Forget adventure:

This was the hardest part for us. The minute the word vacation comes up, all sorts of exotic places flirt through our minds. The first vacation  (and many subsequent ones) with the baby in tow needs to be kid-friendly for the sake of the parents sanity. We chose to go to San Antonio – a 3 hour drive from home – a place we have gone multiple times in the past and yes kid-friendly

Enlist help:

Nothing like finding a friend/relative who will not interfere in your parenting decisions, will trust your parenting skills, love the baby and help with anything and everything! Do such people exist? In our world yes and baby’s uncle KA was our tripmate.

Do not forget the baby’s schedule:

You are on a vacation and that means saying good bye to schedules and routine. It means eating random stuff at random times, sleeping at odd hours and generally being lazy and busy at the same time. But the baby does not understand that. When we traveled our little girl hated to be outdoors past 6pm and yes we were back in the hotel room by 6pm every single night. It is not what we wanted to do but we did it. Also at bedtime – noone but mom in the room was a must for our girl so uncle and dad went out photographing and exploring while mom put baby to sleep.

Stay close to places you want to visit

There is something about strapping a baby in the car driving 10 minutes to an attraction that makes them scream. Stay within walking distance of the main attractions (usually the city center) and save yourself from tears and screams as you drive on unfamiliar roadways. This also makes it easier for the adults to grab a quick bite to go than staying somewhere where the only option for food is the room service.

Plan to stay put and limit your activities:

A hard choice for people who want to do everything a place has to offer but a lifesaver with a baby. We spent most of our 3 days seated along the Riverwalk watching people and boats and chasing pigeons -  not very exciting but it kept us sane.

Plan on some catch-up

Hotel room, no chores and curfews mean time to catch up on things you want to do. We took with us books we wanted to read and spent our vacation reading without worrying if the house was clean. We also caught up on sleep – it isn’t very often that we get a chance to sleep at 8pm as soon as the baby is asleep.

Relax some of your standards

At home it is easier to impose rules on your baby but in a strange place cut your baby some slack. For example, our little girl crawled on the floors of a fast food chain where we stopped for a quick bite on the way home. Definitely not clean but she needed to stretch her limbs before being buckled down again and we had to give her a break at times.

Not necessary but we would definitely recommend carrying a baby carrier (we use a Baby Bjorn) for the times the baby refuses to stay put on the stroller and some bribe (in our case it was rice rusks and baby puffs).

Midway break and bribery

It is not hard – it just needs a lot of patience and some sacrifices just like most parts of parenting and ofcourse the memories you create last forever.

More about our San Antonio trip coming up soon

At this moment, the bags are out and we are packing up for a relaxing long weekend out of town and it is sure bound to be fun!
Stay tuned!

Paris, Vancover, Sydney, Florence, Venice, Cape Town, San Fransisco, London, Cambridge, Tokyo, Chicago and New York City figure in the list.

It is a rather sad list. Not very imaginative or creative. But then it is even more sad as I have visited very briefly Chicago and New York City. I have not been to the other cities.

Time to pack the bags and head off…

Meanwhile to keep in touch with what is happening at our end stop by Poohsden or Lightpixels

Happy 2010 and hope this year brings you a lot of travel and loads of memories

Any guide book about Ecuador will talk about Otavalo – located in the valley surrounded my volcanic mountains – Imbabura, Cotacchaci, and Mojanda. Quite a location. All 3 volcanoes are inactive or dormant but they are not considered extinct. The drive from Quito to Otavalo is amazing. We pass through the windward and then the leeward side of the mountains so there is the fertile land and the dry land.

All along the way there are small towns and villages filled with craftsmen and women who spend their time making fabulous craft items using their hands and traditionally on Saturdays these craftsmen make a trek to the market at Otavalo with their wares. Over the years, the Otavalo market has grown and these days it is open all around the week. We were warned that the Saturday market gets too crowded and it is better to hit the Otavalo market on a weekday and that is what we did.

