actonsteves Blog on RealTravel

Australia journal: In a sunburnt country.....say G'Day to Australia

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:55:05 GMT

If someone is starting their travelling career and they have money in their pockets I would recomend Australia as their first venture.

Its a strange one. Familiar and alien at the same time, adventurous but exceedingly tame, easy going lifestyle as well as some of the toughest terrain on earth, embracingly friendly but at the same time biting with a cruel sense of humour.

But for a first stop you cannot better it. Accomodation is modern and good, public transport runs on time, the pavements and streets are clean and tidy, the sun shines and beaches welcome. The tourist ...

B ...

Meerut journal: Back down to Delhi and a return to Sundar Nagar

Sun, 25 May 2008 04:16:38 GMT

Without doubt, the most striking thing about India is the religious fervour..

This was evident in Haridwar this morning, the mass of people heading for the bathing ghats was unbelievable. We were held up for an hour as pilgrims, brahmins, sadhus, and families of daljits all squeezed through the traffic on the way to the puja. It was an uncomfortable feeling being in the back seat as while the hordes moved past me. There cant be many places on earth where religion and population all come together. The effect can be a little intimidating.

Someone said to me in Ramnager - "you have an ...

Rishikesh journal: The sun comes out - the holy Meditation centre on the Ganges

Sun, 25 May 2008 03:49:16 GMT

In the not too distant past Rishikesh was a quiet spiritual centre renowned for its ashrams and sadhus. Now, its a circus - an enjoyable circus but a circus nonetheless. Its charm is still there but now it is shared by thousands of others doing the yatra trail. But there is still a feeling of Hindu enlightenment about this lovely town on the Ganges.

I met with Suresh in the restaurant of Hotel Rishilok for breakfast. This being a strict vegetarian town breakfast consisted of pickles and parathas but it filled a hole. Then we walked to the Rhamjhula Bridge in what was the first sunshine ...

Haridwar journal: The monsoon ordeal continues - tough drive from Ramnager to Rishikesh

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:37:03 GMT

Today could possibly be described as an adventure if I was feeling charitable. If I was not feeling charitable I could say it was one of the most scariest journeys I have ever been on.The kind of adventure that BBC2 documentary makers make showing a different side of India. We only got through due to Sureshs' driving and on occasion he had to use his initiative to get us through.

The big problem is that the monsoon is still going strong. Ramnager is situated in one of the arms/foothills of Uttar Pradesh and we had to cross the Gangetic plain to Haridwar/Rishikesh which is as flat as a ...

Corbett National Park journal: Looking for tigers in the rain - the Corbett NP

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:08:52 GMT

"Have you seen many tigers outside the park?" I asked Manoj.

"Oh many times", for he was a local boy, "one time out jogging a tigress and six cubs crossed the road in front of me. It was very early in the morning." Tigers and panthers regularly leave the park and kill neighbouring dogs and goats. And herds of wild elephants cause destruction in the paddyfields. They kill villagers but no reparation is made against the protected beasts.

Today I didnt get to see tigers, elephants, sloth bears or Indian rhinos - all denizens of Corbett NP. The rain has been incessant so we've only ...

Ramnagar journal: Waiting for a break in the monsoon - the grimy truckstop of Ramnager

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:38:40 GMT

Where there is a will there is a way..

We may have found a way into Corbett NP. We've come all this way and found that it is shut due to the monsoon. The last jeep out of the park was yesterday and now find ourselves trapped in a Ramnager during the monsoon where it is constantly raining. Morale has hit rock bottom - today has been rather infuriating.

The day began in lovely Nainital. Every visitor to India has to register with the police and every time I check into a hotel I have to provide them with passport no, home address, and next destination so extricating myself from hotel ...

Nainital journal: High in the Himalayas - the hill station of Nainital

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:16:19 GMT

I feel cool in Nainital today - not cold, but definitely cool. The Indians are shivering and they stroll the Mall in cardigans and jumpers while I strolled around with shorts and a T-shirt....getting strange stares from all and sundry..

But we are high up in the Himalayas here. I'll say that again - I cant believe it myself The Himalayas. The mountains themselves cant be seen due to the rain moving in from the south. The monsoon has followed us up here. But the climb up in Sureshs' car was spectacular not to mention a little terrifying. It was raining as we left Delhi and as we travelled ...

New Delhi journal: Dinner with the Kashmiri brothers - a day of relaxation in Delhi

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:38:30 GMT

One of things about keeping a diary is you have nothing to do with it when you do nothing all day..

Today has been about relaxation. Suresh is preparing the van for mountain driving which I am rather nervous about considering his lowland driving. Everything is getting ready for "India part 2 - adventure in the Himalayas" and all have to do today is sit around in my lovely hotel and do nothing.

I have not gone back to Hotel Palace Heights which I am sure would be fine as the temperature has dropped but am now staying at the four-star Kailash in the posh suburb of Sundar Nagar. Its ...

Agra journal: A close second to the Taj - the spectacular Agra Fort

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:09:53 GMT

Tonight I am back in Delhi.

My tour of Rajasthan is up but my last stop was the incomparable Agra Fort which vies with the Taj as the most stunning thing I saw in Rajasthan and that is against some pretty healthy competiton. But more interestingly the weather has changed. The last five days have been in excruciating heat. Probably the hottest place I have ever been. Your feet were literally burnt as you crossed hot marble.

But this afternoon as we crossed the Indian capital the monsoon is approaching the capital. It was lifting the dust, dirt and rubbish into the air and the great ...

Agra journal: So before we hit Agra we stopped off at Fatehpur Sikri which isnt that far from Bharatpur. Once again there was a piranha feeding frenzy as I emerged from the car for my custom. Postcards, knives and souvenirs were aggressively shoved under my nose and each was vying to be my guide

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 04:45:03 GMT

Its difficult to explain how much of India is religion. It seems to dominate their lives like nowhere I have ever seen - not even Spain, Italy or Ireland. Every kiosk I have been to has a little statue of Ganesh or a poster of Shiva. The Hindu gods go back 5000 years and seem to be just as involved in life now as they were then. But its the range of religions which is so striking. The Kashmiris brothers were mussulmen (muslims), Suresh Kumar is Hindu (brahmin caste of course), I've seen Christian churches, Jain temples and Buddhist shrines. India may be the worlds most secular nation.

No ...

Agra journal: The Taj Mahal - the most beautiful building in the world?

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:39:30 GMT

One simple question: Is the Taj Mahal the loveliest building on the planet?

Anyone who has seen it immediately answers with a resounding - yes!. Nothing really compares with this jewell.The architectural finesse of the Taj literally takes your breath away. Many people visit India just to see it and to my mind that is a good enough reason. No amount of crowds can detract from this luminous building. This holiday just gets better and better..

