Pregnancy myths debunked during babymoon

While we were away in Europe, I consulted several locals on the advice I'd been given about what not to do during pregnancy. Specifically, do the Dutch ride bikes while pregnant? Do pregnant women in France eat soft cheeses and drink red wine? Do Belgian pregnant women abstain from all the delicious beer? I wanted to be adventurous as was safely possible and have a gastronomically good time, so I thought it would be wise to hear what the locals had to say on these matters.

#1 Do the Dutch ride bikes while pregnant?

Yes. One of the very charming things about the Dutch is that they LOVE their bikes. If you look around, you will find that the Netherlands and the Flemish regions of Belgium are some of the most bike-friendly place in the world. There are well-paved and well-marked bike lines not just in the city but all over the countryside, as well. But there's not a fear of falling? Who was I to ask in a city with the most wretched sidewalks in all the world?

So, asking whether Dutch pregnant women ride bikes is like asking Mexican pregnant women if they eat corn tortillas. It's a way of life! And what to do about your little tots? Attach a big wooden crate to the front of your bike, and it becomes the family vehicle.

#2 Do pregnant women in France eat soft cheeses and drink red wine?

Depends. Cheese that has been pasteurized is okay, and red wine is definitely okay in moderation. One night, we were presented with a plate of cheeses, one of which was an unpasteurized Roquefort, and I did not partake even though everyone at the table raved about it. I'm not usually one to heed pregnancy advice, but I also didn't want to be that girl who gave her baby some weird bacteria just because mama couldn't resist a little Roquefort. Another time.

#3 Do Belgian pregnant women abstain from all the delicious beer?

No. In fact, our B&B host in Brugge said that during her stay in the hospital (an astounding 5 days!) she was given a trappist dark brew to facilitate lactation. That's how seriously Belgians believe in their beer. We became such fans of Belgian beer that we were willing to haul two (very heavy) six-packs of Westvleteren trappist beer back home.

Westvleteren is considered the most secretive trappist brewery of the six in Belgium, and the only one where the monks are still involved in the day-to-day making of their beer, making it a special and prized drink if you can get your hands on one. It is considered Beer Advocate's #1 in all the world, and our baby will be one of the lucky ones to have a taste when he/she arrives!

The blond (8%) was good, but the dark (10%+) is the real deal.

Wonder why the monks prefer such alcohol-laden brews?!?

We had such a fantastic time on our vacation, and whoever thought of a babymoon is genius. It was perfectly relaxing, memorable, and delicious. The chocolate, wine, beer, ice cream, waffles, fries, and pastries were divine (the heartburn afterward, not so much).

We planned our trip around the tulip season in the Netherlands, but so did everyone else in the world. It was madness.

Walking around Brugge is like being on the set of a medieval movie set

Brugge

The Dutch love their bikes, and the French love their snails

It's only appropriate to stay at a farmhouse B&B set in the rolling hills of France

Get your paws off my bag!

For all the malas noticias about the dangers of Mexico, I'd like to report that our first encounter with thuggery happened in Buenos Aires. The last time we came here, I glowed about how safe it was -- how I could walk down the street without having to bear-hug my bag -- but I take it back.

Nick and I were walking through a very nice neighborhood on Monday, and I felt something wet spray across my back. A man walked up from behind to warn me about water dripping from an awning. Really? It sprayed horizontal, sir, like from your direction. The man tried to reach out and show me where I got wet, but I immediately got in attack mode, and started yelling. Something about the situation didn't seem right. I called his bluff, identified the squirt bottle hidden in his right hand, and told him to get away. And he ran across the street behind a car like a scared cat. Yeah, that's right, don't mess with Asian girls -- we may be small, but we can be vicious! And, FYI, this Asian girl doesn't have any Louis Vuitton or anything even close, so take your eyes and your paws off my bag, and move along.

Anyway, the moral of today's post is: crime is everywhere. But you knew that already, right? Even in this charming, Paris-of-Latin-America, you can never hold your bag too tight.

I Survived an Indian Wedding!

I'm not functioning at full capacity at the moment, but since it's 4 am and can't sleep from a combination of jet lag and Delhi belly, I wanted to share some pictures from the wedding in India we attended last week. Our friend and Nick's boss, Samant, was getting married in India, and while we had an Indian wedding of our own, I knew it wouldn't compare to those in India. We had to go!

Ours was a two-hour wedding; Samant's was 4 days. No small feat for the bride and groom, or for anyone else. I'm still absorbing all the events from those 4 days; in fact, I'm still waking up wondering what wedding function we've got going on today. So, while I process my thoughts and wake up from the haze, here are the events in photos. We were taken in like family on Samant's side, so all the pictures are from the groom's Punjabi traditions. The bride had different ceremonies which we didn't attend.

