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435 World Tour
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  • Paisleys Abroad

435 World Tour

Exploring Europe and Asia, one family squabble at a time... Read more
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  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Our tiny, lovely Christmas tree, courtesy of our hosts Han and Jiw.
    Creative cookie building with Thai treats...Santa Claus found us in Chiang Mai...he brought booze!Dale got a giant kraft peanut butter for Christmas!Best Christmas present: Having the grand parents with us for a whole week!This is "Merry Christmas" in Thai

    Merry Christmas Everyone!

    December 25, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    For anyone who wants to watch our “Celebrating Christmas in Thailand” parody on Winter Wonderland, just click here:
    https://youtu.be/bvfm-0dwKZ4

    (We can’t post the whole thing on the finding penguins platform...)

    Performance and lyrics by all of us
    Video by Chloë

    These are the lyrics:

    [In this land, the land of smiles
    We must shed our winter styles
    Our flip-flops are out
    As we walk about
    Celebrating Christmas in Thailand

    Lanterns shine in the twilight
    Kids all whine on Muay Thai night
    No traffic lights to be seen
    But there’s still red and green
    For celebrating Christmas in Thailand

    So this winter we can still wear tank-tops
    Though in temples girls must hide their knees
    At the corner we can buy some ice-pops
    ‘Cause it’s the only thing that makes us freeze

    Mosquitoes hum
    Our Christmas carols
    While we sweat
    By the barrel
    Our life’s full of cheer
    But we wish you were here
    Celebrating Christmas in Thailand

    Celebrating Christmas in Thailand
    Celebrating Christmas in Thailand ]

    Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Much love from the Paisley-Taylors    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Look at this little face!1Grandma loves orchids!Orchids hanging in the airChloe's butterfly

    Bai Orchid and Butterfly Farm-tastic!

    December 28, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We visited an orchid and butterfly farm in Mae Rim with Grandma and Grandfather - it was full of different kinds of orchids, with their roots hanging out of the ground. These orchids don’t need soil - they need light, moisture and air to grow. The middle of the flower, called the column, can look really funny - they are that way to attract insects so that their pollen can be carried to other orchids. The butterflies were really cool too. One landed on my sister’s hand when she was holding the phone so she took a photo of it with her nose. The Bai farm makes jewelry out of their orchids by putting lacquer on the petals, then outlining them in gold.
    By Dale    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    3Dale had a big grassy lunch!The Poopoo paper factory donates bananas to the elephant sanctuaries in exchange for elephant poo.This is where they clean the pooGrandma and Chloë boiling the pooThese are the coloured pulp ballsHere we take the poo pulp balls and squish them onto the plastic screen in the waterReady to be driedWe lean the screens against the bars here so they can dry in the hot sun ☀️☀️☀️Grandfather with the kids decorating the poopoo paper

    Elephant Poo Paper

    December 30, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    A few days ago. we went to an elephant poopoo paper factory with Grandma and Grandfather. At the factory they take elephant poo and clean it, boil it, colour it and make it into paper using coloured or neutral balls of elephant poo pulp. We mashed the balls of pulp onto large screens in water. Then we got to make our own paper on the screens, but it takes about five hours for it to dry, so we took home paper made by people before us. Then, we got to choose something made with elephant poo paper to decorate with elephant poo paper. The things you could choose from were bookmarks, notebooks, paper fans, wallets, greeting cards and other things like that. I decorated a wallet for someone special. At the end there was a big gift shop and we spent a lot of time there!!
    Chloë
    🐘🐘🐘    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    2
    Writing on our new years lanternOf course, Geoff catches a flaming lantern coming down on the crowd to save the day!

    And a happy New Year !

    January 1, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    To ring in the New Year Chiang Mai-style, we headed to the Old City, stopping at a Wat to send our New Year wishes up into the sky via lantern. After the kids were in bed, Geoff and I snuck back out to join the party by the city moat. I can’t get enough of these lanterns. They are so beautiful (until the next morning when the streets are littered with ashes and metal rings!). Happy New Year everyone and best wishes for 2019!Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Longtail boat ride from Chiang Rai
    We planted trees to participate in a reforestation project. Chai made us a bamboo shovel.Many friendly animals are available to play with the kids.Bowls, ladle and chopsticks all made from bamboo at our campsite.Roast chicken, boiled eggs and vegetable curry soup for lunch!Bridge made from bamboo (not even scary to walk on).A hobby horse made from banana leaf.

