Spain Part II

Marcus and I have been delayed in updating our blog because we have been so busy working on our bid list.  We should know the identity of our next post by mid August.  Very exciting.

Of course we had an amazing time and created some great family memories.  We left Denia and drove up the cost to Barcelona, stopping on the way in Taragona (a Roman spa town which was the home of Julius Ceasar) for a quick bit to eat and some sight-seeing.   We sat with a view over the Mediterranean and an ancient amphitheatre. 

After arriving in Barcelona, we enjoyed a nice dinner with Art, Patty, and Mark.  We found a gem of a tapas bar whose staff were very fond of Desmond. 

The next morning, we flew to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.  For three days we walked through old medieval neighborhoods, stopping in cafes, more tapas bars, and old churches.  The streets, especially after the rain, made us feel like we were travelling back in time to medieval Europe.  We also drove out to Costa del Muerte, which is the continental counterpart of the west coast of Ireland.  Lots of quaint fishing villages and breathtaking coastline.

We then returned to Barcelona for some hardcore sightseeing.  Without a doubt our favorite spot was the Sagrada Familia.  Gaudi’s unfinished Roman Catholic Church is something everyone should see regardless of your religious persuasion.  When completed it will surely be one of the world’s architectural treasures.  Amazingly, it has been a work in progress for over 100 years.  They say that it will take another quarter of a century to complete.   We enjoyed walking up and down the hilly streets and eating at different restaurants every night.  Desmond enjoyed walking around as well and became an expert hand holder by the end of the trip.  Lots of parks and funky buildings.  A very pedestrian friendly city, and one in which anybody would love to live. 

The two weeks of visiting old friends and sightseeing was much needed.  We enjoyed it thoroughly.  While we had a great trip, we were both happy to return home (Desmond could have probably stayed and checked out Barcelona longer).  Desmond was amazing on the flight home; we could not have asked for a better performance from him.  I think we’ve set the foundation for a good traveler. 

Now for Desmond’s next adventure---pre-pre-school….

But mommy, I dont want to smile right now... I want to play

Amazing views!

Cat nap on the plane

I LOVE the parks in Spain, can we please stay??

the art in Glacia was crazy, you saw everything

Yay, Suarez!

Desmond Loved the water... he wanted to play in every fountain.

Road trip, beautiful views

Yumm, I love pasta.

We climbed up the hard way, I didnt think we would ever get down.. we found the easy way down.

Whew, made it! On top and its windy!

Exhausted!

Look at me, this is fun. 

Desmond enjoying the view.

Spain Part I

Spain was amazing; I think we both agreed that in the future we could spend an extended amount of time there.  We spent the first week in Denia with our friends and the second week traveling around.

Week one – We took a night flight to Barcelona and Desmond was pretty fussy.  I suppose we should have of kept him up so that he would have slept on the plane.  I was pretty exhausted by the time we got to Barcelona.  Then we waited for our friend Mark to arrive so that we could drive 4 hours to Denia, our destination for the week.  The drive down was really pretty and relaxing, and there were hardly any cars on the road (unlike Delhi).  The only issue we ran into was Desmond’s epic meltdown from being extremely overtired.  I am sure Mark was thrilled to be in the car.

We stayed in these great condos right next to a large pool and series of waterfalls.  Desmond and his buddies, Thea and Logan, loved to play in the water and swim around as much as possible.  But I think that the “boys” enjoyed playing with the kids’ toys more than they did in the pool.  We hit Denia several times for dinner:  tapas, fish, paella, lamb, and, of course, sangria.  It didn’t get dark until 10pm so the kids were up much later than normal, but that allowed us to stay out a little later.  Even then we were still done early compared to the locals.  It was great.  Des would go to bed around 9pm and wake up at 9am and we got to sleep in.

We spent one day at the beach and Desmond had a blast playing in the sand and surf.  He and the girls shoveled sand from one area to the next.  Maybe next time they will start building castles.  We hired a babysitter one night and went out with adults only, which was really nice and relaxing.  And finally we spent one day at the Aquarium in Valencia.  Very impressive for older kids and adults.  Desmond was still a little too young to understand what was going on but he had a blast running around like a crazy man for many hours and crashed hard on the way home.  In fact I think almost everyone crashed on the way home.

The mornings were spent playing tennis and the evenings were spent hanging out over some beers.  The days that we did not go out were spent by the pool.  The boys and Patty did go out one day to go bowling, which turned into bowling/ McDonalds/go-karting/who-knows-what-else adventure. We won’t make any further comments about it.

Marla, Taylor, and Logan left Friday morning and Art, Patty, and Mark left Friday afternoon.  Bob, Dana, Thea, Marcus, Desmond, and I spent the evening in Denia and found a great street with beautiful trees that was blocked off from traffic with lots of restaurants.  Thea and Des ran around while we watched them, and we enjoyed a nice meal before heading home.  Marcus, Desmond, and I left the next morning for Barcelona… Part II in a few days about the second half of our holiday.

