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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On the road...

After a whirlwind week, we finally boarded a jet plane to Dubai! It was a very chaotic week, making it all the more exciting to get out and get started. Martin finished work on October 31, and movers came bright and early the next morning. We moved out, moved in with friends (thanks Katrin and Oscar!), sold our kitchen and got rid of everything in the apartment (including all light fixtures). We also had all sorts of miscellaneous things to do, such as canceling Internet, cable, etc. But it's done - and we are gone!



Packing was not quite as tough as we thought it would be. We know that we will want to buy things along the way, so we packed sparingly. We have 2 backpacks (1 big, 1 medium), 1 daypack, and a stroller. When we left my bag was quite full, but Martin's had plenty of space, and he was carrying 2 packs of diapers. Yes, diapers. Sigh.

The flight was pretty uneventful. Simon took a nap, falling asleep to The Lion King - his first movie. We flew Emirates, which was fabulous. We each had our own screens, a large selection of movies, good food, and Simon got lots of toys (and chocolates). Why can't US airlines be a little more like them?

So now we are officially on the road. Lots of unknowns ahead of us. Simon still sleeps in a crib, take 2-3 hour naps (which were largely absent this last week - he's getting a head start on what's to come), and isn't potty trained. We brought a yoga mat and I made him a sleeping bag so he can sleep on the floor (although he'll probably sleep with us), we hope he'll occasionally nap in the stroller, and we'll just have to always make room for diapers. We'll keep you posted!

 

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Dreams. Coming. True.

The Big Trip

Big news here people. Dreams. Coming. True. We've put off telling you about this new exciting chapter of our lives for too long ow...You know how it is. Want to make sure it's all going to work out ok. Simon doesn't even know what's coming...he's one lucky little boy.

No we're NOT pregnant. We are embarking on a great world adventure, what will be known here on Simon Says as The Big Trip. 13 weeks, 7 countries, and one 2.5 year old. That is definitely a recipe for an all-out family adventure!

Triple sunglass protection - I think he's ready for some world adventures!

Since we graduated from college, it has been a dream of mine to take a big trip around the world. When we graduated, Martin needed to stay in the US to maintain his visa, so we stayed. We kept talking about this trip, but we always had new excuses that got in the way of making it happen.

But something changed. Because we're doing it. I know most of you are thinking that it's not the most opportune time to take a big trip when you have a small child, but I think you're wrong. After over 10 years of not doing it, I realized that any time you can make it happen is the absolute best time. There is no perfect time, there will always be sacrifices and inconveniences, so why not now? And while this may not be a trip around the world, I think it's good practice for a bigger and better trip down the road, right?

And in my research for the trip (I would say "our" but Martin is admittedly not a planner) I have come across dozens of other families doing REALLY BIG travels with their kids. Like years. All over the world. With their kids - of all different ages. Check out this inspiring website that can lead you to the blogs of all sorts of amazing families truly living life as the adventure it should be. They might be half crazy, and maybe that's part of what it takes. If that's the case, I hope I'm half crazy too! (I have already connected with many of these families and they have been instrumental in helping me plan this trip - and giving me the confidence to do it!)

The Itinerary

We will be on the road for just over 13 weeks. Our itinerary is still loose, but here's the general route:

• Dubai (4 days)
• Bangkok (5 days)
• Chiang Mai (8 days)
• Laos (12 days)
• Vietnam (4 weeks) --> From Hanoi down to Ho Chi Minh City
• Cambodia (2weeks)
• Singapore (4 days)
• Kuala Lumpur (3 days)
• Thailand - (3.5 weeks) --> Just lazing on the beaches of Southern Thailand
• Back to Düsseldorf!

I have lots of ideas of where I want to go and what I want to see. But I know that along the way we will meet travelers coming from the places where we are headed and we are keeping our itinerary open to new ideas and destinations as they come along.

I will keep updating my blog here on our great adventures. I will do my best, and hope to be able to include pics. We leave November 8 - the countdown has begun. We are over the moon excited!

