The people you meet

Traveling is about many things. Experiencing the country you are visiting, exploring the sights and culture, and sampling local cuisine. And it is also very much about the people you meet along the way. Whether locals or fellow travelers, they very much help to shape your experience. Here are some of the people we met along the way and how they are very much a part of our memories.

Steve and Lily. What can I say? We met them early on in our trip in Chiang Mai. We were fast friends with these belated honeymooers and enjoyed hanging out in the evenings after Simon was asleep. Lily was high energy and very outgoing, and Steve was all about the subtle wit. We also went to the very memorable Ying Pi lantern festival together. We only wished they could have traveled with us longer!

Don't they just look like fun?

In Chiang Mai we met up with an entire group of traveling families, many of whom have already been on the road for years! It was fascinating to see how and why other families travel the globe. We were even able to meet up with the Lybbert family again more than a month later in Vietnam. We also virtually connected with loads of traveling families through a Families on the Move Facebook page that was incredibly helpful and supportive. Inspirational!

Thanksgiving in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

An ordinary boat ride to check out the Pak Ou caves two hours upstream from Luang Prabang in Laos turned into a very memorable journey with a very friendly family from NYC. The parents were visiting their son and girlfriend who were traveling more extensively around SE Asia. Simon drew pictures and sang songs with the mom on they way there, and pretend fished with the son and girlfriend on the way home. It was just a few hours, but it was memorable. (Plus, we kind of got a break!) We talked about raising families, traveling, raising families and traveling (which they did extensively). I don't know their names and will probably never see them again, but they have a permanent place in our vault of memories.

Boat ride along the mighty Mekong.

Three days on a boat with just 17 people, you are bound to make some new friends. Simon was happy that there were two other young boys on board. A family from Seattle, Washington, they pulled their kids from school a few weeks every year to travel and see the world. Their dad, an app developer, created this very cool app for kids learning to tell time, with lots of different languages.

Cruising Halong Bay

We found Christmas spirit after spending some time with the fabulous Felix, a young German boy who spoke English and knew his Christmas carols in English! He could also carry a tune, so he really helped bring the Christmas spirit to Vietnam, where it was hard to remember that Christmas was just around the corner.

At Paradise Cave, Phong Nha National Park, Vietnam.

Mike was a really special find. A true local who showed us the ins and outs of not just Georgetown, but the entire island of Penang in Malaysia. We saw, tasted, and experienced this scrumptious island much differently thanks to his kindness.

Penang, Malaysia

When traveling with kids, it's great to meet other families traveling with kids of at least somewhat similar ages. We hit jackpot on Koh Lanta in Thailand when we landed at a budget resort with 3 other families with small kids. Two of the families were from Amsterdam, which was an added bonus as we could pepper them with questions regarding our upcoming move AND we now have someone to grab a beer with when we get there!

Little ones occupied during our seafood BBQ.

We enjoyed a night of grilling fresh seafood picked up at the local market and watching the sunset from the each in front our temporary home. When we parted ways Simon begged to go with them (I thought it sounded great - we could just meet in Amsterdam in a month), but was comforted knowing that this goodbye was not forever! In fact, we met Sabine, Sander, and Malin again just a week later on Koh Mook. I look forward to hanging out with Sabine in Amsterdam and she has promised to show me her favorite yoga studio - in English nonetheless!

(Update: As I am posting this weeks after our return to Europe, Simon and I are already regulars at Sabine's twice-weekly play group and we are planning a spring "garage sale" of sorts for kids stuff in the spring! Life has a funny way of just working out...)

And we were so fortunate to hijack the Danielsen's family vacation and spend a very memorable week with them in Khao Sok National Park and at the jungle island of Koh Ra. Simon was is absolutely enamored with Hannah and Rebecca, and we hope that our paths cross again some time soon.

These are just some of the wonderful people we met along the way who helped make our journey extra special. Hope to see you all again some time soon, somewhere in this crazy world!

