Saya Mau Sewa Sepeda Reports arrive of a washed out bridge along the Trans-Sumatran forcing a circuitous detour connecting Lake Toba to regions south. Kay who speaks for her partner on all matters, cringes at the though of a twenty-four hour busride. The Scotsman explains that he made the journey from Bukittingi in six hours, first by road to Padang, thence flying Air Asia to Medan where he caught a direct bus, but last minute bookings are implausible for the shoestring traveller. Kay will return to Wales in a few weeks time for her sister’s wedding and ought to have a [View Full Entry]

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We sailed the final leg of our trip down to Trinidad yesterday and are now safely tucked into Crews Inn Marina in Chaguaramas. We will be here for the rest of hurricane season, which lasts until November 1st. It sure feels good to be south of the hurricane belt, we no longer have to worry about tropical waves showing organization or low pressure systems forming off the coast of Africa (the first signs of dreaded hurricanes). And it was an easy trip here, smooth sailing with a bright moon, just a short 90 mile overnight trip. Luckily we had no problems [View Full Entry]

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Exactly a month of travelling, everything OK till the day before yesterday, a day curiously full of setbacks... I had peacefully pedalled for 74 flat Kms and I was only 22 Kms away from Gent, stage's final for that day. A puncture at the rear wheel, apparently nothing serious. I decide to push the bike up to a gas station where I could have changed the tyre without being then forced to inflate it manually. I took a few steps and the inner tube came totally out of the tyre, which in turn lost its natural place inside the metal rim [View Full Entry]

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NOTE: Please let me know if the two videos above worked well. If so, I will capture more. "Mayday, Mayday! We're struck a reef! We're taking on water quickly..." - Somewhere near the Wallis Archipelago The last 1000 miles of the Pacific, the home stretch in the little adventure that has become known as the Pacifico Project, is complete. I am happy to announce that I arrived to Cairns, Australia. It has been a voyage of over 9,000 km that has lasted over 7 months and has brought me more than 1/3 around the planet. I have sailed across the world's [View Full Entry]

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What I expected was to see a society totally different from Cambodian culture, known for their carved totems of deceased family members. What I got was an amazing river trip on a unique boat, views of Vietnam, a $1.50 ramen meal and also a glimpse at a Chinese village over 100 years old! It was hot, the river was cool. I bought a hat that barely fit my head. We were exhausted on the drive back to Ban Lung, as the sweltering heat, tropical sunshine and 120 decibell boat engines deafened us the entire way. It was an amazing trip and [View Full Entry]

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Sitting under the canopy of a dilapidated bus station in some unknown barrio in Manila, we waited on sunrise. It was barely after 5 am. We had spent the night on the bus from Banaue. When it became bright enough and busy enough we eased in to a jeepney for a random drive around. Since we could no longer sidestep Manila, we determined to experience a little of it. We asked for directions to Intramuros - the 16th century district - still trying to avoid the crush and chaos of modern, downtown Manila. Located on the southern bank of the river [View Full Entry]

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Our Italian coffee experiences in Florence fell into two categories: either the coffee was fantastic (ensuring several cups were demolished in one sitting), or so appallingly bad that it wasn’t even drinkable. Average coffee wasn’t present. Here’s a lesson for you ... a tourist trap that we unwittingly fell into ... A nice little cafe situated on the edge of the square. We take a seat, and flick through the menu. There’s no coffee listed on the menu, but then the waiter appears and offers a cafe latte/cappuccino/espresso ... ASK THE PRICE FIRST!! We failed to a [View Full Entry]

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“Twenty five years man. I’ve seen a lot of change.” I looked across at Jack, Jack the Hawaiian, Jack the man—my idol. “Bali is beautiful to this day, but 25 years ago it was a land of mystery. And before than… I can only imagine.” “So what’s changed?” I asked, forking a slice of banana pancake into my mouth. The fruity syrup hit my taste buds with explosive rapture. Across the table from Laura and me, Jack hovered over an unshelled egg. With a thrust of his spoon he chopped the globule in half. I expected it [View Full Entry]

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