Agra, Rajasthan, Goa, Bombay...... So, onward to India! The Kiwi guy and I travelled as far as Gorkopa, where I was promptly introduced to the craziness that India does best. It was like a rude awakening after the peace of Lumbini and for the first and only time on the trip, I felt pretty overwhelmed by it all and sad at the madness, pollution and noise etc and found myself crying. My train was delayed (you know, by about a day!) so since a friend was waiting for me in Agra, I grabbed a car and began the long, trecherous, crazy [View Full Entry]

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Oct 2007 Lima Nazca Arequipa Puno Lake Titicaca Cusco Sacred valley Machu Picchu blog to come! [View Full Entry]

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My first sight of Nepal was a cloudless, red sunrise over Mount Everest, the perfect welcome! I also met three lovely Nepalis on the plane who I’ve spent time with since, in their homes and around the city. I think Nepal might just be the friendliest place on the planet. Kathmandu is fantastic; totally crazy, beautiful yet crowded and polluted, filled with incredible temples and surrounded by mountains. I've arrived at an auspicious time since next week is ‘Tihar’, the festival of light, and I’ve been invited to various people’s houses for the celebrations. Also, [View Full Entry]

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Nov 2004 TIBET "Give yourself to the journey....Do only what you do not regret and fill yourself with joy." I read these words from the Dhammapada, or 'sayings of the Buddha', whilst seated on a plane heading to Lhasa. Very sound advice I thought as I embarked on this trip of a lifetime. Tibet didn’t disappoint one bit. It is a truly unique country. I love it: the people, the stunning scenery, the culture (which I’m very glad to report is still alive in certain areas), everything! It all felt incredibly familiar, and I felt [View Full Entry]

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Arriving in Havana involves having your senses benevolently accosted by seemingly endless colours, all styles and shades of old 50s cars, music leaking out of every doorway and bar, sincere smiles aimed at you from all sides, pollution cloaking the scene and the less palpable taste of history, of revolution, of Castro's breath and rule hovering in the air. It's a city of extreme contradictions, of both poverty and decadence, of evocative music and disappointments, (half hidden because the walls have ears,) of light and dark co-existing as old friends. Within hours of arriving, I found mysel [View Full Entry]

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