It’s 3:00 in the morning, we’ve just finished the last leg of our 18 hour journey, we’ve landed in a foreign country, our minds are as disheveled as our bed head and Jet-lag has become a new four letter word. The thought of smiling was as foreign as the country we were now in – but that was all about to change. Waiting for our bags at the Bangkok Airport my soon to be 2 year old son Gavin had decided that the middle of the walkway was as good as a place to take a nap as any. While I was mortified and trying to maintain some sort of composure, an unusual thing happened. The local staff began surrounding us and smiling saying hello and asking “Can I take a picture?” . “Huh?” I asked. A sweet girl then said – “Of the baby.” I had to giggle, these people we all deeply entertained by my son and his choice to lay down on the floor. Not ten minutes after we had landed Gavin had acquired a fan base. The laughter began to uproar as soon as he realized that if he made a funny face or performed some sort of trick people would laugh. And this was just the start of our journey. Everywhere we went at least 5 people asked if they could take a picture or hold him. While at our hotel in Chiang Mai the girls there came just short of knocking on our room door and asking if Gavin could come out and play. As we drove up the entire staff would run to the van “Gavin!!” they cheered. He would then be whisked away and given candy and toys and delight as the girls all smiled and laughed when he’d perform one of his silly tricks. Not only was Gavin’s picture taken, and gifts were constantly bestowed upon him, he also received three surprise birthday parties! We had cake and candles in Cambodia, cake for breakfast in Krabi and cake for desert in Koh Lanta. Everywhere we went girls surrounded Gavin, I felt like Justin Timberlake’s mother (but much younger!) Now that we are back home Gavin can not quite understand why he can’t illicit the same attention while wandering through the market – although I think he’ll continue to try.
The Circus Comes to Town
Last weekend (sorry, I wrote this awhile ago and have had trouble with uploading, it is more like last month…) we visited Koh Ker, a rural area about 3 hours from Siem Reap were we proudly own 22 hectares of farmland. Brandon wanted to go out to check on his land so I thought he would enjoy having the kids and I tag along and have an adventure. My cousin Tom and his cousin Iona were also visiting so we all loaded up and headed out. Koh Ker is starting to become a tourist attraction because of the pre-Angkorian temples there. I love visiting these temples because they are always empty of tourists and because my magic man is there. The magic man is a legend in Cambodia. Covered in tattoos the story is that he has been blessed and can now repel bullets and mines. He will show you the scars where bullets have burned him, but then bounced off and he will tell you in his own words how he has stepped on land mines twice, both times with those around him dying and him walking away without a scratch. He attributes this to the magic tattoos he has all over his body that protect him. I love seeing him and hearing his stories. Now the head of police in Koh Ker you can usually find him in a hammock outside the main temple where his wife runs a noodle soup shop.
After visiting him and the temples we headed into town. Imagine if Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, David Beckham and Mr. Ed showed up in your town, together. That’s what it’s like showing up in Koh Ker. We took some rooms at the local guesthouse where we were briefed on the 6 to 9 electricity rule. They have electricity from 6 at night to 9 at night, most nights. I took the kids for a walk and let the locals get an eyeful. Most of the kids ran away when they saw us coming, but a few paused on their bikes to watch…they looked ready to pedal like hell if we made any sudden moves. My kids take it all in stride, even lunch and dinner at the town’s “best” restaurant, where the choices were rice or noodles didn’t seem to phase them.
We had a fun night four-across in the bed. We kept the windows opened so when the fan stopped at 9 we had some fresh air, but at about 4 in the morning when the rooster started crowing I actually opened my eyes to make sure he wasn’t in the bed with us! Even Callie rolled over and muttered something about Old McDonald. In the morning we drove out to visit our land and meet the nice family squatting on it. My kids commandeered their kids toys while the Cambodian kids hid. That night we got back to Siem Reap and celebrated with a little AC and our own beds!
From one mother to another.
This is a letter Andrea sent to me regarding my upcoming trip. I found it very helpful and comforting. Although I am terribly excited for our trip, I must admit I have been a bit stressed about traveling with a two year old and fearful of not having our creature comforts readily available. Below is the letter.
Dear April,
From one mother to another: As you get ready for your big trip to Asia next month I wanted to send you some friendly advice mother to mother. For the last two weeks we have been in Vietnam and it has reminded me that traveling can be hard work and traveling with kids can be downright exhausting. Here are some helpful tips that have made this trip go smoother for us and that I wanted to pass on to you, they are in no particular order…
- Start giving Gavin rice with at least one meal a day. My life and traveling with my kids has been made so much easier because they are always happy with rice. It fills them up and while it might not be the most nutritional food in the world, it is great when they are tired, cranky and just need something in their stomach. Rice is always available and can be at the table fast. If we’re running late for a meal I will often ask for the rice as soon as we sit down so the kids have something to snack on while we order.
