Abrams Family World Travel

World Travel: Our Favourites - Three Years On

AT the end of our first year of travel, we posted a blog about our favourite spots - places, restaurants, beaches, parks and hotels, locations we’ve travelled to (including before our journey began) and have no trouble recommending. Now that over three years have passed since we started our adventure, we thought it would be a good time for an update.

Places

1. Vancouver, Canada: This city on North America's west coast offers a bit of everything. It ticked a lot of boxes for us. Nearby there's snow and beach for starters. There's an excellent public transport system, a fantastic range of organic/healthy produce, lots to do and see socially, the people are friendly, there's a large alternative schooling community, it's relatively safe and, for Canada, the weather is on the mild side. The only downside was the cost of property and renting. Otherwise, we really loved it - a lot!

2. Napier, New Zealand: Known as the 'Art Deco Capital of the World', this town on the north island is incredibly pretty. There's ocean, stunning surrounding mountains, hiking trails, wonderful rivers, clean parks, loads to do and see, little, if any, traffic, clean air and not lacking anything that we'd want in a big city.

3. Kukljica, Croatia: This little village on the island of Ugljan, across the water by ferry from Zadar, is a magical place for us. It's where I spent much of my childhood during the hot summer months. The Adriatic Sea is gorgeously salty and blue. The village has charm and lots of beautiful, though mostly rocky, bathing spots. It's wonderful during the hot season, but can be harshly cold in the winter.

4. Edinburgh, Scotland: Nice for walking, plenty to see, close to the coast, variety of restaurants, compact.

5. Lisbon, Portugal: Amazing architecture, lovely climate, great squares, economical and efficient public transport.

 

Beaches

1. Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica: Long stretches of sand without a person in sight or litter, stunning sunsets and perfect sea temperatures

2. Whale’s Tail, Costa Rica: Set in a National Park, with impressive caves you can walk through, great sand and warm seas

3. Los Frailes, Ecuador: Clear water, secluded, perfect waves, clean sand, sea temperature consistently good. All it’s missing is some shelter from the scorching sun and somewhere for refreshments (make sure you bring your own!)

4. Englishman’s Bay, Tobago: Long, intimate stretch of beautiful sandy beach with palm trees and clear green water, just where you’d imagine Robinson Crusoe making his base. There’s a shop and café on site also (not built by Crusoe, by the way).

5. Piracanga, Bahia, Brazil: We stayed here for more than 10 months in 2011. We lived practically on the doorstep of miles of vacant sandy beach. The ocean here, while often quite strong, was nearly always the perfect temperature and the sand ideal although we did have to lookout for troublesome little flees. www.piracanga.com

 

Restaurants

1. Napfenyes Etterem, Budapest: So good we ate there every day on our short stay, sometimes twice in a day. Great menu, nice staff. Almost too many delightful dishes, making our choice so much tougher (hence the reason we kept coming back) Rózsa u 39, District VII, Budapest 1077 +36-1-3135555. http://www.napfenyesetterem.hu/

2. Pure Food & Wine, Manhattan, New York: Somewhat pricey, but worth it, if only for the scrumptious desserts. Formal vegan restaurant with raw options. Jamie can't wait to get back there. www.oneluckyduck.com 54 Irving Place New York, NY 10003-2314 Tel: (212) 477-1010

3. Terra, Lisbon, Portugal: Fabulous buffet spread when we visited over seven years ago. Food is fresh and the ginger juice, though laced with sugar, so refreshing. www.restauranteterra.pt Príncipe Real, Rua da Palmeira 15, 1200-311 LISBOA, Portugal Tel: 213 421 407

4. Tiestos, Cuenca, Ecuador: Delicious food delivered in a large tagine (tiesto). The chef can make almost whatever you like and uses his ingredients so perfectly. A hit every time. Juan Jaramillo 7-34, City Centre, Cuenca, Ecuador

5. Buenos Aires Verde, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Outstanding organic vegetarian nosh, always beautifully presented, fresh and nutritious. Plenty of vegan and raw vegan options. Lovely setting, relaxed atmosphere and genuine staff. There is a menu in English. Try the salads, pizza, deserts and smoothies. Reasonably priced as well, especially when compared to most organic raw food/vegetarian restaurants. Gorriti 5657, Buenos Aires. http://www.bsasverde.com/index_en.html. Open Monday-Saturday 9am-0.30am.

