06-February-2015, 28degC
Early start today to get to 'Burj Khalifa' (tallest artificial structure in the world - 829.8m high(includes a 244m spire - a skyscraper on its own)).Was stalked/followed by a taxi as we walked to the metro to find that he knew what we didn't - the metro was closed that early in the morning(they seem to be late risers in Dubai). Was a hazy morning but fortunately clear up high. The buttressed core , 3 buttresses that form a Y shaped core , supports the 4000+ tonnes of steel, 100km of pipes 26,000 glass panels(it normally take 36 workers three to four months to clean the entire exterior façade - nothing 'normal' about any of it!) etc...
Lachlan reached the pinnacle of his lift operating career(seems to be his new thing to take control of ever lift we go in) when we ascended to the observation deck 'At the Top 'on the 124th floor(452m high) in one of the 57 elevators (fastest ascending and descending at 10m/s) The kids fought over the 'Tellscope' electronic telescope (a device which allows visitors to view the surrounding landscape in real-time, and to view previously saved images such as those taken at different times of day or under different weather conditions.)
I think the kids did actually find this pretty 'cool'.
Saturday, 7 February 2015
Thursday, 5 February 2015
Dubai Day1
Jarvis's 11th birthday today. Presents were given last night(to coincide with NZ time).
Slightly fascinated (or maybe amused?) watching the women in traditional dress (abaya(black robe and niqab(veil))) eating their breakfast this morning - very well considered mouthfuls.
Headed off after breakfast to take a look at Deira, the 'old Dubai'. Caught the metro down to the traditional souks - offering spices, textiles and gold jewellery. A bit tricky to find but we knew when we had found them(gold necklaces so huge you have to ask 'why', you'd probably fall over(maybe you stay sitting?)).
Good prep work for Morocco to come - quite a bit of harassing. We lost Ollie for a few minutes to then find him dressed in traditional robe - children are easy bait! Well, it made for some good photos and of course a purchase. Pretty amazing atmosphere.
The kids had their first puff of a Lebanese Shisha - Jarvis who was the keen one found it 'disgusting', Lachlan chickened out, Ollie gave it a pretty good go but looked unimpressed.
Wandered along the port watching fishermen transporting their wares on traditional dhows.
Best-Looking metro I've even seen.
Slightly fascinated (or maybe amused?) watching the women in traditional dress (abaya(black robe and niqab(veil))) eating their breakfast this morning - very well considered mouthfuls.
Headed off after breakfast to take a look at Deira, the 'old Dubai'. Caught the metro down to the traditional souks - offering spices, textiles and gold jewellery. A bit tricky to find but we knew when we had found them(gold necklaces so huge you have to ask 'why', you'd probably fall over(maybe you stay sitting?)).
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| Souks in Deira (Gold and Jewellery) |
Good prep work for Morocco to come - quite a bit of harassing. We lost Ollie for a few minutes to then find him dressed in traditional robe - children are easy bait! Well, it made for some good photos and of course a purchase. Pretty amazing atmosphere.
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| Largest Gold Ring |
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| Yep, They Got Us! |
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| Historic Souk Area |
The kids had their first puff of a Lebanese Shisha - Jarvis who was the keen one found it 'disgusting', Lachlan chickened out, Ollie gave it a pretty good go but looked unimpressed.
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| Metro |
Wandered along the port watching fishermen transporting their wares on traditional dhows.
Best-Looking metro I've even seen.
Dubai
Great flight from Bangkok to Dubai (Our first time flying Emirates).
Jarvis got a birthday cake during the flight ( I got the dates a little wrong so we had to pretend it was his birthday(which was actually a day later)). Surprised at how 'unwelcoming' passport control was - aren't the passport officiers supposed to look and talk to you when they check your passport?
Anyway once we reached the hotel (Hyatt Place Residences, Deira) things were better. We were foolish enough to immediately attempt Dubai Mall in the afternoon/evening(thought it was a good idea to jump right in) - what were we thinking(it's only the largest shopping mall in the world) - I blame the jetlag for impairing us! While there, in a great daze, we managed to then lose Lachlan. Our stress levels hit the roof, but we managed to find him after about 10minutes of frantic searching (worst nightmare stuff) - a huge wakeup call - he had only disappeared just out of sight (he was concentrating on his lollies while we were concentrating on Arabs buying flash watches). Ollie and Jarvis think Lachlan has the best story - being lost in the world's largest mall!
