Dreaming of: Sand, Sun and Surf

Laguna beach, Phuket

It has been raining a lot in our area. I have no complains because we had been under the drought condition for the past few years and the rain is a welcome sight indeed. But with those rains, lighting and thunderstorms on the regular basis, I just start to yearn for the Sunshine on the beach with kids trying to catch the wave and building sand castles nearby.

Ah.. So here is my Monday Are For Dreamings post. I’m dreaming to get transported to any beach.. any beach at all but the one I long for is this one.

Beautiful beach of Thailand in Phuket

I’m dreaming about our first trip back to Thailand with Miss J when she was just under 2 years old. I didn’t know how we did it but we did survive 3 connection flights and 24 hours in total travel time from Florida to Bangkok. There is no question whether we should take a long trip with our kids back to Thailand but it’s just a matter of when and how often. Our trip there, I introduced Mr. Rojo and Miss J to Phuket. My sister did all the booking for the tour for us as we also traveled with Mr. Rojo’s parents as well. The trip went by so fast that if I didn’t have proof on pictures I wouldn’t believe that we were there. I’m dreaming of going back especially after the Tsunami. And this time, we would have to stick around a bit longer and take in a slower pace so we will have time to breath and relax a bit more.

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A trip to Thailand will not be completed if I didn’t get to eat like there is no tomorrow. And that trip was no difference even though I was with my in-laws. They probably just realized how much I could eat from that trip. The food was great but the atmosphere was even better. Who could complain when you had this view when you eat!

Jump off the boat near Phi Phi Island

We did a few activities.. as much as a first time parents of a toddler could handle. We did a long boat to the floating village. We visited the Kho Ta Poo (or more widely known as James Bond Island). We went to Kho Pi Pi. But the most memorable activity I found was the simple thing. During one of the boat tour, the boat stopped and we got to jump off from the boat into the cool, clear water. I never jumped off the boat before. So it took every single ounce of my gut to make that leap. Oh!! I was glad I did make that leap. I think in the sense, it almost likes whenever we decide to plan a trip and the rush feeling comes through me when I click that confirm button to purchase our tickets or make that hotel reservation. Life is full of surprises and we just have to make the leap to fully embrace it.

Thank you for dreaming along with me.. Check out other travelers’ dreams at Mother of All Trips.

Bangkok with Kids: Tips to Beat Bangkok Heat

Thailand is a land of smiles but it’s HOT. Seriously, I came from Thailand so I knew. We were joking that there are 3 seasons in Thailand – HOT, HOTTER and HOTTEST. How did we survive such climate? It’s all about knowing what to do in such situation.

1. Arm yourself with umbrella or hat to give you shade

You will see a lot of people in Thailand walk around with umbrella or something to cover the Sun. Because we know that it’s hot and we don’t want to get burn.

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2. Keep it cool from the inside out

There is nothing beat the heat better than a good ice-cold popsicle. Forget about sugar. You and your kids will need to cool down from the inside. One of the best thing Mr. Rojo loves is Watermelon Slushy. It’s refreshing!

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3. Use that fan

You know.. that fan that you see they sell it all over the sidewalk. Pick one up. It won’t cost you an arm or a leg but it will save you from the heat exhaustion. It’s all about the circulation.

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4. Seek out shelter throughout the day

No matter where you go in Bangkok, there will be plenty of shade or indoor place for you to escape from the heat. Being, it’s a coffee shop, a restaurant, a bookstore or even a Sala. Take a break and give yourself a rest before heading out again. Here was Mr. Z and Miss J during our quick break. A little handheld game came in handy.

East Meets West

chinese starbucks

This was the picture we took on our pre-kid visit to Beijing in 1999. It was such a trip for us. We went there on business trip. We spent a month in Tian-Jin working ourselves off and only got a chance to go to Beijing one of the weekend. It was a totally different experience between Tian-Jin which is a manufacturing town and Beijing – the capital city of China.

We took a train from Tian-Jin to Beijing. I would never forget the smell.. oh.. the smell at the restroom in the train station. Whatever my body wanted to do, it would have to wait. I came from Thailand so squat toilet wasn’t new to me. But half wall? Why half wall? How can one proceed to do their most private business with people walking by? I just don’t get it and I didn’t wait to find out.

Once we arrived to Beijing, it was better. :) We got to practice our bargaining skill at the silk street. Sometimes I thought to myself.. why did I bother with this 50 cents discount. But I think they enjoyed the process as much as we did. We came back with lot of stuffs. Mr. Rojo still has his jacket we got there.  The backpack we got didn’t make it home after the trip.