    Chai Machete Tour....

    January 5, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Today we took a boat ride from Chiang Rai up the Mae Kok River 🚣‍♀️. Our tour guide Chai and his dog Panda met us at the dock (Chloë and Malcolm wore a snake 🐍) and we drove to the start of our trek 🚘 . We had a lot of climbing to do. Along the way we planted trees as part of a reforestation project 🌱. Chai carried a machete 🗡 , he used it to make many different toys for the children (a bamboo pop gun, elephant grass airplanes, a banana leaf hobby horse). He also used his machete to carve spoons 🥄, bowls 🥣, cups 🥛, cooking pots, and chopsticks 🥢 for our lunch. On the menu was pork 🥓, chicken🍗, eggs🥚, soup🍲 and noodles 🍝 that were all cooked over a fire. During lunch a giant bamboo tree 🎋 fell a few metres from our lunch spot (yikes). On the trek we walked through several hill tribe villages and saw farms of pineapple 🍍 , garlic and oolong tea🍵. We hiked a really long way and then jumped in the back of a pick up truck (two bikes 🚲 , seven people 🧒👧👱‍♀️🧔👩👨🏽‍🦳👨🏾and two wet dogs 🐕🐕 ) to ride to a natural hot spring. 🛁
    - Geoff and Chloë    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Leaving Chaing Mai...
    Malcolm and Chloë holding the giant snakeThe mini-van we took to PaiOur tentThe pool at the 'glampsite'Just chillin'

    Busy Busy Busy!!

    January 8, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Right now we are leaving pai after only staying for one night. This is what happened since we left our old home in Chiang Mai that we stayed at for about 1 month:
    - we took a big bus (3 hours) out to Chiang Rai, and stayed at a very nice hostel called the Mercy Hostel, for 3 nights. (There will probably be a different post about what we did in Chiang Rai)
    But by the way Malcolm and I held a giant snake together...

    - Then we took another big bus back to Chiang Mai, and stayed at the Big & O Hostel for 1 night.

    -Next we took a minivan/bus to pai. We were at the very back of the bus, and the road from Chiang Mai to Pai was very bumpy and very curvy (792 sharp turns to be exact). I know some people who might be reading this would’ve hated this ride.
    On the bus ride, we were all feeling a little sick, but Malcolm thew up on the bus (in a bag) and I was feeling rotten until about 7 o’clock at night, when I threw up in a
    7 eleven garbage can.

    - last night we stayed at a campground/hostel, with a pool and pool playground. My dad says it wasn’t camping, it was ‘glamping’ because the tents were huge and we slept on giant air mattresses. There were also two pool tables (Malcolm was in heaven).

    - We are now on our way to the Cave Lodge near Soppong, and we are taking a taxi.

    - Chloë
    🤮 🤢 🤮    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    The Cave Lodge was a super chill place to hang out, complete with a swing and hammocks.
    The first day of our trek was really steep. It had just stopped raining!I loved the sounds of the different cow bells. Many of them are made out of bamboo.The Karen village we stayed in is tucked into the mountains.Kai and Tha made us an amazing northern Thai dinner which included a delicious meatball soup!Check out this awesome spider!

