Summer 2020

Ayden becomes a Junior Advanced Open Water Diver and some of the adventures over the summer.  

Howdy friends and family from the land of smiles with almost no COVID cases.  Thailand has continued to keep its borders relatively closed.  In August they finally eased things a bit and allowed certain individuals to enter the country but they had to quarantine in designated hotels at their own cost.  We have also been allowed to travel within the country again for several months. 

Ayden completed his PADI Junior Advanced Open Water Diver course.  With the restrictions being lifted we were able to start diving again.  Ayden was officially my first student since becoming an instructor.  The company I was diving with did not survive COVID, but one of their former employees turned me on to another dive shop Pattaya Scuba Adventures.  Ayden was able to experience his first wreck dive on a sunken troop carrier.  He did great on his navigation, we worked on this quite a bit before diving.  He continues to improve his diving skills and I have no doubt that diving will be an important part of his life for many years.  

Richard has had eye issues his whole life.  When we moved to Thailand, he decided to see a doctor to see if anything can be done to improve his eyesight.  After getting an eye exam at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya to see what his options were, he was told he had a minor case of cataracts in both eyes and he was eligible to have Lasik also.  With that he made an appointment and had cataract surgery and Lasik in June.  The surgeries did not completely clear up his sight problems, but it is much, much better than it was.

In July a good friend of mine Aaron asked me to join him on a live aboard dive boat for an extended weekend.  I jumped at the opportunity.  We flew down to Hat Yai, Thailand and took a van to the west coast to the Andaman Sea.  It was some of the best diving I have done since leaving Guam.  We spent three days diving and socializing; I cannot wait to do another live aboard.  

Unfortunately, over the weekend Christina pulled a ligament in her left foot and chipped a bone.  She was stepping down off a small stool and it just happened.  At first, she thought it was just a severe sprain.  When I returned home, I took one look at it and immediately took her to the Doctor.  She spent the next 3 months on crutches.  It is still not 100% and probably will not be for a few more months.  Well if she had to have a foot injury at least it was while we are not traveling very much due to COVID. 

Christina was also able to complete one more class towards her degree in Business Administration, which now leaves 2 classes until she is finish with her degree.  She is set to take one of the final classes August through October, leaving 1 class till graduation.  She plans to take the final class sometime next year.  

In August, Christina and I started classes at a Thai Language school to continue our path towards speaking Thai and to qualify for an Education Visa.  We are currently signed up for 9 months of language lessons, however, we plan to continue once the time expires.  We can stay in Thailand on an Education Visa studying Thai for a total three years, after three years you have to change to a different course of study.

In August, Richard, his girlfriend Nong, and us, took our first trip since COVID started to Koh Chang, an island off the East Coast of Thailand near Cambodia.  We stayed in a hotel room right off the beach and Richard and his girlfriend were also able to get a room on the beach, we spent five days on the island.  The trip was filled with nothing but relaxation and beach time.  The kids had a blast playing in the water, playing in the sand and burying each other in the sand.  It was nice to get out of the house and into the fresh air again.  

We were only back for one day when we left again on our second trip, this time it was to represent the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion in Kanchanaburi for the annual VJ (Victory over Japan) ceremony.  We were there for 2 days, but it was the most adventurous 2 days.  On the way to Kanchanaburi, the van broke down just outside the city.  It made for an interesting experience, we got a tow truck after 2 hours because of the language barrier.  The best part was riding in the van on top of the tow truck, we all got a kick out of that.  Once we arrived at the Toyota dealership, it was after hours but the dealership still checked our vehicle into the shop and organized transportation for us to our hotel.  I love Thailand!  The following day was filled with 2 ceremonies at different WWII war cemeteries (Don-Rak War Cemetery and Chong Kai War Cemetery) and a VFW ceremony at the bridge over the river Kwai.  

