Viva la Mexico

March 24, 2022

Meie Mehhiko reisist on küll juba jupp aega möödas, aga värskete maailmasündmuste kõrvale tundus reisiblogi kohatu postitada. Saingi aga teie varasemalt saadetud küsimuste põhjal seda veel täiendada, seega lõpuks ta siin on:) Connorite trio Mehhiko seiklused...

Teate ju küll kuidas Eestis peale aastavahetust hing õue vaadates kuhugi soojema maa poole ihalema hakkab? Jõulud, aastavahetus peetud ja juba mitu head kuud talve selja taga....AGA mitu pikka kuud veel ees:D (oeh). Selleks et need vastu pidada otsustasime, et sisemine päikesepatarei vajab natuke laadimist.

Eelmine aasta käisime esimest korda kolmekesi Dubais. Kui seekord nuputama hakkasime kuhu võiks minna, siis valikut tingisid sarnased kriteeriumid, mis tookord. Seega miks just Mehhiko?

COVID-i piirangud

Kuigi covidi piirangud hakkavad vaikselt lõdvenema on siiski praeguses maailmas osad muidu igati ihaldusväärsed sihtriigid lihtsalt kinni. Balile minekut oleme ammu arutanud, aga Balile niisama turistina praegu ei saagi ning äriviisa taotlemine meie plaanidesse ei finantsiliselt ega ajaliselt kuidagi ei mahtunud. Siis käis mõtetest läbi Tai. Seal olime enne Camilla sündi kahekesi rännanud ja meile täiega meeldis. Olin natuke detsembris pileteid piilunud, aga täpselt enne jõule tuli Taimaal nädalase karantiini nõue. Kuigi see oli küllaltki paindlik, siis tundus ikkagi piirav. Eelmisel reisil Dubaisse oli tagasi lennul meil väga pingeline olukord COVID-i piirangute muutustest tingitud olukorrast, seega enam seda väga kogeda ei tahtnud. Mehhiko on praegu väga leebete reeglitega ja seepärast tundus reis sinna väiksema peavaluga. Me lendasime Tallinn-Helsingi, Helsingi-Pariis, Pariis-Cancun ning kuna Mehhiko PCR testi (ega vaktsineerimispassi) ei nõudnud ning Soome ning Prantsusmaa lennujaama transiidil seda samuti vaja polnud, siis saime mõlemat pidi nii lennata, et ühtegi testi vaja polnudki.

Soovitan aga kindlasti kõigi riikide, mida teekonnal läbitakse, reeglid täpselt üle vaadata. Tallinnas välisministeeriumisse helistades ja reegleid pärides öeldi mulle, et Soome minekuks peab isegi transiidi puhul test olema ette näidata. Siis aga helistasin Soome piirivalveametisse ja nemad kinnitasid, et lihtsalt läbi lennul seda vaja pole. Hoidsime jälle veidi närve, aega ja raha kokku.

Ainukesed kohad kus meie vaktineerimispasse vaadati oli Tallinnast lendu alustades ning Mehhikos tagasilennule tulles.

Mehhikos kohapeal rahvarohkemates kohtades inimesed enamasti maske kannavad. Rannas või restoranides muidugi mitte. Üldiselt tundub, et see on pigem näitamiseks, et ollakse vastutustundlikud, kuid keegi otseselt noomimas ei käinud kui kellelgi ees polnud. Lennureisidel peab muidugi terve lennu vältel (va. söömise aeg) mask ees olema.

2. Ilm

Nicki eelistatuimad sihtkohad on kindlasti külmad paigad, kus lumelauatada saaks. Mina aga külmast veel külmemasse minna ei suuda:D Kuna Euroopas liiga sooje kohti talve ajal pole (va. Tenerife, kus mina olen palju käinud ja Nick minna ei soovinud), siis tuligi mujale vaadata. Ilma poolest oli üheks valikuks ka Tansaania, aga see kuidagi lõpuks jäi tagaplaanile.

Mehhikos oli sooja vahemikus 25-30, mis minu meelest on ideaalne. Päeval ei olnud leemendav kuumus, et ei tahtnud väljas ollagi, vaid täpselt selline soe ja paras. Õhtul tuli enamasti jakk või pusa peale panna, aga otseselt jahe polnud. Vihma sadas meie reisi vältel kolmel päeval- ühel 1,5 tundi hommikul, teistel veidi pikemalt.

3. Nicki USA igatsus

Nickil on Eestiga seoses erinevaid suhteid olnud. On olnud teatud perioodid, kus ta Maarjamaast väga elevil olnud. Hetkel see nii kahjuks pole:D Eesti armumise periood on möödas ja peale 4 aastat siin elamist on ta paljusid asju Ameerikaga seotult ikkagi väga, väga igatsema hakanud. See ei ole seotud otseselt ilma või pimedusega, mis kindlasti ka rolli mängivad, kuid Eesti elu on sellega, millega tema varasemalt harjunud oli, ikkagi äärmiselt teistsugune. Kindlasti ei aita kaasa ka see, et ta pole aastaid oma pere ja sõpru näinud, enda meelistegevusel- erinevatel spordiüritustel käinud ega lihtsalt enda jaoks familiaarseid kohti ja tegevusi kogenud. Ühesõnaga viisaprotsess on meil nüüd uuesti käsil. Oeh...

Meie viisa saaga on alates 2017 aasta oktoobrist seni lahenduseta ning mind riiki ei lasta. Isegi turistina mitte. Kõike seda arvesse võttes tundus Mehhiko kõige lähedasem koht USA õhustliku uuesti mekkimiseks.

Reisiks ettevalmistus

Kuigi meil oli mõte reisile minekust olemas, siis jäime reaalsete tegude osas ikka väga viimasele minutile. Ostsime piletid 3ndal jaanuaril 13nda jaanuari varahommikuks. Lennupileteid väga hea hinnaga kahjuks ei saanud (u 1700 kokku). Paar päeva peale piletite ostu jõudsime muidugi juba ümber mõelda reisi sihtkoha, sest Nickile ühtäkki tundus, et see lapsega ei ole ikkagi mõistlik koht, kuhu minna. Lõpuks otsustasime alles 6 päeva enne, et tavai- lähme.

Võite sellest järeldada, et reisi-eelsed päevad olid pöörase tempoga. Endal oli ju vaja pediküürid, maniküürid läbi käia, coaching kõned ette teha ning graafik ümber mängida, Camillal olid KÕIK eelmise suve riided ja jalanõud vahepeal väikseks jäänud ja paar koostööd vajasid ka plaani paika panekut. Kuigi kõik asjad said kenasti tehtud, siis tempo selle juures polnud kindlasti nauditav.

Üks asi, mis mind kõikide asjade planeerimisel aitab, on lihtsalt listide tegemine. Seega telefoni notesis kogu aeg piilusin- "Nii...mitu kleiti Camillal olemas. Vist piisab. Ai, kas lühkad tellisin?? Jalanõud... nii, mis seis nendega?":D

Kuna meil kaugemale kui lennule jõudmisele polnud aega mõelda, siis enne reisi algust broneerisime esimeseks nädalaks Tulumis Airbnb, otsustasime peale paari Mehhiko youtube-i reisiblogi vaatamist, et võtame rendiauto ning leppisime kokku, et edasi vaatame jooksvalt. Mõeldud, tehtud, ei mingit ülemõtlemist ja vaagimist.

Lennureis

Eelmine lennureisi ajal oli Camilla just saamas 6 kuuseks. Ta ei roomanud siis veel ka, seega kogu reisi vältel istus eeskujulikult meie süles või voodis, mida lennukis kasutasime. Praeguses vanuses ei ole ta aga väga püsiv, seega mentaalselt valmistasin ennast juba ette lennukis tunde ringi patseerimiseks. Tegelikult polnud asi üldse hull.

Siinkohal mainin ka, et beebiga reisimise kohta olen varasemalt ühe postituse kirjutanud ning seal olevat infot proovin mitte duplikeerida. See on leitav siit- https://www.mrsconnor.com/first-trip-as-a-trio/

Bassinet seat- mis asi see on ja kuidas seda saab?