    Cave Lodge and Karen Hill Tribe Village

    January 9, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We checked into the Cave Lodge, an Australian/Thai retreat 4.5 hours east of Chiang Mai or a few kilometres from the Burmese border. It has two kittens, hammocks, a nice open fireplace and a ping pong table. Lara and I arranged for a herbal sauna which was a bit disappointing having spent the summer enjoying Uncle Adam’s traditional Finnish sauna. We headed out the next morning for a two day trek to a Karen hill tribe village. Our guides Kai and Tha were super fun. They taught us about northern flora and fauna and how it is integrated into hill tribe culture and daily life. They also showed us how to use a slingshot which kept Malcolm occupied for the rest of the trek. At the end of the first day we did a cave walk with a local tribesman. It was a little scary but not too bad. We spent the night at a homestay with a family from the village. On the way back to the Cave Lodge we followed a river, crossing it with our bags several times. Kai showed us how the local people use bamboo to build houses. Local people grow up learning to use a machete from the age of 7 and it is all they need to survive in the jungle. Rambo, First Blood was a huge hit here when it became available on VHS! Kai explained to us about military service - when Thai men turn 21, they have to register for 2 years of service. He was exempted from service because he won a lottery.
    - Geoff    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    1
    3We were at the top of the peak in the background 2 days earlier!1

    Sop Pong Sunrise

    January 11, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We all woke up at 5:45am to catch this beautiful sunrise. Kai made us tea and hot chocolate because it was a little chilly this early in the morning (a brisk 16 degrees C). I have never seen this kind of ocean of mist before, it is an amazing spectacle. It captured Malcolm’s attention for at least two minutes!Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    1
    Each person had their own cyclo, and it makes you feel like royalty, because of the fancy red chair!Tiny turtleGeoff helped these little boys with their englishHo Chi Minh mausoleumTeam massage

    Hanoi, Vietnam

    January 14, 2019 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Hanoi is really, really loud and busy. It is so difficult to cross the street. There is a lot of garbage and stuff here, but the weather is the perfect temperature. I noticed a lot of coffee shops. I liked riding in the cyclo yesterday even though it was a bit scary being in traffic. Everything looks expensive because the Vientnamese Dong is so devalued (25,000 VND is equal to CAD1.43). I find it sad that people catch turtles and keep them in buckets so people will buy them to throw in the water for “good luck”. My brother and sister and I bought one each to put back in the water just to set them free.
    - Chloë

    There aren’t as many smiles here as in Thailand. I had fun riding around Hanoi in an air conditioned van. - Malcolm

    I like my new stuffie bunnie and my tiny traditional Asian hat. The bendy straws here are really long and bendy. I also like all of the puppies that we met.
    - Dale

    Hanoi is exhilarating! There is so much action going on all day. I like watching the traffic and seeing everyone driving as if there wasn’t any one else on the road. I also like the sidewalk restaurants with their tiny tables and chairs. There are several small lakes right in town that are fun to walk around. We stopped to help some elementary and college students practice their English. Visiting the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum was fascinating. We are only just beginning to appreciate Uncle Ho’s significance to this country.
    - Geoff

    I like all the activities that were going on during a Sunday afternoon. A long line of elderly ladies giving each other a massage, a children’s public dance performance, tiny cars for children to drive, circles of teenagers playing a version of hacky-sack with a feathered bell...
    - Lara    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler

    The Ancient Vietnamese Village

    January 16, 2019 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Yesterday we drove to a Vietnamese village that was built in the 16th century. We visited the communal house, dedicated to ‘Tang Huan Lan’ the deceased saint of the village. We also walked around and saw lots of traditional ancient Vietnamese houses, with some cool doors. Then we went into a house courtyard, which was also a restaurant and my parents and I had a very big lunch of rice 🍚, spring rolls 🌯, pumpkin and green bean soup 🍜, chicken 🍗 and mushrooms 🍄, roasted peanuts 🥜, sausage stuffed tomatoes 🍅, and more (for Dale and Malcolm, lunch was orange Fanta 🍹, plain rice 🍚, and peanut butter sandwiches 🥪 🥜). At the restaurant, there was a shed filled with old stuff, but there were also four tiny kittens and two adult cats! 🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈
    Then we all rode bikes 🚲 with Thomas (our tour guide), down to a wet rice field. It was extra wet when we got there because it was raining most of the day 🌧. Malcolm and Geoff both planted some rice plants 🌱 in the mud. Then we biked around the Vietnamese countryside, finished back at the restaurant, and drove back to the hotel.
    - Chloë    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Dale's new found chopsticks skillsOur Mai Chau tour cycling companion2 girls stopped their motorcycle to take selfies with DaleWould be sunset in front of our villa

