Earlier this week I posted the first 5 lessons I learned about traveling with my little boy. I hope you found those helpful. Here it's the link to them if you didn't get to check them out before. Let's now pick up where we left off.. Ohh, and I hope you get to enjoy the pictures! =)
If you're curious about how Colombian folk music sounds like, take a pick at this video. It's a beautiful song about going back home after many years: "El Regreso" - "The Return". Can't tell you how emotional I got when I listened to it back in Cali!
Ok, now let's get to the meat! =P
6. You really don’t need that 50pd packing allowance for your child!
I think I actually failed this test. I confess, I over packed for Garrick. And definitely, it was not necessary. Once over there, we discovered that just a 3 or 4 outfits were the handiest for most of the activities we planned, and those were the ones we kept on using. I admit it made a big difference to have access to laundry since we were staying with family. However, I think that I didn’t need that 3 week worth of outfits I took with me. Nor many toys, children can be entertained with just about anything.Interesting, how most of the time they rather play with the non-toy item or even a person, than a toy. So really, really, travel light!
The oldest church of the city located at the area where the city was founded.
Mommy I'm comfy with this outfit, can I wear this tomorrow? I always look prettier than my background anyway! =P
7.Pack light so that you can pack bunches of diapers! I actually learned that diapers are a lot cheaper in the U.S. We actually brought a lot, but not enough. So we ended up having to buy diapers twice, for at least three times the price we pay for them here. Arggh! Lesson learned!
That's right! Lite and easy is always better!
Thanks daddy, this Yummy "Salpicon" is just what I needed to fill my pamper up! =)
3.Bumps and scratches are just part of the deal, not the end of the world
Maybe most of the veteran mommies out there already got over this one. But I actually had to cross this river while being there. Garrick’s first bloody boo-boo..arghhh, and it just happened while he was right next to me. You know how blood makes everything a lot more dramatic than what it really is. So this happened to be just a little cut on his lip, which he forgot right after enjoying a popsicle. It was funny to see him getting ready to go back and play in the very steps that he tripped on. All he wanted was to toddle as a good toddler and keep up with the rest of the children. So the lesson here is to expect small accidents and to not panic when little ones do their job: Play, run, stumble and fall. Oh, and they will! It was funny how right after the incident the seasoned mommies in the family surrounded me and calmed my heart by sharing their children’s first accident story. The good news is that I also learned that mouth wounds heal pretty quickly too! =)
this is at my great school. I used to go down on thsi very slides as a child..here doing it with Garrick, 30sms years later!
Cousins goofing around..they could make a toy out of almost anything! =)
4.Foreign germs may speak a different language but aren’t really any more harmful
I have to admit. I’m a recovering “germafobic”. So I actually had to work on this one a few months before leaving. Not only to apply it while traveling, but at home. Interesting to see how both dads over there and here celebrate their children’s first time eating a little bit of dirt! I know, Yikes! But it’s true. Men tend to be more relaxed regarding germs and dirt. But the fact of the matter is that unless you’re in a third world country where potable water and basic hygiene is not available, you shouldn’t be over concerned about this. As I said, babies grow overseas into healthy adults as well. And Infant mortality rate is not higher than that of the U.S in many other countries.Actually there is a current controversy regarding vaccinations in the U.S, and many of the comparative data comes from other countries where there are not compulsory vaccinations laws. However, most countries, and most people from developing countries follow regular vaccination schedules. If that gives you any relief. I learned to be a little more relaxed in that area and saved myself a lot of stress. I have to admit that I was especially careful while in the airports.
Mom can you please take me to the laundry please. I am all "germed up"! :p
Exploring the local arts & crafts at a very traditional area in the city called "Loma de la Cruz"
Bet you can't see this type of lanscaping anywhere else! =)
♫ We are family! ♪♫
With my dad and sister in the little family country house..
Isn't the view gorgeous?
