Where

View of buildings of Barceloneta from marina

Barcelona, the Blues and Bonding

Amy walking by a stand of different colored chili peppers and spices
Mercat Sant Joesp

We have been wandering the streets and parks of Barcelona now for almost 4 weeks. For those of you who have been here, you know this city is not short on narrow, twisty, alluring streets that take you past old gothic churches and lead to beautiful, secret little plazas dwarfed on all sides by old buildings. I am amazed to see the ornate iron on the balconies going up at least 6-stories high knowing this place influenced so many architects and designers. As I look up at the balconies, decorated with potted plants or laundry hanging out to dry, I enjoy imagining the lives that are lived in those tiny spaces.

At eye level, reminding me that it is indeed 2016, graffiti decorates many of the rolling, steel doors that lock up a business for the day or sometimes just the hour. In fact, I really have no idea how these businesses sustain themselves. There is no way to take the same route twice through the Gothic or El Born districts. How do people remember which twisty street that small boutique was on?  How do people keep track of the seemingly random closing times? Between vacations, holidays and siesta we had a hard time keeping up with each establishment’s schedule. Our friend advised us to always call before heading out to ensure they are open (something we keep forgetting to do!).

street art animalsOne thing I do understand and know for certain; I can feel the sense of community in this huge sprawling city and the sense of nostalgia that is creeping into my heart. Even in the chilly January weather, one can see Barcelonans and visitors sitting outside to enjoy the food, the scene and each other. Each restaurant or café has drawn the boundaries of their space on the plaza with heaters, tables and umbrellas. Sometimes it is difficult to tell one restaurant from the next, but who cares? It’s more about the ambience, and the ability to be a part of the community. The little butcher shops are loud with friendly employees chatting with the customers and customers chatting with each other. The Mackenzie in a rope tube on a playgroundorganized chaos of the bakery is a sight to behold as you wait in line, sometimes out the door, to purchase the still warm baguettes or our favorite, chocolate croissants. I still don’t know how the staff or other patrons keep straight who is next in line but I have never felt slighted or ignored. You can hear the echo of children’s laughter bouncing off the buildings while they play on the playground (found in almost every plaza), a signal that the importance of kids in the community equation is not forgotten. At restaurants, people seem to linger over their meals engulfed in conversation.  The wait staff leaves you alone until you signal your need for something.  Perhaps it is because they are not solely concerned about tips and possess an understanding that the food is secondary.

Quinn standing in front of fountain
Fountain at Park Ciutadella

Párc de la Ciutadella is a large park that is located just at the edge of the El Born district and Barceloneta.  It houses the zoo, several museums, fountains, a lake and many nature trails. The community feeling is palpable here, too. There are groups of people greeting each other with kisses on each cheek, chatting, playing music or just lounging in the grass. I don’t know why this seems so foreign to me as you can probably find this scene in many parks all around the world but for some reason it feels different here. It seems to come from the energy of creativity that I can feel as I watch the group of tap dancers in a raised pavilion trading rhythms with each other and the many different artists drawing crowds by their African drumming, juggling or unicycle riding. Maybe it is the group of young men doing tricks on their slack lines who take notice Mackenzie’s interest and convince her to hop on and try that makes community feel different and more approachable here.

Many of the artists in the parks are just practicing their gifts while others are trying to earn money. My favorite community-building entrepreneurs are the bubble-makers. These folks have made giant bubble wands out of two sticks connected by several loops of thick string. They dip the loops into their tub of soapy water and then gracefully pull it through the air letting the breeze make big beautiful bubbles that draw every child within a 2-acre radius to them. The hat of the bubble-maker sits nonchalantly on the dirt next to them awaiting the loose change of the on-looking parents, who are smiling at their children and sharing the joy of this scene with each other.Mackenzie and Quinn chase bubbles

These wandering observations get my mind to thinking about the people we love back in Colorado.  Like those conversations I overhear in the plazas as we pass through, I can hear myself engaged in loud conversations with my girlfriends over wine and tapas. The wish to be shopping with my mom and sister or sharing the amazement of Gaudi’s architecture with my Dad floats through my mind with each day’s discoveries. My youngest, Quinn, has been tearful the last couple of days. She says she is missing her family at home. Mackenzie is less expressive of her homesickness, but I know she misses her friends and family too.

The holidays could be the culprit of the blues; my kids have always been surrounded by lots of family at Christmastime. December 23rd marked the third-month anniversary of our departure; perhaps it is the “three-month blues”. My therapist persona speaks to me and reassures me that these cravings for home are a normal part of being away. If it weren’t, there wouldn’t be so many songs written on the subject. Emotion rises and falls, this is its natural pattern. I haven’t read every travel article out there yet but those I have say nothing about this part. Maybe I’m weird. Maybe other traveling families do not experience these same emotions.

Are we are all getting sick of spending everyday together with no one else to provide different stimulation? However, even as I contemplate that question I have the laughter of Mackenzie and Jacob reverberating in my ears from their recent stop-in-front-of-each-other-while-walking game. Their bond is deepening beyond measure. I know Jacob is starved for this kind of connection after graduate school and work took up much of his time for the last 6 years. Travel articles may not talk much about the occasional feelings of isolation but they do talk about the family bonding, or “travel-bonding.” The constant togetherness with little or no break has given us time to build on the friendship part of the parent-child and sister relationships.   Planning itineraries, solving problems, sharing in amazements as a family has created a self-confidence in our daughters that is truly breathtaking to watch. They move through the metro, putting their tickets in the machine, leading us to the right station with heads high, shoulders back and eyes bright. Jacob and I share the knowing that we created this space for us all and that brings us closer too.

The world is not all butterflies and roses nor is it all wasps and weeds.

We can hold both the light and the dark. I can teach my kids to hold both too.  Hold both the desire to see Omi and Popa or Grandma and Grandpa AND the desire to walk through the amazing Sagrada Familia or the Catacombs of Paris. The lesson of living with ambivalence is priceless and strengthens our psyche. Right now, as I write this I am acknowledging the longing, holding it, comforting it and when my girls feel it too, I get to physically comfort that and then give our family a call; to reestablish those connections that fuel us and strengthen us.  Then we get to feel the excitement of our upcoming trip to Paris.  Make a plan of what we will see, where we will stay, people we will meet and what we will eat.  Maybe my longing is not so much to be home, but to have the people at home with us, sharing these experiences too.

the girls with Jacob sitting in front of a view of Barcelona
Steps of the National Musem

Sacred Valley, Peru: Cusco

“…sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory”

Dr. Suess

Our road in the Sacred Valley ended in the ancient capitol city of Cusco.  Like the ruins at Machu Picchu, Cusco seems to be made up mostly of stairs. Just a step outside your door to go on any general errand, add in the elevation of 3,399 meters (aprox 11,150 ft) and you have the ultimate hike for your legs, heart and lungs.  Our hostel was located in a historic district a little downhill from the bottom of a long staircase that leads to the Saqsaywaman ruins.  We made the climb up that long staircase to the ruins one day and dangled the “carrot” of a special snack as motivation for the girls to keep them going.  Really, they didn’t need much encouragement; taking breaks and playing games like counting stairs on the way up is really all it took.  The snack was just the icing.  As you get higher and higher the view of the sprawling city of Cusco opens up and you can see the swath of monochromatic, brown adobe houses and buildings with the occasional pop of white and azure blue, sprawling down the valley and up the hillsides.

The Incan people designed the city in the shape of a puma with the ruins of Saqsaywaman forming the head. After the war with the Spaniards, the only thing left in tact of the once fortress are giant stone walls. Ruins at SaqsaywamanThe stones that make up these walls are incredible with some of them weighing up to 200 tons. It blows my mind how exactly these unfathomably huge stones were not only moved but set into place. There are vertical stones that form the walls and also giant stones that lay horizontally across a doorways.  The walls at the entrance of the ruins were made in such a way as to form the teeth of the Puma’s head and they jig jog back and forth for several hundred feet. For me, the most amazing thing about the ancient people of Peru was their ability to move mass quantities of huge stones up and down mountains and across valleys all at dizzying elevations.Cusco

On one of our first nights in Cusco, Jacob the girls and I set off in an exploration of the city and search for food. Our path took us by a wall that once belonged to an important Incan Palace that was later converted into a private residence when the Spaniards took control of the city.  There was a large group of people blocking the way in the already narrow street. I was bringing up the rear of the Davī Train and as I tried to make my way through the crowd, a friendly man, caught my ear and halted my forward movement by explaining the reason for all the fuss. He said they were all taking pictures of the 12-angled stone, a symbol of the 12 royal Incan families. Without that stone, the whole structure would collapse. He then causally asked where we had been in Peru and if we had seen Machu Picchu or “The Sleeping Incan” yet. “The Sleeping Incan?” I asked. This was just the opportunity he was waiting for, he whipped out his artists portfolio and explained that Mount Wayna Picchu forms the nose of the Sleeping Incan. P1020734He showed me his beautiful drawing that highlighted the entire face and then of course asked if I would like to buy any of his pieces.  “Ohhh, I get it”, I thought “You weren’t just a friendly local sharing some of your knowledge, you are out here with a purpose”.  I can’t begrudge him for asking, under other circumstances, I may have purchased his art but I had to turn him down. This experience was a lesson on so many levels. I learned about the twelve angled stone, all I see now when I look at pictures of Machu Picchu is the Sleeping Incan and the artist gave me a preview of the mass of much-more-pushy artists and other entrepreneurs we would encounter peddling their wares around the Plaza de Armas.

