“A woman was shot dead in this bar a few years ago” says my host brightly, passing me a plate of empanadas and a beer, “She was sitting right where you are now actually”. I resist the urge to leap out of my seat and head for the nearest airport. Medelllin, Colombia (pronounced Med-e-jin ) … Continued
My love affair with Iceland started after reading about it on a local blog. Until I read about it there, I always thought of it as a barren, cold, and inhospitable place and had no interest in visiting. But as I read it all, I began looking for more online. It took no time at … Continued
Samurais in Sacred Forests “The Games of the 32nd Olympiad in 2020 are awarded to the city of … Tokyo.” As the megawatt city of 13 million residents looks to its future along its neon precincts of gadgets, video games and anime, this traveller to Tokyo is hankering for a tree change of the most … Continued
The Bosnian capital of Sarajevo is a testament to the resiliency of human beings. The victim of the longest siege in modern military history, Sarajevo today stands as a glimmering example of the power of forgiveness and the need for remembrance. In the early 1990s, the former nation of Yugoslavia was dissolved. Though unified for … Continued
The most awe-inspiring place I ever visited was the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, which lies beneath the rolling green hills in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. There are 300 known limestone caves in this area, but only three of them are open to the public. To me the Glowworm Cave is … Continued
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a step. As such a popular adage once says that travelling is part of education. This means that education does not necessarily involved teaching and learning in class alone but also covers learning during travelling. As a result, Henry Miller stated that one’s destination is never … Continued
This was my first big trip abroad and everything seemed to be going wrong. Exhausted after an eight hour flight (and a three hour wait at Heathrow earlier that day) by the time I arrived at Vancouver airport I was ready for the day to be over. But it wasn’t, and would not be over … Continued
We’re talking secret passageways here. Sitting in an attic room of a Georgian hostel, all stately dining room and foreign guests downstairs. She’s reading in the light of the sliver of open door from the hallway and from the bathroom, thinking that the bookcases in their bedroom should open up into another world, all made … Continued
Solo travel has its good moments. Standing at the start of the hiking trail ‘Sendero Los Quetzales’ in complete isolation, viewing the natural beauty of the sunrise over the hills of Boquette whilst listening to ‘Headstart to Happiness’ by Style Council was definitely a moment best enjoyed alone. However, getting here had not been easy, … Continued
“Do you ever feel already buried deep? Six feet under screams, but no one seems to hear a thing Do you know that there’s still a chance for you ‘Cause there’s a spark in you? You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine Just own the night like the 4th of July ‘Cause … Continued