Crashed into bed absolutely exhausted.
Jarvis got a birthday cake during the flight ( I got the dates a little wrong so we had to pretend it was his birthday(which was actually a day later)). Surprised at how 'unwelcoming' passport control was - aren't the passport officiers supposed to look and talk to you when they check your passport?
Anyway once we reached the hotel (Hyatt Place Residences, Deira) things were better. We were foolish enough to immediately attempt Dubai Mall in the afternoon/evening(thought it was a good idea to jump right in) - what were we thinking(it's only the largest shopping mall in the world) - I blame the jetlag for impairing us! While there, in a great daze, we managed to then lose Lachlan. Our stress levels hit the roof, but we managed to find him after about 10minutes of frantic searching (worst nightmare stuff) - a huge wakeup call - he had only disappeared just out of sight (he was concentrating on his lollies while we were concentrating on Arabs buying flash watches). Ollie and Jarvis think Lachlan has the best story - being lost in the world's largest mall!
Crashed into bed absolutely exhausted.
BangkokCity Day2
Started off river taxiing to 'Wat Pho' where we saw the 'Reclining Buddha' - 15m high by 43m long. The kids dropped coins into the 108 bronze bowls (believed to bring good fortune and to help the monks maintain the wat) in the corridor indicating the 108 auspicious characters of Buddha.
We then crossed the river to visit 'Wat Arun'(Temple of Dawn'). The kids charged up the central tower ('Phang') with enthusiasm much greater than mine. Unfortunately going up meant we had to come down which was pretty scary stuff! No health and safety regulations here! (might have been considered bad parenting?)
Lachlan tells me that he wants to return to Wat Arun on our next trip to Thailand, not because of the amazing climb up but because he had the 'best iceblock ever' there (the ice block was cheaper).
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| Wat Arun on the banks of Chao Phraya River |
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| Wat Arun -At the top, feeling nervous about the descent ahead? |
The evening was spent at Asiatique Night Market. Ollie and Jarvis were 'fish food' for a while (Jarvis's feet would have been particularly tasty).
The 60m high ferris wheel ride gave Chris and myself 15mins to whip around the markets on our own.
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| Asiatique Ferris Wheel |
Monday, 2 February 2015
BangkokCity Day1
1/Feb/2015 - 04/Feb/2015 Bangkok City, Thailand.
After a coconut drink pit-stop on the pier we headed to our first sight, The Grand Palace, conveniently located on the Chao Phraya River. From 1782-1925, this had been the home of the King, the court and the entire administrative seat of government. The current monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej now resided in the Dusit Palace, but the Grand Palace was still used for official events and remained the seat of power and spiritual heart of the Thai kingdom. There was a strict dress code so avoiding the hour-long queue at the changing room, we double-layered into our long pants and tops outside. This short sighted time gain proved too uncomfortable, it was over 30C and we were basically dressed in winter clothing.
There was little escape from the sun and glare from the mass of gold objects, except for when you were inside one of the several impressive buildings.
We were up bright and early in the morning and straight into breakfast. Breakfast at the hotel was everything you could 'desire', seated outside beside the Chao Phraya River, captivated by it’s chaos.
Lachlan enjoyed his plate of cinnamon sugar - ahh, that's what happened if Lachlan got to choose.
Ollie couldn’t believe the choice, he and Chris opted for hot and spicy, more like dinner food for us.
Not long after we were on the river, a ferry boat (the first of four for the day) just on the doorstep of the hotel. What a great way it was to travel, a little squashed at some points, but with plenty of interest. There was so much to observe, slums next to luxurious high-rises, massive rubbish barges, boats of all kinds.
Lachlan enjoyed his plate of cinnamon sugar - ahh, that's what happened if Lachlan got to choose.
Ollie couldn’t believe the choice, he and Chris opted for hot and spicy, more like dinner food for us.
Not long after we were on the river, a ferry boat (the first of four for the day) just on the doorstep of the hotel. What a great way it was to travel, a little squashed at some points, but with plenty of interest. There was so much to observe, slums next to luxurious high-rises, massive rubbish barges, boats of all kinds.
