Since we began our 12-month trip, we had been having an absolute blast… it’s been so amazing seeing so much new stuff!! At the time, we were currently up to Thailand. We had just gotten to the tranquil mountains of Pai (Pronounced ‘Pie’) the day before, and we were at a beautiful quiet resort. We were enjoying it and wanted to see more of Pai, so we decided to take the resort’s 6:00pm shuttle into town. We had dinner, and went to a cake shop for dessert.

When we finished our scrumptious ice-creams, scones and brownies, a small roadside stall caught our eye. It had 5 large clay pots full of boiling water which were being fed by a pipe connected to a heating system in the roof of the stall. We thought we might try some if it seemed appealing enough. After all, you can always make an attempt, but if you miss that opportunity, it’s gone.

The lady serving the interesting refreshment didn’t speak much english, so we stood back for a while and observed. She pretty much used the boiling water to make tea. They were served in either a plastic cup, or in a bamboo cup that was slightly more expensive but had free refills included. We thought it would be special to have it in a bamboo cup, and besides, we could always get a refill later.

We chose the flavour “Jasmine mint tea”. It was quite sweet, but it was nice with lots of ice. We sipped on the drinks while cruising through the street for another 45 minutes. Towards the end of my drink, my stomach started having mild cramps. Naturally, I instantly blamed it on my diet, as I had eaten a lot of wheat and sugar that particular day. I vowed to eat healthy the next day. We had to meet the shuttle driver again to go back to the resort, so we headed back to the spot we were dropped off at. Unfortunately it started raining, so we waited at the front of a closed shop with an awning until the driver showed up. My stomach was still crampy, but it was still so mild I only remembered it every now and then.

We got back to the resort, and once bedtime came, the severity of the cramps increased. It got quite uncomfortable after time, and I messaged Mum on Facebook Messenger on my iPad. She told me to try taking a warm bath, so I did. It didn’t really work, but I was still crampy and didn’t feel like moving so I stayed in the bath for a bit longer until I was really tired. The cramps still didn’t fade, so I decided I had to try and sleep it off.

The next morning my cramps were still there. I was beginning to wonder whether I got a bug or virus from that bamboo drink, such as gastro. All I could do was rest in bed and drink my ginger tea Doug had gotten for me.

Throughout the day, the cramps started getting worse by the minute. I told mum they were getting worse, and she asked me where the cramps were. I showed her where they were, in the bottom right of my stomach. Mum started getting worried, and told me that when she got appendicitis as a 12-year-old, her cramps were in the same spot as mine. That made me a little worried!!

Lunch came and my cramps started getting really bad. It hurt to lie down, it hurt to move…pretty much everything hurt. Mum and Doug got worried and started looking into some nearby doctors. My stomach felt so horrible… I just wanted to get to that doctor! We asked the resort manager to drive us there, and he did. We got out of the car after being driven down a few blocks and walked to the doctor, and the resort manager told the lady at the desk in fluent Thai that I might have appendicitis. She told us the doctor wasn’t there and we’d have to go to the hospital, so the resort manager drove us there.

When we got there, I felt a little glad we were somewhere that could offer me medical help, but when I looked around properly I realised how bad the situation was. The main waiting room / entrance part was pretty much just concrete and looked like we were visiting a house on day 10 of construction. The things that made it look less like a concrete prison were the cheap plastic waiting chairs, and the front desk.

The nurses were cleaning up some people’s motorbike injuries, and when they finished, it was my turn to be diagnosed. They weighed me and put me onto a fold-out bed. They wanted to do a blood test (My first blood test). I was really worried because lots of people said blood tests hurt, but I looked away when they were about to do it. Mum was by my side trying to comfort me by talking, but I felt the prick and panicked a bit. It was a different feeling, but it didn’t hurt too much. When they had gotten enough blood, I was glad it was over!!

Shortly after they gave me a drip, which went on the inside of my left wrist. It hurt like heck, and my stomach was equally painful, so I just tried to think about other things to keep my mind off it. Soon the nurse came back over and told us something. I was expecting the exact thing she told me, but it still totally freaked me out.

They told me I had suspected appendicitis, but they weren’t sure and they said it would be easier if they could run more tests. Mum wanted to get me to a good hospital just in case, and to get some more PROPER testing, so we agreed to transfer to the ‘Bangkok Chaing Mai Hopital‘. It’s a great private hospital we found, but the only problem was that it was a 4-hour ambulance ride away. I was suuuuper nervous about what would happen, especially because it was night time and we had to ride down steep mountains. I felt so sad that we had to leave Pai early, because it’s a beautiful place. But all I could think about was the worsening pain in my stomach.

The pain got really bad by the time the ambulance was getting ready to go, and I also get car-sick fairly easily, so I wanted some painkiller if any was available, and maybe something to settle my stomach for the long ride. After consistent begging, they finally caved into letting me have some Valium, which settled my stomach. They gave me a smaller dose than average which didn’t work particularly well, but hey, it was better than nothing!!

