Culture shock?

Kids are doing amazingly well I think in this completely other world. They do express some questions or doubts of course. 'Are we sure they could just sit in the tuktuk, without helmet or safety belt?' (We crazy freaky parents who carry around safety harnasses around the world to countries where family of five just simply sit all together on a motorbike...)
'They should throw things less on the street, c'est de la pollution et ça abîme la nature'. I think they had noticed already in Argentina that things where not clean or as clean as we are used to in Barcelona, sidewalk  not even, etc.. Arriving in Buenos Aires Amélie had decided that it was OK, that Argentinan where simply less clean than we are. "Sauf (uncle) Thomas et Teffi, ça se sont des  argentins propres."

I was 'concerned' about the food, although I read how delicious Cambodian cuisine is, rarely really spicy, and so easy for kids. I also do know that,  especially our boys, have a really bad character when it comes to food. Mainly No vegetables (having of course the great example of their dad, the only green thing you might see spontaneously on his plate is probably wasabi...) So the mixed fried rice things with all sort of undefined coloured elements, no go. The soups, no go. Add to that the fact that we are not very food-adventurous people and rrrreally don't want to risk to be stomach-sick (again) result: We have put them on a regime of fresh fruit , fish rolls, chicken and ... Steamed rice. I think they could eat just that all day.

And then came the tarantulas! We went to a social project / training restaurant and Pierre ordered three of them. I think no psychologist could ever think of a better test than that.  

Matthias (my son, I mean, really, looking and acting most like me) screamed almost hysterically that he wanted rice!! He didn't touch the spider. He got rice.

Amélie, after receiving some objective information and confirmation about the spiders being comestible , decided she could and would eat them. And she would eat every single leg and the body. And she did.
William looked at Amélie, followed her enthusiasm, took off a leg and ate it, as if he had done nothing else ever since he was born, but then had a better look at his brother and his plate, and decided to offer me the spider " maman, c est pour toi. Je partage." steam rice for Bill. And for me.

And with that same "smoothness" they sat on a tuktuk, they sipped on a rooftop bar from our cocktails, they navigated the Mekong on a sunset cruise, they put their hands together to say goodbye, they got to play some music and fought with their sticks to catch their food in their plate.

Aside from that we also went to some markets (Central and Russian), the wat phnom temple, absorbed the vibes of early evenings along the river and got really silent (well, we adults) at the killing fields. It wasn't the easiest place to visit with kids, so Pierre walked around with the boys, I had Amélie and an audio guide. Her childish naivety was strikingly in contrast with a place that has seen so much horror and terror. Counting butterflies and Asking a wandering chicken if she was looking for her friend's bones...

After three days, four nights, we took a minivan to Kratie, up the river, and after walking around the town with some old French architecture, we sat town to watch another spectacle of the sun over the river.

Asia touchdown - phnom penh

So the 9:10 flight went just fine. After 24 lovely hours in Bangkok, where our Amélie fell in love with the little puppy, the boys got a new best friend ever with Matteo, and we enjoyed seeing them all play together (kids really happy to have some real toys again) and some adult talk with Big Amelie, we flew to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for our first Asian country together! It was already our 10th flight of our trip (I really have to compensate our terrible ecofootprint now...), the shortest of all with just a bit more than one hour to go, and of course, life would be too easy otherwise, the worst of all! Amélie, who has been really great since the start of this trip, had a MAJOR meltdown in-flight that lasted for about the whole flight, starting when she discovered (or maybe for the first time thought about) that oxygen masks should be put around the adult first before helping the children. poor little girl, she felt it as a huge illogical and criminal thing that a kid should not be helped. I am not sure our neighbours had a lot of empathy. Well. No. I am sure by the furious look in their eyes, the turning around frequently, ... That they did not understand how helpless and in panic Amelie felt. Of course, Pierre had just that one hour to fill in custom and immigration paper which are 3 pieces of paper, a person ... So he wasn't really able to help to calm Amélie. And i was seated four rows away with the boys. Then Mat choose to need to go urgently to the bathroom just at the precise moment where landing was started. The airhostess was about to tell me to go back to my seat, but then Mat screamed 'caca caca cacaaaa!' With almost the same panic in his eyes as his sister and so she wisely decided to let us go.
I felt so relieved when we got out of the plane, that I even managed to keep calm - which is per definition quiet rare on traveling days - when Pierre had to fill in even more papers and our eVisas bought online where - of course - not accepted and we had to pay again, queue every possible queue and finally got out last, with only our luggage turning around on the belt. Luckily the minivan we ordered through the hotel was a real one and we all fitted for our first drive through heavy end of day traffic to our little nest, okay boutique hotel, for 4 nights. 3 seconds pop up tents , 10seconds to put "" just""" the feet in the pool/ aka to have full clothes wet splashing around and another 5minutes to realise kids where just to tired to eat (still some 4hours jetlag with Sydney).

