Abrams Family World Travel

Vancouver: Nearing The End Of A Magical Stay

OUR time in Vancouver is almost at an end. Three months has skipped by. We arrived when it was wet, grey and cold. But for the best part of the last month we have enjoyed fabulous sunshine.

The lifestyle here for individuals as well as families is pretty amazing even if the cost of living is high. Vancouver offers everything we essentially desire from a place to live - and more. The consciousness of the people here is unique. We have made good friends and discovered a tremendous sense of community. There's a side of us that is sad to be leaving. That's for sure. But we shall endeavour to take what we have enjoyed most here and try to transfer/create that in our lives wherever we go. 

The owners of the home we rented have just returned from their own adventure - in the Far East. Their time away has enabled them to reflect on their lives. Travelling does that. It offers you a unique perspective into life and the lives of others. 

Some of us use that perspective to improve our lives and those with whom we come into contact. We find that it makes us appreciate what we have. Others just melt back into their routine and the lessons learned and experiences had are quickly forgotten. 

Getting the balance right between work and play and earning money to support a family and staying healthy and spending time with our children is often times a tricky/challenging one. Usually, a compromise or two or three is required. We are still working at it.

After three-and-a-half years of moving around the world, we are returning to the UK. We don't know how long for. We don't know what the future holds. Who really does?

But we are exploring possibilities and trying to make dreams come true. I went to Vancouver for a three-month apprenticeship as a coach at CrossFit Vancouver. The course offered me everything I desired and took me to a new level. I met some incredible people. Now I'm venturing to take all I have learned and open a gym of my own, taking the best of what I have learned and experienced (from training at CrossFit gyms around the world) and making that the cornerstone of my own practice. 

Jamie, too, has her own dreams. She is already a yoga instructor, but while in Vancouver she got to enjoy Moksha yoga, a form of hot yoga, and she wants to bring that to the UK. That's an ambition she has had for several years, long before we arrived in Canada. 

All dreams start in the imagination and then are either abandoned or manifested. We are now trying to make ours a reality. 

But Vancouver will always hold a special place in our hearts. It's a magical city with wonderful, friendly and courteous people and so much to explore. Unfortunately, we only really skimmed the surface. My commitments to my apprenticeship program and our limited budget didn't afford us as much of an opportunity to journey far afield as we would have desired.

We did get to spend an amazing weekend with friends in Salt Spring Island. That, though, only convinced us that there is so much more surrounding Vancouver worth seeing.

That's for another day and another time. 

 

 

 

Vancouver: Growing To Love It

THIS city continues to grow on us. Even during our wet, grey reception period following our arrival, we were never disillusioned. Coming from England, I felt at home.

We haven't yet explored a fraction of all this city and its surroundings has to offer. But so far we like what we have seen.

As a city, Vancouver isn't so big that you can't get around. We live in the suburbs, but the bus services are great and we can get downtown in no time. If I were living here longer, I would definitely consider hiring or buying a bike to get around. 

Although I've met a lot of people who've been in car accidents, the driving doesn't seem particularly aggressive or perilous. 

And when you try to cross the road - not even at a pedestrian crossing - nine times out of ten cars will slow down for you. It happened to us in Australia quite often and we thought it strange (probably because we'd just arrived from Bali in Indonesia, where it's manic). But in Vancouver it's the done thing. I rarely, if ever, see any signs of road rage.

Being a Londoner, I have a gripe with expensive public transport, but in Vancouver I can buy a pass for $91 (£58) per month that gives me unlimited access to buses, trains and ferries. And on Sundays my pass covers the whole family. In the UK I'd be spending close to that in one week for an off-peak ticket!

I've touched on the wonderful food options here in a previous post. Vancouver also offers amazing views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains, where you can ski, and it's close enough to the ocean to go surfing. 

The downside is that the cost of living is high. Rent is expensive and the locals complain about it. But what I like most about being here is the people - they are so friendly and engaging. 