    Winter in the Mai Chau valley

    January 17, 2019 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    It’s a bit cooler in the mountains! Yesterday, we ate delicious northern Vietnamese fare, and drank shots of rice wine, in jackets and toques. Today was a lovely grey day for a long, green bike ride through rice fields (all recently harvested), and small villages. We were joined by a surprise escort, a village dog (“Snuffles”) who stayed with us for over an hour. Now i am waiting for a sunset in front of our little villa... but I just don’t think it’s going to penetrate this thick white sky... I’m not complaining - it’s very peaceful here!Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    We learned how to make rice paper spring rolls.
    The puppies!Form wasn't great, but the splash was incredible.Snake infused rice wine. Blech!!!!A Vietnamese puzzle similar to tangrams.

    Perla Dawn Sails

    January 20, 2019 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    This morning Malcolm and Geoff woke up at 6:15 to do tai chi on the top deck with our friends Grace Joe and Harry. After that, we had breakfast in the dawn restaurant. While everyone else was going kayaking we got shipped off to another boat called the V’Spirit. On the boat we got a welcome drink 🍹 and we explored the boat. Their were three floors. Floor 1 had the restaurant and bathrooms. Floor 2 had the Captains corner, the games room with cards a tangrams game and a front deck. Floor 3 had a sunbathing area. We sailed through Halong bay and I even got to steer the ship. After about an hour and a half of sailing we arrived at an island and biked until we reached a small village (Dale took an electric car.) There we learnt about the island and why it is so healthy. We learnt that they use leaves and roots for medicine. After that we kept biking (I got in the car with Dale.) and we went to a place with 4 types of rice wine one with leaves two with roots and one with a snake body and a snake head. Geoff tried all four! The tour guide showed us how to make rice wine but the kids weren’t listening because we found 2 🐱 , 2 dogs 🐶 and 6 baby puppies 🐶 that were just born. Next we went on a hike to a cave. After the hike we all biked and drove back to the boat. We had lunch and sailed to a small bay near the South China Sea. We went kayaking through a cave and onto beaches. When we were called back the parents went swimming. Then we finally sailed back to the Perla Dawn Sails boat and went to a party on the top deck and had dinner. After dinner we went squid fishing but since their were no squid the guide said if we caught ten pieces of toxic waste we could get a free drink. Malcolm and Dale worked together and finally collected 7 plastic bags, (one had water in it so it was super heavy) 1 granola bar wrapper, 1 plastic strip and 1 banana peel with half a rotten banana inside. They should have only gotten one drink to share but they made a mistake and they each got a drink (lemon juice.) Talk to you soon, MalcolmRead more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Cool rock formations
    A time lapse of us going along in the boatOn top of the day boatNotice the colour of the water!! 🌊🌊🌊Chloë and Dale kayakingMalcolm Kayaking with LaraHear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil🙉🙊🙈 because apparently we're monkeys!🐒🐵🐒Beautiful sunrise view from our balconySmall fishing boat.2Amy the friendly Perla Dawn tour guide!

    Ha Long Bay

    January 21, 2019 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    For the past three days we have been on a cruise boat here in Ha Long Bay, called the ‘Perla Dawn Sails’ (By the way, if anyone decides to come to Ha Long Bay in the future, I would definitely recommend staying with Perla Dawn Sails for two nights/three days) Ha Long Bay in Vietnamese means ‘descending dragons’, and the legend is that, a long time ago, there were people trying to invade north Vietnam, and the Vietnamese people didn’t have weapons ready, so they prayed to the gods to help them. The gods then sent down many dragons to protect the Vietnamese people and their land. Once the dragons fought off the invaders, they decided they loved Vietnam so much, that they settled into this bay to live. That’s what all the giant rock formations are. The rocks are very cool, because the salt water has undercut the base of the rock, so when the tide goes out, it looks like a big rock on a small stem. We went kayaking twice to explore the Bay more.
    - Chloë    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    His bikeHis carWood burnerToysDale works the power sander...3Final products by Malcolm, Lara, Chloe, Geoff and Dale

