Daves Travel Pics

Sledging on Milk Hill - Wiltshire

2010-01-10T09:42:00.008Z

Travel Photos - Elephant Swim, Antelope Park, Zimbabwe

2009-10-17T10:00:00.005+01:00

We had a fabulous time at Antelope Park (http://www.antelopepark.co.zw/ ) - we can highly recommend it. On one of the days, we had some chill time before going on a swim with the elephants. We had no ideas what this involved before we got there – were we sitting on them or just splashing around? - we had no idea.

We were the first in our group to go and so still had no idea when we were told to get on top of an elephant and hold on to the elephant driver. He had a wetsuit on which should of given us some hint.

Our elephants (Scotty was on another elephant at the same time as us) plodded off towards a lake, them entered the lake and then with some encouragement from their driver proceeded to go under the water with us on them.

Now each elephant went under the water slightly differently – Scotty’s elephant rocked form front to back and went under but not our elephant. Our elephant decided to roll over on its side. There is no saddle so we were just holding on to the person in front – Helen held onto the guide, I held onto Helen. You couldn’t grip your legs around the elephant’s back, it was too wide. Then the elephants, each in their own style, went under the water and so did we.

At one point someone said that we were all under the water except for the two elephants trunks that were out of the water breathing. We were a little scared at first but we eventually got used to it and settled in.

It was great fun! At one point both of the elephants got really close and as ours went over on its side, it was endanger of crushing us against the other elephant. We all survived though and it was all over too quickly – we loved it.

Travel Photos - Adrenaline Day, Vic Falls, Zimbabwe

2009-09-02T19:12:00.002+01:00

We all woke up the next morning raring to go – this was the day many of us had been looking forward to in Vic Falls, some had been dreading. This was our adrenaline day. We were bussed over to the gorge were it all happened. Our base for the day was on top of a cliff that had a 60 metre drop to the valley below. We were split into teams so that we all took turns on the various activities that were on offer. We started off with abseiling.

We hadn’t done this before, but basically you get strapped into a harness which is roped in and tied to a tree or rock and then using the device on the harness to let out the rope, you walk backwards over the side of the cliff. If you’ve never done it before, its very scary but once you’ve walked over the edge and got the feel of the rope travelling through the device on the harness, its very easy, watch out for rope burn, and only grip with the hand behind your body, the other hand is useless. It was great fun. The trick is also to lean out so that your body is as horizontal as possible and your feet are flat against the cliff face.

We had several goes at this as both Helen and I felt as though we wanted to improve on our technique. After we’d got down to the valley floor, we had to run around up the valley and back up the cliff to have another go – the trek out of the valley must have been about ½ mile. We were so keen we were running out of the gorge to get another go!

After a few goes of this, the guides then encouraged us to do the same but walking forwards! Whilst this might sound easier than going backwards, trust me, its not! Just think about it, walking over the edge of the cliff until you’re horizontal and then walk (or if you’re very skilled, run) down the cliff wall. We both did that once and that was enough. It took me some time attached to the rope to drum up the courage to do it, but with a dozen 20 somethings screaming encouragement, you soon do it.

Our next activity was the flying fox – again we’d never done this before. There was a steel rope across the top of the gorge – you got into a harness and then this was attached to a pulley system to the steel rope across the gorge. You then got on a 20 metre long platform at the top of the cliff and ran towards the edge of the cliff trying for as big a launch as possible so that you “flew” across the gorge. The first few times were pretty scary, but after about 3 or 4 goes, you got pretty casual about it and on my 5th or 6th go, as I launched myself off the platform I just had to have a quick think to make sure the guide had strapped me in before I launched myself off a cliff – the day was all pretty casual, (health and safety appeared to take a back seat), but just lots of great fun.

Finally we got to have a go on the gorge swing. This was very similar to a bungee except that there was another steel wire across the gorge with a bungee rope attached to the steel rope in the middle of the gorge. When we launched ourselves off the platform into the gorge, you had about 5 seconds of freefall before the bungee stretched and you just swung across the gorge bouncing up and down. It took Helen and I a lot of convincing to do this, I wanted to but with a fear of heights I knew I had to just do it and not think about it. We watched a couple of others do it and they walked up and out of the gorge with smiles and all looked fine. I went first, jumping off forwards. I was seriously scared when I stepped up to the platform and the guide was saying a little nearer, a little nearer … he meant towards the edge. Everyone was shouting encouragement from a lookout nearby. I willed myself just to do it, not to think about it, I knew if I bottled it and didn’t jump the first time, that would be it. The guide told me to just look ahead, don’t look down, he counted me down, 3, 2, 1, goooooo……. “holy sh$$$tt, bo$$ox, aaaarghh, sh$$$t”….. what a thrill, it was such an adrenalin rush, it was amazing.

I waited down the bottom for Helen, she jumped but backwards, she screamed, no swearing though. She got down and had a buzz aswell, amazing! We both rushed back out of the valley to have another go, we both wanted to try what the other had done, I wanted to go backwards and she forwards. We both had another go. Backwards was weird, you watched the sky, the cliff just disappearing past you, a great buzz still.

The next time, we had the option of going together… tied together on the same bit of rope, so we’d have to jump together. We did this one backwards. When we went off, I just screamed, no swearing. Helen wasn’t expecting this and she spent the entire swing (all 30 seconds of falling and then 3 minutes of bouncing before they lowered you down to the valley floor) thinking that I’d spotted something wrong with the harness! I hadn’t of course, but that was a blast and all the better for doing it together.

What a fabulous day and if it wasn't for our 20 something compatriates on the Oasis overland truck, we probably wouldn't have done any of this, so thanks guys, what an amzing day, it'll stay with us for a long time!

Travel Photos - Black Mountains, Wales

2009-09-01T06:00:00.002+01:00

August Bank Holiday weekend, we went to Wales, now you just know with that combination its going to rain and sure enough it did but not before some amazing walking in the Black Mountains.

We'd taken Herbie (our dog - more of him later) so we hunted around for somewhere to stay that would accommodate Herbie aswell. We found it in the Baskerville Arms (http://www.baskervillearms.co.uk/) in Clyro near Hay on Wye. This is a great place to stay if you want to take the dog and do some walking, canoeing, cycling etc. The Baskerville Arms serves great food both in the evening and at breakfast time (although you may have to wait a little for your food at breakfast if a couple of families arrive at the same time as you) and they also serve great beer - they're in the good beer guide for 2009 apparently and its well deserved I can vouch for that!

If you fancy something a little more spicy to eat, you can't go far wrong with Red Indigo Indian Restaurant (http://www.redindigo.co.uk/) in Hay on Wye. The food was superb, the service was very professional but it may pay you to book ahead during busy weekends.

On the Saturday, we decided to do a walk taking in Hay Bluff - 677m (as recommended by my mate Rab in Brum). It took us a while to find it (head south out of Hay and after the Hay Cinema Bookshop, turn left for about a mile, road narrows and then bear right for a further 2-3 miles until you reach open land and a car park on the right just below a steep hill - Hay Bluff). The photo above shows the steep walk up to the path from the car park.

We planned to walk the ridge from Hay Bluff, taking in Twmpa - 689m (affectionately known as Lord Herefords Knob) and then on a little further to another peak and then return the way we came. The views from Hay Bluff are amazing and far reaching. The photo above shows Twmpa in the middle of shot.

Mean while, Herbie had found another game, splashing in all the puddles and discovering why the Black Mountains are probably so named. He was covered in head to toe with thick black mud and wouldn't go near a clear pool of water unless it had thick mud at the bottom of it. He was determined not to get clean for a while yet!

The path stretched out ahead of us with some fantastic walking, most of the hard work being done in the first 30 minutes to get to the top of Hay Bluff. You could see for miles up here, a great place for a day out.

Crossing the road coming down from Hay Bluff and on our way to Twmpa, you can see down the valley, this would make another good day out to explore. There's a great ridge walk heading out from Llanthony down this valley - we did it on the sunday when the weather wasn't as kind, I didn't fancy getting my camera out it was that wet but the views from the ridge would be amazing in better weather - we got soaked!

Photo above shows the view of Hay Bluff with the road below it whilst climbing up Twmpa. We decided to extend our walk today and walked for another 2 hours taking in the high point of the Black Mountains - Waun Fach - 811m. This isn't that much of a challenge although it did get very muddy towards the summit, something that Herbie just loved!

On our return we decided to head down an "obvious path" just before Twmpa and do a low level walk to return to the car - the views were just as good and the gliders were out taking advantage of the ridge - it felt like they were buzzing us.

We headed back to the Baskerville Arms for a much needed shower, good pub food and a much needed drink! We'll definitely be back to the Black Mountains - there's so much more to the Brecons than just Pen Y Fan.

Travel Photos - Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree Climb, Western Australia

2009-08-25T15:49:00.014+01:00

We had a busy morning before our drive thru the Blackwood Valley. A daunting prospect first thing was a scale up the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree near Pemberton(http://www.pembertontourist.com.au/). The tree has been pegged with steel spikes in the side and you just start at the bottom and walk up - sounds easy except this tree is 75m (that's 230 feet) high and you're not roped in or clipped in or anything! There is a half way station which is good but this also gives you a chance to chicken out as its here that the tree starts to sway in high winds!

Photo above is actually 2 photos stitched together as I couldn't get the tree in one shot, its that tall. Squally showers and a sign advising us not to climb in the wet put us off our first attempt which saw us reach the first platform, roughly half way up.

Photo above is from the half way station looking down.

After this “practice run” and a break in the rain we did the job properly and made the top of the 75m tree to see mist rising over the top of the forest. Its 135 steel pegs to the top of the fire lookout tree in Warren NP and its quite tiring and you do use muscles that you don't normally use (unless you're a fire lookout in Warren NP that is). A great sense of achievement hits you when you reach the top. But there's only one way down!

Lookout trees were used as an ingenious way to spot bushfires in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The Karri tree is the tallest tree in Australia and the 3rd tallest in the world. The views are amazing, even on a damp day, the photo below shows the mists rising above the forests as viewed from the 'summit' of the tree lookout.

You can still climb the trees as they are open to the public, the ones we know of are:

The Gloucester Tree in the Gloucester National Park is only 3kms from the Post Office in Pemberton. This is 60m high. Great views.

The Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree in the Warren National Park is a 15mins drive from the Pemberton township. It is 75m tall. Awesome.

The Diamond Tree in the Diamond Tree National Park is also a 15 minute drive from town.

You can get all the info you want by calling into the Pemberton Tourist Centre (http://www.pembertontourist.com.au/) for any information on these climbing Trees. They are open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm.

Travel Photos - Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

2009-08-25T08:00:00.001+01:00

After breakfast, we popped down to see the falls – we couldn’t believe that we’d been in Victoria Falls for 3 days and hadn’t seen them yet. The falls have been hyped up since 1855 when Dr Livingstone first set eyes on them. As we got nearer the gentle rumble reminded us that this is one of the finest natural spectacles on earth. It’s a World Heritage Site and one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World – it’s the largest curtain of falling water on the planet! We weren’t disappointed – the spray covers you from head to toe – it’s actually really refreshing. The noise is amazing, the volume of water and the shear power is incredible – 9 million litres of water per second come over the falls in its height - it’s just such a fantastic site, just awesome!

