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435 World Tour
  • Paisleys Abroad
  • 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
    1
    1Early morning long tail boat line-up1Chicken islandChloe's latest watercolour

    "Try a dive" in Hat Nopparat Thara Park

    February 22, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Geoff’s “bucket list” included scuba diving, just to see what it’s like. Without a license, options are a bit limited, but we ended up with Oum, a great guide, and Krabi’s only fully qualified female diving instructor. And then, to our surprise, Chloë decided to try it too! Malcolm, Dale and I tagged along for the ride (they are too young... I have no good excuse). We did a little snorkelling instead. The water was a bit more murky than usual, but both Chloë and Geoff really enjoyed their dives. I think a license may be in their future...Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    You can hear the screeches of monkeys!🐵🐒🐵
    Mangrove treesChloë and LaraGeoff and DaleGoing through a canyonLook at that strong arm!!1The first beachSecond beach

    Kayaking In The Mangrove Swamp

    February 24, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Today we went kayaking through a salt water mangrove swamp, with canyons, and lots and lots of mangrove trees! We had two people in each boat; Chloë + Lara, Dale + Geoff, and Malcolm + Lee (our British guide). We stopped at a beautiful beach with soft white sand, but there was absolutely no shade there, so we didn’t stay for long. Then we explored more swamps and canyons in the kayaks, and stopped at a small, tucked away, shady beach for lunch (hot dogs for the kids, of course! 🌭). By the end of the day, we were all hot and really tired, but it was lots of fun.
    Chloë
    🚣‍♀️🏖    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Smiles the whole way through!
    1

    A hike to a beautiful sight...

    February 26, 2019 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Today we went on a hike. It was called Dragon’s Crest Mountain (Khao Ngon Nak). It was only the four of us because mummy was sick. The owner of the condo drove us to the start of the hike. At first it was very hot, but as we got near the top it started to get a little breezier. There were some really hard parts and some stairs were there. We had a lot of stops on the way up because my legs are just little. I fell lots of times because my shoes hurt and once I fell on a spiked plant and got a lot of scratches on my arm. Once we got to the top we got on top of a big rock and enjoyed the scenery. And we also had some mentos and drinks and gummy bears that we brought along in case of emergency. After that we saw these people that were taking pictures on a cliff, Chloë decided that she too wanted to do that. First we all said that she can’t go but she managed to fight her way through and we were all freaked out with her sitting on top of the cliff. The way back down felt much easier and faster. And once we got to the bottom we had Oreos. We took a taxi back and that was the end of the hike.
    - Dale    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler

    We're in India

    March 1, 2019 in India ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Hello everyone! We have just arrived from a squished 5hour plane ride from Thailand to India! First we had to take a plane from Krabi to Bangkok which took 1 hour. Next we took an hour long shuttle bus to another Bangkok airport that was at least 5 times as big as the first Bangkok airport. We had a very expensive dinner in the food court and went to a magic food court where we got amazing smoothies! Their was a huge lineup for checking in and most of them didn’t care whether or not you were in line or not and decided they wanted to be at the front of the line instead of the back. After about an hour of waiting in line we somehow managed to get to the front and check in. Even though we had 6 hours between the two flights, we were super rushed... Especially when we saw how big the passport control line was! By the time we were finished there, our gate was almost ready to board. We rushed around a lot but we got on the plane safe and sound. We took off at 2:30 in the morning and landed at 5 o’clock local time. Unfortunately, no one had any rupee (Indian currency) and we didn’t have a SIM card for the phone!Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler

    The Vickram Sarabhai Space Exhibition

    March 3, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Today me my mom and my brother went to a space center. Once we got there and went inside there was this boy about 8 years old who came up and asked us if we wanted him to explain the parts of a rocket ship. Surprisingly he could speak very fluent English and he explained most of the rocket until an older man took over. The rest of the bottom floor wasn’t very interesting because it was mostly stuff about satellites so we went upstairs. Upstairs there was this little rocket ship that we played on for a little while and then we found a suit to take pictures in. But I was too small to get my head in the helmet so I had a head shaped like a hand. On our way home we went to an ice cream place and had a little something. ( if you’re wondering what a little something is it’s just ice cream nothing much.)