    Taboo bamboo workshop

    January 26, 2019 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Today we went to a bamboo workshop called taboo. The artisan was a man named Tan. His entire workshop was made out of bamboo including his house, his electric car, his bike, and even the bathroom was made out of bamboo! We made lots of stuff like a toy car/bamboogini (Malcolm), a snail (Malcolm), a sugar shaker (Dale), a salt shaker, a pepper shaker and a holder for the two shakers (Geoff), a bowl with a design (Chloë), and a canister (Lara.) Their were three helpers, two from Hoi An, Vietnam and one from Kathmandu, Nepal! It was really fun!
    Talk to you soon,
    Malcolm    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Chinese dragons protect the community house in the old town of Hoi An.
    The numbers on the pillar indicate the height of flooding each year during the monsoon season.A Japanese bridge joined the Japanese and Chinese villages to facilitate trading.Dale is trying her hands on a pottery wheel.Fishing boats have eyes painted on them to help them find the fish.Fishing nets are lowered at night and raised in the morning.Dale is sporting a Vietnamese farmer outfit.Chloë is lining the garden bed with seaweed to help the soil retain moisture.Here she is learning to use traditional watering cans. Try to ignore the sprinklers all around😁.Cooking our lunch with farm-fresh ingredients.

    Hoi An, Vietnam

    January 26, 2019 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Hoi An is a Vietnamese version of Niagara on the Lake. It is a designated UNESCO site because of the buildings and structures that represent several centuries of cultural heritage including French, Chinese and Japanese influences. We spent most of our time here exploring by bike or on foot which was a nice change from the long drives we took to get in and out of Hanoi. We started with a visit to the local museum which featured extensive coverage of the origins of Hoi An dynasties to the devastation of the “American War” and the subsequent recovery. In addition to the quaint village lifestyle, we also visited active fishing villages and farms. We finished our tours with a hands-on farming experience and a cooking class!Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Playing in the waves
    Splashing with DadMalcolm and Dale making sandballs...Getting ready to go parasailing2Off we go! (Wait for it)After we landed, they took us back on a jet skiWe saw two teenagers doing poses in their bikinis, so we did them too! 👙(Geoff's version)Chloë's versionSunset bike ride through the rice paddies

    An Bang Beach

    January 27, 2019 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    A few days ago, we went to An Bang Beach. It had nice big waves, nice warm water, and nice soft sand. We went on a beautiful day, and had a wonderful time. We body surfed, sun bathed, and Malcolm and I even went parasailing!!! (It took a lot of convincing to get Malcolm to come!)
    - Chloë 🌊 🏝 🚲 🏖 🚤

    These are the highlights of the day...
    ⬇️⬇️⬇️    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Us getting ready to ride the ATVs
    The small templeFor about half of the ride, we were going through sand like this. We were all very dirty afterwards!Malcolm on his mini ATVThis is how dirty Chloë was afterwards!Relaxing in the rice paddies3Watch as the sun goes down and changes colour

    ATVs!!

    January 28, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    On our first day in Cambodia, after lunch, our guide, Smey, took us to an ATV garage. We had no idea what to expect, because we weren’t sure how it would work out. Once we got there, we met our ATV guides for the day. They told us that we would each get our own ATV, except Dale was too young, so she would ride with Dad, and that Malcolm would ride a mini one. Then we all had to do a driving test through traffic, (around the block) with a guide on the back. We all passed the test, so we could finally start ATVing for real! The two guides rode on motorcycles, one at the front, one at the back, and we were on our way. They took us on the city roads for a few minutes, until we got to red dirt roads. Most of the drive was on the dirt roads, through the country side. We had several stops along the way. One was at a monistary (same thing as a temple, I think 🤔), another stop at a small hidden away temple, and our last stop was a rice paddie field, with lots of buffalos and cows. We started our ride back at the garage around 2:00 pm, and got to the rice paddies around 6:00 pm, just in time for the sunset! The funniest part of the day was when Malcolm drove his ATV into a bush twice, and one time, he even somehow, toppled over, so he was on the ground, and the ATV was on it’s side!
    - Chloë
    🇰🇭🏎🐃🐄🌞    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    A classic tourist shot at Angkor Thom
    Ta Prohm temple (of Lara Croft fame)Many big faces of buddha everywhereBanteay Srei (called women's temple but was not). Beautifully preserved!Beng Mealea temple (not restored at all!)Angkor Wat and reflecting poolKids' general demeanor at temples...In multi-level temples, original stairs so steep you literally approach the altar on hands and kneesNote the bullet hole in the Angkor Wat temple. Apparently people took refuge here during many wars