After constantly waking and falling back asleep on the ride, I finally woke up after 4 long hours to heaps of commotion. The ambulance was pulling into the emergency care part of the hospital and they opened the door. they rolled me back out and took me into a room and put me on one of the many beds divided by curtains. They asked us for any information we had and they said it was likely to be appendicitis, but they wanted to run some tests to be sure. They did yet another blood test first off. And the best thing was, they later gave me an amazing painkiller.. Morphine!!! I felt it run through my veins because they injected it through a thing they put in the inside of my elbow, kind of like a tap leading straight to my veins. It soon felt like I was under a warm blanket… I fell in love immediately!! <3

After about 3 different tests it was clear that it was appendicitis. It was about 2:00am when the last one was done, and they said they would take me to my private ward before I was to have surgery at 9:00am. They took me there with Mum and I slept on and off until it was 9:00.

I woke up to the nurses talking. My eyes shot open and darted to the clock, and yes it was the one time I dreaded. 8:56am. The nurses wheeled me out to prepare me for surgery. Mum had to leave me, and when I got there, I was still sleepy from all the morphine I had. They put a mask over my mouth to get some oxygen (I think…!!), and then they injected me with something that made me fall asleep straight away. That was the last memory I had.

I woke up in a large, clean white room. There were no noises except for the steady beeping of heart monitors. Because of the morphine and whatever else they gave me for surgery, my memory was still fuzzy and my brain wasn’t woking so I worried about where I was for a second… I then saw a sign that said ‘Recovery Room’. I then remembered where I was. My first instinct was to lift the blanket and the bottom of my hospital shirt to see my wound, as I call it. I was surprisingly disappointed when I saw it was covered by a big square of waterproof bandage. I was so curious to see what it looked like!!

A nurse then came into the room and told me I had another 30 minutes to go until I could go to my ward. She left again, and that 30 minutes started to seemed like an eternity. While I waited, I studied the extremely painful drip in my hand, and by the time I figured out how it worked, i decided to kill the remaining 25 minutes with sleep.

I woke up again when the nurses told me I could go back to my ward to rest. I was so excited it was finally over and that i could see Mum again!! When they tried to get me to roll over onto the stretcher (with their assistance), I only just realised how intensely PAINFUL it was!! i eventually got onto the stretcher and was in my ward with Mum in no time. I was so glad and after telling mum all about it, I was so hungry. I asked the nurses if I could have some food, and they agreed, but it had to be a full liquid diet. I was disappointed but glad I could eat again!! (After all, I hadn’t eaten or had proper water for a full day!! Although it did suck, for the first time ever, I was glad I had the drip to keep me hydrated!!)

My very first hospital meal after a full day of starving: potato soup, some bread, jelly and some papaya. I learned that day I didn’t actually hate papaya as much as I thought I did!! I soon learned that I love papaya. Shortly after my meal, two nurses came in and asked me if I wanted to try having a shower. Once again I checked the bandage on my wound, and yes, it was waterproof. I was DYING to clean up a bit after the surgery and everything, so I thought it couldn’t hurt. It hurt heaps getting up and I felt quite dizzy, and extremely tired. After the nurses helped me to the bathroom, I sat down on the chair and waited while they left.

After the nurse left, I stood up again to get ready for the shower, when I noticed how hot it was in the bathroom… Before I knew it, I was sweating heavily. Soon the room started spinning and wherever I looked, I saw grey and dark green spots everywhere that obstructed most of my vision. I didn’t feel so well in my stomach so I sat down again and called mum. I couldn’t help the fact that I kept swaying from side to side- it just happened. I continued to sweat as mum made her way to the bathroom, and I told her I was extremely dizzy and wanted to lie down again.

Mum called the nurse with a little button in the bathroom and helped me stand up slowly. The nurse also came soon after and continued to help me. I felt almost like I was trying to see through cloudy water… I walked over to lean on the bathroom doorway, and I thought I did… Only I apparently didn’t make it.

It turned out I fainted… For the first time!! I regained slight consciousness again about a metre and a half from where I last remember being, and mum and about 5 other nurses were trying to carry me back to my bed. I realised, seeing as I was about as big as each of the small Thai nurses, I should attempt to help them a little so I carefully stood up and worked my way towards my bed. With the nurses’ help, I was soon lying back down on my bed. I still felt a bit off, and one of the nurses pricked my index finger with a small needle and tested my blood pressure, and it turned out I had low blood pressure. ‘Figures,’ I thought. I guess my meal wasn’t particularly nutritious in any way.

I saw another nurse opening a small plastic packet and she pulled out a cotton ball and waved it below my nose… It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever smelled!! It was strong, and I soon started to feel a bit better. Mum told me it was to help me to regain consciousness. As far as I knew, it sure worked!!

A few tests and checks later, the nurses all filed out of the room. I was glad to be alone with mum again!! I just wanted to sleep, nothing more… And so that’s what I did.

