Sunday, February 24, 2013
Top tips to remember when traveling internationally with children
Child mesmerized by marine life at aquarium
Credits:
Ashley Hoyle
When traveling with kids, it’s all about safety and comfort.
Especially when traveling out of the country. Here are a few tips and
must-dos to add to your checklist before embarking on any oversea
adventures.
Always check with your child’s doctor before any international travel. Besides answering obvious health concerns, your pediatrician can offer helpful advice on how to make your child more comfortable during long-flights, how to appropriately manage shifting climate and altitude changes, as well as general hydration and pacing techniques.
Check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides health and vaccination information for over 200 countries and destinations. Simply selecting the country of interest will give a list of necessary vaccinations relative to each area, precautionary measures against disease, news alerts and recent outbreaks. Though some vaccinations are only recommendations, some areas will require you to have proof of vaccinations before entering the area. Always check with your doctor.
Check with your health insurance. No matter how long your trip lasts, accidents can happen. The last thing you want to be worried about when in a foreign country is paying completely out-of-pocket, emergency expenses for your child. Call your insurance company about available options.
Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork. Bringing a passport is the number one necessity for all international paperwork. But the U.S. Customs and Border Protection advises if a child is traveling with only one parent, grandparents, or anyone who is not the child’s legal guardian, a written, notarized consent form from both parents must also be kept on-hand. More information about necessary documents and forms can be found at http://www.cbp.gov/.
Bring a mini first-aid kit. With children, it is always best to travel on the safe side. Carry a small kit of antiseptic wipes, hand sanitizer, bandaids, sunscreen and Tylenol. It can help keep a simple ache or pain from becoming a serious problem later.
Opt for non-stop flights or flights with fewer transfers. Though most airlines allow guests who require special assistance, including those with small children, to board early, excessive stops can put a strain on traveling parents. Avoiding confusing transfers and hefting large amounts of luggage from one end of the airport to the next can help make traveling as a family more enjoyable.
Keep it simple. For most parents, when traveling with children the phrase “packing lightly” has long-since become obsolete. Still, it is one thing to be prepared. It’s another to go overboard. Bring what is only absolutely necessary, and try to make the most out of your selections. For example, pack clothes that can be layered, rather than clothes that must be worn separately for changing temperatures.
Have kid-friendly activities planned. Children have short attention-spans and require more stimulation than historical information and daunting views. Even inserting a simple trip to the zoo or a day at the beach into your itinerary can help break up tedious tours of ruins and museums. When selecting these activities, take into account the child’s age and interests.
Always check with your child’s doctor before any international travel. Besides answering obvious health concerns, your pediatrician can offer helpful advice on how to make your child more comfortable during long-flights, how to appropriately manage shifting climate and altitude changes, as well as general hydration and pacing techniques.
Check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides health and vaccination information for over 200 countries and destinations. Simply selecting the country of interest will give a list of necessary vaccinations relative to each area, precautionary measures against disease, news alerts and recent outbreaks. Though some vaccinations are only recommendations, some areas will require you to have proof of vaccinations before entering the area. Always check with your doctor.
Check with your health insurance. No matter how long your trip lasts, accidents can happen. The last thing you want to be worried about when in a foreign country is paying completely out-of-pocket, emergency expenses for your child. Call your insurance company about available options.
Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork. Bringing a passport is the number one necessity for all international paperwork. But the U.S. Customs and Border Protection advises if a child is traveling with only one parent, grandparents, or anyone who is not the child’s legal guardian, a written, notarized consent form from both parents must also be kept on-hand. More information about necessary documents and forms can be found at http://www.cbp.gov/.
Bring a mini first-aid kit. With children, it is always best to travel on the safe side. Carry a small kit of antiseptic wipes, hand sanitizer, bandaids, sunscreen and Tylenol. It can help keep a simple ache or pain from becoming a serious problem later.
Opt for non-stop flights or flights with fewer transfers. Though most airlines allow guests who require special assistance, including those with small children, to board early, excessive stops can put a strain on traveling parents. Avoiding confusing transfers and hefting large amounts of luggage from one end of the airport to the next can help make traveling as a family more enjoyable.
Keep it simple. For most parents, when traveling with children the phrase “packing lightly” has long-since become obsolete. Still, it is one thing to be prepared. It’s another to go overboard. Bring what is only absolutely necessary, and try to make the most out of your selections. For example, pack clothes that can be layered, rather than clothes that must be worn separately for changing temperatures.
Have kid-friendly activities planned. Children have short attention-spans and require more stimulation than historical information and daunting views. Even inserting a simple trip to the zoo or a day at the beach into your itinerary can help break up tedious tours of ruins and museums. When selecting these activities, take into account the child’s age and interests.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Ignore the headlines: Here's why you should vacation in Mexico
MAZATLAN, MEXICO — The Globe and Mail
Published
Saturday, Feb. 23 2013Barry McGavin, a chemistry teacher-turned-guitarist from Vancouver, is tonight’s entertainment at Pedro y Lola’s restaurant in Plaza Machado. He starts up a jazzy rendition of Elvis’s Burning Love on the patio and rocks away into the soft evening air. White lights on palm trees wink down and the atmosphere is festive as we tuck into our fresh shrimp cooked in orange and Cointreau. Couples, local artists and tourists who have ventured away from the beach strip known as the Golden Zone fill the square, in search of something different.