    Temple អាហារ​ប៊ូ​ហ្វេ in Cambodia

    January 30, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Southeast Asia has lots of temples - LOTS! We have not been too temple-focused as a family, though. Surprisingly, they are not our kids’ favourite outings... even though we read about the life of Prince Siddhartha himself (I tried...). But if you visit Siem Reap, Cambodia, temples are de rigueur... and we spent the last three days crawling all over the Angkor complex. So many different temples - some at one with nature, some restored, some not restored at all, some small, and then the biggest one, of course, Angkor Wat (national symbol of Cambodia and on their flag). Luckily, we had a very experienced guide with us (Smey), who knew exactly when and where there would be fewest crowds, and better views. He also gave us everything we needed in terms of history and mythology, as well as political science, engineering feats, and public administration of the Khmer Empire. An interesting mix of Hinduism and Buddhism across these temples made for great story-telling! Too bad we haven’t gotten around to reading the Mahabharata yet (I found a kid’s version to study next month, before we head to India). However, I really enjoyed this! - Lara. (I think អាហារ​ប៊ូ​ហ្វេ is the Khmer word for “buffet”... happy to be corrected.)Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler

    Monkeys in Cambodia

    January 30, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Today we went to a floating village and on a boat we met a monkey that was very funny. He would jump around squirming. Once he pretended to drink out of a coke can, and another time he grabbed the tail of a duck that was underneath him. Then we went to Angkor Wat and we saw lots of monkeys eating fruits. They were very funny because they kept moving the bag to see if there was more fruit inside. When we were leaving we saw a monkey sitting on another monkey’s butt and he was itching. I wish we had a picture of that! A different day when we were in the car we saw some baby monkeys and big monkeys running through the trees with their tails up. And there was a monkey sitting on top of someone’s car!
    - Dale    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler

    Animals in Cambodia

    January 31, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    While we were roaming around Cambodia we have seen many animals including monkeys 🐒, parrots 🦜, fish 🐠, cats 🐈, dogs 🐕, oxen 🐂, a scorpion 🦂, rabbits 🐇, guinea pigs, gerbils, crocodiles 🐊, a porcupine, a boa constrictor, chickens 🐓 water buffaloes (and land buffaloes) 🐃. and pigeons. We saw monkeys eating mangoes and bananas. We went to our guides daughters birthday and she got two parrots. Our guide breeds a type of fish called beta fish and we got to see them. In a courtyard near our hotel there are lots of cats. Everyone owns at least one guard dog. We rode an ox cart and we saw the oxen pooping! While we were walking around Ta Prohm we saw a black scorpion! Their were rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, crocodiles, a porcupine, a boa constrictor, and chickens on a floating raft in the floating village. While we were on our ATV ride we saw lots of buffaloes.
    - Malcolm    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Two boys watching us at Angkor Wat.
    The floating village on Tonle Sap constantly changes location with each new season.1Smey, our wonderful guide in Siem Reap, invited us to have dinner with his family.Malcolm's favourite performer at the Cambodian circus.Taking in the sights and sounds of the local market.Chillies, silk worm larvae, fried crickets, and toasted tarantulas!The fish market. I missed recording the lady singing naughty song lyrics.1The Golden Pumpkin, our last meal in Siem Reap. We wished we had found this place sooner.