Our first stop that day was at the village of Calderon. This village is known for its bread dough figurines. Traditionally on the “Day of Dead” the people from Calderon make bread figures and take it to the graves of the departed as a mark of remembrance. Today, the bread dough is crafted just like clay into various shapes and with a touch of color make wonderful gifts from Ecuador. We were lucky to watch a local woman demonstrate her crafting skills and I did try my hand at crafting and as expected was a big failure.

Heading beyond Calderon, we pass the village of Guyilabamba and reach Cayambe. This stretch is the agricultural area, the land is doted with greenhouses filled with Ecuadorian roses. Ecuadorian roses are well known around the globe and there are a lot of issues related to the use of fertilizers, chemicals on the flowers and the working conditions at the greenhouses. Cayambe is known for what are called biscochos – flaky biscuits/bread. Yummy and kind of like the varkis we get in Ooty. Just past Cayambe is the equator where cheesy tourists like us clicked goofy pictures with one foot on each hemisphere – cheesy but a memory.

In Otavalo after checking into our Hacienda on the lake we were ready to hit the shops. With serious advise from our guide to bargain we get set. The color, the activity and the life at the markets blew us away. It is a sight worth cherishing forever.

Ever tried bargaining without knowing the language? We spoke no Spanish or any of the local dialects the were used but I had a ball bargaining and buying beautiful handbags, sweaters, jewelery and all kinds of handicrafts.

So here is how my usual bargaining process goes on,

Step 1: I spot something I fall in love with (which happens at every second stall in the area)

Step 2: I point it out to the husband

Step 3: He inquires about the price of the item in a mix of English and sign language

Step 4: The shopkeeper responds in sign language using his/her fingers.

Step 5: I start shaking my head and making signs of moving away

Step 6: The husband moves away as if to say I do not know this crazy woman (This happens simultaneously with Step 5)

Step 7: I quote a much lower price in English and the shopkeeper pulls out either a piece of paper or calculator and I write down or punch my price for the item

Step 8: The shopkeeper clears out my price and quotes his/her best offer

Repeat Step 7 and 8 till we reach a deal

Step 9: Pay, collect the item and catch up with the husband who still does not understand the simple pleasure of bargaining and shopping

We spent the night at PuertoLago with the view of the mountains, llamas and the lake. We also did wake up at 5am on Saturday to visit the animal market. Unfortunately we had no plans to buy a hog or some cattle in Otovalo but it was fun watching the negotiations and enjoying a slice of the Ecuadorian tribal life.

It was another breakfast aboard Athala (the luxury yacht  we were on) and after a rather tiring morning at Fernandina Island we sat lingering over cups of freshly brewed coffee and watermelon juice when Jorge our naturalist/guide on board barged in with news that some whales have been sighted.

Cameras ready we moved to the sun deck to catch sight of the whales. We saw them as every tourist does far off as they came up at regular intervals. Our guide helped us identify and differentiate between the killer whales – orcas and the other kinds of whales making a kill in the rich waters off the coast of Galapagos. Just when I my mind goes “oh well it is the same stuff I saw off the big cruise ship in Hawaii”, our guide calls out for all of us to the muster station.

Before I could realize what was actually happening we were on small rubber boats (dinghys), wearing life jackets and speeding towards the whales – the orcas specifically. Let me get it out right at the beginning, not all guides do this. The liability is high, it is scary and probably unsafe. But we did it as our guide was very experienced. I admit I was scared and at times really wondered what will happen if the small dinghy we were on in the middle of the Pacific just overturned and there I was in the middle of nowhere with just 20 people (the crew and tourists on the yacht) watching nature do its work without interruption. I scan the horizon in all directions – nothing – there is no one in sight – the island in the yonder seems to be closed land surface and my guide informs that the island like many in Galapagos belongs to the conservancy and has restrictions on who can land and when.