I got to see not one but two great Mughal monuments today - one a monument to love, the other a monument to power. Before we reached Agra we ...

Bharatpur journal: Birdsong amongst the marshes - Keoladeo-Ghana NP

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:18:39 GMT

"Kwa.kwa....kwa kwa...kwa kwa.."

Our Schwammi rickshaw driver paused and identified the sound as "grey Indian coot" and then peddled on. The green vegetation buzzed with life around us - insects flitted, birds trilled and the only sound was the creaking of the rickshaw as we peddled around the marsh.

I must admit I really enjoyed today. India is becoming magical and the stuff they have here is world class. Taking a break from frenetic cities and staying in Bharatpur on the way to Agra. Here at Hotel Sunbird we are only a few hundred yards from the entrance to the Keoladeo-Ghana NP. ...

Amber journal: The Amber Fort - the kingdom of the Warrior Rajputs

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:39:36 GMT

There is one undeniable fact about India......it is breathtakingly romantic..

I pondered this as I looked down from the ramparts of the Amber Fort this morning. The mixture of dress, ambience, architecture, light, music and terrain add up to make an intoxicating mix that is both seductive and overpowering. In fact apart from a few Pepsi advertisements there is very little non-Indian culture here. Their culture is so strong everything else is simply overcome. I brought William Dalyrmples 'Age of Kali' with me but the references were so close to home I abandoned to for something more ...

Jaipur journal: It happens outside each attraction and can range from "Sir! You want to buy this postcard!" to strongarm tactics where they nearly get you in a headlock to get you to buy their wares.

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:32:10 GMT

A word needs to be said about the harassment at each Indian tourist attraction.

You first become aware of it in Delhi and by the time you traverse the rest of the 'Golden Triangle' you become to dread it. It happens outside each attraction and can range from "Sir! You want to buy this postcard!" to strongarm tactics where they nearly get you in a headlock to get you to buy their wares.

At the exquisite Jantar Mantar it reaches epic proportions. The hawkers spotted me as I approached and I was harassed by autorickshaw drivers and children shoving postcards in my face and it reached ...

Jaipur journal: Jaipur - Pink City of Maharajahs and Elephants

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:04:51 GMT

Suresh has got a miserable face on him tonight.

He drove the wrong way down a one-way street in Jaipur and a traffic cop caught him. So he's taken himself off tonight to see his friends at the gem factory (where he took me tonight) to commiserate on his misfortune. I suspect he's fretting what Nazir is going to say at such a huge chunk of the budget going.

But earlier we packed up and left Pushkar. If I hadn't got an itinery I'd have stayed a couple of days. There was a mellow feel to the place and I felt as if I could wander and explore which was in total contrast to Delhi. So it ...

Pushkar journal: Being blessed on the holy ghats of Pushkar

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 04:18:37 GMT

"What is your grandmothers name?"

"Francis.."

"She wishes you a long life. Do you wish to bless her?"

"Go on then.."

"Throw the flowers on to the lake.."

So I sat barelegged on a stone ghat (set of steps) above a tranquil lake. A teenage pujari (Hindu priest) sat next to me with a red spot of kohl on his forehead. All around us were the the bathing ghats of Pushkar - sadhus were bathing in the water, stalls brimmed with birdseed, and families of pilgrims shared the steps with scrawny cows.

I am very glad I have come to Pushkar. This tiny town tucked away in ...

Pushkar journal: Rajasthan - 'Land of Kings' - a hair-raising drive to Pushkar

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 02:43:32 GMT

I faced death on the road today at least fifty times.

At points I found myself squeezing my legs together in terror as Suresh pushed down hard on the accelerator and weaved around an oncoming tractor or truck.. But today has been great - albeit very hot. We have left Delhi behind and entered the 'Land of Kings' - Rajasthan. From my car window I've watched camel carts and colourfully robed women. This is the way to see India. Not from train or plane but from ground level but I would recommend having nerves of steel.

So after an uncomfortable night at Palace Heights with the worlds ...

New Delhi journal: Shahjanabad - ancient Delhi and its most historical Mosque - the Jamii Masjid

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 03:46:10 GMT

It hit 44 degrees celcius in the shade today.

It was so hot you could only go out for a little while until the suns rays forced you back inside. Even the gusts of wind are warm and seem to move the dust from one street to another. The word is that the Rajasthani desert is hitting 50 degrees. Any traveller who can is heading for the Himalaya and the hill stations of Manali or Dhamarasala.

But my jetlag has relaxed and I get a free tour of Delhi from Highland travels. So I headed to Radial Road 6 and was immediately spotted by a tout who tried to get me into his carpet shop. I ...

New Delhi journal: Babur was not impressed by India, to quote "their women are not pretty, their food vegetarian and the air not cool like the Persian hills

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 03:14:32 GMT

Stepping out of Sureshs' car was one of the most powerful culture shocks I have had in my life.

I was immediately marked. Postcards were shoved in my face, hats were shoved on my head and a crippled beggar boy shoved an amputed limb under my nose. Taking a deep breath and summoning up some courage from somewhere I fended them off and joined the queue for the entrance. The scrum of hawkers and beggars then turned their attention to the next new arrival.

This was a visit to the famous Red Fort. During the struggle for independence from we British it became a symbol of struggle and ...

Delhi Paharganj journal: A tough day in Connaught Place - where this traveller falls for not one but two scams..

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:23:22 GMT

It was as soon as I descended into the underpass connecting Janpath that things started to go horribly wrong today.

Everybody is green in tourist India. There are so many potholes for independent travel and in a place like Connaught Place or Paharganj which survives on the tourist rupee there can be various traps for the unwary traveller. The vast majority of Delhites are honest and hardworking but the toughness of the tourist scene often means numerous scams thrive. And I blundered into two today with ease..

Hotel Palace Heights is a basic hotel overlooking Radial Road six with ...

New Delhi journal: India is a blur - arrival in the bustling city of Delhi

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 07:08:00 GMT

India is a blur.

India becomes a deluge, an onslaught - a full assault on your sense that sends you reeling. The heat and the hot wind makes you groggy and lack of sleep due to jetlag and bad airconditioning makes you lightheaded. And to step out of my hotel and enter the bazaar is to enter another world.

Images jump out at you - moustached old men in stuffy shirts, fruits spread out on a pavement, cries of birds overhead, donkeys weaving their way around people, emaciated cows chewing leaves from rubbish bins, the roar of autorickshaws, the tooting of buses..

This is the ...