The van was ready the next day and we spent one extra day in Kanchanaburi to do the tourist thing before heading home.  We visited several temples including Wat Ban Tham, which is a dragon head cavern that you climb the stairs into.  I cannot begin to describe the temple, just click the hyperlink and check out the comments.  We also visited  Wat Tham Suea and on the way home Wat Rai Tang Tong which is a giant monk riding atop a tortoise.  The kids learned a lot, we had a great time and we are looking forward to more adventures soon. 

Till next time.

Stuck In A Rut

Well it been awhile since I wrote.  One would think with the COVID-19 pandemic going on I would have blogged more, but I find myself not wanting to do anything.  Being stuck in the house day after day is getting to me.  Thankfully I have Christina to kick me in the butt and keep me somewhat on track.

So here it is, what we have done since returning from Vietnam:

The older boys are both ADHD, something they inherited from me.  We arrived in Thailand with 90-day supplies of medications it was running out.  Time to find some Psychiatrists for myself and the two eldest.  One of the reasons we chose to come to Thailand was the medical care and so far, we have found it outstanding.  The only issue we have run into was Bangkok Pattaya Hospital did not have a child Psychiatrist when we needed one.  So, we have been traveling via bus to Bangkok to see the boys Psychiatrist.  Fortunately, they do have one now and we will be switching the boys care here to the local hospital when COVID-19 lockdown is over.  One big difference Christina and I have both noticed with the Psychiatrists here is they are more focused on the medicine and don't seem to have as much interest in the counseling.  I think I need to elaborate on this.  In the past the Psychiatrists I have seen not only prescribe the medication they also spend quite a bit of time talking with me and offering advise on how to cope with situations or feelings I expressed.  The Psychiatrists here don't seem to be interested in this; they just want to know how you feel the medicine is affecting you.  I don't think this approach is a bad thing and they have all advocated that we see a Psychologist, it’s just different.

The other thing we have noticed with the medical care is the cost.  There are several hospitals in Pattaya, and we go to one of the more expensive ones.  The cost has to be around 50 to 75% less than in the states.  Some of the bills such as when Zachary and the flu, including medication was about what a copay would be in the states.  Sofia has to see a pediatric pulmonologist; the first visit was around $40 USD.  So, a lot of January to March was medical appointments and a few trips back and forth between Pattaya and Bangkok.  

All this running around finally made me realized it was time to get a van.  On our first Doctors Appointment in Bangkok we got our housekeepers husband to take us to Bangkok.  He is a professional driver and had a 7-passenger car.  After the appointment he took us to look at a van I had seen advertised.  It was old, old, old, and expensive; we took it for a test drive, all the suspensions needed to be replaced and the interior moldings fell off during our drive.  I wasn't buying this one.   A few weeks later I had to take Zachary for some tests in Bangkok.  This time we figured out how to use the bus.  After his appointment we took a taxi to look at another van similar to the previous one before heading back.  This one was in much better condition, so we purchased it. 

 

We bought a 2002 Toyota Grand Wagon.  It is a Toyota Hiace van with some interior upgrades.  The really cool thing about it is the middle row folds down to make a table and the front row spins around.  A 2002 is pretty old but vehicles here for some reason are really expensive (import taxes)  and they hold their value.  As a foreigner the only way to get a car loan here is have a Thai cosign.  Well, that was not going to happen, and we really did not want to spend a ton of money on a vehicle.

We didn't realize what we were missing by not having a van and immediately took advantage of our new purchase.  Our first trip was to Khao Kheow Open Zoo about an hour north of Pattaya.  This zoo was really interesting as you can drive through it and park at the different animal enclosures.  Sofia especially had a blast because there are little monkeys running around everywhere.  All we have been hearing from her since we came to Thailand was "where are the monkeys? "

Also, on this trip we had Ayden's new friend Eden, he is an American that lives here with his father.  Eden and Ayden have become fast friends spending as much time together as their parents allow.  Unfortunately, Eden got stuck in India when he went there at the beginning of March with his father.  They have become stuck there waiting for COVID 19 to come to an end.  As soon as travel restrictions are lifted the boys will be back to hanging out again.  Ayden also made another American friend, Evan, but with the virus they have not been able to visit each other.

