I have been wanting to go fishing in Chiang Mai, since my friend, Emile, told me about it in Peru. I was really excited to go! I caught a 67lb catfish! We went fishing all day at Bo Sang Fishing Park. The bait we used was made of rice, peanuts, cake, coconut milk, corn and bread.
When we arrived, my dad caught the first fish then my sister caught the next one. After that, I caught the next one and it was 50lbs. It took me 20 minutes to get it in.
Practice cast
Practicing
Got a bite!
Bringing him in…
Still reeling him in.
First fish of the day! Don’t catch them like that in Missouri.
Kat’s got a Fish!
This is Hard Work!!
What a Whopper!
Oh boy, this one feels big…
Reeling
Oh, it is hard pulling in a big one!
Kane’s First Big Fish!My mom loves this picture!
We had lunch which was Cashew Chicken, Thai Omelet and another chicken dish. I liked the Cashew Chicken.
After lunch, we changed spots on the lake. We went to the end of the lake. Right when I casted in I got a big bite and the guide said it was a really big fish. I was really excited and thought it may be the biggest one of the day and it was. It took 30 minutes to bring in and it was 67 LBS!
Got the Big One in! 67 LBS!!Almost as big as me!Dad’s Big one!
We kept fishing and I caught lots more fish! I thought it was really fun and our guide, Suivet, from Big Game Fishing was really great.
Mommy and I visited a dog shelter in Chiang Mai. It was called “Care for Dogs” shelter. They have about 200 dogs they are taking care of. The dogs have been abused. One dog was beaten by some villagers and thrown into a lake in a bag. My favorite dog there was Flip. I got to play with the puppies and take a dog for a walk. The dogs liked playing in nature. They were really nice and friendly. They got jealous if you did not pet them. It was a really fun day, but I felt sad for the dogs(how they were treated before the shelter). They seemed happy there.
A puppy jumping up on me.I am petting a puppy.Walking Flip
Inside big dog area
This was the area for dogs that had 3 legs or less.
This guy walks on only 2 legs.
View of the rice field next door.
I with Flip and Flower.Flip was licking my face.I am feeding treats to the puppies.
Giving Flip some love…I am scratching Flip’s belly.Flip looks happy!
Today, we did a tour called “A day in the life of a Cambodian.” It was truly amazing and enlightening! We started our day by stopping by a food stall on the side of the road. Boy, were we in for a surprise. It was fried crickets, larva, ladybugs, and frogs. Kane tried the cricket and frog, Kat the frog and Kim the cricket(not bad), larva( I did not like at all) and frog(the frog took a little bit to eat since it was the whole frog, small frog, but still whole frog).
Frying up some crickets by the side of the road.Fried Crickets and LadybugsKane getting ready to try a fried cricket.
Fried FrogsKat trying a fried frog.
Our next stop was our transportation to the village. Kane and Kat were so excited to ride the water buffalo to the village.
First time riding a water buffalo.
Heading to the village
Rice FieldsLocal Houses
Our visit to a Cambodian village consisted of helping a poor family that needed a new roof and wall for their kitchen. We helped the family by “sewing” palms together to help make a roof for their kitchen. The neighbor girls were intrigued by us and came over and helped also.
The family we helped.Their kitchen that needs a new roof and back wall.Their stoveInside another kitchen-this is what a complete roof looks like from the inside.
Getting ready to make the palm panels for the roof.
Sweet neighbor girls
After we helped with “sewing the palms,” we helped plant 3 phillipine mango trees and 1 lychee tree for the family. Since this family was picked to be helped, they also got to pick 4 fruit trees to be planted(part of our tour fee goes to planting trees, water purification system, and building houses). The wonderful thing about the Philippine Mango tree is that it will provide fruit two times a year versus the Cambodian Mango Tree that only produces fruit one time per year. The mango trees will start producing fruit in 3 years and the lychee tree in 8 years(Kat wants to go visit it when she is 16 to see the fruit).