India journal: Embracing India - land of potholes, panthers and Parvati

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:49:36 GMT

Of all the 145 nations on the earth - the one with the strongest culture has to be India.

The fact that you are not considered a "traveller" until you have "done" India is a cliche but there is an element of truth there. It is a tough destination, it is a rewarding destination - it is often a challenge. But the things they have there are mindblowing. The culture is so strong it overwhelms you - its so powerful there is very little Western culture there. So you fit in with it - not it with you. Embrace India and the rewards will be astronomical.

There seems to be a little magic in ...

Oakland journal: My first steps of going home - the end of the travels in the 'American West'

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:49:31 GMT

When I climbed up onto the footplate this morning...I was taking my first steps on my way home.

It would take another two weeks to get there. I'd covered the Amtrak to Salt Lake City first, the train pushing through the hard snows of the Sierra Nevada mountains (including the infamous Donner pass) all the way to the Colorado Rockies. There I took two days out to try skiing at Glenwood Springs and sped down the snowy slopes of Mt Compo and the Ute Indian Vapour caves. Then it was a long slog over the Great Plains to a snowy Chicago where a few days were spent killing time at the Art ...

San Francisco journal: Attack of the Clones - the North Beach and the famous Castro

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:30:11 GMT

I walked with Andy and his backpack through the Tenderloin this morning to the Transbay terminal on Market Street. He's sorry to be leaving San Francisco as I will be tomorrow. In fact today will be the first day since my arrival that I will be on my own. But things are good despite the slow feeling that I will have to start my continent crossing journey home tomorrow. San Francisco is gearing up for Chrismas and everyone seems in high spirits.

This was confirmed at Union Square this morning when a cablecar came clanking down the hill crewed entirely by people in Santas outfits and ...

San Francisco journal: A View to a Kill - the Golden Gate Bridge

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:12:09 GMT

Of our little gang Richard and Kate were the first to leave today. They have a 48 hour journey all the way to Washington and caught their Amtrak this morning. I said goodbye to them as I was shaving, my face frothy with foam. So it was just Andy and I hiking up to the Golden Gate bridge this morning. It was the last day of our MUNI pass and the cablecar took us as far as Ghiradelli Square. From there we walked west to the woody headland of Fort Mason. The views of the bay and the tall ships from here were exquisite.

Then west along one of the most expensive parts of San Francisco, a ...

San Francisco journal: The backpackers of Alcatraz and lively Fishermans Wharf

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:53:13 GMT

We were first on the cable-car this morning.

Kate, Richard and myself trudged down to Hallidie Plaza and took the Victorian transport up all the way to Mason Street. They are still turn-of-the-century models and are operated by a huge on-off gear at the back. They don't always have enough electricity to get over the steep hills and this morning the driver got us all off to push the car over the hill then climb back on. We then whizzed down the hill with excitable shrieks.

At the end of the line on Bay Street is the famous Fishermans Wharf. There are lovely views of the bay but it ...

San Francisco journal: City on the edge of the Western Hemisphere - romantic San Francisco

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:39:54 GMT

Let me describe the view from the Coit Tower

To the far right, across the wharves is the Oakland Bridge while straight ahead is an emormous bay with the hills and cliffs of Napa staring back at you. Straight ahead is the rugged island of Alcatraz and to the left are the hills of San Francisco with its Victorian buildings and the curve of the marina. But way way in the distance are the Marin headland protecting the entrance to the harbour and contrasting with the striking redness of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I mean wow! I've been on the road for seven months and in a few days time ...

Yosemite National Park journal: Hiking to Vernal Falls - America at its most awesome at Yosemite

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:39:34 GMT

I was very sorry to leave the cosy warm cabin this morning. But the sight of those great mountains towering above the pines as I exited truly made up for it.

I stowed my pack at reception and have to 3.00pm today to explore what I can of Yosemite Park. I caught the courtesy bus to Curry Village campground and trailer park and found the dirt track that led up to Vernal Falls. First you cross a small bridge and start up an incline. Tame deer gather here to watch the tourists - I noticed signs for black bears and wolves dotted around the park. If I stayed more then one night then I'd have ...

Fresno journal: Climbing into the high Sierras - the spectacular Yosemite NP

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 03:21:20 GMT

I awoke in a place called Bakersfield on the edge of the Mojave desert.

We'd cleared Los Angeles and woke up in a small city where we overnight bus travellers could use the bathroom and stretch our legs. Then climbing aboard the Amtrak bus it was another two hours to Fresno. Its a small little town and after blearingly disembarking I hauled my way over to Grayline tours where the tickets could be used for their courtesy bus up to Yosemite NP.

They don't like Amtrak doing this to them but took my ticket and I hauled myself onto the minibus.There was only me and an elderly Scotsman ...

La Jolla journal: How the other half live - mixing with the millionaires in chi-chi La Jolla

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:54:38 GMT

There is no doubt that California is a golden corner of the world.

I was reminded of this this afternoon when I was standing on one of the rocky headlands that dot La Jolla. The waves crashed against basalt outcroppings sending wheeling gulls into the air. Even in late November the sun is out and surfers ride the waves. The whole area feels agreeable and mellow...not to mention extortionately rich.

I got to meet the Vincents this morning. It was OK that I stayed in their house and to say thank you they wanted to take me and Andy to breakfast. I think he had done a nice job in ...

San Diego journal: Thanksgiving with Grizzly bears and Meercats - the San Diego zoo

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:52:33 GMT

Its Thanksgiving today and if I am lucky I can bag not one but two roast dinners.

I put my name down for the hostel dinner at 4.00pm and also maybe one when I stayover with Andy this evening. When one is in California I feel it necessary to enjoy the local customs and what could be more American then Thanksgiving?

But that wasn't too this evening and as I was not here tonight I decamped from Jims-at-the-Beach, although they did allow me to stow my backpack there and participate in the Thanksgiving meal (for $5). A few of the bunch who did Tijuana came in this morning and one ...

San Diego journal: The US Fleet is in... San Diego harbour and downtown

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:23:43 GMT

I have to tell you about one character at 'Jims-at-the-Beach' hostel.

Her name is Sarah Collings and comes from Gravesend in Kent. She is a stunning girl and has the kind of fire that cockneys are meant to have but seldom do. But she has the strangest, to me, travel plans of anyone I have ever met. Shes usually to be found out on the patio at the hostel - topping at her tan. Shes got herself a Delta airpass with unlimited flight mileage for three weeks. Where has she been? Shes shuttled between Miami Beach and San Diego. Shes done it four times. Its the only place that is warm in ...

