Trip review: Vang Vieng

The end of last week brought 2 unexpected developments:

1.     The Laos celebrate International Women’s Day and have made it a public holiday

2.     Apparently the public holiday was supposed to be on Monday 10^th, but the government changed it to Friday instead. Go figure!

Anyway, it seemed like too good of an opportunity to get out of town and explore Vang Vieng.

Many people have heard about Vang Vieng- the backpacker parties, the tubing and tubing “accidents and injuries”. That obviously wasn’t what we were going for with a 2 year old in tow. It was the other things that attracted us- limestone cliffs, kayaking, cave exploring, and some general relaxation. The added bonus was that by Laos standards it was close and the road was good. Only 160km away. 

It was a great trip; close, easy, varied. We came up with a new car game: spot the monk. I think Laos is one of the few countries where this game works!

We decided to give kayaking a go. We figured that Joff had enough experience that if I had to hold Bea onto the kayak while he paddled we would manage. We chose a company that had very small life jackets (that actually fit Bea) and set off for the 8km journey. Bea probably slept for half of it. The other half she spent trying to paddle, looking at the people swimming and diving for fish, and singing along. It was great.

The other activity was visiting 2 of the more popular caves. They were really incredible and Bea LOVED it. She loved that it was dark and slightly scary and spent some of her time in the second cave reciting “We’re going on a bear hunt.” Very cute.

I think we will be back. 

8 reasons to travel with a 2 year old

When we told our family and friends about our plans to move to Laos, there were mixed reactions.

I would say people fell into three main categories:
A. Absolute encouragement
B. Concern about what could or would happen
C. Bring thrilled but also wishing they were doing something similar

I want to focus on group C.

It seems there are a lot of people who would like to pack up their house and their kids and travel to exotic locations and experience the world. But most people are just not quite sure how to do it. In the final weeks before we left the number one thing people would ask was "are you going to write a blog?" This was usually followed by a statement that they were really interested to hear about the adventures and the challenges to work out if they could do a similar thing.

I plan to post more on the subject over the next few weeks but before i do i wanted to start with 8 reasons why i thought now was the perfect time to travel. And why travel with a 2 year old is brilliant.

1. They are portable. They can sleep in your arms, a stroller, a child carrier, a plane, a van, in your bed, in their own bed.

2. They are toilet trained (well some are). Having a child in nappies definitely adds an extra dimension to travel and luggage.

3. They still think their parents are the coolest people in the world. Bea would like nothing more than to hang out with Joff and I all day and play. And she is getting to do that a lot more here than she was back at home. She also didn't have to say goodbye to her best friends.  WE are her best friends.

4. Toddlers pick up every little detail. For anyone who has a toddler you will understand this. A walk up the driveway can take 10 minutes because they stop to notice a rough piece of ground, a leaf, an insect, and unusual sign on the side of the road. Try moving to another country. They are taking in so much of the small stuff that it is brilliant to be there and appreciate it as well

5. They like simple foods. Most places in the world you can get all of the toddler essentials. We came with a stock of familiar foods to help us get through the first few days but Bea has taken to noodles and sticky rice like a pro!

6. They can pick up new languages quickly. Within 24 hours of us arriving Bea had grasped hello and thank you. Within the first few weeks she was counting to 10 in Laotian. They are sponges!

7. They may not remember the experience but it will shape who they become. Exposure to different sights, cultures, languages and experience will only encourage their development into well adjusted, intelligent, global citizens.

8. They are the ultimate ice breaker. Trying to meet locals? Take a toddler. They are intriguing to everyone, they want to play with the local kids as they see no barriers to culture or language, and they give you a great talking point.

There you have it! My 8 reasons why now is a great time to move overseas. I would be interested to hear what other people think on the topic.

Melinda xx

First Tuk Tuk ride!

Adjusting to new things

Bea never fails to amaze me.
She may be just over 2 years of age but she is wise. And she takes everything in.

There have been a few things this week that have shown me that she is getting used to the idea of living in Laos.

1. I was playing pretend shop with her and her currency has changed. In Auckland i would buy an "ice-cream" (usually a piece of tanbark at the playground) and it would cost me "4 dollars" Yesterday, i got a strawberry ice-cream (a rock) and it cost me "um, 20 thousand". Here's hoping it was kip and not dollars.

And this coming from someone who doesn't even handle money!

2. Today she asked me what her name was in Laos. "Mummy, what is Bea in Laos" I responded that it was bea. She then asked what bird was… The first few words she wanted me to look up in the Laos dictionary FYI….      Bird,   Dinosaur,   Curtain,   Hand,   Balloon. A prize for anyone who can goes how they are related.

3. She has started saying "mum look there's a mozzie" and "the power has come back on"

4. She now grasps the concept of drinking water Vs tap water

Anyway, she amazes me with how quickly she is picking up everything even when i knew how adaptable she could be.

Buddha Park

We haven't really got around to doing very many touristy things yet.

I keep seeing the backpackers on their rental bikes, and the double decker buses pulling up outside the various cultural icons and feel a tinge of guilt.

However we did make the trip out to the Buddha Park, about 30mins out of Vientiane. Why? Well it was advertised as an interesting trip out of town and a good place for kids to run around. Sold.

4 weeks in Vientiane

So, here we are.

The blog that i was supposed to start 6 months ago to document how to get ready to move abroad. And the blog i was supposed to start in the month before we left. And the blog that i was supposed to start on arriving.

Those milestones all came and went but here we are now, 4 weeks after arriving in Vientiane writing my very first post.

What to say? So much really. But not all of it can be documented here on day one. So i will start by saying that Vientiane has been good to us so far. We are happy. I'll share with you what our "senses" are experiencing…

Sight:  

Tuk tuk drivers sitting on corners waiting for a customer, Sparrows in cages for buddhist offerings, Street sellers selling mango with chilli dip, Monks

Smell:

A little bit of rubbish, a little bit of exhaust, a little bit of BBQ chicken on the roadside stalls

Hear:

Chanting monks, construction and banging steel, yelping dogs, scooters, laos music

Taste:

Laab, sticky rice, beer lao, croissants, and baguettes

Touch:

Dusty feet on the uneven footpath, craving the feel of the fan or aircon to cool us down, Bea's sweaty forehead or neck as we carry her down the street

Outside our new apartment

Bea loving her new "couch" 

Fruit shakes, sunnies and a vegemite sandwich!

Temple hopping