Tag Archives: trip

30 Hours in Transit: Africa Day 1

Africa, Blog, Burundi, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Third Culture Kids, Uncategorized, , , , ,

We’re in Africa! We’ve been looking forward to this trip for nine years, and we’re finally here.

Kirundi word of the day: Amahoro (hello)

Fun fact: It takes 30 hours to get from Glendale, Arizona to Bujumbura, Burundi.

Actually, it should take longer than that if you schedule long enough layovers– I don’t recommend sprinting across Chicago O’Hare Airport toting six carryon bags and an angry preschooler to catch a connecting flight.

Little Man was happy for most of the trip 🙂

If you’ve been following for a while, you might remember a previous post announcing that we’d be in Kenya for six weeks last spring. Well, that didn’t work out. But the Africa vacation to Burundi and Tanzania that we’re taking now is turning out to be much better than trip to work in the hospital would have been!

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Helping with the luggage

Ben was born in Burundi and lived here until he was four, when his family was displaced to Tanzania during the war. In fact, he lived in the house where I’m writing this– his father built it on the family’s mission station 30 years ago and now his oldest brother lives here. But being born in Burundi gives Ben more than just a passport that makes border agents do a double-take. It’s also given him a lifelong connection to a place that will always feel like home.

It took three hours to get through the Bujumbura airport

After our long trip to Bujumbura, Burundi, we finally managed to extricate ourselves from the airport to find the people who would pick us up. To my joy, I saw eight family members waiting for us in the parking lot, where they had spent hours so they could be sure to greet us! We haven’t seen some of the nephews in six years, so our drive to their home a few miles away was a happy reunion.

Bujumbura, Burundi

Keep following to hear about the rest of our Africa adventures! We’ll be here for a whole month traveling between several locations.

You can also sign up for my newsletter in the sidebar to get new posts sent monthly to your inbox.

Africa Day 1: 30 Hours in Transit

Africa Day 2: Crossing Burundi

Africa Day 3: A Dowry Ceremony

Africa Day 4: A Burundian Wedding

Africa Day 5: Gisuru School for the Deaf

A Weekend in Lake Tahoe

Blog, California, International Travel, Nature, United States, , , , , , , , ,

 

There comes a time when you have to get out of the heat. And just in case you were wondering, it is HOT here in the Valley of the Sun. Like, your air conditioner is going to die hot. Fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk hot. I’ve seen both those things done in Phoenix this past week!

Obviously, we were extremely happy to escape the 117 degree heat and get somewhere cooler. My dad planned a weekend getaway to Lake Tahoe over Father’s Day, and he he invited Ben and I, my sister, and her friend to come!

 

 

The trip started out with the usual mad rush to the airport. Did you know that Phoenix Sky Harbor offers a bag check in the parking lot? We were eager to use this and skip the lines. However, we still had to wait behind a few people, and by the time we got to the kiosk, we were 30 seconds too late and the computer had shut down early bag checks for our flight. So up the escalator and to the bag check we went, dragging our suitcases and heavy backpacks behind us.

 

 

These are the times when we definitely wish we could get a parking spot at the airport without all the hassle. Sky Harbor actually has a pretty good parking system, and it’s still a pain.

There’s actually a parking lot service out there. It’s called ParkitUSA and it’s kind of like Expedia or Priceline, but for airport parking spaces instead of flights! You can see all your options online and then pick the best price. If you go online to ParkitUSA.com and book your parking with them, you can save time and money with daily parking starting around $2. They do it all–long term, short term, onsite, offsite, and discounted airport parking reservations. I haven’t actually used this service yet, but I can tell you it would make life a whole lot easier during that stressful pre-flight scramble.

Anyway, we did manage to survive the airport fiasco and still have time to grab a Starbucks in the process! We made it on our flight and were soon winging it over the dry expanse of mountainous Nevada desert.

 

 

I can’t even describe how wonderful it was to get to Reno and feel the cool air! Of course, once we drove through Carson City to Tahoe South, it was even better.