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We enjoyed the comfort food like Starbucks and Popeye’s Chicken. We had the best time partying at Hard Rock Cafe. Our idea of conservative Chinese was thrown out the window in this bustling city. Ah.. I can’t wait to go back. I wonder how much progress it will be after 10 years.

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PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Day Trip from Bangkok – Sri Racha Tiger Zoo

Sri Racha Tiger Zoo

For a quick day trip from Bangkok, Chon Buri is a great quick escape. Our last trip to Thailand, my sister chartered a van for our whole gang. It’s probably the best way to get around Thailand if you travel with a group of people. Our 3 families took a van on the early morning and headed to Ancient City. After lunch, we made our way East to Chon Buri for our next stop at Sri Racha Tiger Zoo.

It’s one of many attractions in Chon Buri area. We stopped by to have a quick lunch at the un-descriptive restaurant. They don’t even have a name. Just a roof with a couple tables. But as typical Thai restaurant, the food was great.

My sister went to get the tickets for all of us. We arrived late in the afternoon so the weather wasn’t that bad. The park was shaded all throughout with trees but don’t be fooled it could get hot quickly so don’t forget hats and fans.

Sri Racha Tiger Zoo - Crocodile

After a quick review on what on schedule, we headed to the Crocodile show. We sat behind the glass wall because we arrived late. If you go, get to the show a few minutes before show time for a great seat without smudge glass door to block your view. Even so, the kids enjoyed the live show and entertainment.

Next, we headed to the Tiger show. The show involved several tigers and fire ring. I didn’t know what to think about this. Since I knew, the living condition for these animals won’t be ideal. The kids were rather busy climbing up and down the stairs than paying much attention to the show. I guess it might be the low lighting that made it hard for them to see. But once they lit up the fire, it did hold their attention for a while.

Sri Racha Tiger Zoo - Elephant

Our next stop was the Elephant show. The highlight of the whole show had to be the chance to feed bananas to the elephant. They really enjoyed the interactive up close and personal.

Sri Racha Tiger Zoo - Pig&Tiger

We skipped on the Pig race and slowly made our way through the park. Our last stop in the park was the nursery area where my brother-in-law and my sister took the picture holding the cub and fed them milk in the bottle. They also show how the pigs were raised together with the tiger cub.

It’s definitely one of the different experience you will get here. It’s not the same as western zoo and I will leave it up to your own decision whether you want to visit this place. For me, one time is enough. For Mr. Rojo, his memory was ‘It was really stinky like a giant kitty litter box that has never been cleaned’. For my kids, they just remembered feeding the elephants and they truly enjoyed them. So that’s our views.

I would like to put it here that my goal of this blog is to give honest opinion on my travel GOOD and BAD so that other parents will have information to make their own decision.

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PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Thailand in A Day at The Ancient City

Our trip to Thailand a couple years back was the first trip with both kids. My sister knew that going around town with both kids were a lot of hassle in Bangkok so she arranged to hire a mini-van driver to drive us around. One of our stop was The Ancient City (Muang Boran in Thai). This park is in Samut Prakan which is in the outskirt of Bangkok.

This park was created by one of the Thai millionaire to recreate Thai architecture from all around the country. Some are the replica of the country historical structures, some are the replica of the no longer exist structures, some are the genuine building that has been purchased and moved to this site. Each has been built with intricate detail and accuracy.

So if you want to get a preview of Thailand architectures and history around different parts of the country, then this will be a good bet. The site is over 200 acres and each site is not close to each other. It’s highly recommended that you have your own car or hire a car to tour the site. You will be able to drive around and stop at each site. Another way to tour it is by bike. Since our kids at that time were too young, car was a better option.

We stopped by the floating market (replica as well) to have lunch. Kids got to enjoy feeding turtles and fish in the pond. We didn’t cover half of what the over 100 structures are available at this park. I will go back there again when we visit Bangkok on our family trip. It’s a trip well worth a visit!! Plan as a day trip from Bangkok to get away from all the busy life and enjoy the cultural visit in a day.

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Dreaming of: Angkor Wat


I have lived in Thailand for over half my life but I haven’t visited my neighboring country Cambodia yet. And now I live half way around the world and I’m dreaming of visiting Angkor Wat lately. My brother and my mom were there a couple years ago. They took advantage of the low airfare and went there on a whim. The trip was probably one of many spontaneous my wanderlust brothers have done over the year. The pictures are breathtaking. I can help but envy their experience.