Kõige rohkem sain reisi osas küsimusi lennul kasutatava beebivoodi kohta. Esimest korda kasutasime seda Dubaisse lennul ja kuna see oli ülipositiivne kogemus, siis broneerisime seekord ka. Paljud uurisid, et kas see tuleb kohe pileteid ostes valida. Kui sa pileteid ostes saad kohe kindlate lennuki istekohtade valiku, siis soovitaksin küll. Meil on kõik korrad nii olnud, et check-ini tehes oleme kohad vastavalt muutnud. Summa sõltub veidi lennuliinist, aga ühe koha kohta kuskil 25 eurot, seega edasi-tagasi kokku u +100 eurot. Kuna meil oli pikim lend 10 tundi, siis ma ütleks, et see oli 100% seda väärt. Esiteks oli kõvasti rohkem jalaruumi. Teiseks oli tagasi tulles meil öölend, seega suure osa lennust Camilla magas seal voodis. Kolmandaks oli see emotsionaalselt minu jaoks kergendav.

Enamus lennufirmadel on voodi jaoks välja toodud ka lapse kaal ja pikkus, mis sageli on 10-12 kg ja 70-80 cm vahel. Kuigi Camilla on veidi suurem kui need mõõdud, siis keegi otseselt kaaluma, mõõtma ei tulnud ja tegelikult mahtus ta kenasti ära. Napilt, kuid mahtus:D Ma usun, et Camillast suurem laps sinna enam ei mahu ning turvalisus osas vist pole mõistlik ka.

Bassinet seat-id on enamasti ainult suuremates lennukites ja pikematel sõitudel, seega Tallinn-Helsingi ja Helsingi-Pariis ning vastupidised otsad istus ta meie süles. Mulle üllatuseks ta väga palju ringi konnata isegi ei soovinud. Ei tea kas tekkis mõningane pelgus lennukis olevate inimeste osas või oli midagi muud. Veidi ikka tatsasime siin-seal, aga mitte väga palju.

Tagasi lend algas meil just Camilla magamamineku ajal. Kuna õhkutõusu ja söömise jms-ga venis see veidi hilisemaks, siis enne magama jäämist oli tal küll üks korralik jonnihoog. See oli paras katsumus ja läksin temaga vahepeal isegi lennuki tualetti, et nuttu summutada:D Ühisjõududega saime sellest aga üle ja siis suikus ta juba pikemasse unne.

Bassinet seat-i võlud- magav laps ja vabad käed

Mida lennukisse kaasa pakkida?

Meelelahutus lapsele. Meil oli kaasas üks raamat ("Muna"- lemmik:D), üks kleepsuraamat, mõned kahe-tükilised loomapusled, mõned Nupu loomakaardid, paberit ja paar kriiti, paar lahtikäivat puidust puuvilja ja iPad mõnede allatõmmatud laulude ja multikatega.
Vahetusriided. Nii endale kui Camillale võtsin varu komplekti kaasa ja Mila muidugi kohe minnes tõmbas kogu smuuti endale ja mulle peale, seega riided läksid kõik käiku. Alati panen kotti ka tühja kilekoti, millesse saab mustad riided eraldi kokku panna.
Hügieenitarbed- Camillale mähkmed, niisked salfakad, kuivad / riidest salfakad. Endale deodorant, hambahari, hambapasta, meigieemaldus salfakad, kreem, käte deso vahend.
Snäkid (!) - Ma ütleks, et meie puhul võiks selle kategooria ka meelelahutuse alla panna:D Söömine on meil üks lemmik tegevustest. Ostsin kaasa Mamma pannkooke, Nickile soolaseid kreekereid ja beef jerkyt, erinevaid proteiinibatoone, õuna smuutisid, küpsiseid jms. Sõites olid pigem tervislikumad valikud, tagasi tulles ostsime snäkid lennujaamast ja nagu teada, seal müüaks peamiselt ainult võikusid, komme, šokolaadi jms.
Muu- Meil oli kaasas üks õhem, üks paksem tekk. Lisaks lutt, joogipudel, põll, huulepalsam, endale raamat, kõrvaklapid.

Olulised lemmiku kaaslased- meelelahutus, snäkid ja vahetusriided

Paljud küsisid lapsega lendamise kohta küsimusi ja kokkuvõtlikult ütleksin, et see ei ole midagi enneolematut. Nick sai näiteks isegi mitu filmi läbi vaadatud:) Nagu ükskõik millega- kui enda suhtumine on ok, siis on muu ka ok.

Rendiauto- kas võtta või jätta?

Eelmisel reisil Dubais otsustasime rendikat mitte võtta ning liiklesime igalpool Uberiga. Iseenesest oli see väga mugav ning kuna vahemaad ei olnud nii pikad, siis seal sobis hästi.

Kuna Cancunist Tulumi oli kohe juba 1,5 h sõit, siis selleks oli kolm varianti- buss, takso või rendiauto. Otsustasime lennujaamast koha pealt võtta rendika. Maksime kahe nädala eest u 400 dollarit (lisaks hoidi kaardil 300 dollarit) ning võtsime rendikohast ka turvatooli. Mehhikos seadus seda ei kohusta, aga eeskujuliku eestlasena ilma selleta ju ikka ei sõida?!:D Me rentisime Budget-i autorendi firmast. Nick oli varasemalt vaadanud mõningaseid youtube-i videosid ja sellest õppis, et kui varem broneerida, siis nad võivad kaardil topeltsumma hoida. See sõltub ka veidi pangakaardist mida kasutada, seega tuleb ise üle täpsustada.

Rendika võtmine oli igatahes parim otsus. See tegi kogu logistika üli lihtsaks, kiireks, mugavaks. Ei pidanud kogu päeva kava läbi mõtlema, vaid saigi autosse hüpata kui vaja, ning edasi liikuda. Parkimine on Tulumi rannapiirkonnas küll päris kulukas (200-300 pesot kord, so. u 9-13 eurot), aga samas reisi vloge vaadates tundus, et taksojuhtide tariifid on ka põhimõtteliselt näo järgi seatud, seega palju ringi tuuseldades võib ikkagi kulukaks minna.

Rendikat võttes tuleb muidugi valmis olla uues riigis, uutes oludes sõitmiseks. Mina ise seda teha ei oleks kindlasti tahtnud, aga kuna Nick on maailma enesekindlaim sõitja, siis meil probleeme õnneks polnud:)

Meie kogemusel oli auto võtt 100% õige otsus

Mehhiko- kuhu minna, mida teha?

Esimeseks peatuspunktiks valisime Tulumi.

Mul olid Tulumi osas küll päris tugevad eelarvamused, aga mõtlesime, et ilusad rannad ja hea toit seal igatahes on, seega kaotada pole midagi. Sotsiaalmeediast oli Tulumi kohta jäänud mulje, et see on täiega pidutsemise ja eputamise koht ja mõtlesin, et huvitav kas väikse lapsega oleme seal kui võõrkehad. Tuli välja, et eks ta suht selline "show off" koht tõesti ole ning peo paneku paiku seal tõesti rohkelt leiab. Rannabaarides olime sageli ainukesed lapsega ning ranna juures olevates toidukohtades sageli lastetooli polnud. Võrreldes näiteks Dubaiga, mis on eriti lapsesõbralik sihtkoht minumeelest, Tulum seda otseselt polnud. Samas saab lapsega hakkama ju igal pool ning tegelikult on Tulumil nii palju rohkem pakkuda kui eelpool mainitu. Mõned meie lemmiktegevused Tulumi piirkonnas:

Rand

Tulumi rannajoon on võrrratu. Vesi on türkiisinine ja liiv hele. Lugesime varasemalt, et on teatud perioodid, kus rand võib väga adrune olla, aga meil läks õnneks ning mererohuga silmitsi seisma ei pidanud. Tulumis on rannas käiguks põhimõtteliselt kaks varianti- avalik rand või rannabaarid.

Avalik rand on tasuta ning sinna on paar kindlat sisenemiskohta. Me sõitsime piki ranna äärt ning kiikasime avalikku randa sisse. Rand oli väga ilus, aga tol hetkel hästi üle rahvastatud ning selliseid mõnusaid lebotamistoole ka väga ei näinud, seega seadsime oma sammud edasi. Tegelikult käisimegi lõpuks iga kord kui randa suundusime mõnes hotelli rannabaaris. Kuigi need on kõik tasulised ning vastavalt hotellile maksavad u 50-100 dollarit inimese kohta, siis võttes arvesse privaatsust ja mugavust, oli see meie meelest seda väärt.

Rannajoon jaotatakse "North beach" ja "South beach" ja vähemalt meile tundus, et mida enam lõuna poole minna, seda mõnusamaks rand läks. Playa Paraiso (Paradise Beach) on rannajoone keskel ning väga kaunis ala.

