then crossed the road to North Kleang to sit in the shade by what remained of the large pool where we watched the fish, dragonflies and butterflies. Back across the road we checked out the Terrace of the Leper King and met our driver who was concerned that we had gotten lost. Time for lunch!

We stopped at the strip of small restaurants and cafes close to Angkor Wat and had a bite to eat while we watched a monkey napping and being groomed by his human friend in the courtyard. The lunch recharged our energy and we headed across the road to Angkor Wat which we had both been looking forward to all day. The view as we headed down the bridge over the large moat towards Angkor Wat was spectacular and we snapped quite a few pictures. At one point a local motioned to Ryan that he wanted his picture taken too and I figured that I would go stand with him in the shot. This caused quite a commotion among his family who were all giggling and laughing as we got our picture taken together.

Angkor Wat is too much for words and I would do it a great injustice if I tried. We wandered around the outside of the site looking at the bas reliefs for hours slowly taking it all in. We stopped at one point at a stall just outside of Angkor Wat to relax in the shade and restock our water supply. Ryan spotted a shirt that he wanted, and also a purse for me, so Ryan went off to haggle. He decided to buy the shirt and change into it right there as we were both really sweaty at this point. When Ryan took his shirt off to change he got alot of attention and was told that "he must come from tiger" before one of the stall owners discreetly touched Ryan's butt.

Now that we were hydrated we went back into Angkor Wat and headed in to the middle of the complex. I will let the pictures (click here for more) we took of this majestic and awe inspiring place speak for me as it was too much to describe. We will never forget our trip to Angkor, the largest religious monument on Earth, as it has left such an impact on us and we are blessed for having the chance to come here and experience it for ourselves.

A Bumpy Start

2009-05-10T10:40:00.012+07:00

We were both sad to leave what had become a home away from at Hillside in Patong but we were also excited to head off to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see what was in store for us. The flights went smooth except for the bounce on the landing at the Siem Reap airport. It was quickly forgotten however as the reception that we received on the tarmac was beautiful traditional dancing and music. Unfortunately, what awaited us at our next hotel was less than ideal conditions and a bit of a shock to the system after what we were used to. We were picked up from the airport in a scooter driven tuk tuk, a common site on the road here to take Barang (foreigners) around to their next destination. At the hotel we checked in and were led up to our room where a Tokay gecko greeted us at the door. It all seemed very promising till we opened the door and discovered a bathroom that looked like a workbench, wires hanging from the ceiling and an overpowering, throat burning stench of detergent and air fresheners. Also, there was a monastery next to us that played mantras and music which at first seemed exotic and pleasant but after waking up to it blaring from a loud speaker at 5am and going all day long it quickly lost it's appeal.

We were not to be deterred by our unforeseen living conditions and headed out for the next few days to wander and see what Siem Reap had to offer. We found the supermarket to get cheap snacks and drinks, pub street for a great place to eat and have a beer after a long day (or at the start of one) and meandered up the river which was a nice quiet place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We decided to head to the Angkor National Museum to get some background on Angkor before going out to the site. The museum is new, high tech and very well done with info listed in both Khmer and English. The gallery of 1,000 Buddhas was definitely our highlight of the visit.

We slept in and then went out for a late breakfast on Pub street. When sitting having a bite to eat during the day you invariably get harassed by the street kids. This meal was no different. They are far more persistent than the adult touts that we encountered in Thailand and really lay on the guilt trip heavy about paying for school or not having enough to eat. We always try to refuse them politely but that never has much of an effect. This meal however, Ryan offered one boy half of his loaf of bread which resulted in the little guy leaving us alone for an entire five minutes before starting up again.

Cambodia has really started to grow on us as we've found our footing and gotten into the groove a little. We've switched hotels and we are much happier with our room, we also now have a gorgeous pool to take a refreshing dip in! The people here are warm and friendly and really appreciate it when we use the small amount of the Khmer language that we've picked up so far. Until next post, lee hi (goodbye)!