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| The Grand Palace. |
After a coconut drink pit-stop on the pier we headed to our first sight, The Grand Palace, conveniently located on the Chao Phraya River. From 1782-1925, this had been the home of the King, the court and the entire administrative seat of government. The current monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej now resided in the Dusit Palace, but the Grand Palace was still used for official events and remained the seat of power and spiritual heart of the Thai kingdom. There was a strict dress code so avoiding the hour-long queue at the changing room, we double-layered into our long pants and tops outside. This short sighted time gain proved too uncomfortable, it was over 30C and we were basically dressed in winter clothing.
There was little escape from the sun and glare from the mass of gold objects, except for when you were inside one of the several impressive buildings.
Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) contained the very small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha dating back to the 14th century. It was regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand.
The kids’ most lasting impression was more likely to have been the stray cats happily at home within the grounds.
The kids’ most lasting impression was more likely to have been the stray cats happily at home within the grounds.
We made a rather quick retreat from the harsh heat to track down a tuk-tuk willing to squeeze in five of us. This got positive reactions from the kids. It was rather exciting racing through the chaotic street in little more than a cage on three wheels.
Lachlan’s smiles quickly stopped when his hat was blown off, not to be retrieved. Oliver’s and Jarvis’s smiles increased as it was pretty funny. Needless to say, the first purchase on our list was to be a new hat for Lachlan at our soon to be destination, Khao San Road.
Lachlan’s smiles quickly stopped when his hat was blown off, not to be retrieved. Oliver’s and Jarvis’s smiles increased as it was pretty funny. Needless to say, the first purchase on our list was to be a new hat for Lachlan at our soon to be destination, Khao San Road.
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| Tuk Tuk ride to Khao San Road |
First impressions of Khao San Road, were that it was much cleaner and more orderly than when Chris and I had visited some 20ish years ago.
There were still some seedy remains, plenty of inappropriate ‘educational’ material to keep Ollie and Jarvis highly amused, fortunately most of this went over Lachlan’s head. It was great watching the boys having their first go at haggling. Lachlan was the most successful - the shop owners found his haggling so cute that they laughed and just agreed. Chris and I had to work harder (we weren't looking too cute). Ollie got over his apprehension and haggled too. Jarvis got right into it, coming away with the most purchases.
There were still some seedy remains, plenty of inappropriate ‘educational’ material to keep Ollie and Jarvis highly amused, fortunately most of this went over Lachlan’s head. It was great watching the boys having their first go at haggling. Lachlan was the most successful - the shop owners found his haggling so cute that they laughed and just agreed. Chris and I had to work harder (we weren't looking too cute). Ollie got over his apprehension and haggled too. Jarvis got right into it, coming away with the most purchases.
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| Khao San Road. |
After purchases of t-shirts, hats, sunglasses, jewellery and a great Thai lunch we caught the river boat back for more swimming at the hotel pool and a much needed sleep.
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| Chao Phraya River |
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| Chatrium Riverside Hotel, Bangkok. |
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Bangkok City
The Beginning!
So it began, the big adventure we had been planning for what seemed like most of a year.
This was a truly incredible and fortunate opportunity we had to spend most of 2015 travelling abroad as a family.
There were conflicted feelings of excitement and apprehension.
What would the realities of constant travelling for most of a year really be like with a family of three young boys (Oliver 12, Jarvis 11 and Lachlan 6)?
What did we really want out of this once in a lifetime experience?
The possibilities were enormous, almost overwhelming.
So for flexibility we started on a one-way ticket to London via Bangkok and Dubai.
I had created an itinerary to May, with some gaps. I envisaged working on the rest of it as we travelled and unravelled opportunities.
At the back of my mind I was unsure if the boys would keep up their enthusiasm, would they miss the comforts of home and friends, would correspondence school be successful, would we have good enough internet everywhere we travelled for Chris to work?
With the world on our doorstep we awoke on the 1st February 2015, early from our overnight stay at Ibis Auckland Airport. We excitedly checked out after only a few hours sleep, dropped the car at the car rental and checked onto the first leg of our journey, a Qantas flight departing Auckland at 6:10 am and arriving into Sydney at 7:45 am (Australian time).