Mõned populaarsemad rannabaarid on Ziggy´s Beach club, kus käisime Nicki sünnipäeval ning atmosfäär oli väga mõnus. Mõnusad on samuti La Zebra, Mia restaurant and beach club ja Om Tulum. Piki teed, mis ranna äärde viib, on ka lugematu arv väikeseid, armsaid poekesi ja lounge, kus me ringi piilusime.

Rannas niisama tšillimine (loe: Camillal vahetustega järgi jooksmine), mängimine, söömine oligi meil Tulumis lemmiktegevus:)

2. Kesklinn

Rannast u. 10 minuti kaugusel on Tulumi kesklinn. Seal on pikk tänav, mis on täis erinevaid restorane, baare jms. Õhtuti on tänavatel näha erinevaid esinejad, mis panevad tänavapildi "elama".

Toon välja paar parimat toiduelamust, mis meil kesklinnas olid. Ükski neist pole fine-dining ning pigem rahakoti-sõbralikus hinnaklassis:

Burrito Amore- väga mõnus brunchi või õhtusöögi koht, kus burritosid süüa. Me istusime seal väljas ning atmosfäär oli nii chill ja hea.
Taqueria Honorio- ülihead, autentsed Mehhiko tacod. Alustasime 6 tellimisega ning lõpuks sõime 21 ära ning katsetasime suht kogu menüü läbi:D
Bonita Tulum- Burgerikoht, mis vahelduseks tacodele oli värskendav ja teistsugune. Seal oli ka õhtul live muusika, mis andis särtsu juurde.
Botanica Garden Cafe- taimedega täidetud ja visuaalselt väga kena, värviline brunchi koht, kus oli palju värskeid ja maitsvaid toite.
Jäätise kohtadest on parim Aldo´s, mis on nii ranna ääres kui kesklinnas ning kust suht igapäevaselt jätsi ostsime.

Rannas sõime vastavas rannabaaris, kus tol päeval olime ning kuna Tulumis ööbisime Airbnb-s, siis mõned õhtud tšillisime ja nosisime ka kodus. Mehhiko firmaroogasid- tacosid ja guacamolet hävitasime kogu reisi jooksul tõesti enneolematutes kogustes. Tallinnas mõned Mehhiko restoranid küll on, aga no selliseid eineid nagu seal kohapeal, nad kindlasti ei paku.

3. Templid

Tulumi arheoloogiline piirkond

Tulum pakub lisaks rannale ka ajaloohuvilistele vaatamisväärsusi. Põhja ranna üleval osas asub Tulumi arheoloogiline piirkond, kus näeb mitmeid templeid. Arheoloogiline tsoon asub kalju otsas, seega lisaks hästi säilinud varemetele avaneb piirkonnast ka imekena vaade. Sissepääsu järjekord võib seal päris pikk olla, seega kui oodata ei soovi, saab internetist ka piletid ette osta. Meie juhendatud tuuriga ei käinud, vaid kondasime ise ringi ja lugesime üles pandud siltidelt veidi ajaloolist infot juurde. Kuna antud templid asuvad Tulumis sees, siis on see ideaalne paaritunniseks kuni poolepäevaseks tegevuseks ette võtta.

Chichen Itza

Me ei ole Nickiga kunagi suured muuseumite, varemete fännid olnud ning kui Nickile mainisin, et sõidaksime 2,5 tunni kaugusele, siis talle alguses selle väikse reisi ette võtmine üldse hea ideena ei tundunud. Rõhutasin talle siis, et tegemist ju ühe maailmaimega ja kõik Mehhiko blogid, mis lugesin, soovitavad minna.

Õnneks oligi ühel päeval nii, et terve hommikupooliku sadas vihma ning olime rahulikult tubased. Kui kell juba lõunast edasi hakkas liikuma pakkusin välja, et hakkame vihmaga sõitma ja äkki jääb sellel ajal järgi. Nii tegimegi:)

Chichen Itzasse lastakse sisse kuni kella 16ni ning sõitma hakates näitas, et jõuame napilt enne nelja kohale. Hoidsin pöialt, et meil nina ees väravat kinni ei pandaks ja sõit raisku ei läheks. Õnneks selgus poole reisi peal, et kuna sõitsime sisemaa poole, siis asus Chichen Itza järgmises ajatsoonis ning saime tund aega võitu:) Hurraaa!

Sõit sinna on samuti päris huvitav. Tee peal näeb igasugu väikseid poekesi ja toidukohti jms. Samuti veidi rohkem Mehhiko "päris" elu. Tee peal täiesti lampi oli näiteks politsei reid, kus kõik autod peatuma pidid ja läbi vaadati, mis ausalt öeldes tekitas veits kõhedust. Meil muidugi midagi peidus polnud, seega saime kenasti tulema:D

Vaadates Chichen Itza pilte ja lugedes arvustusi uskusin, et saab äge vaatepilt olema, aga ausalt öeldes oli veel võimsam kui arvasin. Kuna Nickil mingeid ootusi polnud ja ta üldse ei teadnud mis asi meid ees ootab, siis ta vaatas täitsa silmad punnis. Camillake oli muidugi ka õnnelik, et sai suurel muruplatsil joosta:D

Igatahes- Chichen Itza on kindlasti väärt Tulumist sõitu ja päevast trippi. Koha peal on võimas tempel, cenote, suveniiri kohakesed, saab keha kinnitada ja palju Mehhiko kultuuri kohta õppida. Olime just paar päeva enne seda Airbnb-s filmi "Apocalypto" vaadanud, mis on Mehhiko maiade impeeriumi, elu, olu, ohverduste ja muu kohta. Peale seda kuulda ja näha kuidas see päriselt nii oligi kõik, oli väga võimas.

4. Cenoted

Mehhiko, eriti Tulumi piirkond, on tuntud oma looduslike basseinide poolest, mis on moodustunud peale lubjakivikoobaste kaarte lagunemist. Cenotesid on erinevaid- maapealseid, sügavaid auke, koopaaluseid. Kuna meie olime Camillaga, siis nendesse, kuhu vaid sisse hüpata saab, me ei läinud.

Meil oli alguses plaanis rohkem cenotesid külastada, aga kuidagi said päevad täidetud ja käisime tegelikult lõpus vaid ühes (+ ühte nägime Chitchen Itzas).

Me külastasime Tulumi kesklinnast vaid 5 minuti kaugusel olevat Gran Cenotet. Lugesin igasugu arvustustest, et mõistlik on minna kas kohe hommikul või pigem päeva lõpus, sest muidu võivad kohapeal olla suured rahvamassid ning cenote avastamine komplitseeritum. Sättisimegi siis end ühel hommikul kohe avamise hetkeks Gran Cenote sissepääsu juurde. Kuna too päev kui me otsustasime minna, oli pilvine ja näitas ka mingi hetk sadu, siis inimesi oli väga vähe. Olime reaalselt esimesed, kes vette said:)

Saime veidi ujuda ja ringi uudistada, aga siis hakkaski peagi sadama. Ootasime natukeaega, aga tundus, et see ei ole niipea järgi jääv sadu, seega otsustasime mitte lõppu oodata ja suundusime linna. Gran Cenote on aga väga, väga kena. Seal on kaks cenotet ning ka suur muruplats, kus oleks perega olnud väga mõnus päikselisel päeval aega veeta. Ühes cenotes oli ka eraldi ala, kus palju kilpkonnasid nägi.

Üks oluline asi- cenotede sissepääsuks võtke kindlasti sularaha kaasa! Inimesed, kes meie taga olid, suundusid tagasi linna, sest olid arvestanud, et saavad kaardiga maksta. Cenotede hinnad varieeruvad paarist dollarist paarikümneni. Gran Cenote oli 25 dollarit inimese kohta.

Mõned cenoted, mis veel külastuse väärilised peaksid olema- Cenote Dos Ojos, Cenote Calavera (hüppamiseks), Cenote Azul, Sac Actun.

Kokkuvõttes on Tulumis minu meelest päris erinevatele maitsetele tegevusi ja meile meeldis seal väga. Ainuke negatiivne aspekt oli see, et Tulum on hinnaklassi poolest küllaltki krõbe. Lapsega olles proovisime teha valikuid, mis mugavama eluolu tagaks ning need väiksed otsused kuhjuvad seal rahaliselt päris korralikult.