We also took a 5-day trip to Khao Yai National Park.  We didn't stay in the park but just north in a town named Pak Chong.  The first day we visited Wat Thep Phithak Punnaram, where we climbed the 600 plus steps up to the Buddha, which was built on the side of a large hill.  Also, in the area was a cave where you can watch thousands of bats take flight at dusk.  The bats were definitely a major highlight of the trip.  We only spent one day in the National Park and most of that was driving around.  We will be back to do some of the waterfall hikes this summer, being the dry season, the waterfalls were not impressive. We did get to see lots of wildlife including this donkey looking animal.  We cannot figure out what it is, if you know please leave us a comment. 

 

Shortly after our trip to the National Park the COVID-19 restrictions started to slowly take effect.  Not really a lot of interesting things to mention in the last 6 weeks as we have mostly just sat at home.  Our daily routine has been breakfast, schoolwork, lunch, then watching tv, playing board games, dinner, swimming, bedtime.  With Sofia having bronchiectasis, her contracting COVID-19 could be fatal, so we have done everything we can to keep us away from others.  Thailand has not had that many cases compared to other countries and specifically where we live, they contained it quickly.  Restrictions should be loosening soon and hopefully we can get back to traveling, diving, and enjoying the outdoors again.

Thank you for following us in this amazing adventure.

Trip to Vietnam

Hey loyal followers!

I know it has been a while since I last wrote, I have been lazy!!  I never thought being retired and living as an Expat we keep us so busy.  Well, what keeps us busy is really the children, raising four children and home schooling them is a full-time job for both of us.

Let’s pick up where we left off back at the end of December.  We have finally been in Thailand long enough to need to renew our tourist visa.  We considered many different places, however, decided on Vietnam.  There is a lot of cost involved in getting a tourist visa, there is the cost of visa in the country you are getting the visa from and the cost of visa for Thailand too.  We got a brake because we learned the kids do not need a visa till, they are 15 years old in Thailand, since Ayden is only 11 years old, we have 4 more years till we have to get him one.  Vietnam was cheaper than the other places we researched, plus we loved Vietnam the first time we visited there in June 2018.  We chose to visit Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam for 8 days.  Ho Chi Minh City formerly named Saigon is one of our favorite cities in South East Asia.  Saigon, as most of the locals still call it is quickly becoming a modern city full of led lights, great shopping, world class restaurants and the best part is its cheap, cheap, cheap.  The Vietnamese Dong is extremely devalued against the US Dollar.

To travel to the airport, we again called upon our favorite taxi service ‘Joe Taxi’ on Facebook and arranged a VIP van to take us to Don Muang Airport.  The ride  to the airport  and flight to Saigon were uneventful, which was great!!  We needed visas to enter Vietnam which I obtained online.  On the form was a block for children traveling with you in which I filled out on Christina’s and my forms.  I was thinking, great we don’t have to pay for visas for the kids, win.  BOY WAS I WRONG.  When we arrived at the Saigon airport we waited in a long line at immigration, about 30 minutes.  Then we were informed that the children needed visas and we would have to return to Thailand.  I kept calm and very politely explained about the form and how it is misleading.  The officer was very nice and went and talked to a supervisor.  They decided to grant us an emergency visa for the kids, but they would be $50 each.  The online visas are only $25.  I of course made my best ‘I can’t afford that, it too much money face’ and sadly said; “Ok, thank you”.  The officer took the kids pictures and I filled out their visa applications.  This took us about 2 hours of waiting, oh and did I mention there is no air conditioning.  Finally, they called us to pay and I guess they took pity on us because they only wanted $25 now!!  Lesson learned, apparently some countries, and maybe the USA (I don’t know) allow your children’s information to be placed inside the parents passport instead of each child having their own passport.  This is why the original form had an area for children traveling with you.  

After the visa debacle we found our driver which I had prearranged and off to the apartment we went.  We stayed at a serviced apartment in district 3 near the Thai Embassy as our main reason for the visit was a new visa.  Three bedrooms, two baths, full kitchen, and a washing machine, we paid only $40 a night.