Here in the Centro Historico of Mazatlan, you will not find any Senor Frog outlets, mariachi bands or vendors trying to braid your hair – though the ocean is just 10 minutes away. Instead, artists and jewellers sell one-of-a-kind silver treasures and paintings, and restaurants offer up everything from sushi and Argentine beef to a tequila nightcap at the Jonathan Boutique Hotel’s ultrahip rooftop bar around the corner.
Less well-known than Puerto Vallarta to the south, this port city of 500,000 on the Pacific Ocean will always have the draw of its soft, tea-coloured sand, shallow-water beaches, 21-kilometre esplanade, or malecon, and incredibly varied bird life (147 species live here, notably fat and aggressive pelicans).
But Mazatlan is hoping to market something a little more than sol y playa (sun and beach) and attract a new kind of visitor – one interested in Mexico’s rich culture and art. The city’s tourism industry suffered a setback during the U.S. economic recession and the violence that followed Mexico’s crackdown on the drug cartels. Mazatlan is in the state of Sinaloa, home of the world’s most notorious drug lord, Joaquin (El Chapo) Guzman. Though the cartels target one another, not tourists, and are not known to be active in the city, three different cruise lines, Princess, Holland America and Disney, pulled out of Mazatlan in 2011 after a shooting occurred in a hotel parking lot. (It did not involve tourists.) The beating last year of a Calgary woman in the Hotel Riu Emerald Bay also brought the wrong kind of attention.
Now, the city is trying to counter the negative publicity, which it says is unwarranted. Marketing focuses on Mazatlan’s rich colonial past – a smart idea. The city’s authenticity, even in the grittier parts, contrasts to the shine and gleam of other Mexican destinations, such as Cancun, which was built specifically for tourists and never quite shakes that artificial feeling of perfection.
Mazatlan is a working port town, known for its agriculture, fishing and historical area – as well as the Golden Zone, with its family hotels, chain restaurants and casual beach-side eateries. Spanish explorers and Indians first settled here in 1531 on the hunt for silver and gold, followed by later waves of immigrants, including French, Portuguese, Italians, Germans and Filipinos. A lighthouse, built in 1879 with a lamp handcrafted in Paris, remains a famous landmark.
The 10-block radius around the Machado square, in the historical area, features carefully restored homes built in the tropical neo-classical style with red-tiled roofs and vivid exteriors of turquoise, yellow and orange. There is a cathedral dating back to 1899, a market, a fine-arts school and the gorgeous Angela Peralta theatre, built in 1874 and named for a famous Mexican opera singer who died of yellow fever in the hotel next door. On the first Friday of every month, the community holds a free art walk, with 40 artists showing off their sculptures, prints and paintings at 24 different studios and galleries.
Glen Rogers, an artist from California, drove down with her print machine in a trailer more than a decade ago, and now offers classes and operates the Luna contemporary art gallery. Even Hotel Machado, opposite Pedro y Lola’s in Machado square, functions as an exhibit space. Its quaint rooms, with Juliet balconies and old wooden shutters, go for as little as $60 a night. Three sleepy senoritos play backgammon and sip instant coffee in the entrance of the tiny lobby.
“You walk through a door here and you discover a colourful courtyard with a renovated space. It is like Alice in Wonderland. There are so many different worlds,” says Cindy Xiao of Toronto, who visited Mazatlan in January.
This part of the city feels like it is on the verge of greatness, a hidden gem of architecture, culture and good eats. It hasn’t yet fulfilled its potential, and that is part of the charm. Down by the beach, cliff divers put on a show, but even that seems homespun as they make the sign of the cross and ask God to keep them safe before plunging 45 metres into shallow waters.
Later during our one-week visit, we take a boat tour – that includes unlimited mai-tais beginning at 10 a.m. – to Deer Island (Mazatlan is a Nahuatl word meaning “place of deer”), one of three protected islands not far off the mainland. There is no dock, so we put on our beach shoes and wade ashore.
The only inhabitants are two stray dogs; the only action, five shade umbrellas and an abandoned volleyball net – though the tour company does drag along a banana boat and sea kayaks to keep people occupied. The sea is warm and the rocky volcanic outcrop is beautifully craggy.
I spend my four hours swimming, sunbathing and watching a hermit crab skitter across the sand. Perfection.
Another morning we venture out for a whale-watching tour aboard Onca Explorations. Oscar Guzon, a genial oceanographer, founded the company in 2006 after discovering that this part of the Sea of Cortez is a breeding ground for humpbacks. At three nautical miles out, we spot our first. It comes to the surface to breathe, blowing out a column of vapour and slapping its tale on the water.
The sea is choppy, however, and while our Mexican hosts do not appear to notice, almost all of the gringos aboard, including us, are grateful for the sea-sickness pills Guzon handed out before we boarded.
But we’re glad we came as we see several more whales breaching, hear a high-pitched whale song captured with the ship’s hydrophones, and consider such curious facts as a whale’s longevity – 70 years.
