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4 kids world tour year
  • Ezyian
  • Flo M
  • Ezyian
  • Flo M

4 kids world tour year

With mum and dad, we visit 36 countries on a world tour in 365 days. We visit schools, homes, and hospitals to experience the lives of other children Read more
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  • 4 kids world tour year
    1

    Bondi's big breakers

    January 1, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    Went to bed at 330am, up at 1115, short, simple breakfast, and then off to Bondi beach.

    We weren't the only ones with that idea, and today, Jan 1st, 2023, there were at least twice as many people as yesterday. Nevertheless, we all had fun in the [ sometimes very] big waves and/or building in the sand.

    Tonight, we go out for dinner to celebrate the New Year again.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Waimangu is mea whakamiharo

    January 5, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Translation from Maori to English, the Waimangu volcanic valley is phenomenal. It has to be one of the very best walks worldwide.

    The valley and its lakes were created in 1886 by a massive volcanic explosion. The surrounding area was covered in up to 40m of ash. So initially, this was like a moonscape, but now it's a wonderful biotope of outstanding natural beauty .

    Like much of NZ, it's green, and the main type of plants are ferns, but here there are ferns and plants not found elsewhere. That is because there is a lot of geothermal water coming to the surface, and the heat from that allows plants to survive that would otherwise perish in the frost. There are also exotic algae and plants thar can live in water at up to 55C. (The water comes out at 35 to 100C depending on the location)

    The beauty is enhanced by beautiful lakes formed by the hot water, and a large lake formed by rainwater filling a huge hole formed by the explosion. One of the lakes is a beautiful blue colour.

    I also salute the management of the area, the path, and explanations are 1st class. You have to pay to enter the valley, but it's worth every penny.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Mount Ruapehu is a no-show

    January 7, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    5 days so far in New Zealand, 5 days of 100% cloud cover and rain. The clouds are low, so although yesterday and today, we should have had wonderful views of the volcano Mt Ruapehu, we didn't. So that's something to do on the next world trip.

    We have enjoyed NZ despite the weather on our tour of the North Island. Yesterday, we visited another volcanicly active site, Waikite Valley. The walk the previous day had been so outstanding that this one couldn't top it. It was interesting, though, that in different places, geothermal activity produces quite different results. In this case, large pools, with stepped terraces, and areas in green blue, violet, and yellow.

    Today, as the rain continued, we dropped plans to go to the
    volcano, and instead, we went for a 6km hike around Lake Rotoaira. Lovely lutiously green place.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Reflections on Australia and NZ

    January 8, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Up till now I have posted reflections on Africa, India and Japan, all of which are so different from home that I had a lot to say. Australia and NZ are a little different. In many ways they are so familiar, language, culture ( more or less), shops, sports,etc. The big differences are climate, nature and remoteness. Flo summed it up well, "Sydney is like London, but with a beach and better weather". I could paraphrase fir NZ, that it's like a milder version of Scotland with a greater variety of nature and bigger trees.

    Also, they are welcoming and they offer opportunities for young people, with slightly less competition than in Europe .

    My summary, I could comfortably live in Australia, definitely Sydney, definitely not Darwin & Alice ( depressing social problems) but I think the remoteness of the country would get to me after a while . NZ the same but colder.

    Oh and both countries need to grow a pair of balls, and get new flags. The colonial rags are pathetic.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    40 hour day in the middle of nowhere

    January 8, 2023, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Today and tomorrow, we travel from New Zealand to Chile. We arrive 6 hours before we left, but we flew for 10 hours. Are you with me? It's tomorrow now where we left, but it's the day we left here. Confused? Our brains and body clocks are.

    Latam flight LAN800 is the only commercial flight across the Southern Pacific, It's by far the remotest flight in the world. For 10 hours, no land below us, no island nearby .

    We have arrived safely, and after the relative calm, cleanliness, and order of Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, we are ready for a culture shock, but boy, are we tired.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Hola Chile y América Latina

    January 9, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We have begun a new chapter on our tour. On arrival from New Zealand, our first priority has been to adjust to the brutal time and date difference of 16h. So we stayed up till 7pm even though all we wanted to do was sleep, and despite best efforts, we were all awake at 4am. It's going to take 3 days to adjust.

    Yesterday, our 1st full day in Chile, we chose to go for a walk in Valparaiso, a small city on the coast, 1 hour west of Santiago.

