Dear All Greetings from Belize! Country number 73 and still counting. A completely different travel experience to say the least, and it has taken me a few days to adjust. Well, to be honest, I think I’m still forming my opinions about the country – I have enjoyed these last few days, though I can’t say I’ve particularly liked them. I know this sounds like a paradox, but what I’m trying to say is I’ve learnt a lot about this area of the world in the past few days, about myself, about travelling, and if that is the reason why I travel, then this has happened and I have enjoyed it. It has not been the nicest of few days though, and I will try to relate more below, though as mentioned, I am still putting ... read more

Dear All Greetings from the middle of the Guatemalan jungle! I am writing this one from the most amazing of eco-lodges, deep within the Guatemalan jungle, on the banks of the Rio Tatin, a small tributary which feeds into the larger Rio Dulce. It’s the Finca Tatin, and it’s just wonderful. I am currently lying on my bed, writing this, with a solar fan on as there’s only mains electricity here for a few hours every evening. I’m in a jungle hut, with insect-netted windows on all walls, surrounded by sounds of numerous types of cicadas and whirring insects – this morning I awoke to a cacophony of different bird noises – and this evening I just saw my very first fire-fly – wow, it’s a magical place! I believe I last wrote on a bus ... read more

Dear All Greetings from Lake Atitlan, a stunningly beautiful high altitude lake in the Guatemalan highlands, surrounded by steep lush forested slopes, and flanked on its southern edge by three perfectly conical volcanoes – this could be paradise, it feels wonderful. I am currently writing this one from my hillside cabin at the Hotel Isla Verde, an eco-lodge perched up one of the lush forested Northern slopes of the lake, with a stunning full window vista right in front of me of the bluest of lakes, the bluest of skies and the hazy clouded peaks looming in the distance. The vista is framed by the lushest of vegetation, croaking cicadas and chirping birds. And the cabin’s attached private bathroom has a large completely open, glass-free “window” so you can do your ablutions pretty much in the ... read more

Dear All Greetings again – it’s that time of the year where I pack my backpack again and set off for adventures and travels around distant lands. It’s been a year since my last trip to Southern India last year, and I think I’ve gotten into a new routine of planning a big trip now every summer. Being a proud homeowner now, I have found that one trip a year is much more feasible than three during my pre-mortgage days. Thus, I plan a big trip now once every summer for the foreseeable future – very exciting! And thus I write today, again on the eve of another big trip – this time, five weeks around Central America. Well, technically speaking, I’ll be in North America and Central America, as I plan to take in the ... read more

Dear All Greetings from Mysore, in the Indian state of Karnataka. Just arrived here a few hours ago, and other than saying this just seems so far the most comfortable, swankiest hotel I’ve stayed in so far, I will save writing about my time here until my next. The reason is I think there is plenty to relate already about these last few days, and I will add my afternoon in Mysore on to my next blog entry. So last up, I believe I had just arrived in Ooty, at the most unusual Mount View Heritage Hotel, wonderful faded colonial grandeur with absolutely zippo on the service-front. It’s a shame, as I think they could do so much for the place if they spruced it up a bit and added a few friendly faces, what with ... read more