I have arrived in Hyderabad and found a connection that is fast enough to upload some photos. If you look at www.flickr.com/photos/11000760@N05/ you will find some new sets. India South 2009 has them all, but India Wildlife is also interesting. I do hope you enjoy looking at these. In the meantime here are some words to amuse you... or bore you. Christian Fishermen and Express Trains. When I say we had arrived at the southernmost point of the Indian Subcontinent, I was being inaccurate by a kilometre. We had actually arrived at the southernmost railways station in India. When we [View Full Entry]

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It never occurred to me that I had any insight into India. I worked here for 3-4 years, ten years ago, and so much has changed since then. Nothing stands still. Politics change, cities are rebuilt and people die. The world moves on. The expericences I had a decade and a half ago would be irrellevant in todays new world. And then there is India. Great, glorious, corrupt, democratic India. An amorphous and diverse mass of humanity, mountains, beaches and fields. Feeding more than a billion people, projecting force around the Indian Ocean, and yet still reliant on its poorest peasant [View Full Entry]

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I rolled over, and looked out of the window. Green India was trundling by. We slowed and screeched into Varkala station. We ground past some foreigners who were obviously on the wrong part of the platform. The ran to keep up with the train and eventually got left behind. As the train slowed and stopped no one immediately got onto our carriage. After a moment or two, sweating foreigners started to get onto the 2nd ac carriage. Mssrs Christine and Aske turned out to be two Danish journalists, laden down with two medium size backpacks and an overnight bag. They had [View Full Entry]

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I have always been a sucker for TK 1971. I love the Turkish flight to London stanstead.It takes off from Istanbul and turns north past the Nato Headquaters, over the Belgrade forest and pops out at the black sea near kilyos, there the aircraft turns left (west) and bimbles along the black sea coast into freezing, gasless Bulgaria. Just to re inforce Bulgaria’s not s nice position, the country was snow covered. The sun did shine however, over the 737-800’s wing. As soon as we took off, a film came on the TV screen. I wacked my free earphones on and [View Full Entry]

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Fun and games in the near east. Istanbul and its people. During my stay in Istanbul, Russia cut off transit gas through Ukraine and Ukraine’s gas. The Russians are ostensibly having a spat with the Ukraine, but I think that are also taking the opportunity to punish Europe. Their former satellites are freezing. Turkey’s gas has also been cut, but the Russians and Iranians increased Turkey’s supply through the Caucasus. “Its only a matter of geography,” said a journalist friend of mine. But she was wrong. Nothing in the middle east is merely a matter of geography [View Full Entry]

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The airbus A330 touched down softly on the tarmac but immediately screamed and juddered as full reverse thrust tried to change the thermodynamic principles of our 100 tonne host. Snow covered every aspect of Kloten Airport except the runway. After a few too many coffees, I boarded a smaller A320 and sat in the empty cabin. “We are totally full returning” said the Maitre De Cabin. I lay out on three seats and snoozed across eastern Europe. I awoke over what the electronic map said was the sea of Marmara. The thick cloud made it impossible to verify this, so [View Full Entry]

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When our Boeing 747-400 slammed down onto the runway at Heathrow, we were roused from our semi sleep. Cisca and I now had to get to Birmingham with all of our kit for the Birmingham Dive Show. We had enjoyed the US, but now it was time to get back to work. We spent two days talking to potential Pemba Divers and old friends who dropped by to say hello and sample our beer. When the show ended it was back on BA046 and yet another night flight to Dar es Salaam. BA were fine, but when we left terminal 5, [View Full Entry]

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The Dive show in Las Vegas came to and end. Dan and Shelly Lee joined us for a few short days. We had made the decision to drive to Los Angeles, but could not not decide on a route. We held a Chinese parliament, and after much horse trading we headed north to Death Valley National Park. Now this was easier said than done. America may be the land of the free, and the freeway, but getting a hire car from Hertz a little close to hard work. We had to change office three times before finding someone who actually really [View Full Entry]

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Going to America was a long journey. Well long by air. Not quite a train journey, but long enough. We woke pre dawn in our tiny hotel in Zanzibar. (Stone Town Café- baraka@zanlink.com) . We traipsed down the ancient stairway in the white building and into our tame taxi drivers’ saloon. (Rashid +255 713 61 92 45) The sun came up over Zanzibar Airport. At least security did not ask me for a bribe this time. We wandered out over the tarmac and boarded. The let 410 climbed out over the channel and dropped us in Dar es Salaam. We were [View Full Entry]

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BA046. Dar es Salaam to London Above Libya Over the Kufra depression The 767 may have been old, but on the inside, the cabin is perfect. The plane is small, clean and blue. The cabin crew seem friendly and helpful. We have boarded quickly, BA’s ground security staff usher us through well. As I take my seat the Captain comes on the tannoy. “Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen for boarding so swiftly, we are now closed up and ready to go. The first officer will be flying you to London today, that’s all from me” And with that we pushed back, [View Full Entry]

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