Barcelona, You're a Dream

Barcelona wasn’t very high on my list of places to go. In fact, Spain had somehow managed to not make my top 10. But when a flight deal taps you on the shoulder, you take it anywhere it tells you to go. It just so happens, this flight deal led to what I keep referring to as the ‘Dreamiest vacation you can take with your kid”

We landed on Thanksgiving day with only 5 hours of sleep between the three of us. Still, Scout was a champ and we bussed into the city center to find our apartment so we could snag a nap. I want to start by saying every flight, airport and bus we took to get to Barcelona was so easy and quick. This surprised me since it was our first big, international trip since Covid.

After a quick snooze, we hit the town in search of food. We popped into one of the first tapas places we found and had a delicious ‘Thanksgiving’ meal of Iberian ham and manchego cheese. Absolutely perfect. Soon after, we wandered through the Gothic Quarter to find a kid’s playground to run off whatever steam Scout had left. This city is ripe with playgrounds and play spaces. Perfect while walking around and needing a coffee break!

Here is the beautiful and perfectly located Airbnb we stayed in!

The next day, we walked through the Arc de Triomf towards the Parc de la Ciutadella. This was our first time flirting with Gaudi’s artistic vision that is sprinkled across Barcelona. There is a waterfall fountain, a wooly mammoth, a lake to row in, orange trees, a zoo, the list goes on.

Once we peeled away from the park, we grabbed some paella and sangria on the beach and enjoyed the sand.

The next day, we went full Gaudi, and explored the Park Güell. This park is TRIPPY. Every path you take leads to another out of this world display of architecture. Sometimes I felt like I was exploring a hornets nest, the next moment I’m in a Greek theater. It is probably the most photographed area of Barcelona.

We love Christmas markets and, luckily, have been to several in Europe. However, the Barcelona market was anything but good. It was maybe 30 stalls selling decor. No food, no drinks, no music. I will say, learning about the unique Catalonian Christmas traditions (Caganer and Cagatio) made it worth visiting. But I would not recommend planning a trip around it. If you are interested in learning about bizarre Catalonian Christmas traditions, check out THIS blog on it!

The next day was ANOTHER park day. This city really knows how to park! This time it was Park Laberint d’Horta. This was away from the tourist area and set high on a hill above the city. You could see all the way to the coast. It was only a short bus ride from our apartment near the Gothic Quarter. There’s a playground at the entrance-With a coffee/snack bar, which, AMERICA, can we get on that? Like, seriously, anyone who is at a playground needs coffee and snacks! Million dollar idea.

The park’s main attraction, but not only, is it’s hedge maze. This is a must if you have kids. It was so fun and memorable and I can’t recommend it enough. We finished off this exciting day with a must: hot chocolate and churros!

Next up was the much anticipated Sagrada Familia! I’ve been describing this as a Wonderland Church that drapes you in rainbows when you enter, and honestly, I’m not exaggerating that much! It was an amazing spectacle and you can’t help but feel like you are experiencing something special.

After wandering around the awe-inspiring Sagrada Familia, we had worked up an appetite! We walked down La Rambla (a pedestrian street lined with shops) to Mercado de la Boqueria. We snacked on ham, cheese and even snails! Honestly, no cap, they were delicious!!

Our last day was one I was particularly excited about. We had seen mosaics scattered across Barcelona and, thanks to Gaudi, the beauty was a dazzling and unique display. Because mosaics seemed so….Barcelona…I signed us up for a family mosaic class at Mosaicco Studio. I HIGHLY recommend doing this! Everything was set out for us and we were able to pick what we wanted to make. We ended up with a picture frame, 2 wall art displays, a jewelry box and a magnet. The instructor was sweet and helpful and made the entire experience something we will remember for many, many years.

Later, we filled up on more tapas and headed to the funicular. This was fun because we took the funicular to a cable car that swept us high above the city. At the top is a fortress that you can climb and get views from the mountains to the coast. You can see the Sagrada Familia towering over its city as if protecting it. I recommend doing this close to sunset to see the sun shining magnificently off the clusters of buildings and the tips of the waves.

It’s worth noting that at this point in the trip we had to get our Covid tests to come home. This was super simple. We used Turo Park Medical Center. They were efficient and affordable. Here’s their link.

After climbing the fortress, we walked down to see the Magic Fountain. Unfortunately, they are closed due to Covid. However, they are still a spectacular way to end a magical and dreamy family vacation.

Spain was a dream in more than one way. After almost 2 years being restricted by Covid, it felt like a dream to be able to travel to Europe again as a family. These moments will forever be cherished and help shape us into the family we are. That, in itself, feels like a dream come true.

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Coming Home to Covid-19

We realized the Gap Year was coming to an end when we started to feel homesick and could see our funds coming to a head. We had agreed on coming home when our savings reached a certain point and that point was now at the horizon. At this time, covid was still just something called Corona Virus happening in China and we could not have predicted the impact it would have on the world. Turns out, our timing had been kismet.

