From Point A to Point B

One thing is for certain. When you travel around the world, you're going to see a lot of how the world gets around.

It amazes me on a daily basis the diverse and innovative ways that people use to get from point A to point B. Of course there are all of the usual means of transportation, but even they are not so usual when you see and experience them first hand. Many of these adaptations are subtle - like the taxi meter that runs just a little bit faster than it should, or more obvious - the bus seats that recline further than they should (I've never slept pinned at the knees before).

Note the message on the top of the window... hmmm?

The fun part is all of the transportation that is so different from what you see at home. From incredibly user friendly, high tech and efficient bus systems in Paris to cattle and horse drawn wagons sharing the busy road with every other vehicle. Whole neighbourhoods pile into and onto the truck, van, wagon/ tractor. Everywhere is a seat, or bed for those longer hauls. Livestock is welcome. Seatbelts have long been removed and used for roadside repairs. The horn is a tool for communication and not just a way to tell someone off. Bicycles are still the best way to travel in some regions and in Africa people walk.

Count them - there are six!

The best seats.

The smile tops it all.

Gone is the notion that motorbikes are for the the lone easy rider. Forget doubling. Without alteration 100 cc skooters have seats for six, can be mounted to a comfortable side car for four, pull trailers for people or whatever, carry 60 chickens or four pigs to market or be loaded with any household item you could possibly imagine. Best if the rider has a passenger that can hang onto the said item, though that is not a requirement. We've seen motorbikes hauling everything from artwork to beds to 20 foot ladders on the busiest of streets in Saigon. Surprisingly, (not really) they can also serve as the mobile kitchen/playpen/family wagon. Oh yeah, they can be offered as taxis to families of four traveling around the world with their backpacks. Granted not on one motorbike (silly) but two... The price was good, but we declined.

Definitely a message here.

Not as common as it used to be.

We've also needed to swallow any notion we have of western safety standards or we would never have left the airport terminal. I can't wait when we get back to Canada and Mima has to sit in a booster seat... that is going to go over well I'm sure. Seatbelts are rare, as are simple notions like passing lanes, driver certification, directions of travel, stopping at red lights (if they exist) or structural integrity (wow, that rust is really strong when reinforced with twine and cowshit). However, we aren't quite ready yet to completely ignore safety. We research bus company reputations, avoid boats retired as worthy fishing vessels just to be used for tourists, actually look to see where the life jackets are and have avoided renting the one motorbike for four.

As we marvel at all of these ways of getting around, we also use them. A quick inventory of modes we have enjoyed/ endured so far include (in no particular order):

• planes (10 so far)
• trains
• automobiles (driven on the left side, right side, from the right side on the right side ...)
• sailboat (thanks GBs, John and Tinushi)
• cable cars
• escalators and elevators (What? ... we don't have them in Rossland)
• tuktuks in Bangkok, Ao Nang, and Siem Reap (no they aren't the same)
• metros above and below ground
• London Eye ferris wheel (does this count? Thanks Granny Bird)
• luxury buses (Turkey - attendants with drinks, snacks, blankies; individual TVs; wifi enroute)
• buses from hell (Egypt - love the videos; Tanzania - 12 hours, one stop, no WC; Cambodia - the above mentioned reclining seats)
• skooters (ridden and rented)
• ATVs
• ferries (Greece - large luxurious; Thailand - not so large nor luxurious)
• fishing boats (large and small)
• bicycles
• kayaks
• camels
• elephants
• back of pick-ups
• safari Land Cruiser
• horses (thanks Auntie Chris, Geronomo, and Marina)
• taxis (from London taxis to
• our legs and feet (the best!!)

Seven months or so into our trip and we think we have seen a lot, but are looking for even more ways the world can show us their transportation ingenuity.

The easy way to get around.

Ramblings of Cambodia

Cambodia is a fascinating country. We have only been here three days and will only be here for two more, for various reasons our visit here is short...mainly time, but here are a few impressions and things I have found noteworthy so far.

Cambodia is a poor country - on the scale of the poorest we have seen to date, perhaps on a level equal to Tanzania. Having said this, the people are happy and their smiles are contagious. They all smile! And the country is safe for travelers.

Siem Reap is far more developed and clean than I would have ever expected; they get over 2 million visitors a year. Tourism is rampant here; however, it is easy to get beyond the facade and see beyond this to the real Cambodia.

Many hostels and restaurants are affiliated with orphanages, NGO's and street kid organisations. In other words, it seems as though much of the tourist development is connected to community development. It is easy to stay and eat where you feel you are making some (ever so slight) positive impact rather than just stay or eat anywhere.