My favorite place in the historical part of Cusco is the Barrio de San Blas. It is the artist district near the Plaza de Armas. We happened upon the plaza here while a small market was underway. Artists were selling everything from handmade jewelry to paintings, pottery and of course colorful woven fabrics. The sounds from a large fountain built into the side of the hill and lovely Peruvian flute music provided the perfect backdrop to sit and feel the ambience while Jacob scouted out our top two restaurant choices for the evening.

San Blas fountain
San Blas fountain

Of the two, we chose the restaurant that seemed more authentic and rustic.  Boy did our choice ever work out in our favor. The food from this place would be the baseline from which we compared every meal hence forward for the remainder of our time in Peru. If you can’t tell by now, Jacob and I love to eat. We can’t eat out all the time but when we can, we tend to center our activities around the restaurants we want to try. Beautiful museums, eh; amazing cathedrals, peh! Delicious new cuisine? Sign me up!

The restaurant was called Seledonia’s Mesa. You know you are in a good spot when you see the majority of the patrons are locals. The small restaurant is also a cooking school and is down THE MOST DANGEROUSLY NARROW STREET I have ever seen. We literally had to side step with our backs against the walls of buildings when cars would drive up the street. Oh, how I wish we found it on day one instead of day three because I would have taken a class.  After opening the old wooden door from the street, the scene of a small courtyard surrounded by red adobe houses opens before you.  The houses have pops of pink and green from the bougainvillea that lazily hangs down the walls. It is my understanding that Seledonia and her family live in one of those houses.

She prepares all the classic Peruvian dishes with her own special flare. We ordered the Rocoto Relleno and Chupe de Andino as starters. Chupe de Andino is a common quinoa and vegetable soup found all over the country and it seems that no two are alike. This one had an amazing broth flavored with juniper berries (holy cow, I never knew the joy of juniper berries) and had all the lovely veggies like onion, tomato, cabbage, squash but also a big chunk of potato that you could dip your spoon into like ice cream.  I will never prepare vegetable soup the same again. No more cubed potatoes that begin to disintegrate when simmering, one big chunk of a quartered potato that sits in the middle of the bowl like an island is the only way for me from now on.  She topped the soup with a perfectly poached egg that gave the broth an added richness but not so rich that you wish you hadn’t indulged. Rocoto Relleno is also a classic dish with different preparations. It is a spicy, red Rocoto pepper stuffed with ground meat simmered with cumin, paprika and raisins, which normally would turn me off but they add the perfect sweetness to the spice. The most common preparation is the roasted and stuffed variety but Seledonia’s rellano was prepared with an egg batter sort of like a soft chili relleno that you might find at a Tex-Mex restaurant in the States but so much more refined.

We had a very frustrating dining experience in Cusco. The hostel’s hosts, where we stayed, did not seem very happy with us using their kitchen.  This barrier created a constant search for decent, affordable restaurants.  We learned the hard way that the really special restaurants are not found in the Plaza de Armas nor are they on Calle Plateros, a main street off the plaza that always seemed to pull us toward it which was not good when we didn’t have a plan and were starving. We wasted some precious meals on very bad pizza once and very bad service a second time. Instead, we found the restaurants that fit our criteria were tucked into side streets around the San Blas neighborhood.  I am sure there are great places in other neighborhoods and should we have had more time we may have uncovered the hidden gems along the other frighteningly narrow streets of Cusco.

Looking back on our time in Cusco, I am glad we saved the exploration of the city for the end of our trip. Some people fly in and stay here a few days before heading down the valley.  But for me, the elevation and extreme inclines throughout the city would have prohibited us from exploring all that we did within our timeframe. Cusco and the sacred valley are very dependent on the tourist industry.  This could result in a feeling of constantly being hustled rather than experience the authentic Peru.  Cusco in particular is a nexus for hustlers. The kind and honest people of Peru far outnumber the hustlers, you just have to look a little harder in some places to find them. Despite that, the city is a beautiful mixture of native Quechua (descendants of the Incans) influences and Spanish colonial heritage.  It is saturated with a thousand plus years of history and layers of architecture from the gothic cathedrals in the plazas, to the ruins that lay beneath and around them.

Lima Two

We arrived on a morning flight for our second exploration of Lima. I won’t gush about the apartment we rented like the one in Barranco, because frankly, it was a complete dive. But, as they say, it is somewhere to lay your head. How bad was it? None of us felt we could walk around the apartment without shoes on. Maybe our apartment tainted our joy for Lima or the fact that we passed a stomach bug between each other for a few days, making excursions all together difficult but our second trip to Lima was definitely not as glorious at the first. Lima does not have an easy to navigate public transportation system; therefore, we decided to jump on the double-decker city tour bus to get an overview of the city, plus the girls had been begging to ride one for the last month. The tour bus took us around Miraflores and then headed to downtown where we could see the Plaza de Armas and various other historical sites. While good in theory, viewing the city in this way was not so good in action. Lima TrafficThe traffic is HORRENDOUS in Lima. This may be for many reasons, but I am sure it is mostly because the traffic laws seem to be optional. For example, if one would like to make a left hand turn across multiple lanes of traffic, it is socially acceptable to start your turn while traffic is moving and stop in the middle of the lanes until the way is clear or other drivers finally concede to your action. The same is true of making a right hand turn. If you realize too late that the street you need to turn right on is now here and you are in the center lane, it is perfectly acceptable to go ahead and make that turn in front of your neighboring car by just making a quick honk to communicate your desire.

There we were in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the top of the double-decker bus, choking on exhaust fumes but making the best of it by marveling at the buildings and pure chaos of the streets below. The best part of the tour was when we finally arrived to Museo del Convento de San Francisco de Asis de Lima the only hop off destination of the “hop on hop off” tour. The church of San Francisco was built in the late 1600s and houses the remains of over 25,000 people in the catacombs. The girls were disturbingly interested and unfazed by the creepy, dimly lit underground maze, dank smell and displays of human bones and skulls. It provided a great lesson on the cycle of life for girls including more existential topics such as heaven and earth, spirituality and religion and differing beliefs on the subject. We were toured all over the church from the library, complete with iron spiral stair case leading to the high shelves of books, to the music balcony where we were able to voyeuristically watch some of a small wedding ceremony.

By far our best day of round two was the walk to a highly praised, very fancy cevicheria called La Mar. Jacob and I ordered the recommended ceviche dishes along with a plate of calamari and octopus sautéed in a sort of barbecue sauce accompanied by roasted Choclo, a type of giant corn found all over the country (you can find most often as street food. Venders, steam it in the husk and serve it with a slice of fresh cheese).  We made a new ceviche aficionado out of our oldest daughter and our youngest was happy to stick with her beautifully cooked Mahi Mahi (no complaints there in the least). Jacob and I sampled the Pisco Sours, which are tangy, frothy, go-down-way-to-easily drinks that remind me of my Dad’s famous margaritas (he does not taint the tequila with margarita mix, lime juice only baby). Let the buyer beware before ordering your second  Pisco Sour, there effect sneaks up on you! Good thing we were walking.

The God of Play
The God of Play

And walk we did! Miraflores has a lovely greenbelt with trails along cliffs that parallel the Pacific Ocean. There are playgrounds, green fields and sculptures that dot the way, beautiful views of the coast despite the clouds and intrigue as paragliders dip up and down in the sky.

Lima is a complex city and like all of Peru home to warm, friendly people. Infamously known for its crime and traffic but with hidden gems of neighborhoods that are trying, successfully, to enter the modern era. If we were to go back and I imagine one day we will, I would stay in Barranco or in a better part of Miraflores instead of the business district. The city is huge and I am sure even with the eight days we were there in total, there is still so much to see, do and eat.

