Obsessional fever pitch! When I used to travel for extensive periods of time there simply wasn't the time to plan and anticipate in the same way...so I guess this a side-effect of more prescribed travel periods, which elevates their importance. Time leads to planning. Planning leads to anticipation. Anticipation leads to fever!
Child discrimination while travelling? Absolutely! We've been discriminated against as foreigners, backpackers, a couple, as tourists and now as a family. And yet we've also been favoured in each and every one of those categories... Just gotta flourish those smiles and roll with it!
Milez of Smilez! Yes, I've heard of these rather insincere Thai smilez. But then again, perhaps they do coat the process of being screwed over better than screams or worse, which happens in other cultures. So glad you found your paradise, even if it's been recorded only in the cells of your being and not here on TB. Glad you got all these great photos before your fancy-dancy camera pooped out. My problem is that I'm a backpacker, but I love the solitude and space of your undeveloped, quiet, pockets of paradise. But hey, there's bound to be a little island like that for me, so you've assured me. I'm counting on it!
Milez of Smilez! Many of the smiles have turned to snarls down through the years, but that is inevitable. Thailand may no longer offer that quiet undeveloped pocket of paradise on a backpacker budget. But fortunately - if you are interested - I know of a few places which still can.
Paradise is subjective :) There is an island out there that's perfect for everyone. Ultimately what makes Thailand so successful as a tourist destination is that it knows how to cater to the widest variety of people. Oh, that “F*** you” smile...we've used that a few times over the years ;).
Paradise is subjective :) You got it! And the Thais are incredibly accommodating to tourist demands. I'd like to think that there was an island out there for everyone too, but with unabated tourist demand it may start to get a little crowded and people may have to start rubbing shoulders with an increasingly myriad array of wants and desires. Or else the global culture will see our needs converge making our uniform desires easier to accomodate - though not necessarily easier for everyone to get along!
Inspiring travel tourist! i was amazed the way you wrote about different places and inspired to do the same. good luck on your next travel and waiting myself to read.
The King-Father of Cambodia Not surprised. You strike me as a barriers-jumping kinda guy Jason. Always nice to be present as history unfolds. The passing of an interesting man indeed.
Seize the moment Jumping barriers is all in a days work when an opportunity presents itself. If you can't be good be lucky...always good to find yourself in a situation when history unfolds. Very cool. Glad you gave the beaches a go for the kids.
If you can't be good be lucky Fortune favours the brave! When not jumping barriers we generally cater our trips around the well-being of the kids. For example, in Cambodia all the hotels we stayed at had pools and we used private taxi (at not much greater cost to be honest) between all our destinations. We'd likely have done none of those things had we been travelling before we'd had kids. However, we likely still would have hit the beach. So that was a win win!
Respect Top spot at the King's funeral, hacking your way through the Darien Gap, sneaking into the Nuba Mountains, is there anything left to do? Great story, nice to see how the kids are growing up. A few more years and there will be a couple more little aspiringnomads wandering the world and making their way into hard to get places.
Anything left to do? Anything left to do? - Hopefully there are a few more stops on life's journey. As for the little aspiringnomads, history suggests today's popular destinations may well be tomorrow's hard to get places (and vice versa).
Dodging those barriers... Love the foreigner = journalist chance taking. We do things like that all the time! Brilliant that you got a front row spec to witness history. The resort on Koh kong sounds interesting, last time we went to Cambodia the island wasn't open...now there's a nice resort there, it's a much better bet than Sodom-on-Sea as you call it ;)
Sodom-on-Sea Never been myself, but from what I've heard it could well be more interesting than Koh Kong! Anyways, if you are heading back to Cambodia keep your ear to the ground because there are other spots on Koh Kong, and other islands besides, which could open up...even if you have to dodge a few barriers to get there!
Nitpicking Let me preface my nitpicking by complimenting your writing, and your ability to sneak past checkpoints, but it is yin and yang not ying and yang ("Koh Kong was an excellent respite to finish our stay in Cambodia - the ying for all that yang"). For some reason that bothers me, and it was probably just a typo. Keep up the good work and keep travelling.
Nitpicking Does the monkey pick the nits because they bother him, or is it an act of compassion? Actually, I think he eats them! Thanks for spotting it. I'll pluck it out forthwith. Hopefully we got them all this time!
Nitpicking Does the monkey pick the nits because they bother him, or is it an act of compassion? Actually, I think he eats them! Thanks for spotting it. I'll pluck it out forthwith. Hopefully we got them all this time!
Excellent moves 007...and a front seat to all the action I'm always in awe at how effortlessly you travel with the two little ones, who by the way are adorable, and growing fast. Top marks.
D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Obsessional fever pitch
Planning and anticipation enhance the travel. Sounds like you found a little bit of paradise. Loved the smile.