Bamboo for Two

2009-05-01T16:58:00.014+07:00

It never ceases to amaze me that when you start looking for something you need, it always seems more difficult to find than the day before, when it was everywhere. This is exactly what happened to us when we tried to find a tattoo tout that we had met on the beach when we first arrived. Every other day that we went to the beach we stumbled upon him again (or rather he wandered up to us on our beach chairs). Since we couldn't find "James Bond" (the tattoo tout) we decided to try to find Patong tattoo, which according to the reviews on the internet was the most reputable place for bamboo tattoos in the area. Again, we were out of luck as the streets and addresses here are remarkably confusing. We found the sign for it once, but it was no where near the actual tattoo parlor.

We ended up asking another tattoo tout that was working the beach if she knew who James was and where we could find him. It turns out that he was sick, but she and her partner would be able to take us to the same tattoo parlor that James worked for. We figured that we had tried looking around enough, lets go for it. The tout and his partner went to go get their scooters so that they could take us to the parlor which was on the other end of the beach. It was our first scooter ride in Thailand and although we were a little nervous about hoping on the back, our fears turned out to be unfounded and it was an awesome ride.

As we zoomed down the road, passing parlor after parlor (getting a tattoo seems to be a very popular thing to do while on vacation here) we pulled up to none other than Patong tattoo, the place that we had been hunting for! We met Mit and Wat, the owners and tattooists and Ryan took a look at some of their work and designs. They had the exact tattoo that Ryan had been looking for, khmer script that is used for protection. Since they had the time and Ryan had the nerve, he decided to get it done right away. Ryan was definitely nervous, it had been more than 10 years since his last tattoo and that was done with a gun. He had no idea what this experience had in store for him. The spot that he picked for his new work was the inside of his bicep which is a very tender area. Prior to getting the tattoo, Ryan watched them prepare the brand new needle and the bamboo method was a more elaborate set up than he anticipated. The tattoo turned out very well and unlike gun tattoos there was no bleeding and he would be able to go into the water after only a few hours.

After a couple days, Ryan decided that one of the other tattoo designs that he looked at while deciding on the first one caught his attention heavily because it was a design that he had seem previously to coming to Thailand but never thought he would be able to get. We decided to go back to Patong tattoo to see what we could work out with Mit and Wat. The deal was pass up and they even offered a trip to a temple to get both new tattoos blessed by a monk to receive the protection that the tattoos truly stand for. The second tattoo went as well as the first although it took about twice as long to do. This one was also in a rather awkward and ticklish spot, on the side of his torso. Once it was complete, Ryan made arrangements to come back in a couple hours to travel to the temple.

The monk that he encountered once he arrived greeted him happily and Ryan was prompted to remove his shirt to show him the tattoos that he had received. The monk, who was himself covered in similar tattoos all over his body including the ones Ryan had, invited Ryan into the temple which was covered in amazing statues and imagery. Ryan was instructed to sit, legs crossed, looking out of the temple. The monk then started lighting candles and incense and gathering items he would need. He then smothered the tattoo in rosewater, started patting the tattoo, chanting and blowing against the it after he finished different sections of the chant. Once this was done, he read through the tattoos all the while holding a lit candle. After reading through it he put out the candle by flicking the candle towards the tattoo, dowsing the flame and sending the wax towards the tattoo. This was repeated for both tattoos. It was an intense moment and the hair on the back of Ryan's neck was standing up at the end of the blessing.

Island Bouncing

2009-04-28T20:14:00.010+07:00

The morning we went on our first tour started off suspiciously stormy and rainy which is not the type of weather that you are hoping for before hoping on a boat out into the ocean. The minibus that brought us to our departure point could only be described as a land Cessna and the other occupants of the van, mostly German, seemed to share the same apprehension. Once we got to Chalong bay to board our boat, we discovered it was a large tour group - about 57 people. The tour boat itself was a four engine, open bow speedboat which was quite reassuring considering the choppy seas.

Our guide Yousee gave us the option of taking a motion sickness pill before we got on the boat as he explained to us that normally the ride to our first destination, Phi Phi Ley, takes about 45 minutes but due to the rough conditions it was going to take us 1 hour. We arrived at Maya bay on Phi Phi Ley, the location that part of the movie "The Beach" was filmed on, after a bumpy ride that saw a few people using the barf bags that were given to us. Maya bay was gorgeous, but overcrowded. It probably would have felt far less crowded if it had not been high tide.