The falls are located on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls is the name in use in Zimbabwe. The older, indigenous name of Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) is the name in official use in Zambia. The World Heritage List recognises both names. While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is claimed to be the largest. This claim is based on a width of 1,708 metres (5,600 ft) and height of 108 meters (360 ft), forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world. The falls' maximum flow rate compares well with that of other major waterfalls.

After a heavy night on a river cruise, aka booze cruise, we had fortunately not planned anything too demanding the next day. Helen and I went down to the border crossing and paid our $10 to go over to Zambia and see the falls from the Zambian side – they are supposed to be better from this side. They were, although with hangovers we didn’t completely appreciate them apart from the spray that we got – that really refreshed us temporarily. So we had seen the falls now from both the “Zim” and “Zam” sides.

The Victoria Falls Bridge crosses the Zambezi River just below the Victoria Falls and is built over the Second Gorge of the falls. As the river is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the bridge links the two countries and has border posts on the approaches to both ends, at the towns of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Livingstone, Zambia.

That afternoon we took the Flight of Angels! This is a helicopter ride over the falls – the falls were called the “Smoke that Thunders” long before Dr Livingstone came around the corner. You can see why when you’re up in the air – you can see the mist or spray of the falls from over 30km away. It was our first time in a Helicopter, it was just amazing. The flight was incredible, you got to realise exactly were we’d walked in the morning and it made us realise the enormity of the falls. It’s just like a huge gash in the land that water just seems to be falling into at a huge rate – absolutely stunning.

After our flight over the falls the helicopter swooped down and flew down the mighty Zambezi over all the rapids that we’d rafted down a few days before – the rapids didn’t look as bad 50 feet off the river. It wasn’t until we saw a raft in the river that it made you realise what we had done – this put some perspective on the river and made us appreciate how huge some of the rapids were.

If you're going to Zimbabwe, you've got to do Victoria Falls (aswell as Antelope Park) and if you're coming all the way to Vic Falls, you've got to see them by Helicopter, a real must!

Travel Photos - Lion Walk, Antelope Park, Zimbabwe

2009-08-23T18:20:00.014+01:00

During our travels in Africa, we visited Antelope Park (http://www.antelopepark.co.zw/) in Zimbabwe. Located just outside Gweru, the 3rd largest town in Zimbabwe, Antelope Park is a must see if you're coming to Zimbabwe. They say that you've got to see Victoria Falls when coming to Zimbabwe but hot on the trail of that is Antelope Park - you could spend weeks here quite easily, there is so much to do and see here - be sure to bring your cameras, its amazing. In fact, you could say that Antelope Park is what got Helen and I out travelling round the world.

Helen was thinking about leaving her job and her plan was, in between jobs, she would do some volunteer work. She'd done quite a bit of research in to this and was seriosuly considering it and had come across Antelope Park in her research. You could spend several weeks here, helping them research the lions and helping out on the rehabilitation projects they have going on here. Antelope Park is about all sorts of animals but it was the lions that Helen was particularly interested in.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was going to join her on 2 weeks holiday whilst she was out here when it suddenly dawned on us that we could both do something like that, then it got expanded to "lets travel to Africa for 2 months", then, well, "we could just go over to Nepal aswell whilst we were doing Africa" and before you know it, the plan was to go off travelling round the world. And we owe it all to Antelope Park!

Anyway, whilst at Antelope Park, one of the must do's is the walk with the lion "cubs" - this conjours up all sorts of images of fluffy little bundles of joy. We started off just walking out into the plains with a couple of guides. They explained that as part of the rehabilitation programme, they like to walk with the cubs to get them used to going out in their pride, we would be part of their pride today. We got so far and then saw our cubs, 3 of them, come running towards us. They looked like fully grown lions! All sorts of nightmares went through your mind at this point - had they let out the wrong lions? were these just 3 wild lions? were we breakfast for these 3 lions? etc etc. This was very scary as they came running at us. The guides were great, told us not to panic and we all calmed down. Besides we’d been given a stick each to pat the lion on the nose when they give us a “naughty look”. “When will we know what one of those is?” we asked, “oh, you’ll know” they said.

Their names were Phyre, Praise and Paka. They were about 18months old, stood about 1 metre high and nose to tail tip about 2.5 metres long. They were gorgeous.

The lions came amongst us and were just roaming free, just left to their own devices. At once point a lion lay down and we could crouch down (but not sit so you could get away quickly) next to it, that was amazing!

You were always on your guard, these were wild lions that were being rehabilitated to be let out into the wild, they weren't pets. At one point when we crouching by one of the lions it moved one of its paws a little quickly, we were up on our feet as quick as a flash. Their pads are enormous and they have claws!

Another lion got up a tree, almost on cue for a photo call and just lay in the tree with its front legs just resting over the branch of the tree – a perfect photo opportunity. It took the guides about 10 inutes to get her out of the tree. Volunteers were recording the behaviour of these 3 lions, whilst out on the walk all the time, what they ate, did, etc ready for their release.

Then towards the end, so that to leave us in no doubt whatsoever, they started to have a little fight over a sod of grass. The roars were real and very loud. They were so quick with their legs to hit each other on the nose – we had been sat next to these just 10 minutes before and that could easily be our forearm they were lashing out at. It was truly an amazing experience, wild lions just walking around the group, fantastic!

Travel Photos - White Water Rafting, Zambezi, Zimbabwe

2009-08-20T21:52:00.017+01:00

One of our days in Vic Falls we went off in the morning for our White Water Rafting adventure. We had a large agricultural truck that we all had to clamber in and sit on the make shift seats that someone had put in the back of this truck – this was our transfer to the mighty Zambezi River. Helen was pretty calm I have to say, unusually so actually – she hates being dunked under water and yet here she was going white water rafting – I thought that she must know what she’s doing. They showed us a video of what may happen when we get thrown out of the raft. This detailed being sucked under by eddies, raft flipping over on top of us and the technique of getting back in the raft which involves someone dunking you under so that the life vest will pop you back up and give you enough momentum to pull us back in the raft. I turned to Helen thinking, excellent adventure, to see her crying – and she hadn’t even reached the river yet! She hadn’t thought that she may be thrown from the raft, let alone sucked under by eddie currents! I managed to calm her down a little but she was a little anxious to say the least.

We got to the river, or should I say the cliff above the river. The river looked quit calm and peaceful from up here. We had to walk, in our flip flops, down a wooden ladder built out of tree branches, to the river, 300 metres below where we were standing. A bit hectic. We reached the Zambezi river to meet our raft guides. We proceeded to have a practice of jumping out of the raft and getting back in, all in calm water, not much of a realistic practice I thought.

We setoff – some of the rapids are scary enough to have names – Washing Machine, Terminator 1 and 2, Double Trouble, Oblivion etc. Others were just numbers like Rapid # 14. The first “rapid” we came to wasn’t even named and wasn’t really a rapid, just a ripple in the water but it flipped about 5 of us out nevertheless including Helen and I. We got Helen back in but she looked petrified. I asked her whether she wanted to go in the safety raft (which still had to shoot the rapids) and she later said that she just wanted to be with me as she knew I would look after her. It turns out that this was probably the best thing for her.

We went down all the rapids, some of the better rapids I've uploaded videos of - Rapid 11 (no name) is above.

Above here is Rapid 13, named "The Mother". It was an odd thing, the rapids that looked really bad from a distance, we just floated over and the rapids that looked like we'd just float over gave us a really hard time, or threw us out of the raft or just simply flipped us, very weird.

Rapid 16B (above) flipped the raft completely so that Helen and I were just flipped 6 foot in the air over the top of the raft and plonked in the water which was just sucking you under and throwing you further down the river – all pretty amazing and adrenalin pumping stuff – I loved it. Helen was getting used to it but couldn’t really say that she was liking any of it really. The other boat in our group wanting to emulate our flip but couldn't, so they just dived into the Zambezi - Mad!

Rapid 18 - Oblivion (video above, photo below) was an interesting one.

We got down it having gone over 2 grade 5 rapids, these are the largest grade rapid that you can go over in a commercial trip, it was amazing. You could tell when there was a good rapid coming up, you could hear it before you could see it, that just added to the moment. One of the rapids, The Washing Machine I think, just kept the boat stationery but still it was riding the waves, just like a bucking broncho, it seemed like ages we were in it but we eventually got out and continued on our way.

Some of the highlights are shown in the video above.

Later on down the river, they let us just jump in the river and float down the rapids, they were only grade 2’s, this was quite exhilarating – Helen stayed in the boat and was worried for me but it was all fine. One of our guides in the kayak went for a surf - see video above.

It was such a fantastic adventure, I’d definitely do it all over again but don’t think I can say the same for Helen but I was still so proud of her for completing it. What a day!

Travel Photos - Skydive Swakopmund, Namibia

2009-08-19T21:19:00.002+01:00

Our Oasis leader had taken bookings some days before for Skydiving here in Swakopmund and to many people’s surprise, 23 out of 25 of us on the overland truck were signed up, even Vera and Malcolm! I wasn’t nervous, I knew I would be just before jumping out, but not now, I was really looking forward to it. It was one of my things to do on our travels anyway, I hadn’t imagined doing it in Namibia but heh, what the hell! Helen was also doing it which was great.

We got to the club to find a well organised skydive club. We were with Ground Rush Adventures in Swakopmund (http://www.skydiveswakop.com.na/) At the club we were told that they were short of instructors so we could only do it 2 at a time, so there may be a bit of a wait for some of us. This may or may not have suited us. Fortunately the sky dive club had a bar, so a couple, not many, of beers did the trick. The first few guys went up and 15 minutes later came back on such a high it was amazing just to watch. We all ran out onto the runway to see the first few come back, they were all grinning from ear to ear. A party atmosphere soon developed, with people either drinking excessively after their jump or slowly before the jump. We seemed to be quite a long way down the list; once Vera and Neil came back all smiles, this relaxed Helen. She saw how they had such a great time and weren’t at all scared that she seemed to lose some of her fear.

It was soon our turn and as we donned jumpsuits and met our instructors/tandem masters (I had Henrie and Helen had Eddie with Mathias jumping to video us) I began to get really excited. I’d wanted to skydive ever since seeing the film Pointbreak with Keanu Reeves. I wanted to feel the exhilaration of free fall, having your arms and legs out in a star shape just hurtling towards the earth at over 100mph! And the idea of "jumping out of a perfectly good aeroplane" also appealed. They gave us some simple instructions which I have to say I probably wasn’t concentrating on – apparently there were 3 things before you jumped, head back, arms crossed until we clear of the plane and something else which escaped me. Helen seemed quiet but just that, not nervous at all, just quiet; although you never can tell. We crossed the runway in our tight jumpsuits, which just added to the whole experience – they were bright orange! We boarded our plane to discover that the pilot looked like a beach bum with flip flops, the plane was stuck together with sticky tape on the windows and the plane itself was just a Cessna with the back seats taken out! This wasn’t the time to start thinking about health and safety stuff like that, I had to concentrate on enjoying the adrenaline pumping round my body.