So it eventually came to me that morphine gave you hallucinations. Every time I would begin to drift off (or even closed my eyes for more than 30 seconds, for that matter!!), I would have a wacky hallucination. I don’t remember them exactly but I had about 8 before I was finally off the morphine.

The next few days passed quickly… By the next day I was on a soft diet, and then I was eating more solids in the last few days. On the second last day, They gave me a cute blue heart pillow (I call it a souvenir from the hospital!!).

Including the days I was admitted and discharged, I was in the hospital for a total of 4 days. By then I could walk fine on my own (but still slowly and carefully, of course!!). Thank god I healed quite quickly. Apart from checkups every 5 or so days to change my wound dressing, I was done with the hospital. To be honest, I kinda missed it. It was great having constant care while you rested!!

Although one thing I didn’t miss were the 2 nurses that tried to get me to shower the day after surgery. I know they were trying to help, but fainting wasn’t fun… Not to mention the pain I felt with each step!! But I don’t mind too much because I was soon able to do everything without any assistance.

After about 1.5 to 2 weeks after surgery, I took my wound dressing off for good. I had a small scar the length of 2 grapes, and it continued to heal over time. I was glad it was small, because another relative had a appendectomy scar that pretty much goes halfway across their whole stomach!!

So that pretty much wraps up the story of my first time in hospital (and fainting, blood tests, surgey, having a drip and much more!!). Not only was it a load of experiences but it made out to be one of my highlights of being in Thailand!! It wasn’t what I expected from a visit to Thailand at all, but when I look back on it, it was certainly fun!!

The post Hospital Time!! appeared first on Girl Around The World.

1. Dreams, Dreams, Dreams

At the breakfast table one morning, my brother Elijah brought up the topic of dreams, and told us he had a really odd dream the night before. It went something like this:

He was at a restraunt, and was standing around. Soon Wolverine (from X-men) came into the scene, and so did Four (Tobias) from the movie Divergent, and they had a big fight. Soon enough, another two heroes walked in; Captain America and Thor. They were smashing up furniture and having a big battle, then towards the end of the fight Elijah woke up.

Speak about wacky, hey??

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2. Sleeper Bus Toilet

We were going on a six hour trip on a sleeper bus (A bus where the seats are reclined back into a lying position, but like bunk beds; they had top rows and bottom rows) and we were on a moderately full bus. Near the back was the toilet; our seats were located next to the toilet. In Vietnam, the toilets aren’t as clean- they squat over them and hose the seat down with a water hose next to the toilet if they make a mess. The bus toilets are only cleaned once a day roughly, so we didn’t use them. That didn’t mean everyone else didn’t use them though.

Halfway through the trip, an old lady needed to use the bathroom. She went to the back and obviously didn’t use door handles often (or maybe it was the fact that the door was a bit heavy), because she was having trouble getting the door open. We leaned over and kindly helped her, and she walked in. But there was a problem- we noticed she DIDN’T CLOSE THE DOOR!! We expected her to close it, but she never did. So not only did the sound hit us, but the smell did too. We had no choice but to look out the windows until she’d finished. We wondered about this a bit- but we came to the conclusion that Vietnam was a different country, and probably lived differently. Shortly after our assumption, an old man came to the toilet and did the EXACT same thing.

3. The Train of Terror

Just so you know, it was definitely NOT fun, as you can gather from the title.

For further references, click here.

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4. Jaws

Snorkelling in Fiji was amazing, full stop. One time we were staying at a resort with great reefs, but you had to go quite far out to get to the best part. We never did research to find out about any dangers, because the reef was quite shallow and the drop-off was a good 10-20 minutes away from shore. The staff had told us it was perfectly safe if we stayed in the shallows.

I was with my mum snorkelling because it was a fine afternoon, and we didn’t see much marine life close to the beach because the waves were a little rough. It took us slightly longer to move out, as we were going against the waves; though eventually we got to the best part. We were having so much fun, and it was amazing because the coral was so bright and there were plenty of fish.

We eventually got absorbed in following a group of colourful parrotfish, and we followed them for quite some time. When we lost them, we were admiring a massive blue starfish with arms roughly 25cm long (9.84″).

I saw a clownfish and chased after it a little, but only just realised Mum wasn’t following me. I turned back and she was frantically trying to get my attention and was pointing upwards towards the surface. I lifted my head above the surface and took my snorkel out of my mouth. She told me “Don’t panic, but follow me. Go straight back to the beach, NOW!!”

I mean, of course that made me panic. I shoved my snorkel back in my mouth and adjusted my snorkel mask and submerged again. I looked behind me and saw the drop off, but I didn’t see anything unusual. I turned to Mum and followed after her. We got super tired- it was the fastest snorkel we ever did. Our legs were sore, and we were out of breath. Worst of all, I had no idea what I was running from! My first thought was SHARK.