Back at Pueblo Bonito Hotel that afternoon, I run into several Canadians, including a couple from Alberta. They have been vacationing here for 22 years.
“This is a much more tranquil place than Puerto Vallarta,” says the woman, a nurse from Edmonton who is feeding Crinkles, a giant turtle who lives on the grounds. “I take local buses and every day we walk all along the beach into the city centre and back to the hotel. We have never had anything bad happen.”
Overall, there is no doubt that security has worsened in Mexico since the previous government declared a war on the drug cartels. Yet most of the casualties are linked to the drug trade and centred in the border areas: The latest government report found that almost 80 per cent of homicides connected to organized crime took place in just six per cent of the country’s municipalities.
Violent acts against tourists remain unusual, and generally, organized criminals do not target foreigners. The Yucatan Peninsula, for example, remains very safe. Overall, Mexico’s homicide rate is lower than that of most other countries in Latin America.
Still, every incident involving tourists is one too many. Recently, six Spanish women vacationing in Acapulco were raped, cementing that city’s reputation as a place to avoid (its homicide rate increased in 2011).
The tourists I spoke with swear they have never visited a more secure city. “It is safer here than Philly,” says a sun-kissed woman named B.C. Marks, who moved here eight years ago, one of the 8,000 expatriates in Mazatlan, at least 40 per cent of whom are Canadians. “I leave restaurants and bars at 2 a.m. and nothing has ever happened to me.”
Will this be Mazatlan’s turnaround year? Already tour operators are celebrating the fact that cruise ships are starting to return. It remains a place full of surprise, with much to offer beyond the Golden Zone’s giant Fiestaland, a white Disney-land like complex filled with nightclubs, and the Galactic Bowling Alley.
It is deserving of a visit, at least, so that people can make up their own minds.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Tips for how to travel to Mexico with kids
by on February 18, 2013
simplebites.net
Nearly 15 years ago, my older brother Josh and I embarked on a 3-month backpacking trip through South East Asia and Mediterranean Europe; we had plenty of adventures over those weeks. This month, traveling together for the first time since those Birkenstock-wearing, hitch-hiking days, we reunited in a developing country – but on this trip, we had our spouses and children along for the experience.
I have plenty of travel experience under my belt, which is why I noticed early on that this trip felt different. For the first time, I was seeing a foreign country through the eyes of my children, and in a sense, anew.
Our little ones are at a perfect age for traveling. Noah is our avid reader, happy to spend an entire flight with his nose in a chapter book. Mateo is our happy-go-lucky free-spirit, happy to skip along holding my hand. And little Clara is still content in a Snugli and completely portable, as she sleeps anywhere cradled in-arms.
Although we’re not quite ready to embark on a round-the-world adventure like our friends Ryan & Stephanie with their four kids, we do hope to keep traveling with our three because we feel it is an important investment into their future. For one thing, it opens their young minds to sights, sounds, smells and experiences that can never be learned through schooling or a slew of Planet Earth
DVD’s.
We Wimbushes aren’t really the type to book an all-inclusive vacation at a resort (although I understand the appeal) as we like to closely experience the culture of a foreign country and introduce it to our children. During this trip we bartered for handmade wares at the bustling city market, selected our daily avocados and bananas alongside the locals at the produce stand, and stood in line for goat tacos and cinnamon-sugar coated churros from the street carts.
Our reunion in Mexico, together also with my two sisters and their families, was so utterly fantastic, that I couldn’t not share a mere snapshot of our time with you. I kept my big camera handy and jotted a few notes down here and there from my favorite experiences, like yesterday’s story of finding magic in a small tortilla factory.
Although I was on a nearly-full digital vacation, I found I missed writing, and every so often, a nugget of useful information would nestle itself in a mental file folder labeled “Mexico”.
Hopefully, there’s enough of those nuggets assembled here and in the posts to come to give you some takeaway and encourage you to travel with your kids.
Traveling with kids in Mexico is an adventure that requires bravery, planning, bottled water, band-aids, bunches and bunches of bananas, and tons of baby gear.
On our backpacking trip so long ago, I remember sawing off the handle of my hairbrush just to lighten the weight of the backpack on my 5’3″, 110lb frame. Now, we shlep a pack n’ play, a car seat, a portable feeding seat, and miscellaneous items such as water wings, stuffed monkeys, and math workbooks on top of everything else.
Before we leave, there is the rush to pack, empty the fridge, arrange for kitty care, and locate the travel documents, to say nothing of the midnight oil burned to schedule two weeks’ worth of posts on the blog.
Then there is the abominably early taxi ride to the airport, the dash through the cold morning air with only a hoodie for warmth, the hours of waiting and security checkpoints, and the cramped quarters on the flight.
Finally, tired and smelly, hungry and groggy, we arrive, and all of the stressful travel pays off with the first kiss of the sea breeze and the golden hue of the sun setting on the sand. An adventure awaits.
I’ve decided to break my posts up into smaller sections featuring plenty of images from the trip. In this introductory post, I’ll cover my general takeaway from our time and basic tips for traveling with kids in Mexico.
