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.

Summer in Poland is just delicious. Our favourite sights (outside the obvious antiquity of the old towns) have been the rendered cement grey blocks with their little balconies and window parapets bursting with red flowers and green foliage. Many of the communist remnants have been painted in natural tones, others quite hideously, but I still prefer the grays for some reason. Some buildings are very run down, some have been ornately renovated but for me it’s those flowers that bring the houses to life. The tufts of wheat flowers, wild flowers and just plain old weeds sprouting through cobblestones and pavements is a magical scene. No manicured grass here. Interestingly nature does not take over and run riot on the streets when left untended. It adds softness to every street and neighborhood. Then there are old growth parks around every turn - half wild and beautiful!

Koszalin city, like most cities in Poland, is set up around an old town surrounded by remnants of an ancient wall. Outside of the old town is a sprawling metropolis with small neighborhoods’ of apartment blocks which would house a majority of the town’s population. With 100,000 plus inhabitants it is amazing that 10 minutes out of the city centre sees rolling plains and forests. The cities layout made us think hard about the differences and the preferences of modern suburbia, between living in a shoebox with pure nature on your doorstep or living in a mansion with a slice of grass. There is a warm community feel here. If you meander through these neighbourhoods you will find kiosks, mini markets, local fresh fruit and vegies (usually grown in the local garden and farm plots just outside the city), hairdressers and all sorts of amenities and services. There are playgrounds and sand pits around every turn. Zofia had her first time on the swings here. What joy for the little tacker! There are children running amuck every day. It was so refreshing to see so many little ones playing outside.

Outside of the apartment blocks there is some suburbia followed by pure countryside before the next suburb, apartment neighbourhoods and old town rises up. With a country of 40 odd million the most populated city Warsaw has a population of just under 2 million. The layout here is similar to Thailand where the whole country is dotted with cities, towns and villages with country and forests in between. Being part of the great European plain, the Polish fields and forests are cradled by 528 km of the Baltic Sea coast to the north and the High Tatra mountain range to the south. It is strange for us in Australia and New Zealand to think of only have such a small amount of coast line and in the case of New Zealand such a small amount of mountains. The Poles definitely make the most of it. We visited Mielno, a coastal tourist town several times and it sure was a sight. The markets, stalls and food localities were plenty spreading down the street and then some. The lody (Polish ice creams) and gofry (Polish waffles) shops abound. The nightlife which we did not see with our imposed 7pm Zofia curfew is meant to be spectacular (ironically my mamusia can vouch for that from her visit weeks earlier). But the strangest sight of all was a beach chocker full of people with little segmented off areas sun baking, playing, socialising and having a great time with only one person in the water! My babcia explained that they do tests on the water and sometimes its too dirty and so they put up a red flag. It didn’t look dangerous but you know those bacteria. Oh and no board shorts allowed. Yes seriously. Speedos for everyone!

Poland was a nostalgic journey. For me family visits and tasty treats would have been more then enough but then we were treated to Krakow. Karon will take you on that journey in his next post.

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Six Weeks At Home

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).

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First Impressions… Koszalin, Poland

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.

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Berlin Denouement

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.

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First Impressions… Berlin, Germany

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.

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Dubai Denouement

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…

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First Impressions… Dubai, UAE

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.

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Thailand Denouement

Our saga with taxi drivers continues. For a 70 baht metered trip down the street and after we thought we the driver was going to use the meter, we were given the option of a) 100 baht + toll on the highway (for a route that didn’t require the use of the highway) or b) 200 baht for our normal route. Hmmm… I thought you were going to use the meter! So feeling a bit ripped off we insisted that the driver use the meter but instead we were then given option c) kicked to the curb. Luckily we were only 100 metres from the train station, so with Zofia and all our luggage in tow we fended off more 200 baht offers and got ourselves into a metered taxi.

We can not get our heads around the dual pricing that we have come across in our travels in Thailand. Maybe its our western mind of political correctness that kicks in but it just feels wrong that you should be charged double the price for entrances, transport and even food just because you are not from around here, even if by western standards it is still relatively affordable. This would be a lead story on A Current Affair in Sydney or Melbourne. But is it that they rely on these inflated prices to make a living? Somehow I do not think it comes out of necessity but rather because they can. Otherwise we would not have been kicked to the curb and, the honest food handlers taxi drivers and shop assistants would have been finished by now.