We got on the plane, all bundled together and in the right sequence so that we could jump together, bearing in mind that we had to strap two lots of people together during the flight. As we took off, the plane was really small and it reminded me of our flight to Zanzibar, although we weren’t about to “jump out of a perfectly good airplane” on that trip. I started to talk to Henrie, just to take my mind off what we were about to do. Henrie chatted back but Eddie (Helen’s tandem guy) was very quiet but that suited Helen, she just wanted to be in control of her own thoughts. The plane climbed and climbed and Henrie’s altimeter click over until we just approaching 10,000 feet. 2 minutes to go. Henrie and Eddie strapped us in so that they were behind us. Henrie gave a few last words of advice, this could have been anything really, I just wasn’t listening. I heard the bit about edging to the edge of the door and I would be dangling outside whilst he sat just inside the door. God! What am I doing? Am I completely insane? Helen looked really worried, but I tried to smile to her to comfort her but I think the look on my face, which wasn’t a smile apparently, just made her feel worse.

Then Mathias edged towards the door and opened it up like a roller door on a stationery cupboard. The noise was amazing s the wind whistled around the aircraft. He then stepped out onto the wing strut – this slightly panicked me but then no time to think about that as Henrie gestured for us to edge towards the door – what the hell was I doing? – a quick question to check that Henrie had actually strapped us together and before I knew I was dangling out of the plane whilst Henrie sat on the edge pointing to first Helen and the Mathias, he pulled my head back and then we were off! The initial sinking feeling you get as you launch yourself off anything (cliffs, planes, ropes, rollercoasters) lasted about 2 seconds and then, Oh my God, we were free falling! We did seem to be doing rather a lot of tumbling. This lasted for about 20 seconds or so.

Eventually Henrie sorted us out and we were actually free falling in the star position. I could see the whole skeleton coast, we were miles up, literally but there was no feeling of height at all. It was an amazing feeling, I was loving it. After about what seemed like only 2-3 seconds of free falling in the star position, Henrie gave the up signal to signify that the chute was going to be pulled and then we were floating down. Henrie gave me a go on the rip cords to control the shoot left and right and the speed of descent. This was also amazing. Before I knew it the ground started to approach us very quickly, we landed as smooth as anything. What a fabulous feeling, what a high. I instantly turned round to Henrie to hug him, right at that moment I loved him, I loved everyone, what an amazing experience. Fi came running up and hugged me, it was such a feeling of elation. Helen was soon down on the ground aswell, also on a high. We hugged each other. Helen was glad to be down on the ground, I would happily do it again right now!

In the Skydive club, we sank a couple of beers quite quickly whilst they prepared the video they’d just shot of us. 10 minutes and 2 beers later, they were showing our skydive. As I came out of the plane, I just tumbled for about 20 seconds, everyone just turned and looked at me, oh my God they were all saying. It hadn’t felt that bad up there but it looked really bad. Henrie came back from another jump and laughed and also said he wouldn’t go with me again! It turned out that the 3 simple things they’d told us about, well I’d only done 2 of them! I’d forgotten to put my legs under the fuselage which creates the dish shape necessary for hitting the freefall position as soon as we leave the aircraft! Ooops! I felt cheated that I hadn’t had my 30 seconds of freefall like others had, after all that’s what I wanted to do it for. We’d had a good time anyway and the evening continued with a very boozy affair and a traditional brai (barbecue with plenty of meat) which we all thoroughly enjoyed and can’t remember much about after midnight. What a brilliant day it had been.

Needless to say, I went back the next day and did it all again and properly this time. My tandem master was Eddie the second time, Henrie was apparently "busy" that day!

Travel Photos - Zorbing, Rotorua, New Zealand

2009-08-11T22:11:00.020+01:00

From Hobbiton (aka Matamata) we cruised east towards Rotorua and stopped for a quick burst of zorbing. Relatively new and all the rage – the Zorb looked a bit dull to me after all the adrenalin pumping activities we’ve experienced but I was wrong. It was brilliant fun and we laughed and laughed all the wet, slidy way down –twice!

The guys at Zorb Rotorua (http://www.zorb.com/zorb/rotorua/) were very friendly and hospitable. You have your choice of the wiggly route down or straight down the hill, we tried both but straight down is more fun and faster! There's really nothing like it - its just one of those things you have to try before you die. And so simple.....

.....get in this big ball.....

.....at the top of the hill.....

.....we'll just put some water in there with you!....

.....when we tell you, stand up and walk forward.....

.....enjoy the ride down.....

.....drop out the other end.....

.....victory jump with mad Kiwi.....

Great fun - do it!

Travel Photos - Walking in the Drakensberg, South Africa

2009-08-07T19:03:00.013+01:00

We had been touring the garden route in South Africa and on our way to Johannesburg, we called in at the Drakensberg mountains for a few days. We based ourselves at a rather plush lodge, Inkosana Lodge (http://www.inkosana.co.za/). Although it calls itself a backpackers, its a rather up market backpackers and you really need your own transport to get to it and to get around here. The meals at the lodge are excellent and the grounds have great gardens and spectacular views of the high peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains.

The host here at Inkosana is a serious walker/trekker and mountaineer from what I could establish although he's quite shy. We opted to stay in one of the thatched rondavels that have their own bathroom with an open air/ensuite shower, very comfortable. Inkosana is highly recommended for both location, facilities and atmosphere.

We did some low level walks to start with in the rolling, lower hills of the Little 'Berg. The scenery here was fantastic although we were hampered with bad weather on our visit but the scenery was still great. You could see for miles even in this weather, it'd be fantastic on a clear day.

The terrain just looked like it had been played with by some giant and molded to suit there needs at that particular time. It was good to be active again having spent so long in trucks and the car, but I had forgotten what a tiring pastime it was!

The landscape here is both beautiful and dramatic. Gigantic hills roll into infinity cloaked in a soft green baize which as they tower upwards gives way to the rocky outcrops of the rugged mountain peaks.

In fact, Drakensberg means “Dragon mountain” and the grey craggy band which runs round the hills in the Monks Cowl area suggests that whilst arguing about the rights to the mountains, the legendary dragons divided the land by cutting though it with a blunt knife.

We walked Mandi Falls, Blind Mans Corner and Sterkhorn. We then went on to to tackle the 1 day hike to Sentinel Peak/Beacon Buttress and Tugela Falls. There are 2 stunning trails to the Tugela Falls. The most spectacular trail is to the top of Mount-Aux-Sources, which starts at the Sentinel car park at Witsieshoek via Phuthadjhaba from where it is a relatively easy climb to the top of the Amphitheatre, however it does take about 4.5 to 8 hours round trip depending on fitness level. You can gain easy access to the summit via two chain ladders . These chain ladders are a great adenaline rush - there are no clip in rails and both ladders are used for going up and down. The ladder ascent is over vertical rockface and is probably about 100m. Coming down is probably the worst bit or best depending on your point of view. The views are spectacular from the ladders, if you can look that is.

Once at the top, its a short walk to the edge of the escarpment and to Tugela Falls.

Tugela Falls is the world's second highest waterfall. The total drop in five free-leaping falls is 3,110 feet or 947m. The drop off is vertical, so tread carefully, the views are out of this world, what an awesome place and walk! If you're only going to do one walk in the Drakensberg, make it this one!

Travel Photos - Whale sharks, Exmouth - Western Australia

2009-08-06T20:51:00.019+01:00

This day may have just been one of the best day trips we've ever done! We were at Ningaloo Reef - Exmouth in Western Australia. The guys we went with from Exmouth were 3 Islands Marine Charters - (http://www.whalesharkdive.com/). They are a great bunch of guys who really do want to look after the whale sharks as well as the customers. None of the whale shark tours are cheap and so we wanted to get this decision right. As soon as we met the guys the next morning, we felt quite assured that we had made exactly the right decision going with 3 Island Marine - they wanted to look after us right from the off. There's also heaps of information given on the trip about the whale sharks and their habits, markings etc.

The excursion to see the whale sharks started well with an offshore breeze flattening out the swell we had experienced on earlier trips. Our practice snorkel was brilliant – a stingray on the ocean floor and then a huge cod fish – my god, I thought they came the size of the batter on your plate. And then a moray eel, mooching at the foot of the coral – and yes that was impressive too. Large “bombies” sprouting roundly out of the sand. Then two more rays – one huge and black, his edges curled at the sides. Exciting and scary all at once. There was plenty of other fish too including cute banded anemone fish like nemo.

Back on the boat we headed out of a gap in the reef and it wasn’t long before the spotter plane had our first target whale shark, it loomed like a large shadow gliding across the surface. I shivered with chill from the breeze and with excitement, I was right on edge, I knew it would be special. We slid into the water and ducked under to be met by a huge gaping mouth – oh my god – I wanted to scream and shout with excitement but I daren’t take my eyes off the beautiful bluey, grey creature in front of me least it disappeared into the murky shadows without me. We swam fast – this lady wasn’t hanging around. I could hardly contain myself but back on the boat I was almost speechless; in awe of such magnificent being – so powerful and yet so docile, gliding through the water, mouth agape with gills pulsating and a slow rhythmic wave of the tail.

On our third swim I found myself almost along on his right side, conscious of the conservation rules I was trying to keep my 3m distance but he kept coming at me, turning towards me so close I could almost touch his smooth, uniquely patterned skin. He was curious, who was this strange sea creature starring so intently at him as he went about his daily life. But I was nervous – it was both incredible and frightening, totally exhilarating being the focus of his attention and vice versa.

After a couple more swims we broke for lunch, totally fulfilled, our expectations already exceeded. Lunch was fabulous by the way.

We then spotted a large group of Manta Rays outside the reef on the way home - this was more than the icing on the cake – it challenged the whale sharks for amazement. We counted up to ten rays after hastily donning our wetsuits again and sliding in with them. They were curious too – it was a wonderful spectacle as they dived and glided about us – almost brushing past, mouths open filtering the plankton. Rays are magnificent creatures, large and other-worldly, the things of sci-fi films – but these are harmless and gentle. As they performed their dinner-dance around us we could see right inside, white internal stripes imitating a rib cage. One was unusually black all over and came up right underneath me; I held my breath and marvelled at every inch of his vast body. After several minutes, they went on their way, unknowingly having given a small group of people an experience of a lifetime. I’ll sleep well tonight!

Video below of our whale shark encounters

Short video below of the manta rays - amazing!

Travel Photos - Canyoning and Mountain Biking in Dalat, Vietnam

2009-08-02T11:25:00.013+01:00

We were working our way down Vietnam by train. The trains are a very reasonable way to travel and easy to book once you've worked out the various classes - hard seat, hard seat with aircon, soft seat, soft seat with aircon etc.

