fantastic travel notes, have enjoyed them so much. Felt that I was travelling with you. Many thanks for sharing these stories . Hope settling in at home is not too difficult -no bamboo train to take the children to school!
wonderful stories, the best entertainment , a continual chuckle. Admire your stamina to keep going and not stay on at one of the idyllic islands you have visited.
Ben, you old vietnam hand... Forgot you had been there done that. Great to hear from you from the equally exotic locale of Randalls Bay. We crossed from Laos into Cambodia and have just spent 5 days on a tropical island in southern Cambodia. Back in PP now about to head off and get Wat overdose in Angkor Wat. Stay tuned for more of the agony and the ecstasy of travelling with kids...
Hi Vic Great to hear from you. No, not in the least bit scary! Still having a great time, although the kids are getting a bit travel weary. They will be glad to be home. A few big things to see yet though, notably Angkor Wat. Heading there tomorrow. Glad we missed 40 degrees (almost). It's cooler here at a balmy 33. Just spent 5 days on a tropical island so we can't complain. Milla will be keen to get back to school again and share some of her adventures.
Hi from a Margate teacher Greetings...Fabian and Tully's mum mentioned your blogname and so I found myself googling and finding you. Hopefully this does not scare you witless but I love to hear travel stories and feel lucky to have taught Milla for a chunk of 2009. You are all doing wonders facing up to many challenges each day. Have enjoyed reading many tidbits going back to the start of this amazing family adventure and hope you are about to resurface with time to blog some more. We too have had very close to 40 degrees (New Years Eve and once more recently), with spectacular lightning now and then. Last night we had our own mini-fountain deep in the 'burbs of Kingston (outside our home) as rain fell incredibly suddenly and heavily and storm water drains did not cope! The Council were amazingly prompt to correct things and also Southern Water came out to check on their bits of the street plumbing. Anyway, today is mild cool and settled making last night's drama seem like a dream. I'm guessing lots of your travel feels dreamlike too. Keep loving the great bits, look after each other some more and a huge "hi" to Milla from me. Till next we meet.....x Ms E.
Hi Stephen and Julie. Lucky you in Sapa. Very Jealous. But you probably home now...> I also liked the pancakes in Sapa but the scenery and people also pretty good. but that was all too long ago.
Hope you well, Ben Oquist at Randalls Bay
Hi Carole and Harley Thanks for your message. We are all very well despite the odd bug here and there. We've actually had next to no problems on the health front (thus far) which is a minor miracle. Particularly given that we have hired motorbikes at least 6 times! In Cambodia now with the weather reliably hot and muggy. Stay tuned for more quirky tales.
lots of love to everyone at home
Steven
So enjoyable! Hello from the Goff/Doyle household. Enjoying reading about your travel so much. We so look forward to it. So sorry about the bugs you have been experiencing - oart and parcel of travelling I guess. Your adventures sound wonderful and the children will have memories for a lifetime about this family time in foreign lands. Steve, I think your writings would make a wonderful entertaining book for anyone to read. Love to You all. Please keep writing and stay well. Love Carole and Harley
Hi Russ and Gwen I don't believe for a minute that your travels are anything but fantastic. The Lansburys have long been an unending source of inspiration on the travel front. The Yucatan must be amazing. Look forward to swapping travel tales next time we meet.
Currently in crumbling colonical Kratie on the mighty Mekong in the middle of Cambodia. The kids' first land border crossing this morning from Laos was a breeze and the Cambodian buses an unexpected delight. We even arrived in Kratie early !!
more entertaining adventures Dear Steven and Julie and family
We are reading your wonderful stories whilst we are in the Yucatan, Mexico visiting Mayan ruins -makes our travels pàle in comparison! Love the stories,they must go into a book, best wishes, Gwen and Russ
Hi Steph Thanks for the message. Yeah, we're having a great time (most of the time). Currently slobbing it for a few days on one the Four Thousand Islands in the Mekong in Southern Laos. Gorgeous place, gorgeous friendly people. So laid back here it is positively horizontal.
We have had our share of mini meltdowns but overall the kids have been great. Boy is it a different gig to travelling on your own... But then you would know that. I thought I knew it too but I have learnt heaps along the way. Looking forward to home even as we are loving every minute of being here. lots of love to you all. Steven
how divine... Oh, I am so enjoying travelling vicariously through you all. I imagine it is not ALL wine and roses, but it is looking pretty peachy from here!I feel like I am watching R,M and J growing before my eyes. They are definitely looking more worldly! Happy 2010 to you five from us four. I can't wait for the slide night when you return. Stephi xxx
Laos Hi Chaffers
We were very excited to hear your news from Laos- before we are about to go there. Hope you have recovered quickly Julie from being sick. Did you find a nice place to stay in Luang Prabang? If so let us know where. We were wondering if you flew from Hanoi to L.P rather than land travel over the mountains.