 

Parks

1. KL City Park, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Bang on the doorstep of the Petronas Towers and an enormous shopping centre is a large fountain which backs on to a great park. Whether it's jogging, walking, kids play or splashing in water, this park has it all. It's where I infamously smashed up my shins doing box jumps on marble columns (I slipped!) We spent countless hours there with our kids in the second-to-none children's play area. 

2. El Retiro, Madrid, Spain: Outstanding and in the city centre (near Retiro subway). Has many jogging paths and exercise areas as well as a lake with boats, cycle routes and quieter, shaded areas to sit.

3. Munich Olympic Park, Germany: By the former Olympic stadium, these manicured grounds near the centre of the city were used for the 1972 Games. The park has a lake and river and is perfect for running, cycling, rollerblading or just strolling.

4. Central Park, New York: At the tip of Manhattan, the park has something for everyone in any season, Great for walking, running, playing sports, rollerblading or just to pass some time.

5. Bosques de Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina: We stayed just a few blocks from this park. I went running there a lot (it can get busy) and Zenchai and I hired bicycles. We also went there for days out in the sun, just to play about on the grass. It's a huge park with beautiful gardens and monuments as well as a lake in the middle where you can rent paddleboats to calmly take in the scenery and relax. 

 

Sites/Experiences

1. Iguazu Falls, Argentina: Truly breathtaking, immense natural wonder on the Brazilian and Argentine border. Well worth the ridiculously long bus journey from Buenos Aires and wait for the lashing rain to subside.

2. Milford Sounds, New Zealand: Spectacular scenery on the South Island, visions I can't imagine you'd find anywhere else all in one place - mountains, lakes, hills...every corner turned delivered something special.

3. Blue Mountains, Sydney, Australia: Down Under's answer to the Grand Canyon. Impressive views, walks and cable rides.

4. El Zapato/Cajon Dam, Capilla Del Monte, Argentina: This site took us by surprise. We were on a walk, looking for the dam and stumbled upon an immense mountainscape that looked like something from 'The Land Of The Giants'.

5. Superclassico Football - River Plate v Boca Juniors: A truly memorable occasion for any footy fan - the biggest rivalry in the Argentine league. Whether it's at the River Plate Stadium, where the 1978 World Cup final took place, or Boca's smaller, but more cauldron-like ground, this is an unmissable fixture, more so for the bristling atmosphere than the football. 

 

Hotels/Hostals

1. Villa de las Aves, Uvita, Costa Rica: Fabulous two-floor house-type buildings with private jacuzzi, kitchens and a communal pool set in grounds surrounded by trees, animals and birds. With delightful owners, too - from Australia and UK, this is a spectacular place within reach of Costa Rica's great beaches. http://www.villasdelasaves.com/

2. Bahia Principe Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Mexico: All-inclusive resort hotel close to crystal clear sea water and private white sandy beaches.

3. Mandala, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador: Immaculately decorated – has so much to offer, like a library, games room, restaurant, gardens and music room. http://www.hosteriamandala.info/

4. Hip Hotel, Maastricht, Holland: Super sleek, funky one-time apartments converted into themed hotel rooms at affordable prices. There’s secure parking also, but at a fee. http://www.st-martenslane.com/

5. Intercontinental, Chicago airport: Comfortable, tasteful and sheek. 5300 North River Road, Rosemont. Tel: (847) 544-5300

 

Children's Activities

1. Parkour, Vancouver: Of all the activities we have introduced Zenchai to, this was the best. He couldn't get enough. What kid wouldn't want to run, tumble, climb, crash, jump and generally have heaps of fun exploring movement? http://www.originsparkour.com/

2. Wall Climbing, Kuala Lumpur: We took Zenchai along to the largest indoor climbing facility in Asia - and it is huge. It's all supervised and, while a little daunting, children get the chance to scale some enormous walls and grow in confidence. 

3. River Play, Piracanga, Brazil: During our stint at an eco village, we lived close to a river, which was perfect for children. Zenchai learned both to kayak and swim here in addition to spending countless hours just playing.

4. Children's Museum, Buenos Aires: Although the cost of entry wasn't low, it was worth it. Children got to role play and dress up to their heart's content. Zenchai used to beg me to take him here. 

5. Waterfall, Chiang Mai, Thailand: This northern Thai city is surrounded by waterfalls of various sizes. We found one on a Sunday afternoon and the kids loved it so much we couldn't tear them away. 

World Travel: Five Moments To Savour In 2011

  

  

BIRTH OF KOBRA  

 

I feel privileged to have been present – and actively so – when both my children were born. I caught Zenchai. But with Kobra it was slightly different.

