Last week we traveled to New Mexico. Mihai had a conference about finishing genomes in which he was the keynote speaker. We decided to make a vacation out of it.  Southwest flies direct to Albuqurque (still haven't figured out how to spell the place). Four hours by plane. We figured it would be a good test of sebastiens flying abilities and a test of us as parents.

We flew out Sunday afternoon after a breakfast of curry puffs and a lunch of McDonalds (Sebi's first). We also stopped along the way to visit Ann, Phil and Henry. Which meant that we arrived at the gate as they started priority boarding!



The flight was rather uneventful, apart from changing dirty diapers on our lap in the main cabin. But we are getting to be pros at that. We land get our bags and our car (which we price lined for $17/day! thank you Bishop-Lees). and drove one hour north to santa fe. 

The land is unlike any i have seen before. we were at 7000 feet. it was dry and the sun was strong. as mihai noted, it is no wonder the indians have reservations out there, there is no one else that wants or could use that land! Our hotel was just off the main square in santa fe. About three blocks from the hotel we see tourists wandering around a rather seemingly abandoned part of town and I'm thinking that would never happen in baltimore. I was rather surprised to discover that was part of the tourist district! I think they were right in front of the visitor information center.

Our hotel was nice. we had a suite. so while Sebastien slept mihai and i could watch tv in air conditioned comfort. although the nights were cool enough that we left the window open.  the hotel also had a pool, which sebastien enjoyed especially when there were other kids in the pool. Sebastien was ready to jump in fully clothed in order to play with the other kids!  while mihai was conferencing Marina and Sebastien were wondering the square and looking for playgrounds. shopping with baby and a stroller was more than anyone could handle.  throwing rocks were high on sebastiens list of fun things to do. thankfully there were many around in the playgrounds, and in the hotel courtyard (they make a nice noise when dropped into the fountain). for anyone thinking about designing your own playground: make the holes in the structure larger than the rocks, if they are the same size as the rocks there will be lots of rocks stuck in the holes.... sebastien also figured out how to get the straw in and out of juice boxes and loves squeezing them. thankfully in this shot he is in his swim suit...

 

we meet many people while traveling with sebastien. everyone is much friendlier when they see a little boy toddling around and squealing with joy.  dogs in particular - 'bo' in his language - caught his fancy. we think 'bo' is his interpretation of the sound dogs makes.  we met a particularly tame dog in the square, by chance called 'bou'. Bou's father was well known and popular in the square. while i did not catch his name, he does have several nephews and neices and is of indian descent. the last night there, sebastien put his arms out to be held by him.  i was jealous that my son wanted to go to someone else, and a little worried that he was a stranger. will have to work on that lesson.

 

one piece of luggage we did not have to bring with us was the pack and play, we requested cribs at the hotels.  I didn't put much thought into what these cribs would be.  they were not your full sized standard crib, they were little (repeat little) portable cribs that fold up to fit in through hotel doors. our not so little baby barely fit in. good thing he likes to fold himself up to sleep. although one night we did have to stick his fat little leg back into bed.



Ah Kong, Granny, and G-G. We lit candles for you in the church of st. francis.  took some doing to find the door and then to convince sebastien despite the wonderful acoustics, we do not test our voices in sacred spaces.





the conference was out early on the wednesday (either way we were leaving early). so we headed to the 'santa fe childrens museum'. more like air conditioned play house.  there were more balls there for sebastien to play with. and a chair and pulley system for fathers to pull their children up. and a bubble table. and Water to splash in. and a play structure (with a clear floor that sebastien was hesitant to walk on). outside there were xylophones to play and other nature things that didn't interest him so much. all in all a good place to stop with a curious toddler. as we were leaving another group came in, with most people with there head wrapped, turbans and such but only one indian.  i couldnt' get the scope, but i am curious.

 

 

During Sebastiens afternoon nap we took 'the high road' up to taos. the drive reminded me of romania. for the simple fact that the roads were not well marked on my map, there were few cars, and no gas stations. if anything happened we had several hours of hot sunlight left in the day and no easy way out.  the similarity stopped there as it was dry dry dry.  the tree line in new mexico means that below it there is not enough water for trees and above it the mountains contribute to enough water to support a tree. a backward place.

Three days of mummy sebastien time made me realize that sebastien probably enjoys meeting other kids as much as i enjoy meeting other parents. in both cases, someone to play with.

we stopped for ice cream in a little town called Dixon (after stopping off at a winery - and while i do not pretend to know much about wine, i did decide these wines were lacking something, despite their winning of awards. this lack did not prevent us from purchasing two bottles).  back to the ice cream. we decided it was an appropriate occasion to strip sebastien down to his diaper and shoes to eat his ice cream. he decided that he would eat his ice cream AND my ice cream (i got the chocolate outside).



Taos is not such a cute town. we do not recommend it. and the shopkeepers are not friendly. on thursday we drove to the taos pueblo (no photos, i didn't want to spend the five dollars to take pics. but we did light a candle for the elders in that church as well). and then we drove to have a look at the 'elegant suspension bridge' that spans the rio grande gorge. also an odd place. i am accustomed to a climb up a hill before coming to the stunning vista. we were driving across a plain when suddenly, out of nowhere, the land dropped away. stunningly dropped away. we could not see the 'elegant suspension bridge' (as the guide book claims) as the surronding land was private and there was no viewing road.

 

During the next nap we headed up the ski valley.  20 miles away from taos itself.  a valley. with very steep walls. we couldnt' quite figure out where the slopes were.  on the way back we stopped in arroyo sec, a very cute town that we recommend, for some shopping and play time for the baby.  in the car. i rather like this shot.



Friday we went to bandelier national monumnet. just south of los alamos. ancient housing in the valley and along the cliffs.  accessible to a child in a stroller, for the most part.



And then to top off our tour of landscape. we drove by a national park that was aquired in 2000. 80000 plus acres (can you imagine the cost).  in the middle of the mountains between los alamos and albuqurque there is this caldera (place where a volcano collapsed in on it self).  green and verdent with either cows or elk grazing in there.  flat green grassland that goes on forever. i would like to visit it. one day.



And that is our trip. we are home and the last of the laundry is bouncing away. sebastien is on his own sleep schedule (which involved a twenty minute nap today!).

Such a long post. i won't be posting in a while