Hi everyone After a few days in San Cristobal de las Casas, I decided to continue my journey through Mexico. I headed for the town of Palenque. Not very far on the map but 5 winding, twisting hours on the bus. I hadn't realised quite how high I had been in San Cristobal until it came to time to leave. 2,000 metres/6,000 feet for the stat keepers out there. The ancient Mayan ruins in Palenque are considered by many to be the finest. As for the town itself, I didn't take a shine to it. Perhaps it's because I was tired [View Full Entry]

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Hola amigos Hope all's well with everyone and the Londoners amonst you avoided the tornado. Tornados in London - what's going on? When it became time to leave Mexico City, I had a choice of venues. Normally, I would have gone to Oaxaca City, a historic market town 4 hours'drive away which is highly recommended by most guides. For the last few months, there has been a teachers´strike there. When I was at school, a teachers´strike was usually a cause for celebration as we might have got an afternoon away from school. In Oaxaca, the teachers´strike has led to serious rioting, [View Full Entry]

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Hello again When I booked this trip back in England, I never really queried why my flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City involved a change in Dallas - I was too excited by the whole trip. So, I found myself checking into Los Angeles Internatinal Airport at 5am one windy morning. The airport was packed. When I got to the front of the queue, I realised why. All flights to Dallas had been cancelled due to tornado warnings in Texas. The only way I could get to Mexico City that day was to change in Chicago! Chicago! Now, one of [View Full Entry]

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Hello folks There´s been a gap since the last blog as I´ve been a little bit busy. This travelling malarkey is hard work you know. Thanks for the many messages I´ve been getting. Keep them coming - it´s great to hear stories and news from back in the old country. I squeezed a lot in to my trip to Californa. Me and Lee spent a day in the Joshua Tree National Park. A joshua tree is sort of a cross between a palm tree and a cactus. They only grow in a few remote desert areas. We drove there and it [View Full Entry]

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Hi everyone I've been out here in California for a few days and I've already crammed a lot in. I am staying in the city of Redlands, San Bernardino County, which is around 90 minutes' drive from Los Angeles. Redlands is a small city (pop around 60,000) that used to be an important hub for fruit growers. It now serves more as a commuter base for people working in LA. It's a pleasant town with lots of palm trees. The Big Bear mountains in the background provide a picturesque setting. I am staying out here with an old friend, Lee. He [View Full Entry]

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Hello everyone Last time I saw most of you was at my leaving do at the Horse and Groom a couple of Fridays ago. I had a fantastic time, I hope you all did too. Thanks for coming and making it such a great night. It was a great way to send me out into the world. I feel it would be improper not to provide a small report on the events of my leaving weekend. When I was approached by 3 of the guys in the office asking me what my plans were before I went away, I simply answered [View Full Entry]

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Hello everyone Welcome to the very first entry in Joff's travel blog. A historic moment, I'm sure you'll agree. There really is no turning back now. I am winding up things at the office. I am starting to pack away my personal belongings. I am buying suitable equipment to take with me. I have booked the flights. I am about to embark on what I can only describe as a crazy adventure that will see me spending the next 12 months travelling throught 19 countries spread across 4 continents. Some of you may think that a 32 year old bloke should [View Full Entry]

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