Monthly Archives: April 2009

Pocitos Beach

Posted on by
Reply

We went to Pocitos beach today, a block and a half away from our hotel.  Since it is the first time we have had a baby on the beach for any length of time, we overplanned and overpacked but were prepared.  

The beach was crowded with all sorts of people: those who have seen much sun in their many years,  those who just stopped for a moment of sunshine while biking or walking by and those who were enjoying great family moments like us.  What I love most about the beach here is that everyone is welcome (including pale foreigners) and it really doesn’t matter what you look like.  One piece suits on women are something of a rarity and body issues seem nonexistant.  I love that!

I like being in a country that doesn’t care if you have love handles or a bit of a spare tire  around the middle.  You’re out enjoying the sun and having a good time, just like everyone else.

Baby at the Beach

Missing Home

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been 2 -1/2 weeks since we left MN and I am homesick.  Not homesick like I was when I left for Europe when I was 16, but homesick nonetheless.   

When I was 16, I was with a school trip, had a few calls home and a few postcards that I mailed out.  I felt like I was on the moon, everything seemed so different. 

This time around, we are the grounding force for our daughter, we are home for her.  We’ve been here before as well and are comfortable with the area, people and atmosphere.  The main reason that our homesickness is kept at bay though is because of our great connection to home through techology. The same stuff that allows us to live and work abroad allows us an unbelievable connection to our family and friends in the US that wasn’t possible just a few years ago. 

Facebook has been amazing.  Nothing like having a network of your freinds and family seeing your photos and reading your updates on a daily basis.  Not like waiting for a letter or postcard via airmail anymore. 

While we use email, it is simply not the main tool of communication anymore.  We use it for specific notes to family members or to communicate links to a group that may not be on facebook.  

Youtube has been the main tool for posting video and sharing with people, via facebook or email.  One thing I don’t like about Youtube is when sending a video marked as private (viewable by only 25 people who you send the link to) those people have to set up an account to view the link.  Seems like an unnecessary step.  The link should be enough, in my opinion. For example, we sent a private video to family with information about the house we will be living at. 

Skype for video calls to the grandparents and possibly even to have Easter dinner with the family in MN.  We’ll see how that goes!  We gave 4 webcams to family for Christmas so we can keep in touch.  It was a great gift that allows us at least to see each other in real time.  Quality is great and will just keep getting better.  We’re currently using Skype with our wireless connection at the hotel so we can’t wait to try it with a wired line at the house! Not quite like being there, but it’s the closest we’ve got.

Other Great Stuff (that we brought along)

Posted on by
Reply

There are a few other things that we brought with us that have been invaluable to an extended stay in a hotel. These were all items that we purchased for previous adventures abroad (Peru and Thailand) and I think they are all nifty little tools to share:

Campsuds

Campsuds: This is a multi-purpose, biodegradable liquid soap that can be used for clothes, dishes and body. While we have bathed with it before, we are using it for clothes and dishes right now. There are several scents available and it is concentrated so it lasts forever. We have a 4 oz bottle that has lasted us from our Peru/Inca trail trip a few years ago.

We use Dr. Bronner Castille Soap for showering and other cleansing.  Another excellent concentrated all-purpose naturally derived biodegradable liquid soap.  

Pack Towl: These microfiber towels are amazing and we have them in 4 sizes. Ours are a previous generation, so I assume that they could only get better. They have been great as dishtowels, bath towels, wringing wet clothes dry- you name it. They’re light, have a snap loop to hang with, wash perfectly and dry incredibly quickly. What more could you ask for?  Be warned though, these are not cushy towels.  It’s a bit like drying with a giant chamois, but they get the job done. 

Frio Pouch: This was the only solution that I could find for trekking in Thailand in 2002. I needed something that would hold my insulin and keep it cold when I was going to be away from refrigeration for extended periods of time. The Frio pouch was/is a godsend. It has a gel that is activated by water that keeps the pouch cool for days. Soak it for about 10 minutes or so and you’re ready to go. When the water starts to evaporate, simply re-soak it (I did this in more then one stream during the Thailand trek). The gel dries to a sandy texture and it completely reusable. Saved my insulin from the Thailand heat and has gotten through airport security in my carry on and everything!!
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: I highly recommend carrying a doctor’s note when traveling with any medical supplies/devices. I have also found it helpful to call the airline and have a note added to your record if you are traveling with large amounts of supplies (thank you to Brad for recommending this). It saved me a whole lot of trouble this last time! Also, just because it worked for me, does not mean it will work for you and/or the airline you are flying. Check and double check with them first!!

“Mi Amor”

Posted on by
Reply

Our Daughter is being exposed to so much Spanish love and affection by people that you would never anticipate in the USA…. EVERYONE!!!   Waiters and waitresses, delivery people and perfect strangers on the street coo and wave and talk to her like she’s their own daughter or granddaughter.  It’s amazing.  We encountered the same thing when we were here last year, but I figured it was because she was only three months old then.

