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Do You Believe in Traveller Karma?
Karma follows the principle that how you live your life determines the kind of life you will have. So, does how you travel determine the kind of travel you will experience? I like to think there are more well-intentioned people in the world than, well, the others. I believe that by sharing kindnesses, especially whilst on the road, we can help each other and hopefully encourage others to be kind too. There are always times when things go wrong of course and, as a traveller, when they do you can very quickly find yourself in a difficult situation. As a traveller you can be more vulnerable than on your own…
Frisky Barbados Turtles and How to Swim with them
Turtles are tricky creatures. When they only come ashore to lay their eggs and then as quickly as they appeared, disappear, how can you spend some time with these marvellous animals? The reefs off Barbados have a thriving turtle population. The turtles are widely considered locals and it is not uncommon to notice one creeping up the beach at night whilst you’re downing a rum in a nearby beach bar. No, you’re not imagining them. The sudden arrival of the turtle-monitoring squad (complete with clipboards) confirms their presence and also prevents the turtles developing any alcohol-related troubles. Where to find turtles It is not unlikely that you will meet a…
Australia’s Wild Wild West
Do you love old Westerns? Or maybe you find the idea of having a go at gold-prospecting exciting? Either way, you will love a trip to Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia. During the Australian gold rush (sparked in 1893) Kalgoorlie developed rapidly and soon became Australia’s third largest town. Its status is nowadays diminished somewhat, but the wealth with which the town was built is still evident in the now aged but still grand buildings. The architecture is splendid and quite unique to the town. Walking along Hannan Street is like walking onto a Wild West movie set, if you can ignore the traffic and mobile phone shops that is. Here…
Yachts and visas
Yachts can go pretty much anywhere, but there are certain places in the world that are especially popular with yachts. These are the visas required most by international yacht crew. B1/B2 visa This visa is required by all non-US citizens who will be entering the USA for work reasons. It does not entitle the bearer to work in the USA. Yachts with non-US flags are able to employ non-US citizens whilst in US waters, as long as the crew have this visa. The C1-D visa is only granted to cruise ship crew. It does not apply to yacht crew. Schengen visa This visa is required by certain nationalities to enter…
Guide to Expat Living in Turkey
What is it like living in Turkey? I get asked this all the time. I am not entirely sure what people imagine life in Turkey to be like but I have been asked all sorts of questions including, and I’m not joking, ‘do they have electricity in Turkey?’ Turkey is an enormous country with vastly differing standards of living, sadly, depending upon the location. Generally speaking life in large towns and cities is pretty comfortable. The more rural you go the more basic, or few and far between, the amenities become, like most places really. My Turkish home was Fethiye, a decent sized town accommodating what was basically a farming…
Come to Australia…and get Killed!
This afternoon I had my first unplanned encounter with one of the most notorious and widely feared Australian creatures: an Australian spider. I was hanging out the laundry: hang, peg, hang, peg, as you do, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a glistening spider’s web at the end of the washing line. I froze and scanned my surrounding area. To my horror it’s proprietor was lurking at the end of the line, watching me, imagining my exotic tastie and about to bite me and kill me…maybe. This didn’t sound much fun to me, so although he didn’t actually look like one of the nasties, I hung…
When the Season Ends
Inevitably, at the end of the Mediterranean summer, the season comes to a close. Have you ever been somewhere on holiday and thought ‘I wish I lived here’? You are not alone. Increasingly people are moving overseas, but if your dream destination is a bustling summer resort, it is worth considering, what are these glorious resorts like off season? When you visit a tourist centre or resort during the peak season it will be a thriving, busy place. There are endless options of bars and restaurants open, shops and of course the weather is reliably glorious. Seasonal destinations are usually seasonal for a reason. These seasons primarily follow the weather,…
Good News!
Last week this blog was a bit of a sad place, but this week I am pleased to report that I have received only heart-warming news. One door closes As they say, when one door closes, another one opens. Last week Tipsy’s life ended but little Lola’s began. One of my best friends back home had her first baby at the weekend and although I would love to be more local so that I could meet the little lady (or not so little as it turns out – my poor friend just had a 9 lb 1 oz baby!) I am really delighted at the news. Hearts a flutter Other…
Esperance – The Land of Sea lions and Beaches
Esperance is a quiet little town in rural Western Australia. It is home mainly to farmers and employees of it’s port, kept busy exporting Western Australia’s many natural resources. It is a small town where there is rarely a queue, but also an area of outstanding natural beauty and one to make sure you visit on your Western Australia roadtrip. Tanker Street Jetty Before the now busy port was built, ships came to the Tanker Street jetty which extends 842m out into Esperance bay. It is nice to walk along a jetty, taking in the sea breeze and the view of town on your return, but this jetty is special…
A Sad Day in Expatland
This week I had one of those days that every expat fears. I awoke to bad news from home. Being in Australia, there is a considerable time difference with folks back home and I am seven hours ahead of the UK. This means that when anything happens after about 4pm in the UK I am unlikely to be aware until a good eight hours later, as was the case this week. The sad news was that my poor Mum had to take the family pet of 22 years on the dreaded one-way trip. Granted, it is not such bad news that I will have to fly home for a funeral,…