Mackenzie in front of Eiffel Tower with Jacob jumping in

A Big Fun Trip to Paris

Part 1:

I went to Pairs with the money that our family gave us.   We had to go on a plane. The city we flew in to wasn’t Paris it was Beauvais, France. So we had to take a one- hour bus ride to get to Paris. When we got off the bus in Paris it was freezing. We had to wear two shirts, two coats, a hat, a scarf, two layers of pants and gloves but daddy didn’t buy any gloves. Daddy always had to hold Quinn’s hands to keep his hands warm because she was wearing fuzzy gloves.Mackenzie eating the last bite of the best croissant in the world Anyway, when we were walking we saw yummy treats in the window of a bakery, so we went inside and it smelled delicious. I told mama we should go in and we bought some plain croissants. They tasted amazing. They were a little bit sweet and very buttery. They made us forget that we were cold until we were done with them. After we were done with our croissants we had to go to the metro to get to our hotel. It was at least half an hour ride on the metro. When we got off we were at a stop called Porte de la Chapelle and it took about five minutes to get our hotel. It was clean and there was a shower and bath in one room and in another room there was a toilette. We stayed in our hotel for an hour and then we went to eat at a fancy dinner place. I got a small cheeseburger and so did Quinn. We also got very yummy French fries. After we got home we were all very tired so we went to bed.

Wall of bones and skulls in the Catacombs
Bones of the Catacombs

The next morning we had to get up early so we could go to the Catacombs. We had to take a metro to get to Catacombs.   For breakfast we got croissants, but they weren’t as good as the croissants we had on our first day in Paris. To get into the Catacombs there was a big line. Once we were at the front to of the line, there were so many stairs that I couldn’t count them. Daddy saw a sign that said there were about 130 stairs. When we were at the bottom of the stairs, it was dark and the lights were dim. It was very warm because it was 65 feet under the street. We were walking and we saw tons of creepy skulls and bones of 6 million people.

It was all wet and there were big puddles of water in the narrow walkway. We went in this room where it made you feel like there were ghosts but not mean ones, nice ones. I knew they were nice because I wasn’t scared.  To get out of the Catacombs, we had to go up eighty-three stairs instead of the 130, which I thought was weird.

Darkened ceiling of wispey shapes
Do you see ghosts too?

Once we were at the top of the Catacombs, it was time to head to the Metro to get to the Eiffel Tower. It took about 30 minutes to get to a stop where we had to switch trains and then it took another 30 minutes to get to the stop for the Eiffel Tower. When we got out of the Metro you could see the gigantic beautiful Eiffel Tower. It looked taller than a skyscraper. When we got to the line it wasn’t very long. We had to buy tickets to go on the tower. Once we bought our tickets, we had a choice to go on a short elevator ride or up a lot of stairs. We went on the elevator ride because mama’s knees were swollen. The elevator was fun because when it went up, it felt like I was flying when I looked out the window of the elevator. We didn’t get to go on the top because it was under construction but we still got to go to the 2nd floor.

When we got to the 2nd floor we could see miles away. I saw a big castle in the distance with a gold roof. Quinn saw another castle far, far away.   Mama said behind the castle was where our home in Paris was. That meant our home was a very long ways away. On the 2nd floor there was a balcony where we could see a little bit further than where we just were. I was so cold because we were up five hundred-nine feet! So mama let us go in a warm shop because there were a lot of shops on the Eiffel tower. It was very crowed but it was very warm. Then, we decided to go to the first floor of the Eiffel tower. We were afraid that if we took the elevator it would take us down to the bottom, so we had to take the stairs instead. It was five sets of stairs and a small platform over and over until we reached the bottom. It was exciting because there was loud music and a small ice skating rink. When we were on the 2nd floor we couldn’t hear it or see it. I wanted to go on the rink so Daddy said that if it was cheap we could go. So we went in the line to get ice skates. When we were at the front of the line we had to take off our shoes and tell the man what size we were. Then daddy asked how much skating was, the man said it was free. So we put on the ice skates with a little bit of difficulties but we managed it. Daddy and I were done first.

When we walked over to the rink, I asked daddy if he knew how to ice skate. He said it was his first time. When Quinn and mommy walked on to the slippery ice Quinn saw kids using chairs to help them stand up. She asked if she could have one too, so daddy went over to get a chair. There was only one left. Quinn got to skate with the chair and mama helped me learn how to ice skate. It looked really easy but it was so hard. I fell a lot of times but when I fell it wasn’t very cold.

Amy holding Mackenzie's hand while she learns to ice skate at the Eiffel Tower
Never skated on the Eiffel Tower, Woohoo!

Daddy and Quinn left because they were cold. After a little bit mama and I left too. Once we all took off the skates and put on our shoes on we headed for the elevator. It took a little bit to find it but we found it. It was very full when we got on. When we were at the bottom of the Eiffel tower Quinn asked if she could go on the merry- go- round. Mama said yes but that meant she wouldn’t get a treat later. But Quinn still wanted to go on the merry- go-round. I wanted a treat because earlier I saw a kid with cotton candy. Anyway, it was three Euros for one ride. Quinn wanted to go on the plane. Daddy thought that it was probably boring because the merry-go-rounds in Colorado had music and this one didn’t.

When the ride was over we walked to the candy shop I saw. When we got there I saw waffles and lollypops but I pointed at a big bucket with a little bit of cotton candy string in it. I told mommy I wanted some cotton candy, so mommy asked the lady if we could have some. The lady went over to the bucket and dumped a cup full of pink sugar into a tube and pressed a button. Then, the strings of the cotton candy started getting made and getting stuck to the sides of the bucket. Then she grabbed a thin stick that she used to twirl the cotton candy on to it. Soon, there was so much cotton candy on the stick it was as big as my head.

Mackenzie taking a bit of a huge cotton candy pop
Cotton Candy Breathing Mackenzie

I didn’t have to share it with anyone except when daddy ripped off pieces of it. When we got to the metro I was almost done, and I had cotton candy all over my face. When daddy was pulling out our metro tickets he didn’t see one of the kid tickets.  He kept asking if we had it in our pockets in a frustrated sort of way.  In the end, we had to go to a machine and buy new tickets. Once we bought the tickets we hopped on the metro. Again, it was a 30-minute train ride and then we switched trains and it took another 30-minutes. When we got off the metro it was a cold walk to our hotel.

When we got home, daddy said he had to go pick up some dinner. He said we were having some chicken. When he left Mama let us play on our tablets while she was taking a bath. I went in to see what she was doing and I saw that she was relaxing in a bubble bath. She asked me to get her a cup. Then she asked Quinn to get her some beer. She poured the beer into the cup and Quinn and I left to go back to playing on our tablets. A little bit later Mama asked Quinn to get her phone so she could have music but when mama turned on her phone it was almost dead. Mama looked around for a charger but there wasn’t one. Then daddy got home and Mama had to get out. I asked if I could take a bath after dinner too. Daddy said yes. He also said after dinner we could watch a movie. After dinner I got a bath and instead of beer I got orange juice. When my bath was over I saw that daddy and Quinn were trying to find a movie. Daddy said that there was The Lorax or Back to Nim’s Island. I said I wanted to watch Back to Nim’s island because I have watched The Lorax a lot of times and I had never seen Back to Nim’s Island before. The movie was about a girl named Nim who wanted to take care of endangered animals but someone wouldn’t let them stay on the island. Nim wanted to stay so she could help the animals. It was a very exiting and scary movie, but I still loved it.

After the movie it was hard to go to sleep because I was so excited for the next day. The next morning we got up, put on our clothes and then, when we were walking out the door, I asked Mommy where we were going. She said that we were going to one of the most biggest museums in the whole world called The Louvre.

nighttime storefront with 1950s car parked out front

Lima One

Sergio, the owner of the apartment we rented in the Barranco District, picked us up at the airport at 8:30 on a foggy night in Lima, Peru. With the girls asleep, one on each of my legs in the backseat, I watched out the window as Sergio weaved in and out of the crazy traffic, the cacophony of horn honking serenading our journey. I felt very grateful for my sleeping daughters, otherwise their moans and complaints of motion sickness would have added to the din.

Barranco DistrictWe only booked 3 days at the apartment so that we could quickly move on to the Sacred Valley before the rainy season socked us in at Machu Picchu. We filed in, sleepy-eyed and thankful to be able to crash in fresh beds. Arriving at night can be so nice because when you wake up in the morning you get to discover your new place with fresh eyes. The girls were ecstatic because they each got their own rooms, albeit small but still quite a luxury from sleeping on bunk beds in the living room in Panama. Our apartment was in a great location, within walking distance to the main plaza in the Barranco district.

