Within a year of living in the land down under, I felt very settled there. None more so than when I got an invite to a posh Gala Dinner at the Sydney Hilton. One thing though – I was a cheap traveller without a suit to wear, just one day beforehand! I had a day Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Hotels Have Hearts – My Posh Night Out In Sydney, Australia[…]
It’s odd enough to find yourself in the capital city of Suriname on a quiet Sunday morning as it is. But to waken up for breakfast and head to the city’s central square for a “bird singing competition” makes it even more bizarre. This “Tweetyfest”, held weekly on a Sunday morning in Onafhankelijkheidsplein in Paramaribo is Read more about Tweetyfest: Singing Birds At Onafhankelijkheidsplein, Paramaribo, Suriname[…]
Drizzle and skyscrapers. My arrival for the third time in Buenos Aires was through this boat window. I got a Buquebus from Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay back into Argentina, at the port of Buenos Aires. I had first arrived in the Argentinian capital well over a month earlier. I ended up in BA Read more about Backpacking in Argentina: Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu By Bus[…]
After the madness of a 4 Day Inca Trail, seeing Machu Picchu and having Christmas Lunch together in a town called Aguas Calientes, it was time to head back to Cuzco. Some of the others had wanted to meet me in “Big Brother Bar” in Aguas Calientes but couldn’t find it. Hardly a surprise given Read more about Christmas Night Train: Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (and a bus to Cuzco) *[…]
cambodiaMake no mistake about it – this place is as horrific as it sounds. Here at Choeung Ek, was the scene of thousands of murders. Babies bashed against trees, prisoners thinking they were changing prisons only to be tortured and killed, bodies thrown into pits. In the darkness of night. Cambodia lost a third of Read more about Backpacking in Cambodia: Choeung Ek Genocidal Center – “Killing Fields”[…]
Undoubtedly one of the best tours I have ever done was the Soweto Bicycle Tour. I rarely book things far in advance but on my southern hemisphere tour in 2010 – 2011, I knew I was flying into Johannesburg and I looked into staying in the famous township of Soweto. I arrived there and stayed Read more about Backpacking in South Africa: Soweto Bicycle Tour[…]
On a quiet morning while staying in the township of Soweto I walked from the backpackers hostel to Vilakazi Street. Soweto as a township is steeped in enough history as it is, but this was a special trip to the former house of a man who changed the world: Nelson Mandela. Nelson Read more about Mandela House: 8115 Vilakazi Street, Orlando West, Soweto, South Africa[…]
As an atlas freak and a travel nomad, I have picked up a total addiction for collecting souvenirs. Not even in a normal way I’m afraid. For example, I keep a plastic flimsy (folder/poly pocket) for EVERY new place I visit, whether it be a country, city or even just a tour. If there’s enough Read more about DMZ Tour Part 12: Korean Souvenirs[…]
After going inside our first Earthen Building of the Fujian Tour, our driver dropped us off for a few minutes to capture the small settlement of Tian Luo Keng. We had two stops in total for Tian Luo Keng, the first one was from below where we could gaze upwards at this mountainside settlement of Read more about Fujian Tour Part 2: Tian Luo Keng Tulou Cluster[…]
As a traveller, an excellent way of getting a flavour for the real local culture and ways of a pace is to actually stay with someone who ordinarily lives there. Also known as a “homestay”. And so my South African adventure gave me a lot of various experiences, including the bonus of spending a night Read more about Homestay At Rachel’s: Ngculu Street, Orlando East, Soweto, South Africa *[…]