Ööbimine

Meie otsustasime Tulumi nädalaks võtta Airbnb. Tulumis rannajoonel olevate hotellide hinnad on lihtsalt päääääris kallid ja kesklinnas olek nii palju ei kõnetanud. Leidsime Airbnb (Sundara Tulum), mis asus ranna ja kesklinna vahelises piirkonnas, seega asukoha mõttes oli ühele ja teisele poole minna väga mugav. Mõned õhtud / hommikud ei viitsinud me välja sööma minna, seega siis einestasime kodus. Ajavahega harjumise tõttu ärkas Camilla esimestel päevadel kell 5 üles, sõi, mängisime niisama ja läks tagasi magama. Seda arvesse võttes oli hea, et enda köök oli olemas. Käisime ka paar korda poes, sest kuna me kõik väga suure söömaga oleme, siis pidid snäkid olema kogu aeg käe ulatuses :)

Connorid ja rohked snäkid käivad alati koos

Ajavahega harjumise kohta sain päris palju küsimusi. Ma ütleks, et minnes polnud see väga hull. Camilla läks ööunne samal ajal kui Eestis (19-20) ja esimesed 5 päeva ärkas lihtsalt varem. Mulle aga sobis see, et ärkasin temaga üles, veetsime veidi aega ja kui ta uuesti magama läks sain mina veidi enda aega- teha trenni, vastata kirju vms. Kui nad Nickiga koos ärkasid oli ikkagi veel päev varajane. Tagasi tulles võttis meil kõigil ajavahega uuesti harjumine aga pea nädala. Õhtuti ei tulnud kellelgi und, passisime pikalt üleval ja hommikul oli uni palju magusam. Aga ega sellega minu meelest muud teha ei saagi kui veidi aega anda ja proovida ennast ära väsitada, et päeva-öö rütmi tagasi saada.

Tulumi Airbnb

Nii.. aga tagasi Tulumi ööbimise juurde. Selles Airbnb-s oli katusel päevitusala ja bassein ning jõusaal ning korteris ka eraldi bassein. Kuna aga see basseini osa väga päikest ei saanud, siis oli ta jahe ning Nick kasutas seda enda üles äratamiseks. Meie Camillaga sulistasime katusel olevas basseinis:) Kuna Tulumis peatusime kõige pikemalt, siis oli mugav, et kohapeal oli pesumasin ja kuivati, seega enne järgmisesse kohta minekut saime pesu pesta. Muidu jäime Airbnb-ga rahule, olid lihtsalt mõned päevad, kus mitu tundi oli vesi ära. Kuna Tulumis käib väga aktiivne ehitus igalpool, siis see pidi küllaltki normaalne olema, et vesi keeratakse vahelduva eduga kinni, et teatud töid teha. Kuigi see polnud pikalt, siis veidi ebamugav ikka. Teistes linnades hotellides meil seda muret polnud.

Käru vajaduse kohta uuriti ka palju. Mina meie kogemuse põhjal kindlasti sooviks võtta. Jah, Camilla kõnnib ise väga hästi, aga pikemaid vahemaasid ikkagi vankriga on palju mugavam läbida. Enamasti kandsime kaasas ka kotti, rätikuid, snäkke, vahetusriideid jms, seega neid oli käru all väga mugav hoiustada ja mitte kõike seljas tassida.

Cozumel

Nagu sissejuhatuses ka mainisin, siis meil Mehhikosse lennates polnud plaan kindlalt paigas, et mida millal teeme. Broneerisime ainult Tulumi nädala ja eelviimasel päeval seal hakkasime mõtleme, et nonii- mis siis edasi. Kaalusime pikemalt Cancunis olekut, Playa Del Carmenit ja Cozumeli. Nick leidis Cozumelil hotelli, mis talle meeldis ja oligi otsustatud.

Sõitsime Tulumist Playa del Carmenile ja läksime sealt praami peale, mis 1,5 h Cozumelile sõitis. Seekord otsustasime olla hotellis (The Westin Cozumel) ja jäime valikuga väga rahule. Hotelli rand oli armas ja privaatne, hommikusöök mega, basseini ala mõnus ja vaade ilus. Nick sai hotelli lobbys teiste ameeriklastega ka Ameerika jalgpalli, mida ta väga igatsenud oli, vaadata. Kõik õnnelikud:)

Ühe päeva mõnulesime niisama hotellis. Teisel päeval sadas päeva esimeses pooles päris korralikult, seega hüppasime autosse ja otsustasime saarele tiiru peale teha. Saare lõunatipus on üks suur park (Punta Sur Eco Beach Park), aga sinna jõudes polnud meil piisavalt sularaha kaasas, seega ei saanudki minna. Sularaha olemasolu on Mehhikos üldse väga oluline, sest tihti ei saa kaardiga maksta, automaate on vähe ja vahel on needki sularahast tühjad. Kui sadu vahepeal lakkas, hüppasime rannaäärsetesse baaridesse. Järgmisel päeval läksime nendesse ka päikselise ilmaga tagasi ja seal oli megamõnus aega veeta. Saare läänerannikul on kesklinn ja hotellid, aga idarannik on suhteliselt asustamata ja näeb rohkem puutumata randu ja loodust.

Sõime mitmes erinevad kohas, paar tükki, mis tooks välja:

Jolly. Ülihea hommiku / brunchi kohta. Kui muidu sõime hommikust hotellis, siis ühel päeval käisime Jollys ja see oli imeline.
Kondesa restoran. Restorani atmosfäär on väga mõnus ja toit oli suurepärane.

Cozumelil jalutasime ka kesklinnas, kuid meie lemmik päev oli kindlasti see, kui sõitsime ida-kaldale ja uudistasime sealselt eraldatud randu ja baare. Üldiselt jättis Tulum meile parema mulje kui Cozumel. Cozumel saarena ei ole väga suur, seega seal nädal oleks kindlasti liiga palju olnud veeta. Seal oli ka palju ameerika turiste ja veidi oli saarel selline "spring break" õhustik. Kuna meil hotell oli aga väga mõnus, siis saimegi seal enamus aega veeta.

Cozumeli kesklinn ja vähem asustatud idakalda imeilusad rannad

Cancun

Meie lend tagasi Eestisse oli Cancunist, seega otsustasime viimased päevad seal veeta. Airbnb-d on vahepeal mõnusad, aga Cozumelil olek tuletas meelde, et head hotellid on ka ikka päris mõnsad. Kui mulle meeldib pigem ringi uudistada, siis Nick on täielik hotelli- snoob. Tema ideaalpuhkus oleks see kui me kordagi hotellist ei lahkukski:D Igatahes... sõitsime praamiga taas Playa del Carmenile ja sealt autoga Cancuni. Tagasisõidul oli meil ka üks ärev olukord. Nimel oli ärasõidu hommikul auto pult streikima hakanud. Tõenäoliselt oli selle patarei tühjenemas ning ei andnud ühendust uste avamiseks. Kuidagi saime aga käima ja jõudsime praamile.

Playa del Carmenil randudes liikusime meie Camillaga teiste jalakäiatega koos maha ning Nick läks alla autosse. Olime sadamas ning ootame ja ootame. Vaatame kuidas üks haavad kõik autod praamilt maha sõidavad. Nicki aga ei tule ega tule. Selleks hetkeks oli ta autos olnud vast umbes 45 minutit ning hakkasin juba vaikselt muretsema.

Nägime eemalt, et kogu praam oli autodest tühi ning lõpuks jalutas Nick laevalt maha. Mida me aga ei näinud oli meie auto.

Tuli välja, et pult oli otsad andnud ning ta ei saanud seepärast autot tööle. Olime sadamas ning teadsime, et praam hakkab varsti tagasi sõitma, seega minu hirm oli see, et auto koos kõigi meie asjadega sõidab nüüd tagasi Cozumelile ja me oleme tühjade kätega Playa del Carmenil. Keegi sadamas inglise keelt väga hästi ei rääkinud ja nii me proovisime käte, jalgadega seletada mis olukord on. Mõne aja pärast lasti Nick ikkagi tagasi laevale ning leiti üks mehhaanik. Hoidsime Milaga kaldal pöidlaid ja u 20 minuti pärast nägime lõpuks Nicki autoga praamilt maha sõitmas. Juhuuuu. Saime ta ikka enne tagasisõitu kätte:D

Camillaga kaldal tühja praami vaatamas ja pöidlaid hoidmas, et Nicki ja auto ikka kätte saame

Olime ülitänulikud ja hakkasime Cancuni poole sõitma. Cancuni sissesõit meenutas mulle väga Floridat. Igalpool palmid, palju suuri silte ja reklaame. Nick leidis Hiltoni (Canopy by Hilton), seega otsustasime seal ööbida. See hotell polnud küll otse Cancuni rannajoonel, aga ilus vaade oli siiski.

