On Wednesday 16th of September when I paid my house maid her monthly wage I also gave her the THR (Tunjangan Hari Raya) as well. This is a one month bonus which is commonly paid to household staff and employees in factories and offices at the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan. When I paid her the bonus I also told her that she didn't need to come again till the 28th of September because I wouldn't be at home in Cirebon. Lebaran or Idul Fitri is a very important festival and holiday in Indonesia. My language school closed on [View Full Entry]

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I wrote the words, Eclipse of the Sun on the whiteboard. "Can anyone tell me, what the word 'eclipse' means?" "Sir! Sir! It's when the Moon eats the Sun!" I'm back in Indonesia teaching English after a brief holiday in China. There were two highlights of my trip to Hangzhou - seeing my brother David and witnessing the longest total eclipse of the century. It was night time in the middle of the day for five and a half minutes. [View Full Entry]

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It was 8.20 am. Music by Philip Glass was being played very loudly through speakers attached to a laptop computer. I was sat in just my boxer shorts in the front room of my new house in Cirebon, working on my lesson plans for school. I was disturbed by the sound of loud noises from outside. I turned down the music, wondering if the neighbours were objecting to my taste in music. Then I twitched back the net curtains and looked out of my front window. Standing outside my house was a little woman who was shaking the locked gate. So, [View Full Entry]

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Despite all the far flung places I've visited, I had never been to the Czech Republic. So, I've finally joined the millions of other Brits who fly over every weekend. During my brief stay I visited Prague, Ceské Budejovice and Český Krumlov. The tourist centres of Prague and Český Krumlov were packed with tourists. I was impressed by the fairytale beauty of the buildings and landscapes. Whilst spending a whole day walking around the ground of Prague castle I was forced to queue on many occasions. One of the queues I joined stretched up a long flight of steps and didn't [View Full Entry]

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A relatively new tourist destination, Dubai has gained in popularity in recent years. It is essentially a desert city with superb infrastructure, liberal policies (by regional standards), and excellent tourist amenities. Just 5 hrs from Europe and 3 hrs from most parts of the Middle East, the Near East, and the sub-continent of India, Dubai makes a great short break for shopping, partying, sunbathing, fine dining, sporting events, and even a few sinful pleasures. It is a city of superlatives: for the fastest, biggest, tallest, largest and highest, Dubai is the destination. Wikitravel. I spent just 3 nights in Dubai, the [View Full Entry]

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"You are from Britain. You are welcome. You are my brother. This is your second home!" Abdul (also known as Little King Kong). Somaliland (Somali: Soomaaliland) is a de facto independent republic located in the Horn of Africa. The Republic of Somaliland considers itself to be the successor state of the former British Somaliland protectorate, which had an area of about 176,210 square kilometres (68,040 sq mi), which became independent on June 26, 1960, and united with Italian Somaliland five days later to form the Somali Republic. On May 18, 1991, the people of Somaliland declared independence from Somalia. However, it [View Full Entry]

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Djibouti is one of the smallest and most expensive countries in Africa. A small glass of beer in a restaurant cost $US7! At that price teetotalism seemed a very attractive prospect! I didn't get out of the capital city during my stay as I was concentrating on trying to get Visas. As a result I at least enjoyed the good (but expensive) cuisine in the restaurants. The good food is a result of the French colonial influence. The journey to Djibouti was an arduous trip. It started with a 3am start from the city of Dire Diwa in Ethiopia with a [View Full Entry]

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Ethiopia is like no where else in Africa or the world. It's unique. Even the food is different. Plates are replaced by Injera - a pancake like bread make from Teff flour. Teff flour is an annual grass native to the Ethiopian highlands. Teff is high in fibre and iron and gives the Injera a sour taste. A variety of stews and salads are placed on the Injera. Pieces of Injera are then torn off and used to grasp the food. The Injera is therefore food, a utensil and a plate. An early image of the trip that will stay with [View Full Entry]

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"I would sooner live like a Dervish with the Mahdi than go out to dinner every night in London" General Gordon (who was defeated and killed in the Mahdist Siege of Khartoum, 1885). Sudan gets a lot of bad press, with good reason. But I found the people to be the friendliest and most hospitable I've met anywhere in the world. There were numerous incidents during my time in Sudan when people treated me as an honoured guest. I entered the Sudan by ferry from Aswan. The very slow ferry to Wadi Halfa is the only way to cross the border [View Full Entry]

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I was last in Egypt approximately 10 years ago. I needed to travel through Egypt because it is the best place to get a Visa for the Sudan. Not that it wasn't well worth while visiting Egypt again! On this leg of my travels, I'm travelling down the Nile from Cairo to Khartoum. I got my Visa in Cairo because it is the best place to buy a Visa. It's possible to buy one in the UK but it takes 3 months and there is no guarantee that it will be approved. The process in Cairo was relatively painless even if [View Full Entry]

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