Geoffrey James Quartermaine Bastin
QuartermainesWorld
Geoffrey James Quartermaine Bastin
I could be described as a
flaneur - Dictionary definition: "an intellectual and physical wanderer, observer of life".
I travel extensively in Asia, the Middle East and East Africa.
My tales, stories and rants here are part fact/part fiction but, I hope, always stimulating and sometimes irritating. PLEASE don't take them too seriously - they are meant to inform but also to amuse and to get under your skin. I hope there's a bit of an "edge" in what I write sometimes.
For those that take themselves over-seriously: it's a BLOG! Not "the Truth"... just my weird personal take on what I see. Lighten up!
The blog reports my adventures, opinions, hotel and airline reviews and anything else that comes to mind from the strange places I go to. Posts cover my adventures since January 2010 in Yemen, USA, Georgia, Thailand, Dubai, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tanzania and Kenya. In 2011 I was in the UK, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, South Sudan, Vietnam and Iraq. In 2012 I was in Afghanistan (again), Spain, UAE, Somalia, Ethiopia, Singapore and Yemen. 2013 looks like being another AFG and East Africa time, but one never knows.
Contact me directly by email on: travel@quartermainesworld.com
I do NOT have a page on Facebook for reasons explained in a post on December 26th 2011
Be a FOLLOWER on Twitter @Quartermaine.... irritated comments from the GOM (Grumpy Old Man) - think of me as a travel equivalent to Jeremy Clarkson.
Do please join me, Geoff Q-B, strolling around in Quartermaine's World!
Cheers!
DISCLAIMER: I report my impressions and opinions as honestly as I can based on what I see. There is no intention to offend or defame or damage the reputation of any individual on this web site, though my hotel/restaurant and airline reviews are not going to pull their punches. However these are just my personal opinions for what they may be worth. Do try to read them as such and with a sense of humour.
Since it bothers some people so much, a comment on "racism": I've worked for 30+ years all over the world. With folk of all ethnicities. My partner is Asian. Being critical of what some folk do is NOT being racist. It's expressing my reaction to specific circumstances and individual people. I suggest those that dislike any criticism or get offended by my occasional non-PC rants simply don't read what I have to say. But it ain't racism!!!!!
COMMENT POLICY: If you disagree with what I have to say, by all means reply either as a comment or direct and privately by message or email and I will return the respect by doing what I can to remove the offence. ALL ignorant, off-the-point, egregious and otherwise insulting comments WILL BE PUBLISHED with the MAXIMUM of effort to draw attention to the writer, but only if they have their author's real name and (if available) email address. It's just nuts to me when people reveal their wild inadequacies by using the "f" word or laying out incoherent blabber, they deserve all the publicity they can have.
AFFILIATIONS: I work as a professional consultant for a variety of clients in both the public and private sectors. This blog is NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY OF THEM. It's my PERSONAL reflections on the events I experience as a travel around. If the name of an agency or company is (unusually) mentioned it is purely for context - or where I review an airline, service provider, restaurant or hotel. My own employer is not responsible for any of the opinions I evince.
LEGAL or PHYSICAL RETRIBUTION: If you wish to sue, don't bother, I have no money and no fixed abode. If you wish to beat me up, ponder the idea that I'm 6 foot 4 inches, 260 pounds and a trained soldier and martial artist. I'd be happy to meet anyone in a gym anywhere😊 LoL