What to bring: The first aid kit

Its been a slow blog week. Sorry. Mainly because I have been affected by some sort of bug that has left me lethargic with tummy pains. Luckily I have turned the corner. But as I reached for some paracetamol out of the first aid kit, I got thinking…

What should you take in your travel first aid kit? (with kids)

Some of you may be curious.

Firstly, let me start by saying that I realise now that we are here that I was a bit OTT. We actually live on a street with a pharmacy downstairs. And across the road from a hospital. However, when I packed my travel kit I didn’t know this. And to give myself credit. I was also thinking about when we go away, especially to more remote places.

This list is not researched, and probably not comprehensive, but it gives you an idea of what I thought was important to take when I decided to head abroad to a developing country with a 2 year old.

Pain:

We brought infant paracetamol and ibuprofen with us. One of those went with us in out carry on bags, and on any trip away from home for weekends. You are unlikely to be able to find a 24 hour pharmacy anywhere, especially in a foreign country. And paracetamol always seems to be needed at 2am more often than during the day.

Tummy stuff:

I bought over soooo much oral rehydration solution/ hydralyte/ gastrolyte. If your child does get a case of gastro you will go through this stuff quickly. I went for the sachets you put into drinking water rather than the dissolvable tablets or actual liquid for weight purposes. Again this stuff comes with us on weekend trips away. It is also something that I envisage we will be using at some point in our stay as diarrhea is one of the more common things a 2 year old anywhere will get, especially in overseas countries.  FYI you can make your own oral rehydration solution and there are numerous websites that list alternatives

I also bought something for nausea and vomiting. Most children with gastro don’t need it. But I know that sometimes everything that goes in can come out again. And this makes rehydration difficult. The medicine of choice in children is ondansetron. Its expensive, and not easily accessible. But I think if you mention it to your travel doctor before you head overseas most would be happy to prescribe it if they know you are travelling with a child. (there are other options for adults) Personally, it was the one medicine that I thought was crucial to get before we came over here.

We also have some loperamide (anti diarrhea medication) with us. This is not for Bea, I would never give it to a kid, but most travellers probably have some in their travel kit. Its good to have up your sleeve if, for example, all three of you are sick simultaneously and someone needs to get on with the caring.

Coughs and colds:

I didn’t bother with cough syrups as these aren’t recommended for kids. The only thing I really give for colds is paracetamol for fever.  The only other thing that I threw in was some organic vapour rub that we had at home that I had used in previous colds and found really useful. (even if it was to make me feel that I was doing more for Bea when she was so miserable.)

Cuts and grazes:

Now this list is definitely not comprehensive but we came laden with different sized bandaids, bandages, and dressing for cuts and grazes of all sizes! I even snuck in some Mickey Mouse bandaids for real emergencies!

Other stuff:

Antihistamine for allergies

Hand sanitiser ( we came with lots because although I’m not a mum who uses this at home, there is a real shortage of taps and water for hand washing over here)

Creams – we came with a selection

-       Anti itch cream such as Stingoes

-       Antiseptic cream for grazes etc

-       Steroid cream- mainly because in Auckland I had terrible hand dermatitis that I thought would be an ongoing problem. Miraculously it has disappeared since we arrived. Yay!

-       That’s all I can think of

Antibiotics

I didn’t bring over any on this trip but that was because I knew we could get some here and that we would mostly be in the same place. However, I have previously travelled with antibiotics and would recommend that if you are going overseas you see a travel doctor and get their recommendation on which ones to take.

Antimalarials:

Again, we didn’t bring any over as thankfully there is no malaria in Vientiane. Again this would be something to consider with your doctor depending on where you are going.

That’s about it. I hope you find it useful. After inspiring you to head off on your next big trip with your kids in tow, I thought I better share some tips of the trade J

Fun on the sand bank

I am slowly getting into the slow pace of weekends in Laos. After months of renovating every weekend, working, and trying to get ready to come over here, the idea of a lazy weekend felt like a distant dream. However, i am happy to report, they have arrived!

Last weekend we took a couple of bike rides, one of which, was down to the sand bank. As we come to the end of the dry season the Mekong river is at its lowest. And with that it is possible to get down onto the banks of the river and the Don Chan island/ sand bar.