Sergio told Barranco Plazaus Barranco is a very safe neighborhood at night and so we did not hesitate to participate in the nighttime energy in the plaza. It comes alive with street vendors and people out wandering about in the warm lights that wash everything with a cozy, welcoming glow.  Jacob fell in love almost instantly as we wound our way through the streets and across old bridges taking in views of the ocean and huge modern sculptures of animals made out of wood and recycled materials. We found the best street empanadas with golden flaky dough filled with beef and sweet caramelized onions for 2.50 soles (about .80 USD) sold by a sweet Peruvian woman on the corner at the entrance to the plaza.

Jacob and the TucanOn our first day there, I could tell we were all starting to get the hang of this traveling thing as we whizzed around a local grocery store stocking up on a few items to cook at home. Mackenzie and I had fun picking out new fruits and vegetables we hadn’t seen before. We came across an appealing looking yellow fruit sort of in the shape of a tomato if it had been crossed with a bell pepper (later learned it is called Cocona which is a fruit from the jungle) and of course had to buy the purple corn. I had it in my mind that I would take the corn home and treat it like the yellow corn I am familiar with, boil it up, cut it off the husk and fold it into the rice and beans we had planned for dinner. So, there I am watching this corn bubbling in the water turning it a very deep purple but not getting any softer. Ten then twenty minutes go by and the kernels are still hard and dry. “Jacob! Better look up this purple corn and tell me what I am doing wrong!”

It turns out this corn is not intended for eating. It is for making Chicha Morada; a favorite local drink that is served in almost every restaurant in Peru. The corn is boiled in water with pineapple rind, lemons, cinnamon and cloves to make a delicious, smooth, sweet drink that is reminiscent of the flavors of the holidays. Plus, the purple corn is known to have more antioxidants than blueberries so it’s healthy too! I am sure the sugar that you add only increases the health benefits. Well, I didn’t have quite the right ingredients to make Chicha Morada the traditional way but I threw in the tomato-pepper, which had a lemony, acidic flavor and some essential oils of cinnamon, cloves and orange that I had along, some sugar and viola! Not Chicha Morada.

Not only did our stay in Barranco teach us about Chicha Morada but chicharrón as well. An Uber driver told us about one of his favorite restaurants to get the chicharrón sandwich called El Chinito. This restaurant was hidden in plain sight on a busy street in Barranco, crammed in between a wall of other stores and businesses. Amazingly, they fit an iron spiral staircase and 5 round tables into this tiny place where 3-4 people can cram themselves around each one to enjoy the delicious slow cooked meats this resturant has to offer. When we arrived, the owner could tell we were El Chinito virgins and took our taste buds on a tour offering samples of each kind of meat. From pork with various rubs to slow roasted turkey but the favorite for all of us (even the girls) were the crunchy on the outside tender on the inside ribs of the chicharrón. It was an intimate experience as the other patrons had front row seating to the drama as we tried to understand the Spanish descriptions of the food. Of course we ordered the chicharrón sandwich, which is juicy, salty sliced pork belly that is that is laid atop thinly cut, soft and crispy sweet potato slices. It is garnished with a tangy onion slaw that gives the needed acid to the already decadent sandwich. All this is piled into a perfectly crusty French roll and served with none other than Chicha Morada. Oh, wow. I am now officially a foodie.

After our first full day in Barranco, Jacob and I knew we had to come back and stay in Lima a bit longer, neither one of us realized how much the city would intrigue us nor how much good food we would find there. Sadly, Sergio’s apartment was not available for our return (its no wonder, it is priced at such a bargain and in prime location I am sure he has it booked all the time). We booked another apartment in the neighboring Miraflores district for 5 nights upon our return from the Sacred Valley.  With lessons of local cuisine on our taste buds and continued practice of Spanish on our tongues, we felt prepared for our Sacred Valley adventure.  We said goodbye for now to Lima and boarded our plane for Cusco.

 

llama standing in the ruins

Sacred Valley, Peru: Machu Picchu

We have returned from our trek to Machu Picchu.  I am relaxing on our bed, a small glass of beer held between my knees as I type.  Jacob is lying next to me, spent from his trek up Wayna Picchu (aka Huayna Picchu) early this morning.  He spent the rest of the day with me and the girls exploring the ruins. I am worried he has caught the cold the girls are both struggling with or perhaps he just pushed himself too hard today.

We are staying in our one-room hostel with a private bathroom in Aguas Calliente.  There are mixed opinions on whether or not you should even stay in Aguas Calliente.  We read that there is really nothing special about this town except for the transit up to the ruins.  Many people take the train in early from Ollantaytambo, head up to the ruins for the day and then back to Ollantay later in the evening.  That seemed like an extremely long day and there is no way we want to push the girls that hard or ourselves for that matter.  Therefore, we are embracing Aguas Calliente where we have reached the ultimate in tourist destinations.  Expensive food and water and people on the street hustling to get you to eat at their establishment.

There are hot springs nearby but after reading recent reviews we decided to pass because they were described as more like lukewarm springs with questionable sanitation. This hostel is, well…it’s ok.  The rooms and bathrooms are clean but the kitchen is grimy and has a funky smell.  Every building around here, including this one, seems to be in some state of construction (or maybe deconstruction).  However, the ability to come in on a later train from Ollantaytambo, get a good nights rest, explore the ruins all day and rest before taking the train back in the morning is worth it, especially for the girls.

Town of Aguas Calliente with river running through the middle and mountains in backgroundI suppose if you had a bit more to spend, you could stay in one of the hotels at the top of the hill that seems to have an amazing view of the mountains which practically sit on top of this village.  They are huge, rounded, dome like structures some with magnificent, sheer cliffs on the some of the sides.  It is beautiful here, lush and green with vegetation. This location is what they call the “eye brow” of the amazon.  There are jungle-like trees, succulent plants and tropical flowers; much different than in Ollantaytambo.  I half expect to see monkeys swinging in the trees.  The town has a river that runs through the middle and has steep walkways on either side filled with restaurants, small markets and tourist shops.

Jacob snuck out early this morning to do his climb.  When we woke a couple hours later, the girls were quite angry with him for leaving them behind.  They didn’t quite understand the enormity of the hike up Wayna Picchu.   I packed a lunch, snacks, and water for all of us.  After getting myself and the girls ready, we headed for the bus to take us up to the ruins.  Machu Picchu has been a bucket list place for me for as long as I can remember.  As a warm up to the amount of stairs in the ruins, you first climb many flights of stairs from where the buses drop you off to the entrance of the grounds.  I felt a sense of urgency and excitement to get to the top but had to temper that to go at an appropriate pace for the girls.  At last we reached the top and the postcard scene of Machu Picchu lay before us.  It was a beautiful sunny day with clouds high in the sky.  Much the same as I felt the first time I traveled outside of North America and saw the Eiffel Tower, a sense of awe and disbelief poured over me.  There is a palpable tranquility that permeates the air in the Sacred Valley and it seems to culminate here at Machu Picchu.

Before heading out, I did some reading about the ruins and one site in particular caught my attention.  The Intihuatana Stone or “Hitching Post of the Sun” is high atop a hill and looks directly at Wayna Picchu.  It was designed to “hitch the sun at the two equinoxes” and is thought to be a “precise indicator of the two equinoxes and other significant celestial periods” (information taken from www.sacredsites.com)  The Incan people had several of these stones scattered throughout their territory.  They believed that if a person touched their forehead to the stone they would be opened to the Spirit world.  large carved stone in the shape of a tower with mountains in the backgroundThe Spaniards systematically destroyed all of the Intihuatana stones during their conquest but because they never found it, the one at Machu Picchu is still intact.  When the stones were destroyed, the Incan people believed the deities would no longer reside in that area.  So, all who know me well know that of course this is exactly where I want to go.  If this stone has not been destroyed, then the magic is still there.  As we ascended the top of the hill and viewed the stone, I was immediately washed with tranquility and could feel the vibration from the sacred mountain of Wayna Picchu and that shrine.  Sadly, I wasn’t allowed to touch my forehead to the stone but I did reach out and touch it with my hand and was immediately reprimanded by a staff person standing nearby.  I felt a profound connection with the earth and the Great Spirit, Universal Energy, God, Love or whatever the name, I felt It all around me.  I was literally tingling from head to foot.

