New Zealand
In Maori there is a word ‘Turangawaewae’. It speaks of where you come from, where your heart lies, where your feet stand. I had not stood on New Zealand soil for four and half years, my heart had somewhat forgotten it. This trip home was a chance to get to know New Zealand, the place, [...]
Vietnam
“Hey lady? Where you from? How old are you? Do you have any brothers and sisters?” Three of the most common questions you are constantly faced with in Vietnam quickly followed by an offer of goods and services. The Vietnamese have certainly embraced the selling spirit and it can be tiring at times trying to [...]
Singapore
Singapore is: Flower garlands, dusk deliveries, loitering, street side chai in glass cups, coloured shutters, Sikhs, muslims, hindus, christians and buddhists, calls to prayer, swirling ash from ghost month fires, streets paved of malls, retail therapy, narrow streets, pastel, state subsidised apartments, men walking in little finger embraces, souvenir stalls, roadside eating, chicken rice, ‘carrot [...]
Bali
7 days on an island paradise full of rice terraces, nervously narrow roads, white sand beaches, tourists, oh so many tourists, monkeys, offerings and street deals. Check out the photos below!
T.O.
It takes a long time to get anywhere in Canada it seems. After Vancouver we spent five hours in the ‘comfort’ of a Sunwing Airlines flight before touching down in Toronto. Places change and places stay the same. Bars which once introduced new acts to the scene are now closed but Marky Wheels still sits [...]
Go West
I left my smoggy island home on a Monday and traveled for 15 hours only to arrive the same time that I left. Vancouver was cold, for my unaccustomed body. 17 degrees and it felt like winter. The mountains were hidden behind low hanging clouds and my toes were numb. But then the sun came [...]
A Concrete Jungle
Borneo is famous for its teeming jungles; the steamy, damp corners of its rainforest. But its not all trees and reefs and mountains. And while many may not find beauty in concrete or faded facades I must admit I have a certain weakness for a dirty rundown city. Broken windows and cracked pavements are my [...]
Living Borneo
They say that Borneo is one of the most diverse eco systems in the world. From its coral reefs to its jungles, Borneo is teeming with wildlife. Perhaps a little camera shy, many remained elusive but Borneo still stuns with its natural beauty. And its not just the wildlife that is diverse. The streets of [...]
Standing out to fit in.
Tokyo is a city where standing out from the crowd means conforming. The trick is to find your niche and fit in. Whether that means spending your weekends at Akihabara, Electric Town, joining the other Otaku geeks trawling the streets for Manga, collectibles, and the latest (or even retro) video game. Or perhaps you’ll hang [...]
Misty mountains of Koyasan
First you take a train. Bleary eyed and claustrophobic from your early morning squeeze on the subway you twist and turn through the countryside of Japan up towards the mountains. You pass through mist shrouded mountain valleys and arrive at the final stop. Of the train. Then its onto a funicular whose angle defies geometry [...]
Where geishas dare to tread
You would think that a place famous for its temples and Zen gardens would be an oasis of calm. Kyoto, however, was anything but tranquil. Gion Matsuri, one of Japan’s most popular festivals, was in full swing and the streets were packed with revelers. Beautiful young Japanese girls sported traditional Kimono, shuffling along the street [...]
Osaka
I always know I’m going to like a city when I have to watch my step for fear of having an unwanted altercation with one of its cycling citizens. Osaka is like an Japanese Amsterdam with kimonos instead of clogs. Young girls sit side saddle on the back the boyfriend’s steed. Young men stand tall [...]
Snowfall
The last time I was in Switzerland was December 2006 and a white Christmas it was not. No frost, no snow capped mountains, no snowflakes. Not one. This time I was hoping for snow. And I was not disappointed. There’s something quite magical about falling snow in the countryside. The air becomes muffled and inert, [...]
Cycle Dodging
Amsterdam is a city for walkers and cyclists. Sorry, motorists, but you don’t stand a chance. Tiny cobblestoned allies sit wedged between numerous canals and lopsided houses. The greatest danger you’ll face while out and about is being taken down by one of Amsterdam’s bicycle wielding citizens or losing yourself to itself famous haze. I [...]
Concrete Art
In 2007 I lived in Geneva for two months. It was weeks of wanderings and discovering the city but at the time I had no camera to document my rambles. I returned in February 2010 to a overcast, frozen city that my feet still knew their way around. Check out pictures from my daily wanders [...]
Jet Stream
The skies over Zurich are never clear. From dawn till dusk and all through the night trails of jet stream criss cross the sky. People come and go from Zurich all day. Some arriving, others departing and a few lost in a transit. I chose to stay awhile and explore its streets. I only managed [...]
How Now, Macau
One hour by boat from Hong Kong is the ex-Portuguese Colony of Macau. A strange blend of Asian culture, old Portuguese architecture and a Las Vegas attitude to gambling it provided a highly entertaining 12 hours. My attitude to gambling is generally “But…I like my money”, however with a little convincing from Kyle I decided [...]
Khmer Rogue
When I was twelve years old I found this book at the library. It was full of images and information about stunning natural and man made phenomena around the world. And I devoured it. I dutifully copied out, alphabetically and sorted by continent, all the places I wanted to travel to when I grew up. [...]
Solo in the old iron curtain
In November 2006 I farewelled my University life. Two weeks later I was on a plane to Europe. For six months I lived in Switzerland and then Ireland. In the summer, I embarked, solo on my Eastern European adventure. Berlin will always be a city in my heart. Poland was too little time for too [...]
Its all gone Hong Kong
Slick, stylish and modern, with pockets of tradition still hiding out in Kowloon, this is Hong Kong.