Mission Beach journal: Ah, that Californian lifestyle - a day at sunny Mission Beach

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 05:41:20 GMT

Its late November and I have been swimming in the Pacific off Mission Beach today.

A week or so ago I was fleeing the snows in New Mexicos Sangre de Christos mountains and now I striding out the surf in onto the sands of a Californian beach. Its not blistering hot - only about 18 degrees but too a lad who spent every summer in the wet reaches of Wales it is tropical. And certainly good enough for a swim and a lie down in the sun.

San Diego is wonderfully mellow. The downtown is walkable, the attractions superb and the beach lifestyle a bus ride away. There are downsides - you have ...

San Diego journal: The 12.05pm Amtrak to San Diego

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 06:18:28 GMT

The original plan was to stay another night at the 'Banana Bungalow' and go see a TV recording such as Arsenio Hall or Jay Leno. They usually have free tickets at Universal studios but I checked yesterday and they have closed early for Thanksgiving. Besides my maximum five nights at the Bungalow are up and Andy Atkinson has asked me if I want to go down to San Diego with him.

That was going to be my next stop anyway but I have a little friend in Andy and we have really bonded over the good time we have had the last two days. So we both took the minibus down to the Amtrak station (we ...

Universal City journal: "I'm ready for my close-up now Mr DeMille.." - Universal Studios

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 05:52:36 GMT

One of the highlights of today was sitting at the front of the Universal Tour and listen to the tour guide bitch about the management.

"You know if they actually spent some money on people they might actually get better staff. But, no, they want their budget balanced. Employees come last.."

The tour guide said that to the bus driver. Remarks like that would have got him hung, drawn and quartered at Disneyworld Florida but I was pleased because it meant the place was human. In this city of make believe people are worried about just the same things as the rest of us.

But today ...

Anaheim journal: Leaving reality for the day - Mickey Mouse and Cinderellas Castle

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 05:21:05 GMT

I had not thought about 'Star Wars' for nine years. Since the last film in 1983.

It had completely slipped out of my consciousness and here I was being thrown around a ride dodging asteroids and TIE fighter attacks, I was playing with Chewbacca masks and Artoo-Detoo pencilsharpers. I was totally embracing the fantasy world today. Inside the Magic Kingdom the outside world does not exist; you feel encompassed by a pseudo alternative universe where everything is warm, fuzzy and comfortable. Its like timetravel back to childhood.

Of course it comes at a price. Disneyland costs a ...

Venice journal: Skateboarders, surfers and crazies - an afternoon on the Venice Beach boardwalk

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 06:04:56 GMT

I was munching my toast and jam this morning at the Banana Bungalow when a blonde Englisman sat himself down next to me and started chatting.

He is doing a round-the-world trip and has just come in from Fiji and Australia. We clicked immediately and his name was Andy Atkinson from Surrey and we were all down for the free mini-bus to Venice Beach today. I'm ready for a leisurely stroll along the surf. Yesterday was thrilling and not a little disturbing but I got shown a side of Los Angeles that not all visitors see. It really is a strange city - endless faceless suburbia with extreme ...

Hollywood journal: Reaching for that little piece of stardust - the tour of Los Angeles

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 05:33:36 GMT

We reached the high hedged walls of Jack Nicholsons enormous house. The door was a little ajar - so the crazy Australian put his foot on the accelerator and tried to speed in.

We all screamed in excitement but the gate was too quick for us and all he did was prang his front fendor. He quickly slammed us into reverse (to more screams) then shot off into the traffic before security picked him up.

What a day! Easily one of the best days of the trip. We've done a budget tour of Los Angeles. We've been from Malibu to Sunset Boulevard, from Griffith Park to 'Skid Row' from West Hollywood ...

Los Angeles journal: 9.30am 'The Desert Wind' Amtrak to Los Angeles

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 05:07:17 GMT

I am beginning to thank god for an eight hour train ride today.

It allows my body to recuperate. I can stretch out on the comfy black leather Amtrak seats with a good paperback and let my body restore itself. This morning and yesterday I was limping around Las Vegas. The last couple of days in Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon I used muscles I didnt know I had and eventually my exertions were going to catch up with me.

I didnt go too mad last night for my last night in the city of 'Lost Wages' and was back at the hostel at 1.00am. My train was at 9.30am and when I was packing to leave ...

Las Vegas journal: Crossing the California/Nevada Desert - Amtrak to Las Vegas

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:29:40 GMT

I awoke this morning to look out at the Mojave desert. We had entered California.

After seven/eight months in the US I had entered the state the furthest from home. There was a sense of achieving my destination, and, although I wont truly feel it until I see the Pacific ocean, a sense of accomplishment too. We stopped at a town called Baghdad and then pushed on. It would be another two hours before we reached Los Angeles.

My eventual destination is Las Vegas. But I wont reach that until tonight and I have to get into Los Angeles to change trains, the rest of the day I will spend ...

Las Vegas journal: Caesars Palace and Excalibur - Las Vegas gets more and more ostentatious

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:19:26 GMT

Well I won today. I won thirty dollars!

It was on roulette at Excalibur. A New Yorker and I formed a partnership and decided to beat the wheel. We did but it took us two hours sitting at the table (a relief today). It was due to sticking to a system. If I betted on black then he would follow, if I went for odds so did he. Most of it was luck and persistence but I am rather proud of myself.

I got home last night at six in the morning. I crashed out in the dorm with the rest of the snoring exhausted shapes and when I came around after about three hours sleep I found my calves ...

Las Vegas journal: Spin that wheel! Roll 'em dice! High living in Las Vegas!

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 04:29:52 GMT

Please note that this visit was in 1992. The Bellagio, Luxor, Stratosphere, Venetian and New York, New York were all glints in their respective planners eyes.

This town has to be seen to be belived. Seriously.

There can be nowhere in earth quite like it. Twenty four hour hedonism. A city devoted entirely to the god mammon and the mighty buck. My hostel situated on 'The Strip' overlooks a small brown hotel with the words 'ELVIS SLEPT HERE' in big letters.Next door is the 'Thuderbird' hotel where they adverise 24 hour weddings. Complete with pictures of happy groom and bride beaming ...

Flagstaff journal: A day in Flagstaff - cycling to Walnut Canyon

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 03:16:15 GMT

I am very tempted by Monument Valley. Its meant to be the only experience that comes close to topping the Grand Canyon.

But at $70 for the Grayline tour it perhaps is a little too expensive. So I decided against it and popped over to the Grayline office this morning to let Hazel know. She can afford it and wants to see some native Americans. I've had my experience with native americans and have the tribal police slip to prove it. But I will meet her at the Amtrak station tonight as she is on the same train as me to Los Angeles.