    Good bye

    - DALE 😃😍🥰😘    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    11My best effort at a warrior pose.1Meditating was a struggle with the kids running around and the honking city traffic outside.Our instructor Kushbu.

    Yoga in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

    March 5, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We tried a kids class today at a yoga studio in our neighbourhood. They had some fun and interesting swings for the kids to practice their poses with. The teachers and the other students were lovely and very welcoming. After the class we had cake.Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    First week in India (video by Chloë)
    Movie night with C and K.Dominos pizza for dinner!Geoff wearing a rented skirt so he could go into the MosqueGiant monkeys outside our bungalowSoul square cafe2Fancy hot chocolateScience city

    Week one in Ahmedabad

    March 9, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We are in Ahmedabad right now and I still don’t know if I like it here or not. It the farthest from Ottawa I’ve ever seen, culture-wise, living/city-wise, and distance-wise. There aren’t many people with white skin here, so lots of people come and take selfies with us. There are a lot of homeless people here, more than I’ve ever seen in my life, especially little kids 👧🏾 and babies 👶🏾 . It makes me realize how lucky I am, to have a nice house, good food, clean water, and even to have shoes👟! When we leave Ahmedabad, I am going to make a donation to an organization that helps kids who live on the street, and Dad’s going to match the amount that I donate. We have seen an extremely wide range of wealth here, from people sleeping on the side of the road, to people living in mansions. I think that it’s important for people to visit a place like Ahmedabad, because, I think lots of people who live in North America and Europe, feel like they don’t have enough, but we need to realize how lucky we are because there are people living with literally nothing. Walking around is really hard because there are lots of crazy drivers in cars 🚘 , on scooters 🛵, motorcycles 🏍, and rickshaws (like a Thai tuk-tuk), and we don’t know how to cross streets properly here! My Mom’s friends Mohol and Christina, from when she came to India 22 years ago, live here in a big complex. They have two kids, C (she’s 12, going on 13) and K (he’s 7, going on 8). We’ve gone over to their house for dinner a couple of times. They have a very nice house, and they employ a family. There is some really good food here. My favourites are roti, parathas, aloo naan, and daal. I noticed that there are tons of street dogs, with lots of sores, and scratches, and I feel really bad for them.
    🐕 😢
    I think it’s worth coming here, even just for a few days.
    Chloë
    🇮🇳 🇮🇳 🇮🇳    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Classical Indian dance performance
    Learning Gandhi's 11 observances at Sabamarti Ashram.Hari Bai, our awesome caretaker at our bungalow stay.A beautiful litle girl and her grandfather living in our compound.Market stall in the old city of Ahmedabad.A two-pot goat.Pol (self-contained community) in the old city.Christina and Mohal brought us to a super fun dinner at a night market.Malcolm gets a tingly feeling when something exciting is about to happen!A big plastic bubble adventure at Kankaria Lake.

    Lots to see and do...

    March 9, 2019 in India ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    Time to leave Ahmedabad, just when all of us are getting comfortable. It took us a long while to figure out ATMs, getting around, grocery shopping. Lara was able to reconnect with friends Christina and Mohal and colleagues from her work here 22 years ago. Meeting the people has been the best part for me, India is a country full of extroverts. Everywhere I go I can chat with willing locals, take selfies with opportunistic teenagers, or join a cricket game in the park. On to Udaipur, Rajasthan.
    - Geoff    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    View from our hostel terrace.
    Day two and on the mend...Donkeys have a tough life in India.Motorbike squished turtles have a safe place to rehabilitate.Dogs with paralyzed hind-quarters get daily exercise on a wheely-cart.Monsoon PalaceOverlooking UdaipurRajasthan is hilly and dry as a bone in the winter.From our rooftop terrace the Monsoon Palace at night looks like it is floating.Monkeys at the Monsoon Palace

    Udaipur, Rajasthan

    March 14, 2019 in India

    Unfortunately, Udaipur won’t likely rest in our memories for its ornate palaces, scenic lake vistas or even as the shooting location for 007’s Octopussy....India finally caught up with us and delivered our first team gastro-bug. It wiped out the family for a couple of days and all I can say is that it was a good thing that our washroom’s sink was close to the toilet.