February of 2019, we headed back to Texas. In the few days leading up to our flight, Scout began running a fever but had no other symptoms. Since Covid was not even a word in our vocabulary yet, I ran down to the pharmacy for some polish kid’s tylenol and prepared for the long flight home. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that, in hindsight, she may have had the virus on that flight home.

Coming home was more than a welcome feeling. Our couch looked like a heavenly cloud after the european futons we’d grown to loathe. And our dog, Winston, was just the welcome committee we needed. Those first few days were spent getting settled and figuring out our next steps: jobs. I decided to go into business for myself and Frankie got his old job back. Things were feeling new and old at the same time.

Then, murmurs of the virus started to bubble up. Scout’s school in Poland sent out emails warning of this new deadly virus. They had asked that anyone that had traveled to Italy not come into the school. I remember thinking how lucky we were to be back home! We had come back JUST. IN. TIME.

It was only a few weeks later that America shut down. We all know the rest.

Over the next year, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between what everyone was feeling during Covid and what we had just experienced on our Gap Year. In 2019, I had had my eyes opened to an all new perspective. One that I couldn’t unsee. All of a sudden, it was so clear to us that the traditional American life wasn’t the only option. It actually wasn’t even the best option! We learned that experiences were worth more than things and that freedom of time is more important than working. We learned that what we had been doing up until that point was what we were trained to do and not what fulfilled us. We also learned how to be isolated, together, as a family and how to navigate stressful situations. We had trained our entire Gap Year for exactly what 2020 had to offer.

Then, as Covid dragged on, I started to see all of my friends and clients wake up to this same realization. Working from home allowed people to remove their blinders and see just how much time was being stolen from their personal lives. It was amazing to feel the people around me take off the same out-dated lenses that I’d shed just a year before. We were all seeing the world in an entirely new way.

Covid was, and still is, a horrible and tragic phenomenon. But I am amazed by this transformation I’m witnessing in priorities. Of course, there are things that anger me. Anti-Vax/Anti-mask sentiment is maddening and, in my opinion, ignorant. However, when I get worked up about what’s wrong with the people amongst me, I am quickly reminded by what’s awesome amongst me: “Anti-go back to how we did it before-ness “

Chill vibes via Latvia

I need to make something crystal clear, EASTERN EUROPE IS WORTH IT!

I know, I know, there’s Paris, there’s Rome, and we all know Vienna waits for you. But what about those beautiful Baltics: Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania? We were able to steal away for a weekend in Riga, Latvia, and let me tell you, a weekend was all I needed to fall in love!

The old town in Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you can see why when you walk amongst beauties such as The House of Blackheads, The Three Brothers, Riga Cathedral and a unicorn!

Right of the bat, the Riga airport offers FREE strollers for anyone to use! I immediately knew we were somewhere that takes traveling with kids seriously and I fully appreciated the respect! It only got better from there.

We grabbed a bus into town and started our weekend with a walk around the main square. This is where The House of Blackheads. This building was originally a 14th c building that was demolished by the Nazis and then further by the Soviets. It was rebuilt in the 90s and was one of the most unique buildings I’ve seen in Europe.

That night, I got us tickets to a Latvian puppet theater show called Latvian Puppet Theater (easy to remember) It was so entertaining, it held my two year old, non-latvian speaking, toddler’s attention. I couldn’t tell you what it was about, but the entire experience was great! And right across the street is a huge children’s bookstore/toystore.

The next morning we headed for the Riga Central Market. This is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building is a remarkably large and was originally a German Zeppelin Hangar. We loved seeing how many types of sauerkraut exist and sipping fresh squeezed orange juice. You could spend your entire morning or afternoon here.

That night was our last night, so we decided to just wander around after a delicious, warm meal. A must when in Latvia, is to sip on the Riga Black Balsam. This is considered the national drink of Latvia.

The streets were made to explore and we were ready to oblige.

Toruń: A Gingerbread Lover's Dream

I found out about Toruń from a blog I follow about living in Poland with kids. This blog is exponentially better than mine and I check it every Thursday, religiously. That’s because they update things going on in Warsaw and things to do around Poland every Thursday. It’s called kidsinthecity.pl and it is honestly how I have decided every weekend since we got here!

Toruń was no different. They suggested it for a long weekend getaway and we took them up on the idea. And I think I can speak for us all and say it was THE BEST.

Toruń is a 3 hour train ride from Warsaw. I knew this would be a cinch for Scout as she has been confined to a tiny plane seat for much longer than 3 hours and we all survived. A train would be fun…we could see the countryside, look for deer and walk around when we got bored. I took the Ipad just in case, but we spent the entire 3 hours just looking out the window.

Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. It was founded around the 8th c. but the Teutonic Knights really expanded in the 1200s. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and it’s easy to see why. Charm is found on every single street corner. And what’s more charming than little shops filled with gingerbread? Note the photos below: In the second photo you can see The Leaning Tower of Toruń. It leans a whopping 4’11” from where it should. Legend has it that the Tower and the River used to be great friends. But pretty quickly, River started getting really clingy to Tower and couldn’t pick up on the social cues Tower was giving. Tower started leaning away in an effort to let River know it wasn’t ready for any type of real commitment. (true legend.) The third photo is of Copernicus who was born in Toruń. They are very proud of their hometown astronomer. I’ll save you the google search: Copernicus was the first to theorize that the Earth revolved around the Sun and not the other way around.

Gingerbread is the name of the game in Toruń. In fact, the only planned activity we had was to go to the Gingerbread Museum (https://muzeumpiernika.pl/) and partake in the tradition of gingerbread making. This was seriously a highlight of the entire gap year! Perfect for people of all ages. Scout was even called out to mix the honey into the cookies. Each person is allowed to make a mold of whatever they choose and take it home with them. The gingerbread you make is medieval and inedible, but a cool souvenir. I plan on using mine for Christmas decor.

We stayed at the Apartmenty Monka . Another great find! This was a charming on the outside, sleek on the inside kind of place. The location is ideal. It was a great size for our family and offered one of the best complimentary breakfasts I’ve had. The breakfast area also has a children’s corner with toys. This meant we could enjoy our coffee while it was hot and that is very much appreciated!

Besides the Gingerbread Museum, our trip was mainly about strolling, snacking, seeing, and sipping. We had delicious food at these restaurants: Pierogarnia Stary Młyn, Jan Olbracht Browar Staromiejski ( Which offers a GIANT KID’S PLAY ROOM ATTACHED TO THE PATIO #blessed), and Czarna Oberża (Which is a very affordable, very authentic Polish cafeteria)

Besides beautiful architecture, Toruñ is dotted with cute statues. Yes, cute. There was a golden donkey, a colorful dragon and an adorable puppy. Donkeys and dragons and doggos, oh my! I’m not sure what the puppy or donkey were for, but the dragon is a folk tale of Toruñ. In 1746 a flying AND swimming dragon was spotted cruising through town. Now the towns-people think the dragon lives in the sewers protecting the town. From what? Who knows…that part of the legend died off many moons ago and it is said that the only person who knows is the Dragon-Keep who is vowed to silence for life.

All in all, we loved Toruń! Would recommend.

Warsaw

What can I say about Warsaw that hasn’t already been said? Oh, wait. Like, a lot. I can say a lot because nobody is talking about Warsaw. Why is nobody talking about Warsaw?? This reminds me when I was shouting from the rooftops about Lisbon and now it’s a hotbed of American tourism.  I mean, did I help put Lisbon on the map? Am I single handedly responsible for the uptick in tourism from North Americans? Am I, Jessica Fay, founder and head-writer of Out and About with Scout, owed some kind of medal of tourism for writing a blog leading to the Portuguese economy boost? 

No.

Will I use this power for good and help Warsaw become the next Lisbon??

Also, probably no. Mostly because only my friends and fam read this and they will probably visit me here anyway. But that’s not going to stop me from singing Warsaw’s praises!

So, without further ado, here are my praises for Warsaw!

Warsaw is CLEAN. Every single street, tram, bus and bench I’ve seen is clean. The city is full of workers that walk around with a broom and a pan sweeping up. I’ve actually even seen them sweeping leaves AS THEY FELL. It’s nice to sit on a bus seat that looks like it has never been sat on. That being said, there are still the grody people that ride the buses and trams that cough into their hands or make hacking sounds. But it’s very comforting to know that it’s mostly clean.

Warsaw is very FAMILY FRIENDLY. The first thing I noticed as I was commuting to my first day of work was that there are strollers everywhere. Strollers, kiddos, toddlers, babies and families on every corner. This is great for us because it means that restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores and most other businesses have play areas for kids. I especially love that when I check out at our grocery store, they have a line specifically for people with children. The line is shorter and is attached to a play area equipped with LEGOs and crayons. They even have elevated platforms at either end of the cashier so your kids can help put the groceries on the belt and in the bags.

Speaking of families, what really made me fall for Warsaw were the parks. They are top-notch European. Weeping willows hanging low on crystal ponds full of ducks. Water dancing down multi-level fountains. Gravel paths softly lending sound to children’s bikes as they race for the playground. I try to go to a park at least once a week if not more. We are lucky we have such and outdoor loving kid and beautiful weather lately. The park we frequent the most is Krasinskich. It’s near our house and has everything we need: 2 playgrounds, pond, fountains, chateau, and plenty of running space. Throughout the park you can see where the boundary of the Jewish Ghetto was becuase they’ve laid a bronze boundary line that says as much. A beautiful park in what was once a harrowing and historically tragic space. Other parks worth noting: Saski and Lazienki.

