From Medellin to Buenos Aires– Our Five-Month-Old’s Next Journey
At the end of January, our time in Colombia ended. I felt a little tinge of sadness at the thought of leaving. Even though we were only there for a month, we had become accustomed to Medellin, and it became a place full of memories with Miya.
We loved the people, the vibrant atmosphere and what had become another childhood home for her. But this is the life we choose to live. We will always be on the go.
Matt and I spent a couple of hectic days shoving all our belongings into a few suitcases, and we were back on our way to the airport. We left in the early morning. The streets were still quiet, and the morning sunlight barely peeked above the rolling, green hills.
It was a long day of flights. We flew from Medellin to Panama City and then from Panama City to Buenos Aires. Miya mostly slept on the first flight. It was only 45 minutes.
Because she was asleep, we didn’t need her earphones for takeoff or landing. Before leaving, we fed and changed her in the Medellin airport lounge. It was easy – no stares from the passengers around us. We felt slightly relaxed.
When we landed, the layover was only an hour, just enough time for us to go to the bathroom. Because of Miya, we were the first to board the long seven-hour Copa airlines flight. Matt arranged for us to sit in the bulkhead row. There was a little more legroom but no airline bassinet or ability to lift our armrests.
We gate-checked our car seat and stroller, so Miya sat on our laps. For the first hour, it was cold. We played around with the fan switches, but the cold air continued to blast. We are pretty sure that the passenger behind us went to complain, as after an hour in, the temperature somewhat stabilized.
We worried about the seven-hour flight – her first long-haul flight -- but Miya managed remarkably for such a tiny baby. She’s at this stage where she doesn’t exactly love to be held or rocked unless she’s ready to sleep. She played a bit on her stomach on our laps and then fell asleep.
The people around us did not shut their blinds, so it was very bright, but we managed to create a ‘darker space’ for her by wrapping our long swaddle blanket around my shoulder and making a small tent.
Occasionally, I would run with her to the back to use the bathroom. People were generally friendly and would let me cut the line to change her, especially if she was fussing.
At one point, she needed a change, but the attendants were serving meals. The flight attendant in front of me barely looked up even as I tried to lock eyes. So, Matt and I changed her using our pad and knee-to-knee method.
Our seat neighbours were friendly and pretty understanding. Matt sat next to a mid-age woman who mostly slept. Then, beside us in the next aisle was a mother and her two teenage kids, both of whom stared at Miya kindly. The teenage son turned out to be a saviour.
I decided to pump on the flight mid-way, which was a big mistake. I dumped some old milk into a coffee cup. As I started pumping, a person walked swiftly between business class to the back and knocked over the cup, spilling everything over my skirt and seat.
I was left in a cold, wet mess while trying to conceal that I was pumping under my shirt.
The teenage boy immediately leapt up and grabbed paper towels to wipe up as much of the mess as possible. I smiled at him gratefully, packed up the pump, and folded my wet skirt into a bundle.
It was uncomfortable, but I had no choice but to deal – there were still three hours left on the flight. Miya wasn’t the problem – I was bothered by a wet skirt more than anything.
Nevertheless, as the sun started to set, she fell asleep. She slept through the landing to a completely dark sky.
We rolled into Buenos Aires and our neighbourhood – Recoleta, around 11 PM. It was a warm summer evening.
Our new home was an old building, something you would imagine out of the 1920s or 30s. It had a gated elevator and high ceilings. The unit was a duplex with dark wooden floors and a marble-tiled staircase.
Sometimes, we are in such a rush to get through our routine. But that night, we knew the day was long, and we would have to adjust to a time change. We took everything in stride.
Miya took her shower, and before long, she was in bed. We were in a new home in another city and were excited to see what life would look like for our little girl for the next while.
We woke up to a beautiful, sunny hot day. Our neighbourhood is reminiscent of Europe. Recoleta feels old-timey – the demographic here is very old, think 70-plus. There were tree-lined avenues, cafes, patios, and parks everywhere. Unlike Medellin, the streets are perfect for walking, cycling, and running.
It is hot here, generally in the high 20s and low 30s. We find it best to walk around in the morning or around sunset, which is quite late, from 7:30 to 8 PM.
Dinner time here is late. Restaurants generally open after 7 PM. We decided we would overlook the time difference and keep with Mexico time. So, Miya’s bedtime has shifted so we can have a later dinner time and start to the day in the morning.
Because it’s so hot, we are not cooking as much as we did in Colombia and Mexico. The grocery stores are much smaller. We find produce at little vegetable stores and everything else at small supermarkets.
Food costs – especially in cafes and local restaurants are not high. Lattes are around 700 pesos (around 2 USD at the blue market rate), and dishes are generally well under 10 USD. We have had to switch all of Miya’s baby products as it is difficult to find imported products here.
Once again, it’s been challenging to find places with diaper-change tables, so we have been changing Miya on our mat. We try to always ask for more concealed booth areas so she can roll around or we sit outside. Some restaurants have been nice about us changing her inside the restaurant – for example, our favourite café Edison.
Funnily enough, our daughter seems to love exploding her diaper outside. We will be home for the entire day. Then, when we are walking, Matt and I will hear her huff and puff and turn red – and we will know to reach for the diaper bag.
One time, we were changing her outside during lunch on a patio, and an elderly woman stopped to admire “how precious [que preciosa] she is.” We couldn’t help but laugh as the woman tried to pet Miya’s head as we were in the middle of a diaper change.
We are slowly exploring the city with Miya – walking and taking Ubers, as we haven’t figured out the Metro yet. We have taken her to Chinatown, which has some decent Chinese restaurants.
We have also explored the art markets of San Telmo – an oddly decrepit but beautiful bohemian-like neighbourhood with a fabulous array of cafes and restaurants. We have also visited Palermo, which is full of restaurants and cafes but feels more touristy.
The city is big, so we will continue exploring since we are here until March.
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