I havent seen any of the attractions around Flagstaff ...

Flagstaff journal: The 'Hell Bus' to Flagstaff - crossing into Arizona

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 12:37:17 GMT

My bus to Flagstaff leaves at 8.00am today.

So I was up at 6.30, did my chores, and was booked out by 7.30am. Route 66 hostel in Albuerqurque has been very enjoyable. Maybe not as friendly as when I was here the first time and hitched up with Sue and Larry - but there has been a good mix of people here and it was with some reluctance I hitched up my pack and hiked down to the Greyhound station.

On my way I saw a native american who must have been 6ft at the shoulder. Truly stunning with long wavy hair and broadshoulders. I felt a pang of regret that I am leaving New Mexico. This ...

Grand Canyon National Park journal: Descending into the Grand Canyon - the vertiginous Bright Angel Trail

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 05:14:51 GMT

I've got the time so I thought I'd spend two days at the Grand Canyon. Yesterday was exploring the vertigo inducing rim, today will be to see how far I can get to the bottom.

They kept stressing to me at the hostel to take liquids down with you and I borrowed a small daypack. Myself and an English girl called Hazel were the only passengers on the bus this morning - well, until at least we reached the steam train junction at Williams and a lanky Scot called Gavin Munro and joined us. When we got there the other two did not feel like doing the Bright Angel Trail and I said I will meet them ...

Grand Canyon National Park journal: The most stunning sight in North America - the mighty GRAND CANYON

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 04:41:12 GMT

How can you put the Grand Canyon into words?

Its close to impossible.It doesnt look real. It looks so immense. You find yourself saying on first glimpse "S***, look at that!" and running to the edge. Its the bright red colouring which is the most striking. Its scarlet swathe is laid out before you like a rolling ocean of red mesas, small mountains and and even deeper canyons. The whole thing looked like a moonscape made of russet red. And the silence? At Niagara you had constant noise and motion...but here its an eerie silence. An almost solid silence - as if the entire canyon has never ...

Albuquerque journal: San Felipe de Neri and hanging Chillies - Albuquerque Old Town

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 04:13:19 GMT

Alburquerque is definitely a crossroads destination.

People are just generally passing through. Most travellers you speak to at the hostel are either heading east towards Santa Fe and Taos, heading south to 'Truth or Consequences' (the hostel there has a good reputation with a hot tub and canoeing) or Carlsbad Caverns, or are heading up to Colorado and Mesa Verde or have just come from Flagstaff and Arizona. I have time to play with so I can afford a day in Alburquerque to have a look at the Old Town. A sight I missed the first time when I was here nearly a week ago.

Here in ...

Albuquerque journal: Returning to Albuquerque - TN&O bus down from the mountains

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 03:49:05 GMT

I woke up this morning with a foot of snow outside and it still falling.

The winter weather has followed me down from Taos. We are very high up here. The altitude is higher then you think and the air feels crisp and bracing. Luckily the heating had been on all night but the open air in front of the arcades in the hostel was very slippery. I saw a couple of people nearly land on their behind when I walking to breakfast.

There isnt an actual breakfast at the hostel but for a few more dollars you can help yourself to hot buttered toast and sticky jam (jelly). I sat around the common ...

Santa Fe journal: The Palace of the Governors - the oldest building in the United States

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 03:24:02 GMT

I was perusing the exhibits in the Palace of the Spanish Governors this afternoon when a photo on the wall knocked me back.

A mushroom cloud over the New Mexican desert.

Of course not far from here is Los Alamos. This was where the atomic bomb was created. I'd completely forgotten about that. And not too far away too. Los Alamos is one of the turnings near Bandalier NM where I was a few days ago. Smack in the middle of the Indian pueblos is where they developed the "Manhattan Project". Say what you want about this part of the world but it certainly is fascinating. Perhaps the most ...

Taos journal: High up in the Sangre de Cristos - the exotic Taos Pueblo

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 02:42:31 GMT

I woke up to the sound of dogs barking and a hot tepee.

The heater kept us very warm last night. So much in fact that unzipping the tepee and stepping out into the cold New Mexican air was a physical blow. There were minute snowflakes fluttering about which is good news for the nearby snowfield and the hostels dogs ran around barking their greetings as we emerged.

They even have a Llama in a pen at this hostel. He/she loved to be petted and we made a fuss standing with our sleeping bags wrapped around shoulders. After breakfast we drove down to Taos village and the famous pueblo. ...

El Paso journal: The starting gun goes off! Across the border from Mexico and into El Paso

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:57:22 GMT

"Thank god! I'm through the border! I'm out of Mexico and back into the United States! I cant believe it! My travels restart right here!"

That was my reaction from finally being let through the border crossing at El Paso/Juarez and being let back into Texas. When the border guard stamped my visa a great weight was let off my shoulders. I was back on course..and ready for more travel.

It started yesterday. Everyone in Dallas told me that the best way to get a visa extension was to nip over to Mexico and pay for another three months. I wanted the three months to take a leisurely ...

Santa Fe journal: Encounters with Red Indians - the Bandalier NM and San Ildefonso Pueblo

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:35:49 GMT

The Red Indian himself was very tall, wore sunglasses and spoke in a harsh voice. Officer Martinez of the San Ildefonso Pueblo wasn't very happy with us. He glared at us and took a harsh line. Here we were, in the middle of nowhere, face to face with a Red Indian.

Our encounter with a native american on his own reservation later that day was memorable to say the least. But it was one aspect of what was a superb day. One of the most enjoyable I have ever had since arriving in the US seven months ago. It started this morning where Larry and I share a darkened dorm under the hostel and I ...

Santa Fe journal: Anasazi Indian country - the atmospheric and historic city of Santa Fe

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 04:05:52 GMT

Santa Fe isnt so much a town....its a state of mind.

Its a gorgeous historic town up high in the Sangre de Cristo mountains that blends hispanic and Indian cultures. All buildings are built in the sand coloured adobe way and modern planning restrictions mean any new buildings must be built this way as well. The result is the most cohesive town I saw in North America - something that had the feel of Latin Europe. One of the few towns I encountered in the United States, along with Savannah, that had the feel of time travel about it.

Its very old for America as well. The Spanish had ...

Albuquerque journal: Through the deserts of New Mexico to the charming adobe city of Albuqurque

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:01:28 GMT

I visited twenty states during my sojourn in the United States and I must say that New Mexico remains my favourite.

The landscape are stunning. Mostly sagebrush desert the colours absolutely fascinate me. The white clumps of sagebrush contrasting with the yellow earth. Both brought into sharp relief by the icy blue of the November sky. Mountains are always on the horizon, rolling red rock edifice sometimes covered in cottonwood forests and ponderosa pines. This is wild country. For a long time unsettled. I get the feeling of the remote West here. It also has an exotic air -a mixture of ...