Krasinski Park

Krasinski Park

Lazienki Park

Saski Park

Saski Park

Saski Park

The Old Town is CHARMING. We love visiting the Old Town. Luckily we are within a stone’s throw. Although not the original (original destroyed completely in WWII), the Old Town has been recreated brick by brick. It is a remarkable and beautiful area full of life and tourism. I know we are all supposed to hate the tourist areas, but I love this area. It’s everything you want out of a European main square.  

So far we all love Warsaw. Scout is picking up a little Polish (it’s such a hard language!) and we are starting to settle in. However, I think the “settled” feeling we are having is also giving us the urge to move on. After all, this trip is about new experiences, not falling back into the routines we left behind.

Costa Rica

Right before our trip to Costa Rica, we received the job offers in Poland. This meant we had to shorten Costa Rica from 3 months to only a week.

Costa Rica was one of those places I was so excited to experience. I have only heard great things and couldn’t wait to see what this place had to offer. But with only a week and a super tight budget (Thanks, Galapagos!), I found it hard to enjoy it fully.

We stayed in an AirBnB that was originally booked for the 3 months. And when we arrived, man…I was so glad we had shortened our stay to a week. The house was not at all what I had seen or expected. The porch was covered in spiders and I’m sure the beds were just pieces of ply-wood stapled together. But, we are good sports and we tried to enjoy our jungle week the best we could. I hate to only complain because there were good things about the property. I loved the view! From the porch you could see out into the San Jose valley. Since it was the rainy season, every afternoon we would watch the clouds roll down bringing us rain and the valley fog. I also loved the outdoor space. We were able to collect fresh mangos that had fallen and watch leaf-cutter ants march through the front garden.

We chose to stay in the town of Santa Barbara de Heredia just 20 minutes from the airport. It’s a suburb of a suburb and I liked the small town vibe. They had small square with a great little playground and everything you would need. (i.e. claro, grocery store, restaurants)

Near our AirBnB was an herb farm, Ark Herb Farm. This was a spectacular place! It was a landscaped path that wound through different types of greenery. There are also gardens to explore that are separated by use: essential oils, cooking, medicinal. We had a really great time here and saw they also have a meadery where they use the honey from the bees collecting in the gardens. They weren’t open but I’m sure it is worth a trip!

A random, awesome thing we did was check out the Oxigeno Human Playground Mall. (Malls are such a big deal on the Gap Year. Weird.) This mall is special and definitely not like the rest. Yes, there are shops here and a food court but there is so much more. First, the food court can turn into a sporting arena. And speaking of sports, outside the mall are playgrounds, a running track and a climbing wall. The rooftop is a green space to relax, run or take in the multiple volcano views. Inside are several creative and unique playgrounds. This is also where you will find KidZania (dumb name, great idea) Created in Mexico, KidZanias are popping up in over 20 countries. Its a “playground” that also provides learning experiences. It’s basically a “city” with different “businesses” that kids can explore and play in. When you walk up, there is half an airplane parked in front and everyone at the ticket counter is dressed like airport gate agents. This sets the tone for a creative and genius play space.

At the end of our trip we finally went out and did a very touristy thing and saw a volcano! We hired an Uber driver for the day (I think it was like $40) and he drove us through the coffee fields up to Paos Volcano. This volcano was great with kids for one big reason: the “hike” is only 10 minutes! You drive all the way up and once you get out, they give you a hard hat and you walk along a paved road for 10 minutes. I’ve never seen a volcano that close before and I will not soon forget it. You could smell and see the sulfur bubbling up. The smoke was a constant drift and you could not stop thinking that this thing could blow and any moment. It was so cool and beautiful and easy.

Along the way, I spotted the Starbucks farm and we decided to stop there on the way back down. Turns out, this is Starbucks’ ONLY coffee farm. (That really surprised me.) The farm is more of an R and D for all of the other coffee growers in the area. Starbucks uses this “micro” farm and any information they learn along the way is provided (for free) to the other farmers in the area. Presumably, those farmers are Starbucks growers too.

The farm has THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STARBUCKS IN THE WORLD. I can’t even describe it so here are some pics that probably don’t do it justice.

Well, that about wraps up our short and cheap and a little lacking trip to Costa Rica. Since we had originally planned on living here, we chose a suburb we could afford that lacked a lot of the fun Costa Rica stuff. Our next trip here will most likely be to a resort!

Budget Update - August 2019

Well, well, well. What a month it was.

This month took us from looking for jobs in Ecuador and Latin America, to stumbling across a really cool opportunity in…Warsaw, Poland!

Then of course we also had to make a quick trip to Costa Rica for some quiet time. Oh yeah, and then we had to go home to Texas to get our cold weather clothes before heading to Poland.

As much fun as we had, traveling to 4 destinations over 3 continents did not come without a big hit on the little budget.

The numbers

Budgeted cash flow for August: -$3,483.25

Actual cash flow for August: -$7,433.25 (!!!)