    Burrowing out from a pile of laundry and electrolyte-replacing Gatorade bottles, Dale and I managed to visit a couple of places today. AnimalAid is a rescue centre for local animals that are sick or injured. In the last 6 years over 100,000 animals have received medicine, therapy and love from 90 staff and countless volunteers at the centre. Rehabilitated animals are released back to where they were found, or, if unfit to survive alone, they are allowed to convalesce at the centre for the rest of their days. Visitors can take a tour of the facility or arrange volunteer hours where they can learn to take care of the patients.

    On our way home our tuk-tuk driver brought us to the foot of a large hill. Still too weak to climb, we took a government jeep to the top where sits the once grand Sajjan Garh Palace overlooking the peaceful lakes and busy city of Udaipur. The structure is affectionately known as the Monsoon Palace as its location was supposedly chosen as an ideal point to watch the monsoon clouds rolling in.
    - Geoff    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
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    Royal ladies, hidden from the public, could watch street activity from 953 tiny windows.Snake charmers outside of Janter Munter.A giant sundial more than 50m tall.1The Amer Palace, 16th to 18th century.Dale was thoroughly unimpressed by the Galaxy room of mirrors.Galtaji, the monkey temple

    Jaipur

    March 19, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Lara managed to find a decent cup of coffee at the Indian Coffee House. This is a worker-owned cooperative that emerged in the 1940s and now has over 400 shops across India. Malcolm and Lara are still not at 100% health, so Chloë and Dale and I took to the streets of Jaipur to see what we could see. We started with an hour long Uber ride that should have taken 10 minutes. After narrowly missing several family laden motorbikes and speeding tuk-tuks on the main road, our driver opted for a narrow alley that was never intended for cars. We crawled along while streams of frustrated motorbikes and pedestrians squeezed past us in both directions. No matter how inexperienced or timid this driver was, he still managed to navigate the Indian roads and traffic far more effectively than I ever will. We left our driver still negotiating with the alleyway congestion to visit Hawa Mahall and a collection of early astronomical measurement tools at Janter Munter.

    The following days, with everyone on the team more or less back to normal, we managed visits to the Amer Fort and Galtaji (or colloquially, The Monkey Temple).    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    1Sharda and family were wonderful hosts!
    Here are some of the volunteer staffRohitEating dinner traditional styleHanging out in the park before dinner

    Volunteering at Taabar School

    March 19, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We spent three days volunteering at a school near the Jaipur railway station, with boys from ages 7-17, who have been rescued from working at factories. The school is also a shelter, where these kids can live while the NGO tries to find their parents. We split into two groups. Malcolm and Lara had one classroom with about 40 kids, and Geoff, Chloë and Dale had another classroom with about 30 kids, and we taught them basic English, and math. There was a wide range of knowledge of these two subjects; some kids could have a full on conversation with you, while some could only count to 10, or not even. Also, some of the kids could multiply and divide 10 digit numbers, while others were learning how to do equations as simple as 6+2, no matter the age. I made some simple games to help the boys remember the months of the year, body parts, days of the week, etc, and worked with them 1 on 1 (or 2 or 3 or 4 on 1) at the back of the room. It was fun to spend time with them, but also harder than I ever thought it would be. We weren’t allowed to take photos of the kids, but here are some of our host family, and the volunteer coordinators.
    -Chloë
    If you want to learn more about this project, here is a link: http://www.taabar.org/ghar-vapsi.php    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
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    1Garden in front of the Taj Mahal.1The Big KahunaFront archway with tourists pouring in!Sunrise.3 sided pillar!Side viewBeehive in guest house.Monkey feeling a bit sleepy.1National Geographic photo.

