by Missie Hills | Apr 9, 2017 | International Adventures, South America
Wether or not to add a little taste of Chili to our Argentinian adventure was a decision that I agonized over for weeks right before our trip. The world famous Torres Del Paine National Park was only a few hours away from El Calafate. Photos of the park had me mesmerized. In any other circumstance, this decision would have been a no brainer. Of course we wanted to see those gorgeous mountains and beautiful turquoise lakes! Why wouldn’t we make the trip across the border?
Well, the answer to that question comes in the form of a tiny human with my eyes and Jason’s smirk.
Could we handle one of the top hiking destinations in the world with a 7 month old baby? Could Little E take the long day on a schedule set by tour guides? Would we be wasting our time since we couldn’t participate in fun activities like horseback riding or long treks up rough terrain? With our hearts whispering “YOLO, YOLO, YOLO” in side of our heads (although we will never admit to that), we decided to risk it. We just couldn’t bring ourselves to travel all the way to the southern part of South America without experiencing this wonder.
We were still a little uneasy when we boarded the interesting all-terrain bus with a carseat. The looks we got were not too pleasant. I suppose everyone was worried Little E would cry the whole trip. However, our perfect little man did great. The bus was comfortable enough despite the most bumpy roads I have ever experienced. We got our first glimpse of the local wildlife, guanaco, emus, sheep, horses and the majestic condor!
Crossing the border was interesting just as what would be expected. Everything went quite smoothly with the help of our tour guide. It didn’t take long after we arrived in Chili for us to see the mountains ahead. There were clouds pouring fresh snow over the mountains peaks. Once the clouds cleared, we got our first glimpse of the beautiful Torres Del Paine (the parks namesake)…the Blue Towers. And at that moment, we knew we made the right decision. Our bus took us from stop to stop to get many different panoramic views of the mountains and lakes. We stopped by a waterfall where we found some tree trunks to sit on and had a pleasant lunch. The tour packed the best lunch for us with so many local goodies.
Each stop we made provided even more grand views. Every peak had its own unique shape, and every lake had it own unique shade of blue. We were in awe.
Eventually we got the opportunity to take our first short hike. Jason strapped E to his chest and we walked through a very windy valley to the base of one of the peaks. The hike also took us by another beautiful waterfall. E loved the hike. The kid just likes to be outdoors. It was only a 2 hour hike, and it left us itching for more.
We decided to stay the night in a park resort instead of taking the long drive back to El Calafate that night. The resort we stayed in was beautiful. The staff was extremely nice. But, the room was nothing more then a couple beds and a bathroom. The resort bar made up for the tiny room though, and the food was amazing. We drank Chilean pisco sours, but my heart is still in love with Peruvian pisco sours. With my nose stuck in the air, I critiqued the pisco sour harshly and yet ordered two more. The beer was brewed on site and was very good. The bartender actually brewed it himself and was very proud of it. Jason was proud to be able to add a new beer to his list that very few people in world have tried.
E didn’t sleep to well that night causing for a tired family the next day. So, we took our time getting ready before we headed out for our day hike. This time we attempted the hike to the Torres Del Paine base camp. The total hike takes around 6 to 8 hours, and we only had around 4. So we hiked as much as we could taking in the beautiful scenery around us, the fresh air, and the precious moments together as a family. This hike ended up being the highlight of our entire trip. This is a destination that we definitely want to come back to when E is older and can hike on his own.
Maybe we are crazy. Yes, we took a baby through three different countries at the expense of our sanity. But in the end the trip was perfect. We built memories that will last us forever. We developed a stronger family union by experiencing the world together. I can’t imagine not having my wonderful husband and my beautiful son next to me in any moment as grand as these were. Crazy? Yes. We admit it. But we wouldn’t have any other way.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Mar 5, 2017 | International Adventures, South America
We arrived in El Calafate eager to explore the famous Patagonia. We had been conditioned to love the Patagonia already through overpriced fleeces worn by the cool kids in high school. So, actually seeing it with our own eyes brought an appreciation for the vast region full of mountains, desserts, and grasslands. But mostly grasslands.
When I always pictured the Patagonia, I pictured green snowcapped mountains as far as my eyes could see. What I actually saw out of my plane window as we started to descend was quite different. I saw a vast flat dusty area covered in prickly bushes and spotted with aqua blue lakes. I started to wonder if we made a mistake. What could we explore in this summer tundra other then sheep herds?
I perked up as our cab driver took us into town. The little village was full of life with backpackers walking up and down the street buying gear, drinking wine, and sampling the chocolate shops. It was clear that these backpackers were getting ready to explore the mountain regions nearby. That excited me as we had our own plans of seeing some of the Andes. As we explored the small shops on the main strip, we began to notice a theme. El Calafate loved their namesake, the calafate berry. We tried the calafate jam and drank some calafate liquor. We even bought some calafate beer.
