the-walking-potatoes

[the-walking-potatoes]

July 9, 2017

In 3 weeks the Walking Potatoes will be sailing on the high seas. Yay!

Posts to follow….

[the-walking-potatoes]

Next adventure involves this crew and those ears. YAY!

[the-walking-potatoes]

May 12, 2017

Well it’s finally come: it’s our last day of the trip before we start heading back to Canada 🇨🇦 It’s been an amazing, once in a lifetime journey but we are excited to get home and enjoy normal day-to-day for awhile :) My fingers are crossed that Tula Marie doesn’t give us the cold shoulder for too long…

Thanks to everyone who kept up with our blog while we were gone. It was really comforting for us to know that there were actually people out there who missed us hahaha Hopefully we’ll be seeing you all soon!

Also a BIG thanks to everyone who helped us keep our lives in Lethbridge running smoothly without us actually being there. You know who you are 😀 Special shout out to our man Philip at Quivertree Family Expeditions who thoughtfully planned our amazing trip.

Till the next adventure….

Kim and Sam

PS the photo above shows the smallest McDonalds we’ve ever seen. It was slightly wider than a couch and offered 4 choices of burger but no fries 🍟 *Gasp*

PPS the plant that looks like it has a centipede hiding behind it is a type of creeping ivy that attaches itself to the wall with those creepy little legs. No bug involved.

[the-walking-potatoes]

Now I know why the treehouse workers cut the head off of this centipede: "If you happen to come across one of these centipedes in Thailand, treat it with caution, if you annoy them they will bite. Sometimes they will bite even if you have not done anything to threaten the creature. They have specially adapted front legs which act as pincers which they use to catch their prey and then inject it with venom to kill it. The centipede will use these same pincer- like legs to bite you. A bite from one of these centipedes is extremely painful and the pain can last for 4 or 5 days. Severe swelling and bruising often results from being bitten and some people may suffer more adverse effects such as breathing difficulties and a rapid heartbeat. Children are especially at risk and should be taken to hospital if bitten by one of these centipedes. It’s probably a good idea to see a doctor anyway if you get bitten." GROSS!

[the-walking-potatoes]

The Sensitive Plant.

[the-walking-potatoes]

May 5, 2017

I just thought I would post a few miscellaneous photos from Thailand. Today we arrived in Koh Samui for the LAST WEEK of our trip. After all that planning and waiting here it is coming to an end. We are ready to come home but, dang, time flies! Onward and upward….

[the-walking-potatoes]

My Birthday Yesterday was my 12th birthday and it was very busy. We had to wake up early that morning so I could open some gifts from my mom and once that was done we went for breakfast. I had some toast and fruit. That day we saw the Princess Mothers Royal Villa and then we went to see a local Buddhist temple. We went to the restaurant Cabbages and Condoms and ate a very Ok lunch. I ordered soup but it had large chunks of ginger in it and that made me choke a little bit. After lunch, we went to a weaving and paper making factory and then to a local market on the border of Thailand and Myanmar. After shopping for souvenirs a little bit we went to the Golden Triangle where the boarders of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet. Our final stop of the day was at another Buddhist temple where we received a blessing from a monk and I gave good luck for people I know and love. Before we left I made a wish with a flower candle and we rang a gong three times for happiness, healthiness and a long life. We got a hour off and then went to San Fran Burgers. My favourite part of the day was the Buddhist temple where I received a blessing from a monk and San Fran burgers. The temple made me feel spiritual in a way, and the burgers made me feel satisfied with the night... By Sam Walker-Pagotto

[the-walking-potatoes]

