With Apologies to Hunter S Thompson PART 2 - CAPE TOWN TO SWAKOPMUND All of my images from this trip can be found here The group which will travel across southern Africa, together, has met up in the hostel the previous night and we now decamp, immediately after breakfast , stopping along the way on... Continue Reading →
FEAR AND LOATHING (AND A LOT OF LOVE) ON THE RAINBOW BUS (PART 1)
PART 1 - THE CREW - this is the first part of a three posts about a 21 day trip across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. NOTE: this post is about the people on our trip...if... Continue Reading →
The Marrakesh Express – Two Weeks in Morocco Pt 1. Maudlin’ Musicians and Metal Miners
I must have been in my teens when "Marrakesh Express" came out (1969). Those were heady days. Before Hendrix (1970) and Joplin died (1970). The Lizard King (Morrison) was still alive (he died in 1971). We were still trapped in Hotel California. Barclay James Harvest would play at our school a year or two later,... Continue Reading →
There’s a slow train a’coming driving me around the bend.
It is 392 kilometres from Sofia to Belgrade and another 600 kilometres from Belgrade to Vienna. From Vienna you are on the fast rail networks of western Europe but these first two legs of my journey are about 200 years in the past in terms of train technology years. The trip from Sofia to Belgrade... Continue Reading →
Travel Oddities: The Turkish Cult of the Renault 12
Did you notice that every Renault twelve in the known universe had disappeared? Are you worried that some black hole had appeared and was sucking matter into its vortex? You might be next? Fear Not. Every Renault 12 ever produced is, apparently, hanging out, doing its thing, in and around Fethiye, Turkey. The Black hole,... Continue Reading →
The Art of Nothing
The joy of travelling slowly & stopping often is...nothing. Doing nothing, being nowhere..
97 Days Adrift in Europe (Part 4, Travelling Crazy, Manspreading)
Explaining Man-spreading An observation on train travel in Europe (and elsewhere) Man spreading; it's just not a thing you see. It's a physical and physiological thing. Note: for those who have (a) been on Mars for a while; or (b) Not read anything on Facebook, man-spreading is the practice of men sitting with their legs... Continue Reading →
97 Days Adrift in Europe (Part 3, Travelling Crazy; Lost & Found)
Back to France... Back to France. This involves traveling and, despite having spent my entire life seeking to ensure the planet runs out of jet fuel, petrol/diesel and whatever they power trains with - thus giving me unrivalled travel experience ....my traveling system guarantees that no peaceful day shall pass untroubled. I have a travel... Continue Reading →
The Generosity of Strangers in Strange Lands
It's clear that Australians whose daily out outpouring of bile against Muslims, refugees and strangers, in general, have never experienced the generosity, warmth and welcome of strangers in strange lands. Had they done so it is hard to believe that they would behave towards people with different values, skin colours and religions as they have... Continue Reading →