Traveling with a toddler

We got a lot of comments prior to leaving for our 2 month Central American adventure with our 18 month old in tow. Some close friends said "Dont take him to Central America", some said "Your Crazy!", some said "Are you nervous?" and some said "Thats awesome!" Here is what I think after 2 months of traveling in Central America with an 18-20 month old.

Traveling with a toddler is only as hard as it is to parent a toddler. There are great days and there are really difficult days. Parenting, as any parent will tell you, isn't easy. Toddlers challenge you, say "NO" back at you, look at you and do exactly what you just told them not to do, they climb like real monkeys (on everything), if your toddler is boy they dig in the dirt and wack things. Toddlers run away from you, refuse to hold your hand when they need to, spit out the food they don't like, scream when they don't get their way and hurt themselves frequently. Toddlers do this regardless of what country you live in or where you are from.

And, clearly, there are those who would argue that all of this is easier to deal with in a familiar environment, with a regular schedule and all the normal amenities and luxuries of normal, everyday life. This is all true, to a certain extent. We have made certain concessions while traveling with Henry that we wouldn't make if we were at home. For example, here, when Henry wakes up in the middle of the night Daniel gets up out of bed and rubs his back and soothes him back to sleep. At home, we wouldn't necessarily go to him in the middle of the night and soothe him back to sleep. I am a believer in the "they need to learn how to soothe themselves back to sleep" theory or method or whatever it is. And, we are still giving Henry a bottle before bed. This is certainly something I would have cut out by now if we were at home. However, in Hotels, I can't handle the anxiety that would accompany letting him "cry it out" in the middle of the night knowing our neighbors would likely hear. And, the bottle, like it or not, soothes him and allows me the assurance that he is hydrated and getting the vitamins and electrolytes that I know he needs (we give him formula, not milk because of lack of access to a refrigerator). These are "deviations" from our normal parenting plan that we discussed and agreed to prior to leaving. And, they have worked and allowed us a better trip. They are also things, that when we get home, are going to change. He will have to "cry it out" and he wont get a bottle anymore. And, yes, the transition might not be fun for a few days. But I just remind myself that it takes 3-5 days to break a bad habit. Some advice I picked up in all my reading during his infancy. Its awesome advice to keep in mind and helps reduce anxiety about post-trip transitions. All this to say, decide what your going to concede ahead of time, make peace with it, and know that when you get home you can work it out.

Traveling with kids is challenging no matter where you are going. You have to plan ahead. Do you have enough diapers? Enough wipes? Toys or entertainment? Whether its a flight from ATL to NYC or a flight from ATL to Nicaragua these things need to be considered. And, frankly, you have to be organized. Its not fun to be rummaging the bags for a quickly needed wipe and not being able to find it regardless of what country you're in.

There have been days on the road that I have needed a Nanny 911 emergency hotline.. but isn't that how it goes at home too?!

And, how much more awesome is spotting monkeys in the jungle, watching the sunset over the El Salvadorian coast or touring an amazing Central American colonial town with your little, amazing kid who now says "Hola" and "Gracias" and hopefully has learned to adjust and accomodate and appreciate all that he has to return home to... I say go for it..... travel with your toddler.

Travel with your Toddler, says Henry!

The Corn Islands

We are on Little Corn Island. Its 8 miles away from Big Corn Island, which is about 45 miles off the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. The water is spectacularly turqoise and the beach has white, white sand. Our spot at Casa Iguana (www.casaiguana.net) is pretty amazing, with a killer view of the Caribbean, where we ate amazing Coconut French Toast for breakfast this morning. Life is pretty good on this little Island.

View from the main lodge at Casa Iguana, where we ate some yummy breakfasts. 

View out onto the water, Little Corn Island

This morning we hiked the little trails (there are no cars or roads on Little Corn) to the north end of the island. We plopped ourselves on a little beach and splashed around. Henry is SUCH a beach baby. He literally lies in the sand as the waves crash on him. And, getting him out of the water and dried off is a sad time for him.

Surfs up on Big Corn Island for little man

Big Corn Island grew on us but wasn't quite the paradise we were looking for; it was such a dicotomy of poor local living and what could have been an amazing tropical paradise. The beaches have all the makings for perfect- white sand, turquoise water.. but the trash which collects on the beach is CRAZY. And, the Island's poverty is pretty overt with shacks, shoeless and torn-clothed kids everywhere.

