The first post of a new blog series about going up the Himalayas mainly on Indian public transport buses. Taken … More
Tag: Featured
10 Annoying Behaviours on the London Underground
Londoners have a love-hate relationship with their metro system The Tube; but it’s more than just standing on the wrong … More
Great travel annoyances of our times: the hotel toaster
At the hotel breakfast, that metal appliance that toasts your bread on a little conveyor … I mean… how hard … More
Short story: Deano’s Return
Based on a true story of how a long lost dog came home. In the summer of 1972 Nita Rai … More
7 tips for volunteers in Africa
It’s almost time to fly home. These seven months in Rwanda have felt so much longer – the richness of … More
The Ragged Children of Kinigi
When the ragged children of Kinigi danced, it was a scene of both joy and sadness, those imposters both, two … More
Unexpected hosts: gorillas after the mist
After noon, we started the descent in to the mists of Mount Karisimbi, the highest peak in the Virungas, a … More
The snowman in the heart of Africa – Climbing Mount Karisimbi (part 2)
Continued from part 1 I walked towards the fire where there were two crouching silhouettes outlined in bright orange. I … More
Climbing Mount Karisimbi
CLIMBING MOUNT KARISIMBI , a snow-capped volcano between Rwanda and the DR Congo, the tallest peak in the Virungas, was … More
When Memories Come Calling
Memories are like kites dancing on warm zephyrs on high – with just a tug, and if our strings of … More
Images of Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat may not provide you with solitude at times and watching sunrise can be something of a tourist trap. … More
A Weekend Break in the Northern Hemisphere #2: Kampala and Lake Victoria
Crossing the border from Rwanda to Uganda, a traverse from Francophone to Anglophone Africa, offered subtle changes from the bus … More
Images of the Amalfi coast
Ischia, Ravello, Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento.
Being Lighter at the Equator: a Weekend Break in the Northern Hemisphere
With my friends Thierry and Juko, I took an 8 hour bus ride from Rwanda to Kampala in Uganda, crossing … More
A hike up Mount Bisoke and a lesson in understanding gorilla sounds
One Friday afternoon, with Freddy’s permission, I snuck out from work early – we had decided to climb the perfectly … More
Sometimes on Tuesdays, always with tea
Sometimes you can’t see how incredible a person is when you first meet them. Still waters run deep, people are … More
Faith, devotion and complicity
I enjoyed lazy starts to the day on the veranda, shooting the breeze with Peter the security guard. We’d breakfast … More
Where you never walk alone
In contrast to my daily commute in London, my walk home in Kigali was rarely dull, no two journeys were … More
Electric-green unplugged
Today it’s April the 7th 2018, a day that marks the 24th anniversary of the start of the Rwandan genocide. … More
As Time Goes By …
Giving a training course to a group of nurses in Rwanda gave me a new perspective on the concept of … More
Ever fallen in love with a stray dog you shouldn’t have fallen in love with?
The pack of beach dogs that played in the glinting waves, trotted purposefully onshore and shook off their sea-drops. Heads … More
The Childhood Adventures of Owning a Globe
On my seventh birthday my parents gave me a globe. My own spherical world of colourful landmasses and oceans, strung … More
Miss Freeman’s woodwork class: the end of my days of mischief
It took a moment of brilliance from a school teacher to turn me around and push me on to the straight and narrow. Her name was Miss Freeman and she taught woodwork .
Paris in the sun
Last month, I made my 7th visit to Paris. Here’s a few of our photos from our weekend in that … More
Kivu: The Shimmering Lake in the Shadow of the Volcano
In the very heart of Africa, between Rwanda and D.R. Congo, is a silvery, majestic lake framed by breezy palms … More
What is Cambridge blue?
Last weekend we went for a long punt in Cambridge; we glided on the glinting River Cam in a flat-bottomed … More
The Little Fish Mystery
This is a true mystery that happened in my kitchen – it involves multiple murders, male-only breeding, a sex-change and … More
Things to do in Assam: The blue hill and the temple of the goddess of love
Assam, in India’s north-east, is known as the Land of the Red River and the Blue Hill. The Red River … More
Things to do in Formentera: Go down a hole and across a cliff
A hole appears in the ground before us. The huge white lighthouse to our left stares south and to our … More
Life of Pi – a journey to the Indian Coffee House in Pondicherry
Have you ever been so enchanted by a book that you had to visit its setting? I made that journey to Pondicherry after reading Life of Pi and eventually met its author Yann Martel.
Goa: Sunsets, mopeds, bribing cops and other beach activities
I think I may have unwittingly bribed a cop. We’re on small country lane in Goa in search of a … More