 

Although Jamie gave birth to her in the toilet, as she did for Zenchai, she had been in labour mostly by herself for roughly 45 minutes – no more. It was pouring with rain outside the Brazilian beach home where we were living and pitched black.

 

Our midwife arrived in the nick of time and by chance, with Jamie on her knees and ready for Kobra’s arrival. It was a magical feeling and occasion.

 

 

 

  

 

 LIVING ON LIGHT FOR 21 DAYS

 

The idea of going without food for three weeks and both food and water for the first seven of them seemed ludicrous. But I had the most extraordinary time by myself - thinking, feeling, being and without hardly any stress in the most beautiful, natural surroundings in Serra Grande, Bahia, Brazil.

 

Although I lost a lot of weight and strength, I gained so much in terms of perspective, understanding, direction, strength of mind and peace.

 

 

VISITING THE AWESOME IGUAZU FALLS 

 

I’d been saying almost from the time we arrived in Argentina that I wanted to go to Iguazu. I’d seen the photos and felt it was too far to go to not see in person.

 

Because Jamie was becoming more heavily pregnant, I opted to go alone. I took a 16-hour bus ride there and was greeted upon my arrival with a thunderstorm which raged for hours.

 

I got soaked, but the rain soon passed and what I witnessed was absolutely immense. A speedboat journey into the falls was the undoubted highlight of the visit. The same day I headed back to Buenos Aires by bus – taking 18 hours – but it was worth it!

 

 

 

WATCHING ZENCHAI LEARN TO SWIM AND KAYAK BY HIMSELF 

 

Zenchai can be ambivalent towards water. Some days I couldn't get him out of the ocean or river and on others it was painful trying to encourage him to take a dip. He's an extremist after all.

 

In spite of this, we spent many hours together splashing around. It wasn't until late into our eight-month stay in Piracanga, Bahia that Zenchai took an interest in kayaking. Around the same time his swimming seemed to blossom.

 

I don't know if, overall, his confidence was soaring, but after I'd made several failed attempts to teach him to kayak, a few days later I saw him paddling up and down the river like a pro all by himself.

 

And then a matter of days later when Zenchai and I were down by the river alone, he'd made his way across without me. Inexplicably, he jumped in when the tide was rising and current strong.

 

I heard him shout for help, saying his feet couldn't touch the ground, but instead of going under, he was thrashing his arms, freestyle, and staying afloat. I didn't want to panic him by rushing, so walked towards him as quickly as I could. He continued swimming until I arrived. Proud moment.

 

SEEING AND HEARING MY CHILD SPEAK A FOREIGN LANGUAGE 

  

This is nothing new. Children learn to speak new languages all the time. But when I saw and heard it with my own eyes and ears it still felt wonderful.

 

Zenchai spent only three months in a Brazilian school, but he also mixed a lot with native-speaking children.

 

Everyone kept saying when we arrived that he'd be speaking Portuguese in no time, but I couldn't imagine it.

 

However, he transitioned amazingly well and by the time we left Brazil he was singing in Portuguese and using his new language when playing by himself.

Iguazu Falls: Up Close And Personal

HAVE you ever had one of those days when, for whatever reason, things just don't go the way you want them to and 'accidents' keep following you around?

That's how it was for me the day I went to Iguazu Falls. I was washing the dishes in our rented apartment and a bowl dropped and smashed over the floor. Then I knocked the owner's key chain on the floor and it, too, broke. Then when I went to Retiro station, where you catch the coach to Iguazu, I showed up two hours before I was supposed to (I misread the time on the ticket). It was one of those days.

I endured the 16-hour non-stop coach journey (longer than it used to take me to fly from London to Las Vegas), arriving in Puerto Iguazu the following morning, only to be welcomed by an almighty storm, the type you see in tropical climates and show no signs of easing.

That this was the first rainfall in Iguazu for 15 days of course did nothing to soothe my situation: I'd been wanting to visit this remarkable world heritage site since arriving in Argentina and the day I made my journey there was a colossal discharge of water from the heavens.

I invested 30 pesos (£5) in a plastic water coat (more like a giant plastic bag to be honest) and, with no signs of the rainfall relenting and having waited nearly three hours at the park's Visitor Center, wasn't feeling the joy. I ventured into the vast wetness.

Upon my arrival in Puerto Iguazu, in the far north-east of Argentina on the border with Brazil and Paraguay, I went straight to the tourist information office inside the bus terminal. For 235 pesos (£37), I purchased the 'Great Adventure' tour, recommended as the best way to see the falls. I wouldn't be disappointed.