Next stop was Pileh cove for a little snorkeling. It was incredible and the crystal clear water was teeming with life. The experience was short as we only had 30 minutes before we got back on the boat and headed to our next sightseeing destination, Viking cave. This cave is where they harvest the swallow nests, made from their saliva, that is used in bird's nest soup. This delicacy is popular in Asia for health and vigor. Up next, Monkey beach, but at the time there was a distinct lack of beach due to the high tide. The monkeys were still happy to receive the bananas that were thrown at them while they were in the trees and hanging on the side of the cliff face.

It was a good thing that our next destination was lunch on the island of Phi Phi Don. Honestly I wasn't expecting that much because how good free lunch on a tour possibly be. Surprisingly it was a very tasty Thai lunch that had a hint of western thrown in with a spagetti and meat sauce option. We had a little time to wander the island after lunch and met a cute kitty that was very friendly and used Ryan's shadow for shade.

We then headed off for our last stop of the tour, tiny Khai island. This island was so small that you could have walked around the entire thing in 10 minutes. We sat down in a couple chairs facing the beach and relaxed for a minute before putting on our snorkels and heading into the water. It was shallow and sandy making it difficult to see more than a couple feet in front of us but there were schools of brightly colored fish that swam inches in front of our faces. After our excursion into the water we headed back to our chairs and enjoyed a yummy mai tai served in a pineapple. The weather had cleared up long ago so the boat ride back was much less bumpy. We ended the day tired but thoroughly happy with our first tour experience.

Dinner at the Poo

2009-04-23T17:28:00.011+07:00

We have gotten into the tasty, yet cheap, habit of going to the supermarket for breakfast (and sometimes lunch or dinner too). But a couple of days ago we wandered past the Poo restaurant and we knew that we would have to eat there. It turned out to be an excellent choice as the food was great and the staff, a wonderful Thai family, were fun and welcoming hosts. We had the chicken in sweet and sour sauce, deep fried prawns and fried rice. It was so good that we ended up going back the next night for some Thai curry, barbecued prawns and more fried rice.

I have also now experienced the wonder and relaxation that is the oil massage. My lower back was hurting me a little bit from all the walking we have been doing so I figured I would treat myself and I was not disappointed. It was an hour long full body massage, it was very effective and my masseuse had very strong hands. Ryan waited outside while I was relaxing and had a very interesting conversation with an Australian and two Thai masseuses.

On Earth Day one of the local scuba shops organized a beach clean up. It is the time of year when the winds shift here so there was piles of plastic and other junk washed up all over the beach. Unfortunately, other than the scuba staff there was only three other people that showed up to help. We filled many garbage bags with every kind of garbage you could imagine, from toothbrushes and candy wrappers to pieces of rope and condoms (eww!).

On the way back to our hotel we were stopped by a Thai guy named Jarlie (nickname Jar) who had scratch tickets for us which were a promotion from a time share company. Ryan scratched his and got three stars which meant he won the "big prize". Jar was very excited because this meant that he would receive 5000 baht if we went to the presentation. We had nothing better to do for the afternoon so we decided to follow him to his office. It was well worth the trip as some amusing events occurred. We got to teach our new friend Jar the word "cool". We also got our first Tuk Tuk ride (for free) and since the presentation was at a nearby beach called Kata, we got a free tour of the island as we were taken to and from the office. On the way we saw some elephants, including a cute little baby one. The time share presentation was what you would expect, and our sales man claimed to be not only a butler for the Queen but also was previously employed by Aaron Spelling (hahaha). Needless to say we did not buy in, but I now have a new really large shirt to sleep in that has Premier Holiday Club Phuket on it. All and all it was an amusing experience and a great day.

Why did the monkey cross the road?

2009-04-20T11:00:00.008+07:00

Ahh, the beach. After our brief stay in Bangkok we've come out to Patong, our island paradise. We were picked up at the airport by the hotel and I felt like a celebrity, it's the first time I've ever seen my name on a little sign when we walked out of the terminal. The drive to the hotel took about an hour and we were initially struck by the lushness of the countryside.

Once we arrived we settled in and then decided to head down to the beach. It is about a 10 minute walk down to Patong beach, so our gorgeous little hotel is nicely away from the hustle and bustle. After eating dinner we strolled down the beach in our bare feet and watched the sunset.