So logically, we woke up really early next day to discover the nice breakfast and even nicer personal. They looked honestly happy when we answered we would stay 4 days!  In our first days the kids where touched in their cheek and blond hair a hundred times, a thousand pictures where taken, and don't ask me how you say thank you to Cambodians (putting hands together and a little elegant movement of the head will do) , but I do now that what sounds as 'plhua' means twin! 

Kids are dealing quiet well with the attention, they learnt not to give the bad look to everyone approaching, and when bill asked why everyone was touching them, sweet Amélie answered "c'est parce qu'on est tellement mignons". Cambodians are, as is said, really nice, and compared to other countries we have visited, I have to say there s a hectic buzz but  you don't feel harassment nor insecurity.

Given the heat and jetlag, we opted for some excursions in the morning, then pool/lunch and siesta before heading back to town around 4/5 (sun goes down quiet early unfortunately)

There was some disappointment that we didn't see the king when we visited his palace, but receiving some flowers you can make tea with compensated perfectly

We had a very nice driver who was usually available when walking out of our hotel and at the end he knew which was the walking twin and the 'he doesn't walk' twin. (Mat got rid of his cast, but is still not walking, which is logical as he would have been with a cast till Christmas normally for his broken leg) Pierre tried to take along the stroller on our first day, but he ended up walking on the street, which is not necessarily the best place to be walking. So we are carrying mat around in the manduca/carrier. 

And the tuktuk does the rest. And the magic! I think I will never forget the look in their eyes during their first tuktuk ride!

A week in Sydney in a nutshell?

We are facing 9:10min flight to Bangkok - did I mention it is a day flight? - so I might as well take the time to do a "quick" review of our Sydney week while at the start of that adventure. (Read: now that the three kids are still more or less under control - i don't fool myself anymore that they are ever completely under control - and our neighbours in flight still have decent levels of tenderness and patience )

We booked an Airbnb to have a bit of a home feeling and to have some space after the campervan. Also, sydney is reeeally expensive! Even if we d take bunkbeds in backpackers hostals, i got around a 100-130euros a night! Let's not talk about hotel rates, which also would have meant we d had to take all our meals outside, expensive joke as well. So we opted for a "stunning little townhouse" in Manly, known to the kids as 'la petite maison où on peut faire des barbecues". just a 5min walk from the green ferry to the opera and citycentre. Locationwise perfect!

 Manly is really a relaxed family friendly suburb, and the 30min ferry to city centre is just the good start of an excursion. On weekdays at 6pm you see all the whitecollars getting of the boat and take a quick dive in the sea (manly has got two sides ; open to the ocean with big waves and surfers, and the more enclosed harbourbeaches) on weekends the beaches and every spot of grass available along the beach is taken by picnics & aperos! It is quiet animated, sometimes loud (the youth of today) and we just enjoyed it from a little distance, grateful (again) not to be here during high Holiday season! Longing (a bit) to those years without kids/tantrums/rithms/strollers/.... ;-)

After a first day in Manly at the beach and on a kayak, we headed to the city on sunday. Aussies seem equally relaxed and friendly as the kiwis. I have to say we have never felt insecure, though of course downtown is a big city. We where all kind of exited to see the opera and the bridge. Kids even managed to be excited over the opera every time it appeared in sight. And again, and again, and again. We combined a walk with a hop on hop off bus tour, lunch at the rocks, stroll through the botanical garden, turning around the ópera, icecream in Darling harbour,....