- Take something with you from home. This trip I brought a jar of Marmite with me because Callie will always eat crackers or toast if I put Marmite on it. Peanut Butter and Jelly would be another option. You can always get bread, and this means you can always make a comfort meal for him.
- Don’t be afraid of room service. Kids can get wiped out traveling and some nights it is good to just stay in, eat dinner and have an early night.
- Bring some treats with you. Callie gets gum on the plane and we have M&Ms in the car, it makes them look forward to the not-so-fun times.
- Everyone is going to touch your baby, it can be tiring, but it is part of the culture. There are a few ways to handle it. When I have a kid asleep in the stroller one of us pushes and ones runs interference (walks next to the stroller and heads off would be cheek pinchers). I also have told Callie to just say, “Please don’t touch me”, at least it gives her a way to ask nicely and has cut down on the screaming. You can be firm, when my kids are tired or just not in the mood I have them walk next to me and just tell people no if they come in for the grab, people look at you like you’re crazy, but the kids get a break. When my kids are happy though they really like the attention and I will let them go and play with waitresses and security guards and other random strangers. I like to keep them in sight, but it’s nice to have a break.
- Asia is grubby, bring hand sanitizer and wet wipes.
- A portable DVD player can be a lifesaver. I travel with my computer so we watch a lot of movies on that, but having a way to watch DVDs in the car or on the plane, or when it’s bed time, it helps bring them down a notch. They are worth the money!
- Fast food is not a sell-out! We ate KFC tonight and it was great. There are McDonalds in Thailand and trust me, you will have enough Thai food and Cambodian food to feel like you did your duty and a night of familiar food can be really good for them.
- Take mental health breaks. I get up early in the morning with the kids and let Brandon rest and then later Brandon takes them to breakfast so I can have some time to myself, this way we both get our time.
- Have fun and don’t stress the small stuff.
Can’t wait to see you in Cambodia!
Andrea… Read more »
Ouch!
Today Chris, Gavin and I went to get a Typhoid vaccine before we go on our trip. Although I’m a grown woman who has endured the pain of childbirth (well, let’s be honest I got the drugs) I still fear the doctor. In the back of my mind I kept saying, “Do I really need to go and get this shot?” And then I heard myself over and over telling guests we do recommend being up to date on your Typhoid vaccine – so the little voice in the back of my brain said ” You need to follow your own advice – silly!” So off to the doctor we went….
When I stepped inside the Travel Medicine office I was pleasantly surprised. It was as if I had walked into Andrea and Brandon’s home or the Journeys Within office. The room was beautifully decorated, with accents of local art and pictures of families traveling all around the world. On the coffee table in the waiting room was the copy of Conde Nast Traveler which Journeys Within was featured in (like that?!). I was instantly calmed and actually excited to meet the person who would be piercing my skin with a very sharp needle and injecting me with a dead virus (yes, I’m always this dramatic).
The Dr. came out of her office and welcomed us with a hug and excitement to hear more about our upcoming plans to visit Thailand and Angkor Wat – a place she said “she hopes to visit sometime very soon”. Of course I indulged her with our day by day itinerary and went on and on and on and on, but she actually seemed to be very interested (I liked her!). She kindly went into details about how to make our trip more enjoyable and healthy. Some things I had heard before – for example bring mosquito repellent, and some things I hadn’t heard – for example, apply sunscreen first and then apply bug repellent and also to bring diaper rash cream for Gavin (so happy she told me this).
Next came the shots – eek! Being a brave little soldier I went first. I pretended to not be afraid and continued chatting about my trip (as talking is something I can do no matter what the distraction) while she proceeded to stick a giant needle in my arm. I still pretended to be brave as I didn’t think it would be exceptionally helpful if I screamed in pain just before Chris and Gavin received their shots. Next Chris got his shot in his giant manly arms (I have a big crush on my handsome husband). Last it was Gavin’s turn. Dr. Vivian asked me to lean over Gavin and hold him down while she gave him the shot (apparently she has dealt with quite a few wiggling and screaming toddlers…). I leaned over Gavin and prepared to be a sad mommy as my son received a painful shot. Here came the countdown “One, two, three!” and the needle went in. Cue screaming baby. Not exactly. Gavin went on chatting about the book he had read today (in his little toddler language that few people actually understand) and didn’t flinch – not even for a second. “He’s the best toddler I’ve ever met,” said Dr. Vivian. I knew this lady was smart 🙂 – ha ha ha!
So I must admit, after all my fear and build up of anticipation, getting our shots was an almost pleasant experience. Let’s be honest, we all got shots and my arm hurts today – so it wasn’t like going and getting ice cream, but it wasn’t bad either.
ummmm….. ice cream…
… Read more »