Progress report: iDo

One month in. Time is really flying. As I start this post I am sitting in a cafe in Vientiane, heading to the airport to move on to Vietnam! Very excited about a new country, although we really loved Laos.

Parenting on the road has pretty much been exactly what we thought it would be, even though we couldn't anticipate the specifics. We get by with just a few matchbox cars, crayons, and an animal card game. He is constantly stimulated by his environment and the never-ending flood of attention, he has no want or need for more toys.



Oh wait. I almost forgot to mention the most important "toy" of all - the iPad. Or the the iPod. Or the iPhone. Whichever he can get his grimy little hands on. We thought a lot about whether we should bring a device for Simon, but we realized that with all the long travel and no breaks for us parents, that it was going to be a very wise decision for us to bring it. And it has been great. We have some games, The Lion King, and a few Sesame Street videos on there and of course of loves them all. Which works very well when we want him to be distracted with it, but not so well when we decide it's time to turn it off.

Sleep works wonders.

We established some general rules that we stick to, and they kind of work. On planes, trains, and buses he can watch and play all he wants. Martin and I need a break too, and traveling can be stressful, so we have just made that one clear. Other than that, we let him use it only occasionally. When he's really tired, for example, given that it's our fault. We also bringit with us to dinner some times, just in case things get ugly. I hate thinking that I am one of those parents, but then I realize that we parents shouldn't be so hard on each other. Just because my son is watching The Lion King at the dinner table doesn't mean that I'd tuned out and uninvolved. It doesn't matter what the people sitting next to us thinks - they would probably think much worse of us if Simon were screaming "watch lion king." Then again, maybe not. Either way, it works for us. :)

In general, we are dealing with a bit more screaming and tantrums than usual. They are a little harder to deal with because we aren't home and are just out of our normal routines. But when he's well rested, we usually get by pretty well. He's becoming an independent little man with a will of his own right before our eyes! Raised on Apple, he's always saying, "iDo" or " iPush" or "iEat"...you get the picture.

Taken by Simon! Pretty handy guy to have around.

Most importantly, we are still having fun!!

 

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A really good day in Luang Prabang

We ended up spending 6 nights in Luang Prabang, our first stop in Laos. Luang Prabang is a small, charming town located on the banks of the Mekong River. Because of the French influence in Laos (France became was the protectorate from 1887-1945) there is a European influence to the architecture and the food. There's bread - lots of bread! A nice break from the rice, although I have to say I am not getting sick of the food here at all.

I am not even really sure how we spent all those days there. We started off slow, just walking around the city and getting a feel for it. It rained the first few nights, which also slowed us down as we were hesitant to plan a big outing if the weather was going to turn on us. We managed to get out and do some things including Tat Kuang Si, a beautiful waterfall 32 km outside of town. We also climbed Phu Si, the large hill in the middle of the town that is scattered with beautiful temples, Buddhas, and a "Buddha footprint." We took a memorable boat trip up to Pak Ou caves. The scenery along the Mekong was beautiful, the cave was much less so. But totally worth the trip as a way to get out of town and enjoy the scenery, especially with a toddler. Ad we got up early to see hundreds of monks clad in their bright crimson robes collecting alms.

After our boat ride on the Mekong.

And since it's always good to end on a high note, we saved the best for last. The sun was truly shining for the first time in days as we headed off to our elephant trekking tour. Simon was in great spirits as he anticipated riding the elephant. We weren't really sure if he would be excited when we actually got to the elephants (as happened with the camels) but we were hopeful as neither of us wanted to miss out on this experience.

As we climbed onto our chair on top of Mae San, our 38 year old female elephant, Simon was a bit hesitant but once he realized both Mama and Pappa were getting on, he was excited too. The whole family was safely aboard, riding the elephant along with her mahout (trainer) down a steep hill and into the river. It was a relatively smooth ride, I guess because elephants are so large it was sort of a gentle sway rather than a bounce. So when the mahout asked if we wanted to ride her bareback on the neck, I just couldn't pass it up.

It was one of those experiences where I just couldn't stop smiling. Martin was behind me getting jealous, so we switched things up and Martin rode. It was really fun to feel the elephant moving beneath you, and Simon was cheering us on the whole time. It was such a memorable experience.

Next we took a boat ride up the river to Tat Sae, another beautiful waterfall. Simon splashed around and jumped from a small rock into the beautiful blue water. He cheered Pappa on as he jumped about 2 meters from a cascading waterfall. It was his first cliff jump ever! I flew in on a rope swing. Fun!

Martin's splash after his big jump.

