Saigon Zoo

The Saigon Zoo and botanical gardens were just a short walk from out apartment so we set off again on foot..Emma is keen to walk too but runs out of power quite quickly so we have to pull the 'Pao' baby sling into action and one of us carries the little one. She seems to really like it and has fallen asleep in it a few times so I guess it's either comfortable or that we are wearing her out.

We all really enjoyed the zoo, the enclosures were not all as you would hope but the kids were truly amazed and got up close, very close at times to lions, tigers, crocodiles, elephants, giraffe, bears and even a couple of white rhino. It is a little sad to see these animals in a zoo but I am fairly certain that by the time our kids are old enough to get themselves over to the plains of Africa, some, particularly the Rhino may
well be extinct. Anyway, we loved our day at the zoo and the gardens in which the zoo sit were beautiful.

Tomorrow we fly up the coast to Nha trang. 

Day 1 Ho Chi Minh- finding our feet

We all had a good night sleep in the smart apartment that we have rented which is right in the heart of the vibrant central district of this amazing city. We have splashed out to start with so that we can settle in to the pace, get the kids through the jet lag and find our feet at the start of this adventure.

We really want to experience Vietnam, it's people, food and culture and apart from some of the accommodation, we have set a meager budget of 1 million Dong per day for the four of us.. (about £30 or $50) 

Our basic breakfast was provided downstairs at the coffee shop attached to the apartment and after that we set off on foot to explore. The first thing that srikes the small people, well all if us actually but we were expecting it, is that it is hot! 28-30 degs. The second thing is the number of motorcycles that fill the streets and pavements in thier buzzing and beeping swarms. 

http://youtu.be/5HZ2ec8HOts

We ate lunch at a small steet cafe. A meal of soup, followed by rice and chicken with a banana each for desert, cost less than 2 cups of coffe would have at home. The people adore our kids and we had great fun playing in the local park where the pavement was not bouncy and our kids were just fine. Everyone is happy and enjoyed the first day. 

International Air Travel (with kids)

After a high level of initial excitement, the reality of economy air travel started to sink in with 4 year old child. "Daddy are we going to be in this same seat all night and all day?" Yes, and count your self lucky because we both have the same amount of space and you are only 3.5 feet tall.

The kids travelled really well considering all the normal discomforts of two back to back 7 hour flights and Charlie's enthusiasm for the whole thing was quite beautiful. Even airport security is fun if you are 4!

A walk in the woods

A week on a narrow boat!

My son will tell anyone that the highlight of this trip for him was when his dad (me) crashed the boat! It wasn't a horrible crash and there was no damage and no need to inform the MIAB ( Marine Accident Investiagation Bureau) or to instigate our SOPEP (Shipboard Oil Polution Emergency Plan) or even to write an incident report to shore side management. The thing with narrow boats is that people crash them all the time and at 2 or 3 miles per hour a nudge Into the trees or the bank is common place. Not probably so cool for a professional captain.

Anyway, the week was amazing, the boat was well equipped and warm even though it was middle of the British winter and the kids had a great time. Our son 4 was able to steer (without crashing) start the engine, increase and decrease speed, help with the locks and our daily routines, such as cleaning nod topping up with fresh water.

On board traditional sailing ships, a "Happy Hour" is common place and rather than it's usual reference, this is a period usually after breakfast where the whole crew muck in and do cleaning duties in order to make the captain happy. We have tried to incorporate this into our routines at home to get the kids involved in some of the daily chores but it has been most successful on the boat. Accompanied by the bob the builder song played at high volume sweeping and vacuuming was done by our eldest and dancing and singing youngest.
 

Walking on the South Downs

 

This is a firm family favorite and is something we all do often. we made a little movie on this occasion. not that well edited but here it is.
http://youtu.be/5gLL4n3Um6Y

On the promenade

It is not particularly British to promenade but in Brighton and Hove we all love nothing better than a walk along the prom. The beauty of our city is that it has a defined edge, the beach and the sea and a long wide prom that goes from one side of the city to the other.

On any given day there are joggers, kids on scooters and bikes, families walking and mums with strollers. It is always busy and  we are lucky to live just a city block from it. If we need to give the kids a run, which we do often this is always a nice alternative to the park and we head down there for a scoot, bike ride or walk. Our son has learnt to ride his bike without stabilisers this month and even managed the 4 mile round trip from home to Hove lagoon. I have to admit that on the way home he was powered by ice cream but I still I had to carry the bike back up the hill for the last little bit.
http://youtu.be/8dY68cZnmCE
 

Grown ups went to Rome

It seems crazy but the grown ups in our house have been in Rome this weekend, when tomorrow is the day that we begin our travels as a family to Vietnam!

The focus of our weekend was to relax, to run in the Rome to Ostia half marathon and to celebrate Mrs P's birthday. How the words relaxing and running 13 miles in a half marathon go together in one sentence, I am not sure but it has been fabulous, as any trip to Rome is bound to be.

With the children deposited with happy grand parents we have actually relaxed and also found it odd to be without the kids after spending so much time all together.

The run took place on Sunday, it was a warm spring feeling day and although it was a rather an unimaginitive straight roman road course to the coast from the city, we finished with good times and in good spirits. Powered by a best roman pasta dinner the evening before that was also accompanied by a bottle of nice red wine. I don't believe that drinking wine is the best prep for a long run. But when in Rome... In any case, I managed a sub two hour time (just) at 1hr 59.06 which I was pleased with and Claire being fitter and more competitive managed to finish in 1 hr 51 which doesn't sound much quicker but is actually a whole mile ahead of me!  

The highlight of Rome though is always the a aincient history that is everywhere and the food and wine, together with the ambience and abundance of great restaurants. We have loved it!

Now we board our flight home, excited to see our lovely kids and to get ready for the main event of our time off together which as I have said starts tomorrow. We are off to Vietnam. As a lot of our friends and family want to know what we a up to, we will post as often as we can. I have no doubt that our adventures there will be brilliant but our time at home has also been very memorable.

Living the Dream

Our small family is enjoying a period that needs to be savoured, enjoyed and eventually remembered and cherished.

Claire, my wife, starts her new job in May and as most of my friends will know, my work at sea means that I rotate through work and leave every 3 months and so it currently appears from the outside that no one in our house has a job . We have been living in this dream like state since January! As I write I am sat wondering why I have not had time to write about our adventures so far. We have two kids which might explain or somehow excuse the lack of time to document. Boy child is age 4, about to start school in September and girl child is nearly two. Both children have been pulled out of nursery for the period, saving some but of course not all of that huge monthly financial burden. 

So the question was how would we, our small family enjoy this time? We decided that n extended trip somewhere had to be a part of it and we also decided that to start we would stay home in Brighton and Hove and enjoy our small home and spend time with the kids in familiar surroundings. For a couple that work and kids that normally spend 3-4 days a week in the care of a nursery, all be it a very good one, there is a period of adjustment when the daily routine is down to us, what we want to do rather that what we have to or need to do. Spending time "off" at home and fully with the kids is brilliant but much harder than we thought. It is however, a gift and creating structure has been important. We have also taken short trips, packing our car often, to the rafters with coats, boots and warm clothes, giving us and our kids what we think are experiences that bring us together and help the kids to start establishing a sense and spirit of adventure. I will write briefly about some of what we have done separately because it has been amazing and whether the kids are old enough to remember it is doubtful but as parents we  are making the most of this precious time and are hopeful that it will start to shape the foundations of our little people somehow.