No big deal, just 213% OVER BUDGET.

Where did all of this money go?

The biggest expense was certainly for travel. In total we spent $4,843 to go from Quito, Ecuador to San Jose, Costa Rica, to Fort Worth, TX, to Warsaw, Poland.

Unfortunately some of the flights, like Quito to San Jose, could not be covered with airline miles. And the trips that could use airline miles still cost us a couple thousand dollars. For example, DFW to Warsaw ended up costing us about $1,300 in fees when we used airline miles.

Another place that we spent more money that anticipated was for start up costs in Poland. We had to pay fees for our apartment deposits and visa processing fees. Total here was about $550.

Lessons learned?

We certainly don’t have any regrets about any steps we took, but if we were faced with a similar situation, we would probably not take an in-between trip when moving somewhere else. For example, we could have gone straight to Poland from Ecuador, but we decided to go to Costa Rica for fun, then Texas to get our cold weather gear. In hindsight, the more economical decision would have been to axe the middle trips and go straight to the next destination. By doing this we would save enough money to buy new gear (like for cold weather).

The chart

It’s not pretty, but it is where we are! The red line shows that we are pretty far outside of what we had budgeted. Luckily, though, we have plenty of time to stabilize our spending.

Like a rocket going to space, our spending launched straight into the sky

Galapagos Islands - The most memorable of trips

With our time in Quito coming to an end, our trip to the Galapagos was the perfect end-cap to a great experience.  Our friend, Michelle, and her daughter, Sadie, joined up with us for this adventure of a lifetime.    

            Getting to the Galapagos from Quito is very easy. The flight is only about 2 hours. Once we arrived, we realized we should have bought a $20 card at the UIO airport.  However, since we didn’t, we were able to go to a much shorter customs line and pay the $20 and the $100 entrance fee all at once. The airport looks like you’ve landed on Mars.  It’s small, simple and covered in vents that let the cool breezes blow through. Looking outside, you see an expanse of rock and red-dirt, cacti and wind turbines. 

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            Once we were through customs, we hopped on a bus that took us to a ferry that took us to a taxi that took us to town.  The entire trip was probably about 2 hours, including wait times.  But you hardly notice the time because you are too busy looking at all of the new and strange sights

            We stayed at the Hotel Ninfa.  We were fortunate enough to have our stay gifted to us by our great friend, Michelle.  This major act of kindness really made a difference in our gap year budget and was pivotal in us going to the Galapagos.  We feel so grateful to have friends like her and cherish our adventure with her and her daughter! The hotel had everything you needed and was located in a fantastic spot.  We walked everywhere and enjoyed the hotel breakfast and bar. We also booked our excursion through the hotel when we arrived and it could not have been easier.

            The snorkeling excursion was one of the best parts of the trip.  There are several islands to visit, but with only 4 days for exploring, we decided to visit the nearest one, Pinzon.  Actually “near” may be an over statement! The boat ride to Pinzon Island was about 2 hours. I fought sea sickness from the beginning because of the choppy waters and speed of the boat. On the way out to the island, we stopped because a pod of dolphins (that looked EXACTLY like Killer Whales) was swimming by.  This really helped my stomach calm down just enough to endure the final leg of the journey.

            Once to Pinzon, we all jumped in the VERY cold water and took off.  We saw sharks, turtles and sea lions.  My husband, who took a separate Pinzon tour because of babysitting duties, was able to touch sharks while they slept! He also managed to film a Marine Iguana diving underwater to eat!

            On the way back, to help with my sea sickness, I hunkered down on a bench in the back of the boat to nap.  I had just dozed off when, suddenly, I felt myself being hurled to the side. My initial thought was that the boat had flipped.  After I rolled through the air, I hit a pole and came to a landing on the bottom of the boat. I was sure we had capsized and I would have to save everyone on board. As I looked up to survey the damage, I realized only I had been damaged.  The captain had taken a sharp turn and the bench I was on was not attached to the boat. I had flipped off and flew into a fishing chair.  Luckily, the boat was fine, the passengers were fine and it was only I that had lost the battle with the sea. The upside was when the dive master was smearing ointment onto my battered knees without cleaning his hands or my knees, this really took my mind off of the fact that I had been sea sick! Win Win!

When we got back from the snorkeling, we were famished, so we went on the hunt for some seafood.  What we found was a street called Charles Binford where restaurants set up tables in the street and cook fresh seafood on grills right outside. We ordered a lobster for 3 and were not disappointed! After, we went and had desert at The Galapagos Deli around the corner.  We went to this deli a few times because the cake and ice cream were amazing and they had gluten-free options for Michelle.  If you go, which you should, get the warm chocolate cake and then send me $20 as a tiny thank you for the best cake you’ve ever eaten. (*email me for mailing address)

            The next day we decided to wake up early and walk the long walk to Tortuga Bay. This was about a 45 minute walk from the hotel. My husband had taken Scout the day before and had a fabulous time, so I thought we would do it again and have similar results: WRONG WRONG WRONG. Google maps took us 25 minutes in the wrong direction and Scout cried the. entire. time. By the time we actually made it to the beach, everyone was too physically and emotionally tired to do much else than sit and rest.  The beach, however, was gorgeous and Scout perked up when she saw all of the sand she play in. But then we left and her day of crying resumed.  

