Geo: 38.5654, 68.7758Time Check: 1050 Tajiskistan TimeLocation: Hotel Guilistan Tour Room 602Altitude check: 978m (on Hilary) but guide book says 760m! Need to recalibrate....Catch Up: Yesterday (Friday) was a massive travel day. The rather good refurbished South Terminal at Gatwick seems light years away! After about a 1hr 30min delay sitting on the tarmac in a cramped and stuffy 737-800 apparantly due a to problem with the "SLOT".....a foreign type passenger in Row 9 got very agitated as he was catching a transfer at 1930 from Istanbul. The swarthy looking steward tried to reassure him by saying "plenty time if run"........then quite literally...."ever been Istanbul?"......."very lovely City"......"every day BOMB"......."Attack!" Eventually we took off and routed SW over Germany, Austria, Crotia and ... read more

Geo: 12.8654, -85.2072Ometepe Totcoco Eco Loge Status Report..."star date 25.01.2016" .....The Enterprise has entered a previously forgotten galaxy where life is easy, scenary draw dropping and the trials and tribulations of Western society seem "light years" away!! ....Life is good...very good........."but not as we know it Jim".....something is wrong....very wrong.....Friday is approaching at warp speed and we can't stop it! ......The Klingon battle cruiser (aka a United Airline 787) is "Cloaked" but ready to transport us back to planet UK where locals pile their horrid little cars full of "stuff" and drink blue fizzy drink.........However, we have enough "dilithium crystals" to last another 3 nights.....Helmsman Sydney is behaving strangely since he left "PEPITO"....we are concerned.... Luckily "Bone... read more

Geo: 11.94, -85.96TIME CHECK: 0742 Saturday 23rd January 2016. This would have been my dads 95th Birthday!He was born in 1921 just 3 years after WW1 and from a generation who only traveled if in Armed Forces.....a real gentleman.....We have spent the last day or so investigating for this great City which lies at the foot of another active Volcano: Mombacho! It is some 1344m high and last erupted in 1540.......me thinks we are due for another blow out.......bearing in mind it's nearby to chums Momotombo and Masayar are getting somewhat excited.Granada is a fascinating and relaxed fusion of cultures where South America, The Caribean, and Colonial Spain combine to produce an amazing vibrant City.Every house in Granada is painted a different vivid colour...green...purple...magenta....yellow, has it's resident street dog snoozing outside and coconut tree nearby........On the ... read more

Geo: 12.93, -85.931542hrs: Location: Verandah of Bunglow 7 Altitude 1300: Broken sun but blowy....very blowy. Summary: today kicked off with the usual coffee at 0600hrs....late as the kettle took some 30mins to boil due to the feeble output of the solar batteries. I think we have drained the whole days supply.......other Eco bungalow occupants are sipping tepid yucca juice and switching of lights at every opportunity whilst we are scalding our lips on Barista quality Italian brew....."tough"...in the distance I spot a couple of "Bill Oddie" birdwatcher types setting off in search of the lesser spotted "Ooomegoolie Bird"..... EQUIPMENT ALERT: disaster has struck in the sponge bag department. A whole tube of shaving gel has managed to quietly discharge itself and coat my entire supply of Alka-Seltzers in scented gloop. We carefully hand wipe each sac ... read more

Geo: 12.43, -86.89"Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun!. Well...... I have to report that this is probably one if the hottest places we have ever visited. The life expectancy of your standard UK constructed 99 ice cream I guess would be less than 3 minutes before it drained itself conveniently into your hand.....The shade temperature must have been pushing 38/40C and by 1400 we had retreated to our room for a small Siesta!There is a folk "Street Play" in Nicruagrua called the "La Gigantona" which centres on a big doll which can be up to six meters tall and constructed on a wood frame. She usually wears a colorful dress and may have many ornamentations and jewelry. La Gigantona represents the tall white Spanish women that came with the conquistadors. El Enano ... read more