The Silent "I"

Chukka Caribbean Adventures: The Ride of Your Life

Hope this isn't really the "final" Chukka

On my recent trip to Jamaica, I had the opportunity to check out Chukka Caribbean Adventures, an adventure sport company that offers horseback riding, dune buggies, ATVs, and ziplining for the adventurous types who don't want to spend their entire vacation vegging out in a lounge chair by (or in) a pool.  Whether or not I'm the "adventurous outdoorsy type" is open to some debate,and a great deal of raucous laughter by all who know me. Sign me up for the "Old Lady Beach Chair Tour," featuring hot cabana boys with an endless supply of frozen drinks with umbrellas in them, and I'll be your spokesmodel forever.

Mr. Ed's More Reticent Cousin, Mr. Fred

The night I arrived in Jamaica, our Jamaica Tourist Board guide and host, Jarron, told me with much delight, "We've arranged for a special horseback ride for the group, followed by going into the ocean on horseback! It's called a 'Ride and Swim'." 

"Great!" I replied, trying to muster up as much enthusiasm as I could, while thinking to myself that this was combining two things that I fear most in life in one neat little package.  I wanted to ask him if maybe we could add on a colonoscopy at the end, just to make it a little more exciting for me, but I held back. I didn't want to appear ungrateful for the opportunity, after all.

Part of my discomfort with horsebacking riding is that large animals tend to scare me.  Maybe it was some cow-tipping trauma in my rural Ohio youth. Maybe it was too many forced viewings of creepy Mister Ed during childhood. I never went through a horse phase like most girls I knew, with the repeated readings and viewings of Black Beauty and My Friend Flicka. Despite living in a farming community, I never participated in 4H livestock raising contests or had any desire to muck out a barn. It just wasn't my thing.

I thought long and hard about the prospect of riding a horse the night before the ride. People have ridden horses for centuries, I thought. They're gentle trail horses, not wild mustangs. I'm sure they don't bite...I'll let them know I'm a lawyer and show them who's boss. Don't mess with me, Seabiscuit, or you'll be on your way to the glue factory by dawn. Random thoughts of a clearly disturbed mind. 

It wasn't actually the horse I was afraid of, it was the fear of falling off and breaking my neck.  Even if I didn't break my neck, what if I fell off and was not able to hoist my ample backside back up on the horse?  What if my horse didn't like me, and was secretly judging me and wishing I'd actually used Weight Watchers for the past year rather than just paying for an online subscription and losing my password? There were a million what-ifs, not many of them good.

I decided that I wasn't going to make a big deal about it, that I would try it, but hope that the Chukka people would understand and let me off I couldn't hack it. I thought I should probably just do it, in the spirit of Nike commercials, bucket lists, and the "feel the fear and do it anyway" crowd. I thought about my son, who's not afraid of anything other than green, leafy vegetables and heard his voice urging me on to try something new.  I steeled my resolve and cheerfully boarded the bus to face my fears and live out some fantasy I didn't know I had to become Dale Evans and Xena Warrior Princess rolled into one.  

Brazil: Getting Through Customs (or Up Against the Wall, Mother)

February 1, 2004

February 1, 2004

After a glorious day at the Argentina side of Iguazu Falls, we decided to check out the Brazilian side. Since we don't speak Spanish or Portuguese, Frank arranged for a private car and tour guide from Iguassu Falls Tours  to pick us up at the hotel and take us over.  Our guide, a friendly young man named Edson, picked us up right on time in a small white car, and we were off to visit Brazil.

The best advice I can give to families with small kids traveling in a country where you don't know the language is to hire a private guide.  Often, it's as cost-effective as a bus tour for four or five people and less nerve-wracking than trying to rent a car and navigate on your own.  You have control over your schedule, and if your kids melt down 2 hours into it, you can change your course quickly. Native guides can often get the "inside scoop" on places and people that you won't get from a packaged tour, help you find a store that sells diapers or toys or whatever else you might need, or help you navigate a tricky situation.  We've had great luck finding guides on-line and through recommendations of other travelers.  This time was no exception.

From Beijing to Tianjin

We arrive in Beijing at 2:00 in the afternoon, the first leg of our solar eclipse ’09 journey.  We made our way by car to the port city of Tianjin.  The Beijing airport has changed a great deal since we were there in 2004, and everything looked sparkling and new.  Beijing had to put on a happy face for the hoards of foreign tourists invading for the 2008 Olympics, and the airport improvements were evidently part of the package. 

I was most impressed with how shiny and clean the floors were.  There seemed to be numerous maintenance people, all wearing surgical masks, methodically cleaning the floors throughout the airport.  Someone in China must have perfected the formula for floor wax, because at times I was convinced it was wet, but it was just so shiny you could see your pores in it.