We had come about halfway in, so I tapped mum’s shoulder and asked her what it was. She told me she had seen a big fish, but didn’t tell me more. The waves were rougher now we were closer to the beach, so we continued our journey back. When we got there, we sat on the edge of the water. While we were taking our snorkel gear off, she told me she saw a MASSIVE shark that was bigger than me. If I am 165cm (64.9″), you could imagine how big the shark was!! We walked up to mum’s boyfriend on the hammock, and he was wondering why we came in so quickly. We told him the story, and we all had a laugh… we’ve never snorkelled since…

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More funny stories coming soon!!

That’s about all for now- I’ll update this post when I get the chance. We are constantly having funny moments, so I’m sure there will be several more funny stories soon!!

Have you had any disastrous or funny trips?? Feel free to tell us about it!!

The post Funny and Horrific Moments While Traveling appeared first on Girl Around The World.

We didn’t realise at first quite how busy it was going to be, because in Vietnam it was their Reunification Day and they were all traveling for celebration. We only found that out once we got to the train station; it was absolutely packed in there. What we also didn’t realise was that a great, terrifying adventure started unraveling itself.

Along with all the noise and small amount of space, there was a lady who owned a small shop at the station, and she wouldn’t stop bugging us. She was all “Very good price!!” and “Buy food!!” at least 5 times. We had some bananas and yoghurts, and thought there would be food on the train, so we didn’t want any more snacks.

After 45 minutes of waiting, the train had arrived. We all walked across some train tracks with 7 suitcases and bags between us (something you wouldn’t do in Australia!!) and before going on board, we saw the toilet situation from the outside. Somebody must’ve been in there and flushed, and we observed that there wasn’t a tank for your business- there was only a pipe going out the side of the train, and it just flushed all your stuff onto the tracks. No wonder it was so smelly!!

Once we got on, we saw exactly how the train worked. There was a narrow corridor, roughly 45 cm (1.5 feet) wide and down the corridor were cabins. First class has 2 or 4 beds in each cabin, but as those tickets were booked out, we just had regular tickets. We found our cabin, and the door was centered in the room, and contains six- yes, SIX beds in such a tiny space. There was a narrow walkway between the two rows of beds, mounted on the walls like prison beds. There were 3 beds on each side, set out in 3 levels; top, middle, bottom. They had about half a meter of space between each one with a tiny ladder to climb up. The beds weren’t so clean, either!!

We got a bit worried at what we’d seen so far and together as a family we discussed staying at a hotel for a night then taking a private transport the next day- but unfortunately at that moment the train started moving. There was definitely no going back now.

There were two Vietnamese women that were waiting in our cabin since we boarded. They’d gotten there first, and they got first picks- of course, they picked the ones at the bottom. We soon discovered between these two, there were also 5 kids.

So, now along with the small, cramped space on the train, we had to find somewhere to put our luggage- Doug decided to put mum’s suitcase at his feet, Elijah had some backpacks at his feet and I had a backpack and my bag with me, then we were lucky to find a ledge above the door to put the rest of our luggage on.

Seeing as we had 4 tickets between the 5 of us, my baby sister Amaya had to sleep with Mum on a 1 meter wide bed. She was going through a stage of independence then, and wanted the whole thing to herself for the start of the trip, so mum had to sit up (well, try to, anyway…!!) and we had an uncomfortable start. So, we all took ‘terror selfies’ on our iPads and iPhones and tried napping to get time to pass. If we had 10 hours, we had to at least survive the beginning of it.

So anyway, I napped a little, blah blah blah. I soon realised in horror that I made the mistake of forgetting to use the bathroom before we left the hotel. I was a little worried to use the toilet there, especially after we’d seen the sleeping arrangement. So, just in case I decided to bring my shoes. It turned out to be a VERY good idea!! The toilet door handle was sticky, and it grossed me out a bit. But it was nothing to me once I actually opened the door.

***! If you get grossed out easily or are eating, I suggest you stop reading here !***

There was pee all over the seat and the floor, and the toilet wasn’t flushed. There appeared to be poop smudged on a wall somewhere. It also REEKED in there, it was just vile. What was worse, there was also a large window behind the toilet, and that part just sucked. So I stood there almost with my jaw touching the floor, and as the people waiting outside the door got restless, I decided to just pass for now.

Soon nature’s urge became even stronger, and I just had to go. I planned to take Amaya’s baby wipes and I went to the toilet. I thoroughly wiped the seat, and even then just in case, I just kinda hovered over the seat, also trying to stay low due to the window behind me- the train was stopped at a station, and only beginning to leave. I finished and didn’t wash my hands- the sink looked like somebody had done a #2 in there. It was gross. So, instead I used a baby wipe to clean my hands.

***! The gross part is over !***

Soon we also realised we had no food, and they were serving Vietnamese food we didn’t know, and it looked like street food they sell everywhere in Vietnam, so we didn’t have any. For the rest of the night, we were rationing off of a packet of chilli chips, a packet of Pringles, and 8 packets of mini cookie snack things. We were starving, but it wasn’t worth the risk!! It only sucked even more because we didn’t get to brush our teeth- who knows how dirty the train water was.