Picnic Beach, Big Corn Island

We found a cute little spot (La princesca de la Isla, www.laprincesadelaisla.com), which was run by some crazy italians (crazy in a good way). The place sat at the end of a long beach and right off the property were several shacks in which lived tons of kids. They would come and play with Henry on the beach. It was such an honest and memorable scene with little white Henry running and laughing and playing his heart out. The kids would build a huge sand mound, pick Henry up and plop him atop it. Then they would surround him and sing Happy Birthday in English, Spanish and Creole. It was so cute. Everytime he stood up the bigger kids would brush the sand off his bottom and hands. And, when he ran into the water they would pull him back to safety. They were wonderful little babysitters. Henry blew them kisses when we went inside and they all blew kisses back... it was such a sweet and wonderful moment. One I hope Ill never forget.

Our bungalow at La Princesca

Henry contemplating life while we ate breakfast at La Princesca

Henry is a hit with the locals!

I am trying to focus on really enjoying and soaking up the remaining days of our trip.

Isla de Ometepe

It has been Island life for us for the last several days. We hit Isla de Ometepe, a large island in Lake Nicaragua. It's a huge island (takes 1.5 hours or so to get across) and has 2 huge volcanos on it. For those of you who know, it kind of reminded me of Star Island; the ferry doesnt always run if the weather is too wild and like any island, supplies run out. There is just no sense of urgency or a real time schedule. Its a beautiful island though. Its lush, green, filled with birds, flowers, farm animals and is surrounded by water. The lake itself is huge; so huge that when you look out over the water there is no land in sight, unless its a very clear day.

One of two volcanos on Isla de Ometepe

Umm, its an island..with two volcanos.. one on either side of the island?!

We stayed at Little Morgans (http://www.littlemorgans.com/), a backpacker friendly place. We had our own cabana, which was a little separated from the main quarters, thereby giving us the space we need for early morning festivites. Henry has become quite the early riser. And, there is no being quiet. So, we could be on our porch, looking at humming birds and laying in the hammock while he ran around with a stick wacking things or digging in the dirt. There were mosquitos, slugs and a snake visited our bathroom. Not a big one, but a snake nontheless. I HATE SNAKES. Daniel was off checking internet so I had to deal with it on my own. I was very brave.

View from our bedroom door at our bungalow at Little Morgans

Getting around the Island was kind of a chore but also kind of added to the rustic and exotic sense of the place. We walked 30 minutes one evening to dinner. Cafe Campestre (http://ometepe.moonfruit.com/) was so worth the walk, and it was such a pretty walk. We saw baby pigs, a big moon and an awesome twilight view of the volcanos. The food was gourmet, homemade and such an amazing find in the middle of no where.

The ever delicious and quaint Cafe Campestre

Henry and Mama on the ferry leaving the island (left).

Now we're back in Granada. Today is a lazy day of doing laundry, running errands and eating at our favorite spots. Tomorrow we fly to the Corn Islands. We'll be on Big Corn for 3 full days then Little Corn for 3 full days. Its supposed to be a Carribean paradise. I'm excited for a little lazy beach life.

After the Corn Islands we head back to Guatamala for 2 full days in Antigua and then home.

I am amazed that our trip is coming to an end. On the one hand Im ready to go home and then again, its sad. Its been so amazing and such an amazing time with my men. Little man is talking up a storm. We made a list of all his words last night and then today he starting speaking in (sort of) sentences. He busted out with "Henry chair" today.. letting us know he wants his own chair.

And, Big Man is equally but uniquely amazing; reminding me not to settle for that which is mediocre. He is such a wise and balanced soul. Sometimes I am just in awe of the fact that I was lucky or smart enough to marry him, let alone know him. We've had amazing food, seen amazing sights, met amazing people and viewed some amazing scenery. Central America is pretty awesome.

Here we come tropical paradise! Keep your fingers crossed the weather is good.

Granada and Happy New Years!

From Leon, Nicaragua we moved on to Granada. We have been here for, roughly, one week. Its been great and by far our most favorite spot in Nicaragua. Its charming, got a colonial/carribean type feel...the old refurbished buildings are painted in pastel hues with columns and quaint, palm shaded courtyards.

