Someone recently described me as having a spiritual connection to Arenal volcano. I’ve never thought of myself as a spiritual person. But either way, she draws me in. She has so many personalities. Sometimes she looks like a monk with a ring of white hair as the clouds gather round. Read more…
This week has seen three celebrations in Costa Rica: Children’s Day, Independence Day and of course the big event – my birthday 😉 9 September is Children’s Day. Which is slightly ironic as, apart from a few teenagers waiting for the school bus, I have hardly seen any children since Read more…
Pura Vida. It’s a ubiquitous and integral part of Costa Rican life. You will hear it said umpteen times a day. In shops and restaurants. In passing in the street. It must be the most used phrase in Costa Rica. Which makes it surprising that it is not the official Read more…
After an extended period back in the UK, it is time to find a new country to call home. When I moved to New Zealand, I went for a specific purpose: I had a job. Which dictated the city I would live in and gave me a social structure as Read more…
This is not the country I had planned to move to. I was looking for an emerging economy with a new and distinct culture. Not Britain in the sunshine. But New Zealand has got completely under my skin. It is so much more than Little Britain. It is a country Read more…
The landscapes may be vast, but much of rural New Zealand life happens on a much smaller scale. Fulfilling the needs of the handful of early settlers who packed the 4-pew churches to the essential services of today’s rural villages, the images below tell a story of the communities of Read more…
Life as an expat is full of wonderful experiences. But it also has its drawbacks. And one thing that is of course under pressure is relationships. How to stay connected to those people you have left behind. Of course, the age of WhatsApp and Zoom makes it infinitely easier than Read more…
Language. It’s often what identifies a nation. Something that overtly signals a nationality to outsiders. Something that is woven into a country’s cultural heritage. Simply, it helps to make a nation what it is. New Zealand actually has three official languages: English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. I’m not Read more…
I hate driving long distances. Hours of monotonous motorway driving fills me with dread. The classic road trips have never appealed. Route 66, the Garden Route or the Great Ocean Road? No thanks. I once considered the Mongol rally but that was more the pull of adventure in foreign lands Read more…
Before I moved to New Zealand, I was warned that it would be like stepping back in time. Back several decades. I had visions of brown wallpaper and formica tables. Of a world before online deliveries. On-line house hunting before I left home seemed to reaffirm these suspicions. Floral wallpaper. Read more…
Lockdown. It’s what everyone is talking about. What else do we have to talk about when we haven’t been allowed to leave our homes for the past 7 weeks? So how has it been? Actually not too bad. I thought I might miss the personal interaction at work. But it Read more…
Like much of West Africa, Ivory coast is 50% Muslim, 50% Christian and 100% animist. Praying at church or in the mosque does not stop people from worshipping the animist Gods. Mother earth. Fetishes are common place and to the uninitiated often look like a pile of rubbish crowned with Read more…
Only 1 year after the liberalisation of the European aviation industry was agreed, the Yamoussoukro Declaration was signed in 1988 to great fanfare. A decision to liberalise the African aviation industry, to drive economic progression through increased trade, an opportunity to raise their people out of poverty. The unification of Read more…
After two years of amazing travels, it’s sadly time to get back to the real world. But it’s not really my real world. Or at least not how I used to know it. I’m no longer squatting with my parents. Now I’m squatting in an Airbnb in downtown Auckland, waiting Read more…
The first question my mum asks when I tell her I’m going somewhere is “is it safe?” Weirdly when I announced I was going to Pakistan, she took it very much in her stride. I say weirdly because as everyone who sees the news knows, Pakistan is best known for Read more…
Chinglish is a well-known phenomenon. Some phrases are really sweet and summarise how beautifully the Chinese phrase quite mundane things. Others are simply hilarious. And others are just downright puzzling. These are all signs seen on my recent visit to Yunnan. Here’s a few sweet phrases for positive mindfulness… Keep Read more…
The festival was cancelled. The road was under construction so there was nowhere to perform. No problem that the handful of tourists couldn’t get in. But they needed a stage. We’d come all the way to Yunnan to see a festival that wasn’t happening. No-body dresses in traditional costume any Read more…
The Nazca Lines are what drew me to Peru. How on earth could an ancient civilisation draw such enormous yet accurate shapes? Even today it would be considered an accomplishment. But before the age of aeroplanes and drones? It should have been impossible. Yet a short flight takes you up Read more…
The history of this region is almost as long as the novel. But it’s the most recent past for which the region is most commonly remembered. The nineties brought bloody war. The unity of Tito’s Yugoslavia collapsed as provinces declared independence. Settled peoples suddenly found themselves living in the ‘wrong’ Read more…
As this phase of my journey through Africa comes to an end, I’ve reflected over what I am taking away from the experience. Lots of wonderful memories, thousands of photos, new friends. But in thinking about what I have learnt from my time in Africa, two things strike me most. Read more…
T.I.A as Leonardo DiCaprio once said. T.I.A. This Is Africa. It’s the phrase to sum up the lackadaisical attitude of Africans to things we would pay more attention to at home. To be fair, I was expecting to write this blog earlier. But things have improved a little over the Read more…
Madagascar is often called the eighth continent. Originally a part of Gondwana, it has been isolated for 80 million years. As a result its evolution is unique. Probably the best example of this is its lemurs. 112 different species which are all endemic to Madagascar. From rodent-like mouse lemurs to Read more…
I’ve had a few encounters with scary creatures during my time in Africa. Not as close as the panda incident for those familiar with the story. But then pandas are supposed to be cuddly not scary. Although cuddling one will cause it to be scary. But back to Africa….. I’ve Read more…
Taking public transport in Africa is usually like taking life into your own hands. It’s more of a white knuckle ride than a rollercoaster at Alton Towers. In Uganda the main form of transport is the motorbike or boda-boda. So called because they used to go from border to border. Read more…
Things in Malawi did not start out as I had hoped. I had been looking for another volunteer project where I could use my business skills and add value but without it being a rerun of my time in Uganda. I found a project working with entrepreneurs in Mzuzu, a Read more…
There’s a question travellers are asked – ‘What are you? Mountain, ocean, forest or desert?’ For me it has always been desert. Which is ironic as I’m not great with extreme heat. But there’s something about a desert that is mesmerising, inspiring and humbling. The colours, the wildness and the Read more…
When people think of Africa, they think of animals. Of lions and cheetahs stalking their prey. Of vast herds of zebra and wildebeest. Of ungainly giraffes and imposing elephants. It’s the quintessential image of Africa. For me, Africa isn’t about animals. But almost all holidays to Africa are built around Read more…
Is South Africa really Africa? Geographically of course it is. Politically? Well the recent demise and corruption charges for President Zuma certainly suggest it is. Corruption is sadly endemic at the highest levels of politics in most African countries. Zuma certainly won’t be winning the Ibrahim Prize. Economically it is Read more…
Revisiting fond memories is always a risk. We knew that. Returning to Turmi after five years was indeed a bit of a disappointment. The market was, on the surface, the same. Hammer men and women stood around in traditional costumes. The men in their striped loin cloths, holding their small Read more…
We were in the Omo Valley in 2011. An amazing place with many different tribes still living a traditional life. We were back to revisit old friends and explore some new ones. The Surma live to the west of the Omo River. Off the beaten track. Which is why we Read more…