Now Traveling

[Insouciant Western People]

We're having a nice break in Sri Lanka, a few days holiday on the back of my work visit here last weekend. We've had a few days in Colombo, took the train up to Kandy yesterday and then a taxi up to the Hunas Falls hotel up in the hills. The scenery up there was genuinely stunning.

Came back down from the hills this morning and we're having a night at the Citadel Hotel in Kandy, and going to the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth tomorrow, then taking the train back to Colombo. Sadly flying back to the UK on Friday evening.

Happily in the meantime there is much Lion beer and Sri Lankan curry yet to be consumed

[Insouciant Western People]

I'm seriously looking forward to Iraqi Kurdistan, I'll have a couple of days each in Erbil and Sulimanyah. Erbil sounds like a fascinating place. The citadel of the old city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban centres on earth, with a history dating back over 8,000 years.

My colleague Ali is coming with me, he's from Kirkuk but he speaks Kurdish and knows the region well. I'm hoping we can get some free time to have a good look around the cities.

You'll need a good guidebook. Try Let's Visit Iraq by J P Docherty. It's a classic, or so I hear.

Flying out to Erbil on Sunday, via Istanbul. Things seem to be relatively OK in the Kurdish region at the moment, but I'm keeping a close eye on the news as things have been pretty 'lively' elsewhere in Iraq lately, with the run up to the elections taking place.

[never/ever]

Nice, Nick. Hope you enjoy!

My Eastern odyssey has landed me from Miami to São Paulo/Rio/Salvador De Bahia in the last few weeks and now I am lounging in th Netherlands until I am back in Australia by next week Friday.

[Loki]

Last nite of a 3-week road trip to Florida. Harrisburg PA.

One day we drove down the coast to Fort Pierce to meet up with a friend from Ottawa. On the way back that evening I saw what was probably 2 wild pigs on the side of the road (I-95, the busiest stretch of highway in the US). Never seen that before! Saw a baby gator sunning on a log during a boat ride. Got pulled over in South Carolina yesterday. Thought I was done-for but he let me off with a [written] warning. Whew.

Today we stopped for gas in Virginia, and saw a guy set up by the road with flags flying and signs saying IMPEACH OBAMA. On his picture was drawn a Hitler moustache. Scary shit.


I miss the pool.

[trans-chigley express]

You'll need a good guidebook. Try Let's Visit Iraq by J P Docherty. It's a classic, or so I hear.

I thought he was joking. It probably needs some updates.

[trans-chigley express]

Just spent a glorious week in The Maldives. I want to go straight back.

[Polishgirl]

Just spent a glorious week in The Maldives. I want to go straight back.

Your photos are AMAZING!! I'm not normally one for beach/tropical holidays, but, oh boy!

[trans-chigley express]

Just spent a glorious week in The Maldives. I want to go straight back.

Your photos are AMAZING!! I'm not normally one for beach/tropical holidays, but, oh boy!

Me neither as a rule as I quickly get restless with them but there was something about being able to walk out of the beach hut across white sand and dive into clear turquoise waters whenever you felt like that never got boring. Throw in delicious all you can eat food 3 times a day and cold beers while watching the sunset and I was won over.

Loads of fish in the water too including reef sharks (completely harmless) and rays.
Here's one I took of the whole island while out canoeing which I didn't put up on FB.

[Thesiger]

Off this week to a gite (a converted 18th Century winery) in La Redorte outside Carcassonne for a fortnight's holday with the family.

[straw mimsy]

Flew into Glasgow from a few days in Dublin and drove up to the Isle of Skye for the weekend. Incredibly, the distance (as the crow flies) from Glasgow to Dublin is fewer miles than the drive.

Exquisitely beautiful up there, though weirdly reminded me of the landscape where I'm flying to at the end of the week....in South Africa.

[Thesiger]

Incredibly, the distance (as the crow flies) from Glasgow to Dublin is fewer miles than the drive.

The distance between any two places on the planet is less as the crow flies than by motor vehicle, isn't it?

[straw mimsy]

Incredibly, the distance (as the crow flies) from Glasgow to Dublin is fewer miles than the drive.

The distance between any two places on the planet is less as the crow flies than by motor vehicle, isn't it?

My fault for dangling my infinitive in your faces.

I meant (of course) that the distance between Glasgow and Dublin is shorter than Glasgow to Skye, if I were a crow and didn't have to go by airport.

[Belle Lettre]

What infinitive?

[straw mimsy]

Well I was dangling something.

Now I regret every going to Skye.

Back on topic, Manchester this weekend (london last, Glasgow and Edinburgh the weekend before), Waterford and Dublin in between-- and Leipzig via Frankfurt week from tomorrow.
Phew. I was getting out of my seat at the cinema tonight, and kept trying to unbuckle my seatbelt, and trying to remember what city I had just landed in.

[Limpin' Jez McKenzie]

Incredibly, the distance (as the crow flies) from Glasgow to Dublin is fewer miles than the drive.

The distance between any two places on the planet is less as the crow flies than by motor vehicle, isn't it?

Not from a spot on the road outside my house to a bit further down the road (which is straight). Arguably it is slightly further as the crow flies.

Anyway I am off to Dallas on Sunday.