Passengers on the bus will thank the driver when leaving. It's contageous. On a recent journey, Zenchai hailed: "Thank you, bus driver," as we got off at our stop. 

I can't recall how many times I have been places with one or both of the kids and ended up getting into long conversations. People approach me and are approachable.

We have also met many parents who are raising their children in a like-minded way, either homeschooling or 'unschooling'. There are plenty of options for alternative education. 

In terms of safety, Vancouver rates highly. There are some areas downtown which are probably best to steer away from, but that's the same for most big cities. Where we are, on the west side, it feels very secure. We're in a beautiful neighbourhood. 

Now that the weather has turned, we've ventured out more. Over Easter we enjoyed near-summer-like conditions. It was glorious. We went to Stanley Park, the biggest in Vancouver. It seemed like the rest of the city was there also that day. 

It was fun for us all, especially the kids. We walked along the coast, visited a playground, Zenchai got to experiment with Parkour wherever he could and, once we were able to catch a bus home, we stopped off for a bite to eat at one of our favourite places, TeraVburger, where Zenchai said he wanted to spend his birthday.

Guess we'll be heading back there again then.

 

 

 

 

Vancouver: The Tasty Location

WHAT makes a location perfect? Sunshine? Beach? Beautiful views? Happy people? Safety? Opportunity? Low cost of living? Community? Clean air?

I know every person has their own preference. But I also know by the big grin on my wife's face whenever she comes home from the store after purchasing groceries that the wide availability of healthy and organic goods is near the top of her list. Actually, put it at THE top.

I have seen her positively brimming with delight at the discovery of an abundant health food store or a restaurant that tickles her fancy or a massive fresh food market.

In some countries we've been to, like India, Ecuador, Brazil and some parts of Europe, it was either hard or too expensive for us to source the type of foods we like for a balanced diet.

But Vancouver is undisputedly fantastic for the range of organic, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and fresh food. So much so that Vancouver is now Jamie's No. 1 destination to live. Here you can also find community gardens everywhere, some more imaginative than others (see photo above). 

Here there are organic stores in abundance. There's a Wholefoods not far from where we are based, but just in our local high street there are two excellent alternatives with everything you could wish for and more.

It's a great plus, because we can eat healthily all the time, but Jamie's like a child in a toy store every time she tops up our groceries.

As you probably know, Jamie is a real foodie loves to play and experiment. Admittedly, her nosh is delicious. 

While I love to gobble up her treats, I know we're on a tight budget, too, and have to be prudent with our expenses.

For that reason (and having one fussy young eater) we don't eat out too often, but, invariably, whenever we do I always walk away thinking (or should I say knowing?) that Jamie's grub is far more delicious. 

 

Vancouver: Around The World In 1,111 Days

GIVEN that we started our journey over three years ago by heading close to South America's west coast - Ecuador - we have now practically circumnavigated the globe - in 1,111 days by arriving in Vancouver, Canada from Auckland.

It means that Zenchai, our son, has more or less been travelling half his life. Whereas our daughter, Kobra, knows no other life. She is a true nomad - born on the road, in Brazil, and has rolled with the punches ever since. She transitions from one location to another more easily than any of us. 

Vancouver will be our home for the next three months. It feels strange being in a big city again, having become so used to New Zealand's open spaces and lack of frenzy. 

But we look forward to the changes - in location, climate (far cooler), economy (more expensive, at least with regards to accommodation) - and the opportunity a place like Vancouver will offer us. We've settled into our cosy Laneway Home from which we can see the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

We are here, though, primarily for CrossFit, as I am on a three-month intern program at CrossFit Vancouver, one of the top and pioneering CrossFit facilities in the world.

I have the qualifications to coach (having passed the exams), but that's just theory and coaching is all about putting the knowledge into practice.

So I'm hoping they will teach me to become a coach - to equip me on my journey to transform lives through CrossFit, which promotes better health and well-being through strength and conditioning and changes in diet.