Maybe it’s a result of the low birth rate here (lower than the US) and the aging population, but everyone generally goes through the same routine.  They want to know how old she is, what her name is, then they go on to call her precious, beautiful, etc. and try to get smiles and waves from her.  Geneva as a result has started to wave to nearly everyone on the street to try to get a response.  

We’re in the city, so there is a lot of opportuntity for interaction.  There are people on the street wherever we go and we’re eating out at least once per day so there is some quality time with waitstaff.  We even saw photos of our waitress’s little girl today, which we coo over in return!

Since Uruguay is the only South American country we’ve traveled to with the baby(with the exception of a very short stint in Argentina), it’s hard to tell if this is an Uruguyan trait or a South American trait.  We hope to add more as we travel in the coming months!

The Late Dinner Hour

Posted on by
2

Baby at dinner

We’re having an issue with dinner hour.  People here seem to work late, then have a snack or “Te completa” (coffee/tea, light sandwiches and pastries) at about 6:00, then eat dinner at about 9:00 or later.  Most restaurants don’t open until 8 PM and don’t serve their complete menu until 9 PM.  How do people do it with kids?  When we were in our home routine in MN, Our daughter was in bed by 7:15 or so.  Now, we’re sleeping in a bit later in the mornings, but she still goes to sleep around 8:15 PM with two good naps during the day. 

We are trying to have larger lunches out and then dinner in our room for the time being.  Once we get into the house, it’s not going to be such a big deal, but I’m still curious….

 I’m going to have to ask how people here do it.  I’m told that kids come out with the family during the late dinner hour and we saw it when we were here visiting last year.  It’s just that our toddler is much more tied to her schedule now than last year when she was only 3 months old.  We took her everywhere then and she slept.  Those were the days!  I wonder if kids here take an extra nap during the day? Is it just habit for them?  I don’t know, but I want to find out!  

Nonetheless, we have gone to restaurants early and ordered a light dinner.  They may look at us a little funny since we’re the only ones eating when everyone else is enjoying coffee or drinks.  Oh well.  Strangers in a strange land.  We’re learning!!

The Quest for Housing

Posted on by
Reply

The hotel that we are staying in is great.  It is a long-term stay hotel and we have a month booked. It is still a hotel, though, and it makes it difficult when a baby is sleeping and a husband is working and needing to make phone calls all in the same space.  

We’ve been on the search for places to live.  There is such a difference in the types of houses/apartments that are available here vs. what we are used to in the upper midwest of the USA.  Lots of apartments are similar, being built in the same era and have all the same features.  You see one you see them all, except some might have a view of the water and others not.   Lots of terraces do not meet US safety standards and with a toddler and two small dogs, that makes me incredibly nervous, but more about that in the previous post and surely more later as well. Many other apartments are large older homes that have been split into several units.  We thought we wanted an apartment, but were showed a beautiful little house that we liked enough to submitted an offer.  

 

The rental process here is very different from the US and other countries that I have researched.  Rental laws favor the renter rather than the owner so it is very hard to evict someone if they are not paying rent.  Due to this, the owners require quite a large down payment for their own security.  5 months rent is required in a secured bank account, plus the first months rent and commission to the rental agent.  This can end up being larger than a down payment when purchasing a house in the US!! You are also expected to negotiate the terms and items/services included within the rental agreement.  We are trying to get access before the occupancy to set up internet services and will be negotiating house cleaning and security services paid by the owner.  We have a meeting later today with both rental agents and the owner of the house.  Fingers crossed!!

Safety Standards

Posted on by
2

As we are starting to look for places to live, all of the US building code standards are flashing before my eyes. Life abroad is very different and that goes for building code standards as well.  Not that this or any other country are wrong, just different and we have to view it with different eyes.  

For example:  

Egress:  Many bedroom windows, if there are windows at all, open up to other rooms or an interior courtyard with no exit other than through the house. Doors are also locked from the interior with a key and there are bars on the windows if you face the street.  

One upside is that the construction is all concrete/block withstucco over it so that there is little to burn if there is a fire.   Wood is used for finish carpentry for doors, cabinets and some flooring only. 

Railings: There are plenty of glass railings in the newer buildings.  The nice thing about this is that there are no gaps and there is an unobstructed view.  Older buildings may have vertical spindles on the balcony with wide spaces of 6″ or greater.  One new building that we saw had a gorgeous 12th story apartment with huge terrage and a railing with horizontal spindles that could be scaled like a ladder by a toddler.  Scary!  As you are walking through the city, you see mesh added to lots of balcony/patio areas to protect the small inhabitants inside from falling.  Excellent that things can be retrofitted but we are considering safety much more carefully as we look at potential home options.

Three decks, all with mesh over the railings

Three horizontal railings, all with mesh installed over it.

Horizontal vs. vertical spindles

Another example of railings with vertical or horizontal spindles.