In case you’re unawares, the Nazca Lines are a series of geoglyphs (large designs on the ground using rocks/earth) near Nazca in southern Peru that have perplexed archaeologists, historians and mathematicians for nearly a century. The surrounding landscape – one of the driest on earth – looks post-apocalyptic and I saw a geoglyph on nearby …
“How do you do it? How do you just go?” A friend asked me this after I returned from nearly 10 years of world travel. It was then I realised that travel was not an easy decision for everybody to make. Leaving friends, family and a good job with no fixed date of return can …
One thing I love about travel is the modes of transport offered in different countries, which give you an entirely fresh perspective on life. Of course, being a photography enthusiast, I’ve managed to snap a few of these experiences – where I’m literally bouncing, navigating, drifting or just hanging on from behind the camera to …
“Now this is the law of the jungle – as old and as true as the sky And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.” ~ Rudyard Kipling, The Second Jungle Book. I had always dreamed of the jungle – the real jungle – ever …
A Stumble Through the Amazon – Madidi National Park Read More »
To the Ecuadorian family who took me in and looked after me when I was penniless in Quito, years ago. Thank you Mr taxi driver, for being patient, for driving me to a dozen different teller machines when my card wasn’t working, but especially for taking me back to your home and looking after me. …
The anticipation of a meal – the wonderful aromas, glistening colours, textures – and then the flavours. Eating is undoubtedly one of the most sensational activities ever, yet the experience is amplified tenfold amongst ‘different’ cultures and places. Indeed, some of the most enjoyable and downright despicable experiences I’ve ever had involve food and travel. …
Like an immense slate of deep blue, straddling the borders of Bolivia and Peru at almost 4,000 metres above sea level, Lake Titicaca is one of the most incredible places I’ve ever seen. Five major rivers flow into this smooth 190km by 80km body of water, while scattered beneath vast skies, across the lake’s 41 …
In the forests of Ecuador, there’s a place where the soil is rich and the food is plentiful. Steep mountains collide with handsome trails, the aged are stout and smiley and the views are a tonic for the eyeballs. Word has since spread of this place – Vilcabamba, Ecuador’s forest celebrity, has steadily grown into …
Sprawled across an ancient lake bed 2,200 metres above sea level, Mexico City is a pulsating behemoth of a place, teeming with variety, mystery, filth, wonder and alleys full of lovely little morsels called tamales, amongst many, many other things. It’s a hulking, diverse animal, and I had the good fortune to experience its many …
Arriving at the Festival International Cervantino, in Guadalajara city, Mexico, was like a dream. Colonial-esque buildings forged from large sandstone blocks rested on cobblestone streets, in a dry, savanna-like landscape. It was as if a European town, housing an eclectic culture of old and new worlds, had been tossed into the desert. On this particular weekend, …
“Make love in a hammock! Life is the ultimate experience, and you have to live it to write about it”, said the English teacher in the 1980s film The Sure Thing, starring John Cusack. To me this makes perfect sense (writer or not), for the garden is colourful, wonderful beyond words, experience it and live …
Roughly 4,000 metres above sea level, lies Potosí, Bolivia’s city in the clouds. One of the highest cities in the world, Potosí is a crudely stunning place that sits beneath Cerro de Potosí, also called Cerro Rico (rich mountain), as it’s home to an abundant source of silver ore. Here the air is thin, fresh, …