Cancunis oli meil ainult kaks ja pool päeva seega liiga palju seal ringi ei sõitnud, vaid olime basseini ääres ja jalutasime ranna kandis.

Mina olin varasemalt ühe korra Cancunis käinud ja mäletan kõige rohkem tollest reisist Coco Bongo klubis käiku. See on ülisuur ööklubi, kus toimuvad väga vinged showd. Kui Cancuni minna ilma lasteta, siis kindlasti koht, mida kogeda:)

Hotelli juures oli meil ala kus olid poed, toidukohad, meelelahutus jms, seega jalutasime, vaatasime seal ringi. Cancun oli nendest linnadest, kus me käisime, kõige kommentslikum ja kallim, kuid ilus ja mõnus igatahes.

Peale kahte nädalat Mehhiko päikese all oligi aeg tagasi lennule minna. Puhkuselt on minu meelest alati natuke raske naasta, sest uus rütm on sisse kujunenud ja vana graafik vaja uuesti paika saada. Samas on puhkus ja uute kohtade avastamine perega meie silmis kõige olulisem investeering. Need on mälestused ja momendid, mida mitte keegi ära võtta ei saa.

Tagasilend läks meil viperusteta ning kuna tegu oli öise lennuga, siis ka küllaltki ruttu.

Nagu näha polnud Camilla Eestisse tagasi lennust väga elevil

Kuigi Mehhiko turvalisuse ja lapsega sobivuse osas kahtlesime alguses päris palju, siis tagasi vaadates ma ei ütleks, et kuskil ebaturvaliselt tundsime. Mingeid meeletult suuri üllatusi või äperdusi meil polnud, va. see, et ühel päeval kaotasime Nicki rahakoti koos sularaha ja kõikide ta kaartidega ära ja kammisime pool randa läbi:D Aga õnneks leidsime peale paari tundi närveldamist lõpuks üles. Eks reisil ikka mingeid väikeseid viperusi siin-seal ette tuleb.

Loodan, et see postitus aitab kedagi kellel lapsega reis ees või kellel Mehhiko mõtetel mõlkunud. Praegu tundub, et kevad on ka vaikselt Eestimaa pinnale jõudmas, seega vast saab D-vitamiini ka siin koguma hakata. Päikselist kevadet kõigile:)

Tervitustega,

Liisa ja co.

First trip as a trio

May 26, 2021

I had visualized going on a trip with our daughter way before we ever even got pregnant.

Now actually seeing her button nose and puffy cheeks in the sun, her little toes and chunky thighs in the water, and her signature curious eyebrow raise while interacting with the local people was honestly a dream come true.

My pregnancy and Camilla´s birth coincided with the Covid pandemic so in 2020 we didn´t really travel other than Nick´s snowboarding trip with his friends.

As 2021 came, we had somewhat got used to being parents and Estonia seemed to have a never-ending winter, so it was time to head somewhere warmer.

We hesitated traveling for a while and discussed if it´s really responsible and necessary considering the overall state of the world, but in the end, decided that it´ll be exactly what we decide it is. So we decided it´s going to be amazing!

We have never been too early planners when it comes to going somewhere. We bought the tickets around 3 weeks before and did it ourselves not through an agency. We haven´t used a "package tour" before and decided to organize it ourselves this time too.

Two American passports and one Estonian passport with American covers:D

Why did we choose Dubai:

Restrictions. That was obviously the first criteria that already filtered out a lot of destinations. Didn´t seem to make a whole lot of sense to travel somewhere just to sit in quarantine. Countries had and have currently very different covid- related rules, so it just takes some researching and reading to figure out what those are.
Weather. Since Estonia´s winter had this year extended extra long, we just really wanted to get some sun. Thus the colder Northern hemisphere and cooler countries were off from the list.
Distance. Although I wasn´t necessarily scared to travel with the baby, shorter flights still seemed more appealing. Another thing to consider with the distance is the time zones. Camilla had formed a very specific routine with nap times and I felt that traveling somewhere with a very big time difference will mess it all up. It probably would not have been too bad in the end but again- it seemed that the less deviation, the better.

Considering the above-mentioned points the last strong candidates were Dubai, Canary Islands, and the Maldives. The Canary Islands didn´t have any restrictions and the flights were short, but the weather didn´t seem that warm yet and I had been there many times already. The Maldives would have been gorgeous and the weather was perfect, but the flight was long and most of the resorts pretty pricy. Dubai´s weather forecast looked perfect; the flight route fairly short and only two hours time difference (when the clock was turned then only one hour). We had also been to Dubai at the end of 2019 and it had blown our expectations. Since it was also more familiar it seemed less of a hassle with a baby.

We flew with Lufthansa from Tallinn-Frankfurt; Frankfurt-Dubai and back the same way. I tried not to have too many expectations around travelling with a baby, but truth be told flying with her was much easier than I thought it would ever be. I always emphasize that I truly share things transparently the way they are and not sugar-coat anything. Camilla overall has been a calm, easy child and because of her age when we travelled (6 months), she wasn´t mobile yet. That made our life much more simple.

Camilla´s first airport and airplane experience:)

The main requirement for entering Dubai were a negative PCR test certificate. We did it in Estonia in Synlab 72 h in advance. Travel insurance is overall always good to have, but in this day in age it is pretty much a must. Many countries require it while entering. Mask is necessary everywhere, only while eating it´s allowed to be taken off. I found it a bit odd, that all flights we were on, were totally full and people were sitting right next to each other. So no social distancing at least with the airline we flew with.

There were a few nice things that I hadn´t thought of and those were great surprises.

1. You get to skip the lines with a baby.

That was literally something I didn´t think of or remember at all. I guess thus far we didn´t belong to the "families with small babies" group, so apparently, it didn´t register in my mind previously. When they let us past a whole long line on the first plane we boarded we were like- "Wooow, that´s cool!"

Coming back thanks to Camilla we made it to the plane because we had so little time and if we had waited in the lines, we would have definitely missed our flight. More about that in the end.

2. There is an option to book a cot-seat in the plane.

If there is one suggestion I could give to a family traveling with a small child, this would be it. Get the cot seat! We had it on the flight from Frankfurt- Dubai and it was super convenient. There is so much more legroom, the baby doesn´t have to be in your arms all the time and he or she can sleep/lay/sit in the cot.

I didn´t know of this opportunity at the time of buying the tickets, so I called back the airline later and was able to add them. It was for extra cost ( 25 euros per seat meaning 50 one way and 50 the other), but I´d say it was worth it for sure. Airline prices are probably different too, so don´t take this price as a rule;)

We didn´t get it for the shorter flight ( Tallinn-Frankfurt and vice versa), because they didn´t have it and even if they would have, we probably would not have got it. That flight was short enough to have her in our arms.

Cot seats made it more comfortable for us and seemed that also for Camilla

Since we changed our flight back multiple times then something got mixed up and although we paid for the cot seat, we didn´t get it. At the beginning I was disappointed, but we made it work. So especially having the experience of both ways- the cot option would be my preference.

One alternative a few people shared with me, is to put the tray tables up, a blanket on it, and lay the baby there when they fall asleep. That will work too, just going to the bathroom then will be harder.

Flying back we didn´t get the cot seat and then the sleep carrier served as Camilla´s bed

3. The changing room in the airplane and airports

I wasn´t even thinking that there is a changing option on the airplane and was expecting to change Camilla somehow in that tiny airplane- toilet:D What was I thinking!?:D So to my positive surprise there was at least one changing table in the longer flights. It was pleasantly big and really easy to navigate.

The size of the airplane changing room was definitely a positive surprise:)

I only have good words about the changing stations in the different airports too. Some nicer, some not that nice, but they served their purpose, so all good.

I guess it really all comes down to our own attitude too. We were both pretty chill. Nick always says that whatever we want Camilla to be, we need to be ourselves. So if we don´t make a big deal of changes, she won´t too.

That was exactly the case.

She was a great little flying-pal. Didn´t cry once, didn´t have any issues with her ears while take-off and landing, or really any other complaints. She seemed to love the attention she got from people and was just curious to look around what was happening.