            Later that day, we went for a quick look at the Ninfa Lagoon.  It’s really beautiful and a very quick thing to do. The tide comes in and out of this lagoon, mixing fresh and sea water each time.  Mysterious bubbles are attributed to the Nymphs that live in the lagoon…however, based on the rotten egg smell wafting around, I’d guess its caused by either trapped sulfur under the ground or gassy Nymphs. To tour the lagoon, you walk around a wooden walkway that surrounds the lagoon. We had a great time until Scout fell partially through a broken piece of wood. It was towards the end and she wasn’t hurt so NBD!

            For lunch, Scout and I stumbled upon what might be the best located restaurant on the island. We needed some provisions from the grocery store (there’s only one store) and while there, I noticed a staircase with arrows pointing up.  Ever the adventurers, we ascended the stairs hand in hand.  As we emerged onto the third floor, we were greeted with water views and sea breezes. Oh, and an indoor play area for kids! (the food was just ok…but the view makes up for it)

            On our last day, we decided to pack it in before our flight. On the way to the airport, we had the driver stop off at Los Gemelos and El Chato.  Los Gemelos are sink holes that were created by empty lava tunnels collapsing.  They are beautiful and impressively large and a great, fast sight on the way out of town. 

After, the craters, we went to El Chato. El Chato is a tortoise reserve and includes tours of lava tunnels.  Seeing the giant tortoises in person were better than I could imagine. Their size is hard to capture in photos and watching them walk and “talk” were extremely cool. It was the perfect way to end the trip. It was also here that I found out I am NOT allergic to bee stings!! #memories

I am so grateful to have visited the Galapagos.  And even more grateful I was able to do it with friends. It is true, the animals do not care that you are there or that you are human, they are just enjoying their predator-free lives. We made so many great memories here and Scout is still talking about all of the animals she saw at the “zoo”. 

Budget Update - July 2019

Well we are another month in, and we are still under budget! However, this may have occurred to some fortunate breaks.

We actually ended up spending over $900 above budget. Uh-oh. Luckily, we got some unexpected refund checks from some old services we cancelled. These came in to a little over $1000. Phew!

Our biggest expense from the month was among three areas: Food, Fun, Groceries, and Uber.

Our budget for these 4 total was a measly $800/month. In the end we ended up spending $1,433. So, way over budget.

This overage accounted for $633 of our overall spend over budget

Why did we go so far over?

First of all, groceries remain pretty expensive out here in Quito. In total for July we ended up spending $643 dollars.

• A part of this is the fact that we had guests over for a week. That will always spike up groceries

Also, our unexpected trip to Banos came in at $263 total. This was a big part of why we went over, but we would do it all over again given the opportunity.

What saved us?

Well luckily we got those large refund checks! These were definitely a budget saver.

Gap Year-to-date

Thanks to those refund checks we actually ended up under budget for the second month in a row. So this puts our little red bar below the blue one. Total expenditure through end of the second month is $8,773.66.

We shall see if we can continue the momentum into next month (something tells me this may not happen with the big Galapagos trip coming up).

Finally made it to Baños

Since we only have about 3 weeks left for the Ecuador portion of our Gap Year, we made a last minute decision to plan a couple of days in Baños, Ecuador. Second to the Galapagos, this is the most suggested place outside of Quito. All we ever hear are stories about this little town on the edge of the Amazon that has an endless supply of outdoor activities. 

To get there we decided on a rental car, which took right at 3 hours. Just the drive alone was an interesting experience since it let us see many different parts of Ecuador. Our favorite things were probably the highway-side animals. We saw everything from pigs to llamas to horses to cows and beyond.

We got in around 2pm, which gave us enough time to wander around town and admire the beautiful mountains that surround it. In every direction we saw green mountain backdrops with clouds caught in the trees. One mountain even has a super high waterfall that comes down about 50 feet from one of the Baños roads. It is said that the Virgin Mary appeared at the bottom of this waterfall making its water holy.  Plenty of pilgrims make their way to the spot.

The big in-town waterfall: Cascada Cabellera de la Virgen

While meandering we also got a chance to stumble upon the Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water. We really like this one since the interior of the chapel was covered in tile, carrying the town’s thermal bath theme. 

The square in front of the Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water

Day 2 started off with a quick 30 minute car ride to see one of the area’s most popular sites - the waterfall called Pailon del Diablo. Once we got to the parking lot all we had to do was strap Scout in the hiking carrier and walk about 15 minutes to the waterfall. Very glad we had this carrier because it would have been super precarious to have her walking alongside us while we crossed rope bridges that hang 200 feet in the air. 