We got in to bed to attempt sleeping, but the whole way all we could smell was cigarette smoke, because unfortunately you get that in these countries. It was coming through the air vent up top, as people were probably smoking at platforms and in between carriages. Did I mention the vent was right next to my head as I was on a top bed?? I ended up with a spare piece of clothing over my nose!!

So, we had bit of a rough start. We all had a bit of a hard time sleeping of course, but we eventually drifted off. We had to then wake up at 2:00am to get of the train- we woke up 15 minuted beforehand, and that gave us plenty of time to gather and organize our luggage, then we waited at the door, getting ready to leave and retreat to our lovely hotel. We had to stand around a bit because the train took a while to stop, but when we were off, we were glad to be.

We hurried through the station to a taxi, where we got a ride to our hotel. They didn’t have any intentions of giving us a meal at 2:30 in the morning though- they told us to wait a few hours until breakfast. (It was a bit disrespectful, especially as we were paying guests). When we got to the rooms we were starving, but all had showers (and used lots of soap!!) because we all felt so dirty. We got into bed. Except, I have this weird thing where once I sleep then wake up, I can’t sleep again unless I’m sick, or until the next night. So i ended up staying up for several hours watching TV.

As you could tell, we were the first people to get to breakfast- although after reading this story, the least you can do is to not blame us. We ate a fair bit, although the food was unfortunately not that great and there wasn’t much. We just had the worst luck that day, but fortunately for us, the bad luck was wrapped up there with the housekeeping blaming us for stealing a towel (it was hanging behind the door).

So, was that a lesson?? Yup. 1) Don’t travel by train in Vietnam, especially during peak season. 2) If you NEED to take a train, bring food!!

3) Use a bathroom before you board..!!

We highly recommend against traveling by train, but that’s up to you. Who knows?? You may be able to have your own adventure. At least it’s cheap!!

The post Train of Terror appeared first on Girl Around The World.

Coconut Oil in Cooking:

Coconut oil is commonly used in cooking, especially for frying. It is also a popular flavour in many South Asian food. Recently, despite its high saturated fat content, virgin coconut oil has become really popular. It works really well in baked goods, pastries and sautés. Coconut oil is used by movie theatres to pop popcorn, as it adds a large amount of fat in the process. It was described in a newspaper article as having a “Haunting, nutty flavour with an inch of sweetness”.

Coconut Oil in Industry:

Coconut oil has been tested for use for diesel engine fuel. In this manner, it can be applied to power generators and transport that use diesel engines.

The Phillipines, Vanuatu, Samoa, and several other tropic island countries can use coconut oil as an alternative fuel source to run automobiles. These include trucks, buses, and power generators. Further research into the potential of coconut oil as a fuel for electricity generation is being carried out in the islands of the pacific, although to date it seems that it is not useful as a fuel source due to the cost of labour and supply constraints.

Coconut oil had been tested for use as en engine lubricant, and as a tranformer oil. Also, acids derived from coconut oil can be used as weedkillers.

Skin, Healthcare & Personal Uses:

Coconut oil can be used as a moisturiser, which softens the skin and feeds it nurtients, and it can be used to reduce protein loss when used in hair.

Before electrical lighting was created, coconut oil was the primary oil used for illumination in India.

Coconut oil is an important base ingredient for the manufacture of soap. Soap made with coconut oil tends to be hard, although it retains more water than those made with other oils and increases manufacturer earnings. It is more soluble (dissolves better) in hard water and salt water with other soaps allowing it to lather more easily. A basic coconut oil soap is clear when it is melted and a bright white when hardened.

You may also use coconut oil as an insect repellent. It may be effective to prevent sand fleas from penetrating the skin, and prevents / soothes itchy bites.

The post A Magical, Beneficial Oil appeared first on Girl Around The World.

1. Contest Marathons

Activity: Hold a contest between your family, eg. a spelling bee, trivia contest or maybe a contest to see who can see certain items during your trip (like cows, trucks, birds, etc.). Winners could earn stickers, small toys, food treats, money, or maybe more stay-up-late time.

What you need:

Paper, pencils / crayons

Prizes for the winners of the activities you do (optional)

2. The Alphabet Game

Activity: Pick a topic, or have your kids pick a topic (If you have older kids, try something tricky like countries, but an easy one for younger kids is animals.) and then pick a letter (lets say we picked C for the animal category) and then everyone has to name animals that start with that letter, like cat, chameleon, crocodile. If you get stuck and can’t think of any more, change the letter or the topic and start again. Try letting your kids take turns on picking the topic, as doing this will make it more fair and entertaining when they get to pick a topic of their interest.

You could modify this by bringing paper and pencils, and instead of calling it out, they could write down as many things as they can that fit that topic / letter and whoever has the most in each topic / letter wins that round, and you could possibly include a prize. You could even take this further and have your kids keep tally of how many rounds they have won and include a grand prize for the big winner at the end.