Obviously flying just by yourself versus with a baby, is very different in regards to your own activities on the plane. I didn´t watch movies or read like I used to before, but I wasn´t really even expecting to do that. Nick got some work done on this computer when Camilla was sleeping and I was just resting during that.

Seems that the second overall important take-away is to have realistic expectations when traveling with the baby and not to plan a big to-do list for the flights. Have no other to-do list items than being with your baby;)

Packing for the trip and baby-essentials

The main thing I hate about traveling is packing. It literally gives me anxiety, because as much as I like planning, thinking ahead about clothes and necessities that we might need two weeks from now, is not my cup of tea. I´ve always been the last-minute packer and this time was no different. Obviously, I had ordered things before but didn´t give much thought to how they will work together and finished up zipping the bag a few minutes before stepping outside to head to the airport.

I packed Camilla´s clothes in smaller reusable bags by category (swimwear, pajamas, dresses etc), so it was easy to keep up what we have; what gets dirty and so on

During our trip I got quite a bit of question about different baby- products we used, so here are a few that very great helpers.

1. A lightweight stroller

We stroll quite a bit in Estonia too, but now the stroller was the main transportation. We used it every day and pretty much took it everywhere. We had got a lightweight stroller (Quinny Zapp Flex Plus) already before Camilla was born to use the wheels with the car seat. Now we just added the seat part to the base. I don´t have any other experience with different lightweight strollers, so I can´t do a whole lot of comparison. Ours was simple to use and we had no issues. The only disadvantage was that you need two hands to put it together whereas I´ve seen some that only need one. To use it wasn´t a big deal, but just a fact to consider. Instead of buying one, renting it is an option too. Some of my girlfriends who have travelled with their kids have rented and have had good experiences too.

2. Swimwear

Since the baby´s skin is extra sensitive, it really needs to be protected. A long UV set helps to cover more of the body and a hat is surely a must-have too.

I got one from HM, ordered one from Amazon (Bonverano), and had one sown. The longer sets definitely got more use because then I didn´t have to lotion her body as often.

We also tried not to keep Camilla in direct sunlight for long. Sunscreen should be 50+ SPF. Ours was from the brand Naif.

3. Floaty

Most hotels have some sort of pool, so having something for the baby to swim with, comes helpful. I got one yellow Swim Safe floaty from Amazon, where she was able to sit in and one that went around her neck. She preferred the one where she sat because then she could look around. The one that was around the neck seemed a bit more uncomfortable and when she started bending her back I feared that maybe she´ll go over. I have also heard the other way around though- that the neck one worked better than the sitting one. So I guess it´s as with any other product- babies have different preferences:) Like I said- I ordered from Amazon, but for the Estonians- I later found reisipisik.ee which seems to have all the travel products.

Other noteworthy items:

Short clothes. Sounds pretty basic, but since the first 6 months of Camilla's life the weather was mostly cold, I didn´t have ANY shorts and dresses or not really even short sleeve bodies. It was so sweet seeing her little chunky thighs and wiggling toes because thus far they had been in the socks or pants. Most of the clothes I ordered from Next and bought a few sets there from HM and GAP.
Sleep carrier. I mentioned the sleep options on the plane above, but another thing that helped was a transportable baby nest. That was something we used in the airports when she was sleeping. She also slept sometimes in it when we were by the pools. Ours was Najelle´s.
Blanket(s). One lighter one would be good when nursing or to put on the child´s eyes when they sleep. We also had one thicker one for the plane and one for her to lay on.
Swimming diapers. I got one pack with us, so I didn´t have to look for them right as we got there. We also took a package of ordinary diapers, but those could have been purchased on the spot too.
Baby pharmacy. Although everything we would have needed, we would have got from the spot too, it just gave me peace in mind to have the essentials. Sudocrem, Rhinomer, painkillers, etc.

The difference ways we used the sleep-carrier

Essentials for the plane:

For the baby- diapers; wet wipes; something to play with; extra set (or rather two) of clothes; if you are giving some extra food already then that; a blanket; burp / swiping cloth
For the mom- extra shirt; snacks(!)

Usually when we have traveled with Nick just the two of us we (read: mostly me!) have always overpacked and already headed to the destination the checked bag has been often over the allowed weight. This was the first time we packed things for three people and the first time we were underweight. We just checked two bags and had two backpacks as carry-ons + Camilla´s stroller.

Something that we didn´t have, but would have been probably helpful are baby sunglasses. Camilla really liked being in the sun and water, but she hated when she faced the sun and it was in her eyes. Well.... who of us would really like that anyway?:D

Now, back in Estonia we learned from our mistake, got Kietla Diabola ones from Heveren and the few times she has worn then, she has really liked those.

Things to do / areas to visit in Dubai with a baby (or without)

I have written one blog post about things to do in Dubai, so I´ll summarize some highlights. Here´s a link to the previous post https://www.mrsconnor.com/family-christmas-trip-to-dubai/

1. Downtown Dubai

Downtown is absolutely beautiful and definitely worth visiting. Dubai Mall is huge and just walking around there, shopping, eating is a great past-time. In front of the Dubai Mall is the fountain where every day starting at 18.00 every 30 minutes is a Dubai Fountain show which is a gorgeous sight. Usually, there are a lot of people around the fountain and now with social distancing, it would have been a lot of waiting time as they direct you to your square. So we actually ate dinner in Dubai Mall, where some of the restaurants have outdoor terraces overlooking the whole area. It was much more comfortable sitting, eating and enjoying the show. Especially when you have a little one.

Near Dubai Mall stands also the tallest building in the world- Burj Khalifa. We didn´t go there this time since we had been there. It´s definitely worth the view, but didn´t make sense to do it twice.

We stayed for 4 nights in Downtown area, so it was just fun to walk around and explore.

Connor Crew at the Wings of Mexico and by the Dubai Aquarium in Dubai Mall

Camilla enjoying the fountain show view; The tallest building in the world- Burj Khalifa

2. La Mer

This is a beautiful beach-front area, where are multiple lounges, restaurants, and little stores. There is a nice walkway along with the beach and definitely a beautiful place to watch the sunset.

3. Dubai Miracle Gardens

The first time we went there was during our last trip to Dubai at the end of 2019. Then we visited it on a Sunday and it was absolutely packed with people. Now since the pandemic had clearly affected the number of tourists, the garden even on a Saturday was pretty empty. It has beautiful flower installations and figures.

4. Desert Safari

We were debating for a long time if we should do the safari or not. Since we had done it before we knew that it might expose some challenges. I was googling and reading reviews and seemed that going to the desert with a baby was not too common and suggested. During our last week, we still decided to go and it ended up being an amazing adventure.

The scariest part to me last time was the jeep safari drive in the desert, where the cars take pretty crazy turns and slides. Last time we shared a car with others, but this time decided to take a private car just for our own family. I covered upfront that we have a baby and requested a baby car seat and said we want a smoother drive. It was emotionally much easier knowing it will just be our family in the car and we can adjust our tempo as needed. Also when we had breaks it was easy to breastfeed Camilla there.

The safari starts with a long drive outside of Dubai City. There is a meeting place where you can drive ATV-s, camels, desert buggies. I am not a big adrenaline junkie anymore, so I gladly stayed in the camp with Camilla and Nick did a desert buggy ride, which he very much enjoyed. The last time we drove an ATV together and that was pretty fun.

After that started the dune bashing. I was scared of how Camilla will handle it, but right as we entered the desert she actually fell asleep:D So through the crazy drive she was just smoothly sleeping. She woke up right when we stopped. In the desert, it´s possible to try sand-boarding, do pictures and just enjoy the epic view.

From the desert the jeeps head to a camp-place where is dinner, drinks and shows.

All in all the journey wasn´t somehow harder or scarier because of having a baby at all. She seemed to love the day just as much as we did. Again, just like with traveling the focus should be to control our own state first and foremost and that will largely dictate the baby´s.

5. Dubai Marina and JBR Beach

These two were our favorite places already the last trip and this time we fell in love with them even more. Since we decided to extend our trip from two weeks to a month, then the last 15 days we had an Airbnb right on the Marina and spent a lot of time in this area. Dubai Marina stretches beautifully alongside the river. There are restaurants, shopping and just a good place to walk /run/stroll. JBR is also close by with a great beach, food places, stores, and overall a chill vibe.