Looking forward to hearing where you are going next.
Sarah and Scott
Hi Emma We are all having a great time. Every now and then one of the kids will say, I just want to be at home. Jude sometimes has a hankering for toys and has more than once borrowed a bicycle he has found lying around. All in all though a great time is being had by all.
About to get onto a minivan we have chartered for the next trip. Couldn't face another 7 hour bus trip with three kids and chickens...
lots of love to all of you.
Steven
Hi from Laos Sorry we haven't replied to your earlier email. Internet access has been a bit patchy here in Laos. But Laos itself is wonderful. We spent 5 days in Luang Prabang and loved it. Have been in Vientiane for 3 nights but we are leaving for Ban Koun Kham tomorrow. We're trying to get to the river cave Tham Kong Lo which is supposed to be amazing.
Sounds like we will miss each other in Laos. When you arrive feel free to call on our Laos mobile number which is 020 389 3284. We bought a local sim card as they are cheap as chips. Paid $3 for one and it lasts for ages. Have a great trip. I'll try and answer your questions too in a moment after I have done some other online housekeeping. cheers
Steven
Seasons Greetings Hi Chaffers
Merry Chrfistmas and Happy New Year! We gather you are in Laos and are keen to know where and what you have been doing. We are regularly logging on! We are leaving on Thurs and will be in Laos on Saturday night (2nd). Have just booked into Malinamphu in Vientiane for 2 nights. After that we will be in Luang Prabang. I wonder if we wll overlap?
If you think we might ring us on +61 438385950.
Hi Jo Thanks for the message. We had a lovely Christmas day swimming in a aqua lagoon near some caves in Laos. Lets face it the Christmas hustle is gruesome wherever you are so it's always nice to run away from it. We certainly managed that. Hope your day was fun too. Take care.
Steven
Merry Xmas Hi Guys, I think I like your xmas better than mine! Sounds like your having a great time (beats the hustle and bustle of downtown Hobart). Merry Xmas Jo, Ben Bronte and Zoe.
Hi Gwen We are all having a great time. Sapa was fascinating thanks to the amazing local people. Our kids have watched quite a bit of TV in hotel rooms as a quid pro quo for us dragging them around temples and 'boring' scenery. But of course they are soaking up the experiences even if they don't reaslise it. Not much crop identification from our 11 year old I have to say.Jude is being loved to within an inch of his life each day but he's used to it now. Off to Laos tonight. Wonder how their interent access is. We'll see soon enough.
Have a fabulous time in Mexico. cheers Steven
Hi Lou and Phil Thanks for your comments. We've been away from a decent computer for a few days so haven't had a change to reply. We're all having a great time and discovering just how different travel with kids is. Lots of challenges, a few tanties, tears and arguments but heaps of fun. The kids are a magnet for special treatment from the locals which we are lapping up. Has to be some pay off for all the hard work! How's your new album going Lou. I checked out your website just before we left and would love to hear the record when we get back. all our love to our Mullum family. Steven
Great travel commentary Dear Steven and Julie
I am so enjoying reading your travel log. Have spent the last hour reading all the previous blogs back to HCMC instead of packing for Mexico! Having read your travels backwards I notice that the children are really getting into the swing of travelling compared to the first few days of tears, etc. Your journey was exactly the same route as ours in 1993/4 except for Sapa as it was closed to foreigners. We only had one child, a very interested 18 year old with us(Nina) who noted the changes in the crops as we moved south as she had just studied this in her HSC Geography! As well, she read some of the Chinese characters for us from her Japanese studies) Imagine the stories your children will come up with now after these experiences. I am interested to read how commercial the locals are now such as charging for photos, tough bargaining. We were in Vietnam just before the Americans lifted their embargo so tourism was in its infancy. Can't wait for the next installments. best wishes, Gwen
too lovely again! what a nice relief to this hot day of working on the computer was your lovely blog! You guys really know how to travel that's for sure. Looking forward to another story....
Love to everyone,
Lou x
Gwen Lansbury
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fantastic travel notes, have enjoyed them so much. Felt that I was travelling with you. Many thanks for sharing these stories . Hope settling in at home is not too difficult -no bamboo train to take the children to school!