The next day we were up very early and had breakfast down by the beach. We grabbed some beach chairs and chilled out for the rest of the morning under our umbrella. Ryan made fast friends with the cutest little puppy that sat on his lap for a little bit while his owner watched and giggled. Unfortunately, we were not that careful with our sun exposure and ended up very burnt after day one on the beach. Due to our burnt state we decided to splurge on a yummy dinner and headed out for Indian food which was excellent. On the way back to the hotel a cute little monkey darted across the road which caused onlookers to gasp and scream. Luckily, the monkey picked a great time to cross and launched into his owners arms on the other side of the road.

Project burn recuperation day started off with a walk into town where we found the mall (air conditioned and wonderful for staying out of the sun). We got lunch at the supermarket and did a little light shopping. Day 2 of burn recovery was similar to day 1 due to our injuries. We tried some interesting new food (squid with tentacles) and headed back to the room before the rain started. There was a small posse of kids playing in the pool at the hotel when we arrived back. They greeted us with huge hellos and didn't mind staying in the pool as the rain poured down.

Epic Water Fight!

2009-04-15T11:04:00.013+07:00

Although there has been political unrest throughout Bangkok for the last few days, the only fights that we've been involved with are the Songkran Festival water fights. You have to stay on guard while walking around the neighborhood that our hotel is in because you are likely to get a bucket of water dumped on you very quickly. After you are sufficiently drenched, the bottles of baby powder and talcum powder come out and your face is coated in white powder. On a hot day such as it's been the last few days, the water is a welcome sight. They sure know how to cool off during the hottest month of the year. Everyone is in on the action, from the little shy Thai kids to the older folk that love to soak a foreigner.

On day 2 of the festival we decided to head out to the Grand Palace. Calling it grand is a distinct understatement. We were left completely speechless as we entered the grounds and took in the sights around us. Our first stop was the Wat that contains the Emerald Buddha. We took our shoes off and entered and we were instantly overwhelmed by the beauty and significance. Afterwards we checked out the Museum which houses the 2 changes of clothes that the Emerald Buddha has for the other seasons as well as coins, swords and jewellery that have been used by the royal family. The intricacy and splendor of the designs were unlike anything that we have every seen before.

After a quick bite to eat we took a walk and ended up at the Wat containing the Reclining Buddha. The best word to describe this Buddha is huge! It is impossible to get the entire statue in a photo as it is just too big. The feet are inlaid with a beautiful mother of pearl pattern.

Getting a taxi to get back to the hotel proved more difficult than catching a ride on the way there. Many of the cabbies refused to turn on the meter citing the festival as a reason to try to get more money out of us. We decided to walk a little ways away from the main palace grounds and eventually found a older Thai cabbie that actually agreed to turn the meter on, so off we went back to the hotel and blessed air conditioning.

Soi Cowboy!

2009-04-12T23:12:00.017+07:00

After an uneventful and long flight from Vancouver, we arrived in Thailand early on Saturday morning. Our room here at the hotel did not disappoint us when we finally got here at about 2 am. We crashed pretty hard and when we woke up we enjoyed our free breakfast buffet before heading up to the roof to check out the roof top current pools and fitness room. We knew it was time to head back down to our room when we heard the thunder crack overhead. The rain started soon afterwards and it was intense. We waited until it had started to diminish and then headed out to check out the neighborhood that we are in. A snack of sticky rice and black bean cooked in a banana leaf refueled us a little, but we still ended up napping when we got back to our room. It seems that the 13 hour time difference is a little tricky to get used to.

After the nap we decided to go for another little walk around and discovered a mini red light district a couple blocks away from the hotel called Soi Cowboy. Neon signs and bars cover the whole strip, with bars offering services that require signs such as "We have 20 gorgeous girls, some ugly ones and some fat ones too" and "We have more ladies that you can handle".

On the way back up to our room we talked with our amazingly friendly concierge and he arranged for us to get a ride out to the floating market the next day. We tried to get some sleep to prepare for our early morning trip but we (especially Ryan) were unsuccessful and didn't get as much shut eye as we would have liked.