That night we decided to take E out for a nice dinner to try the famous Argentinian parrilla. We knew to expect a lot of meat. But what we got exceeded our expectations. We stuffed our face with a mound of different meats and a side of potatoes. We washed it all down with some Argentinian Malbec. We tried something new, blood sausage, and decided we didn’t care much for it. Jason cut my meat for me while I entertained a fussy baby. We started to question wether the nice dinner with Little E was a good idea. He normally does quite well in restaurants, but this night he wasn’t having it. Perhaps he was jealous of the delicious meal Jason and I had laid out in front of him.
When we left the restaurant, it was still bright and sunny outside. The sun was still overhead barely starting to set. It seemed like we had so much day left, but when we looked at the watch we saw it was already getting close to ten o’clock! It was no wonder why Baby E was so fussy. We had kept him up way passed him bedtime. We weren’t prepared for the long days being so close to the southern pole. It was a strike on our parenting record.
On day 2, we planned an excursion to see the Perito Moreno Glacier. At this point I could enter into the story a long drawn out explanation of why we ended up missing our morning tour and going on the afternoon tour. But just thinking about it exhausts me. So in short, always remember to pay extra so your baby has a seat on the tour bus to be safely buckled in.
Frustrations were high when we finally were on our way to the glacier park. However, the first stop to see a beautiful panoramic view of the Argentino Lake made those frustrations seem silly as we remembered why we put ourselves through these hassles. Seeing the gorgeous blue lake was a wonderful beginning to all the beautiful sights in our future. Our guide picked some of the popular calafate berries from a prickly bush. By eating the berries, she said we were making a promise that we would come back one day.
When we arrived to the park, it started to drizzle. We all donned our raincoats and ignored the overcast skies as we stared at the massive ice front working its way through the valley before us. To get an up close and personal look, we boarded a boat. The boat took us about 300 feet away from the massive wall of ice which reached 30 stories high. Jason and wondered if this was how Jon Snow felt when he first peered up the Wall in Game of Thrones. As large pieces of ice fell off the wall, we heard sounds of thunder rumble through the valley. Coupled with the dense fog, it was an eerie feeling that caused the hair on my arms to stand.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking the extensive catwalk maze around the glacier just happy to be outside breathing in the cool air.
The Perito Moreno Glacier successfully amazed us giving us a higher appreciation for the Patagonia region. And we still had so much more in store.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Feb 5, 2017 | International Adventures, South America
After a slow, but nice, uneventful day in Buenos Aires, we were ready see something cool. Jason had this great idea of seeing a bit of Uruguay while we were here. So, we woke up bright and early, hailed a cab to the docks, and caught a boat to Colonia across the Rio de la Plata.
The boat ride was rather basic with nothing too interesting to see. The river we were crossing was so big you couldn’t see land across it. It seemed more like a bay then a river, but who is arguing semantics? Nevertheless, E seemed to enjoy his very first boat trip.
When we arrived in Colonia, we started our day with a short walking tour. We learned about the Portuguese and Spanish influence in the small town. We moved back and forth between centuries old Portuguese cobblestone streets and Spanish cobblestone streets. By the end of the tour we could easily point out which buildings were Portuguese and which were Spanish. We could feel the nice breeze coming off the river and we thought to ourselves, “This is quite nice.”
As the day went on, though, the breeze got less nice, and the air got more stuffy. Before we knew it, the temperature had rose to 102 degrees. We felt every bit of it. Jason and I panted and sweated our ways through the streets. However, E just loved being outside. He looked in awe at the sights, babbled to passing by strangers, and napped from time to time.
We had lunch in a nice restaurant with no air conditioning, ice cream in a cafe with no air conditioning, and beer in a bar with no air conditioning. All the while, E was a champ. Despite the heat, we adored Colonia. It was a wonderful way to spend the day with my family, and an easy way to add another country to E’s passport.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Feb 3, 2017 | International Adventures, South America
After 9 months of pregnancy, 7 months of no sleep, and 10 hours on a redeye flight, my two feet finally stepped on new ground… this time with an extra passenger along for the ride. Our next destination? Buenos Aires.
Awww, so romantic… ohhh, so savvy…. mmmm, so sexy… Wait a minute… Maybe not so much with a baby in tow. I admit, we didn’t really experience Buenos Aires like we should have. There were no romantic steak and wine dinners. There were no relaxing hangouts in cafes. And, most sadly, there were no sexy tango performances to be seen. It just wasn’t going to happen with Ethan in our arms, not if we wanted to maintain some sense of sanity. Instead, we ordered room service and acclimated to the small three hour time change kicking Little E’s butt. We still managed to make it out for a simple steak lunch where we tried the world famous helado (Argentinian ice-cream).