When I left England three years ago and quit my job of 23 years as a print journalist, the plan was to discover a new passion as we travelled the world. It took longer than I had hoped. But that's how it is.

I knew when I first tried CrossFit, though, that this was it. And I have always been one to chase my passions and make dreams (like travelling the world with my family) come true, regardless of what others think or say. 

CrossFit is my new passion and as our travel feels like it is winding down, our attention is focusing more on the future and what that will hold for us. We are planning accordingly. 

Vancouver promises to be a pivotal stop along the way.

Napier, New Zealand: Special Place On Planet Earth

WE'VE been travelling now three years and seen many countries. But there haven't been too many where Jamie and I have each felt we would like to stay for, say, more than six months of the year.

But Napier on the north island of New Zealand definitely hit the spot for us. From the moment we arrived by coach, having passed through stunning scenic locations coming down from Auckland, we felt right at home.

It has a bit of everything - the feel of northern California, landscape of Cordoba, Argentina, smells of Croatia, water that looks like the Adriatic, hills to rival Brecon and, in the summer, sunshine like in Greece.

There are vineyards everywhere, the streets are clean, the people nice and friendly, the parks modern and well looked after and the 'traffic' flowing. There are gorgeous rivers where children can play safely. Heck, there's even three CrossFit gyms in the region!

There is no shortage of things to do and see. Excellent beaches are within easy access. There are hiking and cycling trails all over. 

For food, farmers selling fresh fruit and vegetables are abundant. And for shopping, while downtown isn't exactly bustling and huge, there is little that exists in big cities that cannot be found here.

We were fortunate enough to stay here with friends of Jamie's and able to have a good look around. The more we did, the more spectacular it seemed and the more we liked it.

Even the drinking water here is cleaner/safer than elsewhere - no flouride!

In terms of access, Napier lies about four hours-plus from Auckland in the north and about the same from the capital, Wellington, to the south. 

As much as my wife raves about Wellington, Napier has nicer weather (more sunshine) and the ocean waters are warmer, if only marginally so. 

It's a special place on planet earth - at least that's how we feel about it.

World Travel: Wherever We Lay Our Hats...

HERE'S a question we get a lot (and for obvious reasons): "So, where's home?"

We've been travelling so long that we don't really know. Often we say, "wherever we are". And that's the truth. Home is where we (as a family) are. We don't own a house and Kobra, for instance, hasn't lived anywhere for more than six months. 

This year, travelling mostly through Asia before getting to Australia and then New Zealand, we have had to relocate 35 times!

We've stayed in hostels, houses, concrete apartment complexes without views, boats, tents, campervans, resorts, hotels, homestays and with family, strangers and friends. 

It's been an interesting year, starting in India, finishing in New Zealand, taking in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia in between. We have met many amazing people, forged some strong friendships, faced many challenges and learned some incredible lessons.

So we thought we'd make the rest of this blog somewhat visual, showing the places we have stayed, and thanking you all for following and sharing in our journey. 

First port of call, Varkala Beach in India

Preparing for sun and beach on our balcony

  In search of a better deal, we find a new apartment

  And then, for a great price, a resort with a pool

  An excellent hostel in Alleppey, recommended by Lonely Planet

Followed by a night on the backwaters

  In Fort Cochin, the night Liverpool win the Carling Cup

Stopping over in Kuala Lumpur for a few nights

From one hotel to another - in Chiang Mai, Thailand

The Greenhill apartments in Chiangers - and lobby transport

Penang beach living in Batu Ferringgi, but it doesn't work out for us there

We head by coach to Kuala Lumpur for a spot of apartment-sitting in Bangsar

Renting nine floors up in Chan So Lin, Kuala Lumpur

In Subang Jaya to take care of cats

House sharing off the beaten track as we return to Chiang Mai

Birthday celebrations in a seventh-floor Chiang Mai apartment

A weekend in Singapore, where we got ripped off buying durian

A stopover in scorching Phuket on our way to Bali


 