Planting the lichen tree for the familyGoal accomplished-Philippine Mango Tree planted!
We walked through the village and bought galangal and lemongrass for our chicken curry that we helped make for lunch. The fresh spices were so delicious.
ChoppingVeggies and Spices for the curry.
Red Fire Ants for the Chicken Curry.See the ants in the curry?Kane’s first bite of Chicken Fire Ant Curry .Doesn’t Kat look excited about her first bite?
Kat helping chop.Working on the curry paste.Fish patty with sugar cane stick for appetizer.Ready to eat!Chicken Curry without Ants-Delicious!The dragonfruit was similar to a kiwi.Eating some dragon fruit
After lunch, we got a full tour of the village, as well as some history of Cambodia. It was devastating to hear how the Cambodian people suffered from the Civil War to Pol Pot. Pol Pot killed somewhere between 3-4 million Cambodians and forced evacuations of the cities during his reign in the late 1970s. He wanted to create a peasant farming society and had anyone with any intelligence executed. Our guide lost 15 family members. We met a lovely 78 year old widow who lost her husband and 4 kids during Pol Pot. She has lived alone and poor in a little bamboo house on stilts for the past 38 years. She grows fruits and plants around her house to survive. She sleeps on a table with a bamboo mat covered by a mosquito net at night under her house. That way if she ever needs something, she can call to a neighbor. She only has a bottle with alcohol in it that is her light each night. It just broke my heart to meet her and think about how hard her life is and has been for so many years.
This is her light at night.
We met so many warm, friendly Cambodians who live in the village. We were so happy to see that this village is being helped! There are so many that still need help.
This lovely monk gave us a fruit cake.A local village man gave us a pineapple. The lady monk was so surprised. She said he never shares.This is where they get their water. The pot behind it is for bathing.
I have never seen a banana tree like this!Inside the templeThe ashes of the deceased are put in these little temples.There’s a monkey in the tree!
We stayed at a cool hotel called Hacienda La Cienega a few miles from Cotopaxi National Park. It was built over 400 years ago. We were able to catch a World Cup game, try hot chocolate with mozzarella cubes(never heard of that before), kids go to the hotel restaurant themselves and order a snack with their own money(they were so excited about this), and get a good night’s sleep with heat.
The entrance.
HallwayChapel-see Kat to the left saying her prayers?
Relaxing by the fireThere is the mozzarellaThere’s the mozzarella in my hot chocolate-not bad!
The next day, we met up with Dutchman Biking for a bike ride down Cotopaxi Volcano, one of the world’s tallest active volcanos. It is also known for its perfect cone shape. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so we did not see the top till a few days later from Quito. Cotopaxi has erupted more than 50 times since 1738.
Our best view of Cotopaxi
We spotted wild horses on the way up to the highest parking lot in Cotopaxi National Park. Our kids were so excited to see “real, wild horses.”
They took us to the highest parking lot in Cotopaxi at about 15,700 feet. It was freezing! The wind was whipping and the snow was lightly falling. The road was steep and gravel. At this point, I thought, “What in the world have I got us into?” Kat decided to ride in the van, which I totally agreed was best and after Kane got out and was ready, decided to ride in the van also. I really wanted to ride in the van also, but since I signed us up, I had to do it. 🙂 Only 27 kilometers to go!
15, 700 feet-bikes being unloaded and it is Freezing!See the glacier on the volcano through the fog?Ready to go…
Scott waiting for me…
About 30 minutes into the ride, Kane joined us. Then at the bottom, Kat joined us for the ride through the lava fields and rocks.
He’s off…
She is ready to go!She’s off…Cotopaxi peak is somewhere up there under the clouds.
During our lunch break, Kane and Scott went for a hike and Kat played on the swing set.
Our kids ended up having a blast biking through Cotopaxi and want to do more biking adventures.
Kane: I liked the part where we were going through the rocky meadow where I saw a fox. I thought it was a dog at first.
Kat: It was fun biking!
Kane and Scott went the extra distance to the snack shop.