5.Relax and Enjoy, you’re enriching your child’s life by exposing him to the world
I can’t tell enough of the enriching experience this trip was for our family. I can’t wait to start putting the pictures together on a special album and reminisce with Garrick.We live on a world with greater possibilities, but also that feels smaller by the power of the internet. Children now more than ever before grow to be aware of a globalized world. So giving them early exposure to different cultures and languages actually helps to spark their curiosity and desire to learn different things. I was completely delighted to hear Garrick repeating words in Spanish after his Spanish speaking cousins. It was truly music to my ears. He doesn’t get the same exposure here, though I am working on it. But I do encourage you if possible to look into bringing cultural diversity into your child’s world. And if your means allow for an overseas trip, go for it! I hope that some of these tips are helpful to you.
Dancing to the beat of "Salsa" with my brother!
Our minute of fame! =)
Exploring a little timeless town out in the country..
Dave playing "Futbol" for first time..=)
Garrick speaking the language of the "Guacamayas"
At a museum of Colombian History..
In closing, let me just share that it was very special to hug and to love face to face all those who my heart had just kept in its memory for so many years.I will never forget going down thru memory lane with my husband and son, both visiting for first time. I think that getting a firsthand view and taste of my roots & heritage united us more as a bicultural family. I know we will always treasure our first trip to Colombia together. Hope I get to hear about your traveling experiences too! Feel free to share any tips that you have picked up along the way!
I can’t believe it’s been a month since we came back from our trip to Colombia.I couldn’t believe either that it’s been almost 12 years since the last time I was there! I have really enjoyed re-counting the memories of our trip with friends here that either like to learn about our culture, or are getting ready to go themselves. And that is what has inspired this posting.I have had at least two conversations with friends with little ones that are getting ready to travel overseas. I learned a lot from our first trip, and I thought it was a good idea to share it here. I hope some mommies may find it helpful someday when thinking travel. So here there are the 10 most important things we learned about traveling overseas with 17 month old Garrick..
But first let me introduce you to my town: Santiago de Cali - Colombia..on the left most point of South-America, right next to the Andes. I bet the pictures will keep you entertained as you read along..=)
1.Realize that there are babies and toddlers over there too.
For some reason people assume that you have to bring everything you normally use for your baby at home when traveling.They assume that everything overseas will be so different, that their baby won’t have what is needed to survive. But the truth is that babies in other countries are also babies, no aliens. And families and people in general care for them to raise them healthy and safely, and they actually do grow strong and healthy eating their native food and enjoying the idiosyncrasies of their culture. I was actually very surprised to see the playgrounds available in restaurants for children over there. They were far from being as closely monitored as the playgrounds here. The issue of “liability” in the U.S makes this impossible.Yet in Colombia, they don’t have a higher rate of accidents. Parents are more relaxed in that area and children are raised to be more resilient, resourceful and confident when facing danger.
Having fun while waiting for our pizza to be ready!
Mommy, I bet they'll let me get my driver license here!
2.The four tricks that saved the day during the flights: A few interactive toys, a bottle of milk, tweaking the nap-time & a bit of Benadryl.
Well, we are aware that not all babies are equal. Temperament makes a big difference. Therefore, some babies are easier to handle than others. Our son happens to be somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. We are very fortunate to have developed a routine for Garrick, so he normally takes at least one long nap during the day. So the first thing we did was to ensure that he didn’t sleep before we got in the plane. Once there, we let him play with some of his interactive toys. I know most babies don’t use a bottle by the time they’re 17 months. But we decided to let Garrick splurge with this as we knew that it would be handy for our trip. And it was! We gave him a bottle during the take off to help him with the pressure change, and to also put a smidge of Benadryl in it to help him fall sleep. He played for an extra 20 minutes or so, and then slept for a long while! Benadryl had been approved by our pediatrician before and we had just used it once before and made sure that he didn’t have any abnormal reactions to it. So it worked as a charm, Garrick ended up sleeping at least 60% of the flight time which lasted a little over 4 hours. And by the way, it’s only been one month after our trip and Garrick has already been weaned from the bottle. No need to over-worry about that. He didn’t grow an extra tongue or stopped eating. ;)
"The proof"
Sleeping well helps to enjoy the beauty outdoors! Here at Lago Calima, about 2 hrs from the city..
Garrick fell in love with the trampolin!
3.Make sure that you train your child to sleep in different settings and places.