    What a Wonder of the World

    March 21, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Today we visited an amazing building with extremely intricate architecture but also a very important piece of history. We woke at 5:15 in the morning so we wouldn’t miss the sunrise on the white beauty of India. We left our Hotel at 5:30 but by the time we got to the line to enter the gate it was almost a kilometre long! Luckily for me and Geoff, men were aloud to go in a shorter line than women for who knows what. We went through security but unfortunately Geoff’s package of Mentos didn’t make it out. The guards at the gate also almost confiscated our cards because you aren’t allowed to gamble in public in India. Luckily Lara thought fast and threw them into a bush and they were safe. Once everything was cleared up we started walking towards the architectural masterpiece and realized that when you walk through the main archway a perfectly symmetrical garden awaits your arrival. Unfortunately there were a lot of flies but we managed to walk from the archway to the ticket booth for the main mausoleum without getting too bothered. Once we were on the platform around the white marble wonder which was also made of white marble we started walking around the entire building. The interior and exterior walls were covered in flowers that appear painted but in reality they are precious and semiprecious stones implanted into the marble. Over the years some have been stolen but it still looks amazing! Next we entered the main tourist attraction in all of India. The interior was as extraordinary as the exterior, unfortunately you weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the building so we can’t show it too you but it was 😎 awesome. The tombs were probably he most interesting part of the entire thing because it was the only part of the entire complex that wasn’t symmetrical! Originally it was supposed to be symmetrical but when the king died, his tomb was placed next to the queen’s tomb making it almost symmetrical but not quite! Inside everyone had shoe covers but we never got any so when went inside the mausoleum, we were forced to carry our shoes!😡 Next we went to see the guest house which wasn’t very exciting but their were two huge beehives in the roof which explained the dead bees all over the place. When we left we recovered the cards and went home for breakfast at 8:00. On the way back we saw a monkey lying on the roof of a house! I will never forget my visit to the Taj Mahal!
    Malcolm😎🥳🤪😜😝😋🤥🤠💩🤡👍    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
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    Happy Holi!

    March 21, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today was a colourful day. Today was the Indian festival Holi also known as the colour festival and sometimes the water festival. The festival celebrates the return of Spring. It’s a day when people throw coloured powder at you. We bought some powder but we didn’t use much of it. While Malcolm mummy and Daddy went out into the craziness of colour me and Chloë threw powder at each other. After the rest of the family came back all of us were covered in colours. And that is The end of my Speech. 😁

    - DALE😜    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    At the Canada Club restaurant.
    So nice to read a real book together.Dale in Nehru Park2Dale made a special friend - Gizmo!1We could not get enough of this fabulous dog!Chloë with C and C.Dan shared his expert bread making skills with Geoff (all day sourdough)Family dinner!Assortment of Indian sweets (we brought a bit of india into the house)All together.

    O Canada!

    March 23, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Our visit to Delhi turned into a lovely break from travelling. We stayed in “mini-Canada”, thanks to our friends Staci and Dan at the Canadian High Commission. We left India behind for a couple of days, to drink coffee and gin & tonic, eat steak, burgers, butter tarts, and jump on a trampoline, play in the pool, and enjoy the company of a really fun Canadian family. Our actual exploration of Delhi was a bit limited, but I think it was worth it to recharge our batteries after a fun but intense time in India. Now onto Nepal - it is feeling like the final stretch of our travels has begun...Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    1Kathmandu
    Giant prayer wheel. It was really heavy!Breakfast and games with our homestay family.

    We're in Nepal!

    March 27, 2019 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Joy! Our living temperature went from 35° (India) to 16° (Nepal)!! We arrived safely in Kathmandu yesterday after an unusually bumpy flight from Delhi.
    We will be in Nepal for five weeks, out of the twelve weeks left in the whole trip.
    - Chloë    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler

    I love a good wander...

    March 29, 2019 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Malcolm and I found ourselves up high on a hill overlooking Kathmandu and, rather than retrace our steps down a long and dusty road, we followed a random gully just to see what we could see. On the way down we surprised some local teenagers and politely declined their offer to join them smoking pot. A little further on we emerged onto a rice paddy where some younger boys spotted us and invited us to play with them. We happily accepted and had great sweaty fun playing soccer in the rice paddy.
    - Geoff    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    1

    The Himalayas Are Hiding...

    March 30, 2019 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We joined two Americans (Danielle and Christian) and another Canadian (Shanice) on this day trip to Nagarkot, outside of Kathmandu. We climbed to an elevation of about 2000m and trekked along a ridge overlooking stepped farm fields and tiny villages. Typically this hike affords views of the nearby Himalayas, unfortunately we had a cloudy day and weren’t able to see them yet. Everyone keeps promising that they are there.
    - Geoff    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Dale with the winnng ticket!
    Not even all of it!

