Sarah B
Sarah Blackett Joined: August 22nd 2007
Logged in: August 1st 2011
Logged in: August 1st 2011
Travel Blog Posts
Washing out to dry
Here are just a few flavours that make up this rich dish the world has on the menu… To Start: Unexpected colonies of sausage dogs in Havana. Safe streets, a very family orientated place. Skinny horses and chickens everywhere. Pork. Pork. Pork. And more pork. Che Guevara’s beautiful face. Gorgeous. On every wall, in every window. Rice and beans. Egg. Pork. Egg and more pork! Intensely strong, delicious coffee and powdered milk. Burnt red tobacco fields. A weathered saddle rests on a fence. For Main Course: Rain that comes like clockwork each and every afternoon. Casas Particulares, smiley kind faces, welcoming homes. Tin can aeroplanes from Russia and buses from China. White sand beaches with a Caribbean breeze. Delicious mojitos made with a whole fresh mint stalk. White, brown and black skin. Beautiful muscles defined by ... read more
Mum and I with beautiful mosaic
It’s been a while since I last wrote because Mum and I’s trip took an unplanned detour- down the road of acute dysentery, severe gastroenteritis and a good old stint in hospital. We reached our friend’s private riad in Marrakech late one evening and were welcomed to a three storey open plan stone house surrounding a central courtyard with a mosaic tiled swimming pool fruit trees and tasteful Moroccan furnishings. An absolute haven in amongst the madness that is the Medina. We spent the next few days marvelling our way though the seemingly endless souqs that make up this fascinating city. They are an absolute assault on the senses in every possible way: Noisy, narrow alleyways banked on either side with towering mud walls (often decorated in suspended hand woven carpets, for sale, naturally), kamikaze scooters ... read more
March 11th 2009
Geyser
Iceland is awesome. Anyone new to the region can’t help but be astonished by the dramatic, volatile landscape and the scenic offerings it contains. It’s a Lord of the Rings -eque white washed desert with an array of stunning vistas. Anything from azul-blue jagged glaziers, snow capped peaks and thundering wide waterfalls high up in the silent mountains... to stark deep canyons, miles of lava fields and picturesque rivers running between the isolated fishing villages. Rising up on every horizon are natural chimneys of steam smoking up out of the geothermic land. A remarkable sight that inspired the first Norwegian settlers in the 9th century to name this island’s capital, Reykjavik, (the Icelandic translation literally meaning ’Smoky Bay’). You really do feel like you’re getting close to the edge of the world. ... Whether or not ... read more
Snow phone box
As many of you round the world have probably heard (as no doubt the BBC have kept this particular weather update so close to home bubbling away for all to ‘ooh’ and ‘arrrrh’ at for as long as possible) England has been hit by a freak Russian snowstorm. I tell you no lies; the last couple of days have been absolutely hilarious. One of my favourite comedians, Michael McIntyre I’m sure is having a field day working on new material after London received a healthy dollop of ten inches of powder white snow on Sunday night. Consequently this was too much for us fair-weathered Poms to handle and the city shut down. Think I’m joking? I told you, I tell no lies. The public transport system decided to call it quits and packed up and went ... read more
Wild Dolphins...
Hello everyone- a belated Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you all wherever you may be. Thought I’d quickly upload some piccys of my favourite place on the planet… A lengthy 36 hour journey took me door to door from London to Havelock North- the fastest route round the world you can do. Taxi-train-flight-flight-bus-flight-car. Argh exhausting! Arriving dehydrated, seriously over fed after numerous Air New Zealand offerings, hot and bothered and adorning a magnificent pair of ‘cankles’ (which, for those non-sufferers of in-flight DVT I am referring to the hugely attractive swollen T-junction where my inflated calves met my chubster feet… a place my ankles were once upon a time used to be... Niiiiice. Thankfully they didn't last long as beach life took over... it’s so bloody beautiful! So yes I am here ... read more
Appealing?
I’m sat on a rickety wooden lounger on the beach held together by twine and rope. The heat of the day has finally relented and an enormous glowing ball of fire is making its way across the sky soon to meet the flat horizon of the warm Indian Ocean. My toes play in the powder white sand and as the wind rustles the palms and the local ladies return from their day of fishing seaweed, hauling huge bundles of it behind them, a dhow cuts through the sunset like a giant shark’s fin. Welcome to Zanzibar. Fumba Let’s pretend it’s January in London… “Daylight” is somewhere looming above the thick grey cloud cover, and cold rain spits back up at you from the pavement as you walk down the High Street. Fighting a losing battle against ... read more
The Land of Fire!
I’ve recently returned from a quick and quirky trip to Azerbaijan in far Western Asia. A few snap shot impressions I managed to soak up during my brief visit are below. Overall, despite finding it somewhat aesthetically challenged, I felt it was a historically rich and interesting place, where the ex-Soviet empire meets Islam… a somewhat colourful collision… Impressions of Azerbaijan, or also known as “The Land of Fire”… Wind, wind and even more wind. Delicious rose tea served in large glass shot glasses, accompanied with sliced up Snickers bars. Elderly women in darkly coloured headscarves. Elderly men in flat beret style hats and smoking cigarettes. On that note… chain smokers. Everywhere. Grey skies and dodgy smelling water. Not much in the way of bright colours. Black soviet statues against grey skies. Very old car... read more
A big BIG Gurnard!
How to lose yourself and utterly forget that you live in the grey smog and battle the 45 degree pavement rain of England’s grand capital?... You come here of course… Five miles of uninterrupted burnt golden sand, aqua blue skies, a sea of three, maybe four colours at any one time, an energetic breeze and a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc. This is Hawkes Bay. Known as the Wine Country of New Zealand on the east coast of its North Island. A surfer-come-wine-lover’s paradise and anyone with an appreciation for stunning views and friendly faces cannot help but fall in love with this tiny part of the world, the first place each day to wake up with the rising sun. I am fortunate enough to have two retired parents who fell for the magic of Ocean ... read more
July 15th 2007
Sunrise over Jordan
They have a lot to say, the Doom Merchants, when you tell them you’re planning a trip to Israel. They overflow with warnings. Why Israel? I was consistently challenged. Well, I’ll tell you why… Picture the scene… floating in the sea under a cloudless sky. Eyes closed against the sun… Jordan in the haze on one horizon, the West Bank on the other. All is calm. All is peaceful. Idyllic? Absolutely. That is, until you decide enough’s enough and you get out of the water. Crunch time. This for me was one of the most revolting, wonderfully revolting, experiences of my life… …Welcome to the Dead Sea. Not only is your skin saltier than beef jerky, it's also smothered beneath a fine layer of what feels like snot. Yes. All over. In fact, this 'body bogey' ... read more
Lazy days in Guadalajara
I’m deep in the heart of central Mexico. Guadalajara. Part of a volunteer team at an animal care centre, I spend every day up to my elbows in chicken heads and lizard poo. No English is spoken and other than a few near-death-by-racoons incidents, I feel at ease in my Hispanic world… well… until yesterday… …The indoor reptiles are separated from the rest of the animals. Predominantly because they stink. Oh, and most are highly venomous snakes. To enter the room you need a senior member of staff, a key and an ability to only breathe through your mouth… … Yesterday one of the biologists wanted me to help him clean out the tanks. Ever intrigued to work with the caymans and get sneak peeks at the boas, cobras and other legless devils, I was ... read more