    Despite our tiredness from jetlag, we walked and walked in Valpaiso's pretty streets. 14,900 steps, or approximately 11km. The town is popular with creative types and they have transformed a very large area with street art, cafes and other buildings. It's ok here to paint walls, facades, and pretty much anything . This gives the area a warm, vibrant feel, even without the sun.

    The setting is all the more charming as it's a coastal location, set on very steep hills. I worry driving if the car might roll over and drive down if the brakes will overheat.

    We had lunch in a very small (8 seats) restaurant and ate our 1st portions of rice and beans with a bit of meat. Not exactly haute cuisine, but tasty nevertheless. More refined and hip was Lola's choice of ice cream shop, where we had Thai style pancake ice creams. Hand-made on the spot, and rather special. Hers was so good that a bird decided to add its own topping. Thankfully, the ice cream chef invited her in to clean up and made her a new one without bird topping.

    On our way out of Valparaiso, we briefly visit the beach (water too cold at 18C), and we pass by some of the poorer suburbs with their tiny makeshift houses. The picture of poverty is somewhat confused, as the children ask, but why do they have cars. Good question, let's think about the answer for a while.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    5 naked young women in waterfall

    January 10, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Or I was also thinking of calling this section, "Cactuses in the snow." You see, I am teaching the kids how to write and structure posts, and of course, the first thing you need in the internet swamp is a title that grabs attention. 6 tease the reader by not immediately explaining the click bait in the title. If you are still reading , this shows it works.

    I didn't see the ladies at the waterfall when we visited, but apparently, a group of archaeologists did, and they were so spooked they ran down the hill.

    I did see the cactuses, several types, that there are in the high Andes, but it wasn't snowing at the time.

    We had set out to venture into the Andes from Santiago de Chile, with the goal of reaching lago del maipu, but due to a flash flood, we were blocked getting there. A helpful policeman at the roadblock suggested amanist falls as an alternative, so having no clue ourselves, we followed his advice.

    It turned out to be very good advice. The falls are in a nature reserve, and only guided walks are allowed because there are two pumas on the trail. They aren't dangerous, and anyway, they are in an enclosure. Instead, it's for walkers to pass quickly and silently past them.

    As is often the case with the kids, our 1.5h walk took nearly 3 hours, not because they walk much slower, but because they see so much and have so many questions. They spotted an example, a blue svelte lizard.

    Lucas, our guide, was excellent. He explained the plants, animals, and insects very well, and he told us the stories about archaeologists and naked women and much more.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Haircuts all round

    January 11, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Our last day in Santiago was mainly given over to studying, but at 1600, we ventured out. We wanted to go to the market , but it was closed. Having missed lunch, we decided to eat some Latino sushi. It's different, but not great.

    Then we thought we hadn't had haircuts for ages. So we all got haircuts. The hairdressers are all immigrants or refugees from Venezuela and Colombia. We have a good laugh, especially Nora trying on wigs.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year
    1

    End of the world ( literally)

    January 13, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Yesterday, we flew from Santiago, 3 hours southwards, to Puerto Natales. We stay in a hostel where people take walking and climbing seriously. It even has its own climbing wall. It's a bit basic, but it's a fantastic place to meet people and learn from others the best places to go to in the Torres del Paines National Park.

    However, not all advice is correct, as we painfully find out this morning. "Best is to rent a car, no problem, there are plenty options." Well, at agency 1, none, agency 2, none, agency 3 none. The bus has already left . We had niw walked for 3km. One more google, we find another local company, get there, and it doesn't exist . I'm getting desperate, but one final google and basta!

    A little late, we set off to the park, which is about a 2h drive. The road is called " the end of the world" (fin del mundo). All the effort is worth it, as the park is simply sensational. Beautiful mountains, turquoise lakes, dark blue lakes, dry salt lakes, and even drying lakes with, wait for it, pink flamingos! Without any effort, we see a lot of lamas.

    The pictures always show some of these things, but what they can't show is the crazily strong winds. They are easily the strongest winds I have experienced since the hurricane in Geneva, five years ago.

    Today was a drive day, a horizontal one. Tomorrow is onwards and upwards.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year
    1

    The longest walk, the biggest reward

    January 14, 2023 in Chile ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Today, we walked further and harder than I have ever walked. At least as far as I can remember. Despite the aching knees, the stiff leg muscles, and the enormous fatigue, it was worth it for two reasons:

    Firstly, the "Mirador Base Torres del Paines", really is a golden viewing point. Beautiful, commanding, mysteriously shaped peaks, and a turquoise lake of glacial water.