Our hotel is amazing. Hotel Con Corazon (http://www.hotelconcorazon.com/) is a nonprofit that directs earnings towards the education of local kids. Its modern yet charming and has some luxuries... hot water. Yup, hot water is a total luxury and although its not really necessary it hot climates such as this, its nice to have a little warmth every now and again. There is a pool, and that has been a bonus especially in the eyes of the young one. Our afternoons consist of a little swim, followed by showers, followed by cocktails and a great dinner out. There are some fabulous restaurants in Granada. Kathy's Waffle House serves a kick-ass breakfast including awesome smoothies and delicious banana pancakes.  Garden Cafe has great sandwichs to match its peaceful garden ambiance and two restaurants register in the category of best dinners ever, those being Imagine and Encuentros.

Hotel Con Corazon.. view of the courtyard from the second floor

Hotel Con Corazon, a little sanctuary nestled in the city of Granada

Church, off the main square in Granada

There are several great day trips from Granada and so its been a great spot for a home base, allowing relaxation, allowing Henry to get his daily naps and also allowing us to still see what there is to see. We checked out Volcano Masaya- its an active Volcano, and as the guidebook says, in any other country there is no way you´d be allowed to view the steam it spews from its crest. The sulfurous, gasy smoke makes you cough when the wind sends it your way, and you feel, as you look at it, that you have landed on the moon. The whole place has an air of unease. Its pretty amazing and pretty barren, in a out-of-this-world kind of way. We also took in the view of Lake Apoyo... a lake that is adjacent to Granada. Granada, and the piece of land its on, is wedged in between two lakes, Lake Apoyo and Lake Nicaragua. So the view of Lake Apoyo includes that of the city and Lake Nicaragua. Its beautiful. 

Daniel and Henry standing alongside Masaya. Yup, thats a gas mask!

Lake Apoyo

We also drove through a little town  (called Catarina, known for its green houses and bright tropical plants that visitors take home to plant in their gardens) in the midst of celebrating a saint, whose name we couldn't quite catch. Everyone comes baring gifts of fruit and flowers by the wagon load. They were all placed in a huge, but pretty pile next to the town's chuch. There was a band. Apparantly the towns people give the gifts to the saint, and later the church then sells back the fruit to the people so the fruit doesn't go to waste and the church makes some money. Not bad, huh? Pretty smart way to make a buck or two. Nonetheless, it was a pretty scene and the fruit and flowers were certainly beautiful in their colorful abundance.

Another day trip was a two hour boat ride through Las Isletas..a bunch of tropical, tiny islands off Granada's coast in Lake Nicaragua. It was pretty. There were monkeys to whom we fed a banana; not something I'd normally do, but did.

Las Isletas

Monkey time!

There is a serious rocking chair culture here. Families, elders, everyone and anyone sit on their stoop in a rocking chair. And, when you look into the open doors of their homes there are always rocking chairs; usually about 6-8 sitting in a circle or around a coffee table. Last night, at all the new year´s eve parties, there were people sitting around socializing in their rocking chairs. It’s a total riot.

Last night at midnight everybody, and I mean everybody, hit the streets with fireworks. For ten minutes at midnight, there was a non-stop display. The sky was flooded with bursts of color and the sound that accompanied it woke us. Oh yeah, we were in bed and asleep by 9:30. It was better than any fireworks I've ever seen, anywhere. The whole sky, across the whole city was busting with color. Truly crazy.

New Years Eve dinner

 All the loot, left over on New Years Day

Happy New Years! May it be safe, happy and filled with good travel.

We´re off to Isla de Ometepe tomorrow. Internet will be sparse..

Christmas with a Piñata and Cock fighting!

Christmas was great.

We started the morning off with a little home-made breakfast of pancakes, organic coffee, yogurt, granola and fruit bought from the market (white pineapple & papaya). Then, we busted out the Piñata. It was in the shape of a star, was red, green and white and filled with trinkets perfect for our little man; little farm animals, a flute, bubbles, a few not-so-toddler-friendly candies, which were quickly hidden once we realized they were a choking hazard. He wacked the piñata with a broom. His two favorite things: brooms and wacking things. He is a total boy and will hit, dig and get dirty like a total pro. So, this piñata was right up his alley. We took a million pictures, which I will post when we get home.

Mama coming home from the market on Christmas eve!

The beginning of the fun!

Henry checking out the loot!

After nap time little man and I took a cold shower.. there is no hot water, but no hot water is needed. Its hot. Showers, a word which he can now say, are super fun with little man. He now runs through the stream of water only to come out the other side looking so pleased and proud of himself. Its adorable.

I mean honestly... too cute for words!