    Siem Reap, Cambodia

    February 1, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    From the local market, to the floating villages all the way to our last lunch, Cambodia treated us so very well. If the struggling state of the economy isn’t enough of an indicator, then a few minutes at the landmine museum (or a visit to the genocide museum - which we did not take in) reminds us that Cambodia is a country pocked and bent by war and struggling to establish a foothold as a developing nation. Despite this, the people are happy and industrious and doing what they can to make a good life for themselves and the next generation. Everywhere we went, it was expressed over and over how important it is that tourists are coming to enjoy Cambodia. Our visit was too short, but we were tourists in every sense of the word (for better or for worse). Hopefully we can return another time to see more of the country.Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    My small purchase from Colours of Cambodia schoolThe artist

    Inspired by the arts in Cambodia

    February 1, 2019 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    In Siem Reap, even in the midst of big glitzy hotels and restaurants, there is a sense that Khmer people have a lot to overcome, after centuries of war, brutal political and social challenges. So I was very excited to come across three initiatives where support for the arts is making a difference. We checked out a small art school for disadvantaged kids, Colours of Cambodia. We ate a wonderful meal at a restaurant training school for former street youth, and we attended an amazing circus performance by Cambodian youth from the Phare Ponleu Selpak’s vocational training centre. The show “Khmer Metal” was performed and choreographed by young people, as was the live music. It gave a glimpse of a different Cambodia - fresh, modern and full of energy. I leave Cambodia officially inspired, and gratefully reminded that nurturing creativity can be a game-changer! - LaraRead more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Geoff helps teach the kids english
    This is what the primary school classrooms looked like1The words the middle school kids were learningPlaying 'Pétonk' (french version of bocci) with the school children during their recess breakWe had lunch at the school with the teachersThe Big Brother Mouse signDale and Chloë talking with 'Mee' at BBMGeoff and 'Long-nee'Malcolm and 'David'Lara and some highschool students

    Education Day

    February 5, 2019 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Today we visited a rural school outside of Luang Prabang, in Laos. There were only thirteen students in the middle school building, and only three of them were girls. We got there during their English lesson, so it was really funny listening to them struggling to pronounce words that we use everyday. For example, they would pronounce the word ‘ceremony’ like ‘see ree maa nee’ and ‘a bottle of spirit’ like ‘uh battle uf speet’. Then, they tried to teach us how to say the same words in Lao, but it was even funnier for the students to hear us trying to say those words! We ended up making sounds we didn’t even know we could make, and we had a lot of fun. After that, we went to a conversation workshop called Big Brother Mouse, for Lao students who wanted to practice English, and for English speaking volunteers/tourists. What we did there was set up some chairs in the backyard of this tiny building, and Lao kids from the age of 12-25 would come and sit down and interact with you.
    - Chloë    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Baci ceremony
    Pak Ou Caves (caves of many Buddha statues)Malcolm's triumph at kuang si fallsNational geographic shot...We had these falls to ourselves!With our guide, PomBamboo bridge across the Nam Khan river3Malcolm's ketchup explosion (only it was hot sauce!)

    Beauty, buddhas & baci in Luang Prabang

    February 6, 2019 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Our last stop before heading “home” to Thailand was Luang Prabang in Laos, another UNESCO World Heritage Centre on our South East Asian tour. We took a riverboat down the mighty Mekong, saw caves littered with age-old Buddha statues, frolicked in 2 beautiful waterfalls, avoided buying scorpion-infused Lao whisky, and were recipients of blessings at a Baci ceremony, a traditional Lao ceremony led by family elders to bring your spirits back together, for luck and strength... oh, and of course, enjoyed a few temples! Luang Prabang is a lovely town absolutely packed with tourists like us, all doing the same things... I would return here, but would spend more time exploring other parts of the country next time.Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Sunset at low tide
    Khlong Mueang beach1In front of our very budget resortEnjoying low tide1Malcolm finds some friends (everyone calls him Peter!)Dale building a stone castle on the beachHigh tide makes for great swimming

    Who needs a snow day?

    February 12, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 30 °C

    We clearly picked a great winter to be away... but we are thinking of our friends in Ontario! Honest, I posted these for you to enjoy on your snow day (not to rub it in)... If we could bring you to the beach with us, we would! The irony is that our kids say they miss the snow. I guess the grass is always greener, or the snow always whiter, or the sand always softer, somewhere... stay warm! LaraRead more

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