But while the rain continued to fall angrily I wondered how much pleasure I could experience whilst feeling soaked and cold (yes, even in summer!).

Thankfully, I'd made the journey by myself and left Jamie and Zenchai behind in Buenos Aires. Pregnant women are not allowed on the Great Adventure and I reckon Zenchai wouldn't have enjoyed the conditions or the long coach ride.

However, I was beginning to regret the decision to arrive and leave the same day. An extra day would have allowed me to see Iguazu if it didn't stop raining and from the Brazilian side. My coach departed for Buenos Aires at 7.15pm. I was on limited time and the clouds were a deep, dark grey in every direction I looked.

I made my first stop within Iguazu jungle the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), hoping that later the weather conditions would improve.

Devil's Throat marks the border between Argentina and Brazil. You take a small train from the central station to Cataratas station and walk along a 1km boardwalk to the impressive semi-circular mouth of the falls that is 700m long and 150m wide.

Although the rain started to subside, fully appreciating this immense vision from the viewing deck was difficult under the conditions. I could only think about how spectacular this would be if the sun were shining.

As best I could, I took some photos and headed back to the train station and then for lunch. There are plenty of cheap food options, like chips and hot dogs, if that's your preference. But I found a good buffet restaurant called La Selva, which, fortunately for me, had plenty of vegan options.

The prices were inflated, as you'd expect in a tourist location. For 97 pesos (£15), I was charged what it would cost me to feed my whole family at a similar place in Buenos Aires. Not to worry. I was hungry and, more importantly, the weather was changing. Hooray!

I ventured out again, found the pick-up point for the 8km jeep drive through the jungle along the Yacaratia trail to where I would ride on a speed boat for 6km through the rapids to the lower Iguazu River.

Although there are some 2,600 species living in the Iguazu jungle - and even jaguars - I didn't see much besides some large spiders overhead, racoon-type animals eating tourist leftovers and pretty birds.

The boat trip made up for it, though, and I urge you to take a spare set of clothes, especially if you, like me, decide to visit Iguazu only for the day. After putting on my life vest and my rucksack into a special water-proof bag, I waited for the boat to set off.

I was surprised by how smoothly it went over the water at great speed and seeing the falls in the distance was like approaching the mouth of a dragon. The boat stopped to allow us to take photos and then we packed away our cameras to get up close and personal.

I could feel the power and energy of the falls. The boat entered Devil's Throat and then San Martin, the second largest falls. The waters swirled and were so rough it appeared as if it were bubbling. Here the boat stopped, so we could sample the mightiness of the cascades.

It felt like buckets of water were being tipped on me. I took a deep breath and one last look up at the falls before the boat headed off. We disembarked. My clothes were soaked - money included!

I trekked back along the lower circuit, where there are more outstanding views to be had. I walked along with a charming Canadian family I had met (from Toronto), who even admitted Iguazu is more intimate an experience than Niagara.

Iguazu, by the way, is the name of the river and means Large Water. There are 275 different waterfalls, some as high as 270ft. And what I like also is that the pathways are elevated, to help reduce erosion from the many visitors who come here.

There is a story that says the Iguazu Falls were created when a jealous forest god, furious when a warrior escaped with a young girl down river by canoe, made the riverbed collapse in front of the loving couple. Legend has it the girl plummeted down the falls and turned into a rock, while her lover was made into a tree overlooking her. I couldn't tell you which tree or rock.

My time was nearly up. I joined the Canadian family at their hotel for a drink and then caught a bus (20 minutes ride) back to the bus station, foolishly not allowing myself time to eat (the bus company offers a basic food service).

The journey home took longer than expected. In the middle of the night a window shattered and the bus had to stop for repairs. Then we drove into another storm. There was thunder and lightning. The coach slowed down.

Comfortable as the seats are, after so long in a fixed position (there's nowhere to really get up and walk and stretch) I was feeling stiff all over - my back and bum was sore, my ankles swollen and I won't go into how my starved tummy felt. (Seats are usually in rows of three - two together and a single. I'd recommend the single).

So 24 hours after my last meal, I finally made it back to Buenos Aires, where my excited son celebrated my arrival with drawings of cars.

AbramsFamilyWorldTravel Tip: you can get to Iguazu from Buenos Aires much faster by aeroplane, but it's more costly. My return journey by coach (Via Bariloche company) cost 844 pesos (£130) in semi cama, which is probably the second most luxurious option. Shop around. I purchased my ticket through Omnilineas.