Whites City journal: Going Underground - Whites City and the Carlsbad Caverns NP

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:38:32 GMT

"So who won the election last night?"

I asked a hispanic lad who was sitting next to me on the TN&O bus. He brightened up when revealing the reply.

"Bill Clinton. California and New York came out for him otherwise it would have been the republicans in the White House."

I digested this piece of news. It has been exciting being in America during election time. Watching the presidential debates in my hostel in Houston with the other guests was a terrific experience. The tall George Bush, the white haired Clinton and a little Texas polecat called Ross Perot who gave neither ...

North America journal: Go West young man! From the deserts of New Mexico to the silver sea of California

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:19:45 GMT

I was scanning through my travel journals the other day. I have been travelling for nearly 17 years. It started way back in 1991 when I was 22. I had been at a dead end job for nearly five years and felt life was passing me by. One night, after a drunken pub conversation - a friend asked me what I really wanted to do. The answer lit up in my head like a lightbulb.

Travel.

It took me eight months to save up spending money, sell the car, empty the savings and finally get on that Air India plane to New York in April 1992. There I got a place at a summer camp teaching kids up in ...

Vienna journal: Praha Hladi Nadrazi - the 1.15pm train back to Sudbahnof Wien

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:01:11 GMT

The great thing about staying in a hotel is that you are not kicked out at 8.00am as in a hostel, but can have a nice lazy lay in. I had a nice leisurely pack and did not descend to check out until 10.30am. Breakfast was fishcakes and tangy sauce which I ate with an American who comes to Prague every year. He says Prague is one of the best cities in Europe and its not hard to agree with him. I said my goodbyes to this friendly hotel and caught the subway to Praha Hladi Nadrazi to catch my train to Vienna.

The station was very modern and you had no idea that it was communist eight years ...

Prague journal: the whole place had an eerie air. The feeling was perpetuated by the cawing of rooks in the trees overhead.

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 05:36:38 GMT

If you come to anywhere in Eastern Europe then you must take a look at the reminders of the terrible things whch went on here in the Second World War.

Prague went through its own agonies. Those brightly painted bohemian houses you see now catering for tourists back in 1940-44 housed inhabitants who lived in fear of their Nazi occupiers. None so more as the cities jewish inhabitants as the area between Staromnaske Namesti and the river is the jewish ghetto which is firmly on the Prague tourist trail.

Its reachable from the Staromestke Namesti from the northern street of Pariska. To ...

Prague journal: Prague at its most glittering - Staromanske Namesti and the jewish cemetery

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 03:46:14 GMT

Did I tell you how good the Villa David is? No? - well, the last few nights I have had steak in beer sauce for under £3.00. The staff are very friendly here especially headwaiter Josef and seem to spend most of their time laughing in the kitchen. The clientele are great as well. Last night an American couple from Atlanta were going into town and asked if I wanted to come with them. We went to a club which was pretty good. Certainly the beers were very cheap and the music enjoyable.

Decided to have a real wander today and took the subway to Mustek in the centre. This is a few yards from ...

Prague journal: stepped through and it was like entering another world. The trail descended a colossal green vale through the centre of Prague

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 03:13:31 GMT

On my way to the Strahov monastery I passed a tobacconist on Hradcany hill. Coming out the door was a monk, clutching a packet of camels and just in the process of lighting up. Glasnost and Perestroika? I didn't know that it extended to church rules on having a good 'roll up'.

That was one of the many surprises of today where I have spent all day on Hradcany hill and after seeing the momentous castle headed north to the rest of the summit. A little to the north, past numerous restored bohemian palaces is the church of Our Lady of Loreto. which for me is a contender for the most beautiful ...

Prague journal: Hradcany Castle - the heart and soul of Prague

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 04:42:54 GMT

Damn this city for being so beautiful.

The colours of the buildings are amazing. Grey stone surrounded by bright pink, yellow, blue, emerald green, lemon and even black design festooned with cherubs, frescoes and statues - the whole city is an explosian of baroque. A perfect preserved medieval city kept secret from the world for so long. I found myself thinking it was more beautiful then Paris this morning.

Today was going to be a full day of sightseeing and I wanted to get to Hradcany Castle before the crowds arrive. I took the metro to Malestanska and the great bulk of Hradcany ...

Prague journal: Arrival in Prague - an explosian of baroque on the Vlatava

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:59:34 GMT

Uncomfortable is the word I would use to describe our overnight journey from the Hungarian capital to the Czech capital.

I knew that passing through three countries we be woken up by customs but I didnt quite believe how often. About 11.00pm Sarah and I stopped talking about how much we liked Budapest and lay down to sleep. About midnight the door slid open and the Hungarian ticket inspector entered followed by a uniformed custom man half an hour later. It wasnt worth going back to sleep as ten minutes later came the Slovakian customs man. I grabbed a few hours sleep before we crossed ...

Buda journal: The final day in Budpest and the 9.15pm from Keleti-Pu

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:39:51 GMT

Today is going to be a long day as my train to Prague does not leave until 9.20pm.

Having to kill twelve hours in Budapest is going to be tricky, especially as there is no hotel for me to go back to rest. My hotel has been very enjoyable - nice and clean with a big burly jolly Magyar on the desk. The Magyars have been a revelation - certainly very interested in outsiders. After the quietness and respectability of Vienna I enjoyed the rush and hustle of Budapest. They are incredibly polite here. Yesterday on the subway I saw a middleaged lady give up her seat for an old man, and a young ...

Pest journal: Across the river in Pest - Opera House, Danube and a tragic Synagogue

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:26:36 GMT

One thing was has struck me about this city is the lack of anything Communist.

I expected an eastern bloc capital to have more statues of Lenin and Marx (they are there but seem to be the ones so solidly made the Magyars cant pull them down). Even the names of the streets have been changed back to their pre-war names. There is very little physically solid to account for forty years of communism. Theres a gentle backwardness to the place so it is obvious that it happened (and I mean that in a nice way). But nothing Soviet is left - its all been put in a museum or consigned to history. The ...

Buda journal: I get the feeling Budapest is shaking its head after a long groggy sleep and rengaging with itself to rebuild its confidence.

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:48:12 GMT

There are some cities where you can just smell the recent history.

Until the seventies there were still bombsites in London from the second world war, in India the grand buildings in Delhi remind you of the British colonial times, the racial divisions in New Orleans and Atlanta remind you that not too long ago there was segregation in these cities. And who can not go to Berlin, Hamburg or Warsaw and not remember what happened earlier in the 20th Century.