What you need:

Prizes (optional)

Paper and pencils / pens (optional)

A cheat sheet that has some category ideas, animal names, countries, etc. if you get stuck (optional)

3. Travel Journals

Activity: Give each of your kids journals, and get them to write down what they feel, think and see along the trip. You could even give them spending money and stop at a few roadside shops to get postcards, souvenirs, pictures, etc. to go with their journal.

You could modify this in several ways. If they have a device they could get an app and keep their writing in there. Another thing you can do is to get them to take pictures or record videos of interesting things along the way to keep a record of the trip. Also, you could get them to start a collection related to the trip. It could be anything; coins, postcards, souvenirs, etc. These are great activities for children who love writing and/or collecting!!

What you need:

Any of the following – Journals and pens, an electronic device or laptop, a camera (could be a cheap camera, or one with a film that you can get printed out later).

4. Magnetic Activities- Who Ever Thought of it??

Activity: These are easy activities and typically cheap. Get a few of those small magnetic board games from the store. They’re normally small, compact and easy to use. Some examples are magnetic chess, magnetic checkers, magnetic tic-tac-toe, etc. The best thing about these is, if there’s a bumpy road or flight, the pieces won’t get knocked over, thanks to the magnets!!

What you need:

A few dollars

5. Window Drawings

Activity: Grab some washable window markers at the store, along with an old rag or cloth and maybe a spray bottle filled with water. These will keep kids occupied for a long time, and they are washable so they will come off without any problems. They make great activities for any creative child. Just tell them to keep clear of the back window and the windscreen then you’re done! Just note, this activity is best for private vehicles, so steer clear of these on planes, trains and buses…!!

What you need:

Washable window markers

An old rag or cloth

A spray bottle filled with water (Recommended… not needed, but just to make clean-up easier).!!

6. Group Storytelling

Activity: Have someone in the family create an interesting sentence to begin with. Then, you could go to the next person and they would continue the story from the first sentence, with a rotating order so everyone gets a turn. (It should be like this, for example: One day, a boy called john went to the zoo … His parents brought him a chocolate ice-cream … Then, John fed the ice-cream to the lions!! … You would never guess what happened next! … etc etc.). If you like you can mix it up a little by getting whoever’s turn it is to point to a random family member to continue, just to randomise it more.

What you need:

Pen and paper (optional, if you want to write it instead of tell it)

7. Silence, Sweet Silence!!

Activity: If all else fails, play the classic ‘See who can be the quietest for the longest’ game. It is a real winner with loud, noisy trips and most kids enjoy the challenge of trying to be the quietest. You can set your own boundaries and rules with sounds and noises, eg. purposeful noises count, sneezes don’t, etc. You could even turn it into elimination game, so whenever someone breaks the sound rules you set, they are out for that round and can come back in the next round. For extra motivation, throw in some prizes for the winners of each round. You could even modify these quiet activities like for example if you’re in a pool, play this game, except make it a competition to see who can make the least splashes. These sort of activities are endless to recreate!!

What you need:

Prizes (optional)

Do you know any more fun family activities you can do while travelling?? Share them in the comments as they may be helpful!! You could also check out THIS WEBSITE for more fun activities.

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Ways you can use a Coconut:

• Coconut Shells and Husks

Coconut shells and husks are great to use for firewood, and the mass of fibrous material that binds the husk to the coconut shell makes really good tinder.

• The Tree Trunk

The palm tree trunk is useful for building non-permanent structures. They are also pliable and bend well in hurricane force winds without breaking.

• The Meat

The delicious coconut meat can be eaten or made into copra (a product used for fuels and soaps). It can also be grated and squeezed to extract the milk.

• The Milk

The milk may be boiled until it is a cream, and the cream is topped with coconut oil that can be skimmed off.

• Coconut Oil

Coconut oil can be extracted and has several health benefits, and is great for your skin.

• The Coconut Water

A coconut’s water is an excellent source of hydration and is good for your health.

Ways you can use a Palm Tree:

• Coconut (Palm tree) Logs

Palm tree logs logs are often used as columns and coconut wood slats make surprisingly comfortable benches. They are great for carving, and the centre can be scooped out to make a planter. Palm tree wood doesn’t rot in salt water, so it is good for making piers.

• The Wooden Stems

The wooden stems of the fruiting branches can be used as a broom or as fire kindling.

• Leaves

Palm leaves have a stiff spine that when removed can be used as a skewer for cooking. The leaves can also be used for weaving crafts such as bags, clothes and accessories, mats, blankets, and more.

Coconuts (And palm trees!!) are helpful, healthy and are a great, useful thing to have around. Did you already know any of these uses?? Do you know any more??

Also, check out my article on the benefits of Coconut Oil.

The post Coconut Uses – Check These Out!! appeared first on Girl Around The World.