A couple of nights by a main road and with noisy neighbours in Ubud

Renting a two-story home in Ubud for £10 a day

House-sitting and caring for a dog, rabbits and a chicken in the stunning Blue Mountains outside Sydney

 A townhouse in the Sydney suburbs

 Campervanning our way to Melbourne from Sydney

Magical sunset in Bonbeach, a stone's throw from where we stayed

  Camping by the beach in Mornington, near Melbourne 

Pretty cool, family-friendly hostel in Parnell, Auckland

  A family home in Auckland, caring for a dog and two cats

 

Mornington Peninsula: Community At Last

THE sound of children playing was Zenchai's wake-up call. Usually painfully slow to get dressed after rising, Zenchai, like Superman going into a telephone box, would bounce out of bed, rip off his pyjamas and throw on his play gear. Then he unzipped the tent and was off.

Often we wouldn't see him for hours - though we could nearly always hear him. The kids in the campground would ride their bikes and scooters endlessly, in and out of puddles, around the toilet area where the ground was flat and along the trail path. There was no concern for traffic. Children of all ages playing freely in the streets - isn't that what childhood should be like? The cars drove slowly and carefully and the kids learned to stop and allow them to pass.

Mostly, visiting families would arrive on the weekends and leave before the work week started again. That felt strange to us. One minute the campsite was deserted and then crammed and then deserted again.

Zenchai continually had to readjust. He made some good friends and had great fun doing what young boys and children do. There was hardly any need for parental policing - just lots of kids playing happily together. Kobra, as she does, just fitted in where she could and wanted to and smiled at everyone. She loved having all the children around.

We had a community and met some great people - all so friendly and welcoming. We shared food, time, stories, experiences and played cricket, using a chair as our wickets. The children joined in, too. It was great fun.

We all headed to the beach one roasting day when the temperature, freakishly for spring, nudged 40 degrees. It was so hot Jamie had to take her chair into the bay to stay cool. 

But in Melbourne the weather never remains the same for long. Soon the winds, rains and cooler climates rolled in. The sun poked its head out from time to time.

This camping experience really grew on us. My cousin came down from Melbourne and we hung out with her children. We took some family bike rides along the beach front after dinner together. We found another fine playground with ramps and Zenchai got to practice new stunts. 

We took some excursions in the local area, heading up Albert's Seat and beyond for some strawberry-picking and visiting (for Zenchai) a car museum (which was pretty impressive). 

It was only when the rain came and was prolonged that life became really challenging. Our dining area, with chairs, drying clothes, table and fridge, would get damp and cramped. If the rain persisted it would be hard to clean dishes or clothes or even venture far. Shoes got muddy and getting in and out of the tent proved a struggle.

One night towards the end of our stay the winds, joined by heavy rain, reached 110kmh. I thought the tent was going to take off. But it stood firm - and the gazebo, too.

Dealing with adverse conditions is all a part of the adventure and experience, I suppose. The days, which seemed long to begin with when we weren't so sure what we were doing, soon flew by at a rate of knots. 

November, December and soon it will be Christmas again. Where has the year gone?

Melbourne: Happy Campers?

NEITHER Jamie nor I are exactly what you'd call natural or hardened campers. We did a short  stint in Costa Rica several years ago. About a year ago I camped alone while Living On Light in Brazil and Jamie and Zenchai did some camping up in Yorkshire one time.

As a teenager, I also went on family camping holidays down in the south of France and Jamie did the same in the US with her family when growing up, but that's the extent of our experience.

We thought camping on the Mornington Peninsula, not far from Melbourne, would make not just a change to our norm (whatever that is, considering we've been going nearly three years), but also present us with some fresh family experiences and challenges and a greater appreciation of what we have and do not have. There's also the fact that the cost of camping (during off-peak season) is far less than renting an apartment or staying in a hotel (Australia is not cheap).