We even found time for a leisurely stroll through the La Recoleta Cemetery full of extremely ornate tombs of famous people we never heard of. Still, it was a photography goldmine.
So, I think that counted as a successful day to start off our South American adventure. Maybe we didn’t experience the heart of Buenos Aires. However, I like to think Little E was still impressed. This, after all, was his very first big adventure. And there was still so much more in store for him.
Until next time,
by Missie Hills | Feb 1, 2017 | Tips and Advice
Yes, I know. We are crazy. I mean, who takes a 7 month old baby to the Patagonia, right? Well, I guess we do. And for no reason really. It was just a spot we picked on the map when trying to decide where our first family adventure would be. Yeah, we were worried. We weren’t really sure how Little E would handle the trip. But we had faith that he would love traveling just as much as his jet-setting parents. So, we packed up as lightly as you can pack with a baby, and made our way down south.
And we were glad we did. Otherwise, it might have been a long time before we saw sights like these.
I will be writing about each place we visited in South America in detail soon. We have many wonderful pictures to share. But for now, I would like to share with you a few things we learned while traveling with an infant.
1. Everyone says don’t take the red eye with a baby. Well, guess what. We took the red eye. And for a 7 month old that sleeps well through the night, this was a good move. He slept nearly the whole flight. Our flight neighbors were pleased.
2. Invest in a good baby carrier. For once, I was happy that Jason has to spend multiple hours of research on any purchase he makes. Because of this research, which normally drives me crazy, he had the perfect carrier for us. A must, after walking many miles with 20 pounds strapped to our chests. We used the “LILLEbaby Complete All Seasons” carrier. Just leave the stroller at home. Unless you feel like it can survive the cobblestone streets, rocky paths, and dirt treks. And even then, just leave the stroller at home.
3. Breastfeeding in South America was pretty easy. I never once felt judged. And no, a cover was not always used. You try covering a wiggly, hungry, cranky, baby in 100 degree weather. Still, I found my hand pump handy during long bus rides when I wanted him safely strapped in his car-seat.
4. Speaking of car-seats, when booking tours, be sure to ask about booking a seat for your little one and the car-seat. Otherwise, you may be rudely kicked off the van when you refuse to hold your child in your lap. Yes I know, Argentinians don’t always use car-seats. But this helicopter mom needs her kid to be safe. Traveling with the car-seat isn’t too much of a pain if you plan ahead. We used the VolkGo Durable car-seat travel bag to keep it cleanly packed up for airport gate checking and locker storage while on excursions.
5. Baby safe sunscreen. Bring it. Even if you think there is no way your child will see that much sun… Bring it. We used Babyganics mineral based sunscreen, 50 spf.
6. Baby food and diapers were pretty easy to buy in every town we visited. However, there are only three flavors of baby food available: mixed fruit, pasta and veggies, and meat. We brought some squeeze pouches with us which turned out to be one of the best moves we made They were amazing to use on the go. E really liked the Happy Baby Organics brand. Also, a pack of cheap baby spoons worked great to use and toss when needed. For this, we got a gold parenting star.
7. Don’t forget a rain jacket for the little one and some good waterproof shoes. You don’t want the rain to keep you locked up inside.
8. Clips that hold paci’s are great for holding other toys as well. Bring a few of them. Unless you like picking toys up off the floor over and over and over and over….
9. The restaurants provide high chairs. Sort of. They are more literally tall, tiny, chairs. No safety belts, no trays, just tall chairs. We loved our travel chair that fit on the back of pretty much any table chair keeping E snugly in place at the table with us. We used the “My Little Seat” infant travel high chair.
10. If your baby is used to a bedtime, you may be in trouble. Flexibility is really needed to avoid those crazy tired breakdowns. You have the time change to tackle first, but then also you have the long days where the sun doesn’t set until 10pm. This can make a normal bedtime challenging. Then again, I am now having to re-train my kid to sleep through the night here at home. So, never mind. Ignore me.
11. Be prepared for meltdowns. They will happen, and you will need to be patient. The baby will feed off your energy. It is tough when everyone is looking at you like you are the worst parent in the world. But remember, they don’t know you. You most likely will never see them again. So breath… and focus on taking care of little one. He will calm down, and your sanity will be restored.
12. Most of all, don’t let your fear of tackling all these obstacle keep you from enjoying your trip. You can still take roads less traveled. You can still see sights unseen. You can still experience new adventures. Even better, you can do it with your family. You created this tiny human. Now let him experience the world with you.
What is the biggest advice you have for traveling parents with young children?
Until next time,
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