Bangkok To Krakow

Since we arrived in Poland it has been a whirlwind of reunions, feasting and pondering our next movements. Our internet access has been limited and the logistics of sleeping in, being fed, sleeping some more, snacking, watching the Polish volleyball team at the Olympics, eating some more, watching the news channel, sightseeing and all the while child rearing has made it difficult to sit down, focus and write even a trickle of an update. One thing is for sure no news is good news! Who ever heard of a 24 hour news channel? Not cable either – one of four channels.

We were gifted with some pretty wonderful days in Koszalin. That perfect weather you only dream of – fresh mornings, sun shining midday’s and breezy afternoons. If only it wasn’t for those damn drafts. Can you really get sick from a draft? We got to experience a European suburban town with no tourists and not an English translation of a sign around. Karon was definitely immersed in Polish. On our last day, he spilled out a forage of words but not even one swear word.. what a poor effort Polska! Poland was too busy trying to feed him instead. What we lost in sweat and tears in Thailand we definitely gained in potatoes and ponczki in Poland. 4 kg each in 2 weeks to be exact. The source – parowki (Polish sausages), ponczki (Polish donuts), krowki (Polish fudge) and a smorgasbord of potatos, cabbage, delicious meats and some of the tastiest salads ever (thanks to Ciocia Misia’s diet!) all with a dash of Dill.

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Rolling plains, forest, train stops in the middle of nowhere, Babcia screaming out “Madzia!”, Communist era apartment blocks.

Our trip to Koszalin, Poland from Berlin consisted of three separate trains, a lay over in Szczecin and a close call in Bialogard.

Although travelling on regional trains requires a lot of patience and the ability to dash from platform to platform to get good seats, financially it makes sense at a quarter of the price you would for a reserved ticket on the Inter City. It also makes the trip more interesting, breaking it up and giving you a chance to interact with the locals.

We stopped at Bialograd, about 20 minutes away from Koszalin, for about 15 minutes waiting for the train from Gdansk to come through. Madzia went into the station for water with plenty of time to spare, but Babcia, Dziadek and Madzia’s Mum have warned us to never do it again because the train simply leaves without warning.

We were greeted at the train station by a flying Babcia, Dziadek and Ciocia (Grandmother, Grandfather and Aunty). Smothered in hugs and kisses and luggage, we made our way home to Babcia’s apartment for some Glabki and Salatka. One warning to any visitors over 6 foot, low flying light fixtures can be hazardous to your health and humourous to your hosts.

It was great to finally arrive and meet Madzia’s wonderful family, and for them to meet our little Zofia (who continues to expand her fan base where ever we go).

After settling into Schlafmeile Hostel, we made our way to the Hauptbahnhoff (Main Train Station) to organise our tickets for the trip to the home town of Madzia’s Grandparents, Koszalin, Poland. We initially decided on staying in Berlin for four days, however after an extremely busy week travelling and our proximity to Madzia’s family, we changed our plans. Surprise, surprise So, we arranged tickets for travel the next day, which is fairly straight forward if you are prepared to travel on Regional Trains rather than Inter City or International trains, which require reservations and booking well ahead of time.

The neighbourhood of our Hostel in Friedrichshein was extremely pleasant, broad tree lined streets with small parks scattered throughout, young families out for their evening stroll and picnic in the park, people everywhere yet no hustle and bustle.

There is a sense of melancholy to the city, yet this is offset by a youthful exuberance that shines through. The mixture of Gothic and Imperial era architecture interspersed with uber-modern renovations, rebuilding and developments reflects the mood of this emotionally scarred city.

Our taxi trip to the Hauptbahnhoff in the morning was a mini tour, taking us past remnants of the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. One memory I will always keep of this city is the taxi driver pointing to a wall pockmarked with bullet holes “ping, ping, ping”.

Our sojourn in Berlin was memorable, albeit brief, and it was a great introduction to Europe for Zofia and myself. We are looking forward to returning and exploring this city of juxtapositions further.

Sunshine! Green, historic, melancholy.

Our arrival at Tegel Airport, Berlin, reinforced the notion of leaving your preconceptions at the door when you embark upon a journey.

After a lay over in Rome with a brief delay and a few espresso’s, we were off the plane, collected our baggage and in a taxi within ten minutes! We had our passports glanced at by a customs official in Italy who seemed more interested in the dinner plans of his colleagues, and from there we might as well have been on a domestic flight in Australia! No armed guards or passport control reminiscent of Checkpoint Charlie.

So we left the airport, and made our way down the boulevards, basking in the clear blue skies and warmth of a beautiful summers day in Berlin.

After settling into our room, we took a tour of Madinat Jumeirah in an Abra (water taxi) on the canals, which then dropped us off at the souk. This section of the resort is highly tourist orientated and is full of high priced souvenirs and accessories, so we made our way to the local mall for dinner. As we were sitting in the food court, we realised that we were over looking a snow field! The Mall of the Emirates is the home to the worlds largest indoor ski field, and it was quite a sight to behold, with local women in their traditional garb throwing snowballs! From the mall we headed back to the room for a much needed bout of rest and recuperation, along with a light show from Burj Al Arab.