We had decided to head off to Dalat in the mountains - the only way there is really by bus. We caught one of the dire open tour buses. They are crowded, stop every 5 minutes to pick up every waif and stray that the driver knows and are hardly ever air conditioned, despite what the tourist offices say. So sure enough, on our open tour bus to Dalat from Nha Trang, our 5 hour journey became a 6 hour journey but as long as you don't mind this and expect it, then all is fine.

Our Hotel were as good as their word. We'd booked them by email and sure enough there was someone from the hotel there to pick us up and in fact we were being whisked away to our hotel before many of the people had even collected their luggage. We had chosen the Dreams Hotel (email - dreams@hcm.vnn.vn). It was great value for money, clean and close to town.

After an initial mooch around Dalat, we ate in the restaurant across the road - HNL Famille restaurant, great food and very friendly staff.

We'd come to Dalat to see a different side to Vietnam and to get some adrenaline pumping round our bodies again. Dalat is certainly different - its unlike any other place in Vietnam. Its way up in the Central Highlands but it caters for all types of tourist, from backpackers to plush hotels. Its also a favourite haunt of Vietnamese artists but its certainly the jewel in the mountains.

We booked our 2 days of adrenaline pumping action with Phat Tire Ventures (http://www.phattireventures.com). This is a good, reliable outfit with keen locals itching to show you a good time. But the guides are also thoroughly trained and red cross certified and they can all speak English, French and some Japanese. They offer various tours ranging from a gentle cycle around the outskirts of town to a full on, ass-kicking downhill ride of 120km to Mui Nhe Beach. We opted for a 2 day tour, consisting of canyoning followed by a day of mountain biking.

Our first day started with a gentle abseil down a dry cliff to some water below. The day just got better and better. This was followed by a gentle abseil on some dripping rocks, this was quickly followed up by some serious waterfalls to abseil down - very wet and fantastic fun! Our guides were always finding something new to thrill us with.

The picture below is one of us abseiling down into the "Washing Machine" - and in case your wondering, yes the rope was a little short and yes we just dropped off the end of the line straight into this flurry of a waterfall. The current is such that you just pop out the other end, but great fun, especially as you go down, no one at the top can see you and realises that rope is short (deliberately so). Great fun, a real buzz!

We had a "rest" at a smaller waterfall but our guides found a way that we could keep moving, even on gentle watefalls - they'd discovered a slide within the waterfall, that with some gentle coaxing, your body could be persuaded to take the right direction down the shoot into the water below - see video below.

The 2nd day was equally as good, with great downhills and some punishing uphills on our mountain bikes. The scenery was amazing and we loved every minute of both days - Ace!

We can highly recommend the guys at Phat Tire Ventures (PTV), they keep good quality kit, both for canyoning and mountain biking, they are all an extremely professional bunch but who make sure that you have a great time, whatever tour you decide to do. So if your going to Dalat, the best way to see more of the mountains is with these guys. Do it!

Travel Photos - Skiing in the 3 Valleys, France

2009-08-02T08:45:00.018+01:00

Skiing in the 3 Valleys in France is a skiers paradise - there are 600km of groomed slopes across the 3 Valleys. The Valleys are Val Thorens, Meribel and Courcheval. We stop in the Val Thorens Valley but not in Val Thorens itself - this tends to resemble a bit of a concrete jungle. We stay in the little village of St Martin de Belleville which is at 1450m above sea level and now has a gondola serving the village - it used to be a chair lift which was a bit chilly first thing in the morning. St Martin does not have bars staying open all night but rather is a quiet, civilised place. For a more lively time, you want to consider Meribel.

We always stay at the Ski L'Alpage chalet (http://www.alpage.co.uk/) run by Alison and Rob. The accommodation is very comfortable, the food is great and Rob and Alison always make everyone feel so welcome - Rob's jokes could do with improving! Most days Rob and Alison offer to show you around the slopes, avoiding the queues and taking us to out of the way, but great places for lunch. Its a fantastic package that they offer. You have to get your own way there either by flying, by train or as we do, by car. It takes about 11 hours door to door but we usually stop around Dijon on the way down.

Slope down to Meribel

From the top of the St Martin gondola, there's a 4 man chairlift that whisks you to the top, from here you can ski to anywhere within the 3 Valleys with Meribel being the next valley over. It's quite possible to be in the Courcheval Valley by 10:30am without any effort at all. Be careful not to miss your last lifts out of Courcheval or Meribel as its an expensive taxi ride round the valleys back home!

Once back to St Martin de Belleville, there is a drink waiting for you at any of the watering holes in the village - our favourites being either L'Eterlou at the bottom of the nursery slope or the Piano Bar just behind the church.

In 2009, Helen and I had jumping lessons to try and master the art of "getting air". See Helen putting this into practise above - she even landed it, honest! This was great fun and our instructor was very helpful. We hired him for just 2 hours one day and he gave us tips on our technigue aswell as showing us how to get air - its a confidence thing more than anything.

My favourite slope in the 3 Valleys? Well there are several, Jerusalem is a good run down to St Martin at the end of the day - great rollers that you feel like your flying over but for me, one of the best slopes (when its not crowded) is Combe Saulire in the Courcheval Valley (pictured above and below). It can get crowded but is beautiful if you catch early in the morning after its been bashed overnight. It has a steep entrance from Saulire but this shallows out quite soon after. After a burn down Combe Saulire, try the bowls on the righthand side of the green piste into Courcheval, they're great fun.

The 3 Valleys is probably one of the best ski resorts in Europe, once you've been there you'll be spoiled and the only other places to go for the range of slopes is then America or Canada!

Travel Photos - Wiltshire, UK

2009-07-31T18:18:00.005+01:00

This is my home, it has been since 2003. I've worked for Wiltshire based companies for over 20 years but only took the plunge to move here a few years ago. A far cry from Birmingham! Probably rather disappointingly, I haven't got any decent photos of Stonehenge or Avebury or Salisbury Cathedral but I'm determined to get some one day, honest!

The countryside here is amazing, great places for riding (Helen loves this) and cycling, one of my passions - both road and mountain biking are equally accommodated here. Quiet lanes with little traffic or steep, chalky tracks off Salisbury Plain, take your pick.

Crop circles are another thing that Wiltshire is famous for - I'm not too sure about these but they pop up all over the place - the one above appeared not too far from us in 2009. They come in all shapes and sizes with people travelling from miles around to see them.

We also have some great country pubs such as the Kings Arms in all Cannings (http://www.kingsarmsallcannings.co.uk/) or the Millstream in Marden (http://www.the-millstream.co.uk/). The Kings Arms serves great food and wins prizes for its Beer - Wadworths 6X is my favourite. The Millstream has a lovely garden, is quite a bit more pricey but is great for an afternoons drink in the summer sunshine or a meal on a special occasion.

Walking on the Marlborough Downs or in the Pewsey Vale is wonderful and we often take Herbie (our dog) out there for long walks, it's such an idyllic place and the scenery is just so varied.

We love Wiltshire, wide open spaces, nice people, great pubs, we couldn't ask for anything more!

Travel Photos - Sailing in Gibraltar & Morocco

2009-07-23T22:13:00.019+01:00

I'd never been to Gibraltar and hadn't really read too much about it, so I arrived with a completely open mind. Gibraltar town is quite quaint, the shops on the main high street are mainly touristy - alcohol, watch and souvenir shops but there is a Marks and Spencer if you need the real comforts of the UK. Yes, there are red post boxes, yes all the bobbies look english and yes everywhere takes sterling.

We came here on a sailing course, namely the RYA competent crew and day skipper courses - this was no holiday, we were here to learn and to do 2 exams in the process! We'd booked it through Hot Liquid (http://www.hotliquid.co.uk/). These are a friendly bunch of guys who have just opened up in Gibraltar but who have been running courses in Southampton for some years now - the reason for Gibraltar is that its tidal and you really need this to get your day skippers ticket. They are thinking of opening up in Antigua aswell. Their instructors are top notch, Simon was ours and he was brilliant.

We arrived and got to know our fellow sailors (Louise, Christian, Joe on our boat and Melissa, Peter, Mark, Steve and Sam on the other boat) over a beer or two and we were then introduced to our boat - ours was a 36' Bavaria called "Liquid Inferno" which was comfy enough.

We had 5 days of competent crew practical - this was all about crewing a boat including handling a boat under sail and engine. The layout of the days was very casual, we'd set sail from whereever we'd moored up, sail around, learn some drills such as man over board, use of the dinghy tender, reefing sails etc and then head into a port. We didn't always return to Gibraltar, we sailed up the coast to Spain, visiting a few ports including Sotogrande (see 2 piccies below). Once we'd moored up, we would put the boat to bed, wash her down etc and then head off for a much needed beer and some food.

The next 4 days was back to the classroom to learn the Day Skipper theory. We were staying onboard the boats so we didn't need to move accommodation. This was very intensive but the first 5 days we'd had made it easier as we'd covered a lot of this in the practical competent crew course.

At the end of the 4 days we had to sit 2 exams - aaarghh! The first time I'd sat exams for over 20 years. For the theory course we had some new recruits - Kate, Ruth and Jack and we lost Peter and Mark (not literally).

We had some R&R to discover Gibraltar - we decided to go and visit "the Rock" and see its famous inhabitants.

path off the rock with Africa in background

After this it was back to the boats for the practical side of day skipper, we pottered around in Gibraltar Bay dodging the ferries, fast cats and tankers - all great experience. We also crossed the Straits of Gibraltar 4 times, once at night. The wind varied considerably from no wind whatsover to a force 6 - the force 6 was at night! The night crossing was great fun, but serious still, we had to spot the ships just from the light configurations we'd learnt the previous 4 days and alter course accordingly . We got to Ceuta (Morocco) by 1:30 and proceeded to the bar arriving back onboard at 6:30am - a good night was had by all!

Another crossing of the straits took us to Port Marina Smir, also in Morocco - this was a more laid back affair with beers onboard in the evening.

Our return was supposed to be up the coast to Spain but a valuable lesson was learnt in tidal currents on our way back. We hadn't set the right course to steer to make Spain and so back to Gib it was - this wasn't too bad as we were getting quite used to dining out at the Waterfront Restaurant at Queensway Marina (http://www.gibwaterfront.com/) - very nice!

All in all, we had a thoroughly great time and got our day skippers ticket into the bargain. I can thoroughly recommend Gibraltar and Hot Liquid for sailing - tremendous fun.

Dolphins off the bow of Liquid Inferno courtesy of Alan Briggs.

Travel Photos - Sailing in the Whitsundays, Australia

2009-07-23T17:36:00.014+01:00

This is a must do if you get the chance. We chartered our yacht from Charter Yachts Australia in Airlie Beach (http://www.charteryachtsaustralia.com.au/) - they are a friendly bunch of guys who are keen for you to have a fantastic time aswell as being safe. They took us through a safety briefing and over the yacht. We took out a 40' Catalina called "Satori" - very roomy down below and a real comfortable boat for the 2 of us to sail albeit a little large for our needs but that made it that much more comfortable.