On Monday Pierre took Matthias to the doctor in a Southern suburb to take off his cast. As it is a bit early (they said 4 months) we have to respect Mat in his progress... Concretely, cast off + 4 days, we feel like having a litlle toddler, exited about him crawling alone, then making his first steps at our hands, then 3 steps alone.... But I think we ll have to be patient before he really walks and we can get rid of the stroller.... So Cambodia with a stroller but without cast, here we come!

 

We had another day at the obligatory 'family in Sydney' spot; the zoo! Completed by a koala encounter. It is a nice zoo, still a zoo, but it has STUNNInG views on Sydney's harbour!
Rainy day at home, another day around manly and litlle manly beach , then the ever challenging fun of packing!

We where supposed to go to the blue mountains but .... Didn't want to spend double money on Airbnb in manly + accommodation in the blue mountains // didn't want to spend 4 hours in the car ida y vuelta (especially me, as Pierre seems to have superpowers for not hearing screaming/fighting/... kids while driving.)// weather forecast wasn't great great//..  Moreover, some nice friends are moving to Brisbane (more or less) shortly and we like leaving a country with some excuses to come back! So blue mountains (and all the rest of Australia.....) + friends  are adding up for some more planning, dreaming, .... Of coming back one day to the Aussies!

After this lovely 9:10hours dayflight (i already said that.no?) We will be spending one night at Amélie and Manu's place in Bangkok (well amelie and the kids, as manu unfortunately is running away from us for some professional urgency) and then Saturday we will fly into Cambodia for three weeks of new tastes (omg... That is going to be fun with our no vegetables, nothing Unknown or too exotic eating kids!) New sights, new adventures and new language - after learning the tank you very much - which really sounded like perfect Flemish speaking kids 'tank Joe very motch'  and asking for the bill instead of la cuenta - Williams nickname surely helping in remembering that word.

(Before going back to Bangkok, probably on Jan 1st)

Rotorua and exit campervan & NZ

So we went to Rotorua to discover some of nature's volcanic wonders. Although we had very little time we where served some beauties visiting a park Te Puia. A gheyser, some mud pools, a lot of smoke and a nice walk around. 

Then we went to Cosy Cottages camping to complete the volcanic experience: kids on the beach of the lake where digging their own spa pools with warm volcanic water; you could steamcook on hot volcanic air (we didn't) or relax in the hot pools (we did!)  the water they get is at boiling temperature so they need to cool it down before filling the pools; kindly asked not to touch the water from the river, when you see the smoke you do get why. Impressive stuff at easy reach! It s the only thing we visited in Northern Island and I am glad we did!

Then off to Auckland on Wednesday. After three weeks of travelling, mostly in southern New Zealand, we said good-bye to our campervan. Kids where a bit worried about  where 'she' would go to, a bit hesitating about whether they would accept the idea of someone else travelling with her now, and worried about how on earth they would sleep and move around now?!!?! So we took our litlle booklets again which represent the countries we will visit and more or less what and who we will see so the kids know what to expect (merci Caro pour le conseil), promised two nights of hotel in Auckland, then a white plane with red kangaroo (Qantas) to Sydney and one week of airbnb at Manly Beach, in a little house where we can do a barbecue.

We definitely realise that after three weeks of campervan, we are somehow changed.... Some behaviours just simply don't lie about having spent a lot of time in the limited space of a campervan:
- you feel lost in the huge hotel bathroom! All the different functions are so far apart. Now you can sit on the toilet without having to fold the water basin, or if you are to quick at turning on the tap for washing your hands without giving it a second thought, you don't get showered instead (no tap for washing hands separately, in the campervan just a tap for the shower so no errors accepted!)
- kids react verrrry enthusiastic at the idea of taking a bath , it has been a highlight for them when asked about Auckland's must DoS and what they ll remember.
- they flush a few times not believing there is continuously water (we ran out of flushing water more than once... But then hey there s always thé shower on a different waternetwork)
- Pierre has the need to touch the wall with his head when lying in his bed; got used to sleeping in a mini troll bed.
- you caught yourself analysing the bed's horizon to see which side to put your head, in case underground of the campervan isn't flat.