 

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Penang: ATMs gone wrong, our personal tour guide, and more good food!

It is quite fitting that when I opened this page to publish it, it had magically disappeared. (Magically=2 year old). I had used some of our 15 hour journey from Penang to Koh Lanta to chronicle the ups and downs of our few days in Penang, Malaysia. Mouthwatering details of our culinary adventures; tales of how we met a kind local citizen who spent 2 days showing us around not just Georgetown, but the entire island of Penang; and just our general mood that simply was the emotional roller coaster of Penang wiped away with a few unfortunate taps of an innocent toddler.

Now I have neither the time or energy to go back into such details. I will, however, share the following photos and maybe even write down a tip or two about our great street food finds.

Outstanding samosas in Little India. I went back for mor and more and more...

A stunning rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle.

Mike, our tour guide!

Ice cream on a hot day.

 

Ice cream on a hot day.

Just ask the locals what they're eating.

Street food vendors on KG Malabar.

Purchased some local art.

Breakfast with Mike. It was so good I couldn't quite catch it on camera.

Nutmeg juice! It tasted a lot like....nutmeg.

Street food notes:

• Delicious samosas: corner of Lebuh Queen and Lebuh Pasar. Until about 6pm
• Chinese breakfast market: across from Chowrasta market on Lebuh Chowrasta, in an empty lot. Try the kuih kat, trust me.
• Night street vendors: KG Malabar. Noodles, porridge, satay. Lots of local Penang eats enjoyed with the locals.
• Delicious local vendor restaurant: Corner of Jalan Sri Bahari and Jalan Penang. Mike took us for breakfast one morning and the fried noodles were amazing, along with a dish of deep fried yams, pork, prawns, and tofu with sweet and spicy dipping sauces.

Sorry. That's all I got. Mourning the loss of my previous prose....

 

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Cambodia: A Walk Through Their Tragic Past

After 3.5 weeks in Vietnam we were ready for a new country, a new landscape, and a new experience. Cambodia was definitely all of the above. Upon arriving in Phnom Penh we were immediately impressed with the level of English spoken and the friendliness of everyone, especially the tuk tuk drivers. They smiled amiably as we negotiated prices, and gave a friendly laugh at the low prices we were going for. It was just so pleasant.

We were in Cambodia for only 9 full days and spending time in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, so we had to make the most of our time. Cambodia is most famous for the ancient temples of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, but Phnom Penh was a worthy destination as well. The city was dirtier and grungier than other cities we had been to. We were staying in a hotel a bit outside the center which had the advantage of tuk tuk rides thought the streets of the city that we would have otherwise missed had we stayed closer to the tourist heart. And there was a lot to observe. Like a ridiculous number of Lexus SUVs. Posh, high end shopping streets. A stark contrast between the rich and poor.

Cambodia's recent history is marred by the mass genocide that took place in from 1975-1979 under the hands of the Khmer Rouge. During this time an estimated 2 million Cambodians were killed by execution and starvation. The rest of the world was seemingly unaware of this reign of terror and the UN even recognized the Khmer Rouge as the official government of Cambodia giving them seats at the UN in New York, which they maintained for over a decade after the killings stopped.

Just outside of Phnom Penh the Choeung Ek killing fields has been created as a memorial to the millions who died during the Khmer Rouge. The memorial is set up very well. Headsets come with admission ($5) and visitors are guided by the numbered signs through what was once a horrific execution camp. This creates a very peaceful setting as there is very little talking and people experience everything at their own pace. The tour is thorough, with background on the Khmer Rouge, the camp, and stories from survivors of the Khmer Rouge. It is a sad testament to the ability of humans to hate.

More than 120 mass graves were discovered at the killing field, and 80 were exhumed. Fragments of bones continue to surface with new rains, so it's not uncommon to see them while walking around the grounds.

While it is not an uplifting experience, it is well worth the visit.