With Scout safely strapped in we were able to experience what this waterfall is known for - the fact that you can walk right behind it! Once behind the the Pailon del Diablo you can really feel the power of a 262 foot waterfall. It’s a roaring wall of water that’s so thick light can barely get through.

Jess right behind the Pailon del Diablo waterfall

Next up was a visit to this adventure area called Casa del Arbol, which is perched atop one of those aforementioned mountains that surrounds Baños. It has the typical adventure fare like a zip line and sweeping views, but it’s most known for having one of the most Instagrammable spots in Baños, if not Ecuador. Here is where you can find a tree house right on the edge of the mountain that has a swing that takes you out and over the steep drop.

Best part of the park? Access to the entire Casa del Arbol is only $1 per person.

Swinging above the mountains at Casa del Arbol

View from one side of Casa del Arbol

To end the day we tried out a thermal spring-fed bath / water park called Termas de la Virgen. For only $6 per adult (Scout was free) we got to choose from several outdoor pools ranging from tepid to way too hot. Once we found the right pool we got to relax while surrounded by 1,000 foot mist covered mountains. 

In the end we were happy with the decision to make the trip. It put us a little over our July budget, but we found it to be totally worth it. If you are in Ecuador for 2 weeks or more it should certainly be on your itinerary.

Baños’ Termas de la Virgen are a wonderful way to end a day

One Month In

One Month with a Toddler and Here's Where I Spent It (Sadly, it wasn't a bar)

We have been in Quito for 1 month now, and I’m starting to get a real grasp for my new city.  It definitely feels like home now and I’d love to share some of the places I’ve taken Scout. I won’t lie and say I’ve taken to the Stay-At-Home-Mom life with grace. It has been hard and Mama needed a lot of breaks. Here’s where this list comes in. Here are some places we have been going to burn all that super-human toddler energy and keep me sane. Luckily, through Facebook, I’ve connected with some expat moms and they have been generous with sharing their secret spaces throughout the city.

Parque Metropolitano

Yes, another park. I know. But I can’t help it. This city is full of malls and parks. I think it’s because there is no Amazon here and its consistently 70 degrees. This park is different than the rest. Although it is in Quito proper, it feels like you’ve stepped into a german folk story. Trees tower above the cobble-stoned paths and every few turns you are greeted with a statue of modern art. When we went, we were met with a chilly fog shrouding the hill top. There are several trails and plenty of fantastic views. This place was the perfect place to let Scout climb, dig, run, or her favorite, clack one rock on top of another rock over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

Happy Time

This indoor playground was a b to find. According to google, it was in the CCI Mall. (One of 3 malls that run along the perimeter of Parque La Carolina) I had almost given up and then thought, “Maybe I should just check the Parqueadero (Parking Garage)…weirder things have happened in Quito.” So we did and that is exactly where I found Happy Time. The front is an arcade and the back is a gated play space. It included trampolines, slides, mats, ball pits and so many toys. It seemed that most kids were there sans parent…I assumed they had been dropped off while the parents shopped? But I paid the extra $1 to go in with Scout. She loved it and I will definitely be back. Be warned, however, if you are used to the indoor play spaces of North America, this isn’t going to live up to that. I saw outlets that were definitely within reach of kids, there were spaces that the children could crawl UNDER THE TRAMPOLINE, and I may or may not have seen a bloody smear on a mat. But now I live in a community where children are expected to have some common sense and sanitation is too high a standard. Scout not only survived Happy Time, she absolutely had a blast! I think I can accept that some toys are held together by tape in exchange for a nice 2 hour nap break.

Vaco y Vaca

So, I’ve seen these restaurants at all the malls, but I’ve only visited the one in the Quicentro Mall. This is a restaurant that has FREE childcare while you eat. We stopped in and had some cervezas and papas fritas while Scout enjoyed their fully equipped play room. I admit, there was a teensy part of me that was hesitant, until I actually saw the playspace. There were television, toys, crafts, and several children to play with. Scout had a great time and so did we. I only wish the playspace was open in the morning, because I would probably spend every morning there.

So, that’s all I’ve found so far. There are few more places I plan to check out in the coming weeks. I have to say, the best tool for travel, I’ve found, is Instagram. I use it to help plan every trip I go on. I search bloggers in the area as well as location search. It is so handy in finding communities and hidden gems. I’ll update this post as I explore more!

Nannie in Ecuador!

Within our first few weeks here, we were lucky enough to have one of our moms come and stay in Quito with us. This was major for me since I was really struggling with the stress of a new city and the exhaustion of a new stay-at-home-mom! She agreed to write a little bit about her Ecuadorian experience and I’d love to share it with you.

