See the World Differently
In darkness, we crunched along a gravel path, following the torchlight from our host, Tim, who led the way. As we boarded the ferry, we realised any concerns of missing the boat had been unfounded. It turned out that Tim was our captain. He hopped into the cab and began to manoeuvre the 18-ton hulk […]
Exhausted, overheating and with hefty rucksacks on our backs, we tramped along Khaosan Road. We had just arrived in Bangkok, it was nearly midnight and all we could think about was finding our guesthouse and getting some sleep. The vendors on Khaosan Road, however, had other ideas. The street was thronging with drunken tourists. Badly […]
“Body lean back!” “Hmpf!” Thwack! My conversations with Nok were rather short and repetitive though I have to admire his patience. After a week of intensive training at a Muay Thai Camp in Thailand, I was finally leaning back enough to get some real power into my Thai kicks. Muay Thai has a fearsome reputation […]
Despite its tiny size, we got lost in Victoria. We weaved through a warren of narrow alleyways, with stone walls rising tightly either side of us. Little statues of Mary stood in alcoves in the walls with some people even finding space for a small shrine outside their house. Every street looked the same and […]
Passing through a stone door, we began our descent into the darkness. We joined the line, tramping down the steps as they spiralled deep into the Earth. Leaning out between the columns, we could see everyone below, mindlessly marching downwards and finally disappearing into the depths. Nobody seemed to be coming back up. “Keep moving”, […]
The tiny faces glared at us, wild eyes popping and teeth bared angrily. The message was clear: stay away. In the centre of the twisted mass was yet another face, much bigger than the rest. With eyebrows raised and mouth gaping wide it looked more surprised, staring at some unknown curiosity in the distance. We […]
The crocodile stretched its jaws wide, wrapping its teeth around the brave man’s head. On another poster, a couple reclined on cushions alongside a fearsome looking tiger. Along with the animal shows and bizarre photo opportunities, we could have taken a ride on an elephant. The elephants were on hand, each waiting patiently with a […]
A small pair of cannons sit on the front steps at Florence Court. The owner won them in a drunken bet and carefully positioned them to point at their previous home, Castle Coole. This was a deliberate insult to Earl Belmore, reminding him of the treasures he had lost every time he visited. Florence Court […]
We marched briskly, in neatly regimented rows, down the path and into the plaza. The bleak expanse of grey paving slabs perfectly matched the surrounding buildings and the steely sky above. We were led by a member of the military honour guard, dressed in a pristine white ceremonial uniform. He made a sharp left turn […]
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 […]