 

 

We could see snow on the mountains. How long has it been since I’ve seen snow? Probably a good three or four years.

 

 

Fortunately for us desert rats, there was no snow on the ground. I’m not sure we could have handled the chill.

 

 

In case you’re looking for an escape from the heat this summer, Tahoe is a pretty great choice. Sometimes you just need to get out of town for a while and enjoy some time in the mountains! I’m counting the days until my next mountain adventure.

 

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Ways to Make Travel Easier

International Travel, , , , , , , ,

Summer is here, and with it comes the vacation season! Are you headed on an airplane trip this summer? If so, make your travel easier and avoid the usual vacation headaches. After all, travel should be fun, not stressful! If you’ve been following this blog for the past month or so, you’ll remember that our last international plane trip included an unexpected 12 hour layover. However, we managed to keep a good attitude and survive, and it wasn’t so bad! How did we do that? Follow these ten ways to make travel easier and you too can make sure you’re trip goes smoothly, no matter what happens.

Keep your valuables in a safe place

One of the things that makes travel easier is keeping all your valuables in one spot. There’s nothing more awkward than holding up the entire airport security line while you search through your pockets and bags for your passport, and nothing more horrifying than leaving your wallet in the plane! The best way to keep track of your valuables is to store them all together in a small bag. Ideally, the bag will be relatively flat and have a string so you can put it around your neck and slip it into your shirt. This way, it’s impossible to lose your stuff! One great bag is this cork travel bag. I like it because not only does it have room for your passport, phone, debit cards and cash, but it’s equipped with an RFID-blocking compartment to combat identity theft. Now, that’s secure! It costs $25 on Amazon and can save you a whole lot of worry and potentially a lot of time and money. Plus, it even looks cool!

Pack light

Do you really need fourteen books and a your entire wardrobe for a week vacation? Unless you’re headed to a book conference and only own three changes of clothes, I’m going to guess you don’t. To make travel easier, pack light! Only take the stuff you know you’ll need and leave the rest at home. A few changes of clothes and the basic essentials should usually fit into one bag and one carry-on, so you can avoid the cost of checked bags and the hassle of hauling things around. Last, year, I took a five-week multi-national trip out of a backpack. And I’m not talking about one of those fancy camping backpacks– I’m talking about my school bag for college. It was awesome! I only had to worry about one item, and I didn’t have to go to the baggage claim after my flights.

Bring food

Don’t you love airline food? Yeah, me neither. to avoid the expense of airline food and airport restaurants, pack your own snacks for the flight. I like to stash a package of bagels in my carry-on bag. I used to take peanut butter, too, but it got confiscated at security for being a “gel.” I’m pretty sure that TSA agent confiscated someone’s crackers next. Skip the PB, but plan to pack snacks. A package of almonds and a granola bar can be the difference between a great flight and one filled with nausea, headaches, and sleeplessness.

Charge your devices during layovers

I know you’re dying to take a nap in one of those comfy airport terminal seats, but first things first. Be sure to charge your device while you have the chance! Many airplanes have chargers at each seat these days, but enough still hail from the Dark Ages that it’s better to charge things while you’re on the ground. Not all airports have enough outlets to go around, but if you have time, it’s a good idea to wander around until you find a free outlet.

Pack a blanket

If you’re like me and get cold easy, you know that long flights can feel like a trip in a flying iceberg. Don’t count on the airline offering complementary blankets. It’s better to pack your own. If you don’t have a lot of space, bring a light covering of some kind. I usually pack one of those Hawaiian sarongs. I never use those things as swimsuit cover-ups, but they make nice skirts and excellent lightweight blankets! Plus, they condense to the size of a soda bottle when you roll them up tightly.

Do you have any other trips to make airplane trips easier? Let me know in the comments!