The next day was New Years, we didn’t do much, but we did find our way to the closest mall with an indoor playground called TiNiWORLD.  https://tiniworld.com/vi/tiniworld-vincom-thu-duc/.  TiniWORLD has over 50 different locations around Vietnam.  Inside they have a playground, and different play areas such as, sand, cars, dress up, blocks, arts & crafts, and an arcade.  It cost us $18 USD for the six of us for the DAY, that’s right, $18 for the entire day.  Told you Vietnam was cheap.  The kids had a blast, we spent most of the day there except for me.  I had to go and get us sim cards and a pocket Wi-Fi so the kids could do their schoolwork.  The Wi-Fi in the apartment was not fast enough and it was taking forever for the kid’s school sites to load.  Sim cards, pocket WIFI and enough Gigs to last us 8 days set us back about $60 US.  That evening after we washed all the sand out of the kid’s hair, Ayden and I ventured out in search of some food.  We found some excellent brick oven pizza which was a hit with all of us.  It wasn’t as good as Naples Pizza, but it was really, really close.  

 

 

 

The next day I went to the embassy to apply for the visas.  Everyone was great and very helpful, but there were a few things I was missing.  I needed to make some copies of some forms and the Visas needed to be paid for in US Dollars which I didn’t have.  The embassy staff showed me where I could exchange money and where to make copies.  I ordered a Grab car (Uber/lift in SE Asia).  30 minutes I was back and told I could pick up my visas the next afternoon.  Process was easy and no waiting in lines.  One of the reasons we went to Saigon was the Thai Embassy there does not require an appointment unlike the one in Laos.

The rest of our trip basically consisted of us schooling the children in the morning and then going out in the afternoon for exploring.  We visited another mall with a similar indoor playground as before except this one had a TiNiWORLD and a TiNiPARK.  I took the two little ones to TiNiWORLD and Christina took the older ones to TiNiPARK.  TiNiPARK was really cool, there was rock-climbing, football, pedal cars, trampolines, basketball, soccer, an obstacle course, and a small zipline.  And of course, the kids had a blast and were mad when it was time to leave.

We also visited the Ben Thanh Market which is the largest marketplace in Saigon.  Had to get our tourist souvenirs, we picked up some t-shirts, tea, jewelry, cheap toys and a ball cap.  The t-shirt sizing will definitely hit your self-esteem, I am a XXXXL in Vietnam.  One of the other things we did was find a pharmacy, one of our prescriptions in the states would cost hundreds of dollars. The same medicine over the counter in Thailand sets up back $60 a month.  In Vietnam $20, we picked up a six-month supply.

One thing all my friends know is I LOVE PHO, a friend of mine Nik Renz tuned me on to it years ago in Virginia.  We would go weekly and get carry out; I even kept a ‘Pho Bowl’ (big Tupperware bowl) at work.  Eating Pho is a must when visiting Vietnam so we went to Pho Hoa Pasteur http://phohoapasteur.restaurantsnapshot.com/ the Pho there is amazing.  The place is no frills, wooden benches, packed with people and smells oh so wonderful.  They also had bananas, and fried bread on the table.  Jeremiah and Sofia quickly devoured the bananas.   I want to go back right now and eat there again.

One of our other favorite restaurants we ate at in Ho Chi Minh City was Sushi Hokkaido Sachi.  The kids absolutely loved the show, the chef, and the food.  Even our pickiest child Zachary was eating most of the food, even ate the fish and he never eats fish.  The chef and wait staff were in love with our kids.  The best part for the kids was when the chef let the kids and us catch an egg on the spatula.  

As you can tell we had a great time in Saigon, and we will probably go back again.  If you were wondering why we didn’t see any of the main attraction like the War Remnants Museum, Cu Chi Tunnels or Reunification Palace is because we visited those when we were in Ho Chi Minh City summer of 2018.  What is the saying, “Been there, Done That”!