Five Reasons I Love London!

If there’s one city in Europe that I would go back to time and again, it must be London. It is without a doubt a city that is in my heart as much as my hometown of Melbourne. I wouldn’t plan a trip to Europe without going. From it’s amazing railway stations, to buildings, the …

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Sunday Spotlight – Chiang Mai

Most people who visit Chiang Mai seem to love it. Why is that? Is it the chance to get away from Bangkok where the weather is just too hot and sticky for most people? Perhaps. Chiang Mai also isn’t half or a quarter the size of Bangkok, but it’s been a backpacker Mecca for nearly …

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West African Memories – The Conclusion Part One

Hi folks. Well, today my series on my 2006 trip to West Africa begins to wrap up, this being the penultimate post. After leaving my readership hanging (never to happen again!) in Bobo Diolosso in mid-February 2006, I was home early March and yet didn’t post until the second half of May to tell the …

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Foto Friday – Thailand, the Elephant and I

Many moons ago - 1999. My first trip to Thailand, and my first trip to Chiang Mai. I took the ye olde patented now elephant trek into the 'jungle' as they like to call it. Very few photos taken of the trek by me, however my friend on the elephant's back - Ian, bought this …

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Sunday Spotlight – Samarkand

Welcome to the sunniest of Sunday Spotlights, concluding this week’s look at Central Asia. Samarkand is a city full of rich history and beautiful Islamic architecture. Bukhara has a more clear distinction between old and new cities, but Samarkand’s ancient treasures seem to be weaved into the modern city a lot more than the equally …

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West African Memories – Burkina Faso and Malaria

Howdy again. Just for one little day I’m taking a break from the Central Asia theme and returning to the ongoing story of my time in West Africa in 2006, reviewing my old blog entries and reacting to reading them again. And we’re at the tipping point today, when I contracted malaria. Actually it’s been …

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City Rumble – Dubai versus Astana

Boom! The City Rumble is on again and today the contestants are two cities with an eye to the future and some of the world’s most ambitious architecture. In the red corner, from the UAE in the Middle East, weighing in at a population of 2.1 million is the glitzy Dubai reaching high for the …

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Bishkek – Culture and Character

As Central Asia week continues, I bring you a little photo journey though he capital of Kyrgyzstan, little Bishkek. Not as big as the other regional capitals, Bishkek has a charm of its own and is actually a quite attractive city with some beautiful parks, lots of theatre, a strange museum which suggests that Kyrgyzstan …

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