Buenos Aires, Argentina (October, 2016)

We had a few days off of work and school at the end of October, so we decided to take a weekend trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, cross over into Uruguay on the ferry, and rent a car to explore the countryside of Uruguay. We redeemed 9,000 British Airways Avios + $30 tax per passenger (54,000 Avios + $180 total) for the one way flight between Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina. We booked 2 nights at the Anselmo Buenos Aires hotel located in the San Telmo area of Buenos Aires for ~$140/night (opting to pay cash instead of use Hilton Hhonors points due to the relatively low price of the room compared to the points cost of the room). After 2 nights we switched hotels (wanting to move to the Microcentro part of the city) and booked 1 night at the Intercontinental Buenos Aires by redeeming 25,000 IHG points.

We got some Argentina team soccer shirts while we were there.

The kids outside the Anselmo Hotel (part of the Hilton Collection).

The first night we were there we took the kids to an "artsy" show called Fuerza Bruta. It is hard to describe what kind of show it is. Basically, you stand there and the show happens around you, above you, and you are right in the middle of it. You have to move around sometimes and sometimes you are being pushed up against other people in the audience to make space for the performers. It was very entertaining. Our kids were definitely the youngest ones there as most people were adults.

Family picture outside Fuerza Bruta.

Video of part of the Fuerza Bruta show in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Video of part of the Fuerza Bruta show in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Video of part of the Fuerza Bruta show in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The next morning we got up, had breakfast in the hotel (Hilton Diamond status gave us breakfast for free), and then headed out on a scavenger hunt through Buenos Aires called the Hummingbird Trip that we paid to have someone organize for us. It was pretty cool to be able to see so many important sites in Buenos Aires and be on a "mission" to experience so many cool things in a short period of time. We had hot chocolate in popular cafes, counted the number of clocks in the "plaza," found and bought certain types of traditional Argentine street food, learned the steps to Tango, learned how to make "mate," along with lots of other things. Best of all we were able to walk around Buenos Aires for about 5 hours and get a feel for the city. We were able witness people leafleting to organize strikes, saw tons of street performers, children on field trips, and  had to interact with a bunch of street vendors and ask them different things about the city. The scavenger hunt was a bit expensive at $120 USD per person, but in the end was very well done and a memory that we will not forget. The ladies at the Hummingbird trip also put together specific tasks for each one of our kids and gave them each their own packet to take home (basically crafts to do later).

Kids in plaza 21 de julio in Buenos Aires.

In the plaza 21 de julio in Buenos Aires.

Enjoying some candied, fried peanuts and almonds from one of the street vendors in Buenos Aires.

The kids in front of the doors to a huge church in Buenos Aires.

Enjoying some hot chocolate and alfajores at London City, a popular cafe in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Eliza, learning the different cuts of meat and what they are called in Argentina.

The kids waiting patiently for their choripanes at a popular "hole in the wall" lunch spot in the city.

Eliza, pretending that she likes "mate".

We had to practice the steps of the Tango...this mural painted on the street was of infinite help to us.

Heading down into the metro to cross under the widest street in Buenos Aires.

Posing in one of the main parks in Buenos Aires.

Cool monuments and architecture abound in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Video of Sawyer trying "mate" for the first time.

Video of Ryder trying "mate" for the first time.

After our scavenger hunt, in the afternoon, we headed to Recoleta Cemetery to look at the graves of all the noteworthy people in Argentina's past. We spent about 45 minutes wandering around this city of dead people. The tombs were amazing and very ornate. Surprisingly, we really enjoyed Recoleta Cemetery...it definitely exceeded our expectations.

 Eliza and the kids at Recoleta Cemetery.

 Looking down one of the countless rows of tombs at Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 Most of the tombs had locked doors and sitting rooms where family and friends could come and hang out. 

 Some of the tombs were as big as churches and very ornate.

 Family trying to break out one of the dead bodies in Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 Zander and Ryder think they found a Harry Potter symbol.