Some have said that it's a shame that Simon is so small and won't really remember it. Again, we can do it now, so I am not going to hold off for another year and hope that we can make it work then. It works now, and so we're off! And while I have no idea how much of this Simon will remember, I know that this trip with Simon is something that Martin and I will never, ever forget.

Moving to Engelberg...

Don't be fooled by the title. We are not moving to Engelberg. Yet. I was thinking maybe we should though, and I want to figure out how. It's kind of amazingly beautiful. Like really, really, really, beautiful. One of the more beautiful places I have ever been. Hands down.

The glacier Titlis is the rocky mountain face on the far right - the other side has snow.

I love the mountains, the great outdoors. I feel invigorated by their presence, energized by the fresh air, ready to take on the world! We woke up after our first night at Ski Lodge Engelberg (a hotel on of Martin's old buddies helped start), with Martin hacking up a lung (turns out he had bronchitis) and I had a really sore lower back. Not to mention our son weighs 35 pounds (nearly 16 kilos), so that's a lot of weight to carry around those rather large hills for 2 sadly out of shape parents. So we did things the really easy way (took the cable car up and down), and spent our time enjoying the views rather than putting our delicate health at even more at risk.

Simon bouncing a mile high!

Beyond the magnificent views, there is one other thing that stands out about visiting Switzerland - the prices. The Swiss franc is strong against the Euro, which means that it's expensive for those living and working in the Eurozone. (But not so for Swedes, for example, who use the Swedish kronor.) This might partly explain why we hardly noticed any other Eurozone tourists. It's easy to distinguish the Swiss as they speak their own Swiss-German dialect. But other tourists were few and far between. Given that Germany, Austria, Italy, and France all have pieces of the Alps, it does make sense to travel in the plethora of other amazing mountain villages that are more affordable. And maybe it was the absence of such tourists that made the place all the more pleasant....

The weather was ideal, with clear views and warm mountain sun. I really didn't want to leave. I wanted to traipse through the woods, huff and puff and be rewarded with magnificent views, discover crystal clear mountain lakes. Instead I left kicking and screaming with promises that we will some day return, sans kids.

More pics are part of this album here.

Built for the road

Some people are built for the road. Simon is one of them. I don't even know what he does back there in his car seat most of the time, but he's quiet and he's happy so I don't ask questions.

We started the trip out by dragging him out of bed before 6am and hoping to get him to stay asleep. He stayed asleep until I had him all buckled into his car seat and then he opened his eyes and smiled. For the entire first hour on the road he didn't make a peep, and he didn't have a single toy. Just resting, I guess. I was giddy with optimism about how far we would make it on Day 1. Then he had a small coughing fit that resulted in him puking all over himself. We pulled over, cleaned him up, and he was ready to soldier on. (We made it to Bologna by 6pm, where we were able to explore and enjoy the city a bit before going on to Tuscany the next morning.)

I would have expected that he slept more in the car, but I guess it's not his thing. On our long trips he would sleep for only a little more than an hour. After long days in a Tuscan village he would fall asleep in the car and then we would put him down for a nap, and get a little break ourselves.

Totally relaxed.

To keep him occupied in the car, we had small cars, a few books, and......an ipod touch in case of emergency. He had a few games and a few videos on the ipod, and we let him play with it when his patience with sitting in his car seat ALL DAY was starting to fray. Everyone was happy. We also listened to some new Swedish music we got with Astrid Lindgren songs, including Pippi. We got a lot of Pippi requests throughout the trip, and I think Martin thoroughly enjoyed singing along to his childhood favorites.

My attitude going in was that we would probably have to take some long stops to let Simon and out and stretch his legs. On our way down (12 hours) we stopped twice. On the way back (2 6 -7 hour legs) we stopped once. He definitely has the Herwig road trip genes. We took long road trips growing up (ie. MN-> Key West) and we too were built for the road.

Looking forward to the next one with my road trip ready family!