Forget4Explore

We're back in Thailand....sadly it's only for a night. We opted for a hotel out by the airport. It is very unglamorous, but we managed to tick a few of our favorite Thai things off our list. Our first experience was the overpriced hotel restaurant. We're a bit in the middle of nowhere and tugging 2 kids around, so bad decisions are bound to happen. At least the food was good. I decided to indulge and walked to a swanky spa where I got an amazing thai massage. It was everything I imagined and more. All rested up, we headed out to the local market in search of some grub. It wasn't long before we were stuffed on delicious spring rolls, bbq pork, savory soup and other tasty treats. Thailand will always be a favorite of ours, and we're always happy to return...even if it's only for a quick layover. Mauritius, we're coming to get you!

We survived what will be out last long haul bus ride with the kids. While it wasn't the worst travel experience with them, it certainly wasn't the best. If we have any wise advice to pass on after this year it is this, always choose flying over buses with small children. We arrived at our homestay to learn that we are here for Khmer New Year. The hotel is celebrating with a party for the staff and all guests were invited to partake. So, after unloading and relaxing a bit, we headed over. It was free beer, free delicious food and games/music and dancing. We met other guests who decided to join in on the fun and talked to a lot of the hotel employees (who kept apologising for the disruption.. This is how lovely they were. Well that and I don't think we were ever without a beverage).  We actually had a great time and finally started warming up to Cambodia. The next day we finally got our hands on some Cambodian food and spent the day in the pool and checking...

I'll be totally honest, Cambodia has not made a stellar first impression. No particular reason. Maybe we're burnt out, maybe a little travel apathy here at hand. Overall, our very limited exposure to this country gives us the impression of being a lot dirtier and grittier than its neighbours and much harder to navigate due to the lack of sidewalks and busy traffic. Our first few days have been spent eating any kind of cuisine you can imagine other than Cambodian. First, it's hard to find anything, at least in our neighbourhood. The food stalls that lined any and every street in Vietnam don't seem to be as prominent here. Also, if we do find anything, it looks questionable. This coming from me, who will eat almost anything. Instead we've been shut ins, slaves to the air-conditioning, watching English TV and taking long naps. We do get out for runs, but not to walk around and explore. It's hard to do thanks to the lack of sidewalk and busy traffic. Last ...

Xin Chao Ho Chi Minh!! We have a great location, sitting in district 4 and across the river from most sights. Ho Chi Minh is much more of a modern city than anywhere else we've been in Vietnam. It's filled with sky scrapers and modern restaurants and amenities, although the street food scene here is still very much alive. We celebrated with pizza!! The 4Ps restaurant is in a luxurious mall. We were drawn to this place with the promise of wood oven cooked pizza topped with house made cheese, we're all in need of some cheese.... It did not disappoint! Our first morning we stumbled upon a gem of a pho place. It had a stellar broth and we basically ate there every morning, with the exception of a few. We have the luxury of a pool at this airbnb, so we took the boys for a swim in the kiddy pool. They're really getting comfortable in the water and at least with the kiddy pool, they can do their own thing under supervision. It's much easier on us. For lunch we we...