Overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai: A bumpy ride

We were ready to get out of Bangkok and very much looking forward to moving on to Chiang Mai. I was also very excited for the train. It just seemed like a great part of any traveling adventure: the gentle humming of the terrain gliding along the tracks, everyone sleeping in their little cabins. It could have been that good, it was almost that good, but, in the end, it just wasn't .

Simon woke up that morning with diarrhea. I was hoping that it was related to an enema we and given him the night before as he hadn't pooped in 3 days. It continued throughout the day, so we loaded up on diapers and wipes before the long (approximately 14 hour) train ride.

We got to the train station, ate dinner (except Simon who hadn't eaten all day), and found our seats on the train. We had seats in the second class sleeper train. The seats convert into beds and the top bunks fold down. The bottom bunks are more spacious, so I had booked 2 across from each other (Simon is under 100 cm so he doesn't need a seat). As Martin grabbed to stroller, I heard an "Oh no." I figure that something on the stroller had broken. But when he walked in to our seats, he looked at me and said those dreaded two words,"My back."

It is hard to describe how I felt at that moment. Surprised? No, not really. You see, earlier this summer we took a vacation to Minnesota, and his back went out. Before that, we had a long weekend in France without Simon, and his back or neck went out. Since moving to Germany, Martin has struggled to make exercise a part of his routine (I'm one to talk!), and he has had quite a few back episodes in the last few years. So I hate to be the nagging wife that says, "I told you so." So I won't...

So now I was officially on Simon duty, diarrhea and all, I was getting no help. Simon was clearly not feeling well, so he was just snuggled up to me the whole time, not too difficult. Eventually they came around to turn our seats into beds, and Simon curled up in my bunk and fell asleep. Not a bad start.

Around midnight I was lying in the bunk with Simon trying to fall asleep, when he started coughing and then threw up on the bed. The whole car was asleep and I was trying to wake up Martin while holding a plastic bag (a leaky plastic bag we later found out) in front of Simon. Martin was able to help out and get us some new sheets, and fish out some more plastic bags (double bagged this time).

The night continued like that for Simon and I. He would start coughing a little, I would get the bag, it was our routine. Since hadn't eaten there really wasn't much coming out anyway. I didn't sleep much, and Simon didn't sleep well, but we finally made it to Chiang Mai! And despite a sick child and invalid husband, I still kind of enjoyed the trip. I hope we take another night train in Thailand, but next time with everyone healthy.

The funny thing is that right before Simon fell asleep, I remember thinking about how good it felt to be on that train. We were leaving Bangkok, we were traveling on the cheap. I guess it reminded me of backpacking in the Americas and I was just excited to be doing it as a family this time. I hadn't really considered the whole vomit aspect.

So now we are in Chiang Mai. Martin is looking forward to many massages while I take care of our unwell child. But that's ok, we have the time.

 

UPDATE: it's Monday evening (we arrived Sunday morning) and Simon is doing much better! Here's a pic of him shoveling his fried rice into his mouth at dinner tonight! Martin has found a great masseuss and is moving around pretty well, considering.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Bangkok...eat, sweat, smile

We arrived in Bangkok not quite knowing what to expect, but I can't say that our expectations were high. It's a big, polluted, foreign city, and I had read and heard that people pass through more out of necessity than a draw to the city. That said, it is known for fantastic food and some stunning temples. So we set out to explore.

Eat

Eating was what Martin and I most looked forward to in Bangkok. We both love Thai food, and no better place to start than Bangkok, known for scrumptious street food, fabulous mall food courts, as well as high end restaurants. As backpackers the latter was not on our agenda.

The first night we arrived late, hungry, and I had a banging headache. We knew that the hotel restaurant would be overpriced, but I was in no shape or mood to explore. The food was fine, but not extraordinary, and I have paid less for better in the US.

The next morning, after yet another late start, the hotels staff directed us to the food court of a nearby mall to get some local grub. We ended up at a different, smaller mall than she had suggested, but we were starving so we checked out the various stalls. There were no other tourists in sight and English menus were limited, which seemed all the better to us. We both enjoyed delicious meals, with Martin going back for seconds. And Simon happily ate off of our plates, apparently a big fan of pad Thai.

It's actually rather embarrassing to recount how much time we spent in malls in Bangkok. But we had read that it's a good place to enjoy the local food. In addition, Jiro, a former colleague of Martin's who lives in Bangkok, suggested we check out the mall food courts for good food. They were cheap, had great variety, and were packed with local Thais as well. (Althogh some were also eating KFC, which Martin of course approved of). Between food courts and local restaurants, we quickly discovered that our mediocre first meal at the hotel restaurant was around 10 times what we could eat for out in the city.

The most impressive food court that we encountered was on the top floor of the Terminal 21 mall. It is comprised of primarily China-town food vendors that were hand selected by the mall's owner. They are each given space rent free, in return they have to keep their prices the same as on the street of China-town. As a result, it's dirt cheap and authentic food. Meals were between 30-60 baht ($1-2). Not bad.