This was a super plus. It allowed us to continue with his routine even though we were at a different place. This training actually started while Garrick was an infant, and it has paid us back in full! We started letting Garrick sleep in his pack-n-play sometimes.We also used different rooms, and made it a point to take him with us when visiting friends and teach him to sleep on his pack-n-play while we were visiting. I have to admit that the only thing I hadn’t trained Garrick to do was to sleep with us in our bed.Though we respect those families that co-sleep, that option didn’t work for us. However, I have to admit that having taught Garrick to sleep with me sometimes would have been handy on at least one night over there when the sleeping arrangements didn’t allow us to sleep separately. Needless to say that was a difficult night. So I wouldn’t say that you have to co-sleep, but I would suggest teaching your children to fall sleep with you sometimes.I’m all for establishing consistent routines for our children, but teaching a little bit of flexibility for traveling purposes is really helpful.
Mom, after a good nap, I'm ready to ride around the world!!
Singing Carols at the "Novenas" a type of advent tradition to celebrate Jesus' birth. people gather to do thsi with neighbors and friends for 9 days prior to Christmas day.
getting a ride by his cousin..
4.Get a medium size, really compact, easy to carry non-umbrella type stroller
I can’t tell you enough how much I love the stroller we took with us. I remember being undecided on this subject the very night before our trip. We have an umbrella stroller too. But we were undecided between that one, and a medium size one that is kind of a step up from the umbrella, yet not a full size stroller.We were afraid that the airline won’t let us travel with a non-umbrella type stroller. However, Hurray for the moment with decided on the bigger stroller. They didn’t give us any problem at all. The one we used was the Jeep Cherokee sport stroller.You don’t have to get this one, but be mindful of some of the advantages of these features:First having a reclining seat gave us the advantage of letting Garrick take naps on his stroller. That was a super plus, for those days that we were outdoors, sight-seeing and going back home was impossible. That was awesome. Did I mention that he actually learned this while in Colombia? He never napped in his stroller before! Second, the cargo capacity at the bottom and sides was great for carrying his diaper bag, water bottles and his mommy’s bags while being out shopping. =). This is a free standing, super compact stroller, so we could store it anywhere and would fit easily in the back of mostly any car. While riding small taxis, we would just fold it and put at front of the copilot seat. Sweet!So no umbrella strollers for us when traveling! =)
Nothing like walking along the river almost every morning..
Rio Pance..at the south of the city..we used to go to splash, eat of its banks and hike along with our family..good memories..
Reminiscing...
5.Be prepared for changes on your child’s routine and feeding patterns
I have worked so hard trying to get Garrick to eat consistently healthy and at the right times, but with all the changes of places, people, events, we couldn’t keep it up. Garrick had a temporary change on this area. I almost expected it. I’m not saying that that would happen to every baby, but it was our case. He would not eat at his usual times and would reject foods that he normally loves at home. What I resorted to do was to make sure that we drank his fortified milk, and water. I also gave him enough of the few foods he was taking. So he got LOTS of oatmeal, avocados, plantains, tomatoes, yogurt and eggs. I didn’t give up on letting him try a variety of foods all the time as usual, but I confess, with little success. He was just enjoying the excitement of the new surroundings and family! I was pleasantly surprised with how much he liked a Colombian fruit called “Guanabana”. So he got lots of that too. He went back to his regular eating habits right after coming back home, and he didn’t get sick or lost any weigh. So no reason to panic about this.
Food was a big theme on our trip..so here we are..at our welcoming meal: Sancocho the Gallina..a super yummy traditional soup!
Some of our staple Christmas foods, from right to left: Natilla, Papaya in Almibar, Hojaldras & Bunuelos..Yum!
Cholados!..Bunches of fruit served in a very interested, super delicious way..
Family breakfast in the country..with "Arepas, scrambled eggs & Hot chocolate" =)
Patacon pisao..This is a dish served on bed of "Plantain" a staple in our culture as well..
The Fruit paradise!
"Mango Viche" & "Chontaduro"..the first in unripe mango served with salt and lemon & the second is a soft nut..both are snack that you can get everywhere overthere..
"Pandebonos" a very popular breakfast treat..We couldn't have enough..Garrick actually loved these ones too!!
I'll be back pretty soon with the rest of the tips! ..
