Yankee slugger Bobby Abreu isn’t just passionate about baseball, he’s also a fervent world traveler.
When the season’s over, the 33-year-old packs his bags and goes off to explore some remote corner of the globe.
“I find it fascinating to see new places, to learn how other people live around the world,” says the right fielder.
To date, Abreu’s zeal for travel has taken him to Taiwan, Morocco, Florence, Rome, China, Japan and France. While he hasn’t settled on his next destination, he confirms that one place is already at the top of his list.
“I want to get to see more of my country,” says the Venezuela native.
The South American nation of 28 million is so vast, Abreu says, that there are still many parts he hasn’t yet visited.
“I’m trying to get to see Los Llanos,” he explains.
According to Abreu, these plains are teeming with gorgeous wild horses, cattle and exotic flora and fauna.
“And if you love meat, you can get some of the best in the world grilled there,” he says.
Abreu, who has a home in Maracai, says he has explored his nation’s beaches extensively.
“A lot of them have mangroves and some have reddish-white, powdery sand that is just remarkable,” he says proudly.
His favorite is Cata, a scenic bay about three hours west of the capital, Caracas.
On any given Sunday, you can find him eating fi’sforo, a seafood stew that includes every swimming thing imaginable.
But the country’s food and geography are not the only reasons to trek there. According to Abreu, there’s another incentive: the gorgeous women. (Venezuela has the most beauty queens in the world.)
And what makes the ladies so beautiful?
“It’s the mixtures of races,” says Abreu.