    Second, we walked 49,000 steps, or approximately 23km, and climbed 800m. Compare that with last year on the same day, when I could only walk around 100 steps, and Max had to push me in a wheelchair. I struggled up and down 3 stairs. The change proves to me that my rehabilitation really has worked and that I can relax a bit more.

    Enough about me! What an effort from all the others! Oscar, Nora Skye, Lola, Lennox, and Flo. The conditions were tough, hard stony paths, and at the end, a steep climb over boulders, where each step was 20 to 30cm upwards. It's tough enough for someone of 187cm, tougher still for the little kids, and my vertically challenged partner. Whilst the weather was mostly good for walking at 17C (t-shirt), at the top, it was bitterly cold (add two sweaters and a coat). On the way down, too, it was rather chilly.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Each time it's different -my fav glacier

    January 17, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    I have visited the Perito Moreno glacier twice before. Each time, the experience is spectacular and memorable. It's always beautiful with the ice towers, the blue shimmer, and the blocks of intense turquoise. It's always spectacular because it moves about 1m per day, and as a result, parts large and small regularly fall into the lake. Nota Bene, for whatever reason, its size is stable.

    It's never the same, and today it's a bright sun shining day. We can see all the way to the start in Chile.

    The kids are impressed, and we all enjoy the relatively new walkway with its multiple viewpoints. In the afternoon, we take a boat trip to see the South face close up.    Read more

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    Times Change - A Generation Hands Over

    January 19, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Flo and I were in El Calafate around 2005. It was merely a necessary stop on the way to Perito Moreno because there was no accommodation near the glacier. It was basic, had little to offer, and lacked charm. It has developed out of all recognition, and mostly in positive ways. My guess is it has tripled in size. They have preserved the area next to Lago Argentina, and there is a nature reserve with all sorts of birds. There are loads of restaurants, some quite charming, and plenty of shops and services.

    Today, we leave El Calafate and head for El Chalten. Back then, we paid a local taxi driver, with an old Peugeot $50 to drive us for 4 hours along the dirt track road. On the way, we stopped in the middle at a bar. It had a challenge. A ring on the end of a long string and a hook on the wall. If you could swing it across the room and hook it, you got a free beer. A very rare occurrence, except I did it twice on my very 1st attempts. It has become a family legend. I tried it, of course, again today, but I failed in all 9 attempts. The kids and Flo also tried and tried until when I had already stepped out the door, Lennox saved our family's reputation. However, times have changed, so there is no beer for Lennox, and the bar is no longer recognisable as such. It's now a cafe, restaurant and souvenir shop. No longer any feel of a bar in the middle of nowhere. That special atmosphere is lost forever. Thankfully, the dirt track is gone too, and it's an easy but far more expensive drive ($200}.

    We see the mountains from afar, and of course , their beauty is timeless. For me, the peaks at Chalten are the best in the world.

    P.s. The spot where the 1st photo is taken is more or less the view Captain Fitzroy and Charles Darwin had when they were the 1st Europeans here. Strangely, they stopped 50km short of the peak, possibly lacking supplies to go further.

    Eat your heart out, Max!    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Falls, cuts, bruises, dehydration, ...

    January 20, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    .... headaches, vomiting, oedema, aches, pains, and exhaustion...and we had a truly wonderful day with the possible exception of Lola.

    5 of us set out on the walk to Fitzroy, Lola stayed in the hostel because she had a knee sprain. We told her we would be back in 3 hours. Famous last words....

    That would have been more or less true if we had only gone 4km to the 1st lake. But when we got there, we felt in good shape, so we decided to carry on to the next stage, another 4km one way. When we got there, Flo and Lennox went on to do the final steep and rugged 2km, and I walked back with Nora and Oscar.

    There is no mobile phone signal on the walk, so Lola knew nothing of the changes. Worse, the forecast was wrong, and instead, if being cloudly, there was full sun. We had left her with some money for food or drink, but she stayed in her room and fasted, and continued to do so even as her room got hotter and hotter. By the time I got back with the little ones, Lola had been in there for 7.5 hours, poor thing. So I went out with her to get something to eat and drink. We even had an ice cream. So far, so good it seemed, but when we got back to the hostel, she had a terrible headache, and pills only provoked her to vomit.