My Travels to Ecuador

By Joy Forsythe

I’m a grandma and I recently traveled to Quito, Ecuador, to visit my daughter, son-in-law and grandbaby who are there to begin their “gap year”! I was a little apprehensive about going based on what I have heard fro a few people who actually have never been there but have a preconceived notion about South America.

I was pleasantly surprised. Not only are the people very warm and welcoming, the food is out of this world, living is very affordable and getting around the city is very easy.

There is so much to do. We cooked with an Ecuadorian chef, hiked in the rain forest, gazed at waterfalls and saw the equator. I absolutely fell in love. Never have I visited a place and wanted to take so much home with me!

Needless to say, all of my worries were put to rest. I’m very happy and proud my kids are getting this amazing experience. I highly recommend a visit to Ecuador!

Riding to cable car high above the rain forest in MIndo

Family photo from the middle of the world!

Budget Update - June 2019

The results are in for our first budget check, and we actually did pretty well!

Since we left on June 16th, we created a budget for the remainder of the month. This way we could do full month budgeting for the rest of the trip. 

So where did we end up?

First of all, we budgeted to spend $1818 from June 16th - June 30th. This includes all expenses from our one-day layover in Miami en route to Quito. 

Budgeted spend: $1,818

Actual spend: $1,728

So, we ended up $90 under budget!

What was cheaper than expected? 

Ubers - We can’t believe how affordable these are here. A 10 minute Uber ride will usually cost around $1.50

Restaurant lunches - Across the city there are hundreds of restaurants that offer “almuerzos”, which are delicious fixed-menu meals. Usually you get a soup, an entree, a desert, and a fresh pressed juice. Average price…$3. Amazing.

What was more expensive than expected?

Groceries - We were surprised to see how similar grocery stores are here in Quito - from the way they look to how much they charge. Just in the first two weeks we spent $253, which ended up being our biggest single expense. Milk, for example, is $5/gallon. It will be interesting to see how much we spend for all of July. 

Updated budget chart

You can see the little red line is just below the blue line. We are on track!

2 weeks and 3 days in...

17 days in Ecuador and we have packed in as many experiences as we could.  Now that the dust is settling and we are getting back to a normal-ish day-to-day life, I’d like to share some of the highlights of the last few weeks. 

Day 1 in Parque La Carolina

The first place we checked out was the park that’s 2 blocks from our apartment, Parque La Carolina. This park is huge and houses several playgrounds, water fountains, paddle boats, a skate park, botanical garden, reptile house and an area devoted to all things fitness. We actually go to this park about every other day just to get some outdoor time and enjoy the perfect 70 degree weather.

Next on our list was the Teleferico.  This is a gondola that takes you from the edge of the city center to the east side of Pichincha Volcano. It starts at 10,226 ft high and rises to 12,943 ft high! It is much colder up that high and windier. The scenery is beautiful. There are natives that have llamas and horses you can take pictures with or ride. There’s a swing that proves to be one of the most Instagrammable swings on earth. You can hike another 2 hours to summit Pichincha Volcano.

Another great park in Quito is Parque El Ejido.  This place has a market, street vendors, play grounds and you can rent old-timey metal pedal cars to cruise around with your kids.  We snacked on choclos which are corn pancakes stuffed with different cheeses. They are sweet, salty, crunchy and soft and all-around amazing.

For a more kid-centric experience, we hit up the Yaku Water Museum.  This place is worth the trip for the view alone.  A glass box of a building set up high, has sweeping views of the city and the surrounding mountains/volcanos.  There are several stations educating kids on all things water. (what it is, what animals live in it, how to keep it clean)

My very favorite activity I’ve done thus far, was the cooking experience with Chef Sebbastian. My mom and I were taken to a local market and introduced to vendors and all sorts of unique and new foods.  We picked our menu and picked out all of the ingredients.  We then went to his house and he guided us in making a very delicious and memorable meal, ceviche with plantains and native carrots.  He is a professional and I will always remember this experience.  Just lovely.

And our most recent adventure was a road trip to Mindo.  We hired a driver for the day and trekked out on the 2 hour drive through the mountains into the rainforest. I definitely got car sick but it was totally worth it! When we got to Mindo, which is a cute village in itself, we headed straight to the cable car.  This cable car takes you high above the forest over to the hiking trails that lead to 6 waterfalls.  Most of the activities in Mindo are not in town and require driving on an extremely basic/dirt path. I was shocked at first by this road, but you quickly see that there is a fair amount of traffic on it including several taxis!

The hiking was stellar and bucket-list worthy.  Lots of birders are in this area so it’s a good idea to keep your eyes up! We spotted a Choco Toucan.

After the hiking, we headed over the the butterly garden, Mariposas de Mindo. This place was beautiful and there are butterflies everywhere.  You can even put mashed banana on your finger and hand feed the butterflies.  We were able to see butterflies emerging from their cocoons and flying away. Truly a beautiful experience.

So that’s our first 17 days in Ecuador, stay tuned for more!