However, when our good friends (who generously provided all the camping equipment) dropped us off at the camping grounds and helped erect the tent, Jamie had the sort of look on her face that was equal to being left stranded in the Black Hole of Calcutta.

Of course, Rosebud, where we are, is nothing like India - not even close. But I think Jamie was trying to get her bearings and wondering in those early moments how that was going to be accomplished with bits and pieces all around her (she likes things neat and organised) and the night sky closing in.

But, with time, we've grown into our tent home. It's safe here (relatively, even though a truck stopped one morning and pinched our dish soap) and our kids can roam around and play without us having to check in every minute. And our fellow campers are, so far, very friendly and helpful. 

We are in bed early and rise early, too. With us all sleeping together and darkness and a night chill setting in around 8pm, there's no other way. We're getting used to sound of the nearby road traffic and the birds that live around us. Zenchai helps Kobra with her afternoon nap by walking her around in a pushchair we (also) borrowed.

We're getting plenty of sleep, fresh air, sunshine and quality family time (although Jamie and I seldom get a break together from the kids for too long, which is a drawback to this style of travel). 

Nonetheless, it's healthy to spend most of our days outdoors and until we borrowed some bikes about a week into our stay, we were legging it everywhere, which, for me, meant a one-hour trek to my Crossfit Mornington Peninsula classes and back each morning. Now, by bike, it takes only 20 minutes, which serves as a useful warm-up and warm-down. Jamie does the afternoon classes.

Zenchai is pedalling around all the time on a bike a little too small for him, but it more than does the job. His lanky legs go up and down like pistons. And he's loving it now that he has learned how to skid. He plays with whatever children he can find and is experiencing a greater sense of freedom, while Kobra just wonders and explores her surroundings as well as chipping in with some dish-washing and trying on everyone's shoes!

Only the other day we went for our first ever bike ride all together. Kobra was so excited to be in her seat behind her mother. There are trails all along the shoreline.

Melbourne weather, however, is unpredictable at the best of times and the change from warm to cold during the first week (it is still spring, after all) had us in out of different clothing all day. As one camper told us, "don't complain about the Melbourne weather, just wait 10 minutes."

On rainy days (we've had periods of drizzle, but nothing more) we were confined to the tent, but since erecting a fantastic gazebo over our kitchen area (Jamie and I failed miserably in trying to put up a more complicated one first of all), life has really perked up. We no longer have to worry about looming black clouds while Jamie or I is cooking or preparing food. We have a fridge, electric cooker, rice cooker and blender.

We found a local library and now have access to dozens of books for the kids. It's also where we get (free) internet access. 

Across the road from us is a well-stocked supermarket, too, so it's not the sort of camping experience Bear Grylls would probably get a kick out of. Less than 100m from us is a beach with shallow (albeit cold) water. 

The water in the showers, however, is piping hot, which is spectacularly luxurious on cool days, though camping is never short of testing moments, like when in the middle of the night you need the toilet and it's cold and pitch black, as well as keeping the bedding and eating area clean when you have young children, particularly one so obsessed in manufacturing dust.

We are restricted also in getting around this region. While there is plenty to do like fruit-picking and visiting the leisure centre, getting there on bikes isn't so straightforward (with young kids) even if there are cycle lanes everywhere. The bus service isn't as dependable or widespread as in the city.

But, slowly, we are finding our way - around the area and in the art of camping!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sydney: No Blues In The Mountains

FREQUENTLY we are asked how, financially, we are able to keep travelling the way we do.

It's a perfectly valid question, of course. But the answer is we have to be prudent with our funds and also find creative ways of making our bucks stretch further.

One way has been house-sitting, which we have been doing for nearly three years and involves caring for someone's home (and, usually, pets) while they are away, giving the owners peace of mind that their home is and animals are safe in their absence. In return, we get free accommodation, which is one of our biggest costs. 