We loaded our provisions on board and we were off - how scary! We anchored the first night just round the corner in a bay, this gave us time to get used to the boat.

As you can see, below decks was very comfy and we had all the room we needed. The next day we headed over to Hook Island and dropped anchor in bay over here. After an evenings snorkel towing the tender behind us we had dinner and then a drink up on deck watching the sun go down. It was fantastic to have sailed to this place ourselves, dropped anchor, had a snorkel and then just to have drinks and be here all on our own. We were loving it.

"Satori" moored to a buoy at South Molle Island.

The next few days we had to meet up with the guys from the charter company as we had a problem with our water on board. After this we decided to head through the straits between Hook Island and Whitsunday Island on our way to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. We came across a family of whales just before the straits, we stayed and watched them for a while and then headed off to Whitehaven Beach - what a fabulous place this is, one of the best beaches I've ever been to. We got there before the day trippers and had the place to ourselves - we dropped anchor and boarded the tender and headed off to the beach. The sand was silky smooth and practically white - what a fabulous place. We played around for the morning here and had lunch onboard.

Whitehaven Beach

As we headed back up to Hook Island we encountered some more whales - a mother and calf this time. We dropped the sails and put on our motor and just pottered around here for a while. The whales swam under our boat and were just as curious about us as we were of them. We were there for about 45 mins just watching the whales. A fabulous experience and even better for the fact we hadn't had to go on a trip or excursion to see them, they were just here, with us.

We headed back up to HookIsland for more snorkelling and watched the sun go down - with a drink on deck obviously.

We crossed the sea towards South Molle Island - we had a fabulous crossing, the wind was a south easterly and this meant that we were on a beam reach for most of the crossing with a force 4 wind, it was perfect sailing conditions. (see photo above) - even Helen had a turn on the helm! This was amazing and made me want to take sailing up further.

We moored up at a buoy at South Molle, jumped in the tender to pay our mooring fees and then climbed up the hill on South Molle to take a look - see photo above. What a view!

All in all, we had a fabulous time around the Whitsundays, we'd highly recommend it to anyone, its perfect sailing even for the novice and the views are out of this world.

Travel Photos - Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

2009-06-25T21:56:00.013+01:00

We went with world Expeditions on this trip - it was actually the 2nd week of 2, the first being a safari in Tanzania. The guys from World Expeditions (http://www.worldexpeditions.com/) are professional and friendly, we cannot recommend them enough. It's recommended that you do some aclimatisation before attempting Kili as it gives you a better chance of making the summit. Our safari was good as we were camping at around 2500m above sea level which gave our bodies that time to get used to the altitude.

Kili Mountain Resort to Simba Camp (2700m) 13th Jan 2007
A nervous start this morning with a big breakfast in anticipation of the climb. We arrive at the foothills where over 40 porters sat under the trees hoping for work – 30 would be for our team of 9 climbers and 3 guides – a real expedition. We walked “pole pole” up a woodland path until the heavens opened and arrived in camp (2700m) wet but not tired. Today had been a “piece of cake”!

Kikelelwa Caves (3600m) 14th Jan 2007
We ascended 900m today – 3 hours before lunch and 3 after. We had soup and cake in the 2nd cave. The porters are amazing – they leave at the same time or after us and by the time we arrived at the cave, the toilet tent was up and cake, bread, fruit and salad laid out on the table – the soup was served as soon as we were seated. Again when we arrived at camp, everything was setup with tea and peanuts on the table. The walk today was good. I felt a little weak before our second break – quite steep here. But after chocolate and a banana I was fine. I felt very fresh the second half of the day (rain again!) and Helen seemed strong too. I’ve had my fingers crossed for us both – and the group. I hope we all make it. Tonight at 3600m (11° C in tent – cold) (Dave 78bpm, Helen 72bpm)

Mawenzi Tarn (4330m) 15th Jan 2007
Another 750m today but no rain. The terrain was rocky and steep but the slow pace made it quite manageable. Beginning to notice the altitude – trying to do anything quickly gets you out of breath. As we walked today we crossed a lot of volcanic fall out – pumice rocks and scree. As we scrambled over some Steve pointed out a large “toobe”, where the lava had flowed so fast it made a wave and then set, having a hollow centre. I found my heart shaped pumice at the beginning of today’s walk. Tonight at 4330m we arrived at camp for lunch (“owl pellet” sausages and roast potatoes) and snoozed in the afternoon. Helen and I sat in the tent after popcorn and sang songs with the mp3 player!!

Kibo Hut (4700m) 16th Jan 2007
A straight forward trek today of 4 hours across the saddle between Mawenzi Tarn and Kibo – it was like a desert, truly amazing. The last 50m was tough – we got a move on because rain was threatening and going quicker than normal we all felt the extra elevation. Fingers still crossed, I’m hopeful that we’ll make it and almost getting emotional. This morning both the ground outside and out tent zip was frozen, it was 9 °C in the tent – it’s cold in here now (4:30pm) and I’ve 3 layers on top and two below. I’m not looking forward to trying to sleep tonight.

Horombo (3700m) 17th Jan 2007

Well, as you can see from the piccies, we made it! All the way to Uhuru Peak – 5896m. It really hasn’t sunk in and we are shell shocked completely by the effort it has taken and the debilitating affect of the altitude – 3.5 miles above sea level. We were woken at 11pm after 4 hours sleep. At 12:15 we set off with head torches after biscuits and tea to the volcanic screed slopes. The slopes were frozen and we soon encounter deep snow and rocks as we zig-zagged our way up the mountain. The first half was fine – my breathing was controlled and I felt strong. A wall of snow at a 45 degree angle loomed above as far as my torchlight would allow me to see - a scary sight – this felt like a real expedition. We stopped briefly for drinks but it was too cold to hang around and after about half way my platypus nozzle froze so I tucked it in my neck scarf. Time dragged as we wearily plodded relentlessly in the dark and breathing became difficult. As we neared the top (Gilman’s point) Helen started to struggle – we had been hiking for over 5 hours in the dark and we were approaching 5700m. We paused briefly at Gilman’s before resuming our hike – now around the crater rim to Uhuru. The scenery was breathtaking but it was too much to take in; looking up from my next foot placement would send me into a dizzy spin which could potentially culminate in me toppling down the rocky crater slopes into the bowels of Kili itself. The route was well trodden snow but all around waist deep snow crystals twinkled in the light of the rising sun. But I couldn’t sight see, I couldn’t concentrate or think or breathe or walk. My head pounded and nausea gripped my throat. But somehow I made it – Helen and I encouraged each other, pausing slumped over to gasp for breath and rest weary limbs. Everybody was struggling, even some more so than me. Fraterin (the expedition leader) took Helen's pack and Charlie (lead guide) her hand to prevent me crumpling in a heap at the side of the snow trodden path. Eventually after what seems like an eternity we’d made it but all we wanted was to be back at Kibo. It was now 7:40am and respite was over 3 hours away down steep and loose screed. After a brief lunch we trekked another 2.5 hours to Horombo – at 3700m the air feels luxurious here and we are shattered. The hardest day of our lives and I cannot move another step.

Marangu (1900m) 18th Jan 2007

Descend to Marangu today not before the tipping ceremony and a song from our guides and porters - they have been an amzing bunch – really painful toes from “skiing” down Kili screed slopes – an agonizingly long way home, which should have been an easy trek.

Moivara Coffee Plantation 18th – 20th Jan 2007

Rest and recouperation – bought souvenirs and shipped them home.

Travel Photos - Highlands, Scotland

2009-06-25T21:30:00.019+01:00

Scotland - I'd spent so much time driving all over it for work but only occasionally had the oppurtunity to stay up there and enjoy it. This time, we decided to have some time off and really get out there and discover what it was all about.

We went to the Highlands of Scotland and based ourselves in Fort William - we tried to get a room in the Cruachan Hotel - an old favourite of mine - the host was just like Basil Fawlty but that was going back a few years. We couldn't get a room at the Cruachan (so Basil must have moved on) so instead stayed at the more reasonable travel inn but even they couldn't accommodate us all the nights we required so we treated ourselves and stayed at the Glenspean Lodge (http://www.glenspeanlodge.com/) at Roy Bridge just outside Fort William. This we can highly recommend - a well stocked bar/wine cellar, beautiful food and set amongst some outstanding natural scenery, it couldn't be better.

After filling our faces and trying more than our fair share of whiskies in the Glenspean Lodge, we headed off the next day to tackle Ben Nevis or "The Ben" as its affectionately known. The weather was good and the forecast was great. We parked in Glen Nevis, the traditional starting point and headed off. The weather was amazing as the photo above tells you - this was taken once you'd walked out of the Glen and started to climb. The views were fantastic.

After about 3.5 hours we reached the summit and were amazed to see snow, not just bits here and there either. There was about 4 foot of it and so near the edge that you couldn't safely stand there incase it was a cornice you were standing on, you just didn't know - see top photo - be warned, this was the month of June when we were walking aswell! This is as high as you can go in the UK and at 1344m its a little chilly even in the summer so go prepared.

For the decent, we decided to forego the abseil route down and headed for the more traditional, if not a bit scary Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête (see photo above). You need some modest scrambling techniques and a real head for heights. This gives amazing views all around and if you stop and turn around will give great views of the cliffs of the north face of "the Ben". It really gets your heart pumping in places.

Another day, we headed south of Fort William and drove through Glen Coe - that is an unbeliveable experience - the place is so huge with massive hills all around you and it really feels like you've stepped back in time to the days of the famous massacre of Glencoe - it has an eiry feel to it. We headed through Glen Coe and parked at the car park at the start of the descent down. We were tackling the Buachaille Etive Mor today or as its known to the climbing fraternity - "The Buachaille". From the A82 south of Glen Coe, the Buachaille looks like a perfect pyramid.

This is a great walk and from the top gives many options for routes to walk. The views aren't bad on a clear day aswell! The photo above shows the south entrance to Glen Coe from the summit. We passed a little snow here aswell.

You have so many walking options here in Scotland that its quite frustrating to pick the ones you want to do, frustrating because you have to leave other routes for another day.

Another great route is the Ring of Steall on the other side of Glen Nevis to that of "The Ben". This is another great walk. Drive to the end of Glen Nevis and continue to walk up the Glen until you reach a peaceful and flat valley floor - here you will find a wire bridge to cross (good fun!) and then go up and around the Devils Ridge to Sgurr a'Mhaim - you have a choice of routes but the Devils Ridge is a real thrill and has amazing views - again you need a good head for heights but its worth it.

One of the best experiences was on the way back home - we drove south through Glen Coe and then after starting to descend you reach some hairpin bends going down into the valley. On one of these bends is a layby where deer hang out occasionally. They are amazing, so serene and quiet. They are quite used to humans but please don't feed them! The views here are still amazing!

Scotland is far more than stag and hen parties in Glasgow and Edinburgh, its far more than the Edinburgh Tattoo or even the Edinburgh Festival in August. Venture out of these 2 cities and head in pretty much any direction and there is a whole outdoor life. The Borders, Fife, Aberdeenshire and even Dumfries and Galaway (just north of Carlisle). The trekking and walking oppurtunities are never ending, just park the car and walk for about an hour and you'll start discovering this fantastically beautiful country.