Once clean and cooler, a taxi picked us up and after some searching for the right place we went to a cock fight. It was crazy cool. It was all locals, mostly men, was a little off the beaten path. There was a ring, stadium seating and went much like a boxing match. The roosters were weighed in and opponents were of equal weight. Each cock had a holding area in which they were caged and next to which their owner sat (like in a boxing match how each fighter has their own dressing room). Once the two opponents are matched to fight each cock has a single blade tied onto one of its toes. Right before the match started the ring was full of men edging people to place their bets. On-lookers shouted out their bids; it was loud and chaotic. Then the roosters started fighting. It was violent. Poor little Henry, I will say, did see it. And, he looked at me as if to say ¨Wow, Mom are you seeing what Im seeing?!¨ We didn´t stay till the end of the fight. Not only did we feel like Henry didn´t need to see the death and dying of one of his favorite animals but also we had dinner plans and had to run.

Center ring!

For dinner, as I mentioned in my last entry, we bought tickets to a traditional Nicaraguan dinner put on by a local tour company. It was really sweet. Some local women, who work to preserve their culture through cooking traditional recipes, prepared a great meal. There were about thirty or so tourists and ex-pats and we had great juice and rum drinks.

Overall, it was an amazing day. We have decided that Piñatas will be a part of our celebratory future (either birthdays or on Christmas).

Henry is napping and then were headed out to get a frappuccino.

Feliz Navidad.. a la Nicaragua!

Merry Christmas!

Since last writing we have left El Salvador and are now in Nicaragua. The journey between countries wasn´t a trip highlight (lets just say a sleepless night and a toddler on a 10 hour bus ride with 2 border crossings wasn´t that much fun). Once in Nicaragua, we landed in Esteli.

First impressions of Nicaragua are that the country seems a little more rough around the edges... not quite as charming as El Salvador and not nearly as foreign or indigenous as Guatemala.

Esteli is a town lacking some charm but surrounded by beautiful national parks and mountains. The town´s saving attribute was the great place we stayed and the restaurant that accompanied it - where we met so many great backpackers also hitting the central american trail. And, Domingo, our tour guide for our day-long excursion, made it a worth while stop.

On our second day in Esteli Domingo picked us up in his truck and we headed out of town to a national park called Tissy. We worked our way up to a small town. The town is a cooperative, where all members of the community work to sustain and maintain their life there. They grow food (all organic), make cheese, there is a craft shop- all wages earned are divided equally amongst all members of the community. We got an agricultural tour, which consisted of checking out their crops field-side. We walked on a trail through the woods which ended with a beautiful view of Nicaraguan fields, mountains and volcanoes (one of which was steaming). We also got a tour of their cheese making process.. the cheese was disappointingly salty but its super cool that they were putting out their own cheese.

View from our hike! Check out the Nicaraguan volcanos in the far distance.

The cheese!

Today, we took a little bus from Esteli to Leon. It got significantly hotter over the course of the two hour bus ride. So, we arrived sweaty and hot. First impressions of Leon are mixed. The book describes it as a place where people ¨leave their hearts¨ but so far I wouldn´t say Im in love. Its a church town for sure, all of which we´ll be checking out tomorrow (its the perfect day for a church tour, no?). So far today we had lunch at a cute little place and have just walked around trying to figure out what is open over the course of the next two days and we´re we might celebrate our Christmas. As it turns out, a local tour operator is organizing a typically Nicaraguan Christmas dinner tomorrow night. We bought tickets.. so we´ll see how it goes.

Daniel is off trying to hunt down Henry´s Christmas present.. we´re aiming for a piñata. Keep your fingers crossed Santa can come up with one on such short notice. Otherwise, there are a few other trinkets that have made their way into our backpacks.

We´re staying at a little place called La Tortuga Booluda. Henry is taking a nap (naked, with the exception of his diaper) and in addition to blogging, Pearl Jam is my musical accompaniment.

A few additional thoughts: On the bus today, as Henry reached over the seat to touch the head and hand of the young boy sitting in front of him I couldn´t help but think how we really screw things up. The boy´s response to Henry was to hold his hand. They played and the boy (along with his brother) made Henry laugh by hitting their empty coke bottle repeatedly against their heads. Kids keep it simple, they connect on such a basic but human level. It really is all about the kids because the adults screw it up. Wars, garbage, hatred etc... Henry doesn´t even know what it means to hate. And, his attempts at connection with complete strangers are so earnest. Not to paint such a tree-hugging, hippy/peace picture but if us adults just kept it simple and thought about the little ones we impact, things might go better for us.

