Read on for an account of our police escort at the Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh. But first, some preamble. Traffic in India is, and this is the official diagnosis, completely insane. From rattling rickshaws to maniac mopeds to carefree cows, any urban sprawl in India is chock full of…stuff. I reluctantly admit that most of…
We spent almost three weeks in India, visiting my better half’s family, attending and almost eating ourselves to death at weddings, and finding some time to do some touristy stuff too. The highlight of the lot – sorry, Taj Mahal – was Amber Fort in Jaipur, which is absolutely stunning. Without further ado, here are…
Let me tell you about my time being Indiana Jones at Petra and why it’s one ANCIENT WONDER that’s not an underwhelming disappointment. It’s actually bloody spectacular and impressive and all manner of other words that middle-schoolers struggle to spell. Petra, if you didn’t know, is in Jordan, which borders Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and…
Nara, Japan is famous for its deer. You’ve probably seen them on social media, bowing to tourists to receive snacks. That’s pretty cool, but it’s not the most interesting thing about the town. At least not for me. More interestingly to me, is that Nara contains both the largest wooden building in the world and…
You may have heard that the Czech Republic is changing its name to Czechia. So now you may be wondering: is it the Czech Republic or Czechia? Here’s a quick post to explain why the change happened, and whether you’ll look a fool for still using the Czech Republic to refer to that place that…
This is an encounter that happened as we tried to buy tickets for Citadelle Laferrière in northern Haiti. “Here is the cost,” said the lady behind the glass. We looked over the chart showing the prices to visit the largest fortress in the Americas. $5 for just a ticket, $20 for ticket and guide. $30 for…
Below is a review of Shinkansen bullet trains in Japan. But first, let’s play a game. Name a thing that this describes: hard, shiny, powerful, intimidating in length, takes your breath away when you ride it. Thought of something? Okay, now open the back of the book and look at the answer section. There are…
My time studying abroad – many years ago now – was one of the most invaluable experiences of my life. To help guide anyone at college thinking of doing it, there are 3 reasons why you should study abroad: 1: Studying abroad is one of the best ways to travel! Studying abroad isn’t like spending…
While staying in a hostel in Amman, Jordan, I ended up doing a day trip to the Dead Sea with the hostel owner and his family. I say day trip, but Khaled assured me it’d be best if we left about three in the afternoon. “Too hot, too hot,” he told me repeatedly. “During morning…
We were couchsurfing in Petra, Jordan, like every other place on the trip. The difference in Petra was that we were couchsurfing with a Bedouin guy. A terrifying Bedouin. Ghassab was tall, muscled, had dreadlocks, and was really serious all of the time. He didn’t laugh or smile once, no matter what you said, and…