It was fun traveling around with the van, though it sure has some challenges - but hey, wouldn't every way of travelling with three kids be challenging - I also think it was a secure way in every meaning to get the kids used to us traveling. Cambodia, if and when we get there (mat's cast)  will present a lot more changes of transportationmode and of sleeping place. Which will ask more flexibility from the kids, .... And some more being zen from us (we managed to have a fight over transportationmode back in our hometown in Belgium just the two of us, so imagine how well prepared we are in the Big Unknown with 3 kids!)!

And now today Friday 4th off to Sydney for a week of Airbnb up in Manly Beach!

Leaving Southern Island

I woke up at 5:50 to have a sneak preview of the weather of the day. Sun and clouds and a lot of wind! All made for a beautiful sunset ! (And I think I made for the perfect sandflies victim as ever since that morning the itching feet are keeping me awake at night!) i ll show you a picture of the sun rather that my feet, no worries!

We left the Abel Tasman area to visit the Animal farm around Nelson. A little fast growing business, a bit strange for us (do you really travel all the way here and then see Amélie going crazy with a rabbit in her arms....? Or the boys feeding some pigs...? - well to give you our answer, yes we did, in that sense that we are not traveling for the kids to remember anything in particular, but for the time spent together, for them learning to touch and see and experience differences, learning to be flexible in a way, and to now the real value of being with the family.) 

I also revived a moment of nostalgic memory seeing the guinea pigs (cavias) our brother stephane used to have a few of them, that made babies like rabbits and so his room ended up, well, a bit like that farm down in Nelson.

In the late afternoon, when the weather really got bad, we arrived at Nelson Foundation which must be great by hood weather and was perfect for us then. It is a mix between ..... For the belgians; The Verbeke foundation along the n49 and Bokrijk, topped up with a brewery! We entered an old cargo plane, saw some old new Zealand passenger busses and tasted some good local beers of Foundation.

Then we continued driving till the little harbour of Havelock home to the world famous (?!) Very strange but equally very tasteful green mussles ! Which is exactly what we had for diner in the famous Mussel Pot before hiding again from heavy wind and rain in our campervan.

 Guess who is now not only awaiting his blue cast but also his bleu mussels....???!! Nobody told us the disadvantage of colour coding with twins when traveling!!

NeXT day, waking up under the clear blue sky (I love Williams morning ritual to lift the blinds at the window and screaming us all awake : grand ciel bleu! Beaucoup de soleil! On se lève maintenant!) A hundred of left and right turns further, a short getting to the viewpoint walk (which really never is that short with our party of three and crossing all verrrry nice people who alll are into a chat on 'ow twins?' And then 'ow he broke his leg') , then the lovely route along the scenic queen Elisabeth road and Marlborough Sounds. 

We had a great long lunch brake along the water in Anakiwa 

and then continued to Picton, where we would spend the night awaiting our 'grand bateau bleu' (blue Bill happy) that would bring us next day (Sunday) to the Northern Island.

Luckily we had seen the grand bateau bleu' getting into Picton on the day before, because the idea of getting on the boat with the campervan was quiet hard to get! We did so after meeting two of Pierre s colleagues who are travelling  the other way around! Small world, Bing Vistaprint? Then on the boat 70 rough (but friendly ;-)) guys from a motorgroup. I was quiet impressed. They are all 3 times Pierre (in all ways you can measure someone), have half his amount of teeth and with their black motorgear on left me quit speechless. It did give for some unusual sights though, which I unfortunately didn't really have the guts to photograph.... 

Like the one guy sleeping in foetus position in a little corner of the deck, you would almost give him a doudou to complete the tender image. Apart from the scenery on the boat, it was of course the scenery of the sounds we cruised trough which really was impressive!