Another Esteli highlight was the truck ride home from our day-long excursion with Domingo. Henry hung is head out the window (yeah, that car seat thing is still kind of a joke). He watched himself in the truck´s side  mirror, and watched his hair blow in the wind. He would then poke his head back in the truck say ¨mama¨ point to his head and then proceed to do it all again.. it was so sweet. Also, he and Domingo had a really sweet moment where Domingo let him sit on his lap in the drivers seat and let him make the windsheild wipers go, honk the horn and touch anything and everything he wanted. Henry kept looking back at me as if to say ¨this is so freaking cool.¨

Look at me... no car seat!

oh yeah!

Merry Christmas and sending love from Nicaragua.

El Salvador wrap up and a little bit of bacon!

We are coming to the end of our time in El Salvador. Its been truly amazing. For memory sake (mine seems to be slipping) and in case you ever wanted to head this way here is what we did.

We flew into San Salvador and grabbed a cab to Suchitoto. We stayed two nights in town (we fled quickly because the Christmas festival was occurring. If you remember, it wasn't charming. Rather, it was fit for an episode on Jersey Shore). We stayed one night at Los Almendros de Lorenzo (www.hotelsalvedor.com) and one night at La Posada Suchitlan.

Mama and baby on our room's porch at Hotel Posada Suchitlan

We rented a car (totally the way to go) from Manuel and Rolondo (aka El Salvadorian Laurel and Hardy) who delivered it to us in Suchitoto, thereby allowing us to skip picking it up in San Salvador. We headed to Lake Coatepeque - beautiful, peaceful and an easy 1.5 hours from Suchitoto. From there we hit the "Route de Flores" - a road that winds through several small towns and twists through the heart of El Salvadorian coffee country. We then spent two nights in Tacuba at a charming guesthouse called Mama y Papa. They loved Henry and called him their first "tourist baby". They were truly Mama y Papa.  From there we drove back to Ataco (we had passed through Ataco on the way to Tacuba but a cheesy festival forced us onward). In Ataco, we stayed at Hotel Santa Domingo and ate at a great restaurant called El Boton - where they have a fabulous and famous Salvadorian goat cheese. From Ataco we headed south to the coast and landed at El Tunco. We stayed at Tekauni Kal. And, minus a few slight flaws it was the best spot in town with ocean views, an outdoor shower and two plunge pools. Last but not least, we're back in Suchitoto. We are now 2 days into rest and relaxation.

Suchitoto, as I've said before, is so amazing. Each evening we head down to the hotel La Posada de Suchitlan, where the terrace overlooks one of the most amazing views on earth! Its gorgeous. And, each evening I think of my grandmother. She taught me how to see color. She taught me that a green landscape is not simply green. Rather, there are hints of yellows, blues, navys, blacks etc.. all buried in the green. There are so many shades of green in this landscape. Its vast and its impressive! Its worth a trip to El Salvador in and of itself.

 View during the day

 View at Sunset

View just before Sunset... you can see it never looked the same twice!

Randomly, but also in line with the subtle class and beauty of this town, there is a non-violence campaign against women. It goes like this.. on almost every house, next to the front door, painted in stencil is a picture of a bird in mid-flight with a saying that translates to read something like this "this house is a non-violent house and does not support violence against women". Its unreal classy and everywhere. I've never seen anything like it.

This was on the facade of most houses in town.

Another tid bit about this town: there is a shop on the corner of the main square. In it sits a machine. The machine is essentially a giant Cuisinart. Women, and some men, line up with their ingredients. Such ingredients might include those to make a salsa or those to make the dough for tortillas.  When its their turn, their ingredients are dumped into one side of the machine and out the other ends comes the desired end result-either salsa or dough for making tortillas or whatever else. Its wild. There is a little, hard working man who runs the whole thing. And, at the end of the day, he can be found diligently and proudly cleaning the machine. Yesterday, the line was out the door.

The giant "do everything" Cuisnart

On Wednesday we will wake up way too early and take a bus to Esteli Nicaragua.Our itinerary in Nicaragua includes Esteli, Leon, Granada, Lake Ometepe and the corn Islands. Ill keep you posted. Oh, and we'll be in Leon for Christmas.

And, now for the bacon bit. Henry, my little non- meat eater dove into some bacon this morning like it was going out of style. From no meat to bacon. Hum?!