Traveling with kids? Before going to the killing fields with children consider the age appropriateness of bringing them. For small children, it is not a playground and not appropriate for children to be running around on a sacred site that still holds the remains of those killed under the Khmer Rouge. We brought an iPod touch for Simon so that he would remain quiet and happy while were there and that worked fine. For older children, parents simply have to consider how much they want their children to hear and see about the genocide that took place there.

Further reading: There are many books out there about the Khmer Rouge written by survivors, scholars, and journalists about what happened during and after the Khmer Rouge. I read and can highly recommend the following two memoirs and plan on reading more when we get back.

First They Killed My Father, Loung Ung

Lucky Child, Loung Ung

 

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Where are you from?

Where are you from?

This simple question has no simple answer. Is it where you are currently living? Where you were born? This question is increasingly complex for people to answer, as careers, families, and life take people from one place to another, to settle in a foreign place, or continue moving constantly.

Where are you from? is a common question amongst travelers. We have several responses that vary in depth, depending on how much we want to go on.

The basic - I'm from the states and my husband is Swedish.

Just a little more - ...and we live in Germany right now.

All the details - ....and we will be living in Amsterdam when we get back.

Sometimes Simon chimes in, and his response is clearly Germany. So here you have one family, 3 different members, and they each identify as being from 3 different countries.

So where is home? What defines home? This is a good question for the Oppenwig family.

I remember the first time I really considered the concept of home. Martin and I were living in Louisville, Kentucky and I was working a Kentucky Refugee Ministries, a refugee resettlement agency. Every year on June 20, the United Nations celebrates World Refugee Day to honor refugees around the world. And that first year, it must have been 2004, the theme was home. Part of my job was to teach citizenship classes for refugees preparing to become U.S. citizens. So I asked them, where is home for you?

I can't imagine a harder question for a group of people that were forced to leave their homes and lives behind, because staying would be far worse. They then resettle in a completely new country with a new language and culture, in search of safety and hope. As they were preparing to take this next step to become U.S. citizens, many considered the U.S. home. It wasn't where they were from, but it was where they now belonged. They were raising their children in America, never mind the lives they left behind. Those lives were painfully gone. Home was the United States.

For me, the word home is fluid. When I am getting ready for a trip to Minnesota to visit my family, I am without doubt going home. But I also have a family of my own now, and, cue the sappy music, they are my other home. Home is not always defined by a space or a place. For some it is, but for many I know that's just part of the larger concept.

I always feel at home with these guys around.

Just like for refugees who now call the U.S. home, safety and hope are important elements of home for all of us. It's as much a feeling, a sense of security, of belonging, that defines home. That's why when we are homesick, we conjure up images of places, people, and smells that give us those warm fuzzy feelings. Home can be many places all at once. I know it is for me.

I will always be from Minnesota. But home? Well, it's always with me.

Check out how other traveling families conceptualize home. (Technical difficulties, will update soon.)

Bohemian Travelers: Home is Everywhere

Nomadic Family: I Hate Home, and That One, and That One

Flashpacker Family: My Heart Doesn't Lie At Home

A Lifechanging Year: I Never Thought We'd be Home for Christmas

A Minor Diversion: A Minor Diversion Comes Home

Grow in Grace Life: Home...Where Ever We Are, There We Are

Witness Humanity: Things I Will Miss About Home..

Discover. Share. Inspire: How to Always be Home for the Holidays

The Barefoot Nomad: Where's Home for a Barefoot Nomad?

Gypseekers: Are we home yet? Re-entering society after a round-the-world adventure.

Expat Experiment: Traveling Home

 

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Division of labor

In case you are wondering, these pictures, taken on our flight from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang, capture the division of labor on this trip rather well. ;)

 

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Chiang Mai: Festivals and celebrations

The second half of our week in Chiang Mai was jam packed with activities - celebrations, to be exact. Thanksgiving, hot air balloons, and Yi Ping, to be exact.