Travel Photos - Las Vegas, Nevada

2009-06-22T21:07:00.010+01:00

Las Vegas! Whatever anybody ever tells you, you've just got to go yourself to experience it. Some people say its tacky, others say I'm not into gambling so won't go, others simply love it but you've got to go at least once in your life to see it for yourself, whther you're into gambling or not. Where else can you see the New York Skyline over the road from the Eiffel Tower and just down the road from a pyramid?

Vegas totally exceeded my expectations. I was nervous about visiting this city. I was sure it wasn’t me – bright lights, late nights, busy streets, glitz, glamour, cheese and above all, casinos, just weren’t going to be my cup of tea. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Checking in at the Luxor (http://www.luxor.com/) I instantly felt at ease – the place was full of “normal” people and nobody was particularly over dressed. I was relieved my linen trousers and casual shirts would fit in here!

Once I’d breathed a sigh of relief I began to take in the surroundings – this wasn’t a hotel, it was another world! Men in suits drank cocktails in a posh bar with black leather seats, cars danced circles on revolving stands, huge Egyptian statues glared down from double story heights and people pumped money into row upon row of psycadelically lit slot machines. I had an insatiable urge to see more – this was a huge playground! It wasn’t just bars and casinos – there was so much more to see – concerts, cabarets, musicals, exhibitions and even the Professional Bull Riding World Finals. We were totally spoilt for choice.

We didn't stay long here but we had a busy 3 nights and 2 days here. It took me a while to get into the gambling, but free drinks whilst playing helped ease me in nicely and then I was hooked – 21, poker, Keno and roulette. I didn’t realise you could have so much fun sitting down! I was surprised how easy we could while away the hours just sitting tapping buttons at the slot machines – 3am wasn’t unusual for our stay here! We packed in the shows too, starting with an Elvis tribute - what else in Vegas?! Trent Carlini (http://www.thedreamking.com/) has dedicated his career to the King and he bought many incarnations of Elvis to the stage – black leather, GI uniform, Hawaiian shirts and glitzy bell bottoms in sparkly white. His crooked smile, manly swagger and signature hip swivels were Elvis to a tee and topped with the best of Elvis’s collection it was a night to remember – at times blurring the line between make believe and reality and concluding with a moving rendition of “My Way”. On our last night we took in another healthy dose of intoxicating hit music with the ABBA musical, Mamma Mia. A humorous storyline and a touch of slapstick comedy added to the lifting vibe and we were on our feet dancing for the finale. Real feel good, fun stuff and we came away vowing to repeat the experience in London.

The Professional Bull Riding (PBR) Finals were another unexpected find as we naively made our way to the Thomas and Mac Centre we found ourselves amid a throng of thousands of avid rodeo goers all set for an action-packed bull riding spectacular. Over 6 rounds, 45 of the worlds (mostly American!) best riders tried to outsmart best-in-the-business, mean, unpredictable 1 tonne bulls that bucked like Billy-o. It was a great show – thoroughly thrilling, heart in mouth entertainment and in a setting that contrasted wildly with the NT’s (Australia) Katharine! With all this, it’s hard to believe we found time to wander the “strip” and marvel at the creative genius of Vegas’ best theme-styled Hotel Casinos but you just have to as they are so amazing.

The grandeur of the Bellagio with its 8 acre lake (see photo above) and dancing fountains were mesmerizing and strangely moving, the shy painted ceilings and incredible indoor canal system of the Venetian (see photo below) would have been unbelievable anywhere other than Vegas, the MGM Grand – just that and New York, New York infuriatingly marvellous and even has a roller coaster running through it! Vegas was a whirlwind of excitement and entertainment. I was sad to leave and in a few short days had become quite attached to this bold, pulsating, crazy, funky and intoxicating universe. I was however totally knackered and not sure I could have managed another night anyway! It really has to be seen to be believed and to my utter amazement I actually loved it here, I will definitely be returning one day.

Travel Photos - Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti, Tanzania

2009-06-22T20:03:00.007+01:00

If you only go on one safari, make sure its Tanzania! I wasn't really prepared for how much I was going to enjoy this, yes, sure, Helen was into her animals and she had always wanted to go on Safari but I never fancied it somehow. I knew Helen would love it though and I'd even bought a camera especially for the photos we would take, my Canon DSLR! This would become the mainstay of my travel photos.

The group split up into 2 landrovers for our safari - we had gone with world expeditions (http://www.worldexpeditions.com/) which I can highly recommend for this sort of trip - small, personalised groups. On our way to the Ngorongoro Crater, we stopped at a viewing point (outside the crater) to see a few elephant and one giraffe half a mile away with binoculars, we were all in awe of what we seeing - our guides were grinning quietly to themselves. We arrived at the crater rim some 30 minutes later and we were worried of being disappointed in what lay ahead – the view into crater was spectacular in itself but from the rim it looked void of wildlife, apart from a few dark blobs scattered around. Once we descended into the crater however, disappointed we most certainly were not!

It didn't matter were you looked, there was wildlife all around, elephant at 10 o'clock, lions at 3 o'clock, zebras at 6 o'clock, wildebeest at 8 o'clock etc. It was like jurassic park but for real! You didn't have to work at spotting the wildlife, it was amazing. We spent the afternoon in the crater. I would never have believed the diversity of animals and how well they share the area. wildebeest, buffalo, zebra, Thompson and Grant Gazelles, warthogs, hyenas were all abundant. We got close to African elephants and 2 young lioness snoozing on a mound. Later a small group of lions dozed 10 metres from the truck. We left the crater via “Windy Gap road” – an experience in itself!

I loved taking photos here, trying to capture the sense of what we were seeing on film (albeit digital). It was a privilege to be here, it was a truly awe inspiring place, unforgetable and the animals just seemed to take it all in their stride.

At first The Serengeti seemed deserted compared to the crater, here you really had to work at spotting the wildlife but our world expeditions guides were absolutely fabulous at helping us out here. This kind of made it so much more rewarding when you did spot something. The Tanzanian highlight for many – a large herd of elephant, 2 bulls fighting and a close encounter! Our driver got himself between a bull elephant and a baby and the bull elephant didn't take too kindly to this - landrovers can really shift in reverse! Before reaching the Serengeti a herd of wildebeest ran across the road in front of us – single file with thundering hooves – amazing.

The day was topped off (after an hour watching dead grass or was that a leopard!) as we met a group of giraffe on the road nearing our camp for the night (see picture at top of this blog). They are such majestic animals and look even more graceful when running somehow - they are Helen's favourite!

The next day’s highlight would be spotting a cheetah a top a termite mound and having breakfast with the hippos and crocs (see photo above).

A safari in Tanzania is unbelieveable, we thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone, even if they don't think they'll like a safari. We were only there for a week ahead of another adventure in Tanzania b ut we'll be going back!

Travel Photos - Alaska, USA

2009-06-22T15:52:00.010+01:00

Alaska! You want to go to Alaska in December?! Yes, we did - December wasn't a natural choice but we found ourselves heading that way at that time of year, so heh, what the hell! Before we got here, we did check with tourist information just to ensure that there would be something to do here and yes there was, not as much as in the tourist season but yes, we could do things, so off we went.

We eventually got here (Anchorage) from Calgary after 2 plane delays and a 3.5 hour flight with a very loud, annoying family sat behind! We checked in to our hotel and then hit the Glacier Brewhouse for a slap up meal and some beer (http://www.glacierbrewhouse.com/). Here is excellent atmosphere, good food and they have their own brewery onsite, how perfect was this after a rubbish day travelling?!

We spent a lot of time moose spotting in Anchorage and the best place we found was round by the airport of all places; particularly notable was a mother with her two “teenagers” 50 metres away in open parkland. We watched them through the binoculars and were fascinated. They are strange looking creatures, with big long noses, huge bodies and gangly legs but are beautiful and just like giraffes look docile and dopey. As we left Anchorage it began to snow and we saw little of the scenery as we drove to Seward. We were driving on snow packed/icy on the roads - thank goodness we had a 4x4 - it started snowing, it got heavier but we kept going - in the end we were driving through 18 inches of snow but we got to Seward and on the way to dinner built the biggest snowballs you have ever seen. Alaska is another place altogether, you think you've experienced getting away from it all and then you come here.

We looked around Seward and headed back and stayed at Girdwood - charming little place which is at the bottom of the local skiing hills. Heading back towards Anchorage the Turnagain Arm again performed a remarkable trick of nature as the bore tide raced towards us – a single wave, the width of the inlet travelling at unbelievable pace up the valley. We turned and raced it along the roadway, surprised at our unbelievable luck of timing at awe of the natural phenomenon. What had already been a good day got even better when we revisited our moose spotting ground at the airport and hit the jackpot. East of Earthquake Park I spotted a moose near the path, so we pulled in and walked the track to him – but he was coming our way. Slowly, but surely he plodded towards us, hardly acknowledging our presence and we back tracked to a conveniently located fir tree. He ambled on, nonchalantly stopping to munch on twigs either oblivious to us, drunk on fermented berries, or so sure of himself that he couldn’t care less. He was large – his withers head height, with a large, symmetrical rack of antlers and he looked beautiful, a gorgeous old dear, pardon the pun! He was joined by a friend, equal in stature who eyed us closely through the fir tree. The two put on a half hearted rut, I imagine deliberately for the delight of the camera touting tourists that had now assembled before idling across the road to check out the twigs on the airport side of the highway. I was made-up. We couldn’t have been any closer and such a perfect display too. The affable, droopy-jawed were a delight. We simply couldn’t believe what we were seeing. These two beautiful creatures, we felt, had come especially for us.

On another day we headed to the Matanuska Glacier. 27 miles long and 4 miles wide at its terminal end it was an incredible sight from a top the road looking down. What was even more incredible and quite unexpected was a private tour into what felt like the glaciers heart – a vast expanse of snowy white, icy blue winter wonderland. This was the most beautiful glacier we had seen, the heavy snow hiding the ugly grey moraine we’d found on other glaciers. Standing on our own amidst this glacial wilderness was a surreal and humbling experience – mother nature at her best. We also had a snow-dog for company.