Looking into the countless memorials at Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

After Recoleta Cemetery, in the early evening, we went to an escape/puzzle room called Sali del Molde and did 2 puzzle rooms. One was soldier themed and the other was zombie apocalypse themed...Zander and Nash backed out of the zombie room after getting freaked out in the first couple minutes. We worked well together in the soldier themed room and got out with time to spare with only one minor clue. The second room was much more difficult and despite the 2 clues we were given, we did not make it out in time.

The kids posing after having completed the first escape room at Sali del Molde in Buenos Aires.

 Family is feeling confident after having conquered the soldier themed room at Sali del Molde.

We didn't do so great at the Zombie room.

Since we were in Buenos Aires, we decided to adapt to the culture a little bit and stay up late, so we went to a magic show at Bar Magico (with dinner) after the escape room. There were 3 separate magic acts and although we only lasted through 2 of the 3 (we did stay until about 12:15am with the kids, so we will take that as a win), we had a great time. These were some truly great magicians. Ryder (our "gamer") was the only one that wasn't asleep in the chair at the magic show by the time 2 acts had finished. As is clear from the picture below, our dinner (that arrived after 11pm) went mostly uneaten as these kids are accustomed to going to bed before 8:30pm every night and sleep prevailed over hunger at that hour of the night.

Kids (except Ryder) falling asleep as the magic show drags further into the night.

The next day we had a lazy morning in the hotel (due to the amazing, yet exhausting day we had the day before), had breakfast, took an Uber to switch hotels from the Anselmo in San Telmo to the Intercontinental Buenos Aires in Microcentro and relaxed for a while in the new hotel (we had to try out the lounge in the Intercontinental as well), then we headed out into the city. During the afternoon, we took some archery classes and did some archery target practice and then went out for some carne asada and provoleta to a nice restaurant in the evening.

Eliza, enjoying some Argentine pastries and Coke Zero in a wine glass in the lounge at the Intercontinental Buenos Aires.

The kids, learning to shoot archery in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Eliza, looking like a fierce huntress.

Ryder, getting the hang of his bow and arrow.

Sawyer, eyeing up the target.

Video of Ryder doing archery.

Video of Nash doing archery.

Video of Zander doing archery.

 Fantastic lomo, greens, and provoleta at El Desnivel in Buenos Aires.

 Cody is happy with his Argentine beef and fried provolone cheese.

Nash's Baptism, Lo Barnechea, Chile (October, 2016)

Surf Wave, Mall Sport, Lo Barnechea, Chile (October, 2016)

Grandma Toni and Grandpa Scott came out to visit us for a few days in Santiago, Chile to be there for Nash's baptism and we took a Saturday afternoon and headed down the street to Mall Sport. The boys and grandpa decided to try the artificial surf wave. They were given some brief lessons and then they had it to themselves for the next 40 minutes. They had a good time and were able to cool off from the hot sun.

Zander, grandpa Scott, Nash, and Ryder at the Surf Wave at Mall Sport in Santiago, Chile.

Ryder, body boarding on the Surf Wave at Mall Sport in Santiago, Chile.

Grandpa Scott, body boarding on the Surf Wave at Mall Sport in Santiago, Chile.

Grandpa Scott with his bulging abs ripping through his wetsuit as he gears up for another run on the surf wave at Mall Sport in Santiago, Chile.

Nash, body boarding on the Surf Wave at Mall Sport in Santiago, Chile.

Dunn's River Falls and Blue Hole, Jamaica (September, 2016)

The third stop on our cruise was Jamaica. Again, we took all of the kids off the ship and headed out for some adventure at Dunn's River Falls and Blue Hole. We had to buy some water shoes before heading to Dunn's River (we were told that we could not do it with bare feet...and we were glad that we listened, as the mud and rocks on the falls are very slippery and there likely would have been some accidents with our group had we not bought the water shoes). We had a fun hike up the falls, basically starting at the beach where the fresh water enters the ocean and hiking up to the top of the falls. We took our time and stopped for photos, natural waterslides, and just to play in the water whenever we could. It was a beautiful area, and although it was packed with tourists, we had some very cool guides that pretty much let us do whatever we wanted and take our time (instead of just getting into line and following the other people).