I was excited to be in Banos, Ecuador for my 11th Birthday. My parents let me choose between Rock Climbing and Repelling for my birthday. I chose Repelling with MTS Adventures.
When I woke up on my birthday at Casa Verde B&B, I played my Kindle. Kat was so excited about my birthday that she gave me a present. She gave me a card(she made) and a dollar.
Breakfast at our B&B-Casa Verde
After breakfast, we went to MTS. They had us put on our wetsuits(I had to wear 2 wetsuits, because the water would be so cold) and harnesses. Afterwards, the owner gave us a demonstration on how to do the repelling. I thought it was easy.
Putting my wetsuit onReady!
I can’t wait!Practicing
Then we took the van to the repelling place. We had to hike up a big hill. At the first waterfall, Kat and I had to go the bottom and wait for everyone else. They would not let me do it. I was sad.
The second waterfall, I had to repel with the guide, because it was more advanced. I could have done it, but they wouldn’t let me. Dad and Mom went at the same time and they kept bumping into each other.
The third one, they let me do by myself. It was really fun! I had to hop down this one.
The fourth one was a zipline. The zipline was really steep. It was going almost straight down across the waterfall and creek. It was exciting!
The fifth one was 100ft waterfall. I repelled down it myself. I was so proud of myself afterwards.
The last one, we slid down the waterfall.
I had a great time. If I had to choose between rock climbing and repelling, I don’t know what I would choose, they both are so fun!
We had lunch at Café Hood then we went back to MTS and I was able to rock climb on their fake wall. It was kind of hard. I wore out my hands.
We played Jenga while we waited for our food.
Climbing on the rock wall at MTS.
My mom made me a lemon cake for my birthday while Kat and I played on our Kindles. I chose to have dinner at the B&B. I chose estafado.
Afterwards, I got to open my presents. My favorite present was inside a balloon, which was a ticket to go Puenting(which is jumping off a bridge, kind of like bungee jumping). I was so surprised, because my mom kept saying I could not go, but my dad convinced her.
Kat gave me this!
We ended the night playing cards with my new ones!
Kat loves her Daddy and wanted everyone to know! 🙂
It is so hard to believe that we celebrated Father’s Day in Ecuador with our 2 kids! We waited and prayed for them for so many years before we were blessed with them. Kane actually arrived on our 10 year wedding anniversary. It is such a gift for us both to be able to celebrate Mother and Father’s Day as parents.
Scott is such a wonderful father. He loves our kids so much! When we were dating, I always thought whoever he marries, is getting a really awesome father for their kids. God sure blessed me!
We planned to go zip lining for Father’s Day. Unfortunately, Scott was not feeling well, but still wanted to go and watch. Our kids were SO excited about going! So we went…
Listos(that is ready in spanish)!
On the platform…There goes KatThere goes Kane
Not feeling well, but capturing the moments. Love this man!
This was a favorite run across the valley.
After zip lining, we caught a ride to town, then caught a local bus back to Cuenca(only 25 cents per person). We had no idea where to get off, so I asked a lady who told me I should get off now by the bus terminal. So we did and ended up taking a taxi back to our hotel. Who would have known we were within walking distance to our hotel.
You definitely could tell this was a special day. Look what we bought before lunch and after the ice cream sandwiches.
After lunch, we walked around the main plaza in Cuenca. Kat was so sweet and bought Scott and I roses for Father’s Day!
Both roses-so pretty!So happy to be together!
Our hotel told us there was a Pizza Hut at the mall(a mall, wow!), and the pizza was better than the US. Not quite true, but it was fun to check it out.
It is so weird that they sell beer at the food court at the mall.Doesn’t he look excited for his pizza?
I was in Cusco, Peru for my 8th birthday. Also, my friends, Skylar and Asher Wilcox were visiting us from St. Louis. We went to Parque Urpicha, which is like the amusement park of Cusco. We jumped on the trampoline, went down the big slides, rode the spinning ball and ate “Peel a Pops(ice cream in the middle and jello on outside).”