Middle of nowhere in he rubber dinghy with the guide and the dinghy driver

The excitement ran high and there were around 6-8 tourists in our dinghy, the guide and a dinghy driver (?) who powered the dinghy with his eyes on the sky. Yes! You read it right – you start a whale hunt looking at the sky. You look for the sea birds – the pelicans, the cormorants, the gulls, and a variety of birds I cannot name. These birds are looking for an easy meal -  the leftovers from the whale kill is what they are in search of. As our dinghy moved to where the birds where, we are surrounded by these birds fighting with each other for leftovers and right ahead of us the pair of orcas put a show and we keep going behind them.

The whale was that close to the dinghy. On the right you see the lifevest of one of people on the dinghy

The orcas typically hunt in pairs and once they have their sights set on the prey they set out for the kill in sync. One orca works from the front and the other from the back chasing the prey till the poor animal tires out. It was the turn of a poor sea lion to have caught the fancy of the pair of orcas we were following that day. The orcas are persistent – gentle pressure and you can see the sea lion tiring out. It is surreal watching the whole drama live and yes there were instances when I felt like putting my hand in and pulling the sea lion to safety.

Making a splash

The whales after executing a perfect 10 dive that wows us, go in with a whack of their tail.  The guide says typically they whack their tails to hit on an unsuspecting prey thereby weakening it. Yes I am in a death ground and I half expect the waters to turn red with blood. It makes me squeamish but I realize it is the food chain and it has to go on. Survival of the fitness – Darwin is supposed to have developed his theory here and years down the lane I am a witness – a silent, scared witness.

Hit by the tail

We keep following the birds, the whales, the poor sea lion in those small rubber dinghys trying to click pictures and hang on to our lives and just taking the whole scene in. We lost the whales for a while and suddenly there is a snort as one of the whales passes right under the plastic tube we are seated in. The clear waters showcase the black and white huge whale moving right below us. I wonder for a minute what will happen if the whale just lifts its head up. I shudder and refuse to think of the answer.

Yes we were that close and it was a killer whale.. See the birds waiting for the leftovers and the yacht following us

Suddenly, we lose sight of the sea lion and the air fills with a smell. Our guide informs us it is the smell of blood mixing with water. The whales made their kill and I look at the water and no the water does not turn red as I thought it would. But the smell is nauseating and the significance is overwhelming. A few minutes pass, I am sure it is not more than 3 minutes and we see the whales diving off further away in search of another prey in the oxygen-rich waters. The birds surround us looking for leftovers. We sit in rubber dinghys amazed at the sights, sounds and scents that filled us. Our guide gives us a few minutes to gather our thoughts and I am sure he has seen numerous of speechless tourists like us.

The whale, the birds and the yacht in the yonder and no one else for miles

The yacht is right behind us and we get back on-board and sit down to talk. There is a cardiologist with his family who had Galapagos on his bucket list, there is the couple that loves mountaineering in Ecuador who decide to spend Christmas in Galapagos, there is a family from Europe visiting their sibling in Ecuador and there is us. People from different walks of life all stunned and amazed by what we saw.

Our cameras let us down – our batteries ran out but it is the memories I will treasure for today, tomorrow and forever. It was one of the scariest things I have ever done in life (no I will never sky-dive or bungee jump) and the most powerful lesson I learned about nature.

The Cotopaxi Peak

Cotopaxi located in the Andes mountain range is typically surrounded by low lying clouds like most of the highland Ecuador, making is very elusive. On rare clear days one can see Cotopaxi from the highest point in Quito – El Panecillo but it was just our luck that the day we were at the El Panecillo, it was completely clouded and we could hardly get a peek of the majestic peak.

We left Quito at around 8am and we made our way towards Cotopaxi National Park located 50 miles south of Quito. As we left behind the city of Quito and drove on we were surrounded by volcanoes. We were in the Ring of Fire, the Avenue of volcanoes as it was called. It is a feeling of awe and wonder as we realized beneath our feet there was bubbling lava and one day the places we were standing in would be covered by ashes and lava flows. It was the same feeling we felt during our trip to Hawaii the previous year and the difference between Hawaii and Ecuador was day and night.