After I’ll write about feeding the family, what we ate, and what our baby-led solids girl, Clara, enjoyed. Finally, I’ll share about our accommodations and the quaint, relatively undiscovered beach town where we stayed.
Then they delivered us to our villa in Lo de Marcos, about an hour away. A week later, they picked us up and brought us to Sayulita, and a week after that, brought us to the airport. It worked out to about $180USD for everything; cheaper and less hassle than renting a car.
Our driver, Daniel, spoke English, drove quite safely, and only talked on his cell phone while driving a few times! My kids all had seat belts, we enjoyed the AC, and iced bottled water from a cooler in the suburban.
Still, a small container of non-drowsy Gravol’s Natural Source Ginger Tablets were one of the most important items that made it into my toiletries bag. Since I enjoy eating the authentic local fare when I travel, it’s normal that I experience some mild nausea and upset stomach. It took a few days to adjust to the (delicious) local foods – for both my siblings and I – and the Gravol helped to maintain a feeling of normalcy. (I’ll write more later on what we ate and precautions we took.)
Traveling with kids in Mexico (an in any developing or third-world country) does require a small leap of faith as far as their health is concerned. You want to have a well-stocked First-Aid kit, a bottle of water on hand at all times, and sanitizer or wet wipes to keep little hands clean.
We ran the gamut on our trip: mild fever, cough and cold, upset tummy, sunburn, and one bee sting. All in all, though, I think we did pretty well. Honestly, I think the mild bug some of us experienced during our early days in Mexico came from something we picked up in transit (germs on airplanes? *Shudder*).
Dressing the kids is a cinch, with nothing more required than you would need at home for a week in the summer. Croc’s and sturdy sandals were all the footwear our children needed; let’s face it, they were barefoot eighty percent of the time.
We made space for a large sketchbook and a case of pencil crayons for the children in our luggage and they got plenty of use. In the afternoons, when the sun was the hottest, we often had an art lesson with all of the nieces and nephews.
Surfers, sandcastles, market sights – there was always plenty of fuel for the imaginations of our little artists on this trip.
For Clara, we used a Snugli or an umbrella stroller for our frequent daily walks: Sungli for the beach, stroller for the street. We also checked a car seat and a pack n’ play into over-sized luggage (neither which required an extra fee from the airline) and made good use of both on the trip.
The children each brought a special furry friend, a comfort for both the airplane ride and the fortnight of sleeping in strange beds. We also packed a couple of small favorite games – Spot It
and Piratatak 
-
both of which got a tremendous amount of use from all the children.
Nothing passes the time at a restaurant like a little friendly
competition between cousins.
Give responsibility in small measures. Children love to feel like they are helping, so give them the task of finding directions once in a while, or entrust them with a carry-on bag, even if it means they may walk away from it in North America’s busiest airport. Yes, we left our carry-on luggage with 2 laptops unattended for about half an hour. Oops.
Lift weights before you go. It is entirely possible that your littlest one may want to be held the entire first day upon arrival, just as an adjustment period. Strong arms also come in handy for lugging groceries and beach bags.
Heap grace on your children. Travel is wearisome for us all. It can also be totally boring, and they couldn’t care less about sights that may give us a thrill. Oh, and they get sick of having their photo taken. Put yourself in their dusty sandals at least once a day, and if you find yourself longing for ice cream, find the nearest paleta vendor and buy everyone a fruit pop.
Communicate with your spouse. Perhaps the most important tip of all. Remember you are a team: work like one, and all will go smoothly.
Oh, and try not to lose it with your husband in the Mexico City immigration line when he decides that the five family passports are better off in his back pocket than in your purse and then forgets to tell you. Yeah, that happened.
simplebites.net
Nearly 15 years ago, my older brother Josh and I embarked on a 3-month backpacking trip through South East Asia and Mediterranean Europe; we had plenty of adventures over those weeks. This month, traveling together for the first time since those Birkenstock-wearing, hitch-hiking days, we reunited in a developing country – but on this trip, we had our spouses and children along for the experience.
I have plenty of travel experience under my belt, which is why I noticed early on that this trip felt different. For the first time, I was seeing a foreign country through the eyes of my children, and in a sense, anew.
Our little ones are at a perfect age for traveling. Noah is our avid reader, happy to spend an entire flight with his nose in a chapter book. Mateo is our happy-go-lucky free-spirit, happy to skip along holding my hand. And little Clara is still content in a Snugli and completely portable, as she sleeps anywhere cradled in-arms.
Although we’re not quite ready to embark on a round-the-world adventure like our friends Ryan & Stephanie with their four kids, we do hope to keep traveling with our three because we feel it is an important investment into their future. For one thing, it opens their young minds to sights, sounds, smells and experiences that can never be learned through schooling or a slew of Planet Earth
DVD’s.We Wimbushes aren’t really the type to book an all-inclusive vacation at a resort (although I understand the appeal) as we like to closely experience the culture of a foreign country and introduce it to our children. During this trip we bartered for handmade wares at the bustling city market, selected our daily avocados and bananas alongside the locals at the produce stand, and stood in line for goat tacos and cinnamon-sugar coated churros from the street carts.
