So many times, even doing something as simple as getting our passports out of purse while juggling the luggage and Emma with her unsteady head, I thought why are there not enough hands for this!? Or when I was trying to think through the timing of pumping milk, feeding Emma and take off and landing I thought why is this so difficult to think through. I am now convinced more that ever that parenting is intended to be a job for four hands, two brains - two parents!
I have been to Thailand once before, but it was with a group and we stayed in a resort in a totally different area of the country - so for all intensive purposes I really hadn't ever been to Thailand before. We have lived in china now long enough to feel comfortable. Traveling to Thailand was definitely a refresher course on what its like to feel completely foreign, lost, and confused. I was like the definition of an easy target. I basically should have worn a sign that said, "Foreign woman traveling alone with infant. Completely overwhelmed. Please take advantage"
Fortunately for me, the Thai people were very kind to me. I was having trouble getting transportation from the airport to where I was staying, and this sweet family offered to take me. We crammed 7 adults, 2 kids, and Emma into a 5 seater SUV and off we went. On the way, they even offered for me to stay with them. Another night, I stopped to ask for directions and another family offered for me to eat dinner with them at their home. The people were so very kind. And I was so very grateful.
Transportation was probably the biggest difference. At home, the most common types of transportation are a bus or a taxi. In thailand, there were not any buses and taxis were uncommon. When I did see a taxi they did not use a meter, the fare was a negotiated price and they sometimes looked a little bit different than what I'm used to.
The main form of transportation is called a song tao (spelling?). Song tao's are trucks you wave down like taxis. If the driver is going in your direction you negotiate a price for him to take you to your destination or close to your destination. There are also different color trucks that signal different things like whether they will take you directly to your destination or if they follow certain routes. Having never been to Thailand on my own, this was a bit confusing. Not to mention I had no idea what on earth was reasonable pricing.
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| The back of a really nice song tao truck. |
By the end of the four days, I felt like I was getting the hand of things. And I think if I had to make this trip again (even by myself) I could do it with much more ease. I do hope I get to go back someday so that I can enjoy Thailand more. It was really beautiful and the people were so incredibly sweet! It was neat things in this new culture like fish massages (something I'd previously seen on the amazing race) where people put their feet into fish tanks and let the fish go to work on their feet and legs.
Above is a local market that I stopped at to pick up treats to bring home to hubby and Bella girl. Below is the local food. Yum!
The hardest part, was definitely being away from Philip and Bella. Philip and I have only been away from each other on a couple occasions for important reasons. We are one of those couples that would prefer to be with each other every minute of the day. I really wish he could have been there to enjoy the neat things about Thailand with me. And I really missed laying in his arms at the end of the day laughing about the disastrous things of the day. And of course I missed Bella. 4 days (3 sleeps) is a long time to be away from a one year old. When I got back she had accumulated 4 binkeys, one for each day that I was gone. But Philip took good care of her. He also sent me lots of pictures and videos while I was away.
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