    EXTENDING THE TRIP!!!!

    April 1, 2019 in Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    DALE BOUGHT A LOTTERY TICKET AND WE WON ALMOST 2.5MILLION USD!!!
    We decided to extend the trip for another half a year, and we will be flying first class FOR ALL OUR NEXT FLIGHTS PLUS 5 STAR HOTELS!!!!!! SEE EVERYONE JANUARY 2020!!!! 💰💰💰💰💸💸💸💸😱😱✈️✈️✈️🗓Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler

    Celebrity surprise!

    April 4, 2019 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    An Australian guest, Brigitte, was at dinner tonight. We learned that she is a frequent visitor to Nepal - this time, here to lead a women’s group on a mountain trek. Curious, Geoff asked where she was from in Australia, to which she replied “Natimuk”. “I lived there too, many years ago,” said Geoff - “I remember it because it is the home town of the first Australian woman to climb Mount Everest!” “Yes”, said Brigitte - “that’s me.”Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Malcolm and Urgain
    1Geoff's birthday dinner1An example of the roads around hereAt the climbing wallBoudanath Stupa nearbyAli and Jaddon Malcolm and family (baby Odine was sleeping, our Malcolm was behind the camara)Tickle fight with dadDale and Sunder play "Dobble"Sharada takes on Dale's hairChloe makes pancakes for everyone...

    Hanging out in Kathmandu

    April 7, 2019 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We are enjoying our not-so-busy time in Kathmandu - especially our neighbourhood, which is a stomach-churning 40 minute drive from the main tourist area, but is easy walking distance to several fun places, including a beautiful part of Shivapuri National Park (more next post). We have been lucky to meet a Canadian family with the last name Malcolm, and an American family with the last name Dale. And of course, it is a delight to just spend time with our host family. Time will start to really speed up soon, as we approach the last 2 months of our trip... so I am glad for the slow pace here and now. - LaraRead more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Post poop
    Taking a picture with some Nepalese girlsBusy marketGanesh tampleClimbing1

    Daddy Daughters Day Out

    April 8, 2019 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Yesterday morning, we were supposed to all have a day out in the town. Then, Malcolm got grumpy, which mixed us all up. After a while, Dad, Dale and I were on our way to Ratna Park, and Lara and grumpy Malcom were going to spend the day together. When we got to the park, it was actually pretty nice, with some ponds, trees, and benches. After we paid the 150 Rupee foreign entrance fee (about 1$/person, Dale was free), we went looking for a shady bench. Since all the shady benches were taken, we decided to stop under a big tree, with thick branches. Big mistake. We had been there for only a few seconds, when a pigeon that was hiding in the tree, poop-bombed all three of us in one shot! Dale got it on her hat, I got it on my shirt and in my hair, and Dad got it all over his face and sunglasses!!! 🐦💩💣🧢👚🕶🤢🤮
    Then, we took some post-pigeon-poop pictures under an umbrella. Then we walked down some small, crowded streets of a local market, past the tiny Ganesh temple, with the ‘celestial fish(?)’. When we got into Thamel, the Kathmandu tourist area, we went to the Astrek climbing center, and did lots of bouldering, and some workouts. Then, we were on our way out to find a taxi back to our neighbor hood, and we spotted a tiny tea shop. The lady made us some golden tips tea, and we really liked it, so we bought 200g of tea for 2000 rupees (about 30$). Then we met Malcolm (not grumpy anymore) and Lara at a pizza place for some pizza.
    🍕
    -Chloë    Read more

  • Paisleys Abroad435 World TourTraveler
    Buddhist prayer wheel
    1Somebody had put this under a bush on our way down from Kopan.

    Kopan Monastery

    April 10, 2019 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Kopan Monastery was a short 20minute walk up the hill from our homestay. Many children are sent here from remote rural villages as early as the of 6 or 7 to get a good education. We enjoyed visiting the monastery many times during our stay in Kathmandu to do school work or just to have a snack on our way home from a hike.Read more

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