A couple of days ago we received some heartbreaking news that Jacob’s dear Grandmother, Shirley Martin, was hospitalized due to pneumonia and kidney failure.  She is embarking on the journey of death and many family and friends are surrounding her right now.  This news hung in the air for me as we entered the ruins.  I kept her with me all day, speaking to her about the impact she has had on me with her belief of living in love, acceptance of others, extreme, sometimes dirty, sense of humor and generosity of spirit.  I immediately felt a connection with her when we first met.  She made a point of developing a relationship with me by calling, emailing, and seeking me out at family gatherings.  I sent so many prayers to Wayna Picchu to help her on her journey; to bring her peace and feel my love, all of our love.  I hope she felt my presence across the miles.

Tree with ruins and mountains all around
Feeling Shirley’s presence

The entirety of Machu Picchu is about five square miles. I think we probably hiked three of these miles up and down SO MANY STAIRS.  If the girls were even one year younger, we could not have accomplished it.  They were driven by their intrigue and curiosity to hear the stories of the Incan people and each got to pick the ruin they wanted to see most. This helped keep them from thinking about their tired legs.  The girls would probably say their favorite part was getting up close to some llamas that were grazing on a terrace.  Mackenzie seemed to pick the favorite grass of one particular llama and made a new friend. Mackenzie feeding a llama Now, I as I look at my family laying in bed, the girls bingeing on TV shows they haven’t seen in 2 months, Jacob lying next to me and my own body feeling the fatigue, I know we had a profoundly spectacular day.

Valley of farmland with mountains on either side

The Sacred Valley of Peru: Urubamba and Ollantaytambo

We started our journey to the Sacred Valley by flying into Cusco from Lima.  As soon as we deboarded the plane I could feel the altitude. Cusco sits at 3,399 meters or 11,150 feet above sea level.  Our host in Lima suggested we get to Cusco and then go to bed, allowing our bodies to acclimate overnight.  I was worried this would not work for the girls so we decided to land in Cusco and then immediately go “down valley” to stay in Urubamba. I am so glad we did.  Even at 9,420 feet in Urubamba I suffered a bit of altitude sickness.

I had a headache and was tired for the entire first day.  Renata, the woman who runs the hostel where we stayed, gave me coca tea made from steeping the dried leaves.  After drinking the tea, I felt better almost immediately. I read about all the symptoms and treatments before we left, but in the moment, I didn’t realize this is what was happening.  I am a mountain girl!  I should adjust fine, isn’t high altitude in my bones and blood? Apparently, when you have spent the last 2 months at sea level, “mountain-girl” no longer applies.

Urubamba is a wonderful town nestled in the sacred valley.  The Andes Mountains tower over it, some at a height of over 18,000 feet.  Rio Urubamba snakes its way through hundreds upon hundreds of green farmland planted with maize, potatoes, squash and other vegetables. The decision to stay there was really based on accommodations we could afford.  We researched staying there versus Ollantaytambo and noticed there is quiet a debate over which is better.  In my opinion, the two can’t really be compared. Urubamba is much less touristed, therefore, you really get the feel of a small, authentic Peruvian town.  Ollantaytambo is a picturesque city built in and around ruins and caters to tourists.

We booked a family-run hostel on Air B&B in a district just outside Urubamba called Yanahuara.  The description said it was within walking distance to the river but a good hike into town.  It seemed like a great opportunity to interact with a Peruvian family and put our Spanish skills to the test so we went ahead despite the distance from Urubamba. Our host contacted us on the day of our arrival to tell us that he had made a mistake and the hostel we originally booked was full but nearby there was a family room at his mother’s “backpacker house”.

“Ok, I guess we just go for it and trust”.

Many of the houses in this district are tucked behind tall adobe walls.  Hoping we were at the right location, we walked up to a large wooden door in one of these walls and rang the bell. After several rings, knocks and “holas” our hostess, Renata opened the door and led us into a large green yard lined with flowering trees and bushes, a fire-pit to one side, the three-story-house at the back and a large wood-fired oven on the side of the house.   She led us in through the kitchen and up a steep set of stairs to our room that was packed in with three “super-twin” beds covered with fuzzy, white and black tiger stripped comforters. Feeling like we had finally landed, we all took a sigh of relief. The next four days were full of broken Spanish, exploration of the food markets and life in Urubamba as well as the ruins of Moray and the Salineras salt pans nearby.

Our timing for interaction with a Peruvian family couldn’t have been more perfect. Renata’s daughter (also Renata), her son-in-law and grandson also live in the house.  In addition, there was a Brazilian couple, their two kids ages 2 and 6 and the Aunt of the kids staying in the house. Young Renata invited us to her son’s 8th birthday party scheduled to be at the house, later in the week. Despite the nervousness of meeting new people with whom we could barely communicate, we were all starving for some social interaction.  The girls struggled at times to understand what the other kids were saying as well they sometimes felt frustrated when they couldn’t relay when they were tired of playing.  With a little help from us, they learned that language doesn’t have to be a total barrier to connection with others and they found ways to play using words like listo (ready), hola and adios.

There is not much in the way of markets and restaurants in Yanahara.  The closest store sold bread and eggs and a few other staples.  Therefore, we needed to find a way to get into town without having to hike the 45 minutes by foot. There are seemingly hundreds of collectivos, essentially local buses, which are really just large minivans, that bump up and down the main road from Urubamba to the outer districts.  The driver stuffs as many people along with their big buckets of some sort of liquid, loads of groceries and armfuls of grass (still not sure what this is but lots of people buy it by the armload) as he can. You can even strap a live goat to the roof if need be (this came as quite a shock to the girls when the driver hoisted this poor beast off the roof; they watched the action out the window with jaws to the floor).  I really don’t blame the driver for the overcrowded conditions since the price per person is only one Sol or about 27 US cents.

Word of caution:  If catching a collectivo from Urubamba to a nearby district, you must pick up the collectivo from the terminal in town.  If you try to catch it on the road home, it will be too full and the driver won’t stop for you.  Hot sun, altitude sick mom and tired kids make this a tough lesson to learn.

We found some great food in Urubamba. Our first full day there happened to be Thanksgiving. We decided to make our way into town and find the restaurant, Q’anela, which was recommended to us by young Renata. After wandering around and around the main plaza, the girls growing crabby, everyone feeling frustrated that we couldn’t find the restaurant that seemed so easy to find by Renata’s directions, we decided we would just scrap it and go into the next place we found. Low and behold it was Q’anela! tip: write the name of the place down to help confirm the restaurant…locals can’t help if you can’t remember the name!

The restaurant is part of a large adobe building with white walls inside and dark brown, wood floors. The owner offered us a spot in the “jardin” which is a green square courtyard surrounded with herbs and flowering trees. We were the only patrons and had our pick of tables. This was definitely a splurge on a good meal. Plates were between 25-30 Soles which is about $7-$10 USD. We ordered a carafe of house made lemonade to start. This lemonade is like no other I have ever tasted. The límon fruit is combined with the perfect amount of sugar. Her secret ingredients are mint and lemon verbena.  All this is blended together to create a smooth, tart, herbaceous little bit of heaven. I have been dreaming of it ever since.lemonade with herbs on a plate in front The rest of the meal followed suit. Jacob and I shared a bowl of Chupe de Andino (quinoa and vegetable soup) and a spicy ensalada of fava beans, onions, tomatoes and rocoto pepper, and Aji de Gallina (classic Peruvian dish of chicken cooked in a beautiful cream sauce served with rice). We finished the meal with chocolate mousse drizzled with a chocolate and baileys sauce and finished with candied hazelnuts. We held our family and friends close in our hearts as we shared the things for which we are each grateful.

The next day we hired a man to drive us to the ruins of Moray and Salineras Salt pans.  He took us on a bumpy, dirt road that led up up the mountain, stopping once for a photo op of the valley below and second time to change a flat tire.  The ruins of Moray are old Incan agricultural laboratories where archeologists say the Incans experimented with the effect of temperature on various crops.  They also may have held festivals here.  We were all amazed at the perfect circles they were able to carve into the mountains.  The way in which they were designed must have had significance to them in some way. concentric circles of the ruins at Moray The temperature definitely changed from the top 0f the ridge to the basin.  The sun in this area is intense, just like in Colorado. Hot, dry and will burn you if you don’t wear sunscreen and hats.

After hiking down into the ruins and then huffing it back out, we headed out to the Salineras Salt Pans. From a distance, Mackenzie described this as if someone had spilled paint all over the side of the mountain.  As you get closer, you can see layer upon layer of individual squares, sort of like a checkerboard up the mountain, filled with water.  The Incan and pre-Incan people figured out that the earth here is highly saturated with salt and when it rains, the saltwater runs down the side of the mountain, is captured in these square pits designed by the ancient people and then slowly evaporates leaving the salt behind.

