That I am uploading this travelblog entry almost a year after the event, is perhaps evidence enough that I have been working too much and travelling too little. My recollections of the trip aren't the best. I have been a fond visitor of the Greek islands for many years, and the trip to Naxos only served to augment my fondness. However, the all too common 'falling sick when allowing oneself to rest' fell upon me, the very week I planned to go to Greece with the girls. And so it was that for seven full days I was unwell (rest assured my health was restored in time for my return to work)... We began the trip in Athens, meeting my friend at the airport, despite the fuel protests that were prevalent in Athens at the time, ... read more

I find myself in Byron Bay, again. I shouldn't be surprised; it's something of a yogi's paradise - long stretches of coastline, beautiful scenery, yoga teachers in abundance, a plethora of wholesome organic cafes, and enough sunshine to soothe the soul. This time though, I'm on entirely different ground. I am no longer roughing it in some dingy backpackers lodge. This time I am travelling with Richard, we have a beachside apartment and a set of wheels. The highs: The food, the swimming, the cruising, the yoga on the beach. The lows: Diving. At least for some of us anyway. Ever the drama queen, I opted to encounter the worst possible experience of scuba dive training. I even managed to get stung, and to throw up over the side of the dinghy. The two weeks have ... read more

...Imagine a Sunday. A really hot, lazy, summers Sunday. Now stretch that thought. A little more. And some more. Okay, that about sums up the Spanish vacaciones. It was, the first of a kind. Not least because it was planned only days before departure. I booked some days off work, hopped onto an easyjet airbus and hours later, found a familiar face at the airport waiting to collect me... ...The first night I slept better than I had in a long time. It was sleep much needed and I awoke revived by the rest and the overcast morning. The clouds did nothing to dampen my mood however. Quite the contrary. I was warmed both by the still air and the company. Here, on the southern Spanish coast, I was able to spend more time with ... read more

...The final leg of my tour is accompanied by an amalgamation of indiscernible emotions. I sat with a larger than life frown in Hong Kong International Airport as the tourism official ploughed on with her inquisition despite my obvious disinterest. Truth be told, I suppose I was glad for the distraction for I was more than reluctant to be leaving people and a country that had hosted me so well. Yes, Nick you can take that as a personal compliment! I flew, Hong Kong to Singapore, having no time to exploit the free internet and other services at Changi Airport before being swiftly hauled onto a connecting flight that would bring me here: to the home of bullet trains, technological advance, strange foods and shinto temples, where beneath the concrete jungle of buildings, lurks a scurry ... read more

Yep, went to Macau. But... too tired to tell you about it today. Besides, I'm still suffering from 'blog-lag'.... read more