See the World Differently
Diving with seals in the Farne Islands, we kept our eyes peeled for the ghostly shadows appearing in the distance. Despite our best efforts, our quarry found us first. Feeling a gentle tug on my fin, I turned just in time to catch a flash of grey disappearing behind me. Another tug and I turned […]
Arriving at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, we expected to see a temple. Instead we walked into immaculately manicured gardens. Wide lawns were broken up by colourful flower beds, a stupa and the occasional garishly painted animal statue. Most bizarre were the carefully sculpted vines adorned with animal’s faces and ferocious claws. Leafy owls and eagles […]
Notting Hill Carnival: parade, party and all round celebration of Caribbean culture. We’d seen pictures. We’d heard stories. And we still weren’t quite sure what to expect. Arriving at the parade, we joined the sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see. The giants really stood out. Towering over everyone, they marched […]
The rugged peak of Sangeang Api rose above the trees and dry grass that dominated the lower slopes. Clouds of white steam billowed from the crater. Even when diving, we could hear constant rumbling deep within the bowels of the volcano. However, despite the prolific volcanic activity, this island is inhabited. We took a walk […]
Leaving the verdant forest and the warm rain behind, we descended into the cool darkness of the Marble Arch Caves. We followed in the footsteps of Martel and Jameson, the first to explore the cave in the 1800s. They confidently ignored the superstitious locals’ warnings about the devils and demons that dwelled within and were […]
On the 16th of February 1944 the first wave of Operation Hailstone strafed Chuuk Lagoon, raining death across the islands. American bombers quickly decimated the Japanese airstrips and destroyed dozens of aircraft while they were still on the ground. Over the next two days, an unyielding storm of bombs and torpedoes pounded the Japanese fleet […]
We drove along the clifftop at Ta Cenc, an arid scrubland like much of Gozo. Our friend pulled over and parked at the roadside, instructing us to get out of the car. In the middle of nowhere, with no notable landmarks in sight, we wondered why we had stopped. It was reminiscent of landscapes we’d […]
As we walked into the old city in Jodhpur, silence fell. Suddenly there were no homeless people sleeping in the street. There were no dogs. There was nobody at all, which for India is really unusual. Walking further into the maze of alleyways, unsure exactly which way to go, we finally saw some people up […]
The first rays of light burst over the horizon, bathing the clouds below in pink, orange and gold. Here and there jagged peaks poked through the sea of clouds, all seeming small and insignificant compared to the lofty heights of Mount Fuji, our sacred perch. The sun finally appeared and still everyone was dumbstruck. We […]
Hosting a sushi party may seem like a daunting prospect but it’s actually surprisingly easy. Learning how to make temakizushi, hand-rolled sushi, was probably the most useful thing we took away from several years living in Japan. It takes minimal effort and the results are delicious. The Japanese concept of a party is distinctly different […]