Day 1: Mendhi (henna); Sangeet (singing)

Women from the groom's side gather to dance, sing wedding songs, make jokes, and eat

Day 2: Ring Ceremony (gifting of jewelry, meeting of families and exchanging of gifts, dinner and dancing)

According to Samant, a nice luxury vehicle could have been purchased with the price of those jewels

More lavish than most western weddings, and this was just the ring ceremony

Day 3: More wedding ceremonies (that I don't know the names of); Sehra Bandhi (tying of the turban and riding the horse); Wedding procession; Reception

Sister-in-law carrying the pot of water the groom bathes in just before his turban ceremony

The little boy gets all the same adornments as a groom-in-training

Raucous and joyful wedding procession through the streets of Delhi to the reception and wedding venue

Bride is handed over to the groom

Day 4: (a continuation of Day 3 but technically the next day around 2 am) Wedding ceremony; Blessing by Hijidas (eunuchs); Wedding games with the groom's family

Finally, the wedding ceremony, but most people have gone home. Lasted until sunrise!

Later in the day, the hijidas came to give their blessing (or, a curse if you choose not to pay them; Samant's mom negotiated a rate of $500)

Family wedding-related games to round out 4 FULL days of an Indian wedding

Why We've Had So Few Visitors

It couldn't be any easier to get to Mexico City from Dallas. It's a direct 2.5 hour flight, but family and friends have been extremely reluctant to visit. I have hounded my parents to come visit this wonderful country, but they're scared. So are a lot of other people.

My sister-in-law forwarded me this article today from the Houston Chronicle. The story is pretty typical of what's been going on in Ciudad Juarez, and I went on to read the comments (aka "True expressions of the First Amendment"). I posted some below, but you'll have to read the article for the other fascinating thoughts.

(218)	fishingpole wrote: More violence and another killing field in Mexico. Another example why we need better border protection. 1/31/2010 1:32:49 PM Recommend: (47) (5) [Report abuse]
(41)	Katherina2 wrote: We have this failed state on our southern border and our military is building states thousands of miles away in the middle east. For whose interest? 1/31/2010 1:37:07 PM Recommend: (34) (8) [Report abuse]
(0)	bobhop wrote: Now, fishingpole don't think like that. We should just open up our hearts and the gates and let the horde come in. We only have 20,000.000 now it will surely get better when 40,000.000 arrive 1/31/2010 1:40:14 PM Recommend: (23) (5) [Report abuse]
(87)	Chief_Decoy wrote: Such a sad state of affairs. Time for the people of Mexico to rise and take back their country. Starting with the cartels and corrupt politicians, and law enforcement, and military, and etc,,,,etc,,,,etc,,,,,OH WAIT! The citizens are unarmed. How on Earth can they ever do that? The citizens of Mexico are truly screwed..... 1/31/2010 1:40:20 PM Recommend: (44) (6) [Report abuse]
(5)	Woody40 wrote: If you didn't think there is a full blown war down there on the general population, this should serve as proof!!! I dont know why anyone would travel to Mexico these days. Its just a matter of time before something like this happens at a border crossing with heavily armed groups crashing the check point, if for nothing else, to create chaos. 1/31/2010 1:41:04 PM Recommend: (8) (2) [Report abuse]
(89)	TrueBeliever wrote: I can't wait for Latinamary to show up and tell us how lovely and nice the people of Mexico are and how it is all just hype. Why anyone would go to Mexico is beyond me. However, I am almost ready to contribute to a fund that would provide guns and ammunition for the people of Mexico to enable them to do something about the drug cartels and the killing. Nothing is going to make it any better because the government, as corrupt and ineffective as it is, will just sit and watch and count their money. 1/31/2010 1:43:51 PM Recommend: (23) (10) [Report abuse]
(40)	Antonchigurh wrote: This was not supposed to happen...A story I read right here in the Chron just 2 weeks ago said the leader of the major cartel was arrested. This should have sent a message to the evil cartel leaders. NOT! the war on drugs was lost a long time . There is nothing that can be done to stop it. If you legalize it, they will sell it for less. They will also just expand their other businesses of extortion, kidnapping, human trafficking. The border is militarized now and nothing is changing. This will be coming soon to us. Too bad we can't prioritize protecting America instead of everyone else on earth. 1/31/2010 1:46:45 PM Recommend: (10) (2) [Report abuse]
(0)	johnsmith wrote: Make no mistake about it. Mexico is our biggest national security threat. We have 20 million plus illegal aliens in this country, our porous border is subject to overwhelming security breaches, and the drug cartels have established themselves in 230 plus United States cities. - Will there be spillover violence? Are there any cows in Texas? Of course we've been having spillover violence for decades here from the drug traffickers. How many bodies can you count in Harris and surrounding counties that were found shot and burned in the trunk of a car. All due to drugs.....failure to pay, lost loads, ripoffs, you name it. - We need to seal the border completely and halt all immigration until we can figure out what we've already let inside. 1/31/2010 1:47:34 PM Recommend: (16) (1) [Report abuse]

I feel more scared after reading these comments, not of Mexico but of these people. What I thought was alarming were all the comments related to arming private citizens. I know it's Texas, but, sheesh, Texans really like their guns. I doubt Mexicans feel the same way.

Obviously, most of us that live down here share different opinions from those expressed above. Most of us love this country, recognize the problems, and work with and around them. And for one more desperate plea to my family and friends: I hope to see y'all real soon! I'll even take you to the Museum of Drug Trafficking.