One of the best meals we had, however, was not on the streets or at a restaurant, but at Jiro's house, prepared by his mother-in-law. It was a traditional Chinese chicken dish (hainan chicken) served with rice and a spicy ginger sauce. Not surprising that the best food is always homemade.

(Also, not sure if I should admit this, but I have had 2 chocolate dipped cones from DQ since arriving. In my defense, we don't have DQ in Germany.)

Sweat

It's hot here. But from what I understand, it's actually not nearly as hot as it gets, but for us pasty Nordic folks, it's hot. Especially when you are lugging around a 2 year old, a stroller, and a backpack full of diapers. But luckily the heat did not prevent us from exploring some of the great sights of the city (including air conditioned malls as previously mentioned).

For both of us, this is our first trip to SE Asia. I have traveled a bit in Central and South America, having seen my fair share of Inca and Aztec ruins. But they are nothing like the Buddhist temples here in Bangkok. Intricate, ornate, brightly colored and covered with gold, they are simply stunning. The Grand Palace was mobbed with people, but it's still worth the visit. I think I enjoyed nearby Wat Pho more, because it was much less crowded it simply made for a more enjoyable experience.

At the Grand Palace

 

Smile

Thai people are friendly! They smile at you and they are sooooo friendly to us (I think because we have Simon.) when maneuvering the stroller through crowded sidewalks, people move out of the way with a smile on their face. We definitely know we are not in Germany anymore!

It's quite fun to watch people react to Simon. I love that it's not just women and young girls, but men and young boys also really smile and wave and talk to him. And take pictures. Oh my, the pictures! And it's not just the Thai, but Chinese, Japanese, and Indian tourists as well. They come over and ask to take pictures with him. The most entertaining was definitely Friday when we ran into the Mr. International 2012 competitors. They think he is a future Mr. International!

Now we are off to Chiang Mai, and very happy about it. We have had fun in Bangkok, but we're ready to check out the countryside and maybe ride some elephants!

 

Posted with Blogsy

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!

 

Posted with Blogsy

First stop: Dubai

We made it to Dubai! So why does it feel like I'm in Dallas? Six lane highways, endless high-end shopping malls, big cars, and the heat. I guess that's why. Three days in Dubai was enough to see the sights, but I get the feeling that living there is a whole other experience.

Day 1

We didn't get to bed until 3am local time on the eve of our arrival, so needless to say we slept in a bit. We were very lucky to be staying with the gracious Tewari family, Gaurav was one of Martin's former colleagues in Dallas. They had arranged brunch at the famous Atlantis Hotel, located on one of the Palms (you know - that famous set of islands shaped like a palm tree?). It had a delicious spread of every kind of food, including a chocolate fountain. I was happy.



After dropping off the Tewari kiddos at a bday party, the adults + Simon headed off to the old part of the city where the souk or markets were located. We sniffed out the spice market and were not disappointed. It was full of delicious smelling spices, with every vendor chatting you up, hoping you will choose their saffron or their curry powder. With a return flight more than 3 months away, it was not tempting to buy, just disappointing not to.

We then took a little boat trip across the river, which was surprisingly pleasant. It's amazing how just a little different perspective can make things look different. And the sun was just setting so the lights on the boat were especially nice to see.

We spent the evening at home, eating delicious home made chicken curry and catching up (or getting to know, in my case) the Tewaris.

Day 2

Not unlike the first day, we were a little slow out of the gates. Unfortunately we were on our own that day, as Gaurav had to get some work done. We slowly made our way out the door, heading for Wild Wadi Waterpark, to beat the heat. It was a great water park with lots of fun space for Simon to hang. Even though he loved the slides when he went down, he mostly wanted to observe other kids or play in the wave pool. Mama and Pappa had a little more fun, taking turns going on some of the big kid slides, including a tube ride that shot you all the way up a long windy slide before going down a completely dark tunnel. Martin had never even been to a waterpark. I think maybe he had the most fun!

From there we headed to the Dubai Mall. Coming from MN (home of the Mall of America) I just had to see what this mall was all about. It was a mall. A very fancy, mall, I will give you that. If I liked to shop I am sure I would have been more impressed, but I have to say I really wasn't.

What was impressive was what stood just outside the mall - the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. Standing 828.8 meters (2,722 ft) high, it was completed in 2009 to become the tallest building in the world. It's original name was Burj Dubai (Dubai tower), but due to the financial crisis that almost brought the project to a halt, it was named after UAE President Khalifa for bailing them out. We didn't bother going into the building, but it was a beautiful sight from the outside, especially as the sunset and the building was lit.

Near the Burj is the Dubai Fountain, the world's largest dancing fountain. Just as an evening show was about to start, we met up with an old friend of mine that I hadn't seen since 1999. Patric was a German exchange student at my high school, and his sister later lived with my family for a year. It's ironic that I had been living in Germany for the last 2.5 years and we meet across the world I Dubai. I was afraid I wouldn't recognize him, but he looked just the same! It was great to catch up with him and meet his wife. Hopefully it's not another 13 years until we meet again.