May 1, 2017 Today we made our way from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. It was a beautiful drive and we stopped for coffee at the local restaurant/coffee bar called Cabbages and Condoms. All jokes aside, it made a deadly iced mocha plus helped support the local family planning initiative so, what the heck. Plus it provided some funny pictures so that's a win. After our coffee break we went to Wat Rong Khun, otherwise known as the White Temple. At first I was expecting a typical Buddhist temple but when we went inside the main building and I saw Bumble Bee from Transformers painted in a mural I figured this was something a little more unique. The temple is owned by the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997. The white paint and the glass fragments on the outside of the building represent the purity and the wisdom of Buddha, while inside the main building the mural represents the wickedness of people. The painting is so vibrant I wasn't sure I was seeing it correctly. The artist used images of global problems such as nuclear war and terrorist attacks but he also included famous media figures like Harry Potter, Michael Jackson, the Terminator, even Pikachu, to convey the message that basically, people are wicked. So there you go. All the temples we have seen have been beautiful but the White Temple definitely left a lasting impression on me. Tomorrow is Sam's 12th birthday so let's PAR-TAY! But let's be real, it's going to be +37 tomorrow so we will do it while exerting as little energy as possible. Aaaaand we'll probably be in bed by 9:30.... P.S. Hi Aunty Lynda! We got your message but it was posted under "anonymous" so I can't respond to it. However I still wanted to say howdy! Say hi to Uncle for me :)

[the-walking-potatoes]

April 30, 2017 We just got back from the Rabeang Pasak Treehouse Lodge about 1.5 hrs from Chiang Mai and what an amazing place! One of the things I love about these independent hotels is there are always lots of dogs and cats there to give attention too. You DO have to be aware of the flea situation but most of the animals belong to the hotel workers so they are well cared for. It makes me miss Tula so much! I can hardly wait to see that little miss again but I digress! We had different treehouse options to choose from and we chose the Bamboo Cottage because it was in the quiet part of the grounds and had its own private creek that we could swim in right from our back door. It is also lower than the other tree houses which I was thankful for because the wind kicked up something fierce that night and I'm not sure how that would have played out with Sam...and me. When we went to sleep at night all we could hear was running water and frogs, which were delightful, but we also got an earful of those obnoxiously loud Cicadas. They have the loudest call in the insect world *shocking!* It sounds like a mix of a dirt bike revving and a power saw. Who knew a little bug could make such a racket?! We definitely got an eye full of the insect world that Thailand offers. In the middle of the night during a rainstorm, I made a trip to the bathroom (being a mother and being in my forties, NOT having a midnight potty break is not even an option anymore) and the light from my flashlight illuminated a scorpion that was hiding out in our bathtub. I mean, I get it, rain storms can be scary but get out of my bathroom. So I quickly did my business, shut the door behind me and left the scorpion alone to make some choices for himself. He was gone in the morning so obviously he made the right choice hahaha Tomorrow we head to Chiang Rai for our last few days of touring before we fly to Koh Samui for some fun on the beach 🌊 The it's back to 🇨🇦 Time sure has flown!

[the-walking-potatoes]

When you've got an itch you just can't reach...Ahhh that's the spot. #elephantnaturepark

[the-walking-potatoes]

April 25, 2017

What a treat! Today we got to spend the day with rescued and rehabilitated elephants at the Elephant Nature Park, north of Chiang Mai. Sam and I got to feed them watermelon, watch them take mud baths and finally help bath one in the river beside the park.

The elephants here were either previously injured or rescued from various industries such as log mining & tourism. Here they receive medical treatment and are able to form new family bonds of their choosing. Two elephants that we saw had foot injuries from stepping on land mines and they have special booties to wear for when they go for a mud bath. Here their handlers, known as a Mahout, have no tools except fruit, voice and touch to help guide their elephants. Fruit seems to have the most influence although for me it would be cake.

We watched an elephant being giving fruit that had pills hidden in them and, dang it, if that elephant didn’t spit out the pills just like Tula would do. I should have suggested my brother’s trick from when he was a kid and he would wrap his pills up in a ball of bread till it was the size of a golf ball and THEN have no problems swallowing it….hahaha

[the-walking-potatoes]

April 21, 2017

We spent the day in the Samut Songkhram province exploring the different markets including the Railway Track market and the Ladplee floating market.

The Railway Track market is a closely knit local market that sells fish, meat and fruit but also has a passenger train that comes directly through it 8 times a day. The train literally comes within inches of the food stands and the customers. It’s quite the site but once the train passes by, it’s business per usual. We sampled deep fried coconut battered bananas which were a delight!

