The night bus from Hanoi to Sapa arrived at about 3.30 am. Too tired to venture into the cold black abyss, I continued to sleep until dawn. By the time I left the bus a small gang of local Hmong woman had gathered outside, waiting for weary travellers to pitch their homestays and handicrafts to. … Read more
You’ve probably heard of Chichen Itza; the wonder of the world in Mexico that Karl Pilkington said was “alright”. It’s better than alright, but it’s definitely not the only set of ruins worth visiting on the Yucatan Peninsular. This area is packed with ancient sites full of pyramids, plazas and ball courts, and Uxmal is rated … Read more
Are you slightly lazy, unfit or just don’t feel like walking for days on end? I’ve got good news; you don’t need to take on a massive trekking challenge in order to see the wonders of Nepal’s Himalaya region. The 4 day Poon Hill trek takes you through the stunning Annapurna Mountain Range without requiring … Read more
Valparaiso, how absurd you are… you haven’t combed your hair, you’ve never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you. This paraphrased (and translated) piece of Pablo Neruda’s famous poem Oda a Valparaiso (well I assume it’s famous, I saw it in Lonely Planet) sums up the city pretty well, although I don’t … Read more
The Ma Pi Leng Pass is a part of the 22 km stretch of road connecting the towns of Dong Van and Meo Vac in Ha Giang Province, Vietnam. Most people hire a motorbike and ride the pass as part of the “Extreme Northern Loop”, but since I can’t ride a motorbike (and the winding roads … Read more
A very warm (and possibly fake) Columbia jacket An alpaca wool hat bought from an old woman in a market in La Paz, Bolivia An alpaca wool jersey bought from the same woman A thermal top (which I carried with me for over a year and never wore) After reading that little list you must … Read more
I watched Jurassic World recently and two things struck me: How did that too stupid to be funny guy from Parks and Recreation become a Hollywood star, and are ordinary, “real” dinosaurs not good enough anymore? (they created genetically enhanced “mutants” in the movie because people were getting bored of plain old dinosaurs). What does … Read more
You already know about the Incas and their impressive citadel of Machu Picchu, but have you heard of the Chimú and Moche civilizations? The Moche came first, building and then abandoning their grand city in the desert. The Moche civilization declined, which eventually led to the founding of Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimú empire and once the biggest … Read more