Our reunion in Mexico, together also with my two sisters and their families, was so utterly fantastic, that I couldn’t not share a mere snapshot of our time with you. I kept my big camera handy and jotted a few notes down here and there from my favorite experiences, like yesterday’s story of finding magic in a small tortilla factory.
Although I was on a nearly-full digital vacation, I found I missed writing, and every so often, a nugget of useful information would nestle itself in a mental file folder labeled “Mexico”.
Hopefully, there’s enough of those nuggets assembled here and in the posts to come to give you some takeaway and encourage you to travel with your kids.
Traveling with kids in Mexico is an adventure that requires bravery, planning, bottled water, band-aids, bunches and bunches of bananas, and tons of baby gear.
On our backpacking trip so long ago, I remember sawing off the handle of my hairbrush just to lighten the weight of the backpack on my 5’3″, 110lb frame. Now, we shlep a pack n’ play, a car seat, a portable feeding seat, and miscellaneous items such as water wings, stuffed monkeys, and math workbooks on top of everything else.
Before we leave, there is the rush to pack, empty the fridge, arrange for kitty care, and locate the travel documents, to say nothing of the midnight oil burned to schedule two weeks’ worth of posts on the blog.
Then there is the abominably early taxi ride to the airport, the dash through the cold morning air with only a hoodie for warmth, the hours of waiting and security checkpoints, and the cramped quarters on the flight.
Finally, tired and smelly, hungry and groggy, we arrive, and all of the stressful travel pays off with the first kiss of the sea breeze and the golden hue of the sun setting on the sand. An adventure awaits.
I’ve decided to break my posts up into smaller sections featuring plenty of images from the trip. In this introductory post, I’ll cover my general takeaway from our time and basic tips for traveling with kids in Mexico.
After I’ll write about feeding the family, what we ate, and what our baby-led solids girl, Clara, enjoyed. Finally, I’ll share about our accommodations and the quaint, relatively undiscovered beach town where we stayed.
Getting Around, or How to Move Your Many, Many Belongings
Our round-trip taxi service came recommended by friends and we would in turn endorse Jose Ramos Taxi Services. Based out of Sayulita, they picked us up at the Puerto Vallerta airport and drove us to the Mega superstore (Carretera a Tepic Km 144) , where we shopped for half an hour for our grocery staples.
Then they delivered us to our villa in Lo de Marcos, about an hour away. A week later, they picked us up and brought us to Sayulita, and a week after that, brought us to the airport. It worked out to about $180USD for everything; cheaper and less hassle than renting a car.
Our driver, Daniel, spoke English, drove quite safely, and only talked on his cell phone while driving a few times! My kids all had seat belts, we enjoyed the AC, and iced bottled water from a cooler in the suburban.
Health Concerns, or Keeping Your Tacos Down
Contaminated food, drink, insect bites and sunburn are a few health concerns you may encounter in Mexico. That said, I think the country gets a bad rap, and wish more people would factor in a) climate change, b) jet lag, c) lack of sleep, d) dehydration, or e) alcohol into the equation before blaming some poor Mexican taco maker for their case of Montezuma’s revenge.
Still, a small container of non-drowsy Gravol’s Natural Source Ginger Tablets were one of the most important items that made it into my toiletries bag. Since I enjoy eating the authentic local fare when I travel, it’s normal that I experience some mild nausea and upset stomach. It took a few days to adjust to the (delicious) local foods – for both my siblings and I – and the Gravol helped to maintain a feeling of normalcy. (I’ll write more later on what we ate and precautions we took.)
Traveling with kids in Mexico (an in any developing or third-world country) does require a small leap of faith as far as their health is concerned. You want to have a well-stocked First-Aid kit, a bottle of water on hand at all times, and sanitizer or wet wipes to keep little hands clean.
We ran the gamut on our trip: mild fever, cough and cold, upset tummy, sunburn, and one bee sting. All in all, though, I think we did pretty well. Honestly, I think the mild bug some of us experienced during our early days in Mexico came from something we picked up in transit (germs on airplanes? *Shudder*).
What to Pack or Keeping Everyone Clothed and Happy for Costal Mexico
Comfortable, quick-dry shorts and tank tops for the parents are good, preferably colors that don’t show spit-up and food stains. Of course a sundress or two, bathing suit and sandals, and a hoodie are all helpful for the evenings when the temperature cools down and the wind whips off the the water. I wore long pants and a hoodie for the early morning walks and kept quite cozy.
Dressing the kids is a cinch, with nothing more required than you would need at home for a week in the summer. Croc’s and sturdy sandals were all the footwear our children needed; let’s face it, they were barefoot eighty percent of the time.
We made space for a large sketchbook and a case of pencil crayons for the children in our luggage and they got plenty of use. In the afternoons, when the sun was the hottest, we often had an art lesson with all of the nieces and nephews.
Surfers, sandcastles, market sights – there was always plenty of fuel for the imaginations of our little artists on this trip.
For Clara, we used a Snugli or an umbrella stroller for our frequent daily walks: Sungli for the beach, stroller for the street. We also checked a car seat and a pack n’ play into over-sized luggage (neither which required an extra fee from the airline) and made good use of both on the trip.