    On my way down, Oscar fell a few times, once badly, as did Nora, but they carried on despite the scrapes.

    Meanwhile, Flo and Lennox discovered just how tough the last section was, especially having planned no food and far too little drink. Lennox was a bit at his limit when he came back, but quickly recovered with 2 empanadas and a sprite.

    The oedema was me, nothing serious.

    So why did we put ourselves in for all of this? Simple, it may be a bit tough , though if we had planned better it would have been less so, and the walk is truly one of the best in the world, no ifs, no buts. See the photos.

    Take note: This is not one of Nora's favourites because " it looks too much like a picture" 😀

    18 years ago, Flo and I had walked here alone. Now we were joined by 60 cars of walkers and those that came by other means. Times Change, clocks don't go back, but it's good more people can access this wonderful natural area.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Eazy Peezy Lemon Squeezy...

    January 22, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    ... and the biggest dipshit of the tour.

    Having learned our lessons the hard way two days ago, we came prepared for today's 20km hike, and on top of that, it was a bit easier than the previous walk.

    Mind you getting those sandwiches was no easy matter. The very small supermarket at 2030 on a Saturday has a glancing resemblance to Picadilly Curcus on Saturdays. What is more in the "super"-market, there was not a single slice of bread, not a single roll, and no wraps whatsoever. Indeed, the fridge bought back memories of the DDR and Cuba. Luckily, the meat counter could slice us some meat and cheese, and the guy understood when I said "enough for 12 sandwiches."

    I ran to the bread shop and nervously stood behind two Argentinians. You see, there were only 6 rolls left there. Ooof in luck us I hear them order "6 pastries please."

    The problems solved we headed to the pub where we enjoyed good food and good beer for $50 for 6. Even the credit card machine worked at the 4th attempt.

    The reward today is an exceptional picknick site at a glacial lake with a clear view of the magnificent peaks and massive glaciers. See photos.

    The dipshit was me, not just dipshit of the day but of the entire tour. You see, I managed to get lost on the way back. I was happily walking my watch tells me I've done 9km, so only 1 more and I am back in the village. If only! I had gone so far off the route that GPS tells me, "I have 9.5km to go, and it will take nearly 3 hours." Oof. I ended up walking 38km, 54 000 steps) today. My feet hurt so bad that later in the bar, people looked at me holding my head and muttering expletives to myself. When we leave, I hobble out and do my best to smile 😃.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Respect

    January 24, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Argentina has been one of my favourite countries for a long time, and I have had the luck to have had several Argentinian friends and work colleagues. What is difficult to comprehend is how on earth this resource rich country with a well-educated population is in such an economic mess, and how that mess just seems to get worse.

    The current 100% inflation and other problems are possibly unavoidable in a country nobody trusts with money for the last 20 years, but more than likely they are worse than they need have been, due to corrupt and incompetent politics. There must be a risk that the country falls into chaos.

    It is with that background that I say I deeply respect those who keep this country going. Yesterday, I had a chance to meet an outstanding example, a doctor who works at the tiny hospital in El Chalten. We went there because Lola twisted her knee. At first, we sat in the waiting area, and I noticed an AIDs prevention poster. Hand drawn! That moved me, as it's a topic Flo has worked on for over a decade.

    We were seen about 20 minutes after we registered . The doctor asked about what happened, he analysed, diagnosed (tendonitis), and advised. He took his time, and he was empathetic. Bravo!

    After we waited to pay, and when the bill came, I couldn't believe it, only $2. That must mean the staff here earn very little, and sadly, it probably explains why we met so many well-educated Argentinians working in Australia.

    Some people, however, stay, and they keep this country going, for now at least, respect!

    Epilogue: Lola was finally out with all of us today. She did half of a 6km walk wearing her knee support. See the photos    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    From Edinburgh to Trelew

    January 26, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    My first obsession was not a girl, or a boy for that matter, it was the penguins at Edinburgh zoo. It was the treat of the year to go see them walk around the zoo. I couldn't wait for the next visit.

    For 35 years that followed, I still thought you could only see penguins in a zoo or the antarctic, but then in 2002 I visited Trelew half way up or half way down the Argentinian coast. Not just a few stray penguins, but half a million of them. Woah!

    I have over time tried to pass on my enthusiasm for penguins, and so on our world tour I planned this stop in Trelew, where the penguins are about an hour away at Punto Tombo. All the bucket list people in the South headed for Bariloche, but not us, penguins are more important.

