The demise of the Soviet Union has led to extraordinary changes within the former Eastern Bloc in the last twenty years or so. Following on from an effortless bus commute out of Vienna, a cursory glance at my passport was all it took before being stamped into Hungary en route to the capital Budapest. The journey from Vienna to Budapest is a little over 200kms by road yet the contrast in heading from west to east is really noticeable, due to the massive economic advances made since the Republic of Hungary was declared in 1990. Hungary has since gone on to [View Full Entry]

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The first port of call for my European holiday is wonderful Germany, and the flight from Sydney arrived smack bang in the middle of the world famous Oktoberfest. I touched down in the commercial hub of Frankfurt, and then boarded a Deutsche Bahn down to Munich to briefly join in the celebrations. The city was absolutely heaving and many Germans opted for traditional Bavarian costumes, with the frauleins an absolute stand out in traditional low cut tops as part of their colourful dresses. The guys featured a range of colourful hats to match their suede shorts including frothing litre glasses an [View Full Entry]

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The change of seasons is dramatic in North America. Spring is upon us and there is now a tangible bounce in the step of the locals who must feel like bears emerging from hibernation in spite of the substantial snow covering still on the ground. The travel journal, dear reader, continues on from Quebec City with the weather warming up for my lover and I, as we enjoyed a weekend going out and meeting her friends. The restaurant food was superb, the city was a picture and the Quebecers I met were generous and friendly. However it was soon time to [View Full Entry]

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I feel privileged to be posting this journal from Canada dear reader, while enjoying my first visit to this wonderful country. While on the road Canadians have always held a special place in my heart, and they share with Australians a spirit of fun and adventure which has made them excellent travel companions during many overseas trips. Now I'm pleased to report I can finally dispense with the worn out travellers line ... I would love to visit your country. Here I am and very glad to be in the country that was narrowly beaten into third position in the recently [View Full Entry]

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We battled through the snowstorm in Maine while driving to a social function. In the car my sister, her husband and I were frantically trying to stay warm before we made a dash through the driving snow and into the venue. We awoke the next morning to find the whole neighbourhood blanketed in 9 inches of perfect snow providing a beautiful backdrop with an outside air temperature of -17 degrees celcius. Wait a minute now ... was this some kind of vivid dream? I'm from Australia and I have never experienced anything like this before! But that is one of the [View Full Entry]

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The passengers were ushered through immigration in Cancun like VIP´s after we arrived back from Havana. The return flight was fun as I bumped into an Aussie guy from a hostel in Guatemala and we had a very animated debrief of our respective travel experiences in Cuba. From Cancun I organised a bus to the famous Mayan ruins of Palenque where I spent an engrossing morning exploring, taking photos and meditating at this wonderful site in a very peaceful setting. I then pushed on to a quality hostel in the gorgeous colonial town of San Cristobal where I effortlessly slotted back [View Full Entry]

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The flight from Cancun to Havana took one hour but experiencing Cuba in 2006 is like flying into another world. It feels like you are entering a museum amidst a visual explosion of once in a lifetime travel sights and experiences. Where else, for example, can you catch a taxi ride in a 1948 Dodge as you can in downtown Havana? Ah Cuba; the rhythm, the rum, the salsa dancing, the music and the beautiful Cubana chicas, the rum (¿did I already mention that?), the havana cigars, the colonial buildings and the fiestas by night. There is a good chance you [View Full Entry]

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The country is the home of tequila slammers, the sombrero, guitar playing singers to serenade us, tacos and burritos, and of course corona beers with a slice of lime. Where else but fabulous Mexico, and it's wonderful to be back here after an absence of too many years. I previously visited Baja California twenty years ago, but now I am on the other side of the country visiting the yucatan peninsula for a sticky beak at the world famous resort towns that line the coast. The yucatan is by far the most popular destination for tourists in Mexico and is often [View Full Entry]

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Guess who is back on the caribbean coast *again*with the rasta cats feeling bless-ed man? Yes dear reader, it's your intrepid travel journalist posting this entry from Belize. Within a minute of arrival at the bus terminal in Belize City I walked around the corner and saw two local women; one of whom approached with outstretched arms, missing teeth but a winning smile and said to me ¨Hey baby, come to mama!¨ It was funny. So anyways, I go a little further down the street towards the marine terminal and give some skin when offered by a rasta cat who was [View Full Entry]

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My time visiting the beautiful country of Guatemala has been an undeniably positive and memorable experience. I hand wrote the draft for this journal from atop a monument in the majestic grand plaza of the Tikal Mayan ruins, and it's a glorious location dear reader, to provide inspiration for my travel blog! The ruins of Tikal along with the sublime beauty of Lago de Atitlan and the gorgeous colonial city of Antigua with it´s vibrant nightlife, make for wonderful attractions to rival the tourist highlights of any country in the region The tourist industry in Guatemala has potential for substan [View Full Entry]

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