 

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A Walk in Maho

American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Caribbean, International Travel, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Maho’s a nice part of Saint Martin, and one I’ve never really appreciated. Shopping centers, the casino, sky bars– not a lot to love, in my opinion, especially when it’s pretty much a fake little tourist village that looks nothing like the rest of the island. Actually, though, it’s a pretty nice to place to spend an afternoon. I took a trip through Maho with my dog today, and I enjoyed the simple pleasures I found.


airplane
Maho Village

Other than the huge resort Sonesta, Maho is mostly residential. I’m not sure why you’d call it a village when it’s really a lot of condos, but it’s a pretty nice place to live. Very safe and secure, with a lot of guards and a lot of gates. The one thing that I don’t love is all the big, barking dogs behind those gates. Kito and I decided to leave the resident dogs to their own business and check out the rest of Maho.

Maho Shopping

There’s one main road in Saint Martin, and it runs through Maho. Both sides of the street are lined with spacious sidewalks and places to shop or eat. The boutiques are fun to browse through. There are some nice little souvenir shops with low-priced t-shirts, so it’s a good place to look around if you’re not up for Philipsburg. The clothing stores are beyond my budget, but it doesn’t hurt to window shop.

taco

Maho Eating

There are a lot of places to eat in Maho. A local fave is the pizza shop behind the casino, but I have to admit that I’ve never been there. Three Amigos isn’t bad, but you’ll have better luck at Maho’s best kept secret, Taco Macho. You can find it in the Alegria complex past Sunset Beach. We’ve enjoyed Moomba on a special occasion, although it’s a little pricey. Fig & Bananas is very popular with the wine and tapas crowd, so if that’s your jam, you really can’t go wrong. We’ve also had pizza at Rialto, which is good for a quick lunch. The most popular spot in the area is definitely Sunset Beach Bar, a top tourist destination where you can watch the sun set over the ocean and see planes fly just above your head. Our number one favorite is Gio’s, the gelato place on the corner. Try the cheesecake. It’s delicious.

maho beach

Maho Beach

To be honest, I’m not sure if it’s called Maho Beach or Sunset Beach, but either way it’s a great place to go. During tourist season from October to May, artificial sand expands the beach to accommodate the hundreds of people who wait for airplanes to blow them away. Yes, Maho Beach is that beach– the one where you can get blasted by a 747 jet or stand a few hundred feet below and landing plane.

Today, Kito and I walked to Maho Beach. I’m not really into the whole jet blast thing, but I do love seeing the planes come in for landing at Princess Juliana Airport. Plus, it was a dry day today, so Saba stood out sharply against a clear blue sky in the distance. I love that view. Kito just loves getting attention from all the tourists. Maho Beach is actually an incredibly friendly place to go. I just walked down and sat on the retaining wall with my dog, and lots of people stopped to talk. A few people gave me a quick smile and paused to pet the dog, and one little Dutch girl who was selling watermelon at her lemonade stand gave me a slice for free, just because. Or maybe because I looked homeless. Hopefully not. A tourist from the Netherlands sat down beside me and we talked about our dogs for a while. She’s an agility trainer and her dogs compete in Belgium all the time. We watched the planes for a while before Kito started getting hot and wanted to go home.

If you have time to walk around Maho, why not take an hour or two to do it? There’s a lot of other great things to see on the island, but Maho’s not half bad.

maho
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Puppy at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Canada, International Travel, Ontario, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve been in the ocean with sharks, and I don’t exactly love it, but I do love walking through an aquarium tunnel and seeing them above me! Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in Toronto is a fantastic place to do just that. I got to chaperone a big group of kids from my home island, Sint Maarten, on their trip to Canada and Ripley’s Aquarium. Puppy, our littlest in the group at six years old, had a wonderful time at the aquarium.

aquarium

Of course, the first thing Puppy wanted to do when he saw the inside of the aquarium was take off into the crowd and find something loud, shiny, and colorful. There’s plenty of loud, shiny, and colorful in the aquarium building, but Stacey and I made sure to keep a tight grip on Puppy! Fortunately, all the kids were dressed in matching bright yellow shirts, so we adults had a fairly easy time keeping track of them all.