    Times change here too, back then no visitor centre, no visitor path, no entrance fee, no rules, but I have to say the nature reserve is nicely implemented. (It's a Unesco world heritage site since 2015).

    One thing that makes penguins unique is they don't give a shit about the humans in their habitat. They don't run away, they don't hide, and so you can see them at home, wonderful.

    I shall have to wait to see if the kids enthusiasm today lasts like mine, maybe not. In Scotland the penguins didn't have much competition, but the kids have been in so many places by comparison. (At Oscar's age I had never even left Scotland)    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Money,money...security

    January 27, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    What is money worth? A very difficult question in Argentina 🇦🇷. If I exchange cash at the central bank rate, I get 180 pesos for US$1. If I exchange illegally, I get 350, and if I use Western Union, I get 360. Using a credit card, it's about 300.

    So to manage your money well you need if possible to pay in cash.

    The largest bills are 1000 pesos, so to pay an apartment for 5 nights, I need 106 bills at the black market rate. At the official rate 200 bills, so its maybe no surprise when I visit a bank in the afternoon that they don't have the equivalent of US$200 in cash. So I have learned to pick up cash early.

    The other problem with so many bills is safety/ security. You just can't hide them. So I pick them up just before I need them.

    It's no joke as crime rates are high here. That translates to some unusual experiences. For example, you can't go into the corner shop. You stand in front and say through a small window what you want. It was quite challenging with my Spanish. Ham is jamon, but what the hell are slices if ham? So I have to mime, and it works.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Sea Lions fighting over the girls

    January 28, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today, we went to Peninsula Valdez. It's about 2 hours drive from Trelew. It's mostly a national park.

    To get to it, you cross a strip of land that is maybe 4km wide, and then you arrive on the peninsula, which goes East about 50km, and is about 100km South to North.

    On the coast, it's known for big whales, killer whales, small dolphins, sea lions, and sea elephants. We were not the right season for the big whales, and unfortunately no sight of killer whales or dolphins, but heh as the kids remind me we saw big whales in Iceland, and we saw dolphins in Australia. What was new for them was the sea lions and sea elephants, and on land armadillos and cuis ( like hamsters).

    The sea elephants were unexciting as the adults had all disappeared off to sea, as they had done their child rearing for the year, bringing 20kg babies to the world and then fattening them to 90kg The 90kg 2.5 month olds basically lay around waiting for their coats to molt before they too head off to sea.

    The sea lions, on the other hand, were much more active, especially the males. We saw multiple harems of dominant males, with typically 10-30 females. They were repeatedly attacked by young males trying to displace the dominant males. However, in all cases we saw, the young males failed. Usually, they just withdrew before a physical contact occurred. In one case, a young male fell down the steep embankment into the sea after he was repelled.

    One animal we saw that we hadn't expected was armadillo. These appear unafraid of humans and the 1st one we saw in a car park. Soon after, we saw a few more.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Ah there is a huge beach here...

    January 29, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We knew from the previous day that there were beaches along the coast, and we saw one on Punta Valdez, just around the corner from the sea lion colonies. We were not that tempted as the water is cold at 17C, which is like swimming in the North Sea in Scotland.

    Today, the kids studied until about 5 pm, when they were getting too antsy to study more, so we headed off for the nearest beach, mainly to just get the whining kids out of the apartment.

    The beach is only 30 minutes away, and boy, were we surprised, it was huge, and still pretty busy between 6 and 7pm.

    Some brave souls were swimming, but most simply hung out on the beach, lazing around or playing football.

    The huge numbers of people explain why it was difficult to find accommodation, but I am not sure why they come here and not farther north where the water is (much) warmer. I suspect it's partly people who grew up here, coming back to be with the wider family.

    In my two pictures you can't see many people, that's because 99% are behind me.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    The biggest ever animal

    January 30, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    For our last day in Trelew, we visited its palaeontology museum. It's in Patagonia that the biggest dinosaurs lived (Titanasaurus up to 70 tons = 15 African Elefants), and they have a nice museum to show various finds and educational films

    Nora Skye is a big fan of dinosaurs 🦕, and so this museum is now placed as equal 2nd best day of her life. I'm not sure it's quite that good, but a very nice museum nevertheless.

    There is a full-size model on the edge of town, where we were the day before,and of course, we had to stop there for photos. We were not alone. Even big lorries stopped for a look.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday...