After that we went to the Ladplee floating market which is bumper to bumper boats selling anything from coconuts to crispy fried pork to hats. We sampled mango and sticky rice which, although technically is a dessert, it has fruit in it so I consider that to be a health food…

Tomorrow we fly to Chiang Mai ✈️

[the-walking-potatoes]

April 19, 2017

We had a busy day touring around Bangkok today!

Our first stop was at the Buddhist temple, Wat Pho (The full name is actually Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwara Mahaviharn but try saying THAT 5 times!) to watch the monks and novices do their morning chanting. It was actually quite relaxing and Sam took a moment to pray to his god, the electric fan hahaha. Then we went to see the famous Reclining Buddha which was very impressive being 46 metres long and 15 metres high. Wat Pho temple is considered the first public university in Thailand and you can see different murals depicting human anatomy, constellations etc on various walls.

After visiting the temple we went to the Grand Palace. It was once a royal residence but now serves for ceremonial purposes. The beautiful art work and the effort required to create these buildings/temples is quite amazing considering I have a hard time hanging a picture nicely….The Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama the 9th) died on October 13, 2016 and the country will remain in mourning for an entire year. He was well loved and there are memorials for him everywhere; even the tour guides wear complete black.

After visiting the temples we went on a long tail boat ride through Bangkok’s canals and visited a 100 year old house which has been transformed into a art gallery. There we watched a unique puppet show put on by professionally trained puppeteers. The puppets, which are quite beautiful, require 3 people to work the head, hands, and feet and are used to act out Thai legends etc

On the boat ride back to our hotel we came across a huge monitor lizard that was hanging outside by the backdoor of a building. I can just imagine the surprise of the poor guy who opens up the door to that creature!

A hot but great day 😅🔥

[the-walking-potatoes]

April 17, 2017

It was our last day exploring Cambodia and one of my favourites. Our guide, Chhay, who runs a Jeep Adventure tour company, picked us up in his ‘69 Jeep and we went cruising! We went for an ox cart ride through the neighbourhoods and came across three girls who ran after us just laughing and giggling away. Sam reached out to grab their hands and they were SO happy; it was probably the only time they have ever touched a foreigner. I’ll never forget their faces :)

After our ox cart ride we went by boat to check out the floating village of Chong Knies. The poverty of Cambodia is hard to look at and it’s not a surprise that the life expectancy here is only 63. Chhay told us that when Cambodian people get sick they don’t know where to go for help and they have no money to pay for it anyways, so what does a person do? It’s just so sad! (And yes, that is a sad little monkey tied up to the back of a floating house. Ugh)

Sam and I were able to have a Cambodian Fish Pedicure and it was one of the strangest feelings ever! Somewhere between a tickle and a light pinch. I have to say my feet probably made the fish work a little harder than they are used to. However, my feet feel so smooth so I guess it was a job well done! We treated ourselves to a little western cuisine at Cambodia’s only Hard Rock Cafe and then rolled our way back to the hotel.

Tomorrow we fly to Thailand for the last part of our journey!

[the-walking-potatoes]

The Heat In Cambodia Cambodian heat stings like a spider bite. Cambodian heat tastes like a spicy pepper. Cambodian heat looks like the colour red. Cambodian heat feels like walking through a hot tub.

By Sam Walker-Pagotto

[the-walking-potatoes]

What I wouldn’t give for my Disneyland misting fan in about 3 days time….

[the-walking-potatoes]

April 15, 2017

Just a few miscellaneous pictures from our visit to Cambodia so far. We are here for 2 more days and then fly out Tuesday for our final country: Thailand!

Cambodia has been amazing! When we went biking through the rural villages we saw some extremely poor areas but the people always greeted us with the warmest smiles and a happy, “Hello!” It made me appreciate my life and my home but to be honest, made me embarrassed about how much “stuff” we have or think is important. I wish everyone could have gotten a glimpse as it has been a life lesson for me.