vacation - Pria's Ponderings

The Riviera Maya with Maya

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Jul 162011

Maya discovering the Caribbean

Late on July 11, we returned from our trip to Mexico and now trying to get back in the rhythm of our life at home. On July 3rd, we left for a week-long daring adventure to the Riviera Maya with our toddler and teen. We left the country just in time for the 4th of July holiday the next day. It was somewhat odd to celebrate the occasion in a different country, seeing the red, white and blue balloons while listening to some classic American music.

My 2 year-old daughter Maya had a challenging time on the 5-hour plane ride. It was surreal to see a sense of Mexico from the plane, which reminded me of my village in India, with its flat, rustic roofs. Once in Cancun, we were hit by the humidity and then transferred to our resort at the Riviera Maya about an hour away. Once there, the resort matched what we saw and read on-line and even what we saw via satellite on Google. It was interesting to be in the ocean that I saw clearly on-line, right to the rocky, patchy areas.

It is difficult to complain about a vacation and resort over-all. Because, you know, it’s a resort and vacation. When all else fails, there is always the ocean, which can not disappoint. We saw some negative reviews of the resort on Trip Advisor, and that was echoed upon arrival. We had been placed in the wrong room and then on the wrong side. After finally getting to our correct room, we had some issues with our room not getting cleaned and then the toilet not flushing. We also had some issues with my son’s age – he was 12 when we booked, which was at a lower rate, but then he turned 13 upon arrival, a higher rate.

Things got resolved and we were able to appreciate the beach above all, and then the pools and having food/drinks included. It was challenging feeding Maya – we actually had a hard time finding beans at the buffets! There were no tacos, burritos, enchiladas or other traditional vegetarian Mexican food we are accustomed to in the states. The first thing we did after landing late Monday was to stop at a cheap fast food Mexican drive-thru on the way home. My son and I were so desperate for Mexican food after our trip to Mexico! At the fancy Mexican restaurant, we were offered roasted vegetables. This followed the fancy French food the previous night where we had the same vegetables. I do regret not insisting on some whole beans and accepting what was offered.

I would probably not book an all-inclusive in the future. I gained 5 lbs, and unless you are used to eating and drinking a lot, it may not be the best value or provide you with the choice you want. Since you have already paid for your package, the restaurants don’t need to impress you, particularly vegetarians. There isn’t competition for your business. We had considered a vacation rental, which is something I would try next time. We could have our own room and only pay for what little food/drink we may want.

Passport Hell

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Jun 282011

My dual background

Recently, we planned a trip to the Maya Riviera area in Mexico. We were excited about some beach time – it had been a while. My kids and I have never been to Mexico. Then I realized that my passport still had my maiden name, but the rest of my documents and my ticket were in my married name. I had an extended visa in this passport, which I didn’t want to lose in a renewal. I got various information, such as needing to contact the Indian embassy and also that I just needed to present both passports – the updated and the one with the visa.

I made an appointment with a local post office that processed passports, taking my toddler with me on May 19. Although I could send in the paperwork, I wanted to make sure all documents were reviewed and that there would be no issues. The appointment went smoothly and I was told I would not have to expedite the process (and pay more); there was plenty of time before my July 3 departure. I was told I could check online regarding the status and could expedite later if needed. This sounded reasonable. It cost $110, whereas it would have been free had I processed the update within a year of marriage.

End of June approached and I did not receive my passport. I looked online and called several times. I was told it was in process and to call in a few days. The agents could not give me details and finally sent a note to those processing it. Then I got a letter on the 23rd stating an original marriage certificate was needed (apparently what I sent and was approved at the post office was a copy and not acceptable). I called to determine my options. I was ready and willing to overnight it, and pay for expediting, but wanted to make sure I would get it back in time, which I could not be assured of.

The final option was to start over and get a new passport with my local passport agency and get the passport within 72 hours. It would cost $195. I was able to get an appointment the following day. I had a lengthy medical appointment for my daughter in the area, and was able to have my husband relieve me for the appointment time. I was fortunately given credit for my previous payment and was charged $60 for expediting – although had I been informed of the need for the original, I could have sent it in and not started over.

Today, June 28, it finally got processed and is in my possession, just 4 days before departure! Our upcoming trip is more of a reality now. It has been extra stressful trying to go on vacation! The moral of this story for me is to not wait or delay on tasks like passport updates/renewals, etc. when you actually have a trip planned. Don’t leave tasks on the back burner for long, as eventually, they may boil over if left unattended for too long!

Weekend trip to San Diego

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Mar 022010

My husband, Porter, has a conference in San Diego this week, so it was a good opportunity for the family to get a little weekend break beforehand from the winter doldrums in Denver. The recent snow had kept us cooped up, so it was refreshing to see a different change of scene, especially one that is very Spring-like with all its greenery and flowers.