We had a great time running around in the sand, making friends with locals, and watching the sunset. We even dipped our feet into the river.

Toes in the Mekong 

Fun in the sand

Intensity (FYI- watching some 4WD on the sand dunes)

How to occupy a 2 year old: long haul travel

I want to start this by saying that we have an excellent 2 year for long haul travel. I think 2 year olds can be grouped into the “movers” and the “talkers” and although Bea likes to move, she doesn’t fall into that category of being unstoppable.  What can I say, we are lucky.

I remember at some point googling “how to travel with a 2 year old”. Let me tell you, there is lots of information out there. Some really good tips.  And I know some of you reading this have probably done more long haul plane trips than I have.

However, everyone has different ideas, and some ideas will work for some little ones and others it won’t. Here are some of the ones that work for us.

1. Always bring food. Bea seems to eat twice as much on a plane as what she normally would eat. Maybe because she has nothing better to do. I try to pack quite a few of her favourites, as well as a few bonus treats that she wouldn’t normally get. A Vegemite sandwich, cream cheese and crackers, a muesli bar, banana, and some dried or fresh fruit.
2. For take off and landing I always have 2 drink options on standby. This is something I have always done since we first flew with Bea when she was 4 months. I always have some water and some milk. When things are going bad in the ear situation I like to be able to mix it up in the drink department and offer her a few different things. So far (fingers crossed) it has worked.
3. Entertainment. Be prepared. I always try to make a trip to a 2 dollar shop of equivalent to buy something new for each big trip. Something that you can bring out just when your food arrives and you want to occupy them. It doesn’t have to be big, a new book, a small figurine, a new set of crayons. Someone else I know makes play dough. I have even read about some people wrapping old and new toys for the plane just to buy an extra few minutes of time occupied. A good idea. Here is a previous plane present that was a lot of fun, and here is one that we got given. 
4. Books. Bea loves to read so we also pack about 5 small, paperback books. We have recently come across the mini Dora books which have been fantastic for travel purposes.
5. Extra clothing. I have never thought of Bea as being a good enough sleeper that I could get her changed into PJ's on a flight, give her nighttime ritual and she would fall asleep. This is the reason why I have never bothered with pajamas. However, I do always make sure I have a spare set of clothes, warm socks, and I bring a pashmina. If you haven't discovered Lamington socks before, given them a go, they are fantastic. Pashminas or scarves are great for all manners of things, a pillow, warmth, something to pad out the hard bits on a seat. The last flight we did I strung it up over the top of the seats to block out the cabin lights.
6. Headphones. A few plane trips ago, maybe when Bea was about 18 months, we purchased a pair of kids headphones for the flight. The plane ones never work, and we figured we had enough travel ahead of us to justify the purchase. The first few times she hated it, but now she loves them. She even wears them at home now with her music.
7. Extra wipes. Planes involve more mess, more spills, more crumbs than usual. Or maybe it is just that the mess is concentrated in one spot. Regardless I always seem to use a lot more wipes on a flight than usual.
8. A flexible attitude. Go with the flow, take a deep breath and try to relax. I try to think of the flight from Bea’s perspective. She sees it as an opportunity to have one on one time with her parent without them running off to do something and with lots of exciting games and TV shows in front of her. It’s exciting, far too exciting to sleep. Try to let them enjoy it.

                  Planes are too exciting for sleep- so i'll sleep when i get off! (At Vientiane airport)

      What are your favourite travel ideas? Please share if you have some other good ideas or tips, we have a few long flights and minivan trips ahead of us!

       Melinda xx

Its getting hot here

We researched a lot of things about Laos before we accepted the position for the year.  It’s always good to do your research. And we knew it would be hot. What we didn’t realise was just how hot.

I had always thought of Laos as being up in the highlands, up in the area of northern Thailand, and hence, a bit cooler than other parts of South East Asia. Oh, how ignorant I was!

When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised by how “cool” it was. However over the last 2 weeks or so it is really starting to heat up. I’ve noticed each day the aircon is getting turned on a fraction earlier, and we are craving fresh fruit shakes.  