The next morning we woke and it was as if we were cupped in the palm of a cloud. Zofia absolutely loved the variety of pillows, and spent a good half an hour crawling around and crash tackling each of the pillows individually. At this time of the year the afternoon heat is so stifling it is best spent in an air conditioned mall, which Dubai has in abundance. On our final day we headed to the Gold and Spice souk area in Deira, and after two hours in the heat we were left exhausted, searching for a taxi that would take us to a congested part of the city. Not so much fun with a baby in tow, but memorable all the same

Dubai left us so awe struck that it is hard to think of any high lights, but the resort at Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah and our first taste of 5 star opulence, and a simple meal of Shwarma and shakes at Al Mallah in Satwa certainly make my list of memorable moments of the trip so far.

Two days of breakfast buffets, air conditioned afternoons in the mall and swimming with Zofia in the resorts pools left us well rested for the next stage of our journey to Europe.

Stifling heat, sweet Arabic perfumes, glitz and glamour.

Our flight from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi on Etihad Airways went off without a hitch, arriving 12:30 local time. One of the first things Madzia noticed was the opulent fragrance of Oud, and the myriad of sweet Arabic scents that are used throughout this part of the world. One of the first things I noticed was the availability of porters and the amount of luggage that locals brought home from their shopping spress in Bangkok.

We ventured forth into the stifling heat to our coach for the transfer to Dubai. We made our way through a landscape of sandy shades and construction grey, and gradually, like a shimmering mirage, the desert came to life as we neared Dubai. Dubai itself seems as if someone had picked up a strip of prime real estate in Manhattan and dumped it in the middle of the desert, it is actually quite surreal. From the coach we made our way to our home for 3 days, Madinat Jumeirah. There really aren’t enough superlatives to describe this resort, and going from our digs in Thailand to 5 star luxury in Dubai left us speechless, the pictures really do speak for themselves…

Well we made it! 2 months in Thailand, multiple mosquito bites, a few doses of delhi belly and a lifetime of memories.

We have learnt much about ourselves and discovered a new depth and understanding to our relationship as a couple and a family. The following excerpt from Eric and Virginias Travel Journals rings so true.

“Traveling together independently and inexpensively in underdeveloped parts of the world is a severe test for any relationship, as many questions constantly arise requiring compatible answers from two different persons. Why are we here? How long do we stay? Where do we go next and how do we get there? Where will we eat?will we eat? How much (and which) baggage do we carry with us? are we living in this dump? are we paying so much? Is this the best we can do? are we going to do today? about tomorrow? long is this trip going to last? it time to go home? It is amazing that relationships can survive under such circumstances.”

Add to this a baby, mosquitoes and a toothache and you have one hell of an argument starter.

Highlights of our Thai adventure definitely include the food and the Thai people and their culture. The trip to the temple on Doi Suthep also rates highly, and watching Zofia make friends all over Thailand, especially at Suk 11.

Travelers beware!!! Be vigilant in your negotiations with taxi and tuktuk drivers, ‘western’ food is not a specialty and varies from edible to “who chose to eat here!!!”, and in general if someone is being nice to you, there is an ulterior motive.

As a starting point for our adventure, Thailand has as provided a real learning curve for us, in the way that we travel and forging our relationship from a couple to a young family.

It has been refreshing to live it up in an air conditioned room again at Suk 11. We have enjoyed the familiarity of our surroundings and have spent our several days relaxing in the Suk 11 grounds and enjoying walking and shopping around the Sukhumvit Road neighbourhood. Interesting little fact is that Sukhumvit Road, which begins in central Bangkok, runs all the way to Cambodia. We only made it as far as Siam Paragon. Better luck next time…

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“No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy” – Field Marshall Helmuth Carl Bernard Graf von Moltke

Not that our adventure is anywhere as serious as going into battle, but von Moltke sure hit the nail on the head when it comes to planning for a situation!

Originally we planned to travel around South East Asia for a few months, then head to Iran, Turkey, Eastern Europe and into Poland. However a combination of hindsight, difficulty organising our Iranian visa’s, Madzia’s mosquito magnetism, Zofia’s unanticipated increased mobility, and the fact that Madzia has not seen a Polish Summer since 1987 lead us to to change our itinerary a smidgen.

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No we haven’t been transported forward 543 years, this is the current year in Thailand. An interesting little fact is that the Thai Calendar begins with Buddhas birth 2551 years ago. 95% of the population are Buddhist, and with the abundance of Wat (Temples) and Spirit Houses it is not hard to believe. So it begins with the birth of Buddha, but where do Wat and Spirit Houses come into it?

Gaining an understanding of Thai Buddhism will surely have your head spinning. One thing is for sure and that is that Thai culture is entrenched with their faith, traditions and rituals, all practiced on a daily basis. From our short stay here we have come to see the austere side of faith through visiting the Buddhist Temples and our daily monk spotting. The monks are literally everywhere but nowhere. You can see by our photos how elusive these guys are, turning corners, disappearing behind trees. Then there are the ordinary Thai faithful, all 95% of them. Buddhism is a way of life for people here. It is not to say that they are all self denying and self sacrificing individuals. They are mostly accepting and compassionate though. Where you or they are on the path of enlightenment is not important to them and, with the ultimate Buddha offering being that of mental betterment, they are self development gurus! [Read more →]