http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Ever Onward/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Ever Onward en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:19:42 BST Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:19:42 BST Although I would have liked to have seen much more I only had a day in Egypt and so it was that I headed off to the Pyramids. I was bowled over. I knew they were big but not that big The sight was aweinspiring ... and the Sphinx ... well ... impossible to take it all in.Having had my mind blown by the complex at Giza the remainder of the day was spent having my mind blown by the treasures of http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Giza/blog-271253.html A fantastic holiday to Crete which for me was a return visit. I'd previously been at the end of September and so felt it proper to come in the height of summer.Taking an apartment in a tourist complex we did manage to keep ourselves very much isolated but also managed to visit such sights as the Palace at Knossos the Lasithi Plateau with the Caves the villages around Agios Nikolaos and Iraklio http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Crete/blog-271244.html Returning from Vietnam I decided to have a few days in Singapore where I was able to do a little sightseeing and see my old friends and their children.It was a real pleasure to catch up on the news as well as see what's happening in Singapore from a resident's view point. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/blog-270904.html Over 2005 and 2006 I was fortunate enough to be working in Paris and Amsterdam. Whilst building relationships with my French and Dutch colleagues I was also able to work closely with others Swedes Germans Belgians Swiss and Norwegian.I got on so well with Eva that she invited me to visit her and her family in Oslo. However knowing my love of avoiding the tourists she invited me over Nati http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Ostlandet/Oslo/blog-270536.html In February 2005 I spent a couple of weeks in Bangalore. This was my first trip and although I was working I did have two days in which I could do a little sightseeing.The first of these was spent investigating the Lalbagh Gardens in Bangalore and the second some 30 miles north in the Nandi Hills. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Karnataka/Bangalore/blog-270437.html The final day of the holiday arrived all too soon well it was 06h15 After a breakfast of cornflakes yoghurt and toast we decided that this was Zambian cuisine at its best and went to check out. By 08h00 wersquod unhooked the trailer and were heading towards the Victoria Falls. Before wersquod even got close the spray was incredible itrsquos no surprise that David Livingstone was dra http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Livingstone/blog-267993.html Early to bed early to rise. It was 05h15 when the phone rang it was the front desk reminding me to get up. Why so early It wasnrsquot going to take me 45 minutes to have a wash get dressed and meet in Reception for the 06h00 safari. Oh well as I had to answer the phone anyway I got up.It was still dark as I made my way through the cold building to Reception. Both Jill and Brian were there http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/North-West/Chobe-National-Park/blog-267992.html I slept like a log and like a log I was covered in insects. I awoke at 06h15 and could see lots of the tiny critters all over my sheets and pillow. Worse still my shoulders were covered in mosquito bites and I had bites in places I didnrsquot realise I had. Of course like any gentleman Irsquod used precautions but noone had bothered to tell the mosquitoes that they were supposed to stay http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/North-West/Chobe-National-Park/blog-267987.html After the theatrical entertainment of the previous evening I was relieved that there was no second performance. The marula fruit remained fastened to the trees and the Clog Family von Genet kept their slippers on and rested. As such I had a remarkably full nightrsquos sleep having hit the pillow at an extremely modest 21h30.However it was now 06h15 and the alarm hadnrsquot gone off. It was http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/North-West/Okavango-Delta/blog-267985.html I didnrsquot sleep last night. I know that because I heard every marula fruit within a hundred yards of me leaving the trees and landing on the corrugated iron roofs. I also know that the genets were having a talent show and the local troupe had donned their clogs and were dancing up and down the roof of my lodge to Offenbachrsquos famous CanCan. I just wasnrsquot sure why theyrsquod chos http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/North-West/Okavango-Delta/blog-267145.html Irsquom sure I slept last night but no sooner had I turned off the light and got under the mosquito net than it was morning. The little alarm clock was screaming at me to get up its volume disproportionately large for its size.After a very hot shower I made my way down the sandy paths to breakfast. Both Brian and Jill were there before me and were waiting patiently for their cooked meal. I http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/North-West/Okavango-Delta/blog-266425.html Another beautiful African morning dawned and I was up again at 06h45 in order to go and explore the local bush for signs of early morning wildlife. My fellow traveller had had the remarkable good fortune in capturing the moment a ground squirrel popped its head out of its burrow but I was having no such luck. Capturing the sunrise through the trees was a poor second best and so I headed off to a b http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/North-West/Maun/blog-266008.html Dawn broke but was fixed in time for my alarm to go off at 06h45. Irsquod slept well my sleep punctuated by the constant singing of the grasshoppers. After a hot shower I donned the same set of clothes worn yesterday and headed to breakfast. Never having been to Namibia before I wasnrsquot sure what to expect and was rather surprised by the sumptuous feast laid on. Unfortunately after se http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/Ghanzi-District/Ghanzi/blog-265670.html ParisImagine if you will the balmy Southern Hemisphere skies. Imagine being seated in a Jorsquoburg casino surrounded by plenty of PYTs at the Black Jack table drinking South African beer. Imagine the autumn stars of the southern constellations shining down on the young and carefree. Imagine hellip because at that precise moment thatrsquos what I had to do. Instead of being ensconced in a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Namibia/Windhoek/blog-265485.html ManchesterSome five months after returning from the Southern Hemisphere I once again find myself leaving the house at some awful hour and heading to the airport. Irsquom off to the Southern Hemisphere again and despite the fact that itrsquos 03h30 I really am looking forward to a long trip almost due south to Johannesburg and beyond.In typical Manchester fashion the balmy 5 Centigrade was http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/-le-de-France/Paris/blog-265152.html A little closer to home this time Having lived in this historic village for over 5 years the weather was good enough this year for me to wander into town and join in the Holly Holy Day.Nantwich was the site of a crucial battle in the English Civil War when in 1644 the Royalists lay siege to Parliamentarian Nantwich. By the end of 1643 Cheshire was in the hands of the Royalists with the except http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Cheshire/Nantwich/blog-240422.html During 2005 I spent my time travelling between London Paris and Amsterdam with the occasional trip to Bruxelles thrown in.Having lived in Amsterdam during 1989 it was a real pleasure to pay the occasional visit and try and recall my rusty Dutch.Paris however was a different kettle of fish. I commuted almost weekly taking the 16h00 flight from Manchester on a Monday and arriving in my hot http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/-le-de-France/Paris/blog-232303.html Having just returned from 3 weeks in New Zealand I flew to the Isle of Man for the weekend but it was shut. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Isle-of-Man/blog-221478.html Last night was very cold. According to the forecast it dropped to just 6C. Within the confines of the mobile bed it certainly felt that cold but snugged up under my duvet I really didnrsquot notice and slept soundly until about half seven. By that time the sun was up the tide was on its way out and the sky was blue. It was also significantly warmer than the overnight low.The day ahead was t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/King-Country/Waitomo/blog-218615.html I was woken by the sound of the ducks quacking their way around the campsite trying to cadge breakfast off anyone. Ignoring them I slept for a further hour and then peering out of the curtains noticed that the goat had been moved. Unfortunately it seemed I was going to have to make alternative arrangements for breakfast.It was a little overcast so I resorted to breakfast thoroughly indoors. Ho http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/New-Plymouth/blog-218603.html