Seven years of travelblog, seven years of on and off travelling - I started TravelBlog to keep my family and friends in touch with my journey. I've updated the site from all four corners of the globe, and it's pretty much taken over my life now, that and diving.

I don't have any answers to any of the big questions, I don't really know what half the questions are. I do know that life isn't what you expect it to be.

Camera Equipment - I've variously used Kodaks, Canons and Nikons over the last 6 years - my current combination is a Nikon D300 with 18mm-200mm lens and a Canon Ixus 850is with underwater housing. I'm also the proud owner of a Canon G9, with underwater housing.

Current location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I apologise for any inaccuracies or assumptions in my blogs, I try my best - sometimes it isn't good enough - sometimes it is...

---

---

---

Summary: If you think you have a rough job - think again. This has to be the world's worst job; Wanted - Sulphur Collector Dedicated and determined individual required to collect sulphur from the interior of an active volcano. Must be physically fit (at the moment) as you will be required to walk 16 km daily, ascending and descending a tricky slippery rocky sheer track of about 800m, whilst balancing up to 80kgs of rock sulphur on a bamboo pole. You must not be adverse to the physical disfigurement that this pole will cause to your shoulders, or the sores and [View Full Entry]

---

---

Until now - Java had remained a mystery to me. The most populous island of one of the world's most populous countries, home of coffee, volcanoes and a programming language. With only 9 days planned, a route from Yogjakarta to Bali emerged, I'd forsake diving for volcanoes, what with the rainy season in this part of the world the underwater world would be choppy and murky anyway. Luckily - I was treated to some unseasonably clear and dry weather for the volcano trips, the hawkers selling hats, scarves and rain jackets weren't having so much luck. With so little time, I [View Full Entry]

---

---

Despite waking at 4am jumping in a mini-van before 4.30am and being at the temples before 6am - I missed dawn at the temple. The golden glowing images with silhouettes of Buddhas and stuppas stretching as far the eye could see - weren't waiting for me. Instead - thousands of bus loads of local tourists and school kids clambering around, loud speakers intermittently directing people not to climb on the fragile 1200 year old carvings. Thousands of hawkers selling every type of possible souvenir that crashed in price to below one third of the original asking price as you walked by. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Whale Sharks! - Nature's Biggest Fish In 7 years of diving, I've missed more whale shark sightings than the average diver - with something like 700 dives completed, I've never seen one. I'd stopped believing. Each season on the Perhentians I'd miss the whale shark, either being on a visa run, taking a morning off, or the boat would be broken - I missed seeing these beautiful creatures time and time again. Until now. Now I believe! We'd been told that a couple of friendly whale sharks had been seen regularly at one of the dive sites off Tenggol, so we [View Full Entry]

---

---

Happy New Year! - out with the old and in with the new - again. I wish everyone happy and fulfilling adventures for the next year. I'm in Edinburgh for the New Years - in Scotland the celebration is called Hogmanay and has it's own associated traditions - first footing (visiting friends homes), singing "Auld Lang Syne" or more accurately singing the known few words and miming/droning the rest - I think this is an international tradition now - though in Edinburgh more people know the song - Robert Burns the 19th Ayrshire Poet who wrote the piece is a national [View Full Entry]

---

---

I don't often get time to update my blog now - but sometimes, I'm lucky enough to see something or do something so amazing that I just want to write it up straight away. Yesterday was one of those days. Nusa Penida is a rocky, rugged island off the south-east of Bali, virtually uninhabited, undeveloped, a sanctuary of wilderness on land and a deep water wonder under the sea. I thank the Blue Planet for this experience - I'd seen the Mola Mola or Sunfish on episode - oh I forget - watch them all - it's one for sure. The [View Full Entry]

---

---

It's 6.30am - I'm awake - eyes wide no time for coffee; and I'm heading up to the dive shop, the streets of the sleepy village of Tulamben are quiet - the only sounds are from the ever present cockerels and the hiss of scuba tanks being tested and filled. Tulamben is famous worldwide to divers as the village where you can shore dive the Liberty wreck. Thirty meters out from the rocky shore and 30m down is the sunken remains of World War II freighter the USAT Liberty. In it's former life nearly 70 years ago - the USAT Liberty [View Full Entry]

---

---

Uspallarta is both the name of a small village and a remote pass between Mendoza and Santiago Chile. Travelling between Santiago and Mendoza was a joy, beautiful craggy mountains, twisting roads that double back on them selves over and over, looping up the mountain. After arriving in Mendoza - I headed back to the village - spent an afternoon on horseback, taking photos when I could convince the beast to steady enough. Uspallata and the surrounding mountains were considered enough of a double for the Tibetan Himalayas to film Seven Years in Tibet (1997) - in some of the bars there [View Full Entry]

---

---

Sitting in a hostel common room in Bariloche, Argentina, I'm debating where to go next, south? into the increasing chill, north? a wine tour in Mendoza, east? to the coast where soon the whales will return, or west? into Chile across the Andes and to the small town of Pucón where an active Volcano can be climbed. So many options and unfortunately my time in South America is in it's final few weeks. I form a vague plan, head west, then north then east; Bariloche to Pucon, to Santiago, to Mendoza. Patagonia, Glaciers and Antarctica will have to wait - another [View Full Entry]

---

---

As the cold winds blow in from the south, the year continues it's cycle in the southern lands at latitude 41 degrees it's autumn. Bariloche is a chocolate box beauty and the gateway to Patagonia, famed for it's skiing and hiking, it's hills, mountains and lakes. Visiting a ski resort inspired my lust for snow, I've missed the mountains and skiing for too many years now. But - walking past so many closed ski outfits, bursting with the latest blades and boards and goggles - I remember it's autumn, pull my inadequate bargain basement fleece a little tighter and see if [View Full Entry]

---

---