Our two months on the road

   Today marks 2 months on the road. It's easy to remember the date, because when I originally made my reservation to cross the border at Nuevo Laredo, I made it for middle of February, just like my wife told me to do. When I proudly told her that I would be leaving on the 14th, she replied, "Valentine's Day???" I responded in complete amazement, "It's on the 14th this year? Whoops, forgot about that." Note to self, check the calendar first or let my wife book it instead (the latter is preferred).
   The only regret I have so far about the trip is not bringing the whole family with me through Mexico so they could have seen the cute town of San Miguel de Allende and the high Mexican plateau towards Cordoba. We figured the long haul would have been too much stress for the kids and of course the threat of cartel violence was an issue. Thus, is why we had them flown to Cancun where I picked them up.
   The last two months were as much a learning curve as a traveling experience. We learned how to deal with things that don't work, like bathroom sinks that fall into cabinets and showers that don't drain among other things. I would like to think we are getting used to insects but every time one of my daughters come running into our room furiously panting, I know she saw a roach. The roaches are magnificent, simply magnificent. These beasts can give any roach in Hawaii a run for the money. Elise suggested this morning we should try to saddle one. At least she is trying to make light of those scary roaches for the benefit of the kids.
   The roads and speed bumps have put the fear of God in all of us. You see a speed bump is not just a bump it is a potentially life altering event. Some of the speed bumps are inches high and only vibrate the car and others are so high they loosen the fillings in your teeth. The kids have grown a strong respect for these unmarked monsters that randomly appear on the road. Additionally, some roads end abruptly or turn into one way traffic coming your way (which has happened more than I would like to admit). Therefore, looking at a map only provides a theory on how to get to a place, not a guarantee. And if you want to end up in a swamp, I personally recommend solely relying on a Garmin or another GPS device. Understanding early on, that a map can also be used as Charmin in a pinch is a most helpful lesson.
    Elise has made many comments over the past two months about the shear lack of safety regarding certain things. Some of the highlights of lacks safety standards are:
1. Standing on the edge of a verticle ravine that drops hundreds of feet into an abyss without a guard rail.
2. Showers with exposed hot electrical wires around the spout.
3. Hot springs with 185 F water that anyone can accidentally splash into.
4. Sidewalks that have no common height and abruptly drop off, some 3 feet or more.
   My favorite aspect about these travels is my misconception of what the kids are seeing and experiencing. We can go to some of the most amazing ruins or natural wonders in the world and be absolutely mesmerized. After the surreal experiences, we would ask the kids, "What was your favorite part?" And like clockwork they would say, "I liked the ducks!" or "The clouds look like dinosaurs." or say, "Daddy, what are you talking about?" These were some of my favorite responses which, as you could imagine, make me wonder, were they even there?
    Another thing we came to grips with is the shear and total lack of privacy. We are almost at the point of being able to diagnose each others ailments just from the toots we make. In fact, after some meals we can form an orchestra. I would be the violin, Elise the Tuba, and the kids clarinets.
   The Kids play well together and specialize in spying on mommy and daddy which can be frustrating at times. Personal space is important and is why we are renting larger places on this trip. The accommodations appear to be getting larger at each new place we stay which can only mean, I hope Chile has a 9,000 square foot house we can rent :)  Seriously though, we have had a lot of luck finding places on our own rather than pre-booking on the internet. We are able to pre-screen the areas we like and make better decisions and ironically it is cheaper. I have a secret weapon for getting discounts. I send the kids up ahead of Elise and I, to say Ola with big smiles, that is usually good for 20% to 30% off and if I am wearing short pants throw in another 10% off (Elise is rolling her eyes at me right now).
   Elise and I have eaten at every possible eatery and have not gotten sick. We cannot figure out why? We thought it would be relatively easy to lose weight over here by getting "The Bug" but are finding out it's quite the opposite. The food is so delicious and moist (possibly dripping with delicious lard) it is a challenge to eat healthy, or maybe it is healthier, we just don't know.
    We are having fun laughing at ourselves when things tighten up which is probably the secret to all of this. Having the time to spend with each other is important, spying and all. Hopefully, things will continue as smooth as they have been. In the meantime, we will continue to diagnose each others ailments :) and the kids will continue playing their latest favorite game, Charlie's Angels.