The days in Alaska are short at this time of year. Productive sight seeing can only really be achieved from 10:30 (sunrise at 10 ish) to 3:30 on a good day or earlier if the clouds are thick bringing dusk sooner. Today was a good day – for sightseeing, but more so for dog sledding – and this was what today was about. By 11am the sun was out, low as usual, but spreading warm rays across the snow covered trees and giving them an ethereal glow. We were met at Montana Creek by a large bearded man with a friendly smile and an even larger dog, which to me looked more like a well fed wolf than a “sled-dog”. This was Boddie, the daddy, and the other dogs were literally bouncing around waiting to see us down the lane. Yapping, barking, running in circles on short chains, jumping on their kennels – they looked almost as excited as I was about the forthcoming adventure! Despite looking absolutely crazed, all the dogs were as friendly as house pouches, with distinct, individual personalities and all adorable. After hooking them up to the sled they whisked us swiftly through the woods and out to a glorious winter wonderland. Thick snow padded the ground all around, pine trees dotted the scene and the sun glowed warmly on the horizon lighting up the Talkeetna mountain range in the distance. It really couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. Occasionally we stopped the sled to thank the dogs – they were doing a brilliant job and giving us so much fun – they even looked like loving it themselves. It was over all too quickly and after a cuddle with Boddie and Dixie we were gone. But with a twinkle in our minds for more dog mushing adventures one day and thoughts of “What would the Iditarod really be like?” Now that would be a challenge! Hmmm…?!

We travelled to Fairbanks, 65 degrees north, one of the furthest places north we've been so far and had another go at dog mushing with Cathy - her dogs were not as domestic as before and when we took off down a hill towards a hair pin turn at 100mph we did wonder what we'd let ourselves in for. But this was great fun and well worth the trip to Fairbanks - we'd previously tried cross country skiing by just hiring the skis and going off without any instruction - we nearly broke our backs and decided that we would never do that again, it'll always be downhill skis from now on!

The journey back from Fairbanks was a totally different experience to the one up. When we left Fairbanks a chink of clear sky appeared on the horizon under the thick grey blanket of sky and as we travelled south it opened up to reveal blue skies, hazy clouds and a low burning orange sun. At times, in its evening descent its intensity was such that it appeared as though the roads end plunged into a fiery furnace. Compounding the beauty of the snowy Alaskan winter is the low sun and the way it picks out tree tops and mountain summits with gorgeous golden highlights. Apart from a glimpse of Denali on our first day from Anchorage, America’s highest mountain had eluded us. But today, somebody wanted us to see it. As we drove along, wondering where the mountain was and if we could see it, the suns low winter rays lit up a large mountain like a star on a Christmas tree. Was this Denali? It couldn’t be anything else surely. The king of the Alaskan range with its southern face glowing was simply breathtaking in its beauty. We had finally witnessed the elusive Denali in all its winter splendour and I don’t think we could have seen it in a better light (see photo above). Watching the grey, blue, purple and gold hues of Denali wasn’t the only special moment of today. We passed a small group of caribou resting near the roadside – our first wild sighting and a moose munching twigs on the snow covered verge. Susan Chernak Mcelroy cites in her book, Heart in the Wild, that truly wild animals aren’t always stumbled on by chance. Sometimes they choose to be seen. I really felt as though those lovely creatures were there to make the end of our trip special. There is a certain power that lies beneath a simple animal encounter – and I felt it this afternoon like magic stepping out of the forest and into my path.

We stopped in Talkeetna again, had breakfast at the lodge - 6 eggs or 12 eggs for breakfast? Along with the usual hash brown, crispy bacon etc. I went for the wimpy half breakfast - only 6 eggs! We then got our wish as the flights were going out today for flightseeing round Denali. Just me and Helen and the pilot - what a fabulous trip - we sailed like birds over the Alaskan range and the grand Denali that we had sighted from so far yesterday. The power of nature can’t be much more evident than the soaring divide formed form tectonic plate action and the enormous expanse of glaciers that run like frozen rivers between the rugged peaks (see photo above). The enormity of what lay beneath as we circled and dived between the mountains (Foraker, Hunter, Denali and the amphitheatre the Moose’s Tooth) was incomprehensible even with the dimensions cited by our excellent pilot – 60 miles long, 2 miles wide (Khalita Glacier), larger than the Grand Canyon (the great gorge) and 14,000 feet continuous vertical drop of the Wickersham Wall - the largest land cliff on earth! It was the ultimate finale to our Alaskan trip - amazing - we were so glad we came at this time of year. We want to come back to do the cruises for the glaciers and whale watching but December is still a cool time to come!

Travel Photos - Aitutaki and Rarotonga, Cook Islands

2009-06-21T12:17:00.010+01:00

Yes, this is paradise on earth! Deep turquoise water; soft, white, deserted sandy beaches; blue sky and a cool breeze. Perfection! Aitutaki is one of a small group of islands that form part of the Cook Islands. If you go to the Cook Islands - its a must visit and if you can afford it, stay there.

We stayed in Muri Beach on Rarotonga at the Muri Beach Resort (http://www.muribeachresort.com/). We were more than happy here, the villas, including tranquil gardens and pool, weren’t far off paradise with a short walk along the sandy beach of the lagoon to various places to get something to eat or drink in the evening.

Lying here on a sun lounger things couldn’t be more perfect; the sun is shining, while fluffy clouds float in the sky and a cool breeze rustles the coconut trees and banana palms. When we arrived, what struck me was how well manicured the island seemed to be – certainly not as rustic as the backyards in other tropical places. The Cook Islanders are proud of Rarotonga – and so they should be. Rugged emerald green mountains soar hundreds of metres above sea level at the island’s interior dropping down to small plateau circling the island which in turn gives way to white sandy beaches and a crystal clear, naturally protected lagoon. Waves crash on the outer reef and an array of coral and reef life keep the snorkelling fanatics happy!

Our trip to Aitutaki was a real highlight - here really was a perfect paradise and we whiled away the day wandering along pristine white beaches, snorkelling in shallow waters and lazing at the waters edge on our own private sand bar at One Foot Island (see photo above). It felt like a special day and that time we spent lying on the soft sand with cool water lapping around us was blissful – I shall remember it for a long time.

Sunset over Muri Beach

We’ve had some other lovely moments here too – I think Helen really enjoyed her Birthday here - she seemed touched when I presented her with some hand picked red hibiscus and a bottle of bubbly for her birthday. We had a lovely stroll along Muri Beach that evening and as the sun set on the far side of the island the sky turned pink and the lagoon lay as still as a mill pond – it was truly beautiful. We had a good evening at the Pacific Resort (http://www.pacificresort.com/). Not having booked a table we end ed up with a lovely spot under a gazebo on the sand – we watched flying fish play at the waters edge and had perhaps the best bottle of wine of our trip – a Seven Terraces NZ Sauv Blanc. We also ate at the sail club, Stefano’s and the Muri Beach Club Hotel, but that night at the Pacific was one of the best. The days would drift into each other, we would laze by the pool and after lunch set out onto the lagoon in a kayak that the resort has. The water was quite still in the lagoon and you could see right through to the bottom. Out in the middle of the lagoon the bottom is sandy and much more tempting for a dip than at the beach edge. We would beach the kayak on the small volcanic motu (islet) of Taakoka and swam out to a series of large coral bommies which teemed with shoals of silvery fish and black and white butterfly type fish so curious they’d stare you straight in the eye, 6 inches from your face! We also saw Box Fish (x 2), rainbow fish, batfish and all the usual suspects. We’d cruise gently around for a few minutes and look behind – sometimes up to 30 or 40 curious fish of all descriptions would be following making us feel like the South Pacific’s very own Pied Piper! We had some gorgeous afternoons – just messing about in the kayak and in the water. We’d scoot around and then jump on with our mask and flippers when we felt like it. Occasionally we would tip the kayak over and we would both fall in, laughing as all the gear floated off. Getting back in was always a struggle and quite humorous! It was a great time here – totally carefree and loving life. It was a special time for me and I shall try and remember always that life is for loving and living and fun like that is the best way to accomplish those feelings. I shall be sad to leave the Cook Islands – we’ve had some good times here and very special moments.

Travel Photos - Angkor Temples, Cambodia

2009-06-21T07:21:00.014+01:00

Sunrise over the massive Angkor Wat Temple was a sight to behold - we weren't on our own here as its the real touristy thing to do, but still it was so awe inspiring. It really set you up for the day (or 2) ahead of temples, temples and more temples. Each has its own personality and there are hundreds of them! The temples are the heart and sole of Cambodia - don't even consider just "doing them in a day" - that would be sacrilege!

We stayed at the Ivy Guesthouse in the heart of the Siem Reap old quarter (ivyasia@hotmail.com). It has a lively bar downstairs and is right in the heart of all the restaurants and shops in this part of Siem Reap. Its situated on a corner of a road junction, so is easy to find and all the tuk tuk drivers know where it is as its an old favourite with travellers - get there early though, its only got 7 rooms!

We came to Cambodia to see the millennium-old temple ruins of Angkor, and we spent some rather busy, intriguing and exhausting days doing just that. Despite a preoccupation that this type of historical architecture was of no interest to me I found my self strangely excited as we rode the tuk tuk to Angkor Wat for sunrise. The ruins really are a sight to behold, but I found their awe grew on me and it was not an initial amazement that struck me. I found the more you look and the longer you look the more incredible they become. The extent to which these 9th and 12th century AD monuments have been preserved (especially considering they are constructed from damp –intolerant sandstone) is unbelievable and contrasts starkly with the destruction caused by the sprawling and invasive jungle at some sights.

Angkor Wat (picture above here), including its outer walls and moat really is a giant complex and one can imagine it as the city in its prime. The sun rose in orange waves over the temple throwing glowing orbs of light on the eastern facing temple tops. We toured the Grand Circuit anticlockwise and it was blissfully quiet leaving Angkor Wat at 6:30am. We visited most of the main temples and a lot of the smaller ones.

Over the following days we went further a field to Banteay Srei (picture above here), Kbal Spean and Beng Milea.

A partiular favourite of mine was Ta Prohm (picture above) - it was used in the filming of the first Tombraider film and you can understand why. Whilst other temples remind you of the amazing architecture and skill with which they were built, Ta Prohm reminds you of the power of the jungle. The huge trees that are enveloping this temple are trying to reclaim what belongs to them. Absolutely amazing!

All the temples we saw were interesting and unique – the Grandeur and scale of Angkor; the giant carved stone faces (pictured above) and has relief carvings of battles everyday life at Bayon; the huge entrance gates (gopura) of Angkor Thom with the causeway lined by 54 Gods and 54 devils heads; the beautifully carved terrace of elephants; the isolation and wilderness of Preah Palilay in the shadows at the back of the Royal Palace; the bizarrely repetitive Terrace of the Leper King; and the wonderfully grand terrace of elephants’ the unbelievably oversize trees straddling stonework of Ta Prohm; the huge elephant guardians of East Mebon, so wonderfully preserved; the small and rewarding Ta Som; the unusual dried up pools of Neak Pean; dark vaulted corridors, fine carvings and towered enclosures of Preah Khan; the beautifully small fairy-land like Banteay Srei; the riverbed carvings deep in the jungle at Kbal Spean; and last but most certainly not least, and probably the most atmospheric and incredible temple – experience of all – Beng Mealea with its enormous fallen stone block work, crumpled central tower, maze of stone, roots and vines, eerie pitch black corridors and wondrous historical importance – Angkor Wat prototype and centre of an ancient road connecting several Angkor Cities as well as Northern Vietnam. The list of descriptive superlatives one could use to ramble about the temples is never ending. After some very long days I really felt as thought I’d come a long way, and seen something that really was very special!