It’s relentless. 38 degrees, or so every day. And humid. Locals keep telling us it is hot, which at least makes us feel that it isn’t just a “falang” thing. I am seriously considering the use of an umbrella to provide some shade while I walk.

The other thing that has surprised us is the haze. I never really out the concept of smog and Vientiane together. There aren’t that many cars. It’s not that big of a city. But it is hazy. You can look straight at the sun at any time of day. The sky is never blue. It’s strange. People have told us it is the rice field burning that occurs at this time of year, and the dust.

Apparently we have another month of this. Relentless heat and humidity. However the last few days the sky has been slightly less hazy, the humidity in the morning slightly greater, and a few locals have commented on the possibility of rain. I’m not sure if it will actually happen, but I have never been so hopeful for a thunderstorm before. Here’s hoping it brings a slightly cooler temperature, and a little slice of clear sky.

Elephant Festival

Imagine this. You have been in a new country for 3 weeks and get asked if you would be interested in going to an Elephant Festival.

You ask, "Whats an elephant festival?"  A 3 day festival celebrating the contribution of these beautiful animals to Laos. A festival involving 65-70 elephants from around the country all displayed in the same place.

Then you ask "Where is it?"  Well, its a 7-8 hour mini van ride away.

Gulp. That's a looong time in a van with a 2 year old. But this 2 year old loooves elephants.

We ummed and argued but in the end decided we are only here once and we should go for it. And I'm so glad we did!

To summarise the few days there were 2 long mini van rides, both surprisingly easy because Bea has the knack now for long distance travel. (with a little help our travel friend Mr iPad) There were only 2 mini melt downs, one involving a squat toilet, the other that the only food on the menu was noodle soup.

The festival was held in the town of Sayaboury. It's not a tourist town. You can't get fresh milk, there are no western conveniences. And we only found one western toilet. We were staying in the house owned by a colleague because all the guest houses were full. So it was hot, and not at all like a hotel, but it was fun. Her family were wonderful to us, and loved Bea. In fact everyone in the town loved Bea and everywhere we went we were followed by a chorus of "Falang Noi" (little foreigner).

As for the festival, it was pretty spectacular. There were 65 elephants and they were all dressed up in hats and had decorated tails and trunks. There were elephants rides and Mahout demonstrations and then on the second day there was a big parade. The elephant parade was amazing, but there was also people from all the provinces dressed in traditional clothing. At the end of the parade there was a Baci ceremony, blessing the elephants.

Bea loved it. we loved it. And despite the creature comforts, long bus ride, and the fact that we had only been here in Laos for 3 weeks, we were so pleased that we had had the adventure.

Here are some of the highlights:

                               The house                                 First look at the elephants

                  Fascinated by the poo                           And No. 65 elephant- the baby!

                                   Falang Noi - and her teenage fan club!

                                          Balloons everywhere!

                                           

The beautiful elephants

The music and costumes

Getting around town

 I spent a lot of time thinking about transport in Laos. In particular, how we would transport Bea around town.

Without a car the options included: bicycle, walking, motorbike, or tuk tuk. We crossed motorbikes off the list pretty quickly because although it is the norm here to have 2 year olds holding onto their parent’s backs on bikes, it seemed a little daunting.

                                                              Tuk tuk ride

Bicycle was definitely something that we were keen on but couldn’t decide if we should take a bike seat to Laos with us, or just risk that we could get one here. Luckily that risk paid off

And then there is always walking. But how to get a toddler around? For anyone who knows Bea they will know that she loved her buggy.  Most people would have enjoyed the company of Joff and I at a lunch, dinner or BBQ with Bea asleep in her buggy. Even at 2 years of age. So the thought of giving up on it was a bit scary. No buggy, no sleep? Time would tell.

In the end after much deliberation (probably more than I would care to admit), we decided to come without a stroller of any size and just bring a “carrier”. So far so good. Bea likes the carrier (most of the time) has managed to sleep in it, and although it is hot and heavy, it is definitely well supported and works for us.

                                                                 Carrier in action 

                                                 Yes it is hot here in Laos

Could a stroller have been useful here? Sure. For some parts of the city where the footpaths are of good quality. But on the whole there would have been a whole lot of lifting it up and down curbs and over rubble.