Through my research for this trip, I came across a number of amazing blogs of traveling families. And when I say traveling families, I am talking about families who are on the road for a year or more. Some are just taking a year off to see the world, some don't know if they'll ever go back. And they are all doing it with kids.

Because many people would already be in Chiang Mai for Thanksgiving, Peace's organized a Thanksgiving lunch at a restaurant that was indeed serving a true turkey dinner! About six families met up, including ones I had recruited from our Chiang Mai guest house, to celebrate the day. Not all were American, so for some it was their first thanksgiving ever. And for many who have been on the road for a while, it was their first Thanksgiving in years.Anyways, I got in contact with some of these families and eventually joined a fabulous Facebook group to use to get information and share resources. Through this group, I found out that many other families were traveling to Chiang Mai for the Yi Ping festival on November 24. What luck! We were going to meet up with other families on the road!

We had a great time meeting these other families, and learning about life on the road, how they earn a living, homeschooling, unschooling, and all sorts of adventures. Could that be us someday? ;)

Somehow we let a few of the families talk us into showing up at 6am for a balloon launch as art of the Thailand International Hotair Balloon Festival. We were at the festival before Mr. Sunshine even took a morning yawn thanks to our incredibly generous guest house owner who drove us there. It was really neat to watch them prepare fill, and launch the balloons. Simon was particularly excited by the flames shooting out the baskets - and you could really feel that heat a ways back. Finally the balloons were all launched and floating off to who know where, and we headed back to our guest house to enjoy breakfast and no more pans for the day.

The next day, Saturday, was what we were really looking forward to - Yi Ping, a traditinal Lanna festival paying resect to Buddha taking place in the Sansai district of Chiang Mai province. We had somehow learned of this yearly celebration and extended our Chiang Mai visit just for it. And as I said, many other traveling families were doing the same.

Simon in his festival attire!

We were very happy when our guest house arranged transportation for a group from our place to attend. We didn't know what to expect so we were glad that our minivan would be there waiting to pick us up, and the owner's daughter even attended with us, as she had never been before.

We obviously weren't the only tourists who had heard of this magical festival. The street up to the temple where the release would take place was lined with food vendors selling noodles, sausages, and drinks to not only Thai, but many, many tourists as well. We sampled various dishes along the way, and eventually carved out a small space for our group of 10 in the large field where we everyone would simultaneously release their lanterns.

At the front of the field was a stage set up where Buddhist monks led chanting and meditation. It was beautiful, but many of us were eagerly anticipating the release of the lanterns. Eventually, with instructions in both Thai and English, we were told to light the large candles mounted on sticks throughout the field. The field wasnnow aglow with soft candlelight. We were then instructed to light a lantern and wait for the signal so that all lanterns (thousands off them) would be released together.

We carefully lit our lantern, making sure to pull the sides away from the plane. At 90 cm in diameter, they require several sets of hands to maneuver. Slowly, the lantern filled with hot air, and we could feel a gentle skyward tug. (Simon was on my back at this point, as I didn't want to worry about all the fire around us.)

The moment arrived, and thousands of lanterns were released into the night sky. It was a magical moment. The kind that brings you to tears, though you can't quite explain why.

Check out the sky behind me!

(We have video that we can't upload and are hoping to get better pics from friends with better cameras, but we included a few of ours here. Check out this youtube video of the event. More to come!)

Simon made some great photo contributions as well. He seems to love photography... Here are a few samples of his work.

It was a very memorable night with great new friends. We know it will be a highlight of not only our time in Thailand, but of the whole trip as well.

 

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Chiang Mai: Our Secret Garden

Yesterday we arrived in Luang Prabang, Laos. The flight in was stunning: jagged peaks shrouded in mist, covered with, lush, green vegetation. I need to tell you about Chiang Mai before Laos wins me over.

Chang Mai did not quite hold the laid back charm that we had hoped for. It's a small city, full of cars and trucks and exhaust. Significantly less than Bangkok, but an unpleasant presence nonetheless. We were staying in the old part of the city for the first few nights, so good food and massages were never hard to find. We found a highly recommended masseuse around the corner from our guest house and could not have been happier with our $7, 1.5 hour massage. Heavenly!