But never have I felt as I have in Budapest. As if it was pulling itself together after a long torpor, as if it was flexing its ...

Buda journal: Fishermans Bastion, Lion statues and wine gushing fountains on Castle Hill

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:14:39 GMT

A magic moment happened today.

I was entering St Matthias' church - Budapests' principal cathedral that served 500 years as a mosque. It was five to ten in the morning and stepping over the beggars in the entrance I entered the cavernous interior which was full to the brim with people. Myself and the tourgroups were put at the back and as it was a Sunday a service was beginning to start. Music began from somewhere and a bun-haired officious old lady cleared a path from the vestry to the altar. Making an entrance was the Cardinal of Budapest flanked by choirboys. The whole church stood up ...

Budapest journal: The 2.15pm train from Westbahnhof to Budapests Keleti-Pu

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:24:20 GMT

I sit here now in the Buda hills.

Away to my left the lights of Pest twinkle across the river. I'm in an open-air restaurant on Utca Boromzenyi and the night is warm and young. For the equivalent of £2.50 I am tucking into a delicious meal of paprika chicken and pomme frites washed down with a firey Hungarian wine. But, by god, it feels good.

Ten hours before I was packing up to leave Vienna. My train did not leave until 2.00pm so I hauled my suitcase down to the Westbahnhof and left it in left-luggage. I have four hours to kill in Vienna and to be honest I am ready to leave. I ...

Vienna journal: In and around Schwarzenbergerplatz -the Belvedere Palace and Linke Weizelle

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:51:27 GMT

Last night after a wiener schnitzel on Greichengasse I walked back from the Innere Stadt through the Holfburg courtyards. I walked through the gate of In Der Burg and heard Martial music ahead. I emerged from the passageway at Heldenplatz. The whole facade of the Hofburg was lit up and draped in the flag of the two headed eage of Austria. Some kind of veterans day was going on. A giant television screen showed the exploits of the Austrian army and a vast crowd of soldiers and veterans looked on. I listened to the martial music and enjoyed the spectacle. But after a while the Austrian bombast ...

Vienna journal: I needed a fix of a different Vienna. A Vienna that lets its hair down and shows its roots

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:23:29 GMT

"In Italy they had centuries of conflict and produced Michelangelo and the renaissance. In Switzerland they have had 500 years of brotherly love and what do they produce? The Cuckoo clock..."

There are some locations that you want to see because of their connotations to the movies. Monument Valley was put on the map by John Ford and his westerns, Manhattan is seen in the mind with the films of Woody Allen and the tinkling of Gershwin, Kao Ping Kan in Thailand will forever be associated with James Bond and The Man with the Golden Gun, and in Austria a whole industry has grown up around ...

Vienna journal: Schonbrunn Palace - Baroque retreat of Empress Maria Theresa

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 08:53:26 GMT

"Some countries go to war...but you lucky Austria marry..."

And so said Habsburg Emporer Franz Stephen, the husband to one of the mightiest monarchs of the age - Empress Maria Theresa. The imperial dynasty ruled mainly from Schonbrunn and intermarried with the nearby countries to create, what was by the middle of the 16th Century, an empire that covered most of middle Europe. Make love not war? They certainly kept to that adage.

It was my main objective for today. The hostel on Neustiftgasse is getting very wearisome. Most here are fine but as with most hostels you get a mixed ...

Vienna journal: a man who reigned Austria- Hungary for 68 years and for everyone of those 68 years he had boiled beef for lunch every day.

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 08:52:09 GMT

Imagine the most starchy royal family you possibly can?

Double it. Triple it. Add an extra dose of pomp and pomposity and then you have the court of Emporer Franz Josef.

A man so obcessed with court protoccol that he corrected his chief doctor for not wearing a tie on his deathbed, a man who would send foreign ambassadors back and create diplomatic incidents if their were wearing the wrong cuffs, a man who reigned Austria- Hungary for 68 years and for everyone of those 68 years he had boiled beef for lunch every day.

But he is still loved by the Austrians. I saw his portrait ...

Vienna journal: Vienna - City of Imperial Nostalgia - the centre of Empire

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 08:20:20 GMT

If god lived in Vienna then I can see him living in the Hofburg.

The centre of the Austro-Hungarian empire for hundreds of years this building is a monstrous palace in the middle of the city. A true giant of a palace which seems to exemplify the solid bourgeois values of this city on the Danube. And it is a very likeable city. The Viennese themselves are a lovely gentle people - I cant decide whether they are so civilised they live the most elegant gentle life possible or this is an entire city of suburbanites. A city the size of Manchester, with the elegance of Paris with the ...

Vienna journal: Flying to Austria - the beginning of exploring Middle Europe

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:23:06 GMT

If god lived on earth he would probably live in Vienna..

It is one of the most grand, opulent, civilised and ornate cities I have ever visited. It just takes a second to close your eyes and you are taken back to 'fin de circle' Vienna. The smell of horsedung from the fiacres (horsedrawn carriages) or the rococco statues on each apartment block mean that I am somewhere special. It is possible to life a gentle elegant life without setting foot outside the Ringstrasse. Heaven probably looks like this city on the Danube - great sprawling palaces, topiared gardens, baroque statues and a ...

Paris journal: Artists and Interllectuals - how does the Latin Quartier really measure up?

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:52:09 GMT

I didnt stay at my hotel last night. I ended up in a tiny apartment in the 13th Arondissement and had to make my way back up to the Marais. I got directions to Porte D'Ivery METRO and wandered up silent roads at six o'clock in the morning. One of my pleasures in life is to make my way home from a different part of town after a night out and this time it didnt take long to get the METRO back to Temple and have a change of clothes.

However, I got a shock when I walked through the door - my belongings were in reception. I had only paid for five nights and the hotel was so busy it could not ...

Versailles journal: Most are not exactly Edith Piaf but that it part of the fun and most enter into the spirit.

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:47:58 GMT

There is no question in my mind that Le Marais is my favourite part of Paris. Every city in the world has its up and coming district. And at the end of the nineties it was Le Marais for Paris. For a hundred years it had been the rundown section of the central city. Low rents meant artists and artisans could move in and slowly it is being gentrified. That doesnt mean it has lost its neighbourhood feel. And its a fulcrum for the cities gay community.

It still retains a medieval feel. The old palaces of the nobilty fell on hard times and have been turned into and you can get little glimpses ...

Versailles journal: The palace of the Sun King - the glory that is Versailles

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:28:44 GMT

The last glitter gasp of the ancien regime.