6. Shopping

Dubai has a lot of really good shopping. Above mentioned Dubai Mall has everything from the fanciest brands to ordinary stores like HM and Zara. The Mall of the Emirates is another great one. Dubai Marina Mall is a smaller one, but a little easier to navigate thanks to that. We also went to a couple of outlet malls- The Outlet Village and Dubai Outlet Mall. Souk Madinat is another cool area that is an Arabian mini-city with ornate souks, beachfront, stores, and view of the Burj as Arab.

Other noteworthy places/activities- Global Village; Palace Downtown; Bluewater Island; Atlantis.

So to sum it up, we explored around quite a bit but also had many "just chilling by the pool or at the beach"- days, so it was a good mix of moving and lounging. I was thinking that it will be harder to do all of that with a small child, but it wasn´t bad.

Getting around (with a baby)

Before the trip I was reading and asking my friends about how they had managed getting around on their trips. Some had taken the car seat with them, some had rented one with a rental car, some had used the metro and some the taxis. We decided not to take the car seat with us and used Uber the entire trip. The local car company is Careem and there is an option to choose a car with a baby seat. Most of them had Cybex ones and we didn´t have issues with any. It was very convenient and easy to get around. Another great option is the metro. There you can just enter with a stroller or a baby carrier and don´t have to worry about the car seat. Although we didn´t use it this time, I know that Dubai has great metro-system.

Where to stay:

Since at the beginning we were supposed to be for two weeks, then we booked Five Palm Jumeirah hotel for most of the trip and then Hilton Business Bay for 4 days in the downtown area. Five Palm is a big-time party hotel and we really didn´t have any idea about that:D We were one of the very few people there with a baby. Most of the women by the pool had fillers in their lips and guys the most flashy brand clothes on. So it was a bit of a show-off hotel for the singles. We didn´t quite fit in, but we had a blast nevertheless and most days had a good laugh as we were mumbling in baby voice in the pool while most of the guests were checking each other out:D

One night we dressed up and had a nice rooftop dinner

On the rooftop there is a great lounge / club called Penthouse, so in the evenings when we went out with the stroller and sneakers, cars with high-heeled, minimally dressed women rolled by:D

We were pretty much the only family with a baby:D

The hotel itself was beautiful though. The location is awesome, breakfast, pool, and beach-side great, but I don´t know that we´d necessarily go back there.

I am probably the biggest fan of good hotel buffee breakfasts

Last time we stayed in JBR Sonder Suites that shares premises with Rixos Hotel and that is still Nick´s favorite hotel. It is located by JBR Beach.

When we extended our trip we decided to get an Airbnb. I tried to find it but didn´t see it up right now. It had a great, big balcony, but the inside was nothing special. The location was the best though. Dubai Marina is my favorite part of Dubai and especially going there with a baby the best area to stay at in my opinion.

The view from our AirBnB and our go-to lunch spot at the bottom of the building

There are all kinds of hotels and Airbnb-s ranging from reasonable to very fancy, so it just takes some researching and seeing what works.

Sleep-schedule

If there was anything that I was actually concerned about going on the trip, then it was messing up Camilla´s sleep cycle. Before the trip, she had a very punctual sleep schedule for months and I planned pretty much everything in our lives around that. I didn´t want that good routine to be affected, yet I didn´t want that to dictate every step of our trip.

To my surprise managing the sleep schedule was much doable than I thought. During the days we were mostly at the beach, by the pool, or exploring around, so the naps she took in the stroller. As I have shared before in the first months of Camilla's life she took most of her naps in our arms, so it was actually so good to have her sleep in the stroller and we could have a moment to ourselves. Since the time difference was minimal, then that affected only the first few days, but nothing major. I let go of very intentionally helping her to fall asleep and surprise, surprise... when she actually was tired, she fell asleep.

The night sleep time didn´t really change too much for her as well. Most of the days we were still out and about or eating dinner outside, so again- she fell asleep in the stroller, and then we put her into the bed. Some days we were home by then and we did the usual shower/ bath- pajamas-sleep routine.

Looking back I was much more afraid of handling her sleep cycle than it was worth it. Last time the reminder- if you don´t make a big deal out of it yourself, it really won´t be a big deal. Lesson learned!

Challenges on the trip

As I say all the time- "hard" and "easy" are very relative notions. Everything can be seen as hard and yet all of it at the same time easy. So I wouldn´t say there was anything particulary hard travelling with a baby, but half-way through the trip there were two days where she was not a happy camper.

She was much whinier than usual, wanted 24/7 attention, and we just couldn´t figure out what had happened. After those two days, we noticed that in her bottom jaw two little white bumps were popping out. Teeth!:) Ooooh, now, I get why she was fussy:D

Also some days at the end of the trip I found myself being mentally super hard on myself. Since we were on the go most of the time, then Camilla wasn´t getting very much tummy time and I was blaming myself that because of it she can´t develop her crawling skills. I wasn´t also making homemade purees and hammered myself for it. The extended trip and fun explorations also dipped deep into our savings, which I hadn´t mentally prepared for. So in the middle of this amazing trip, I was just burdening my mind with worries. Fortunately, catching tendencies like this is something I´ve worked on and got out of that pattern, but still important to note that we all have our moments. Even when everything seems perfect! Decisions always come with consequences and it´s up to us to be aware of it.

We had some challenges at the beginning with figuring out our work routine since we were operating between Dubai, Estonia and US time. I hadn´t taken my computer with me since I had cleared my schedule for two weeks. After that time though I had coaching calls in the morning, Nick was with the baby and during his calls I hung out with her. So I wouldn´t actually even call it a challenge, it just needed some time, attention and focus to piece together a smooth schedule. We are very fortunate that we can both work remotely and that made the extended time we were able to spend together as a family extra valuable.

Another legit aspect that challenged us, was the changing rules around Covid. Our flight back initially was on the 14th of March, but we moved it a few times and ended up flying back on the night of the 2nd of April. Estonia didn´t require a negative test result when entering and until the 31st of March Germany (where we had a layover) didn´t as well. So we weren´t planning on doing the PCR test in Dubai.

Germany changed its rules though the last minute and we got notified that even having a transfer in Germany needs a negative test. It was the morning of the 1st of April, our flight was supposed to be at 1.50 am and the regular time to get the test results are 24-48 hours. We didn´t have even 12 hours at that point.

I called through probably 20 local hospitals and clinics to see if they can do the antibody test, which usually gives results in 3 hours. None of them did those. Then I called the airline a couple of times to see what our options were to change our flight. Changing even 1 day would have been over 600 euros. No way!

We were running out of options and it was 3 pm. The situation was getting overwhelming. At least for me. Nick is always cool as a cucumber.

Finally, we managed to find through a previous hotel we had stayed in, a private clinic that offered an expedited test result. It was of course four times the price of an ordinary one, but it was our last option. They said the fastest they can do it is 8 hours and by then we had 7. We just took our chances.

We went back to our Airbnb, packed all of our stuff, put Camilla to sleep, and just hoped that the results will come in time. Around 22.30 we took a cab, stuffed our things into it, and kept our fingers crossed that we´ll receive the certificate by the time we are at the airport.

Walking into the airport with fingers crossed we are able to board the plane

Nick is always amazing at managing situations like this. He thrives under unknown circumstances. Yet, heading to the airport with the possibility that we´ll head back from there without a flight, new ticket and a place to stay, was pretty realistic.

We were literally two couples away in the flight check-in when my phone buzzed and the clinic sent the certificates with our negative results. I ran to a nearby counter, was able to print the papers and made it back pretty much the moment Nick was giving our passports to the check-in lady.

Geeeez. Thankfully!

We had only a little time until our take-off, so we were running through the airport and made it thanks to Camilla. As I mentioned above they let you skip the lines with a baby, so if it hadn´t been for her, we would have been stuck waiting somewhere. We made it to the flight and couldn´t even believe it ourselves:D

An important reminder here is to check the information regarding flights and rules, because they are different and even changing, so better to double-check everything.

Our favourite and least favourite thing about Dubai

Dubai has really won our hearts with its weather, variety of activities, cleanliness, safety, kid-friendliness, cousine... but the main thing we appreciated were the people.

People are open, warm, and nice. One of the hardest things for Nick living in Estonia has been the extreme differences between Americans and Estonians when it comes to communication and warmth. Being in Dubai he was reminded of what he was used to and it was good seeing him that glowy and happy.

The biggest con is that Dubai is pretty pricy. It has a lot of amazing things to offer, but they come with a hefty price tag.