My 25 Facts:

• The official name of Vanuatu is ‘Republic of Vanuatu’.
• Vanuatu is made up of around 80 islands
• Vanuatu’s islands are of volcanic origin
• Port Villa is the capital of Vanuatu
• There are 3 official languages in Vanuatu; they are English, Bislama and French.
• The currency of Vanuatu is Vanuatu vatu.
• The highest point in Vanuatu is Mount Tabwemasana, which has an altitude of 1,879 meters (6,160 ft.) and is located on the island of Espiritu Santo.
• Vanuatu is in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
• The island of Efate was named by Captain Cook, after his patron (Lord Sandwich!!).
• Vanuatu’s main religion is Christianity.
• The traditional drink of Vanuatu is kava, which is made from plant roots. It makes your mouth numb, and calms and soothes you!!
• The national dish of Vanuatu is ‘lap – lap’, which can be either sweet or savoury. It a vegetable porridge cooked in coconut milk.
• A lot of islands of Vanuatu have been colonized for thousands of years. There are archeological sites dating back to 2000 B.C. The islands were home to Melanesians for over 2,500 years until the 15th century, when Europeans arrived.
• Vanuatu has a small number of plants and animal species, in spite of its tropical forests. There are only 19 reptile species which only live on Efate, one of the main islands of Vanuatu.
• There are only three or four mature saltwater crocodiles in Vanuatu’s mangroves. However, the island is rich in sea life with more than 4,000 species of deep-sea invertebrate.
• According to the local tradition, tipping in Vanuatu is not practiced, as the locals would think that they owe you something back afterwards. A smile and a ‘Thankyou’ makes up for a tip!
• Agriculture is a large source of income for about 65% of the population of Vanuatu.
• More than half of the population in Vanuatu is native Melanesians and the remaining population consists of Europeans, Asians and other Pacific islanders.
• There are no regular military forces in Vanuatu. Instead, the police have a paramilitary force called the ‘Vanuatu Mobile Force’.
• In Vanuatu, pigs (especially the ones with big, round tusks!!) are considered a symbol of wealth.
• In most villages of Vanuatu there are clubhouses called ‘nakamals’, where people gather to drink kava
• Education in Vanuatu is not necessary, and the school admissions and attendance are among the lowest in the whole of Pacific.
• Nearly 80% of the population lives in the rural or isolated areas of Vanuatu.
• Food shortages in Vanuatu are rare as most people grow vegetables in their gardens. The island’s cuisine includes fish, root vegetables fruits, and vegetables. Most food is either boiled or steamed, and fried food is discouraged.

Get more information and facts on Vanuatu here.

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Picture time!! Now, try to guess!!

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Picture 7

WARNING!! Spoiler below!!

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You’ve probably made a guess by now, but if you haven’t guessed, it’s Bali!!

Picture source: The Intercontinental, Bali

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When 2 days finally passed, I was REALLY excited. We found out the Wiggles were Performing live in Dreamworld that day, so we thought Amaya would love that. I looked at a map of the place, and it was insane. It was so big, and it had a variety of rides, so you had several levels of thrill to choose from. As soon as we finally got through the never-ending ticket lines out the front of Dreamworld, We saw a maze of rides everywhere. I was so excited!! We were just on time for the Wiggles, so we made our way through the crowds to get to Mum’s friend we were meeting there. She was right up near the front of the stage, so it gave us an excuse to cut to the front!! I didn’t really care about the Wiggles, but it was pretty cool to be seeing them live.

When the show was over, we made our way into the main part of Dreamworld just out the front of the gates. It was a large round courtyard lined with several shops and restraunts. We wandered about for a little bit and I saw what I was looking for – the candy shop. It was the  biggest candy shop i’d ever seen, and it had about every single type of candy I could think of!! It was a complete sugar galore. I took $20 out of my purse, split the money between my brother and I, and off we went!!

As a group, our family and Mum’s friend’s family wandered to the first part of Dreamworld’s rides. Something caught my eye – The Giant Drop. It was basically an 8-seater ride that took you almost 40 stories up a large tower, then sped down at around 135 km/h. It was the world’s largest freefall ride. I looked up at it, and thought, ‘You only get to live once, so you better make the most of it!’. So… you can guess exactly what I did next!! My brother, Mum’s friend’s husband and I went right up to the line. We were told it was a 15-minute wait from where the line was, and I was slightly disappointed, because I wanted to get it over and done with before I started having second thoughts!!

After a painful 15 minutes of waiting, the staff running the ride pulled the gate open and let us in. It was finally our turn!! We put all our loose clothing pieces and items in our pockets into lockers, then we were strapped into our harnesses. On the way up I was so excited I couldn’t stop bouncing up and down in my seat!! Mum’s friend’s husband, on the other hand, was swearing like a madman on the way up!! As we rose off the platform, I could see more and more of Queensland with every second passing. The views were breathtaking!! I could see the mountain lines, I could see little towns, and I could even see the cars in the Dreamworld carpark that were parked in illegal spots due to a full carpark. At the top it was a little windy and a bit colder than on the ground. They held us up there for about 10 seconds to absorb the view, and in the middle of the serenity I forgot where we were… until we started dropping at 135 km/h!! I held onto the harness so tightly both of my arms just wanted to die. I felt like I was going fly upwards out of my harness!! My eyes were wide the whole way down, and I didn’t remember anything apart from screams around me; the drop was so fast that my brain only registered the memory after we stopped again at the bottom!! I was a little shaky when I stood up at first, but I had no regrets. I just had to have done that ride, no matter what!! It was such an amazing experience.