Along the Pan American Highway doted with small vendors selling fresh fruit – many exotic and native to the region we traveled watching Cotopaxi play peek-a-boo amidst the clouds. There are two main entrances to the National Park one called the north entrance and the other the main entrance.  Our guide decided to take us through the north entrance and we left the comforts of the Pan American Highway at a town called Machachi and from there it was a hard, bumpy and uncomfortable ride. At every turn there was a pothole and along the road were kids, pets, and vehicles making the ride quite an experience. Just as we were about to start cribbing and complaining about our aching backs and horrible roads we spotted the Cotopaxi towering high in front of us.

The Guava fruit in Ecuador is different

The clouds had just parted, the sun peeked out, a few llamas grazed the grassland in front of us, and a thatched roof hut completed the view. It was spectacular to say the least. Our guide was quite pleased with himself for showing it to us and told us views like these were limited and on most days the peek was covered with clouds. As we drove closer to the park, we saw the peak disappear a lot.

A thatched hut, a Llama and Cotopaxi

Inside the National Park, the land was completely barren. A few weeds and moss were just peeking out. The last major eruption in 1940 (some say there was another one in 1942) had left the area covered with ash killing all vegetation. As we drove higher into the clouds, the temperatures start dipping and the landscape shows layers and layers of ashes and sediments settled and compacted over time.  A few flowers and plants peeking around the rather desolate landscape with a towering crater is a sight to behold.

The Valley

Flowers in the upper altitudes

One can climb up to approximately 4600m on a 4 wheel drive vehicle and then start hiking. We chose not to trek up and were just hoping that the clouds hiding the crater would clear out a bit so that we can click some memorable photos and it did for barely a minute and we feasted our eyes on the sight.

We kept our eyes open for the other elusive part of  the Cotopaxi National Park  – the Andean condor.  The largest flying land bird is a vulture and has been close to extinction. In the past few years, captive breeding and other protective measures have been instituted in Ecuador and other countries where these condors are typically seen. Thriving in high altitudes, these gigantic birds with almost 10 feet wingspan are very difficult to spot.

We spent a few minutes scanning the skies for the sign of a condor but no such luck and we slowly started our descent. Climbing down we were able to spot some native birds, wild horses, llamas, foxes and suddenly out there high up there were two big birds flying about. They were really really far for even the longest lens we had with us to pick them out clearly but their wingspan and the finger like wings gave away the fact that they were indeed condors. It was a sight to see the pair (condors are typically seen in pairs) as they darted amongst the clouds and yes we do wish it they were flying lower but we were happy we caught a sight of them.

Andean Condors

Continuing our decent down we met other tourists whom had taken the main park entrance and were yet to catch a sight of the peak and it made us feel doubly lucky – seeing the elusive Cotopaxi and the Andean condors made our day. A simple and very tasty meal of carrot soup and fried trout at the small shack in the park later we were ready to head back to Quito.

View from the North Entrance

Watch out for more posts from our Ecuador and India trips!

Weeks ahead of New Year’s Eve, one starts seeing cloth-stuffed dummy dolls, and masks doting every store  and every street corner (so we were told and yes 2 weeks before Dec 31st we could spot them everywhere). Soon, the dummy dolls dressed up to represent characters and personalities loved or hated are ready for showcase just about everywhere. In front of homes, shops, cars, street corners, police officers. Everywhere they seen. The creative go a step beyond and create scenes and stories with these dolls (it reminded me of golus and navarathi’s from India) and there are others who spend hours gluing papers together to create the biggest paper dolls.

Dummies ready to be fried

Ecuadorian political figures seemed to be very common but one could also see numerous sponge bobs and spidermans. The collection was eclectic and had international figures like Obama, Bush Jr., Osama make their appearances too. Every home/store has at least one and it was a sight to see. Hotels had dummies set up at the doors and lobbies, resturants had them and near every dummy we did what good tourist does – take pictures

On New Year’s Eve, a list of resolutions, the good tidings of the past year, the bad and sad happenings of the year are penned down and tucked into the pockets of the dummies and at the stroke of midnight these dummies are burned along with the resolutions amidst fireworks and songs signaling the arrival of the new year. Quite similar to Guy Fawkes night in UK but not just the same.