    January 30, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    ...to you, happy birthday dear Florence, happy birthday to you. Hip hip hooray!

    In keeping with our minimalistic approach there were no presents planned, not even the usual fancy breakfast in bed, but we had to at least show we hadn't forgotten, and that we all wished her well. So, the mini version of breakfast was to add strawberries and blueberries to our basic museli breakfast .

    Then we did what you do on a world tour, on your partners birthday, we travelled 1500km northwards to Buenos Aires, and there we did manage to make the day special with a fantastic classic Argentinian dinner of lomo, and bife de chorizo, washed down with an excellent Luis Borgo Malbec. And a huge bonus the children were all well behaved, in a good mood and smiling. ( It's difficult to get 4 out of 4 on that).
    If you are ever here, the restaurant is Emilo Campo. Fantabulous,. Thanks to Guada for the recommendation.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Serious Dancing

    January 31, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    I have never been able to dance well, and many have ridiculed my attempts, and to be honest I thought Tango or other classes were a pre-internet dating agency, so if I had a partner why bother?

    Despite these issues, it's always a pleasure in Buenos Aires to see some really capable tango dancers, and you can do that in the street at lunchtime in the San Telmo district.

    So we walked there via the Plazza de Mayo , where the president's Palace is. It's best known as the place where the mothers of the disappeared protested the savagery of the military dictatorship. They still come these days, but are renamed the grandmother's of the disappeared.

    I had feared that the dancers would no longer be there, as the dancing is now sold in innumerable shows and lessons, but I shouldn't have worried, there were two couples dancing just where others had been in the past.

    We spent a couple of hours watching, with a lunch of empanadas and cold drinks. 3 of the 4 kids loved it, as did Flo and I. The 4th kid loves empanadas, so he got something too.

    After that, we briefly went to see the colourful port area of La Boca.

    At night, we struggled in a local sushi place, as the menu was in Spanish. Japanese translated to Spanish, and then English makes no sense. Food was mostly good if not brilliant.    Read more

  • 4 kids world tour year

    Evita, Japan and of course steaks

    February 1, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Today, we started with a long walk to a cemetery . Not something people usually do in a strange town with their kids, but this particular cemetery I thought would be educational for the children in 2 or 3 ways.

    1st culturally: In downtown Buenos Aires, the cemetery of Recoleta is home to thousands of mini chapels/shrines, where from 1900 onwards, the many rich families created family tombs the size and height of small houses. They invested a lot here. I used this place to give the kids a lesson on the religious history of South America, covering the good parts ( avoided the religious wars of Europe), and the bad parts ( fearlessly crushed the indigenous religions), and the bits in between

    2nd, we covered politics. On the previous day, we covered the military dictatorships of the 70s and 80s and the resistance to them. In Recoleta, we covered the rise of Peron, his two famous wives, Evita and Isabel, and how Jaun Peron took his inspiration from Mussolini of all people.

    3rd because Evita is entombed here. I explained why she was something of a hero, fighting for women's and workers' rights, but that that should be seen alongside her husbands populist and neo fascist views. What is fascism came as a question, so we tackled that too.

    The children were a little overwhelmed by seeing so many memories and artefacts of the dead, including in many cases coffins, and in some cases, human bones.

    After that heavy start, things got lighter with a visit to the Japanese garden, which, after being recently in Japan , lacked all the subtlety and refinement of the originals. Bit like a Disney inspired Japan highlights park.

    In the evening to another steakhouse, this time in old Palermo, the hipster part of town. Incredible quality, incredible value, lots of fun    Read more

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    Girls just want to have fun

    February 2, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    ... and inadvertently leave me with a restaurant bill I can't pay.

    So yesterday night by mutual agreement, the girls went to a tango show that started like everything here late, i.e., 10pm, and the boys went to bed early, including me, as for the 1st time since India, I have a dodgy stomach, though only a 2 out of 10 where India is 10.

    Before the girls headed off, we went to a pizza place that is popular with locals, and it's huge. Service was great, beer too, but the pizza was more like cheese on soggy toast. When they left, I gave them extra cash in case of need. When later the bill came later, the waiter said cash only, and I realised I had messed up. Could I change dollars? Yeh, next door, but it's closed now. But then, for a small tip of US$5, a method to pay by card appeared. Phew.

    See Flo's blog for the girls' night out.    Read more

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