The children each brought a special furry friend, a comfort for both the airplane ride and the fortnight of sleeping in strange beds. We also packed a couple of small favorite games – Spot It
and Piratatak -
both of which got a tremendous amount of use from all the children.
Nothing passes the time at a restaurant like a little friendly
competition between cousins.
Final takeaway
Get out into the smaller towns. Bustling, hot cities are not much fun for children, or for parents who are constantly worried about a bus side-swiping their five-year old for that matter. In the villages, one can make friends with a gaggle of first-grade school girls or share two miles of beach with nothing but a mighty flock of pelicans.
Give responsibility in small measures. Children love to feel like they are helping, so give them the task of finding directions once in a while, or entrust them with a carry-on bag, even if it means they may walk away from it in North America’s busiest airport. Yes, we left our carry-on luggage with 2 laptops unattended for about half an hour. Oops.
Lift weights before you go. It is entirely possible that your littlest one may want to be held the entire first day upon arrival, just as an adjustment period. Strong arms also come in handy for lugging groceries and beach bags.
Heap grace on your children. Travel is wearisome for us all. It can also be totally boring, and they couldn’t care less about sights that may give us a thrill. Oh, and they get sick of having their photo taken. Put yourself in their dusty sandals at least once a day, and if you find yourself longing for ice cream, find the nearest paleta vendor and buy everyone a fruit pop.
Communicate with your spouse. Perhaps the most important tip of all. Remember you are a team: work like one, and all will go smoothly.
Oh, and try not to lose it with your husband in the Mexico City immigration line when he decides that the five family passports are better off in his back pocket than in your purse and then forgets to tell you. Yeah, that happened.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
7 Best Things About Visiting Mexico
thetravelerszone.com
The country has belonged to several different empires over the years. These include the Olmec around 1500 BC and the Bourbon in 1821. The land was rich in silver and it helped finance the Spanish economy for a few hundred years. In addition, descendants of Cuauhtémoc, who was the last Aztec emperor ascended into Spanish nobility.
Mexico has also been home to revolutions, revolts, republics, monarchies, dictatorships, and more throughout the years. The amazing thing is that archaeologists are continually unearthing more historical sites each year. The best places to learn about Mexican history are the Museum of Anthropology and Museum of History in Mexico City.
Some of the other popular styles incorporate traditional drumming, dance performance, and acoustic guitar and vocals in an assortment of styles such as tamborazo, and ranchera. You may also find yourself hearing a cantador singing love ballads in local restaurants.
Mexico is famous for its fantastic beaches and Mayan and Aztec ruins
and pyramids. However, there’s a lot more to this historic country and
that’s why it’s the 10th most visited nation in the world when it comes to vacationers.
These are 7 of the best and most popular things about Mexico.
(photo by schlaeger)
1. The History
When it comes to history, Mexico is very rich indeed. Mayans, Aztecs, Hernan Cortez, and Montezuma are just the tip of the historical iceberg. The history of the nation is quite colourful and sometimes a little complex. It’s believed that there were at least 12 different pre-Columbian civilizations which rose to prominence and then fell in the area that’s now known as Mexico.The country has belonged to several different empires over the years. These include the Olmec around 1500 BC and the Bourbon in 1821. The land was rich in silver and it helped finance the Spanish economy for a few hundred years. In addition, descendants of Cuauhtémoc, who was the last Aztec emperor ascended into Spanish nobility.
Mexico has also been home to revolutions, revolts, republics, monarchies, dictatorships, and more throughout the years. The amazing thing is that archaeologists are continually unearthing more historical sites each year. The best places to learn about Mexican history are the Museum of Anthropology and Museum of History in Mexico City.
2. The Music
The most popular style of music in Mexico with visitors is usually mariachi. However, if you wander down to the Mazatlan waterfront you’ll likely hear some wonderful sounds coming from a group of local townsfolk playing an assortment of brass instruments in a style known as banda.Some of the other popular styles incorporate traditional drumming, dance performance, and acoustic guitar and vocals in an assortment of styles such as tamborazo, and ranchera. You may also find yourself hearing a cantador singing love ballads in local restaurants.
3. The People
The people of Mexico are made up of over 50 different indigenous groups. This means that just about all citizens of Mexico have indigenous blood in them. Mexicans are very friendly indeed and proud of their culture and heritage.4. The Food
Mexican food is quite famous, but there’s a lot more to it than tacos, fajitas, burritos, chile peppers, refried beans, and tomatoes. Actually, corn is the foundation of most Mexican dishes. People there have been creating corn tortillas by hand for centuries with locally produced yellow, white, red and blue-corn mesa. You’ll also find some excellent vegetables, seafood, and meat dishes.5. The Water
Mexico is home to some of the world’s greatest beaches as the warm, crystal clear water kisses the sand all along its coastlines. You’ll also find that the country has some great pools of water up in the mountains as well as hot mineral waters. Some of the best areas for inland water are Los Azufres National Park, which is located in Michoacán, and Lake Chapala, which lies in Jalisco.6. The Weather
Mexico enjoys some of the best weather on the planet. Yes, it’s true that the odd hurricane will blow through, but most of the time country is quite warm and agreeable with visitors. In the nation’s middle highlands you’ll find the temperatures are usually in the low 80s every afternoon and the low 60s when the sun goes down. The beach resorts are kept comfortable by onshore breezes and the mountain regions are also quite warm.7. The Mountains
Along with the fantastic beaches, Mexico is filled with many beautiful mountains and volcanoes. There are several famous mountain ranges in the country, such as the Sierra Madre Oriental), the Sierra Madre Occidental, and the Sierra Madre del Sur.Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Travel News: Over 80s Still Enjoy International Travel with Age Being no Obstacle
Domestic and international travel doesn’t
stop because of age according to customer datafrom Age UK Enterprises,
the commercial arm of the Age UK charity.