We were both awake before our wake up call came and got ready to leave early as it is a 1.5 hour car ride out to the floating market. Once we arrived we hopped onto a long tail boat and headed out to see what the market had to offer. Since this is generally a tourist market it was mostly souvenirs, spices, Buddha statues and other little trinkets. The salespeople were a little pushy but friendly and I love the way they would grab the boat with a long hook on a pole and drag you over to their stall. We ended up getting a couple little items and learned to barter in the process. It was scorching hot so we bought our boat driver a pop while we chugged our water.

About half way into the ride we pulled over to a beautiful little wat and got out to take a look around. It was stunning! It was surrounded by bells that you bang with little wooden sticks that they leave in buckets for that purpose. I couldn't resist and had to make some noise myself.

On the way up to the wat we noticed the water thrashing around. We realized then that the water was teeming with large silver fish. Our driver grabbed us a bag of fish food and we fed the fish from the boat and then from the dock at the wat. Quite an experience. Then it was back to the hotel to grab some rays at the roof top pool and find ourselves some dinner. Tomorrow the new year's (Songkran) festivities start, although it seems like the water fight had already started by the time we returned to Bangkok. Time to get prepared with our water guns.

Gravel bars are sexy places!

2009-04-09T00:42:00.010+07:00

Hello from Vancouver!

We have had a wonderful couple days here so far. It started with a smooth flight from Edmonton and then we headed to the hotel. Our hotel is lovely and the staff have been excellent.

After we were settled in on Monday we headed out for a bite to eat and ended up at a nice little cafe with a view of the mountains. Since flights always tire me out no matter how short they are, we came back to the room for a little nap. Once we woke up we called my brother Graham and went out for dinner at a little Japanese restaurant. The meal started off with a deep fried pumpkin ball containing a cooked egg which was delicious. Next up was an oyster dish that was to die for, I could have eaten 4 of them. Afterwards the three of us split 2 sashimi tuna steaks and washed it all down with the best green tea I have ever had.

With our bellies full we started walking down to Stanley park and wandered around the park for a couple hours. At one point we heard a strange humming noise coming from behind us. We turned around and saw an electric skateboard coming down the path towards us towing another boarder behind them. Then at the end of our walk, Ryan saw a waddling movement in the grass that turned out to be a cute little skunk. No worries, we still smell lovely.

On Tuesday we started our day with a icky tasting dose of Ducoral, our anti-diarrhea vaccine. Once we had washed the taste of that out of our mouths we decided to head down to the Vancouver aquarium. Our favorite parts were the belugas, the otters, the sloth and the techno jellyfish which looked like they had little multi-coloured lights shooting up and down the sides. After the aquarium we were getting a little hungry so we grabbed a slice of pizza and people watched while snacking. Then it was off to check out Graham's boat!

We headed to the seabus station and set off on our first boat ride of the trip. The seabus is an excellent way to travel and has never missed a crossing. Graham met us on the other side and we headed towards the marina. We hung out on his boat for a little while chatting and having a little snack of pita chips and dip. Then we wandered off to check out the rest of the marina. Among the boats there are also some really cool floating houses. One of them was very reminiscent of a little hobbit home, all it was missing was the round door. On the way down the dock the first time we heard an interesting noise that sounded like a drowning banshee. We tried to figure out what it was but couldn't so we just kept walking. On the way back we saw one of the residents standing out on the dock outside his house. He then informed us what the crazy noise from earlier was. Apparently, otters were having some sexy time under his house...

SOLD!

2009-03-07T11:03:00.003+07:00

On Monday night we got our usual call from Bob, our real estate agent, and since I thought it was his normal Monday night update on the housing market I didn't call him back. I figured, well we only have a week left on this real estate contract before putting plan B in effect (renting the house) so I'll just call him back in the morning. The next morning he called me at work and to my complete surprise, we had an offer!

After we made a quick counter offer and it was accepted we did a muted jump for joy, muted because last time we had an offer it was quickly dashed by our uniquely crappy condo documents. This time, after another initial scare over the documents, the other conditions were smoothly removed from the contract. Now our house is officially sold!

Time for the flurry of activity to begin. We have so much to do and less than a month to do it in as the possession date on the house is March 27. Luckily most of our stuff is already in storage and house is pretty empty. Tommorrow we head out to buy our backpacks, shoes and some other sweet gear and I am so excited.