Travel Photos - Grand Canyon, Arizona

2009-06-20T22:27:00.006+01:00

Our first view of the Grand Canyon was utterly overwhelming. No matter how many wonderful landscapes you’ve seen; nothing can prepare you for this. The Grand Canyon is vast, the enormity of its scale absolutely incomprehensible. Too grand for our field of vision, our brain simply cannot compute its magnitude. Gorges blend into gorges, cliffs into cliffs, 8ft cacti appear like blades of grass and distances become jumbled.

On a clear winter day, like we had on our second day, we could see 130 miles west down the canyon to Mt Trumbull. We were lucky, in the summer visibility averages 60 miles. I’m not sure if I consider the canyon beautiful, but it certainly is dramatic – a maze of rugged battlements lined with cliffs plummeting thousands of metres into deep gorges and punctuated by towering temples, it exudes a kaleidoscope of ruddy hues – reds, yellows, oranges and browns in horizontal layers – slice after slice of ancient landscape laid bare in all its magnificent glory. The sun bounced warmly off the red sandstone but the canton seemed desolate, vacant, distant and uninviting. It was important to get down amongst its sheer walls to see and feel its inner character.

We took the South Kaibab Trail towards Skeleton Point. 360°vistas encircled us every step. Jumbles of sandstone blocks towered above us and suddenly the canyon looked vulnerable. The trail was rough and sandy and the different sedimentary layers we trekked through were clearly marked with sudden colour changes underfoot. We passed Oo-ah Point and Cedar Ridge 1 mile below the south rim of the canyon, but still; most of our view was down. We were however, very much inside the canyon, if not in the inner gorges, my calf and thigh muscles testified to that the next day – walking out of the Canyon was a tough one. No wonder those mules have such large backsides!

The first night, we watched the sun set at Hope Point, west of the Canyon Village. Its cold at night here and as the sun disappeared behind us the depths of the canyon became grey and foreboding, whilst the temple points and amphitheatre type cliffs glowed a burnt orange. Gazing into the depths of the canyon that evening, it was great to just to contemplate life. We took in several view points during our stay – Mather Point (the first and most memorable), Hopi, Powell, Pima (where granite rapids rumbled up the valley), Hermits Rest and along the East Side, Grand View and Desert View – a great one of the river, sheer canyon walls (palisades) and the desert plains. No matter how much I looked at the canyon with maps and diagrams I couldn’t make much sense of the maze of creeks, gorges, island type temples, buttresses and battlements – with a flight directly over the top I thought we’d get a good overview. Flight seeing is always fantastic, but soaring over the canyon in a helicopter is unbeatable. As we left the Kaibab Forest and plunged over the South Rim, the canyon came full into view and we were filled with a surge of adrenalin and awe – the canyon was spectacular from here, even more so that from the rim – the river was in view and routes through the maze clear. The canyon just made sense from the air. It was a wonderful 40 minute flight and I felt I knew the Grand Canyon a little better now. It is definitely a wonder we will never forget.

Travel Photos - Mount Everest and the Khumbu Icefall, Nepal

2009-06-19T23:32:00.010+01:00

The view of Everest Base Camp, Mount Everest and the Khumbu Icefall from the summit of Kala Pattar (5545m). There aren't many places were you feel so remote but at the same time in the company of friends - the mountains. Needless to say, the scenery is absolutely stunning with huge 7000 and 8000 metre peaks all around you - phenomenal! Trekking in Nepal is a unique adventure that if you love the outdoors, you'll definitely get hooked.

After a cold night it was a relief to get going – an assault on our final challenge – the rocky buttress of Pumori – Kala Pattar. The ascent was steep and rocky but relatively short – a few hours. The Sherpas and guides from World Expeditions (http://www.worldexpeditions.com/) were fantastic as ever and they encouraged us up all the way. Views from the summit were spectacular – Everest, our closest and most complete sighting yet now loomed majestically above its neighbours – a challenge for the brave and fitter. Nuptse alluring from this angle tried to steal the show above the Khumbu Glacier, ice fall and the pin pricks of colour denoting tents at the capital of the Khumbu – Base Camp. To the left Everest’s West buttress shielded part of our view, left of that Changste, Everest’s North Peak waned for attention and a large snow cornice balanced precariously over the Lo Lah Pass. Right of Nuptse, Ama Dablam again put on an impressive show, chased by Khantega, Thamserku, Taboche, Cholatse, Lobuche East and West – another picture book panorama - 360° round to Pumori and Lingtren. We spent 45 minutes at the summit; we could have stayed there forever. I can only equate it with meeting a VIP of which you are in awe – there is a special chemistry, excitement, marvel. You have to pinch yourself - is this really real? I tried to examine every rock, snow flake and ice crack thru my binoculars, but still it wouldn’t sink in.

There is a magic here and I can just about touch it, we're definitely going back here, Nepal that is. We loved it here, the mountains, the people, the flight into Lukla (a little bit scary) and the excitement in Kathmandu before the trip starts, its all magical!

Travel Photos - Dead Vlei, Namibia

2009-05-31T21:41:00.001+01:00

Dead Vlei is an amazing sight to behold - its just one of those places that you feel chilled out in although the temperatures are incredibly hot. All around are sand dunes that seem alive and nearby are the famous dunes 17 and 45.

A lengthy drive to a small garage/bar/shop (Solitaire) for lunch on our oasis over land truck (http://www.oasisoverland.co.uk/) – a white lion rug, zebra and springbok heads adorned the walls in the shop. On to camp for a quick dip in the pool before squeezing into a pickup for a trip out to the dunes of Sossusvlei.

The landscape on the days drive is quite stony plains with more rocky outcrops – not the orange sandstone that we saw at Spitzkoppe, these are greyer and many formations have flat tops. We walked with an extremely informative guide out to Dead Vlei – a limestone pan which previously held water now dried up, the trees have died but they do not rot as the heat is so dry. Dead Vlei is 1.2km long and the trees 900 years old. A new sand dune is building across the Vlei and dividing it into two parts, burying the trees underneath it. We learnt so much from our guide, beetles which run 50kph across the hot sand, stand on top of the dunes to catch the morning fog in ridges on their shells and excrete a sunscreen which gives them a bluish tinge. Spiders which bury themselves in tunnels and the oryx which conserves energy by not running from it’s enemy – just waiting and then spearing the attacker with their long horns. We learnt more about the San people or “bushmen” so called because they would hunt by hiding behind bushes. They lived like animals killing infrequently and eating up to 10kg of meat at a time. People used to hunt bushmen. We stopped on the way back in the truck to see Dune 17 and then Dune 45. Dune 17 is often pictured with a Camel Thorn Tree in front – that’s actually 2km away, such is the effect of perception of distance in the desert.

Dead Vlei was the highlight for me this day, the distances were so misleading and it was such an eerie place to be but a real must when visiting Namibia - truly amazing! You've just gotta go if you're in Namibia

Travel Photos - Monument Valley, Utah

2009-05-30T21:07:00.000+01:00

What an amazing place this is - so many films have been filmed here. It was just like being on a real, life filmset - we were!

We stayed overnight at an original 1920’s Trading Post – where Navajo Indians used to trade hand made blankets and livestock for supplies. The trading post continues to sell a number of authentic hand-crafter Navajo souvenirs such as pottery, rugs and jewellery. A couple of hours drive and large mesa’s began to dominate the horizon into the Tribal NP and the scenery became even more spectacular. From the gift shop on a small hill, 4WD trucks crawled like ants along a dirt road with colossal fiery red monoliths towering above them. It was an extraordinary landscape, like nothing we’d ever seen before. We drove the rough 17 mile track around the park. Everywhere was red and dusty and the flat desert was punctuated by these colossal monoliths rising 100’s of metres, with sheer sides out of piles of rocky shale, often eroded into unusual shapes including narrow spires defying both the forces of nature and gravity. We stopped for lunch at Sand Springs – we could have whiled away hours here. It was blissfully peaceful and totally awe-inspiring. The landscape here has been showcased in hundreds of westerns and we could re-create the cowboy’s pistol ricochet by slamming the car boot! The vista at Artists Point was mesmerizing, 100’s of miles of flat red desert accentuating the grand monoliths in all their rugged splendour. North of Monument Valley we stopped at Goosenecks State Park where the San Juan River loops back and forth in a series of S-bends over 1000ft below the desert surface. Having carved its way through layers of sedimentary rock uplifted millions of years ago, it really was an incredible sight.

The South West revealed itself as a showcase of nature’s most dramatic formations, it really is remarkable. A rollercoaster of a drive east of Goosenecks took us through the aptly named Valley of the Gods – more huge sandstone monoliths dominated the landscape but here they were more frequent and often thousands of metres in length giving the area a greater intensity than Monument Valley. It was a more jumbled collection and less regal, but never-the-less mind-blowing. It wasn't a long day but the seemingly endless expanse of overwhelming topography that we encountered left us feeling somewhat dumbfounded and we decided to retire early in an effort to comprehend it all!

Travel Photos - Koh Samui, Thailand

2009-05-26T21:24:00.012+01:00

This is Thailand - Koh Samui. We spent just over 2 weeks lounging around on the beach here in a fantastic place called Samui Paradise on Chaweng Beach - http://www.samuiparadise.com/. They have fantastic beach bungalows with an infinity pool (see photo below). The food was excellent along with early morning runs along the beach before breakfast. A short scooter ride or taxi away from the shops and restaurants of the main drag in Chaweng, Samui Paradise is the ideal place to stay to chill out.

We were whisked away at the port – after arriving on the island – by a plush four wheel drive and a man in smart hotel uniform from Samui Paradise. Chaweng town was busy and a little bit tacky (in a nice way), but the resort was wonderfully isolated, beautiful and quiet. Our bungalow was just a few steps from the picture-postcard beach and we ate the first few nights with our feet in the soft sand with a white linen table cloth on the beach – pure bliss! After a few days of lounging we took a snorkelling trip to Koh Tao and the tiny Koh Nang Yuan – actually three small islands joined by a sand (or shell grit) bar. The snorkelling was some of the best with an amazing array of fish both large and small. One fish nipped my finger as I pointed to another and at Nang Yuan where the water was so shallow, if you stood for any length of time the nosey fish would swarm around your toes, looking for titbits!

One day – I can’t remember which as I lost track of time here – we hired a moped from our regular internet café and toured the island. It was a cool day, and good fun, although our backsides paid for it! We visited several other beaches and the waterfall at Namyuang and located Doug’s Sala Samui resort – very nice! It was interesting scooting through the “back streets” – quiet lanes, overgrown with grasses and coconut trees.

Our time here – just over two weeks – was blissful. We loved the happy hour cocktails, watching playful stray dogs while away their time playing in the sea and catching crabs, watching odd people walk for exercise to the end of the cove and back, listening to the unusual chirpy geckos at breakfast hidden in the woodwork and the amazing “starlings” – brown and white, chatting to sunbathers and taking up residence on their loungers. I miss this place – the beach, the breakfasts, the pool and the view!