Data revealed that 27 per cent of all Age UK
Travel Insurance policies in 2012 were held by those aged 80 plus and a
further 19 per cent were held by those aged 70-74.
Europe is the most popular destination for
the Age UK insured traveller with half of those aged over 80 travelling
to the continent. A further one in ten over 80s are going further afield
and are choosing to take out worldwide cover so they can visit
destinations such as the USA, Canada and the Caribbean.
Gordon Morris, Managing Director at Age UK
Enterprises, said: “We have over 30 years of experience in successfully
providing travel insurance that meets the needs of those in later life.
“It’s surprising to see many providers
refusing cover to older travellers due to their age - we firmly believe
that no one should be refused travel insurance based on this.
“Older people’s travel ambitions don’t stop and there needs to be adequate provision to cater for the needs of this group.”
In addition, sales of annual trip cover were
strong in 2012, accounting for a third of all policies, which indicates
that those in later life are enjoying overseas breaks more than once a
year.
Gordon added: “Products such as the Age UK
Travel Insurance have no upper age limit and provide appropriate cover
for customer needs.
“As with our entire product and service range
our travel insurance policy has been designed with the older customer
in mind to provide the ‘right fit’ for their individual requirements.”
The perks of international travel
A picture from sunset taken in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Credits:
Pablo Guzman
It's time to schedule your vacation time at work. Instead of going to California beaches or exploring the big cities you're thinking of going somewhere international.
This is sometimes nerve-racking.
International travel is very different from traveling within the states, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. As long as you can be open to new experiences and places it's a great thing to try.
In fact you may find that international travel is more rewarding. Here are some reasons why.
- Traveling to different countries exposes you to different ways of enjoying life. It can be a laid back, time relaxing vacation in Mexico or an active sightseeing experience in Italy.
- When you visit other countries, you open your mind to different perspectives. This new perspective can lead to a more productive work environment when you return.
- The food is going to be unique and possibly amazing. Who doesn't love food?
- Everybody loves a good accent. This includes you listening to locals and locals listening to you (yes, we Americans have accents).
- It's fascinating to see that life can be enjoyed in different forms. Life isn't non-stop everywhere else. A large portion of the outside world works at a different pace and are highly encouraged to take travel time.
A lot of times traveling within the U.S. means still being involved with the hustle and bustle of work and regular life. Getting further away is a nice break-up to this.
We all need a little breather and break from work. Be open to experiences and international travel. After all, what's the worst that will happen? You'll arrive back home with a little extra work to do, but even then, life and work picks right back up where it left off.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
4,000-Year-Old Spearheads Found in Mexico
Published December 27, 2012
EFE
Researchers discovered 4,000-year-old spearheads and other artifacts at a site in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History said.
The find "will change the chronologies of the antiquity of human settlement in the northwest of the country," archaeologist Joel Santos Ramirez said.
The items reflect a rudimentary technology also seen in artifacts from the U.S. Southwest, from what is now the central Mexican state of Puebla and in some desert regions of northern Mexico.
Archaeologists found the spearheads at a site they dubbed La Flor del Oceano, 50 kilometers north of the Pacific resort city of Mazatlan and near a set of rock engravings known as Las Labradas.
The spearheads turned up in the course of search for where the makers of the rock engravings lived, said Santos, the director of the Las Labradas project.
Along with the spear-points, researchers discovered knives and tool fragments, he said.
The distribution of the artifacts would indicate the presence of temporary encampments and a workshop, Santos said, while acknowledging that the team still doesn't know if the items belonged to the creators of Las Labradas.
Underwater fish tornado off Baja California
Fish tornado via Octacio Aburto
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David and Goliath, by Ocatvio Aburto.
Mission Blue has an interview with Aburto, explaining how his scientific background inspired him to snap the mysterious imagery. Among other things, Aburto said:
The picture you see was taken November 1, 2012. But this picture has been in my mind for three years — I have been trying to capture this image ever since I saw the behavior of these fish and witnessed the incredible tornado that they form during courtship. So, I guess you could say this image took almost three years.
Bottom line: Fish tornado photo – titled “David and Goliath” – taken off Cabo Pulmo National Park in Baja, California on November 1, 2012.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Amazing Mazatlan
naturestudent.wordpress.com
Northward along the western coast of Mexico, the city of Mazatlan lies due east of the tip of Baja California, marking the southern edge of the Sea of Cortez.
