Parents, The Unconventional Backpacker

Not sure if it’s just because we’re getting old and jaded, but some of the backpackers that we’ve been encountering in Thailand have been really pissing us off with their ignorance and self absorption.  Sure backpackers by and large are young and usually 20-something out to discover the world.  And 20-something’s can be (but of course not always!) by definition, ‘self absorbed’, but whatever happened to being socially aware and socially sensitive.  How and why do you travel if you aren’t interested in any of this?  We had 2 minor incidences so far,

The Royal Elephant Karaal, Ayutthaya

Some of the elephants at the karaal

Back at the end of 2001, Jim and I read about the Royal Elephant Karaal in Ayutthaya and had a chance to visit.  We remembered it as a special place where it was very low key, un-touristy and best of all, you could get up close and personal with these amazing animals.  So on this trip, we wanted to share this with the girls. We rented some bicycles in Ayutthaya and rode the 3km or so out to the karaal.  The elephant karaal was just as we’d remembered it, but even better.

A Tale of Two Days: Kanchanaburi

It was just one of those days where pretty much the only thing that went right was breakfast; after that it was pretty much a disaster! We had great plans and good intentions, but it just wasn’t meant to be.  We did however all survive it in one piece and in surprisingly good spirits with no injuries so all in all, it could have been worse!  

After breakfast we set out on foot

City Life: KL to Bangkok

Our travels have stepped up a notch.  Our time in Bali was consciously low-key, keeping mostly with Maddy and Yasmine’s regular eating and sleeping routine as at home. We weren’t overly ambitious with our day, enjoying a mellow eat/swim/eat/sleep/eat/swim sort of day.  But now we’ve exchanged the idyllic ‘vacation-pace’ of Bali for bustling city-life.  Needless to say, the transition has made it a busy week,

Bali: The Good, The Bad, & The So-So

Our time here in Bali is at its end and our overall conclusion of the island is a positive one.  There’s certainly plenty on offer here, from trekking, to diving to adrenaline sports like river rafting and mountain biking, to shopping, or to enjoy the cultural offerings although traveling with young children has certainly limited our options.  Nevertheless, we did thoroughly enjoy our time here, but for probably different reasons than most.  

Three Weeks On, So How Are The Girls Travelling??

It’s been 3 weeks since we left Australia, so how are the girls adjusting to life on the road??  Much to our delight and surprise, Maddy and Yasmine are handling it very well.  Naturally, there are challenges but also we are seeing the reward already too.

Choosing Bali as a first stop has worked out very well.  Although there is much to see and do here,

Guest House Friendships

One of the best things about travelling is the other travellers that you meet and if you’re lucky, often the most obvious place that you make friends is at the guest house/hostel/pension which you are staying at.