Mo and I have split up. After 6 months of travel where we have lived in each others pockets, usually shared a room and been 24/7/180 it has come time to go our separate ways. More
We are splitting up
22 Jan 2013 11 Comments
in Family Gap Year, Tips Tags: Altitude sickness, Gap year
Rio de Janeiro to Ihla Grande
23 Jul 2012 3 Comments
in Family Gap Year, Tips, Top Experiences, Travelling Tags: Angra dos Reis, Costa Verde, Ferry, Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro
We are on the island of Ihla Grande about 2 hours bus ride and an hour ferry West from Rio. A big and welcome change in scene from a bustling metropolis to an unspoilt island population 6100. Our 2nd apartment in Rio was in Copacabana about 10 minutes from the beach and surrounded on 3 sides by favelas (extremely poor and often dangerous districts) just a couple of blocks away. I am not sure if the constant police car presence on the corner of the small park outside our door was reassuring or a warning?
Our view on Ihla Grande
Family Gap Year – 1 Week In
18 Jul 2012 3 Comments
in Family Gap Year, Foodie Central, Photos, Safety, Tips Tags: Christ the Redeemer (statue), Corcovado, James Bond, Rio de Janeiro, SugarLoaf
Ipanema beach, not a place to get a passer by to take your photo!
A lie in today, I woke at 7am, not the 5-6am we have been used to as our bodies adjust to the 4 hour time difference. Only Zoe is up as well, busy colouring so it is lovely and quiet, perfect to reflect on our first week before we leave the excellent WiFi in our apartment.
With kids everything takes longer and we have been concious not to rush between tourist sights and cram too much in. The thought crosses my mind that after our hectic lives in the UK we are ‘slow cooking’ our travels to extract maximum flavour, but that is probably a tummy rumbling hint that I need to go to the supermarket and buy fresh bread for breakfast.
I am going to cover ‘safety’ in another post but so far we have taken plenty of sensible precautions and not had any problems, even the taxi’s have their meters turned on, if not their headlights (it saves fuel!?!!). More
Only a phone call away
19 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Family Gap Year, Kids Stuff, Preparations, Safety, Tech & Kit, Tips Tags: Amazon, iPhone, SIM lock, Vodafone
I’ve been following the hoo haa about Nancy being left in the pub by Mum and Dad and felt a touch of empathy as we have encountered a similar situation ourselves. It certainly did not surprise me to read in the news that it had happened to many other parents but what amazed me was the ‘commentators’ who thought these unfortunate children be taken into care immediately or worse! It must be wonderful to be so perfect but I am not sure their kids will want to be escorted to the loo as teenagers, I can see it now:
Mum: Hold my hand Kevin, roads are dangerous.
Kev: That’s SO not cool Mum!
Mum: When you leave home you can do what you like.
Kev: But Mum, I’m 32!
Mum: Exactly and I don’t want you talking to strangers again.
Just what age children can cross the road by themselves is a subject I’ll probably come back to. More
Emergency Bed
03 Jun 2012 1 Comment
in Family Gap Year, Foodie Central, Tips Tags: Brazil, Gap year, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Not being the sort of organised parents that have their darlings tucked in bed nice and early (or fed) we went out to dinner. Lara managed her fish and chips but didn’t make it to pudding (lucky Ben).
When a girl just has to sleep
Should prove a useful skill on our family gap year! Talking of which we still only have flights to Rio in just over one month time although Mo has found some apartments near Ipanema which look lovely, if not there is always the airport floor.
Gap Year Bank Accounts – Don’t be Ripped Off
14 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Family Gap Year, Preparations, Tips Tags: ATM, Bank account, Bank charge, Cash, Travel
Commission free ATM Cash
‘People get divorced more often than they change bank’ is no longer true but I am sure many people (like me) have had the same bank account for 30+ years. There is a lot of inertia to overcome in moving and in a competitive market surely all their charges are much of a muchness? Calculator time and I was shocked!
The Best Travel Credit Cards
03 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Family Gap Year, Preparations, Tips, Travelling Tags: American Express, Amex, Credit card, Debit card, MasterCard, Travel, Visa
Best Travel Credit Cards
If you go on holiday and spend £1000 on your credit card any idea how much you pay in fees? I hadn’t a clue, hardly top of my list of priorities if you are going away for a few days. So off to Google and Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert who do a nice comparison. Ouch… More
Should we buy a Round The World Ticket?
22 Feb 2012 2 Comments
in Family Gap Year, Preparations, Tips, Travelling Tags: New Zealand, Pacific, Pacific Ocean, Round-the-world ticket, Santiago, South America, Travelling
Cheaper than a 747
A round the world ticket sounds like a great idea and is what every travel agent seems to suggest so are we sold on the idea?
Pros: More
Ipad dropped from space!
10 Feb 2012 Leave a comment
in Tech & Kit, Tips Tags: Apple, Gap year, iPad
iPad screens might be tough but when they break they really shatter, I should know! More
Ben
Lara
Martin Clark
Mo
Zoe
The Clark Family's Amazing Adventures 