Simon and Martin were still a bit out of sorts with their various ailments, so we really took it easy, besides the zoo, we also checked out the famous Wat Doi Suthep, which was beautiful. Simon was very excited to see Buddha again, and I was less than thrilled with yet another poorly timed dirty diaper. We need to get that belly under control, boy!

On Wednesday everything changed. Per the recommendation of a fellow traveling family, we had booked the next 5 nights at a small family run guest house just outside of the city, The Secret Garden. Yet again, we were looking forward to getting out of the city and enjoying some fresh air. We were hopeful that this time we got it right.

We were not disappointed. Located in the small handicraft village of Bosang, it is about 20 minutes from central Chiang Mai. It is green, lush, secluded, and tranquil. The German-Thai family that runs the place could not be more accommodating, working hard to make your stay extremely comfortable.

One of the best features is the dinner option. They have a set buffet menu for every night of the week, and for a bargain price you can sample a variety of local Thai dishes. Definitely the best Thai food we had during our 2 weeks in Thailand.

Breakfast (included) and dinner were served in the covered Sala area, where you could watch the family cooking up a delicious feast. This communal area was a great place to connect with other travelers, share stories, and make friends. We really enjoyed meeting Lily and Steve from California, on their delayed honeymoon. We found out that we both had planned our trips to Chiang Mai in part around the northern Thai festival Yi Ping. We managed to organize a whole group from our hotel to go to this breathtaking lantern festival. (Separate post here.)

It is exactly the kind of place that I want to stay at over and over on every leg of our trip. Probably the best place I have ever stayed anywhere. We were dragging our feet as we left, thinking how nice it would be with just one more night, one more meal. Martin would have been happy staying there for the next 3 months. But we made it it the airport and made it to Laos. We are moving on.

Going to Chiang Mai? Stay here!

 

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Dune bashing in Dubai - Silly sand!

The highlight of our trip to Dubai would have to be the desert safari. Because Nidhi had booked it for us, we really had very little idea as to what to expect. We knew there would be some "dune bashing'" but we honestly didn't know what it was and hadn't decided if it would be safe for Simon. I guess we thought it was optional. It wasn't.

.

We arrived in the desert and met up with a caravan of other cars, and suddenly our driver said "buckle up." Holy sh&#! At this point I was a little prepared for some chaos, as the Indian family in our vehicle had taken motion sickness meds when we stopped at the gas station. I would describe it as kind of like riding a roller coaster, except that I was not at all certain that we weren't in serious danger. At least on a roller coaster I have faith that we will stay on the track. In the dunes I was not so certain there were any guarantees.

It helped to have Simon with us, who immediately started laughing hysterically and yelling, "Silly auto" and "Silly sand." Although I did consider what a horrible parent I was as I pictured our car rolling over and over on the sand dunes. We would speed up and down the dunes, flying over peaks, turning sharply so that the car slid sideways the entire way down the dune. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but we survived to tell the tale. And it was really fun.

Then we headed to a little fake camp in the desert where camels, food, and dance awaited us. Simon had been looking forward to seeing and riding the camels for a long time. But up close and personal was not nearly as thrilling as he had anticipated. So Mama and Pappa took turns while Simon watched.

Before dinner we watched a traditional belly dancer as well as a male dancer, who was something like a whirling dervish but I believe they used a different name. Both were very impressive, and I guess I hadn't realized there was so much more to belly dancing than shaking it like Shakira. The belly actually dances. Really cool. And the male dancer whirling around so fast for I don't know how long. They supposedly go into some sort of trance to be able to twirl continuously like that. It was quite beautiful to watch.



We left the camp and drove home. Simon, miraculously, did not fall asleep. So we went to bed quite late, ready for an early start the next morning as we headed on to Bangkok!

 

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