It’s great to see the view of the bay and sailboats when leaving the airport. Our hotel was at the bay, across from the museum/boat “Star of India.” This boat was next to one used by Russell Crowe in a movie. We enjoyed strolling on the boardwalk and appreciating the different artistic sculptures that adorned the area. It was nice to see the changing views of the bay every time we went to our room.

It was sunny on Friday and after a nice stroll on the boardwalk, we were able to take a brief shuttle to the quaint Sea Port Village where Maya got to ride a historic carousel. We enjoyed food while watching a sunset over the bay and listened to live South American music in the evening.

Maya had a challenging night on her first night, which meant Porter and I didn’t sleep. It rained much of the day on Saturday. I was already not feeling well from a cold, so Saturday ended up not very eventful. A friend was able to show Porter and Colin some breathtaking views while I stayed back tending to Maya and hoping to nap. Sunday was the primary day for sight-seeing and we spent most of it at the zoo. We had vacationed for a week in San Diego in August of 2006 and this was about the only primary place we had not gone to. There was lots to see and we were not able to see much of it in the six hours we were there. I was especially sad to not have squeezed in the miniature train for Maya. Petting a goat’s ear was probably her big event. She probably thought it wasn’t very different from petting one of our dogs’ ears.

Our favorite views at the zoo were of the pandas and koala bears. It was worth waiting in line to see the pandas up close, and glimpsing a baby panda sleeping on a hammock.

Napping baby panda and mama at the San Diego Zoo

There was an adorable view of a mama koala bear cuddling her baby koala, who seemed to be smiling.

A strange incident occurred once I landed in Denver with my kids. As we were leaving the airport, I heard on the intercom about a black jacket being switched on my flight. I looked in my pocket and there was a business card I didn’t recognize! I had on someone else’s jacket! I thought it was tight…I had to run my kids to customer service for the exchange. The reps were amazed by the similarities in the jacket and apparently the had been stored together in the overhead bin. The other customer had taken off with mine and I grabbed the black jacket left. Something to keep in mind when traveling! Make sure you have your own stuff! I imagine black overhead bags get mixed up a lot as well.

Mama and baby koala

Sunny, 50 degree weather in Denver wasn’t too bad to come home to yesterday, and we will enjoy this for a few days. We will then brace ourselves for our snowiest months coming up before we get peeks of the crocuses through the snow, promising Spring.

Staycation vs Vacation

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Jan 042010

Over New Years, we decided to stay in our Denver vicinity and stayed at a hotel about forty-five minutes away from home for two days. It was fun and relaxing to have a short drive and check out “our backyard.” Although there seemed to be a lot of last-minute packing and logistics for a near-by trip, this was due mostly to having an infant and pets to manage while we were away.

We had considered going to the Maya Riviera in Mexico, but our lack of planning early enough had meant the cost would be about $1k a day, which seemed too indulgent and unpredictable with an infant. So we are hoping to do it later on, given enough planning and maybe getting a good deal.

We toured the Molly Brown House on the way to the hotel. My son had never seen it and it was a good follow-up to having seen her movie, “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and “Titanic.” He received more insight into the town he was born in, which he appreciated. Seeing the home decorated for Christmas was a bonus. We learned interesting tidbits such as a local town, Arvada, having been the world capital of celery, and how the currently uncelebrated vegetable was a delicacy back then.

The Molly Brown House

We got a deal at the Embassy Suites and like the family-orientation of having suites with a dividing door to boot. The first night, on the 30th, my baby ended up sleeping curled up towards my husband’s arm pit after struggling with teething a few times during the night.

The next day, we enjoyed time in the pool, hot tub, gymn, Indian buffet across the street and catching a matinee of “Cloudy with Meatballs.” It was the first time we took our baby to a movie theater. She did fine overall, sleeping through most of it on my lap.

Since we normally are in bed by 10pm due to having an infant that has been getting up by 5am, we struggled to make it to midnight on the 31st. We promptly passed out after the ball dropped in NY, with our baby in her playpen next to our bed. We decided we don’t need to try to stay up anymore! After all, Denver is two hours behind NY, and we can pretend it’s midnight at 10pm.

A quick escape at the hotel on New Year's

It is nice to consider a low-stress staycation here and there. It is easy to find weekend deals at hotels in any city. One gets to check out their city and areas they may be too busy to explore at other times. Especially when a baby may not cooperate and their schedule must be accommodated, it’s nice to know that you are not spending a lot and didn’t spend a lot of time and energy getting there.

I look forward to future well-planned vacations with my family away from home along with staycations near our home when we have occasional opportunities on weekends. There is merit and room for both! Staycations can add more balance to our lives by giving us a mini break without a lot of expense or stress.

Colin and Maya 1.1.10