We had been concerned that we might not make it through quarantine, since the Chinese government has cracked down on North American flights into the country due to concerns over the Swine Flu.  We had heard horror stories of people going into Beijing and being quarantined for a week in a hotel.  We had heard that not only the people who had the virus, but anyone with a fever, or anyone within 3 rows of anyone with a fever, would be quarantined.  We were told on the flight to remain seated when we landed, and wait for a Chinese health official to board and take everyone’s temperature.  I expected this to be a long and tedious affair, if it were anything like my attempts to wrestle a thermometer into Alex’s mouth.

The Chinese, however, have perfected the art of auto-temperature taking, and before we knew it, a young Chinese man in a crisp white uniform jogged up one aisle waving a wand, and jogged back down the other and headed out the door.  We were warned, in English, to stay seated until the plane was cleared.  The next announcement was in Chinese, and this time, all the Chinese passengers all got up in unison and started wrangling their bags from the overhead bins.  We waited a beat for an English announcement, which never came, so we followed suit.  When in Rome, so to speak.

We had pass through two more health inspection aisles on the way to baggage claim, which of course, made me sweat profusely.  It wasn’t the fear of being quarantined or Swine Flu or any other illness, real or imagined; it was the 97 degree temperatures with 98% humidity that did me in.  Luckily, perspiration doesn’t show up on the infrared monitors, so we walked through without incident.

Frank had also read that the Chinese customs officials checked for people bringing contraband cheese into the country, so we made sure to avoid the cheese-sniffing dogs.  I referred to this as the Policy of Lactose Intolerance and really wanted to start shouting “Free the Brie!” but I managed to control myself through Customs.  

The Silent I Mailroom: Ground Transportation

Dear Silent I:

I love reading all of your posts about children and travel as we're starting to do this more and more with our child, Monkey.  I would love to read your thoughts on ground transportation.  For example, we're preparing to travel up north where having a rental car is more of an annoyance rather than a convenience.  But, I'm having a difficult time deciding on whether to take a cab, or a private car.  There are pros and cons to each, but I'm not sure what would be the best for us. My main concern is: will our luggage fit? and most importantly, will Monkey's car seat fit?  Often times the taxi cabs are outfitted with those plastic seats. Not great when trying to install a car seat.  Also, the shuttles, where we're traveling to, don't allow children under the age of 12 as passengers.  Any insight would be appreciated! :)

-MonkeysMama

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Dear MonkeysMama:

Thanks for your question.  Ground transportation is often a difficult issue for parents with small children.  If you don't rent a car, you are left with the options of taxis, shuttles, buses or private cars or limos.

In most major airports, there are taxi stands with a variety of different options as far as vehicle size or type.  In the US, most are at least as large as a mid-sized sedan, so you should have no trouble taking your carseat and fitting your luggage.  We've traveled with 2 parents, a small kid, and about 9 pieces of luggage (including carry-ons), and have been able to make it work in taxis all over the world.  Occasionally, we've passed on the next available cab, and taken the next minivan taxi available, or asked the dispatcher to call one for us.  Make sure that the seatbelts are working before you get in, so you can be sure that your carseat can be strapped in properly.  It won't be as secure as your carseat at home, but it should get you to your destination without causing you to have a panic attack.

Private car or limo services tend to have larger cars, like a Lincoln Town Car.  They tend to be cleaner, but you have to arrange for these in advance.  Be sure to tell them when you make your reservation that you have a small child and a car seat, and approximately how many pieces of luggage you have.  You can ask if they provide car seats for small children, but make sure that they have one that is the right size for your child.  The nice thing about a private car service is that the driver will meet you outside the secure area, and help you get your things out to the car.  If you're traveling alone with your child, this can be a big plus.

We have had some success with door-to-door shuttle van services, but they usually charge per-person.  Depending on the size of your family, it might be more cost effective to take a taxi or private car.  You also have to make numerous stops as they drop off other passengers, so it can be a long ride for a little kid.

In many states, shuttles, buses, and taxis are exempt from the car seat laws.  You can check the laws in the state you're traveling to by checking out The Inventive Parent, which has a state-by-state listing of laws for the US, and a less thorough summary for Canada.  Depending on the age of your child, you might not be required to have a car seat or booster seat, but you might want to bring one for your own peace of mind. 

If your child is 4 and over 40 pounds, you might want to try something like the Graco Turbo Booster Seat.  It is lightweight and not as bulky as the regular car seat.  We used one of these and it worked like a charm (and still does in states that require that the child be 8 years or 80 pounds).

Happy Travels!

The Silent I