In Baños, where we welcomed 2009 there was another strange custom followed by the locals on New year’s Eve. The locals dressed up, just like on Halloween and roamed around the street, demanding for money. Costumes ranged from princesses to a mickey mouse, evil looking witches to Ecuadorian presidents. But the most common was men dressed as women (which we were told was exclusive to Baños. Children dressing up is common in all parts of Ecuador). Men wearing sexy micros and minis with stuffed up chests and bottoms, waxed legs and hands, and freshly made up faces walked around the streets of Baños in high heels demanding money.

Curiosity made us ask why the men dressed as women and the story behind it was quite interesting. In the good old days, widows struggling to make ends meet with a child or two in tow, went around on New Year’s Eve asking the good hearted and generous-on-new year locals to help them survive another year and gradually the custom evolved into what it is today. One of the English speaking local man we spoke with on New Year’s day mentioned with great pride that he was one amongst the many men dressed as women on the streets the previous night.

Collecting money was a group activity and usually one could see a bunch of kids at street corners with a rope held at two ends blocking the roadway. The unlucky car that comes through is forced to stop and some money changes hands before the car is allowed to pass. The locals took part in the event without a grudge passing a cent or two to an excited dressed up kid/adult. Foreign tourists were mostly left alone and a firm no repeated twice was usually respected with a grudge.

A few processions of these dressed up people also began as the last sunlight of 2008 started fading. One of the processions we saw was complete with fake (dressed up) cop regulating the traffic, a cardboard full-size cop car (with two men underneath walking it), dancers, and assorted cars carrying VIPs like Osama, Obama and amongst others. The dressed-up people where more than gracious to pose for camera trotting tourists like us!

A different way to welcome a New Year!

Baños was on our list for two reasons, one – the extremely hot Mt. Tungurahua and the mineral baths. After two weeks of going around Ecuador we wanted to rest and rejuvenate before we headed back to real world and routine life in Houston.

We did not get what we were looking in terms of rest and rejuvenation at Baños due to the crowd. We spent New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day in Baños and the place was crawling with tourists. Hotels full, cafes with long lines, public baths with lines stretching miles, stores crowded, and store owners enjoying a bit of price gouging.

But in Baños we heard and saw a volcano in action. We so badly wanted to see red hot lava (we missed it in Hawaii) but unfortunately for us Mt. Tungurahua was in not mood to put up a show. But we saw smoke and ash spew out of the crater at an alarming rate.

Mt.Tungurahua

Our first sight of Mt.Tungurahua was as we drove from Cuenca into the city. At first sight it looks like a low clouds hanging over the peak. In a country, famed for its cloud forests and low-lying cloud cover, it was easy to pass off the smoke and ash as clouds. The smoke and ash in fact look like dark clouds, puffy, slow moving and with a hint of black – indicating the probability of afternoon showers. But soon you realize that is not clouds but smoke and ash and awe fills you completely.

Our First Sight of Tungurahua

It was a mixture of shock, awe and fear that filled us as we watched Mt. Tungurahua as we wound our way through the mountains into Baños that day. After a while, you question yourself why do you want to keep in sight a rather boring mountain with something like clouds on top of it. It is not like you see a lot of action there. But just the knowledge that it is an active volcano fills one with wonder including the locals.

Once in the city of Baños, one does not have a view of the volcano which was kind of disappointing. Visions of late nights on a patio wrapped in warm clothing watching the volcano floods us but to catch sight of the volcano, we took a taxi ride .

Taxis offer a trip called to the viewpoint for around $15. The trip takes approximately an hour through winding narrow roads up a mountain right across from Tungurahua. As we approach the summit, where local TV station relay antennas are positioned , the volcano looks larger than life. With a perpetual cloud of smoke and ash rising from the top and if you paid really close attention you can actually hear a roar. It was fascinating and scary. The view of the city are also pretty good at certain places along the drive.