The spectacular setting features outcrops of volcanic & metamorphic rocks both on land & offshore.
On the waterfront promenade, the longest Malecon in the world, many of the outcrops have been transformed into lookout points.
The islands offshore are roosting colonies with birds soaring continually above. Onshore, a few oystercatchers explored the tide pools.
When the lighthouse was built it was famous for being the highest in the world. The top is a popular hiking destination.
The Sinaloa region is drier than the Riviera Nayarit, and cacti are now part of the landscape. These prickly pear cactus are called nopal in Spanish.
Several species of doves have been frequent in both the rural & urban environments, here perched among the cacti.
The amazing setting of the city is revealed from the top of the lighthouse hill.
Among the frigatebirds riding the thermals above the hill, there was the occasional raptor.
A few warblers flitted around the shrubs at the top- we assumed this was an Orange-crowned Warbler having heard their trill on the way up.
Below in the old town residential areas, urban birds are prevalent.
These goldfinches are the hesperophila subspecies, with a greenish back & partial black cap.
In the shrub & garden areas we heard parakeets & finally caught a glimpse of these wild ones among the larger trees.
Northward along the western coast of Mexico, the city of Mazatlan lies due east of the tip of Baja California, marking the southern edge of the Sea of Cortez.
The spectacular setting features outcrops of volcanic & metamorphic rocks both on land & offshore.
On the Malecon
On the waterfront promenade, the longest Malecon in the world, many of the outcrops have been transformed into lookout points.
Dos Hermanas
The islands offshore are roosting colonies with birds soaring continually above. Onshore, a few oystercatchers explored the tide pools.
On the way to El Faro
When the lighthouse was built it was famous for being the highest in the world. The top is a popular hiking destination.
Harbour View
The Sinaloa region is drier than the Riviera Nayarit, and cacti are now part of the landscape. These prickly pear cactus are called nopal in Spanish.
White-winged Doves
Several species of doves have been frequent in both the rural & urban environments, here perched among the cacti.
Mazatlan Panorama
The amazing setting of the city is revealed from the top of the lighthouse hill.
Peregrine Falcon
Among the frigatebirds riding the thermals above the hill, there was the occasional raptor.
Orange-crowned Warbler
A few warblers flitted around the shrubs at the top- we assumed this was an Orange-crowned Warbler having heard their trill on the way up.
Grey-breasted Martins
Below in the old town residential areas, urban birds are prevalent.
Lesser Goldfinch
These goldfinches are the hesperophila subspecies, with a greenish back & partial black cap.
Orange-fronted Parakeets
In the shrub & garden areas we heard parakeets & finally caught a glimpse of these wild ones among the larger trees.
Notebook: Experiencing the world through meaningful travel
By Tehreem Sajjad, Daily Arts Writer
Published February 1, 2013
Published February 1, 2013
You arrive at the gate, but the storm has already come and gone: You missed your flight. Now, you’re stuck in Terminal C for the next 223 minutes, your only source of consolation is a cup of caffeine and a McGriddle sandwich. You’ll miss your connecting flight and wait — in a different city, with the same menu — for another plane. And then, 20 some hours later, you’ll get where you need to be.
Why do we travel? For most people, sitting in a plane, surrounded by another 100 people in the vicinity of 200 square feet of airplane space is cumbersome. Strolling through airport malls selling useless souvenirs and getting X-ray screenings brings out the sad reality of modernity. Yet, here we are, packed in great numbers onto planes that don’t seem to be getting any larger. Sometimes, we travel because we have to. We serve as business representatives or we miss eating our mother’s turkey at Thanksgiving. According to Frequent Flyer Service, three percent of business travelers fly outside of the United States. Thus, most travel isn’t non-negotiable. Instead, we travel because we want to; because the hassle of going through airport security is outweighed by the intrinsic thrill of being somewhere new; because home is boring and Italy will always be Italy.
Travel is a basic human desire: a desire to lose ourselves. In some ways, traveling is similar to reading a novel. Sometimes, when overwhelmed with worldly issues, we turn to books to lose ourselves in its pages. Reading sprinkles a little change in our thoughts and gives us the time needed away from the real world. Traveling has the power to do the same, but to a much greater extent.
When we travel, we open our eyes and our hearts to embrace the world around us. We take in more information about the world than a newspaper can accommodate. Traveling provides us with time to think about our lives and ourselves. It gives us time for the tiny moments in our lives when we can peek into our own hearts and see what’s really there when no one is looking.
My point is that by changing your location, you can convert one single noun into a new web of associations. There is only so much that you can take from a place where you’ve spent your entire life or even a few good years, because sooner or later, you’ll reach a point when none of those places or people will teach you something new or different.
This is what traveling can do for us; it’s an authentic recipe that lets you experience the world hands-on. It compels you to pause, to look more closely and deeply at all the tiny details, it lets you linger and reflect on unexpected situations and to soak up everything that an experience has to offer. There are a lot of different aspects of this world that are unique, but it’s traveling that holds at its heart the spirit of uniqueness.
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