Our driver suggested we walk across these salt pans until we reached a road that would take us down the side of the mountain and to an old bridge that crosses the Urubamba river where he would pick us up.  We made our way down to the salt pans where you are free to walk across or go up and down.  We followed a sort of path made of salt that traversed the side of the mountain; often very narrow in places.  I kept thinking to myself, if this were the US this would  a.) not be allowed and b.) if it were there would have been waivers to sign and handrails.  As Jacob says, it seems in Peru their theory is if you are clumsy enough to fall off the side of a mountain, it’s your own fault.

Thats Amy and Quinn slowly making their way on the narrow path
Thats Amy and Quinn slowly making their way on the narrow path

As we traversed, I heard a couple of people come up from behind speaking in Spanish.  We kept going in a line until we found a wider part to step aside for them to pass.  It turned out to be an older Peruvian couple, dressed in the typical clothes of the area.  Earlier, our driver had explained that the women wear the tall hats as part of the fashion and the color has significance to where they live and the kind of work they do.  This woman was wearing a tall white hat, indicative of the salt mining of Salineras which is still done today.  We slowly continued our hike descending back down into the valley and through beautiful ranches and adobe houses eventually making it to the bridge.  I am so proud of my daughters.  They are amazing little hikers and are driven by curiosity and interest.

We ended our visit to Urubamba with the birthday party.  Guests arrived with kids of varying ages, the latin beats of salsa, reggaeton, and cumbia music bounced in the background while we ate delicious sandwiches and drank yummy Chicha Morado (a local drink made from boiling purple corn with pineapple rinds, cloves, cinnamon or whatever flavors you fancy). I fumbled along and did my best to communicate through laughter, smiles and body language and even learned a few more words. The girls were challenged to figure out how to play despite the language barrier, using body language and funny games with the few Spanish words they know. Despite awkward moments of having little to say for lack of vocabulary, I know I am forever changed for having stretched the edges of my comfort zone. 

After saying our goodbyes, we moved on down the valley to Ollantaytambo. Our experience at the markets in Urubamba taught us to look for one of these in Ollantaytambo.  You can buy fresh baked rolls, 5 for 30 cents, a block of fresh cheese for about $1.50 and a large carrot for .15 cents.  The markets are packed with mostly women selling their fruit, veggies, bread, cheese and spices and other staples.  It is a bit overwhelming which pile of fruit to stop at: the one at the entrance or the one a few women down?  The produce is amazingly beautiful and fresh especially compared to that of Panama and Costa Rica.  We learned that we can make a great picnic lunch for the four of us for about $3.  The market in Ollantaytambo was sort of hidden down a hill off the main square.  By the looks I got when I entered, I definitely felt like not many tourists find nor shop at the market there.  Still, I loved wandering around looking at all that was available while greeting the venders with smiles and “buenos días”.

large vegetable stand with tomatoes, carrots, onions etc
Urubamba market

The town of Ollantaytambo is built in and around ruins. The streets are all cobblestone.  There is a large canal with rushing water that runs through the town eventually meeting up with the Rio Urubamba.  The sound of water along with the picturesque mountains and narrow, cobblestone streets lined with adobe houses make this a feast for the senses.  While in Ollantay we visited the two major sites: The Fortress or Temple Hill and the “qolqas” (pronounced colcas) or the storehouses that sit on the side of the mountain.  Day one in Ollyantatambo was cloudy and rainy which turned out to be a blessing as we marched up the steep stone steps to the ruins of the storehouses.  At the top, there is a magnificent view of the town below and the Fortress ruins on the opposite side of the valley.  Amy at qolqa ruins and view of ruins at temple hill in backgroundThe qolqas were used to store grain and were built in such a way that by pouring in new grain from the top the old grain is forced to the bottom to be used first.  We stopped inside one of these qolqas to enjoy our lunch.  Poor Mackenzie seemed to have caught the cold that Quinn was just getting over and was feeling very sick and feverish and so we called it a day.

Amazingly, after some good rest, she bounced back and was able and willing to hike up Temple Hill the next day.  From this mountain, you can see across to the qolqas and to the “face in the rock” or the God Wirachoca whom the Incas believed was the creator of all.  We explored Temple Hill, marveling at the construction and the HUGE stones that were somehow brought from the quarry 6km away and up this steep mountain.  We traversed yet another narrow ridge, not for the person with a fear of heights, to the terraces that were and still are used for agriculture eventually making our way down to the “princesses bath” (this of course was the carrot for Mackenzie and Quinn).  Again, marveling at the engineering it took to divert water from the river to create fountains for the baths and for the ceremonial temples. Oh yes, the water still pours from these fountains.

So which place would I recommend staying?  Ollyantatambo is an impressive, beautiful city built in the ancient ruins. Over time, it has developed to cater to tourists.  Food, water and artisan crafts are more pricey here but there is no need for transportation as everything is in walking distance.

street of Ollantaytambo with ruins in the background
Ollantaytambo

Urubamba is an authentic village and with that comes more grit and character but less options of places to stay.  My advice?   If one has the time, stay in both places!

plaza with palm trees and flowering trees
Urubamba Plaza de Armas

Eating in Costa Rica – Part 1

Eating in Costa Rica has been an adventure all its own.  Our cabina is equipped with a small outdoor kitchen.  We have a nice size fridge/freezer, small microwave, toaster, coffee pot and a two-burner stove. No oven, no dishwasher and generally poor lighting conditions at night.  Despite these challenges we have really done very well at preparing our own food.  We tend to buy enough food for a couple of days, keeping our fruits and veggies fresh and processed foods to a minimum.

Food prices in Costa Rica are generally comparable to those you would find in the US.  A loaf of non-white bread is about $2.50, eggs are about $3.50 for a carton of 15 free range eggs, $1 for a dozen tortillas and $1.50 for a 2 lbs bag of black beans.  Perhaps unexpectedly, local fruits are fairly inexpensive: about $1.50-$2 for the best pineapple ever, 60 cents for an avocado, and less than $1 for a large bunch of bananas.  Other items are extremely costly: Beer is $8-9 per six-pack (local beer only)*, cheese is $8-10/lb, and $6 for a small jar of peanut butter.  Additionally, we happen to be staying in the one region of Costa Rica where the tap water is not safe to drink.  We mitigate this cost by buying a large 19 L jug of water every 2 days for about $6 (smaller 6 L jugs are about $4-5 each).  We have found juice and yogurt to be VERY sugary (although the box says 100% juice, I’m not sure I believe it)

Eating out is even more expensive.  This is no different than at home…we often struggled with the work/life balance in this area.  Too exhausted after work, school and activities, we often ate out.  My middle certainly suffered the ill effects and so did our savings.  Here in Costa Rica, we haven’t indulged too much.  The costs are similar to what we payed in Colorado for a dinner for four (so far an average of about $35 per meal).  The difference is that now we are on an extremely tight budget: if we want to eat out, an excursion or event is likely out of the question or must be scaled back. Some of you may be reading this and thinking, “why did they have to go to Costa Rica to discover that?  I live it every day!” We were certainly blessed to not have this be an overwhelming concern in the States, but looking back we can see how this impacted us even beyond the obvious costs.

Here in Costa Rica we have found a much better paradigm.  Amy and I now cook together…what used to be a debate is now a partnership.  We clean up after each meal together too, otherwise we pay the price of a million fruit flies, ants and wasps in the morning.  We often cook simple food for dinner such as our version of Casado (rice and beans with some form of protein) or pasta, fresh fruits and veggies.  Lunches are generally sandwiches with more fruit and breakfast is cereal and/or eggs.  One of my favorites is taking the leftover rice and beans from the night before and frying an egg to break over the top of it.  Our kids have taken to this new mode too.  They are constantly “starving” (snack foods are crazy expensive) so they have been willing to try many new things.  Fresh made guacamole, various rice and bean concoctions and squash casserole are just of few of the former “gross” foods they now trying and generally loving.