The last breath of the most cosmopolitan and sophisticated court Europe has ever seen before the cataclysm hit them.

Versailles carries baggage. Versailles is history. It carries a pathos and a memory of an era, a monarch and a time that was so striking in history. It came to personify privilege and for history gave a reason for a rebellion of the common people. I really wanted to see this building. A building that toppled a monarchy, a building that was a catalyst for a revolution.

Its quite a way out from central Paris. So with my ...

Paris journal: but I strayed into a section inhabited by wild haired women in leggings. These were the famous Brazilian transvestite prostitutes I'd read about

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:04:38 GMT

If you are going to make your monument look impressive - set it in somewhere spectacular.

The Arc de Triomphe has that spectacular setting. It stands in an island at the end of the Champs Elysee. When you view it from the Champs Elysee you can see through its legs all the way down Avenue Armee to to the great hollow cube of La Defense and its surrounding skyscrapers. Eastwards you can see down ten lanes of the Champs Elysee all the way to the Tuileries gardens. And if you look hard enough you can actually see the Louvre glass pyramid.

But its the size of the thing which impresses. ...

Paris journal: From the heights of Montmatre to the buzz of the Champs Elysee

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 06:31:13 GMT

I took a break from the delights of Le Marais' nightlife last night as I really pushed myself yesterday with the sightseeing. But Paris is like that, theres always something interesting around the corner. Theres always something else you want to see. Today, I was going to take it reasonably easy and head up to Montmatre. The day threatened rain and there hasn't been an unclouded sky since I have arrived in the city. I'm sure Parisians would object vocally but this city has more in common with London then I'm sure it would like to admit.

I hopped on the METRO this morning takin the line ...

Paris journal: Realm of the superich - The Louvre, the Passages and the stylish shops of Paris

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:17:13 GMT

Zut Alors! My feet ache!

Paris is very hard on the shoeleather but very pleasing to the eye. After a night out exploring the zinc bars of Le Marais last night I needed a brisk stroll to work off my alcohol battered head. Little did I know that my brisk stroll would last nine hours from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon. With a couple of sitdowns at cafes to rest my weary legs.

I'm also a hop, skill and a jump from Beaubourg and the Pompidou centre. I had a look at this last night and it will work as a nice contrast to the Louvre this morning (see review). The rear of ...

Paris journal: My tastes tended towards the dark paintings such as the 'Raft of the Medusa' or an oversize portrait of people trying to escape the deluge

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:01:42 GMT

One of the great wow moments of Paris is your first glimpse of the Coeur Napoleon.

This great courtyard is flanked by the two arms of the Louvre Palace whose facade is decked with the statues of kings. Smack in the centre of the courtyard is a glass pyramid. The pyramids clear cut lines contrast sharply with the architecture of the ancien regime surrounding it. Its modernist feel just felt so distinctive against the old lamposts and fountains of the palace of kings - a work of art in itself.

You use this pyramid to descend into the bowels of the Louvre and trail a spiral staircase ...

Paris journal: This is urban planning on an epic scale. Everything lined up and beautiful like a work of art.

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:06:08 GMT

I felt a little bit of shame when buying my METRO billet to get me to the Eiffel Tower. After all, it just seems to touristy. Up there with a gondola in Venice or poking fun of the beefeaters/household cavalry in London (and I've seen plenty of tourists do that, one hilariously got kicked by his horse). But it is so iconic. It practically says France to everybody else around the world. Superman rescued it from an atom bomb and Grace Jones parachuted off in A VIew To A Kill. I've seen it in numerous fashion spreads and TV broadcasts. It draws in every first time visitor to Paris like a moth to ...

Paris journal: A gargoyles view of Paris from Notre Dame then Monsieur Eiffels famous creation..

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 07:28:36 GMT

There is too much in this city to waste time laying in..

I was up and having a baguette breakfast at 9.30 in the morning. I chose a boulongerie just off Republique on the edge of La Marais.I've deliberately picked a section of Paris that is not in the middle of the tourist world. Le Marais is very workaday and becoming gentrified. Most of it is medieval or at least 16th Century and is a maze of narrow cobbled streets. For most of the century it was a low rent area allowing artists and artisans to flourish. Now, in the nineties, its becoming 'gentrified' and the new hip area. But luckily ...

Paris journal: Hovercraft to Calais and then on to 'The City of Light'

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 06:54:17 GMT

A few steps up the stairs of the METRO and I entered another world..

I emerged to the bustle of night-time Paris. The great square of Republique was around me. The white 18th Century townhouses surrounded the square with their balconies and sloping roofs. The place, itself had a green statue surrounded by fountains and surrounding this was a fairground lit up like fairyland. With the whurlitzer music and the spinning rides it absolutely charmed me. Paris instantly gained another fan.

It is a seductive city. My first glimpse at the busy junction of Republique took my breath away but ...

Bangkok journal: The final day - the excitement of the capital

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 03:03:27 GMT

Bangkok at 5.30 in the morning must be the manic city at its most peaceful.

No traffic on the roads apart from a few tuk-tuk drivers. The heat and pollution had not started to build up at this hour and the dawn light bathes the streets in scarlet. Those giant boulevards so clogged with traffic during the day take on a different feel - a feeling of space and width. The city looks almost human.

The attendants woke us all up from slumber this morning as we pulled into one of the bus stations. We stumbled onto the Rajdommon road watched over by the tourist police who made sure the ...

Surat Thani journal: Returning to Bangkok - nightbus from Surat Thani

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 02:41:59 GMT

The monsoon really has hit Phuket.

After two days or sporadic but fierce ultra violet rays (dont I know that) the heavens have opened and the tropical island is lashed with rain. There is nothing more wearing then a tropical resort during the rain (as I was to find out in Buzios in Brazil) and My excursion to Phang Nga Bay would have probably meant five minutes on a wet beach and the rest of the time sitting in cover on a small boat. They are getting frustrated here in Kata hoping the monsoon is at its last gasp. It should have moved over to the Gulf of Thailand by now.

After ...

Phuket journal: The city of sin in the daylight - Patong Beach

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 02:22:06 GMT

There is a small seaplane approaching your island...yes, its a guest I am expecting - no, he wont be leaving..."

Classic lines from the film where I got my first glimpse of Thailand. Remember Roger Moore and Christopher Lee back to back on Scaramangas island in 'The Man with the Golden Gun'? They filmed it in the seventies on Kai Ping Shan in Phanga Nga Bay with its exotic limestone karsts and pinnacles doubling for the seas off Communist China.

I signed up for the tour tomorrow but the bad news is that I have to head back up to Bangkok. The return Finnair flight is booked up for ...