Saddam Hussein’s House of Horrors🧟💀: My Trip to Amna Suraka Red Security Complex, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq🇮🇶

Posted on January 15, 2014June 16, 2026 by Jonny Blair

“Death camp palace” – Manic Street Preachers. OK get ready for this one please. It’s fresh from my backpacking adventures in Iraq. I’ll warn you that this story isn’t for the faint hearted. I’m guessing that if you’re reading, you might have an idea who Saddam Hussein is. Yes, he was the leader of the Read more about Saddam Hussein’s House of Horrors🧟💀: My Trip to Amna Suraka Red Security Complex, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq🇮🇶[…]

Sunrise at Bagan at the Buledi Pagoda in Myanmar

Posted on December 24, 2013May 2, 2014 by Jonny Blair

As the usual clichés go, you have to do Bagan at both sunrise and sunset. And yes, I jumped on the bandwagon and did them both. It was one of those nights – I was pretty damn tired… The sunrise journey began at 4am. We sorted a bed for the night on arrival in Bagan Read more about Sunrise at Bagan at the Buledi Pagoda in Myanmar[…]

Thirsty Thursdays: Drinking Tea in Little Likeng, Jiangxi Province, China

Posted on December 19, 2013May 2, 2014 by Jonny Blair

Little Likeng is a dreamy little ancient Chinese Village. Situated in a province that is not often visited by foreign backpacker s(Jiangxi), this gem of a place takes you to the China you really want to see. No skyscrapers, no factories, just a basic existence in a village by a river. Life stands still in Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Drinking Tea in Little Likeng, Jiangxi Province, China[…]

World Borders: Europe to Asia in Istanbul, Turkey (Ferry Across the Bosphorus)

Posted on December 5, 2013May 2, 2014 by Jonny Blair

Ever crossed into a different continent by boat? I have, if you’ve read my Drake Passage journey post you’ll remember my trip on the Southern Ocean. That was back in 2010, South America to Antarctica and that one took me 2 days. Imagine a boat ride that takes you to a different continent in less Read more about World Borders: Europe to Asia in Istanbul, Turkey (Ferry Across the Bosphorus)[…]

The Day My Girlfriend Got Stung By A Jellyfish in Malaysia, at Sapi Island, Borneo

Posted on November 30, 2013May 2, 2014 by Jonny Blair

Not so much a crazy story here today but a reminder to be careful and remember that hazards are everywhere we go, whether minor or major. Getting stung by a jellyfish is something that can happen easily. So my girlfriend Panny Yu and I were on an island hopping tour off the coast of Kota Read more about The Day My Girlfriend Got Stung By A Jellyfish in Malaysia, at Sapi Island, Borneo[…]

Thirsty Thursdays: Drinking Guinness at the North Korea🇰🇵To South Korea🇰🇷Border at Panmunjom, DMZ

Posted on November 28, 2013October 23, 2024 by Jonny Blair

Did you hear the one about the Northern Irishman and the Southern Irishman drinking Irish stout on the North Korea to South Korea border? Hands across the divide – two countries on one island, two countries on one peninsula. One love – Guinness. The black stuff. Through my time working in Irish pubs and backpacking Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Drinking Guinness at the North Korea🇰🇵To South Korea🇰🇷Border at Panmunjom, DMZ[…]

Backpacking in Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia: 6 Things to see and Do

Posted on November 26, 2013January 5, 2026 by Jonny Blair

Nobody goes backpacking in Singaraja. In fact, no travellers really ever go to Singaraja. It’s a shame cos this is a great wee city. My Antarctica travel buddy Rodrigo and I headed to Bali last year and incorporated a day trip to Singaraja into our plans just out of curiosity’s sake. It was worth it. Read more about Backpacking in Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia: 6 Things to see and Do[…]

Kandy, Sri Lanka: Such A Joy To Me

Posted on November 23, 2013May 2, 2014 by Jonny Blair

You’ll forgive me for a personal and long awaited random blog post, I hope. Kandy is a city in Sri Lanka. Its the second biggest one in the country none the less and I headed there on my tour of the island earlier in 2013. Sometimes in life though, you don’t bother to see all Read more about Kandy, Sri Lanka: Such A Joy To Me[…]

Working Wednesdays: Heading Back to Delaney’s Irish Pub (Part 2), Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Posted on November 20, 2013May 2, 2014 by Jonny Blair

After last week’s story on how I went to Hong Kong to go backpacking and hang out with my girlfriend, yet ended up getting a job, now it’s time for part two. So I did my two shifts in Delaney’s, caught my flight to Singapore, found out that I had got and lost the job Read more about Working Wednesdays: Heading Back to Delaney’s Irish Pub (Part 2), Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong[…]

The Upper Trail Hike – Day 2 – Yunnan Province, China

Posted on November 20, 2013July 14, 2016 by Jonny Blair

I must apologise for the lateness of this post. This is the second part of my two part guide to hiking on the Upper Trail Hike in China’s Yunnan Province in and around Tiger Leaping Gorge. To refresh your memory (and also mine), below are the previous two parts of the story which cover this Read more about The Upper Trail Hike – Day 2 – Yunnan Province, China[…]