We would like to make a special note to Mark, Art and Patty.  We saw them while we were in DC and did not mention it in the last blog.  It was great to see them in DC and even better to spend some time with them in Spain.  And another shout out to Jessie, Fernando, Gabriel, and Elias for having all of us over for dinner.  It was extremely kind of you to organize something.

We would also like to thank Bob for organizing the Spain trip.  He did a great job, and we were thrilled that we were all able to get together.  We hope that this will be repeated.

Des pondering life and the amazing view

Ahh family shot

I'm swimming with the eel! pretty cool

Out cold!

Des and Thea working hard...

Mark, Marcus, and Art

Beautiful views!

Our trip back to the the East Coast

I know it has been awhile since our last post and I will promise to try get better at sending more updates. Desmond and I just returned from a nice 5 week holiday to NJ and met Marcus for 2 of those weeks, one week in DC and one week in NJ.

Desmond and I flew back to NJ on our own and it was a very interesting trip. We left India at 1am (India time) and arrived in Chicago at 5am (Chicago time). Des was amazing on the flight, we probably watched Shrek at least 15 times being the only cartoon available but I didn’t care because it made him really happy. Unfortunately we had a 4 year old scream on the plane for a good part of the trip so out of the 15 hours, Desmond probably only slept 4 – 5 hours, which meant I was also awake.

We arrived to Chicago on time, made it through customs with no problems and settled in nicely for a long 6+ hrs lay over. After about 45 minutes of running after a hyper baby I decided to check out the admiral’s club to see what it was all about. I wasn’t about to run after des for 6 hours and I knew he wasn’t about to take a nap so, we bought a day pass. Afterwards the guy looked at me and said I looked like someone who just got off a long flight and needed a shower, I said yes! He directed me to another terminal. When we got there, I did one loop around the entire club and right before we settled in, I saw playroom! A huge child friendly room with no one in it – we moved in! Desmond ran around like a crazy person for about 4 hours and I just sat and watched him. Life was good.

We packed up and went to catch our flight, only for it to be delayed for an hour – apparently they didn’t have a crew. Finally we boarded the plane only to learn it was delayed a 4 more hours. So we unloaded and then learned our flight was canceled. At this point I was so over tired that I am in tears, Desmond has not slept in 13 hrs (not even a nap!) and we are stuck. So I re-book, get a hotel room and we pass out until the next morning. Everything was smooth sailing from there! I was glad to see mom and dad at the airport!!!

Our first week in NJ was rough, Desmond had a rough time adjusting to sleeping in American (clean) food, but he came around in a few days. I also had to be in Philly right away for a class I was taking and he didn’t like me being away all day. However, during our 3 weeks there, we settled into a nice routine of playing, playing and wait, more playing. Desmond went to the park almost every day, play outside in the grass, and went on many walks. He was also very spoiled with love (and cartoons) with Grandma and Grandpa. He also had a lot of‘new’ toys to play with. His favorite was the cart, which he would wheel around the house.

We also were lucky to spend some time with Great Grandpa/grandma, Uncle Ray and Aunt Barbara. It was great to see them. And we got to see Uncle Bryan, Aunt Caren, and cousin Caitlyn, Zachary, and Addison. Desmond had a blast playing with his cousins!!!

Around week 4 we headed to DC. Marcus was in DC for a training so we got to stay with him. We were able to see Grandpa/ma Carpenter and Aunt Becca, it was awesome to spend quality time with them. We were also very lucky and were able to meet our friends Oliver/Miranda and Declan – they were doing their East Coast Family tour and carved out some time to spend with us . We spent the week, visiting with friends and family and eating. We had an amazing time!

Then we went to LBI for a few days and spent some quality R&R on the shore reading and playing. Desmond loves the sand and the water (even though it was freezing!!). We were able to see more family and get some great sleep (with the widows open!).

Our time home quickly came to an end and we while we had a great time, we are back home in India. We are back to working and Desmond is still playing. Next adventure, Spain!

Pictures from our East Coast Trip

On the farm in NJ!! My own tractor

Happy Mother's Day Grandma, I love you!

Hanging with my bud Declan

Story time!

Watching the marines practice..I am practicing too

My boys, passed out from traveling and playing

Hanging with Grandma Carpenter

Not sure how I feel about this horse mom

Heading back to NJ, very early in the morning

Got my new backpack, ready for school! how many more years to go?

I lOVE the beach!