Look-out Graham, we are on our way! First stop Vancouver!

My First Tattoo

2009-02-15T23:32:00.007+07:00

Finally, after a lot of thought, procrastination and nervousness, I headed over to Urge Studios and had my first tattoo done by Dylan.

It is the Egyptian cat goddess Bast. She is the goddess of, among other things, the sun, women, dancing and entertainment. On her chest is the eye of Horus which is a symbol of protection, and a scarab which is the symbol of creation. Behind her is the sun, which symbolizes the god Ra.

I must admit that the process was a little more painful than I had anticipated. However, as soon as the outline was done there was much less wincing on my part. When the color was being done I had a little snack while reading my book which was a great distraction. I was in the chair for about 3 hours, including a couple breaks, but it was totally worth it and I am very happy with the results.

Still here after all this time...

2009-01-27T00:26:00.003+07:00

Well as you can tell by our lack of exciting posts from exotic destinations around the world, we are still in Edmonton waiting for the house to sell. The price has been reduced for a second time, down to $156900. Although the house is still being shown regularly there are no takers. We have only had 3 showings since the price dropped and 1 was just yesterday so I suppose we shouldn't jump to conclusions too fast.

We are still very committed to taking this trip of a lifetime, it's just taking a little longer to get off the ground than we had initially anticipated. Boo the housing market and the damn economic downturn. Ah well, I have complete faith that the house will still sell and we will be on our way in no time. We may just have to go the other way around the world.

To quelch our wanderlust in the short term we've decided to take a trip on the train to Jasper in February and go snowboarding in the mountains for a couple days.

Everyone keep your fingers crossed for us, the house has to sell sooner or later!

Two Showings and a Bazaar

2008-09-23T09:09:00.007+07:00

The house finally went up for sale last week after a couple minor snags. Since the house is in my name Ryan got the honor of heading to the lawyer's to sign a piece of paper saying I'm allowed to sell it. Then the real estate paperwork had to be done and signed all over again. Ah well, not that big of a deal.

We've already had two showings which is a fun experience. You need to get out of your own house for an hour so that someone can wander through it commenting on your furniture and the color of your walls. Then you get back to find all the lights in the house off and your doors locked in ways you didn't know were possible. As annoying as it can be, I keep hoping for more showings. Let's get this house sold already!

For a taste of the experience to come, we headed to the Tibetan Bazaar that was held this weekend at Westmount hall. It was a small space but it was packed with the exotic. The usual fare of 'Free Tibet' t-shirts were on sale but there was also beautiful jewellry, prayer wheels and fair trade items. Momos and tibetan curry were also available but we didn't indulge.

Who knew we had so much junk?

2008-09-07T07:22:00.005+07:00

After last week's disappointment we were very happy when our dumpster arrived on Friday. There was a new guy driving the truck that brought it and he almost crushed the neighbors car. Instead he just scuffed it a little, whoops.

It sure didn't take long to fill it up. In two hours we had tossed out almost our entire basement. It felt awesome chucking things up over the side and smashing them in there. It's very cleansing tossing out the stuff that we've ended up dragging with us every time we moved. The basement looks huge now!

Now time to sit back and watch the opening ceremonies for the paralympics. This is the first year that adaptive rowing is in the paralympics and I'm so proud of my sister who is the coach for the Canadian adaptive rowing team. Good luck Allison!

A New Coat of Paint and 11 Less Snakes

2008-08-17T12:20:00.000+07:00

The painting was completed a few weeks ago and it looks great. Nothing like the smell of new paint throughout the house for a few days. Other home improvements that we've done include new blinds, a small fence and new shrubs in the front yard, re-caulked the bathtub, got new handles for the kitchen cupboards and freshly painted the front window trim. Not much to do now except for installation of a new front door and screen doors.

We also had a bittersweet moment last weekend. Mark Isabell from Gone Snakee came to the house and picked up 11 of our snakes. All of our favorite ones have now been sold and it's an odd feeling seeing the empty cages when we go downstairs. Although I must admit that it has also been a relief. We are half way to our goal of finding new homes for all of our snakes which is a huge step before putting the house up for sale. Selling the snakes is the right thing to do and we've already decided that if we get another snake after our trip, we will only get one and give it the most amazing enclosure you've ever seen.