Back to Luang Prabang for naps so that we would be well rested for the Luang Prabang Film Festival. It was the first day of a 5 day film festival, showcasing 28 feature length films from SE Asia. Right up my alley! An outdoor movie theater was created in the handicraft market area, perfect for Simon to run around while we staked out some seats waited for things to get started.

Simon had a personal screening of The Lion King.

Not surprisingly the audio for the first film was not so working, so they skipped the Lao film and moved onto a Thai documentary called The Cheer Ambassadors. It was fabulous! I highly recommend it. The unlikely story of the Thai cheerleading team stealing the hearts of fans at the 2009 world championships. It was the perfect end to a perfect stay in Luang Prabang.


Next stop Vang Vieng!

 

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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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I think I'm alone now

I am really trying to catch up with our Chiang Mai blog posts, but felt an urge to write a quick post about what is gong on right now. I am alone. In Luang Prabang. Sitting on a small terrace overlooking the Mekong. This is significant because the only other time I have been alone on this trip is when I went for a massage, with Simon watching The Lion King (he thinks he's Simba) and Martin reading.

The combination of Martin's back pain and Simon's tummy problems has meant a lot of work for this mama. Martin hasn't been able to help very much, so I have been on 24/7. That's all the carrying, pushing and those nasty diapers. So I need a break. And I am enjoying it.

I have spent the last hour walking around Luang Prabang without anyone asking me to carry them, or for ice cream. In fact, no one has asked anything of me. Glorious! The truth is, I have taken 2 backpacking trips in my life, Peru for one month and Mexico for 2 months, and these were both solo adventures. I spent my time as I pleased, planning only for me and the things that I wanted to do. My mind was not cluttered with worrying about others needs and whether they were hungry or tired or had sunscreen on.

This trip is nothing like those old days, and it takes some time to adjust. I read through the guide books, making mental notes of things I want to do and see. But then I remember that it's not just me, and that we have a little guy in tow that can't keep up with it all. And we have to plan accordingly. This trip has a different pace and a different purpose. We are seeing and experiencing the world together, as a family. I can hold off on trekking and rafting until next time.

I also remind myself that in traveling with a toddler we, too, are experiencing our travels differently. We are slowing down, doing things that might not have been on our radar if it was only Martin and I. (Such as the Chaing Mai Zoo, for example.) We also experience Simon's reaction to all of these new experiences, as well as our own. Feeding the hippos and the elephants at the zoo with Simon is an amazing memory for me.

I am very happy to be traveling with my family, and grateful for moments of solitude when I can reflect on and savor those moments.

 

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Progress Report: Life on the Road with a 2 year old

So far I have been describing mostly what we have done, but I thought some of you might be interested in what life is actually like on the road. I decided that it would be fun to post periodic progress reports on life on the road. More of the day to day stuff. So here's the first one!

Simon passed out in the songtow

We never had any illusions that traveling with a 2 year old would be easy. We have traveled a fair amount with Simon, but a 4 month backpacking trip is unlike anything we have ever done, with or without a 2 year old. Usually we only minorly disrupt his routines and naps, so things go pretty smoothly. This trip is a little bit different...

Routines went out the door the day we left. Naps have been sporadic and bed times range from 8pm to midnight. This has been a really big challenge. It's not always feasible to come back in the middle of the day for a nap, it can make it hard to get out and do other things. This was especially true in Dubai and Bangkok where I think the only naps he got were in strollers or on car rides. I remember he fell asleep for the whole car ride out to our desert safari, a huge relief or it could have been a very ugly evening.

In Chiang Mai things have improved. Because he was sick, we slowed our pace significantly and made sleep a big priority. We are out of the big cities, so things aren't so far away and it's easier to do things for a half day. These last few days we have made naps a priority, and done only one thing each day, either morning or afternoon so that he gets his sleep (and recovers). It seems to be going much better.




Martin and I are also learning to adjust and manage our expectations. We don't have fun when Simon's not happy, so we have to plan around him. That said, we don't want to be cooped up in hotel rooms every afternoon while Simon sleeps, we want to unwind and enjoy some time without him. This has worked out splendidly here in Chiang Mai, as the guest house we are staying at has a great pool and common area to lounge around in. As a result Martin and I have enjoyed a few afternoons reading by the pool, and evenings drinking beer with new friends.

Our tip to fellow family travelers is to plan rest days. We need them as much as Simon. A big bonus for parents is to make sure that you can enjoy the down time a bit on your own terms as well. If you want to curl up and nap, great! But find a place where everyone is cozy, or take turns with your spouse to get out and enjoy wherever you are without a kid in tow.

Lesson learned: Sleep, sleep, sleep!

 

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