The kids, at the port in Jamaica.

 Family picture at the bottom of Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica (where the fresh water heads into the ocean).

 Zander, going down the natural waterslide at Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.

 Sawyer, going down the natural waterslide at Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.

Ryder, going down the natural waterslide at Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.

 Ezra, giving Ryder a push off the ledge at at Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.

 Group photo at at Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.

 Family picture at the upper falls at at Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.

After Dunn's River Falls, we hopped back into the bus and headed out to a place called Blue Hole for some cliff jumping and rope swings by waterfalls in the Jamaican jungle. We all had a great time there and there were platforms for jumping as well as cliffs, there were a few waterfalls and a fun rope swing. Everyone got in on the action and we had a fun afternoon swimming in the river.

 Eliza throwing a backflip off the platform at Blue Hole near Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

 Sawyer, rope swing at Blue Hole near Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

 Zander, rope swing at Blue Hole near Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

 Nash, rope swing at Blue Hole near Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

 Ryder, rope swing at Blue Hole near Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

 Cody, throwing a backflip off the rope swing at Blue Hole near Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Video of Eliza, doing a backflip off a higher cliff at the bottom of Blue Hole near Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Eliza somehow managed to sleep in the bus (in potentially the most uncomfortable sleeping position any of us had ever seen), and, of course, we took advantage of the photo op.

Snorkeling and Stingray City in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (September, 2016)

Our second stop on the cruise was in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. We had booked a tour with a local tour company for all 21 of us to go to Stingray City and do some snorkeling as well as swimming and interacting with the stingrays on the sand bar, so this time we brought all of the kids off the ship with us. It was a beautiful day and the water was clear. 

 Zander, just off the ship in the Cayman Islands.

Sawyer, with her newest cousin, Capri on the boat headed out to Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

We started out by having a snorkel near the sandbar by a local reef. The kids enjoyed seeing some of the fish and checking out the coral. Then we were off to Stingray City to play with the stingrays. There were dozens of stingrays on the sand bar both small and large and the tour guides taught us how to hold them and catch them. The larger females were much easier to catch than the smaller males. Cody got pretty good at catching them and since he had a long-sleeve rash guard he was immune to the "hickeys" the sting rays would give if they sucked your skin. The guides gave us pieces of squid to hold in our hands and the stingrays would swim over and suck the squid right out of our hands. It was a very unique experience to interact with these animals. There were a lot of people from many boats trying to interact with them, but there were enough stingrays to go around and it was very cool and personal for everyone.

A small male stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Ryder, Nash, Cody, Sawyer, Eliza, and Zander with a large female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Family picture with a large female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Cody, bringing a female stingray that he caught to Sawyer, Jovi, Zander and Mac on the boat.

Zander, touching the stingray for the first time.

Nash, holding a female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Nash, giving the stingray a kiss.

Cody, with a female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Uncle Ian showing Zander, Eily, Jovi, Sawyer, and Mac a big female stingray.

Sawyer, snorkeling over a reef in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

Nash and Cody holding a female stingray.

Cody, trying to hold on to a female stingray that is escaping his grasp.

 Cody, hunting for stingrays at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

 Ryder, holding a female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Eliza with niece Tessa on the boat at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

 Cody, with Zander and Kip holding a female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Cody, with a female stingray at Stingray City in Grand Cayman.

Scuba Diving in Cozumel, Mexico (September, 2016)

Our first excursion on the cruise was in Cozumel, Mexico. We left the kids in the kid's club on the ship and found a diving company at the port that would accommodate 8 divers with varying levels of experience (Scott, Kyle, and Whitney were already certified and the rest of us were not), as well as 2 snorkelers (Toni and Ian) and we were on our way. We had a good dive, exploring some reefs and caves with some interesting coral and fish. It was a good day out. It was Loni, Kip, and Emily's first time scuba diving and they provided some basic skills training before we headed out. 

Heading out for our dive.

Cody, getting ready to get in the water.

Eliza, all set to go.

 Cody and Eliza scuba diving in Cozumel, Mexico.

Cody, diving in Cozumel, Mexico.