Our kids are learning quickly about the devastating history of Cambodia. Missing limbs and other landmine atrocities are up front and centre. Helping people who are helping themselves by selling goods, entertainment or knowledge is a focus, rather than helping those looking for handouts. It is easy to make a real connection to the saying "Get a Life". In fact many working locals and volunteers promote this saying with the street kids and then actually help to train them in some way.

Landmines are a fact of life - don't stray off the beaten track - even to pee by a tree!

The US$ is the main currency. They have Riel but it is so tied to the $ that you can use the currencies interchangeably. ATM's give US$, if you want Riel you have to go into a bank, get out US$ and then convert it. You can pay with a combination of the currencies and it is not unusual to pay in one and get change back in the other.

Corruption is part of life:

-At the land border crossing (the one we went through from Thailand is known as the most commonly used and most disfunctional) it has become a business to have people pay extra (double the visa cost) and presto you get your visa - or you can take your chances and see who your visa officer is and see if you will a) get your visa without delay (not a likely event) b) pay extra because it is demanded (and get your visa in up to 3 hours) c) pay a lot extra and either get it quickly or in up to 4 hours. We opted to support the local "business man". Probably the wrong thing to do, but at least a Cambodian got paid for a service rather than a paid official getting pocket money. At least that is how we reasoned it to ourselves.

-If you get robbed - expect to pay the local police to fill in a report about the robbery!

The local Tuk Tuk drivers are great - you pay a driver and he is yours for the day and will take you around to any of the sights. Ours, Lee, is funny and friendly. He has been at our beck and call for our whole time here. The key is to get one from the beginning who doesn't try to suck you into an unrealistic price for the day.

Locals are paid small wages... a silk weaver is paid $85 per month. Cost of living is cheap - but gasoline isn't! So the low wages are probably ok ( at some level) if you are content to live very locally. We could all learn a little from this (says she who is traveling far and wide).

One day when we have more time - a year is simply not enough- and are less concerned about sitting on boats or buses for hours, I would like to return to this beautiful country and see more of it. Angkor Wat (and all of the surrounding amazing temples ) are worth a visit by all. I am sure Cambodia has lots more to offer - we will just have to be patient and see it another time.

Elee-phants!

Hi,

Three days ago it was my birthday. I'm 8.  For my birthday we went elephant riding at an elephant rehabilitation centre. First, we helped bathe the elephants. We were on top of the elephant bareback scrubbing it down with brushes.  I love the feel of their thick leathery, rubbery, bumpy skin. But I don't like their thin wirey hair.

Then we rode the elephant.  My elephant was named Sri Nuan. Most of the ride we had to ride on the benches on our two elephants, but for a bit near the end Tias and I got to ride on the neck. Then we fed the elephants. We fed them bananas and I patted their trunks many times. Then we went back to the hotel and to my surprise, there was chocolate cake and flowers waiting for me, Mom, Dad and Tias. It was an awesome birthday.

Emilia

GALOOMP GALOOMP SPLISH SPLASH

Hi everybody,
On my sister's b-day we went elephant ridding! My elephant's name was Kalamae, she was 14 and very naughty.  Dad and I rode on Kalamae. I got to ride on the bench and on her neck! When we were walking with the elephants, my elephant kept stopping and wandering away to find all the food she could.

After we did the walk we fed the elephants bananas as a treat. They were so greedy that when you gave them the banana, they would rip it right out of your hands. Did you know that the elephant has two nostrils like you and I do? Also when were feeding them, Kalamae sneezed on my leg (That's a once in a lifetime experience!). When we were feeding them you could get really close and hug their trunk and look in their mouth.  The two things that I did that were really fun when we were feeding them were touching their smooth ivory tusk and kissing the elephant.

Before we rode and fed the elephants, we helped bath them. You took a brush, went in the water with the elephant, and scratched them all over. Since the elephant is so big, they would make the elephant sit in the water and every now and then they would make the elephant lie right down under the water.  They would say, "Elephant diving elephant diving".

Bye for now
Mattias

ps. the place we went was an elephant rehabilitation centre.

Memories of days / years gone by

I really wasn't sure what to expect coming to Thailand. I had my 20 year old memories of hating the heat, smog and hustle of Bangkok and the fond memories of quiet southern Thailand beaches and rural life of the north. Thailand has changed, but what it has to offer hasn't.

