Cairo-Pyramids, Pyramids-Cairo, the two words are inevitably linked although there are pyramids to be found elsewhere. For me it is particularly fitting that the Pyramids are our last stop on this trip. The Pyramids have been the top of my ‘must see’ list for many years. Together with a Nile trip, and we are about to achieve both during this flying visit. The flight from Cape Town crossed the African continent, for 9 hours glimpses of Africa were visible through the cloud cover. Little detail from 38000 feet but one can get a feel for the sheer scale of the [View Full Entry]

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From Dubai on the Persian Gulf to Cape Town, close to the southern tip of Africa, nominally a 10-hour flight. Taking off at 10am, ‘losing’ the two hours time zone difference means we should arrive at 6pm. With the help of a tail wind we arrive early. These long flights are becoming routine, eat, sleep (doze more likely), listen to the MP3 gadget, read, solve a Sudoku, watch TV (especially the real time route map), we fly down the coast crossing into continental Africa just after crossing the equator, south of Dar es Salaam so time literally flies! It is [View Full Entry]

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Dubai…. One of severn emirates, together making up the United Arab Emirates, formed in 1971. Prosperous, growing quickly, building everywhere. Including on land ‘manufactured’, by dredging from the sea bed to make islands off the coast. An international financial and trading centre, a meeting point between east and west, as indeed it has been over the centuries. Very ‘oil rich’ and it shows! We have travelled 21500 miles so far and are continuing our way westward, and should complete our circumnavigation next week. Here in Dubai we have three days to catch up a [View Full Entry]

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India, the ‘jewel in the crown’ of what once was the British Empire, treasured by Queen Victoria yet never seen by her? Elephants, tigers and TEA! But we are here on a flying visit (literally and figuratively) to see the Taj Mahal specifically and get a ‘taste’ of the subcontinent. Landing at Delhi International mid afternoon, a short transfer by coach to a railway station on the outskirts of the city to pick up a chartered train for the 3hour+ journey to Agra some 150km distant. It had been an early start, 3am call, at Beijing airport by 4am, (too [View Full Entry]

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Beijing-China, the Great Wall, Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City, Chairman Mao…, all names to invoke thoughts of events both recent and historic. And here we are en route to what was called Peking in my old atlas. Arriving at the newish airport some distance from the capital there is much evidence of a massive building program in preparation for the Olympics (August 2008). A modern airport is taking shape plus high-speed rail links confirm the rate of growth and investment taking place. The atmosphere is heavy, the sun hidden in the haze, which looks familiar to those of us [View Full Entry]

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Borneo, the worlds 4th largest island… more precise, we are in Sabah, a district within Malaysia. Most of the island is in Indonesia, apart from Brunei. As a kid I collected stamps, British Colonials in particular and Borneo was on of those places of the ‘empire’ where ‘the sun never set’. Never guessed I would actually visit the place! But here we are, Kota Kinabalu. We have taken our anti-malaria pills and arrive late afternoon. Hot and sticky, it’s 40degrees and 98% humidity! Again the setting sun is spectacular. Our room is not ready so we are treated [View Full Entry]

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From Honolulu to Sydney, across the date line so we ‘lose’ a day and cross the equator about ten minutes later! For us it is the first time in the Southern Hemisphere so we really are in new territory! The crew have provided everyone with a certificate, the flight deck have signed all 250 copies! We arrive early with the help of a favourable jet stream and pass over Sydney Harbour, which really does look special from up here. We have changed time zones from 10 hours behind to 10 hours in front, so little change to our bodyclocks! We [View Full Entry]

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Second day in Hawaii... The highlight planned is a trip to the USS Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbour. An earlyish start to get in the queue for tickets. This is a very popular location so long queues inevitable. The tickets enable you to see the filmshow (30mins) and take the boat to the USS Arizona (another 30mins). We are in show number16, scheduled some 3hours time. The museum has much to see, it is a warm day and the harbour very photogenic. The boat trip to the USS Arizona is handled very professionally, US marines, very smart! At the memorial, [View Full Entry]

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Las Vegas to Hawaii, our third stop on this RtheW trip of a lifetime and the first location not previously visited. From now on for us it is all ‘new ground’… Yet another early call for a flight takeoff at 9:30 am on a bright spring day with a distinct chill in the air. Again no hotel breakfast but muffins and black ‘cawfee’ in the departure lounge. Good ‘sideways’ view of the Strip from the tarmac but no opportunity to attempt a ‘panoramic’ shot. On board settle down for the eight hour flight to Honolulu. As a toddler, I have [View Full Entry]

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Another comfortable fight from NY (actually New Jersey but you do get a super view of the NY skyline at 6am on a spring morning!) Arriving Las Vegas midday, bright sun but a chill in the air. Desert light is so clear, as though your eyes have just had their windows cleaned. Some 18 years since we were here last. Many new developments, almost unrecogniseable. Our new hotel, The Luxor, impressive, especially as we are due to see the real pyramids in two weeks time at the end of our ROUND THE WORLD trip. Explore the immediate vicinity to get [View Full Entry]

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