The best time to visit Dubai is probably from November to April. In the summer time it gets super, super hot there. Mid-April starts Ramadan for them, so that period might be different for tourists too.

You can also find more videos about both of our Dubai trips in my Instagram highlights under Dubai and Dubai2.

All in all, I can say that our month in Dubai was incredible. Sharing moments and creating memories with your own family is so precious and something to be very grateful for. The first trip as a trio in the books, let´s see what the future holds:)

Until the next time.

Love,

Liisa.

Family Christmas trip to Dubai

January 05, 2020

First of all- I hope everyone's Holidays and New Year's celebrations were great and you got to spend time with your loved ones.

For all of my life we have had the same Christmas traditions. The whole family comes together, we eat a bunch of food, we have Santa Claus visiting and everyone has to read a poem / sing a song / dance for every present they got.

This year we decided to do it a bit differently.

Me, my sister and brother all have pretty big age differences. I am 27 (soon 28), Eeva just turned 22 and Richard is 13. Me and Eeva have been to a lot of trips together and she and Richard, but since by the time Richard was 4 years old, I already moved out of home, we had never actually been on a trip the three of us together. So we made it happen.

We wanted to go to a place where no-one in the family had been before and with coordinating the schedules of 6 people, Christmas week was the only one that worked for everyone.

We chose Dubai.

Since I know it's a popular destination for a lot of Estonians to visit in the colder months of the year, I figured I'd share some of the fun things we did there.

Christmas trip crew- me, Nick, my sister, her boyfriend, my brother and mom

Off we go

We stayed at JBR Sonder Suites located in the Jumeirah Beach area. We absolutely loved the place, since it was huge, great views and nice neighbourhood. We had a kitchen, big living area an four bedrooms, four bathrooms.

Our home for the time in Dubai

Especially good kids still had elves visiting them in Dubai

The first day we just hung out by the beach and the pool. Our luggage for some reason was not put on the plane in Estonia, so we spent the first days mostly lounging.

Jumeirah Beach is a great area to stay. It has a lot of food places, nice water-side walk and like the name says- good beach.

Jumeriah Beach is just a 10 minute walk from Dubai Marina mall and a beautiful promenade. We went there multiple evenings to walk around and enjoy the views.

One of the first sightseeing activities we did was visiting the Dubai Miracle Gardens. It's a park full of colourful flowers and Disney characters. For kids it's probably an especially memorable experience and I surely get giddy visiting places like that too.

Dubai Miracle Garden sights

Near the Miracle Gardens is a very cool place called The Global Village. They have a lot of countries, their food and specialities represented. We watched a stunt show, ate and walked around. It is ginormous so if you want to look through the whole place you can easily spend most of the day there.

One of the days we went on a Desert Safari. It consisted of ATV driving, jeep cruise in the desert, sand boarding, dune pictures and dinner with 6 different Arabic shows. That was one of the favourite things for most of our crew, that we did on the trip.

Since there are a lot of service providers, it might get a bit overwhelming at times looking what to choose. Pretty much all the things we did were recommendations from friends who have lived in UAE or visited multiple times. That was also the case with the Safari. We had great jeep driver, who made the journey even more enjoyable.

Desert safari with all of its activities was definitely a highlight

Dubai has a lot of "the biggest / tallest / fastest in the world" attractions. One of them is the grandiose City Center with the world's tallest building- Burj Khalifa. Obviously- we couldn't miss seeing that.

On top of the world
Dress from my favourite- Denimdream

In the evening time we visited the Dubai Frame. On one side you can see the Old Dubai and on the other side the New City Center. It also tells a bit about the history of the city and the future vision. Very neat experience.

Dubai Frame views

At night there is a big fountain and light show in front of Burj Khalifa, which is beautiful. Next to Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall is definitely worth a visit. For the underwater world lovers- Dubai Aquarium, one of the largest of its kind, is also located in the Mall.

Burj Khalifa light show

In between sight-seeings, eating and swimming, a little bit on working out and reading fit in the daily agenda too.

"Do your squats and read your books. Grow your booty and your mind"

Since Abu Dhabi is just an hour drive away from Dubai we rented a car one day and took a road-trip to the capital of United Arabic Emirates.

We visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which was amazing.

Mind-blowing Grand Mosque

On our way back we also explored an area called La Mer, which is a beach front near the City Center. It has colourful little restaurants and great vibe. For my Estonians- resembles a bit of Telliskivi in Tallinn. It's a beautiful place for an evening stroll.

All the previous years our Christmas Eve has been filled with blood sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, veggies and cakes. This time we had our dinner in Dubai Marina in a place called Pier 7. It is a restaurant with 7 floors, different cousins and a view to the water. We enjoyed Lebanese food.

My beautiful sister and mom
Dress- Denimdream

One day while me and Nick were hanging by the pool, my sister, her boyfriend and my brother went to the Atlantis Waterpark. My 13 year old brother loved every minute of it. As much as I heard from them and saw the pictures- it has some wild and fast tracks but also pretty view to the Palm and to the City.

Overall we really enjoyed our time in Dubai. It is one of the most clean big cities I've been in and there is a lot to do for various preferences. Also seems to be very kid-friendly with changing rooms, playgrounds everywhere.

Golden hour

Dubai was great, but the most I cherish the time we got to spend together as a family. So blessed to call my family members one of my best friends!

Wishing you all an amazing 2020- a lot of adventures and memorable moments with close ones!

Love,

Liisa.

Flavor Squad's Latvian adventures

October 13, 2019

This following travel-suggestion is mostly for my Estonians. We had an awesome time this weekend in Latvia and I figured some of you might be looking for a nice, quick getaway too. This is a close, entertaining, beautiful option for that.

Me and Maarja (a fellow Southwestern Consulting coach and a great friend) had a team seminar on Friday in Riga. We decided to take our spouses with us and turn the work-trip into a work-and-fun trip. Maarja, just like myself, has an American husband. They met at the same time we met with Nick while me and Maarja were training in the US for opening up Estonia for SWC coaching.

So if you are thinking first... well what the heck is this Flavor Squad, then that's us four. We started as the team "Sweet & Spicy." Maarja loves everything hot and flaming and that's how her personality is and I adore everything sweet. Then we added Nick, the Salty one and last, but not least- Allen, Mr. Smoky. Our cheesy, but fun Estonian-American quartet.

Anyway- after work in Riga we decided to explore Sigulda. It's a small, charming town, an hour outside of Riga and it totally won our hearts with gorgeous fall vibes, vibrant buildings, and a welcoming atmosphere.

So here are a couple of cool things to do in Sigulda:

1.Walk around the parks

We found a Ferris wheel, butterfly exhibitions and a lot of nice parks.

2. Tour the streets

The town had an endearing look to it

Mrs. Clark in full bloom

Found the perfect chocolates From the left- Allen, Maarja and their dog Ellie) Nick and me

This little cafe had one of the biggest pastry-selections I've ever seen

3. Visit the Gutmanis Cave

4. Ride with a cable car and enjoy the nature around

The Cable Car ride over the River Valley

Gorgeous autumn

PS! We actually couldn't go on the cable car, because we had only cards. So make sure you have cash on hand when you go there (12 euros per person two ways).

Additional things to do in Sigulda, that we didn't get to yet:

Visit the Castles (Turaida and Sigulda Medieval Castle)
Go to the Tarzan's Adventure Park
Hike in the River Valley
Do a bungee jump
Check out the Bobsleigh Track

On our way from Latvia, we also stopped at a place near Pärnu that holds a very special place in all of the Flavor Squad's hearts, especially for the duo Spicy and Smoky. It's a place called Pärnu Bay Golf Links and it's where Allen and Maarja got married this summer. I and Nick were a part of their bridesmaids- groomsmen crew and it was an absolutely amazing day.

22 June 2019- Flavor Squad at Maarja and Allen's wedding

Have to have some flavors in this life!

Allen even had "Smoky" written in the collar of his wedding-suit

The building has a good restaurant and beautiful views, so if you are near Pärnu it is a good place to check out.

In a nutshell...this was our weekend- great friends, lots of laughs, a ton of good food and bright-colored scenes. If I had to describe a perfect weekend, there isn't a whole lot I'd add.

We definitely recommend to go in the next couple of weeks, when all the trees are still colorful, then it's the prettiest sight. For Estonians, it's quite a short and well worth drive.

Hope you all had as much fun!

When you get to Sigulda, send me some pictures too:)

Love,

Liisa.