 

Place Notes Total
Pita Bonita This place was worth every penny. It is a hundred meters down the road from us in Punta Uva. Amazing fresh hummus, great falafel and spectacular kabob accompanied by super fresh pita bread that I couldn’t stop eating. The owner, Elan, is an Israeli expat who moved to the area for a new way of life. He was very helpful and friendly. $50.00
Jungle Love The ambiance was fantastic (except for Mack throwing a pouting fest that resulted in her spilling her very full banana batido, a fresh fruit “shake”, all over the table). We were tired and all a little out of sorts. We had been in Punta Uva about a week by this time and needed a bit of comfort food so we decided that it was a great pizza night. The pizza was fair, but having had many amazing pies and slices over the years I may be a bit slanted. For me, the sauce was a tad sweet and the crust was a little too biscuit-like. The toppings were fantastic: fresh garlic, sautéed spinach, delicious mushrooms and a slightly spicy sausage were a winning combination. We ordered a large and a medium pizza and had enough leftovers for a nice lunch (although reheating pizza without oven is a challenge). $42.74
Pan Pay This bakery and restaurant was recommended by our Spanish teacher. It is located near the beach in Puerto Viejo on the north end of town. The place was small and the server was impatient with our lack of Spanish. It might have just been the woman helping us as others appeared very friendly. The girls loved the Batidos here and my Pinto Gallo with Tocineta (rice and beans mixed with bacon and eggs) was awesome. The girls had Bocadillos with Queso and Tocineta. Not bad, but not amazing. $19.81
Soda Chino A Chinese influenced soda in Limón. This place served chop suey alongside the traditional casados popular in sodas across Costa Rica. We only had fries and four cokes…don’t think the food would have been great based on what we saw. $10.67
Wok and Roll We took a drive to Turrialba, a mountain valley dominated by an active volcano. It was cloudy, so the only eruptions we saw came from the backseat as Quinn was carsick multiple times on the winding mountain roads (she started the day in a dress, upon arrival in Turrialba she changed into pants and a t-shirt purchased in town, ended the day naked, poor girl). We chose an eatery featuring Chinese food because Mackenzie likes it so much. It was a pretty good option, with nice kid friendly dishes and an amazingly friendly staff. Amy and I shared the Singapore Noodles (one of my favorites) and it was very well prepared. This was a pretty expensive place, but it is close to the main square. $40.00
Punta Mona Center
for Regenerative Design
& Botanical Studies		 “An 85 acre off the grid, beach front, family owned,
environmental education center,
botanical collection, permaculture farm
and eco-lodge, dedicated to regenerative ways of living.” The vegan fair was amazing, a squash dish with hearts of palm, garlic, coconut milk and coconut oil; Kale and lentils with savory mushrooms; fried plantains with guacamole. Amy and I enjoyed it immensely and it was about $10 per person. I am not sure if you can arrange to simply eat there on your own, but our tour guide Omar arranged the lunch for us after a kayaking tour.		 $23.81

*A former colleague of mine was certain I was crazy for going on a trip where alcohol may be out of the question because it is such a budget buster.  She suggested that I mitigate the cost by forming a GoFundMe. Well Mindie, here it is: Buy me a Beer

Costa Rica: The Month in Review

We have arrived in Bocas Town, Bocas del Torro Province, Panama.  Our new one bedroom condo is air conditioned and bug free, a welcomed luxury.  I am in the small living room watching the girls turn the two sets of bunkbeds, that are also in the living room, into forts.  My mind drifts back to the cabina that we left in Costa Rica.  I am missing the peaceful solitude of our jungle bungalow and the sounds of nature all around.  Bocas Town is way more lively and seems to be preparing for some sort of festival, a story I am sure we will share in the coming week.

This morning I am reflecting on the first month of our year long adventure.  We had our last few days in Costa Rica planned out so well.  We would spend Monday doing errands in Puerto Viejo, a hot 40 min bike ride (I’m sure if you weren’t lugging two kids you could go faster), and enjoy lunch at Lidia’s Place, a highly recommended lunch spot to get the local dish of Casado. Tuesday we would go to our favorite beach spot and Wednesday we planned to do laundry (most of which needs to be air dried), slowly start to pack and then enjoy one last dinner at our favorite spot, Pita Bonita.

Mackenzie in a waterfall
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Quinn holding a green parrotWell…this isn’t how it all ended up working out.  Monday we rode into town as planned, at the peak of hunger, pulled up in front of Lidia’s only to find it closed.  Dang! Now what?  Feeling hot and hungry the moans of disappointment from the girls in the background, Jacob and I looked at each other pleadingly for the other to think of plan B.  Luckily, Jacob remembered that our Spanish teacher Matías recommended a place called Como en mi Casa.  Jacob remembered this place because about out a week earlier he misunderstood the meeting location that Matías  told him for one of their Spanish lessons. Jacob thought Matías said to meet him at his home but instead Matías meant for them to meet at this restaurant.  Oops! Anyway, there we were hot, hungry and cranky.

Como en Mi Casa serves a vegetarian and vegan menu of locally grown, organic products ironically located above a butcher on the second floor of the building.  We rode up and saw several patrons sitting at the bar on the balcony enjoying their lunches.  Hooray, crisis averted!  The ambience was beautiful.  Great music, friendly staff and the owner’s art dots the walls.  She requested the girls draw her a picture to put on display.  The food was amazing.  Jacob’s Pinto Gallo was beautifully spiced and came with a delicious salsa. I had an amazing Mediterranean garden burger with fresh made bread topped with sun dried tomatoes and perfectly ripe avocados (which normally give me stomach problems when I eat them but somehow in Costa Rica it doesn’t effect me as much).  The girls shared a goat cheese and cracker plate and some fresh made hummus.  Fantastic.  Hypnotized by the girls’ cuteness, the owner gave them each a house-made, vegan chocolate cookie made from local chocolate.

Tuesday came and after a lazy morning we lathered on our sunscreen, donned our swimsuits and mounted our bikes to head to the favorite beach spot.  From our house you take the second road to the Arrecife beach, named after the restaurant that is located there.  The bumpy, rocky road leads you along the ocean where you can pick from a series of little private coves.  The water is calm and a perfect depth for Quinn to feel safe playing a little further out from the shore. Plenty of beach to lay your towel and some shade from the overhanging palm trees make this a great spot.  Because Mackenzie helps me pedal, we tend to go much faster than Jacob pulling Quinn in the trailer.  We bumped on ahead and scouted out our spot. “Man, the wind has really picked up today”, I thought “and the tide is high” (cue Blondie’s song The Tide is High here).  We waited for Jacob and Quinn to catch up, assessed the conditions and decided to look further down.  This pattern would happen over and over again for the next 30 minutes until a decision was made to go back to Punta Uva cove where we know it to be calmer waters as it is protected by the point.  (English translation is Grape Point, odd since we didn’t see grapes in that area).  We rode up, parked our bikes and realized that the conditions were the same. Choppy water and not much dry beach due to the high tide.  We made the best of it.  Jacob and I floated out in the waves and the girls dug holes, built castles and drew sea turtles in the sand.

I imagine by now you are getting the sense that we had the saying “the best laid plans…” going around in our heads. Really it is not until now, that I realize none of our final-days-plans worked out as we hoped. We just rolled with it so to speak, figured it out and made the best of it, discovering jewels we would otherwise have missed.  Not to say it wasn’t devoid of feelings of frustration and whining, I don’t want to paint the picture that every moment is magical.  So it was not surprising that the same pattern happened on Wednesday too.  I saved laundry for our last day so as to optimize our clean clothes for our next destination.  We woke to cloudy skies but with high hopes I started the laundry after attending my final yoga class (lovely).  As I hung it out on the line, the clouds loomed.  Yep, after about an hour on the line, the rain came and I sprinted back to the “laundry grove” to save the almost dry clothes.  Clothes retrieved and rehung on a line on our porch our thoughts drifted to dinner.  Jacob decided he better look up Pita Bonita to “make sure it’s open” because on his way back from a bike ride, he noticed the cerrado sign hanging on the door.  Internet said it was supposed to be open but when I called….NOOOOOOOO!  Closed. This was the biggest bummer of the week and one that was not so easy from which to bounce back.  Now what?  Well, Jungle Love is not too far down the road but it is a dark on the road at night and this made us both very nervous.  Website said open, lights attached to the bikes,  let’s go.

“No, we do not have a reservation” we said forlornly to the hostess.  “I can’t get you in until 7:30pm” she said “most places are closed on Wednesdays” she went on. (now 7:30 was an hour and a half away. Some of you might be thinking 7:30 is reasonable, why don’t you just wait? If your thinking that, I’m guessing you don’t have kids).  Ok, well, there is the super expensive place up the road that may not have anything that the kids will like, we can look at the menu.  Oh, wait, they don’t take cards and we have spent all of our Costa Rican Colones and didn’t bring any US dollars (most places will accept dollars). Ok…What now?

All this time Jacob and I were debating, Mackenzie was jumping up and down trying to get us to listen to her that she had seen a place up the road that was open.  At this point, we are all starving and it is starting to rain again.  After checking a couple more places with the same “no cards” response, we finally listened to Mackenzie.  We landed at a place called Resturante Wandha.  The restaurant was part of a larger resort and therefore we paid resort prices.  The food was ok, I had a tropical sea bass dish. The fish was steamed in a ginger broth inside a banana leaf.  Jacob had a curried shrimp dish.  The waiter was very nice and ambience was great but I wouldn’t go back. It was no Pita Bonita.