We stopped at the San Pedro Market on the way home to get ingredients for my birthday dinner and to show the market to our friends. My brother showed Skylar and Asher dead frogs that they use for frog soup.
I had a great dinner. I had Korean Beef, rice, mashed potatoes, green beans, Inca Kola and birthday cake. My mom made me my favorite type of birthday cake, Lemon Cake! I was happy that Stephanie brought the cake mix and pudding that we needed for it.
I got cool presents for my birthday. My mom and dad got me 3 wallets in one. Stephanie, Brad, Skylar and Asher got me nail polish, hair dye and knot a quilt. I was so happy!
We spent our last full day in Buenos Aires at San Telmo market. Tango, arts and antiques have are what you find at San Telmo, the oldest barrio (neighborhood) in Buenos Aires. Cobblestone streets are lined with cafés, parillas, street performers and stunning colonial architecture. You could just feel the energy in the air. We found too many things that we wanted here.
Headed toward San Telmo market on Sunday
See the little cups? Those are herba mate cups made out of gourds. It is a tradition/obsession in Argentina. You see people everywhere carrying around their thermos of hot water for their mate.
Scott and Kane bought that funny instrument they are holding, called a Gopichand. They also bought a Cencerro(made from a gourd).
As we headed out today, we were starting to feel like locals. Stopping to exchange dollars to pesos, stop at the bakery and 8 block walk to catch the subway and off we go…
We stopped at the local bakery to buy the most delicious croissant rolls on the way to the subway. Have I mentioned how scrumptious the croissants are here?
We liked this bakery!Riding the subwayA little guitar playing on our subway ride.
We walked around Casa Rosado, “The Pink House,” executive mansion and offices of the President of Argentina.
Casa Rosada
See the window on the left that is open. That is where Evita Peron gave her famous speech.
Kane and Kat by the Pink House
After a terrible lunch at TGIFridays(craving some food from home, but it just didn’t work out), we grabbed a taxi to the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, which is located between the city and Rio de La Plata. It started as a magnificent promenade where the people of BA could come to bathe. It lost favour as the water quality in the river deteriorated and swimming fell out of fashion. Landfill and reclamation separated the promenade from the riverbank and subsequent silting gave nature a chance to flourish. The area became a protected reserve in 1986. We had a great afternoon here. Kane loved climbing trees and Kat loved looking at the rocks on the beach.
We tried out some exercise machines.
Working out his abs.
Looking at rocks on the beach.
He loves to climb!
Kane gave Kat a piggyback ride!View from reserve of the city.
We ended our day at a Tango Show at Cafe Tortoni(originally opened in 1858 by a French immigrant as a coffeehouse, moved to this location in 1880). This was in Kane’s Top 5 List for Buenos Aires.
You would think after 2 days of steaks, we would be ready for a change. Nope! Headed to our favorite lunch bargain, Parrilla al Carbon, followed by a visit to La Boca.
$3.70, can’t beat that!
La Boca is right by the mouth of the river (Boca, in fact, means mouth) and the houses are vividly colored. Historically, the area has been a poorer pocket of BA, and the houses were colored with paint leftover from painting the hulls of the ships that docked here.
Kane was excited to buy a Argentine National Team Jersey in La Boca. We visited La Boca Futbol Stadium and grabbed a taxi to Puerto Madryn.
Looking into the stadium
Walking along the river with the brick warehouse that have been converted into restaurants, stores and offices, made me feel like I was in another city. It is so beautiful!
Finished our walk with Freddo’s ice cream.
That night we had dinner in Palermo at Siamo Forno after waiting outside for 15 minutes for it to open at 8pm(Our kids are used to going to bed at 8:30pm, so it is a little challenging having dinner at 8pm). Unfortunately, the pizza was not filling, so we ended up McDonalds for a snack on the way back to our B&B. 🙂
Pizza
Gotta have your mayo with your fries in South America!We saw multiple “starbucks” type cafes inside McDonalds.
