Egypt Day 1 – Cairo
Egypt. Land of vast grandeur, diversity and beauty, with god knows how many UNESCO World Heritage Sites; a place that I was sure would bring out the Indiana Jones in me. It’s also the home of a thousand scams, millions of scam artists and con-men, and smooth-talking tricksters that could rival the best I’d encountered [...]
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Taiwan Sept 2010 Day 5 – Toroko Gorge – Taipei
I woke expecting to see a Hurricane Katrina aftermath; instead it was a crisp, clear morning, the sky was blue, the mountains looked lush, and I immediately phoned Tonny, the taxi driver whom I’d met at the station the evening before. We arranged a 10am pickup from my hotel. I only had one day, so [...]
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East Africa Day 11 – Ngorogoro Crater Safari
A rather uneventful night in the tent this time. No wild animals passed through, despite the repeated warnings of the guides that bushpigs, zebra and the like could come if we left food in our tent. I almost wished I had, just to tempt them. It was cold in the morning, and I woke up [...]
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India Day 24 – Agra and Taj Mahal
Woke at 5:45am, and made my way to the East Gate. I had a delicious roadside chai to warm me up, then proceeded inside for a whopping 750Rs entry fee. I walked through the main archway and saw it before me, looming in the dusk. The Taj Mahal. A shiver ran down my spine. A [...]
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Creative Corner
100 Word Stories. Each one 100 words. 100 words in each one.
100 word stories…each story 100 words, people from all walks of life who have ended up in the same city somewhere in the world, each with a story…. a point in their life captured from their memory, some dark, some funny, others tragic….
Travelogue
Venezuela Days 13 and 14 – New Years Eve and Day in Caracas
It was New Years Eve, and Vero and I needed to wake up early to continue the journey back to Caracas. A roadside desayuno criollo washed down with coffee is about as Venezuelan as it gets, and, together with the blue sky and fresh breeze and the all important sol, we were ready to continue [...]
Photography
10 Shot Series – Galapagos
10 shots that, through hours of painful consideration, discussion (with myself) and elimination, I feel best capture the spirit, the essence, the humanity, colour, beauty and absolute wonder of a country. Maybe. You may not agree, but it’s all subjective anyway. Enjoy them!
Corner of Random
Song of the Week – Black Keys – The Only One
Trawling through my downloads I occasionally stumble on something that deserves a repeat play. And another. And another. ‘The Only One’ by the Black Keys, an American blues-rock duo, is such a song. Simple but effective, finely crafted, lovely cooing falsetto over a dreamy, whirring backdrop of organ and a perfectly-paced, almost lazy guitar melody [...]
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Venezuela Days 13 and 14 – New Years Eve and Day in Caracas
May 19, 2012 10:05 -
Venezuela Day 12 – Merida and Barinas
April 20, 2012 08:04 -
Venezuela Day 11 – Merida
April 10, 2012 15:04 -
Venezuela Day 10 – Into Merida proper
March 31, 2012 13:03 -
Venezuela Day 9 – The Road to Merida
March 25, 2012 10:03
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SUEGEZ DON:
at last seen your lovely pictures from xmas.What a lovely dress vero.Whsat a gre -
SUEGEZ DON:
GREAT PICS NEIL ALWAYS V/INTRESTING -
Neil:
O course you can. I've almost finished the rest of my South American adventures -
lupe campoy:
Neil, I absolutely love this entry. Could I use it for my classes? I think it's -
Hector:
Hi bro. Thanks a lot for your beautiful words about my country Paraguay. You wil
Recent Articles
Venezuela Days 13 and 14 – New Years Eve and Day in Caracas
It was New Years Eve, and Vero and I needed to wake up early to continue the journey back to Caracas. A roadside desayuno criollo washed down with coffee is about as Venezuelan as it gets, and, together with the blue sky and fresh breeze and the all important sol, we were ready to continue [...]
Venezuela Day 12 – Merida and Barinas
Woke up in the 2 storey log cabin, a smell of wood and pine in the air, with a hint of petrol on the finish, which I had sloshed about the log fire last night to make it roar – the flames nearly licked the roof and got me panicking a little – not recommended. [...]
Venezuela Day 11 – Merida
Wonderful views of delicious green mountains greeted us as we woke, and the air was fresh and cool and full of promise – like a spring day in England. It lifts you – nature is a powerful stimulent with powerful control over moods – and today nature wanted to make me feel happy. Even the [...]
Venezuela Day 10 – Into Merida proper
I hadn’t had such a good sleep for a long time, and as I slowly came around I didn’t feel like ever letting my mind escape from the comforting, tranquil haze of a sleep in the lush valleys with its voluptuous fields, the endless trickling of the stream is a sound I would have anyday [...]
Venezuela Day 9 – The Road to Merida
A lovely sunny morning greeted us as we woke up on the sofa in the old farmhouse in Barinas. We had a cup of coffee, and then bid farewell to Ali and Senor Tomas, and one or two more people who were awake. The family were staying in Barinas for another day, so Vero and [...]
Venezuela Day 8 – Caracas to Barinas
Merida. Vero had been planning this trip for ages. It’s a paradisiacal place, in the Andes, full of spectacular scenery, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and a whole host of adventure sports to try. We were supposed to meet a group of people to go with at 7:30am to make a nice early start. We were joining [...]
Venezuela Day 7 – Caracas and El Hatillo
Christmas Day in England – the equivalent of Boxing Day in Venezuela. Boxing Day where I’m from in England is the traditional ‘Uncles vs Nephews’ pub crawl, which starts at the Crown pub at 11am, where us nephews play pool against the uncles, drink pints of Tetleys, and nibble on KP nuts. We move on [...]
Venezuela Day 6 – Xmas Day in Caracas.
The big day in South America for christmas isn’t the 25th, but rather the 24th December, and today a lot of Vero’s family were coming over for a special dinner which Vero and her mum had been preparing. Ayacas, ham, pork, rosada salad and another type of salad. I spent the whole day in the [...]
10 Shot Series – Galapagos
10 shots that, through hours of painful consideration, discussion (with myself) and elimination, I feel best capture the spirit, the essence, the humanity, colour, beauty and absolute wonder of a country. Maybe. You may not agree, but it’s all subjective anyway. Enjoy them!
10 Shot Series – Equador Mainland
10 shots that, through hours of painful consideration, discussion (with myself) and elimination, I feel best capture the spirit, the essence, the humanity, colour, beauty and absolute wonder of a country. Maybe. You may not agree, but it’s all subjective anyway. Enjoy them!