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A Tale of Two Massages
Walking most streets in Bali you are ambushed on all sides by the colour and the chaos that surrounds you. During a stroll in Legian and whilst doing our best not to fall off the dodgy pavements and get hit by the magically appearing mopeds, our ears were accosted with the cries of “DVDs!” “Fish pedicures!” and “Look at my shop!” One cry caught my attention especially, “Come for massage!” This is a story of two massages. Well, it turned into about four massages in the end, but it is the difference between two particular massages that I wish to highlight. There are many activities in Bali that can be…
Wave Rock
Hyden is one of the many towns littered across Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region and makes a great stop on the drive between Perth and Esperance. The rock and its surroundings are yet another fantastic example of all Australia can offer of the great outdoors. The drive from Esperance to Perth is long. It takes nine hours driving and longer if you stop for lunch. We like a roadtrip and the few different routes between Perth and Esperance seem to offer little difference by way of the time the drive takes, so we vary it and last time drove via Hyden. Hyden is a small town of about 300 people 350…
To Kindle or not to Kindle
Reading has been a source of great pleasure for me for my whole life. So, perhaps it was inevitable when the ‘digital book’ was launched that I would be keen to check it out. Being a frequent traveller they had huge appeal, but I also had some reservations. I came to the conclusion that I love them though. Here is why. Size The Kindle is smaller than the average paperback. It is a light, slimline and barely noticeable addition to any travellers bag, but one that could make a long airport delay more bearable. Combine this with the capacity to store hundreds of books electronically and you have oodles of…
A year away
Time passes quickly these days. I have been away from the UK, my family and most of my friends, for a year now and here share the emotional journey of my expat year. Escaping or exploring? Firstly I ought to explain that I was not unhappy in the UK. Despite a fairly vagabondish life I am familiar with things there and surrounded by people I know in the UK. I was however, sick of London commuting, the endlessly grim news reports about the recession and I was definitely over the weather and the perpetual greyness. With Australia as an option, we decided to see what it could offer us. Whilst…
Australian wildlife parks
Australia has some fantastic animals to boast about, as well as some of the weirdest critters and deadliest species around. A visit downunder is not complete without meeting some of the locals. Of course, ideally visitors would see these animals in the wild. Spend enough time in Australia and you will probably see a lot of the wildlife in its natural surroundings, including the less appealing ones. The cunning Aussies are aware that visitors don’t travel all the way here in the hopes of seeing these animals, they want to definitely see them, so wildlife parks have sprung up across the country. Most Australian wildlife parks can be relied upon…
The Aussie Way – Part 3
The longer I spend downunder the more I notice. I feel I have graduated a level in understanding Australian ways recently, as I have noticed more of the subtler differences in everyday life. Have you always wanted to be a fireman? Australia likes to think of itself as a land of opportunity and in the volunteering field it most certainly is. There is a vast array of activities carried out by volunteer teams, such as fire and rescue services, marine rescue, community event management and environmental activities are just a few. Compared to the UK where fewer organisations are operated by volunteers it gives people the opportunity to commit to…
Evil Eyes
You won’t be in Turkey long before you notice you are being watched. Large, mostly blue eyes hang from buildings, cars, above doorways, and feature in jewellery. These eyes are called ‘nazar boncuk’ in Turkish and are often referred to, rather misleadingly, as evil eyes. he evil eye is in fact a benevolent eye that wards off evil. Across the world it is widely believed that a look of the wrong kind from someone can bring bad luck, hence the phrase ‘to give someone the evil eye’. In Muslim society it is also strongly believed that evil looks bring injury or bad luck because, although it is believed that only…
Make the most of your holidays
Most people have limited ability to travel long-term due to their free time being severely restricted by having only four weeks of holiday each year. If you are one of them read on for hints on making the most of what holiday you have. Plan your trip around public holidays Don’t forget public holidays when planning your trips. Most countries have about six to ten public holidays each year, so if you add those to the 20 or so days that you are entitled to take from work that gives you more to play with. If you can time your trips around public holidays, it can mean taking six weeks…
Spend time in Fremantle Prison
Australia’s convict history is well known but did you also know that capital punishment was still in effect in Western Australia as recently as 1984? On a recent trip to Perth I thought I would investigate with a trip to Fremantle Prison. As first impressions go, Fremantle Prison does not disappoint. The striking gatehouse and perimeter walls, despite being built of what turned out to be rapidly deteriorating limestone (oops), give an impressively solid appearance. Those convicts who thought the journey from Britain was harsh had another thing coming. When they arrived in the blistering heat of the Swan River Colony (now Perth) in 1850 the first thing the prisoners…
Brittany’s rose granite coast
Who can resist France? If you’re not sure where to go, head to the north coast of Brittany. The magnificent coastline north of Lannion is scattered with pink granite rocks giving it the name ‘the rose granite coast’. Pink Granite Coast Between Perros-Guirec and Ploumanac’h runs an easy coastal track, from which the best views of the rose coastline are seen. There is also an impressive old house near the shore called the Chateau de Cosheares (pictured above) which was built in the nineteenth century and sits perfectly amidst the pink granite rock. Can’t be too convenient for the post man. A little further along the coast is the Pors…
