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 thi [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 m [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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, experi [View Full Entry]

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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&hel [View Full Entry]

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One big black mama, a skinny rasta dad and 2 cuties with even cuter afros. This was the family I lived with in Panama on a Caribbean island called Bocas del Toro. It could have been a scene from the Nutty Professor. I studied Spanish for a month. Fantastic fun. Also loved the rasta- Hispanic accent they have going on there… very different. Turquoise waters and powder white sand made it a bit of a tourist magnet. Luckily living local, I didn’t have to involve myself with all that bumbag nonsense that migrates there. I became best friends with the [View Full Entry]

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