Part II Grandma and Grandpa come to India

Second half of the trip:  after a brief recovery from Kerala, I started my job as an Embassy RN at the medical unit while Grandma/pa stayed home with Desmond (and our new housekeeper).  On the way to work, our driver told us about a better job he accepted while we were away on holiday.  The new job pays him much better, pays for meals and lots of overtime, doesn’t require work on Saturdays, and gives him a “prestige” job that gives him long-term stability.  Basically, we couldn’t match it as we only have 1.5 yrs left.  So I started my first day in tears convinced I was making the wrong decision BUT everything has worked out and I really enjoy the job.  Grandma and Grandpa were able to spend some real quality time with Desmond. 

Midweek, we left Desmond at home with our new housekeeper and headed to Old Delhi, a must see.  Upon arriving, our driver, Haris, negotiated a price for a tour Old Delhi on a bike taxi.  First stop:  Red Fort.  I have never been to the Red Fort, and it is much bigger than I expected.  We could have had spent a day there.  One hour later our taxi brought us through the streets of Old Delhi, where we were supposed to stop at Jama Masjid, a mosque, but it was closed for an hour for prayer.  Instead we went to Karim’s, a very famous restaurant in Old Delhi.  I think they were a bit nervous given the appearance and “localness”, but they left impressed and full.  I was proud of their sense of adventure. 

The next day Haris took us to Agra so that they could see the famous Taj Mahal.  Again we decided to leave Desmond at home.  These day trips are very busy and he would rather run around then be confined to a carrier.  We had a great trip, and it only took about 3 hrs to get there.  We stopped once to take a “chai break” before arriving at Akbar’s tomb.  There we hired a tour guide for the day, and he did a great job explaining all of the history of Akbar’s tomb, Taj Mahal, and Agra Fort.  I think my parents were very impressed with the Taj; Grandma kept saying she couldn’t believe she was actually there.  We stayed at each place for about one hour and then had lunch in a very nice restaurant.  As Marcus and I always do with new restaurants, we ordered the veg options to be on the safe side.  All of the food we ordered was amazing!  After lunch, we did a little shopping and then headed home.  The ride home took a little longer and I think we were all tired but had an amazing day. 

Saturday rolled around and little Desmond turned ONE!!!  I cannot believe our little boy officially a toddler.  We had an amazing day!  Desmond had a little Monkey themed party with all of his little friends.  It was really hot that day but it cooled off enough for the party.  Desmond enjoyed playing in the water table with his girlfriend Erica (she has a few boyfriends though being the only 1 y/o girl at the embassy).  He also enjoyed pulling monkey piñata strings with Marshall and Joshua and his other friends.  Finally, he ate (tasted) his first birthday cake:  one shaped like a smiling monkey!  We were so happy to have our friends with us and even happier to have Grandma/pa there to celebrate, especially as they were there at his birth.

Additionally, Grandma and Grandpa took Desmond to Lodi Gardens and the playground one day with our driver.  And they when to Qutub Minar all by themselves on the last day, what an adventure! They were very happy that they went to all three places.

Sadly, the three weeks came to end.  We tried to convince them to stay longer but they needed to return home (I think they were ready for a salad!).  They were adventurous and tried everything we put in front of them. We had amazing time with them and we hope that they return next year =)



Desmond and Haris on the slide at the playground




Old Delhi




Old Delhi




Taking a rest in the bike taxi




Akbar's tomb




The Taj




Taj Mahal




Corny I know, but I love these pictures!




Happy Birthday Desmond!!! Excellent cake!




I made Monkey Cupcakes... a lot of fun



Yummm cake!!!!



Monkey Pinata! Pulling the strings instead of a bat...



Grandma and Grandpa Suarez come to India

Grandma and Grandpa made their way to India from NJ, surviving the long 15 hr plane ride.  We were very lucky to have them with us for 3 weeks.  Hopefully I can capture all the important events. 

The first week was one of adjustment, and (surprisingly) it was raining.  We tooled around Delhi, went to the Embassy/compound, visited a museum, and played with Desmond, who was thrilled to have all of the attention.  Three days after their arrival we all boarded a plane to Kerala in South India for a family vacation.  First we stayed in Cochin at the Old Harbour Hotel.  What a beautiful hotel!  Right near the water, we were able to watch all the fishermen work the Chinese fishing nets and do some fun shopping.  In the evening, Marcus and I were able to have a nice dinner while Desmond was upstairs sleeping. 

From Cochin we headed to the backwaters and stayed on a houseboat for one night.  We were able to get a quick glimpse of life in Kerala:  the women doing laundry in the water, the kids bathing, the people fishing, etc.  We were able to see some great birds and rice fields.  Desmond probably did not have the best time because he was not able to run around but I think the rest of us enjoyed the trip.  All of the meals were delicious and there was enough food to feed an army.  We even ate our lunch off of bananas leaves!  So far the vacation had been great.  However the next day we hit a few minor bumps.

