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.