Catching the sky train and sky walking have been our highlights and window shopping at a few of Bangkoks mega malls Central World, Siam Paragon and Siam Centre. Siam Paragon and Central World have magnificent food courts. We are saving the touristy outings for when we come back to visit Zofias new Thai Mummy, JJ. Adding to Zofias accolades is ‘The Most Popular Guest‘ award from Suk 11

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Back in Bangkok

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.

So, with the proverbial 20/20 vision in place, we will now be heading from;

1. Bangkok to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (End of July)
2. Dubai to Berlin, Germany (Early August)
3. Berlin to Koszalin, Poland (August)
4. Koszalin to Yakabagh, Turkey (September)
5. Yakabagh to Istanbul
6. Istanbul to Sofia, Bulgaria
7. Sofia to Vienna, Austria
8. Vienna to Rome, Italy
9. Rome to Perugia
10. and finally Perugia to Krakow!

We intend to stay in Poland and Turkey for a month or so each, with about 3-4 days in each of the other destinations.

We are extremely happy that we did not book in advance and gave ourselves the flexibility to alter our plans as we go along. So we are now enjoying our last few days in Bangkok, preparing for our journey to Dubai and Europe, and researching where I can watch the All Blacks play while in Germany and Poland!

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Whats the Plan Farang?

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!

Some basic googling finds that the primitive people of Thailand practiced Animism, which includes ancestor worship and brings life to all plants, animals and natural forces. In addition there were some influences from Hinduism that came through Cambodia. But when Buddhism came on the scene in 218 BE (Buddhist Era) the Thais took it on as their formal religion, retaining many of the former ways of Animism and Hinduism. This is reminiscent of Christianity and the conversion of pagan tribes in Europe, adopting the primitive traditions as their own. The operative and differentiating word here is converting. That is one big difference between Buddhism and other religions - It does not reject other religions. Further research shows that there are several schools of Buddhism followed today. Thailand, along with South East Asia and Sri Lanka, practice Theravada Buddhism. Also know as the Doctrine of the Elders, it is the oldest and most conservative school of Buddhism. This is the branch that has taken seed in the west. Theravada Buddhism interwoven with the folk religion and its animistic and Hindu belief systems makes for a highly pious and superstitious culture.

Here, prayers and rituals envelope each and every day and special occasion. The respect, simplicity and humbleness of these traditions makes you feel apart of something larger. It is actually very similar to being in a country that is solely Catholic, like Poland. There is something bonding and special when people come together to celebrate and mourn days, seasons and events in the same manner. The sameness is very comforting.

Our favourite sight has been the ubiquitous Spirit House and the offerings and trinkets that adorn desks and dashboards. Usually about the size of a giant doll house, just about every house, business and building has a spirit house erected out front, as a little shrine to the spirits about. The inhabitants of the property set out offerings of food and drink, incense and candles. For HBO viewers it is as if you have stepped onto the set of Rome, substituting the Roman Senators for Buddhist monks and brutality for compassion. The parallels between folk religions are interesting. This type of belief system is found amongst most hunter-gatherer, tribal and village cultures around the world. It seems that somewhere along the line we became disconnected.

Then there are the Buddhist temples or Wat. The Wat of Chiang Mai are extremely enchanting and ethereal. To some they may seem overly ornate and at times ostentatious, however they are clearly a reflection of devotion and honour. Chiang Mai boasts approximately 300 Wat, strewn among the roads and soi of the Old Town and beyond. Being a place of prayer, meditation and offering they are also used as a meeting place for the community for ceremonies, discussions and gatherings, fairs and fundraisers, food courts and support groups. You name it. A must see is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai, Wat Chiang Man, and Wat Phan An, where the Sunday Walking Street Market food court is held. There you will most definitely be approached by a helpful tourist guide that will suggest other temples that are a must see within and beyond the gates of the Old Town. Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep up on Doi Suthep is a main attraction within Chiang Mai. To get there requires a beautiful scenic ride up the mountain, and make sure it is a clear day to fully appreciate the view of Chiang Mai and the valley from above. 309 steps later, we made our wishes, circled the Chedi, made our offerings of flowers, candles and incense and had Zofia receive a much needed blessing for protection from the local monk in the form of a white string around her wrist.

The Wat of Chiang Mai can also offer a wonderful place to cool down, reflect or simply relax. In the midst of all the history and the mish mash of cultural influences we found our favourite temple, Wat Lok Molee. Right on the banks of the Old Town moat, it is a gem hidden from the roar of the street traffic. It is peaceful and beautiful… ah the serenity of some family time.

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Thailand in the Year 2551