We are members on two websites - trustedhousesitters.com and housecarers.com - and apply when we see house-sitting jobs become available where we are travelling or about to travel. We pride ourselves on doing a good job and leaving homes cleaner than when we arrived.

We have come to meet some genuinely amazing, gracious and generous people this way and see and stay in fantastic places from Notting Hill to Brecon to Huddersfield to Kuala Lumpur. Our most recent assignment was in the Blue Mountains, about an hour outside of Sydney. We stayed there - in a beautiful family home - 11 days, looking after a dog, rabbits and a hen.

It's a spectacular part of Australia, hence the advertising promo for the region which reads, "Easy to get to. Impossible to forget". The Blue Mountains is so called because of the density of Eucalyptus trees which emit into the atmosphere droplets of oil which, when combined with dust particles and water vapour, form rays of light that are predominantly blue.

There is so much to see and do in the region that you could live here years and not scratch the surface, so we took the more popular options, starting with the famous Three Sisters near Katoomba, which was about 45 minutes drive from where we stayed in Warrimoo.

The Blue Mountains covers some one million hectares and became a World Heritage site 12 years ago. In it you will see trees that have been around from before mankind and cave systems that have survived 350 million years.

At Echo Point in Katoomba is a large visitor centre and observation area where you can get the best views of The Three Sisters - three rock formations, each over 900m tall, that stand out side by side with a massive open landscape as a backdrop.

Aboriginal folklore says the rocks were three sisters who were turned to stone.

There is a walkway that extends for miles, it seems, around the cliff edge. It is all perfectly safe, spotless and perfectly maintained.

We didn't have time to see everything on our first visit, so returned to take in the Scenic Railway - the world's steepest incline railway - a cableway that takes you back to the top and a Scenic Skyway, another cable ride. You can purchase a ticket for all three with discounted rates for families and if you arrive before 11am.

Zenchai was particularly fascinated by the history of gold mining in the area and the log cabins for workers that have been preserved and some of the other equipment that was used.

Katoomba itself is a quiant little town that has a giant screen cinema (six stories high) showing film of the region's environmental value, but we didn't have time to check this out.

Fresh and organic food-lovers should make a trip to the food co-op on Ha'Penny Lane, just off the main high street, though we also found other stores in the region offering a wide and good selection of fruits, vegetables and such items.

Another destination we visited was Wentworth Falls, which, like in Katoomba, has special views and dramatic trails.

Being in the mountains was cooler than in the city. It felt so much fresher and healthier. We took several local walks, on one occasion - foolishly as it turned out - trying to follow a 5km trail from the house we were sitting, but got lost as the sun started to go down.

Thankfully, we came across a family riding their horses and they kindly offered to drive us most of the way back. Only then did we realise how far we had come - with Zenchai on foot and me carrying Kobra - and that the shortcut back to our 'home' would have involved scrambling through a overgrown bush trail.

As serious snakes and poisonous insects live in the region, the local lady thought better of suggesting we try this and dropped off all of us - dog included - where we could make it back safely, which we did. But, as someone once wrote, "If everything always went to plan there would be no adventures"!

Bali: Island Life In Pictures

Magnificent temple houses on every corner

A buriel ceremony within days of our arrival

And everyone gets involved

One way of drumming up new business

Are Balinese the most talented artists on earth? These types of shops are everywhere

 The wonderful Monkey Forest, where we (and the long-tailed macaques) had some fun

Hard at work in the rice fields

Are we watching them or are they watching us?

The Galungan festival - children take to the street and dress up in costume

Amazing rice paddies - they are everywhere

Another fabulous street procession brings us to a standstill

The local women are so hard-working and there seems to be no such thing as retirement

 

 By the ocean - in Sanur - and Kobra has her own ideas about sun block!

We get out before the rush - this is the motorbike car park (or part of it) by the beach

Hitching a ride, Kobra thumbs a lift from a generous local

Duck-herding, Bali-style...they come and go really quickly, so I moved fast to get this shot