Meeting Mafalda in Buenos Aires

This week, we're in Buenos Aires for some work and play. Besides trips back to the US, this is our first trip to another country, and we've been reflecting on the enormous differences we see here and back home.

Of the main differences we've experienced is the sense of safety. Don't get me wrong, I feel safe in Mexico City when taking the necessary precautions, but now I realize that I take A LOT of precautions in Mexico to get through the day safely. Here, we can drink tap water, hail a taxi off the street, walk where we want to go at 2 am, and take the subway without bear-hugging our belongings. I'd gotten pretty accustomed to a vigilante lifestyle in Mexico City, and, whew, it feels freeing to let loose a bit.

Anyway, I could go on and on about the loveliness of Buenos Aires (which, honestly and ironically, has much more pollution than Mexico City), but what I really wanted to inform you of was my run-in with Mafalda. She's only the most cutest and clever little girl in Argentina, and her comics are super, especially if you're a novice at Spanish and needing some motivation. Mafalda's been a great Spanish teacher, and when I saw her on a bench in the San Telmo neighborhood, it seemed like destiny. We sat down for a small chat, I had my picture taken with her, and went on my way. It was a fantastic way to start the trip!

Mafalda lives on a bench on Defensa Street in San Telmo in case you want to hang out with her sometime, too.

Super Lujo in La Costa Esmeralda

We usually stay in budget accommodations here in Mexico, but we couldn't pass up staying at Azúcar on La Costa Esmeralda (the 19 km strip of the Gulf from Tecolutla in the north to Nautla in the South). Azúcar is one in a series of Design Hotels around the world and one of ten in Mexico, and it's also the most affordable. So when smart design meets affordability, I say, "Vamos!" It might slightly be the whole reason we went to Veracruz. ;)

This is a take-your-breath-away view

outdoor library with an ocean breeze

Lost in Veracruz

There are basically three kinds of travelers -- the planners, the non-planners, and the ones who sit in the middle somewhere, sometimes with a plan and sometimes with nothing at all. Personally, I like not having an agenda. All I really need is a good map. Get to a new place, ask around, and go by local recommendation.

There's just something I really enjoy about dipping into the unknown, being completely awed by who I meet and what I discover, and the sense of accomplishment I derive from it. If you've traveled with me before, you are aware that getting lost is an unexpected, yet an essential, part of the itinerary. However, having grown out of the backpacker 20's lifestyle, but mostly being married to a planner, I do a little planning so as not to toy with hubby's blood pressure.

This weekend, we took a road trip east to Veracruz state. Not a well-touristed region for several reasons, the main one being that Veracruz state is the wealthiest in natural resources -- oil and produce -- so there's no reason to tout it as a region of tourism despite it being one of the most amazing states, in my opinion. There's lush vegetation of bananas, citrus, coffee, and vanilla, biodiversity, a coastline, a seafood cuisine, and Mexico's tallest volcano. Can you believe that's all in one state?? It's like the Hawaii of Mexico (okay, a HUGE leap of the imagination, and change the color of the water from blue to brown)

Before leaving, I reserved the hotels and compiled a list of things to see, but I was really leaving this trip open to whatever Veracruz had to offer. One thing I forgot to do was take a good look at our geography. I knew we had to cross through the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range to reach our destination, the Emerald Coast, but who expects the shaded parts of the map to be so rigorous? Let's just say a topographical map of Veracruz would have been nice (this is probably true for many a place in Mexico). Fortunately, we borrowed a friend's GPS to navigate the mountains and warn us of 180 degree curves in the road, but GPS only goes so far in unfamiliar terrain. For example, GPS misled us into this rocky road and, literally, up a creek. :) I definitely thought this was more funny, being the passenger and not the driver. Did I mention that we got here after I convinced Nick to take a local road instead of the big highway?

One of the things we went looking for in Veracruz state were the French bread and cheese shops still remaining from the time when the French colonized the area. We stopped in San Rafael, inquired with the nice man who ran the bar El Casino off the plaza, but he seemed to know more about the local drunks than the pan frances we were in search of.

While we didn't find the shops we were looking for, we did get our hands on a dusty bottle of wine from our new friend at El Casino, who, by the way, really enjoys posting pictures of naked women on his walls.

Another exciting, though very difficult place to find, was Parque Xanath, a family-run, ecological park outside of Papantla, Veracruz and recommended to me by John Todd Jr. (who keeps the best English language website on Veracruz). It took us over an hour to find and at least five misdirections, but the owner, José Luis Hernandez, keeps an immaculate museum of old photos and provides a guided tour on the history of vanilla, other indigenous plants, and information on the Totonac culture.

Señor Ignacio, a Totonac, lives on-site and gives tourists a glimpse of indigenous life.

I don't travel on a shoestring or by pure whim anymore, and I plan a little more than I used to i.e. to drive in the daytime to avoid driving off a cliff, but I found that I still LOVE getting lost. It's the most thrilling part of traveling! I get to meet the unexpected, discover new things, learn new routes, and exercise my new language abilities. Traveling lost is not for everybody, especially if you like to check off the sites, but if it's your goal to be absorbed by your surroundings, I think it's the only way to go.