ripleys aquarium

There was so much to see! And everyone seemed to want to see it. We squeezed through the crowd to press up against glass tanks full of colorful fish. Puppy liked anything that moved quickly and stayed within his field of vision. I liked the jellyfish, particularly the upside-down jellies that we have on our own island in Simpson Bay Lagoon. The pink ones were also pretty cool.

jellyfishes

“I shall call him squishy, and he shall be mine and he shall be my squishy.” -Dory

jellyfish

Then, of course, there are the jellyfish’s cousins, the anemones.

jellyfish

The best part of all was the moving sidewalk through the shark tunnel! Puppy was absolutely mesmerized as we glided past the huge sharks, sawfish, groupers, and turtles. He had a thousand questions to ask about everything! Stacey and I tried to convince him to get in a #sharkselfie with us, but he couldn’t pry his eyes away from the sharks right in front of his face.

Shark

As much fun as Ripley’s Aquarium was, there was a lot more to this field trip than just letting a bunch of kids see some fish. For some of the boys, this was the first time they got to see what’s beneath the waters surrounding their island.

big fish

They are the ones who will make tomorrow’s decisions about how those waters will be protected– or not protected. The marine ecosystem of the Caribbean island is so delicate! It’s under threat from tourism, over-fishing, chemical spills, and people just not caring. It’s vital that the people who live on the islands understand the importance that their reefs hold in many arenas, from tourism to preservation of species.

fishies

I hope that a peek at that underwater world, plus follow-up conversations from us, will encourage the kids to take an interest in their world and their responsibility to care for it. And how can you not care about this happy ray?

ray

Puppy actually wasn’t so sure about the rays, but he did love the kid-sized shark tunnel and even convinced some of his friends to squeeze through it with him. There were a lot of cool interactive things like this that encourage little ones to kinetically engage with the ocean life around them and look at it from a different angle.

kid tunnel

The aquarium was a blast! There was so much to do, see, and investigate. At the end of the morning, Puppy was worn out!

tired

Read Tre’s article on camping

Read Theo’s article on Safari Niagara

Read Tristan’s article on Harriet Tubman

Read Lewis’ article on the Welland Canal Locks

Read Adonis’ article on the Ontario Science Centre

Read Skijlaar’s article on Niagara Falls fireworks and magic

Read Little King’s article on their little league game in St. Catherines

Read Big King’s article on Niagara Falls and the Maid of the Mist boat ride

 

 

Ontario Science Centre

Canada, Guest Posts, International Travel, Ontario, , , , , , , , , ,

Twelve-year-old Adonis was impressed by the Ontario Science Centre. There was so much to see and do! Here’s what he had to say about it in his travel journal, plus a few words from his friends. 

wood

Today we went to Ontario Science Centre.

science center

“The first thing that caught my eye was the dinosaur.” -Big King, age 14

We went everywhere in the Science Center even to the bottom of the Science Center.

space buggy

“The best part was the 6th floor because everything was interactive.” -Theo, age 14

We saw a t-rex from Jurassic World, Bumble Bee, camel made of so much things, Dr. Frankenstein [Einstein?] made of bread, shrunken heads.

Einstein Toast

“I liked the tall man.” -Puppy, age 6

Then there was a “grab the jewely.” The jewely was a hologram.

Camel

“The best one I like was grab the jewel. It was a hologram.” -Little King, age 11

After that, we watch an Imax movie called “Beautiful Planet.” It was about an astronauts in space watching earth. Watching it at night and morning.

wild animal child
Help fundraise for schools in need while shopping at The Ultimate Green Store.com!

“Me and Tristen got shocked.” -Skijlaar, age 12

megaladon

I’ve been to a lot of science museums and trust me: this one was exemplary! I think that the museum is best summed up by one final quote: 

“There’s a lot of cool stuff.” -TrĂ©, age 14

science center
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Be sure to comment and let the kids know what you think! 

Read Triston’s article on Harriet Tubman

Read Theo’s article on Safari Niagara