This was the start of what we foresaw as an open ended family adventure.
Five of us heading to London, purchasing a car and travelling around Europe, Morocco and more.
Presumably we would return by the end of the year, but for flexibility we had only planned till May.
What amazing possibilities lay ahead of us? It was quite thrilling but we remained surprisingly calm.
We transferred at Sydney airport onto another Qantas plane, arriving into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3:35pm local time, 21:35 NZ time. The Qantas staff commented on the politeness of the boys, I was proud. Not surprisingly, no-one had sleep during the flight, the boys had been completely happy with their inflight entertainment systems and endless soft drink supply.
I knew when I had booked our Bangkok accommodation that I was setting the boys up for an unrealistic expectation of accommodation standard.
My overall strategy was to stay as accommodation cost-neutral as possible, we were going to be away for a long time.
Our house in Auckland was rented out and this was my ‘rough’ accommodation budget. The unrest in Bangkok just prior to us travelling meant that we could stretch to ‘5 star’ accommodation.
I suspected that we wouldn’t match this standard again, but it made for an impressive start.
We had a fabulous modern two bedroom suite with views overlooking the pool and river. The boys were straight into the pool followed by a slightly blundered attempt to get dinner. In our jet-lagged exhausted states we chickened out on the challenging street crossing to the enticing local food stalls across the road opting instead for a delicious meal at one of the restaurants attached to the hotel.
Jarvis curled up on the bench chair and feel asleep as the rest of us enjoyed our first Thai meal.
This was a truly incredible and fortunate opportunity we had to spend most of 2015 travelling abroad as a family.
There were conflicted feelings of excitement and apprehension.
What would the realities of constant travelling for most of a year really be like with a family of three young boys (Oliver 12, Jarvis 11 and Lachlan 6)?
What did we really want out of this once in a lifetime experience?
The possibilities were enormous, almost overwhelming.
So for flexibility we started on a one-way ticket to London via Bangkok and Dubai.
I had created an itinerary to May, with some gaps. I envisaged working on the rest of it as we travelled and unravelled opportunities.
At the back of my mind I was unsure if the boys would keep up their enthusiasm, would they miss the comforts of home and friends, would correspondence school be successful, would we have good enough internet everywhere we travelled for Chris to work?
With the world on our doorstep we awoke on the 1st February 2015, early from our overnight stay at Ibis Auckland Airport. We excitedly checked out after only a few hours sleep, dropped the car at the car rental and checked onto the first leg of our journey, a Qantas flight departing Auckland at 6:10 am and arriving into Sydney at 7:45 am (Australian time).
This was the start of what we foresaw as an open ended family adventure.
Five of us heading to London, purchasing a car and travelling around Europe, Morocco and more.
Presumably we would return by the end of the year, but for flexibility we had only planned till May.
What amazing possibilities lay ahead of us? It was quite thrilling but we remained surprisingly calm.
 |
| Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport |
We transferred at Sydney airport onto another Qantas plane, arriving into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3:35pm local time, 21:35 NZ time. The Qantas staff commented on the politeness of the boys, I was proud. Not surprisingly, no-one had sleep during the flight, the boys had been completely happy with their inflight entertainment systems and endless soft drink supply.
I knew when I had booked our Bangkok accommodation that I was setting the boys up for an unrealistic expectation of accommodation standard.
My overall strategy was to stay as accommodation cost-neutral as possible, we were going to be away for a long time.
Our house in Auckland was rented out and this was my ‘rough’ accommodation budget. The unrest in Bangkok just prior to us travelling meant that we could stretch to ‘5 star’ accommodation.
I suspected that we wouldn’t match this standard again, but it made for an impressive start.
We had a fabulous modern two bedroom suite with views overlooking the pool and river. The boys were straight into the pool followed by a slightly blundered attempt to get dinner. In our jet-lagged exhausted states we chickened out on the challenging street crossing to the enticing local food stalls across the road opting instead for a delicious meal at one of the restaurants attached to the hotel.
Jarvis curled up on the bench chair and feel asleep as the rest of us enjoyed our first Thai meal.
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| Chatrium Riverside Hotel, Bangkok |
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