http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/ArmyMustang/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from ArmyMustang en-us Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:02:17 +0000 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:02:17 +0000 After another night spent battling Erika's fever we were up and awake fairly early. We were able to get everything packed up and ready to go and out the door by 1030am. We weren't headed home yet though there was one more stop on this journey. We are heading farther south to Redwood City so Jos can visit with his old coworker Don Roberto. Jos wanted to stop in San Francisco and pick up some http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Francisco/blog-580227.html Another morning spent battling the fever and boredom. I took the girls swimming in the outside pool figuring that the cool waters would help lower Erika's body temperature. The wading pool was downright chilly so we jumped into the main pool. I was very happy to see Jos join us after a few minutes. He took Mia with him into the hot tub while I splashed around with Erika in the large pool. We pla http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Francisco/blog-579694.html The only way to actually see anything when you're on vacation is to set the alarm clock and get up when it goes off that is really the key there. Hitting the snooze button defeats the purpose and doesn't get you moving in the right direction very quickly. I made us a quick breakfast of banana pancakes packed up some drinks and snacks for the day and we were headed out the door by 930am it was http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Francisco/blog-578701.html Since our next destination was only an hour away and we had four hours between checkout and check in we had a very nice lazy morning. We made orange rolls for breakfast and then changed into our bathing suits. The weather completely changed between yesterday and today. The lake was covered in a thick fog and we could only see grey as far as the eye could see. When we walked into the swimming area http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Windsor/blog-573058.html For just a few days I can pretend that I have no worries in the world. We have absolutely no cares in the world we can't change anything so it's time to sit back and enjoy the beauty of the world around us. Neither of us have to rush back to any kind of job Erika is just going to have to miss a few days of school and we're going to spend some good quality time as a family. Jos loaded up the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Nice/blog-571850.html This trip is never as simple as getting onto an airplane and flying to my destination. It generally looks more like this...730am CST Wake up and pack up the last minute items900am CST Load up the Explorer and head towards Puebla. Stop at the OXXO on the highway and buy a couple bottles of tequila Jos's not going to be happy I didn't find the Don Ramon this trip.920am CST Stop in la Zona de http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/San-Antonio/Acuamanala/blog-565917.html The alarm was set for 8am but I turned it off and slept in until 9am because Mia woke up coughing around 6am and threw up some. Her fever had returned so I gave her another dose of the Advil and she fell back asleep tossing and turning. Last night I packed up a small suitcase with all the gifts and shoes for the family in Mexico City. New shoes for the four children of Maria and Victor shoes for http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Estado-de-Mexico/Distrito-Federal/Colonia-Villajardin/blog-565775.html After all the issues with scheduling yesterday I just wasn't feeling it today. Then I get a text message this morning that the mother organizing the event had a family emergency and wouldn't be able to make it after all. I know that Mexico moves on a different time but this is the last time that I do anything for someone else. Now I'm stuck with a bunch of expensive clothes on my hands that I'm http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/San-Antonio/Acuamanala/blog-565295.html Half of this quick trip down to Mexico was to link up with the parents and teachers at the School of the Americas in Puebla. The rich snooty parents were excited about buying American clothes and specifically requested the expensive brands like American Eagle and Gap. Of course I aim to please so I went shopping and brought a huge variety of clothes for them to select from. I got an email from my http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/Santa-Ana/blog-564674.html The family went about their business of school and work and left Mia and I to sleep in as usual. With a two hour time difference and only staying here for 5 days I see no point in waking up early and then having to adjust all over again. Ok maybe I slept in later than I normally do but I did spend 20 hours traveling yesterday and my body is feeling it today. Isabel and Severo returned with Fern http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/San-Antonio/Acuamanala/blog-563887.html The alarm went off at 315am and I woke right up. Actually I don't feel like I actually fell asleep but somehow four hours was up and it was time to get moving. I jumped in the shower while Jos and Mia slept. I don't know how often I'll be bathing while we're in Mexico but it won't be like the comforts of home I didn't bother to dress Mia and just put her in her pajamas into her carseat and co http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/blog-563601.html Even when I get up early things don't quite seem to go as I planned. And these dang nails don't let me type very fast or accurately on this keyboard either whose great idea was that Isabel woke us up just before 8am so we could get a move on and try to make it to Puebla in time to catch the 930 bus to Veracruz. Although we kept things moving along we still didn't make it out to the highway to http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Vera-Cruz/blog-496337.html Of course you should know how the story goes by now. We slept in as late as possible which in this case was only about 10am my body is still ticking to the 8am internal clock though. First mission of the day was to get dressed and walk down to the panaderia to buy breakfast freshly baked pan dulce. Upon return to the house I enjoyed my pan dulce with te de canela cinnamon tea. They had sopa http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/Tlaxcala/blog-496183.html I feel like today was another wasted day. My plan had been to wake up and eat write up my blog and find an internet cafe. Maria and Sara kept saying that the first buses out of the local bus station didn't leave until after 1pm. And then it dawned on me Maria and Victor had gone to work without any backup day care plan in place. So we were forced to wait for Maria to get home at 7pm before we co http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/blog-496007.html Any day when you have to wake up at 5am is already starting off on the wrong foot but it has progressively gotten worse since then. We managed to make it to the airport on time with everyone dressed and so far I haven't forgotten anything or rather I don't know about anything yet. We arrived at the airport by 615am for a 715am flight to Los Angeles where we were supposed to arrive at 945am and http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Estado-de-Mexico/Distrito-Federal/Atizapan-de-Zaragoza/blog-495486.html Now is what I call the perfect vacation day... we slept in until our bodies were ready to wake up at least mine was. Our only desire was to do some exploring in the local area and take the girls to see the ocean. It was raining in the Windsor area but it seemed to be off and on and everyone knows it's always rainy at the coast. I fueled up at the gas station and asked a local where was the best p http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bodega-Bay/blog-377037.html The plan for today was to head back into Santana so that I could do a little more shopping and sightseeing before we head back to Mexico City. We had juggled the idea around of staying for one more night but when I talked to Jose about it he had a valid point. While my flight doesn't leave until 525pm on Friday a midnight arrival in Portland means that I won't be getting home until close to 4am http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/Santa-Ana/blog-443895.html Another lazy morning where Mia and I slept in until 10am. For this reason I have changed the medicine dosage times for Mia because 230 ampm was not working. My mother has obviously forgotten the inthemiddleofthenight feedings and the necessity of waiting a few hours to give her that first dosage in order to get all the other times on a reasonable schedule. The first time that I tried to wa http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/Tlaxcala/blog-443878.html It is nigh impossible to exchange your US dollars for Mexican pesos in a bank. If I had known that I would waste almost a complete day trying to turn my money into the local currency I would have deposited it into my checking account in order to just pull it out of an ATM and presto pesos Azul and I didn't end up getting out of bed until 11am 9am our internal clocks. Azul and I slept in the c http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Tlaxcala/San-Antonio/Acuamanala/blog-443549.html The flight from Portlad to Houston was relatively uneventful. Mia behaved as well as can be expected for an almost two year old at midnight. Thankfully we had a young couple seated next to us and not some uptight senior citizen to chastize me on manners and children these days. Continental now offers DirecTV during your flight for a mere 6. I tried to sleep as best I could but it wasn't pretty an http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Estado-de-Mexico/Distrito-Federal/Atizapan-de-Zaragoza/blog-442221.html