The next rides we went on were some water rides, where we were either in a round wheel of wood or a large log, and went down fast rapids and small waterfalls. They didn’t give me as much thrill- but anyway, I thought nothing could beat The Giant Drop. Well at least that’s what I thought, until the next thrill ride we went on.

So, it was called the Tower of Terror II for a reason, as I found out. The 16-seater ride bolts backwards for about 100 metres at roughly 160 kilometres per hour, then up the side of the same tower The Giant Drop was situated on until you were halfway up,  sitting horizontally in your seats, facing the ground. Then, it launches you forward at the same speed you went backwards until you stop at the end. It sounds simple, but it was extremely thrilling to ride on!! The ride was so loud you could hear the vehicle rushing along the rails all around Dreamworld – that’s an idea of how fast it goes.

When we were all strapping ourselves into our harnesses, three people chickened out at last second. At least we had extra room!! Soon in our narrow chamber of concrete and steel, red lights turned on, giving the feeling we were in a launchpad. I squealed in delight as I waited for us to move- and boy, we did!! We blasted backwards and went from 0km/h to 161 km/h in just seconds, and everybody was SCREAMING. Really loudly. Before I knew it, We were going backwards, and up- it wasn’t long before we were facing the ground. my eyes were set wide and i couldn’t narrow them, and i could barely blink!! Nobody could stop screaming, even in the small vertical stop of about 2 seconds, before we went flying forwards at the same speed we came backwards. The narrow tunnel created an illusion, and it appeared almost impossible to fit back into; on the way in, I tucked my head down close to my body because I was worried about hitting the top!! What I didn’t know was that I screamed so much that my throat hurt to talk. I also didn’t know that they had a camera that took a picture of us on the way down, and i couldn’t really see my face… my hair was everywhere!! That ride was my favourite, and I just wanted to ride it again!!

The next thrill ride we went on was Pandamonium. It’s where we were in these cart type things and we spun around in circles slowly. It’s not so scary, you say?? Wait until it wildly swings you side-to-side and upside-down!! There were sheds and bamboo trees around us and as we swung, I felt like I would hit them because they appeared closer than they were!! I have to say though, I felt that this ride was the slowest and least thrilling out of all the thrill rides.

The final thill ride we went on, and the final ride we went on, was The Claw. It’s where you are strapped into harnesses on the outside of a circular metal frame, and it swings you at about a 45 degree angle, while the circular frame spins at the same time. Every time I swung, I either felt like I was touching the sky on the way up, or about to scrape the ground on the way down. It was an extremely fun ride, and was a good last ride at Dreamworld.

After a long day, we stayed overnight in a hotel at the airport, then we went off to our next destination, which you will find more about soon!!

Dreamworld Fun Pictures!

Now, picture time!! (I didn’t get many as I was too busy on the rides!! )

The Wiggles came to Dreamworld, too!!

One of my favourite rides at Dreamworld, The Claw (Details…)

The Tower of Terror !! (You can see the white reinforcements for The Giant Drop’s rails, and the rails for the Tower of Terror II on the side; if you follow it down into the trees, you can see where it curves.)

Buzzsaw (Sadly was closed for safety reasons… I wanted to go on this one!! We still had fun at Dreamworld though!!)

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We said bye to the car… and the house…

The car would most likely not be able to make it a whole year without being used. It wasn’t worth keeping if we weren’t using it, and besides, the money we made by selling it gave us a bit more spending money, and it made less to worry about. As for the house, we rented it out to somebody so we wouldn’t have to pay bills, and we would also be making money while we travelled. It also saved our relatives taking care of the house while we were gone!

Yes, the pets went too!!

Everyone loves pets, but as much as we enjoy their company, it would cost more money and require more time and effort to drag a pet around with you while you travel. It’s best not to put them through all that- especially our cat. He was a nervous cat, and would probably have flooded the plane with pee!! Instead what we did was give all our pets away to kind people we knew, and that way we would feel comfortable with them being with another family. If you wish, you could even retrieve the pets when you finish travelling!

Now, including the top two, here’s how you can do it:

Plan your Itinerary:

It would be best visiting places you’ve never been before, as there is so much new stuff to see and do. Try visiting countries that are safe, and either rich in culture, or somewhere the whole family wants to go!! Let everyone have one pick so everyone can enjoy at least one place!!

Consider starting a blog:

Start blogging, or maybe consider writing reviews of places in exchange for free accommodation. We saved a lot of money this way; you may even be able to get people to sponsor your trip if you have a website, or if you are popular in some way, as it may help you cover the funds of your trip.

The post How We Travelled, and How You Can Too!! appeared first on Girl Around The World.