Shots, shots, and more shots...

2008-07-23T01:08:00.002+07:00

Yesterday was our first trip to the clinic to start our immunizations. Our nurse was really good. She was very informative and gave the least painful needles that I've ever had. We spent about an hour and a half there getting information on all the vaccinations that we need as well as getting info on malaria and the various ways you can treat/prevent it.

Today the only side effect of the tetanus and polio shots that we got are sore arms. Ryan was warned that his arm would be more sore that normal due to the fact that he had a tetanus shot recently, and it definitely was...

For the two shots for both of us it came to around $300.00. Not to bad but we still have two more appointments to go in order to finish up all our doses for Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, etc. We are still unsure what to do about the malaria pills but we have a little bit more time to look into that before we need to make a decision.

After the vaccination trauma we decided to treat ourselves. So, we headed on over to the Taste of Edmonton to get some good food: bacon wrapped scallops, potatoes with a garlic and mayo sauce, papusa, balsamic strawberrys with a cream cheese topping, banana curry chicken and farang beef with rice. All very good!

The painter is booked for Thursday and Friday. After that we just need to get the new doors put on and the snakes out of the house and it will be ready to put on the market. Let's hope that it sells quickly!

So much work to do...

2008-07-08T10:25:00.001+07:00

The process of packing up your entire life is not as easy as I first imagined it to be. It always seems that as soon as you start filling boxes, more stuff comes out of the woodwork. We are well on our way but there is still alot of work to be done. The storage unit is rented, boxes for non-essentials have been packed and the contacts have been made to sell our snakes. The painter is coming to the house tomorrow for an estimate so that we can have the house painted before we put it up for sale. The wheels are in motion!

Our last big hurdle is the sale of the house. I hope to have it on the market soon with a price that will have it sold soon, without sacrificing too much money that we could be spending on our trip (and saving for our return).

I'm giving my notice to work one week from today and that has me really excited. I do enjoy my job but after working at the same company for almost 7 years I think the break will be really nice. I am anticipating a reasonable reaction from my boss so hopefully I can get my job back afterwards if I still want it.

For now we have researched the trip to death and I am currently trying to take it easy and just hang out for a bit until the house sells. Then we can get to the really exciting part of heading off to MEC to buy packs, clothes, gear.... I can't wait!

Our Country List

2008-06-10T06:55:00.000+07:00

Here is the list of countries that we think we'll be visiting:
Thailand
Cambodia
Laos
Vietnam
India
Nepal
Turkey
Egypt
Romania
Austria
Greece
Italy
Spain
Portugal
Morocco

It'll be interesting after the trip to see the list of countries we ended up visiting, our tastes or ideas may change along the way. We have the first leg of the trip semi-planned but after that we will be playing it by ear.

The decision to go...

2008-06-10T01:43:00.000+07:00

The decision to go travel this way was an easier decision than you would think. We both knew that one day we wanted to go see the world, but that day always seemed far off. In a strange twist of fate, our neighbors again determined our decision for us.

You see, the entire reason that we are able to do this is because of a pair of awful neighbors from three years ago. If we would have had normal, respectful fellow tenants and not the doberman that lived above us and the crazy couple with the screaming baby below us, we never would have moved out of that apartment to buy the townhouse we are currently in. We bought at the best time too, right before the real estate boom. We loved this house.... for a while....

Again, our neighbors conspired in our life and threw us a curve ball. A couple houses down from us, they found the most dreaded of all pests, the bedbug. Now after weeks of sprays, even though we have not been infested, we have decided that we need to sell. Bedbugs are just icky! You could say, that we have been bit by the travel bug, although thankfully not literally... All we really needed was a good excuse to get up off our butts and out into the big wide world out there. Besides, if we are going to get bit by a bedbug it may as well be in a hostel in Cambodia, not in my own house!

So, the house is being put up for sale, hopefully within the next three weeks, and we are in the process of packing, selling and giving away all our worldy possessions. It has been a very cleansing experience so far. I should have gone through everything a long time ago, we already have 8 bags of clothes to give away!