Bangkok has been pleasantly surprising. The hostels offer air con and heated showers(not that you need hot water here), the air is clearer, the people friendly, the sites still amazing and a general safe feeling (knowing of course that scamers are everywhere-but that seems true of everywhere anyone travels these days). Major changes in Bangkok- Khoa San Rd, the alternative and ultimate hippie hang out and hostel area has grown up/gentrified - For better or worse....it has a Starbucks. I think that says it all! Not quite so alternative anymore. Taxis are metered (good if you can get the driver to turn it on). There is a sky train. Road signs are in English and Thai (making finding your way around a lot easier). Travellers Cheques are passé. Travelers and tourists of all types are everywhere. Getting around is easy. Long distance buses are on time, comfy(relatively speaking) and easy to figure out.

In the south, the beaches are still amazing. The difference, they are far more built up. In fact the bungalows of days gone by were mostly wiped out by the tsunami and replaced with cottages out of our budget range. We, however, were able to find one beach not quite resort only and with a five minute walk one is able to leave the crowds behind. Tomorrow we head for a new area, the latest upcoming area, Koh Chang in the Gulf of Thailand, and we hope to get to it before it has really exploded. Fingers crossed.

The North will have to wait a few weeks, until we have been through Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Well, we hope Cambodia....we will wait to see what happens on the borders there. A bit volatile to say the least, but seems to be pretty local.

South Africa - Dogs and Turtles

We are currently in Thailand but I am writing my blog about things we saw in South Africa.

In South Africa we saw a leatherback turtle in Sodwana Bay. She was very very big and was about 60 years old. They lay eggs from age 20-60. In one year one turtle will lay 100-120 eggs 10-12 times and will be lucky if 3 survive in one season. She was so big and strong that if she wanted to she could push you with her fin and you would fall over. We got to touch her shell and feel her eggs. The shell felt leathery and the egg felt hard but if you pushed it, it felt sort of like a big, heavy, soft ping pong ball. After she lays all of her eggs, she lays what are called spacer eggs. They are the unfertilized eggs so they are smaller.

In Kruger National Park we saw the big five. One time we saw the big five ALL IN ONE DAY! Also on that day we saw wild dogs. Wild dogs are very beautiful, they have white tipped tails, very round ears that can turn in all sorts of directions and their fur is white, black and orange. They have long skinny legs and very muscly bodies. They hunt in packs from 2-40 dogs. The dogs are nomadic. One day they will be in the north of Kruger and the next they will be in the south. We saw two packs of wild dogs. One pack of five and one of three. The pack of five we saw first. There was one male and four females. We followed them along the road for about 1 km. Then they went off hunting. It was cool to see what they did. It looked like they surrounded their prey because two went left, two went right and one stayed on the road. Two minutes after they were in the bush an impala came charging across the street and a dog went after it then stopped. It went back into the bush to hunt and that is where we left them.

The pack of three we saw all lying down with blood all over their faces. I couldn't catch the gender because they were lying down. They had blood all over them probably because of a kill they had eaten. We think there were more dogs in the bush eating because a pack of three is very small. They are very much like wolves.

I enjoyed seeing the two new animals in South Africa and hope I will see them again.

Bye everybuddy
Mattias

B Power

Hello!
We are in Bangkok, Thailand at the moment. We flew in yesterday on an eleven hour flight, repeat, eleven hour flight. It was an overnight plane on Thai Airways. Thai Airways is a really nice airway.

First B part - Bangkok
Today since I was so tired from our flight, I slept until 11:30am. Then we had breakfast and headed out. We took a tuk tuk to the river pier to take the ferry across. Across the river, we went to see the Temple of Dawn. At the Temple of Dawn we went up the outside of the tower. We went up the biggest one. The Temple of Dawn is a series of temples. The steps were really really steep so I had to climb them like a ladder. Each step was about one foot high. After that we took the ferry back to the other side and walked to see the Reclining Buddah. The reclining buddah is very, very, very, very big. It's huge, Ginourmous! The pupil was about the size of my head and the nose was as big as my body stretched out with my arms above my head and on tip toes. It was pretty beautiful. Then we explored a bit and took a tuk tuk back.

Photo by Emilia

Photo by Emilia

Tuk tuks are little taxi things that have three wheels. They're crazy. They are crazy because they take so sharp corners they almost tip right over. They are meant to take three people, driver and two passengers that are in the back but we managed to fit 5. The four of us squished in the back and the driver in the front.

The proof is in the side mirrors

Second B part - Birthday
My birthday is coming up in 2 weeks! I'll be turning 8 while we are still in Thailand. We will be on an island in Thailand called Koh Chang and will probably go elephant riding NEAR the beach. I am very excited.

Bye,
From Emilia