While we waited for our meal, I asked Jacob and the girls for their top three favorite things over the last month.  Here were the responses:

Quinn:

  1. Trying new foods
  2. Seeing Howler Monkeys
  3. Taking hikes

Mackenzie:

  1.  Seeing pretty flowers
  2. Trying new foods
  3. Going to the beach

Jacob:

  1. The delicious squash dish at the organic farm on Punta Mona
  2. Spending time together as a family
  3. All the friendly people

Amy:

  1. The sound of Howler Monkeys
  2.  The hike at La Ceiba
  3.  The dining experience at Como en Mi Casa

There were many more amazing things we could all add to our list.  Returning to this place some time in the future to really become fluent in Spanish and  immerse in life there could be a possibility.  On our way to Bocas, we met a very nice man from Germany who has paused for a year of travel twice in his life.  He said the first time he went it took a bit to adjust to the realization that he had time.  Time to explore at whatever pace he wanted and yet, it still was not enough to go everywhere he wished.  As I look forward to the next leg of our travels, I realize I am doing the same adjustment.  My brain has moments of panic that we need to “get it all in”.  It may look like “vacationing” on the outside and granted some of it is that but I feel more like we have given ourselves the gift of time, togetherness and learning. There are hard days.  The girls are not always so cooperative and Jacob and I bite at each other some but in the long run, this time together, time to explore new locations is precious.

Amy and Jacob selfie. Amy with red lips and Jacob with "war paint"

We are living on a tight budget to make this happen, having many discussions of what our “work” looks like now and in the future.  As predicted, Costa Rica was a great landing spot for our first destination. Taking a month to establish our travel/school routine, exploration and togetherness proved to be a great decision. For the next 5-6 weeks we will be more on the move.  8 days in Bocas then to Lima, Peru for 3 before heading out on our exploration of the southern half of Peru. Bouncing around to new locations each week we are there.  This will be a good test of our communication, parenting and emotion regulation skills.  So… Here we go!

hermit crab on log

Costa Rican Discoveries

It is 7:30pm and I am sitting on our covered porch feeling the delicious breeze on my back as Jacob swings lazily in the hammock practicing his Spanish.  The sweet voices of the girls can be heard inside… or could be heard because now the sky has opened up and it is pouring down rain.  I am internally jumping for joy for the rain.

three-toed sloth
Our first wild sloth

It has been HUMID and HOT like I have never experienced.  The caretaker of the property, Anita, said it has been unseasonably dry for the last week causing the heat to be more intense. It usually rains every evening which helps to cool things down. I cannot tell you how good this cool breeze feels after being in 90 degree heat with 100% humidity for 4 days.   I think I have lost 10 lbs in sweat and decreased appetite.  The first day of the heat I was so cranky. I think we all were, but I can only speak for myself.  We seemed to be snapping at each other and could not get on the same page.  I think some of that is the adjustment to this life and 24/7 togetherness but most was due to the oppressive humidity and heat.

As I sit here I am reflecting on our Costa Rican discoveries to this point:

  1. Eating out is fairly comparable in price to that of Colorado.
    Casado con salchicha
    Casado con salchicha (homemade)

    We have done most of our cooking at home and found prices in the grocery store as you would expect, buy local spend less buy familiar foods like 8 ounces of cheddar cheese and pay $6.  Our excursion budget is highly dependent on what we spend on food each day so we are being very mindful.

  2. Puerto Viejo fills up with people on the weekend making driving even more perilous. People from San Jose or other close towns, seem to come to the coast for the weekend to enjoy the beach and laid back vibe of Puerto Viejo and surrounding communities.
  3. We can hear the howler monkeys all the time; their sound can carry for up to 5km.  At first we only saw them when we went deeper into the jungle but today there was a whole crew hanging out in the trees beside the road.  We learned that they get set off when loud cars drive by because they are very territorial.  It was quite a laugh to see them worked up by a small motorcycle.
  4. THERE ARE SO MANY ANTS:  our Spanish teacher, Matías, told us about the hormigas limpiadoras “cleaner ants”.  These fascinating creatures descend on a home, unannounced to the owner, and pick it clean of crumbs, geckos, other bugs, you name it and do not leave until it is clean. The homeowner has to leave the house for 3-4 hours while the ants do their work. When you return, there is no sign of them.  No insecticide will make an impact you just have to let them do their thing or stay and suffer their painful bite.  Crazy.  We have not experienced the “cleaner ants” but are in a daily fight with these teeny tiny, innocent looking biting ants. Their bite is like fire and the itch goes on for days.

    horned beetle
    Not an ant, but yet another bug! Amy stepped on this guy 🙁
  5. The Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is very diverse. There is a mixture of African, Latino and exPats from many different countries here.  It seems people are drawn to the true “Pura Vida” (pure life) way of life. Lots of organic farms, yoga and meditation retreats, people in dreadlocks, Bob Marley posters and tie dye.  It’s lovely. The energy is friendly and welcoming and I get the feeling we have just barely scratched the surface of what is here.  When you say “cómo estás” the common answer is “pura vida”.
  6. There are no road names or house numbers in the small towns that are adjacent to Puerto Viejo. People give directions based on landmarks and other businesses. Such as, my house is in Punta Uva, near the Butterfly Garden.  To give an idea of the area think of Puerto Viejo as central it is the largest town south of Limón.  To the south in order is Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva, Manzanillo then on to the border of Panama.  To the north of Puerto Viejo is Hone Creek (where we do most of our grocery shopping, we have found the best prices at Pali Supermercado), Cahuita (30 minute drive from Punta Uva), San Clemente then the port city of Limón. (that is about an hour away).
  7. Pita Bonita in Punta Uva has the most amazing Middle Eastern food.  We had lamb kebab, hummus and falafel, and chicken shawarma.  The owner, Elan, is from Israel and makes everything from scratch including the pita bread. Wow.  People warned us that the food in Costa Rica is not that great but he proves them wrong.
  8. Each beach is muy bonita. WOW. The green of the jungle reflects in the water making it an emerald color in some of the coves. Reefs of Manzanillo Along most of the shores the water is turquoise blue. The law in Costa Rica prohibits anyone from building within 164 feet of the coastline. This is the “public zone”.  Because the beach belongs to everyone, there are no huge hotels asking you to move off of “their” beach .  It also makes the beaches and coastlines appear more “wild”. There are washed up palm trees, coconuts in varying disarray and all kinds of debris along the beach. It is not a mess, just natural and amazingly free from trash.  There are plenty of spots to lay your towel and build sandcastles.
  9. The use of bicycles as transportation is amazing.  Moms and Dads transport 1-3  kids younger than Quinn on the handlebars or crossbar of the bike and no one is wearing a helmet, a person steering his bike toting long boards on his shoulder seemingly to a construction site, or the weaving tourist trying to speak to his/her friends that are also weaving in the line behind him.  When taking a closer look at the “family bikes”, you find a small bike seat attached to the crossbar and foot rests on either side of the front tire.   I can see us joining in the party and looking for one of these family bikes in our last week here when we no longer have a car, we’ll see.
  10. I LOVE the sound of Howler Monkeys.  It is an eerie background to the constant chatter of birds that I find comforting and intriguing.  They start EARLY in the morning and I have loved waking up to their sounds.
  11. Learning another language is hard.  We decided to use our second week in Costa Rica as our language week.  We found a private tutor through Eñe (www.costaricaspanishteachers.com ) who is coming to our house for 3 hours/day. The first hour we all learn together and then the girls go play, draw or watch a Family photo with teachermovie while Jacob and I spend two more hours conversing and learning with Matías.  Jacob is WAY ahead of me and will likely continue in some fashion for our remaining time.  He is the language guy, loves learning them and practicing and is not afraid to try it out.  I am a little more hesitant but am doing my best.  I was so proud of myself as I successfully spoke to Anita about cleaning and asked the clerk in the market to slow down so I could understand (which I still didn’t but I asked!).  Small steps.

Jacob and I have spoken about the experiences we would like to have in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to kayaking and visiting Punta Mona, a guided hike in the jungle, a visit with the indigenous Bribri people and chocolate tour, The Jaguar Rescue Center and possibly a trip to Tortuguero  to spot turtles hatching and laying eggs and/or Turrialba to see the nearest active volcano.  In the meantime stay tuned and Pura Vida!