We returned home, left Simon with the babysitter, and headed out for drinks and a Diwali party. Diwali is the Hindi Festival of Lights. We found out that many celebrate with gambling, hoping that the Goddess of Wealth will shine upon them for the next year. Martin joined in the festivities, which resembled a sort of 3 card poker, with a different variation for every dealer. It was really quite fun and everyone was in festive and light spirits. We were happy to be invited.

Day 3

Sunday, back to work for Dubai. Because it is a Muslim country, the UAE works Sunday-Thursday, as Friday is a sacred day for prayer. We went downtown, checked out the beach, had a nice lunch, and then headed back to the house to be ready for our 3:30 pickup for our desert safari. It was really the highlight of the trip and deserves a separate blog post.

Dubai was a great way to start the trip, thanks especially to the Tewari's for being such gracious hosts. I think staying with a family living locally (not a local family, 80% of the population of Dubai are expats) gave us a very different feel for the city than we would have otherwise had.

Next stop: Bangkok!

 

Posted with Blogsy

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!

 

Posted with Blogsy

The Germans

Written by an Aussie expat living in Germany, this is a great list of what she knows about Germans after being an expat here. While I don't agree with all of them, it is a very entartaining list to read, especially for all of us who are or ever have been expats ourselves.

Some of my favorites are, with my own reflections noted in italics:

28) They love the breakfast meal. - They do love their breakfast, I just find it greatly inferior to a good old American breafast. Where's the french toast? Or how about just something original. A basket of bread (albeit fresh and delicious) with cold cuts and cheese just isn't exciiting to me. I guess it is the wrong county for a breakfast burrito.

32) Germans don’t tend to jay-walk. And they judge those who do. - Really. I know people who have multiple jaywalking tickets, and people who have been yelled at by other Germans for setting a bad example. I also want to be clear that this applies to a scenario where you would be able to see cars approaching from a great distance and you are basically in the middle of nowhere. The Germans wait. That said, I really appreciate it as a driver. Pedestrians are never in your way.

55) They don’t tend to go to the shops in trackpants and slippers. I do. I think they suspect I am a homeless person with a penchant for Quark. - I hate this. I am not one for getting dressed or putting myself together. Yet I feels svery self-conscoius walking out of the pants in sweats, or even yoga pants. They are getting to me!

59) They are similarly distrustful of any bread in a sliced-form. This is relegated to the toaster (‘toast brot’) and sandwiches made with sliced bread enjoy a disproportionately small section of the bakery display. - Oh how I  miss delcious soft sandwich bread. It was actually in the "pro" list for moving to Amsterdam. They are all about bakery fresh soft sandiwch bread. I once went to a bakery here and asked for sandwich bread, and they looked around at the bakery ful lof freshly baked (hard) breads like I was crazy.

78) Germans are bizarrely wary of drinking tap water. - I find it so frustrating when you ask for tap water at a restaurant and they simply won't give it to you. They might even tell you that they don't have any. Bottled water seems like huge waste of resources to me, especially when the standards for tap water in Germany is that it must be safe for a baby to drink.

98) Germans actually, largely, respect ‘Quiet Time’ on Sundays, when they don’t vacuum, use lawn mowers or other loud appliances and generally keep noise levels to a bare minimum. In some parts, an unspoken evening Quiet Time is enforced, via disapproval or neighbourly note leaving. Please note church bells are exempt from all Quiet Times. - Yeah, well, I have written about this before. Same goes for holidays. It has its charm, and its inconvenience. We'll see if we miss in Amsterdam.

I wish I had time to add some of my own to the list...Maybe I'll get there in the next week or so before we head out. When you are an expat, your life experiences suddenly take place in a culture and (maybe) language that is not your own. It is hard to not always reflect on how life is different from the one you are used to. I have found living abroad to be mostly fun and exciting, but definitely filled with challenges and frustrations. But we're doing it again - and that's saying something!

A houses full of memories

Leaving Düsseldorf is sad for me for so many reasons. I really like our life here. I have an amazing network of friends that have made this city my home, that have helped me through the challenges of living in a foreign country, that have kept me sane as a mother, and that have always been there to help in a pinch. I have moved a fair amount, and started over often. I feel like we nailed it on this one, and again we say goodbye.

Düsseldorf itself isn't a glamorous place to live, but it's a great place to live. Not too big, not too small. Parks for the children around every corner. A few restaurants that aren't German. Easy to get around. Safe. It's nice here. And I was just getting a hang of that whole language thing too...

Looking around our apartment, with everything in boxes, I am overwhelmed with memories. This is Simon's first home. He wasn't born here, but he's really been here his whole life.

The first time he turned over...when he started crawling...his first steps...first words...all took place in this space. As I sit here typing I look to my right and can clearly picture him walking in holding a glass measuring cup he had found in a drawer, then proceeding to drop it and fall all in one motion, his hands landing on the broken pieces of glass. He still has a small scar on his finger where he had the deepest gash.

At the ER - no stitches, but he looked badass with his bandage.

As everything is packed into boxes and hauled away, this is less and less our home. It is the people I share this space with that make it home, and that is not changing. While we may be leaving, I know that we will still have these memories to cherish, we can tell Simon all about the town and country he will hardly remember. And now we are off to make new memories - in SE Asia and then Amsterdam!