And then arriving in Wellington! Northern Island! The smell of the Last Days coming closer! After hesitating a lot, we stayed and don't regret, at the very centered carpark/ 'camping' just off the boat, in the port. 

Next day we visited the Te Papa Museum to have at least some background info (shouldn't we have started with that? Reminds me I still didn't take the time to read....... Not even the Rough Guides introduction...) And interesting info about the Maori/ European influences, culture and relations.

Today (Monday) we had a long driving day, the longest. And it is immediately clear why we don't drive long distances.... Omg! Anyway, we drove all the way to lake Taupo and will add an hour tomorrow morning to go up to Rotorua. 

We are here in volvanic region (and again Lord of the Rings) with all that goes with it; mudpools, hot water rivers and geysers!/we hope to take in some of that tomorrow in Rotorua altough Mat's cast isn't making hot pools the best activity!  Hopefully with some sun! 

North of the southern island

We left kaikoura Tuesday noon to have lunch just 30minutes North with views on a new Zealand seal colony, with lots of litlle ones. From their sea sanctuary, they "walk" up a river that brings you to a lovely litlle waterfall. It's an easy 15/20min walk so we did that with Mat on the manduca/baby carrier and Bill and Amélie walking up, carefully for not ennoying the seals, they really litteraly are just cm away, they cross the path, in and out of the litlle river. They look nice, they surely are, but when you see them fighting/playing, you do not want a bite of them!

It did for a great activity, fresh air, great nature, and off we went North, through (yep, without stopping... ) the famous (and beautiful!!) wine region of Marlborough right up to Nelson, the "big city" at the entrance of the Abel Tasman national parc to the North of Southern Island. 

Little camping, taking advantage of Nelson being a 'big' city to buy Matthias' new transportation system, a walk on nelsons huuuge and beautiful beach to test drive it, Matthias clearly felt at ease in it and is now our New Chief Commander (I will not tell who's job he took over.. Nor who's bossy character he inherited ....)

 I love the pic here with Bill pushing him around and Matt screaming "plus viiiiiite" as if pushing your bro on a Sandy beach was the easiest thing to do .. !

Then we slept on a vineyard on our way to Tasman parc, our second Okay2stay experience. This time Friendly Man is an English guy with mexican past who has put an hold on busy London live to come and work (hard) with his wife on their Riwaka River Estate. He escorted Pierre and our little van (3.3 high and 7.2 long....) and we got to park in between the vineyard and the olive trees.... Life can be hard! 

Lovely welcoming family - Amélie will not easily forget little friend Mackenzie's trampoline, cause she got stung by a bee.... Everyone who knows how Amelie can react (overreact?) on futilities AND everyone knowing how stupidly painful it can be (or bee ha-ha) , can imagine the level of screaming and crying that went through the peaceful vineyard ... Anyway, a great experience, and, as I'm writing, sipping from a verrrry good Chardonnay!

Next day we "rushed" to the 10:30 water taxi that brought us from the nearby Kaiteriteri Beach (said to be among the top I don't know how much nicest beaches in the world!) Right into the heart of the Abel Tasman national park. 

It is a not-to-miss thing in our travel guide, to kayak in the park. Small kids under 8. No go. So we opted for the water taxi that brings us in two stops to Anchorage, from where a 1 to 1,5 hours walk brings you to a viewpoint over the bays and the ocean. Beautiful!

A lot of people walk a 3 to 5 days trail in the park, which is named after the first European settler who set foot here. It is said to be new Zealand's smallest park, definitely with stunning views, created back in 1942! Voila, pour la petite histoire!

We spent the afternoon on the campinggrounds and beach ennoying à beautiful day and now that we have organised our next and last (!!!) few days of New Zealand, we might be crazy and wake up tomorrow at 5:45 to see the sun coming up again, before heading slowly but surely towards Auckland up North (on the other island) by Wednesday. The last few days are said to be wet and colder, so we are trying to get as much sun as we possible can!