I plan to visit Angkor Wat on our next Thailand trip. I don’t know where to start yet but my brother can probably give me a good idea and contact to start. We will probably spend a few days there. Learning the history of this ancient city that has been reclaimed by the nature over hundred of years. Bracing the hot sun of South East Asia summer. Hopefully, it will be tolerable for my kids.

And the food.. Ah.. Food and Asian people goes together like chopsticks. We live to eat. We love to eat and we travel to eat.

Now if anyone has any great accommodation, please feel free to share.

This post is part of Monday are for Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips.

Photo Friday: Cable Ride on Ngong Ping 360

This is one of the reason why we travel near and far.. Miss J just met her cousin for the first and they instantly connected. They held hand together walking through the airport in Hong Kong. They hop on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car together. They were mesmerized by the view over the Tung Chung Bay. They were excited as we approached the Tian Tan Buddha Statue high atop the Ngong Ping Plateau. They walked hand-in-hand in the Ngong Ping village. They shared their excitement and many secrets for the first time.

This is why we travel near and far.

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Photo Friday: James Bond Island

On our trip back to Thailand several years ago.. way before we had Mr. Z, we went to Phuket and Phang-Nga for a short visit. It was before the tradegy of Tsunami hit Thailand. I haven’t been back since but I have heard that everything is now back to normal. The trip was my first trip to visit Phuket myself.. I know.. Shame on me even though I lived in Thailand for over half my life but I have yet to fully experience what my birth country has to offer.

The trip started at Phuket resort and we hired a tour guide (since we also traveled with Mr. Rojo’s parents) to take us to James Bond Island. It was named James Bond Island because one of the Bonds movie was shoot here.. I’m not the die-hard 007 fan so I couldn’t really tell which one. I don’t know if Miss J will remember any of the trip but it was one of the fun trip. We rode on the small engine boat. It was just a bit bigger than a canoe with seats for probably 10 people. We also made a quick stop at the Floating Fishing Village for lunch. I wish we could have stayed longer. I couldn’t wait to bring Mr. Z back there one day.

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Photo Friday: Ruinas De Sao Paulo

This photo could have been taken in anywhere in Europe. But the truth is this ruin is in Macau – The Asia Sin City. It’s amazing how history has different trace of how small our world is. This is part of the old ruin of St. Paul church in Macau. We visited here during our trip to Hong Kong and Macau in 2007. It was one of the fun and crazy trip for us. With 6 children and probably 15 adults, I felt like we just flew by this amazing city.

Macau has a lot of Portugal influence as we can see it throughout the city. The food, the architechture, the culture.. A small city but very big personality. It’s called ‘Las Vegas of Asia’ for a good reason. They have several big casinos throughout the city. One big difference I would say is the smoking. This is not by any mean a family-friendly city. The casinos are full of smokers. The restaurants mostly have no separate rooms for non-smoking. You pretty much have to walk pass the smoke-filled room to the corner of the restaurant.

However, the other aspect of the city is amazing. It’s a great city to walk around and learn about Macau history. So I will think a family with older kids would really appreciate learning how East culture meet West culture and co-exist nicely.

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Photo Friday: Just for tourists like us in Hong Kong

The sign at the ferry station in Hong Kong on our way back from Macau.

During our visit to Hong Kong and Macau, we took a ferry to and from Hong Kong to Macau. The trip wasn’t bad. I took some seasick medicine and pretty much slept the whole way. At the ferry station after a long ferry ride (about an hour) the first thing we looked for was the rest room. Well, we didn’t have any problem finding it. They make sure that tourists won’t make any mess looking for restrooms. I mean if you can’t find the restroom then I don’t know how else they can help you. :)

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WW – Starbucks in Beijing

With the Beijing 2008 Olympic fever that we have in our house right now, I want to post the picture we took almost 10 years ago. Starbucks have been in Beijing way before the Olympic. I’m very in awe with the opening ceremony but I’m not surprised. I know that the Chinese can do it and they have the determination and committment to make it big.

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WW – Wat Phra Kaew

Wat Phra Kaew or The Temple of the Emerald Budha is Thai most sacred buddhist temple. It’s located within the grounds of the Grand Palace and one of the most visited tourist attraction in Thailand. We went there on our recent trip to Thailand. It was HOT!!!

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WW – Phromthep Cape, Phuket, Thailand

The view of Phromthep Cape in Phuket. It’s the most photographed location in Phuket. We took this picture during our trip to Thailand over 4 years ago. I can’t wait to go back there again.

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