After spending our first 24 hours in Taiwan getting buses, acclimatising and checking out the city of Shinying, it was time to head north on the train to the larger city of Chiayi. It’s pronounced “shy ye” in Northern Irish English, which I enjoyed. Neil had some time off that day and accompanied Natalja and Read more about Backpacking in Taiwan: Chiayi City![…]
Ask an average traveller where Shinying is and they probably won’t have a clue. Spelt in many different ways by different people, I’m not even sure if my spelling would be understood by the locals here. The city itself is situated on the south west region of Taiwan, it is in between the mountains and Read more about Backpacking in Shinying/ Sianjing/ Shinjing/ Xinying, Taiwan[…]
It was fitting and sentimental that I listened to REM’s 1998 hit “Daysleeper” as our aeroplane soared through misty smoky skies and landed on the island of Taiwan. The band I had forgotten about suddenly became the most important one on my iPod dukebox. I delved into the “Monster” album once again (“you know with Read more about Arrival in Taiwan: “Hong Kong is present, Taipei awakes…all talk of circadian rhythms”[…]
Hardly enough time to class yourself as a citizen, an illegal immigrant, a resident or even a tourist…but the history books do reveal that I spent 99 minutes on Thai land, albeit in transit at the airport. It was the Sunday just gone, our flight left London, England late on the Saturday (getting bags packed Read more about 99 Minutes in Bangkok Airport, Thailand[…]
With the Olympics in Beijing coming up this week, and with a lot of talk over whether this communist enclave has the necessary facilities and requirements to host such a tournament, I thought I could recollect on my visit to the Lama Temple and my exposure to Buddhism. I was there in July 2007, a Read more about Lama Temple, Beijing…em Buddhism (July 2007)[…]
“We’re in the army now” – Status Quo. I had watched the Northern Ireland ladies team in May 2007 in Gillingham, Kent. We lost 4-0 to England and played with passion and pride against full-time professionals. Me and a few of the lads sang our hearts out, completely making fools of the silent England fans Read more about Five Nil and you still Don’t sing! Belarus🇧🇾5-0 Northern Ireland🔴🤚☘️, in Bobruisk[…]
One of the few things I remember from a school history lesson on the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. The whole USSR/Russia/Soviet always held an interest in me. It was a massive country (the USSR/CCCP) which endured the horrors of Stalin and carried someone’s communist dream into the Read more about Backpacking in Russia: Stranger in Moscow and the 1917 Revolutions[…]
All those days of living in Northern Ireland and trying “a chinky” (local slang for Chinese food and a tad derogatory if truth be told, I’m using it tongue in cheek here by the way) of a Friday night had given me some kind of inspiration to want to visit the world’s most populated (and polluted) Read more about Foreigner in Beijing, People’s Republic of China[…]
So I got to spend about 6 hours in the country of Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur Airport, which is voted the best airport in the world. The city is the home of the Petronas Twin Towers! Unfortunately I was actually on a connecting flight from Auckland – Kuala Lumpur – Beijing so couldnt really stop Read more about Malaysia…Kuala Lumpur In Transit[…]