The view of the city

Ecuador is known for its low-lying clouds and everytime Mt.Tungurahua was covered with clouds we would turn our eyes else where but as the clouds drifted off, making way for our eyes to seek out the 5,000 m tall volcano smoking, it brought a feeling that cannot be explained. Thinking back, we think it was the feeling of creation and destruction that volcano is so capable of doing. Dangerous and exciting!

Tungurahua with its smoke and the low-lying clouds

As we made our way down the mountain back to the city of Baños, in what little of Spanish we knew we asked the taxi driver about living so close to the volcano. He spoke eloquently and animatedly. We did not understand much but his voice showcased the pain, the fear, and the thrill.

To wind off our trip in Baños we heading out to Luna Runtun – an adventure spa as they call it. Why an adventure you ask? Well what do you call staying halfway up on an active volcano that has lava bubbling underneath it? At the Luna Runtun like any other luxury hotel in the mountains, one gets to enjoy fresh blooming flowers, birds of all colors and shapes, jacuzzis filled with mineral water, pools with views of the city, good food, great spa, wonderfully decorated rooms, and above all the sounds of the volcano. Here at Luna Runtun you can hear the volcano roar distinctly.

The first time we heard the volcano roar, we dismissed it as thunder. The volcano’s roar is similar to thunder, dull, rolling, loud and powerful are the adjectives we attach to it. Once we realized what it was we stopped on our tracks to listen but then the volcano does not follow our wishes right. It roars when it pleases.

As we enjoyed watching the hummingbirds around our room it roared and we stopped and stared at each other. It roared as we were enjoying the lovely guava mousse served at dinner, we paused with our dessert spoons half-way to our mouths. We sure looked stupid but the volcano’s roar is amazing.

Other things to do in Baños:

• Visit the waterfalls (taxi rides are around $15).
• Visit the blue town of Pelileo, where Levis jeans are made.
• Taste some local taffy (okie it was not our favorite) and watch it being made, stretched and pulled.
• Sit in the park and watch locals head back home from the produce market. It was nostalgic to see mothers and daughter, friends and neighbors shop together and share the load. Typically, one person grabs one handle of the shopping bag and the other person grabs the other handle. The bag swinging in between, they walk home.
• Head to the public mineral baths only if they are not crowded.
• Head off to the Amazon rainforests. This is the where the rainforests start. (We decided against adding rainforests to our itinerary just because we did not have time.)

Taffy Making at Banos

Places we ate at in Baños:

• Cafe Hood : A guidebook recommendation. Quirky, casual place to sit and relax. Read a book or play a game. They have a menu featuring food from all over. We loved their curry chicken sandwich but the Hindu plate failed to impress. The Mexican tacos were good as was the Pad Thai (though not close to the ones we are used to in America it was still very yummy). Make sure you take a couple of minutes to check out the walls – they have some good paintings and an eclectic postcard and photo collection.
• There was it small cafe/sandwich place right next to Cafe Hood we frequented for their “best coffee”. It was a nice place to start the day or break for a nice snack. The menu is limited but the patio was a wonderful place to be. Grab a few magazines from the book shelf and enjoy.
• Luna Runtun: We had breakfast and dinner at the Luna Runtun’s main restaurant and have no complaints. Both occasions it was a buffet menu. We did not try their cafe.
• Aroma Cafe: It is a chocolate fondue and coffee place. It is located in one of the shopping buildings. The store also sold coffees, chocolate, and nuts. We had a tres leches cake there and brought some Ecuadorian coffee and chocolate. Another wonderful place to hang out.

The decorated Cafe Hood wall

Shopping in Baños:

Most of Baños shops are within 2 blocks and most shops offer the same stuff. Keychains, tees, handbags, postcards etc. The collection is also pretty much the same. Some stores have distinctively different pieces so take your time and visit the all the stores.

More abour our Ecuador trip coming soon…