The quick version:  a man ran into our taxi door as it was opening on his motorcycle and was flung clear into the water (no one was hurt), holding us up for 2+ hours.  When we got to the resort we were told we did not have a reservation and when they did find it we were quoted a higher price then we agreed to (which we worked out) and the pool was not functioning (it was 96 degrees out!).  Our rooms were next to each other and my parents left the door open so we could come in with Desmond, but instead a stranger came into the room and climbed into bed with them…Grandma ran out calling for me and Grandpa was slowly waking up.  I called security but they did not understand me, so I got Marcus to go in (Desmond is napping).   Marcus goes out and another man comes running around the corner and slips- we think everyone is drunk but not the case.  It turns out to be the father of the stranger in bed with Grandpa, and while running around the corner, he slipped on some water after hearing all of the commotion.  It turns out that the stranger was his special needs son.  In the end, everything was fine but Grandpa thought we hired someone for some special “Indian relaxation therapy” (he had only heard of Ayurvedic massage) and was very confused. 

The rest of the stay was relaxing and amazing, the resort made up for their errors in the beginning by upgrading us villas with outdoor showers and private pools!!   They were extremely accommodating in every aspect and would recommend staying there to anyone who plans on being in Kerala.

Sadly, our vacation had to come to an end and we headed back to Delhi.  This really concludes the first half of their trip and we all had a great time.  I will post the second half of the trip soon, the adventure continued….



Desmond ganking Daddys breakfast




Right outside our hotel in Keral, Chinese fishing nets at sunset





Lunch on the houseboat in the backwaters on banana leaves



Desmond taking a snooze with Grandpa



Desmond and Grandpa walking up and down the boat



Desmond hanging with Grandma in the morning

At the resort, he likes that coconut drink



Daddy taking cooking lessons at the resort - curry




yumm dinner!




Our private pool at the resort!!




Family playtime




Our "room" or villa



Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Desmond!!!

Some quick updates

Well, we have been extremely busy in the last many weeks.  So busy that I have not had a free moment to write in our blog and life is about to become even more crazy so I am going to try and catch up on all of our events.   Desmond began walking in the beginning of January but didn’t really pick up on it until the middle/end of January, now there is no stopping him!  I know I probably say it a million times but our little guy has grown up so much in the last few months!

After Marcus’s dad and sister left, we settled back into our routine of sightseeing in Delhi.  Marcus and I first went to visit the B’hai temple, or Lotus temple.  Open to all religions, it emphasizes that a House of Worship be a gathering place for all to worship God without denominational restrictions.  We have seen the Lotus temple many times from a distance and finally decided to check it out ourselves.  The temple attracts many visitors so it was extremely crowded.  As in any crowded place in Delhi, Desmond becomes the main attraction so we really need to keep him close or everyone will want to touch him or take his picture.  The temple itself is simple and beautiful and we were happy to make the trip out there.

In the beginning of February, we went with friends to visit Tughlaqabad Fort, a complex of ruins in south Delhi, stretching across 6.5km.  It was built in 1321 and abandoned in 1327.  Out of all of the forts we have seen this one is probably my favorite, probably because there were not many people there and the ruins left a lot to the imagination.  Afterwards we went to our favorite restaurant in Delhi, Saravana Bavan, which serves South Indian food.  There are millions of places to eat in Delhi but somehow we keep ending up back at this one, great food and child friendly (in the fact that they don’t mind a messy eater).

As the weeks roll on, the weather warms up.  I cannot believe how quickly it went from cold to hot; it will be a long ‘summer.’  We have been going to a park near our house almost every day so that Desmond can play and walk around.  He loves the slide and wants to play with the big kids… but the big kids do not want to play with him.  Right now he has no fear; he tried to go face down the slide several times.  I know we are in for many bumps, bruises, and tears.

Desmond is now laughing and smiling all the time.  He started out being a serious little dude, but now he is happy and curious.  When Marcus gets home from work we bring him into our room and he jumps and plays on the bed with us on either side, laughing the entire time.  He also loves the bath, splashing his ducks in and out of the tub.  I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time at the embassy pool this summer.

 Marcus’s Dad sent us a globe that arrived in a super large box, which quickly became a toy for Desmond.  He loves to hide in the box for us to find him, and he loves for me to hide in the box for him to find me.  But his favorite activity right now is going up and down stairs, over and over again.  He actually cries when he has to stop.  Now he runs right to stairs as soon as he sees them so we have to keep a very close eye on him.

The next adventure to blog about will be about my parents visit to India, hopefully I will be able to start a post of two soon. They leave in one week and it sure has been an adventure for everyone.

Lotus Temple

Tughlaqabad Fort

My hangout spot

Desmond on the compound grass