a journey through life

South East Asia 06/07

2012-01-29T18:15:00.001Z

South East Asia 06/07, a set on Flickr.

Slideshow of our journey through South East Asia

Theale Lakes

2010-06-08T22:41:00.001Z

2009-10-25T16:46:00.001Z

Dad & Cheryl at Sheffield Bottom

2009-04-27T21:56:00.001Z

IMG_6281
Originally uploaded by .JT

Bird spotting, splashing in puddles and general bad behaviour from Timmo & Churl.

Paris torch protests follow on from London

2008-04-07T21:47:00.002Z

Freedom of speech and the right to protest peacefully - congratulations to the Free Tibet movement for a fantastically successful start to the protests we'll see develop across the globe. China MUST listen!

BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Paris torch protests

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What a beautiful site - Power to the People!

2008-04-03T21:17:00.004Z

This was the scene in Toronto on Monday's Global Day of Action for Tibet. 1.5M signatures captured by Avaaz.org - fantastic.

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Hafren Reservoir

2008-02-15T22:04:00.000Z

Hafren Reservoir
Originally uploaded by .JT

Reflections... boy it was some view when we arrived at the reservoir. Despite the time of year, the sun shone on our last trip before the big event. It was a beautiful time to chill, kick back and reflect on our lives before becoming a family with kids and responsibilities!!! Arghhh!

Cottage @ Llan-y-Gwyn

2008-02-14T22:19:00.000Z

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesdtownsend/2414034511/
Originally uploaded by .JT

Chilled out in Powys, Wales for a week before the big event - idyllic setting and the most beautiful weather for a February in the UK.

FAX - "Flights Are Cancelled"

2007-09-06T11:34:00.008Z

We materialise from the jungle, and check in at the less than inspiring Lahad Datu airport.

Only to find that, not for the first time, our flight is cancelled (note the hi tech means by which they inform their valuable customers of this unfortunate circumstance...). We've got three flights with two international connections to make, at KK & Singapore, so our patience is tested but...

...is rewarded when our Fokker 50 flight back across Borneo offers a stunning view of Mount Kinabalu, shrouded in mist; it was rare indeed to see the summit from the foothills around the park and this felt like quite a privilege as we said goodbye to this spectacular place.

The Kinabatangan River

2007-08-27T22:07:00.003Z

Sea Eagle, Kinabatangan River, Sabah
Originally uploaded by .JT

As we travelled upstream, it seemed the wildlife knew to introduce itself one rare species at a time. First a Sea Eagle, then the Proboscis Monkeys, a Rhinoceros Hornbill, an Alligator...

Into the Heart of Borneo - Mulu Caves

2007-08-26T19:32:00.001Z

Sheets of rain continue to fall and it looks unlikely that any bats will be feeding this evening (3,000,000 of them usually fly out at dusk as regular as clockwork; we seem to have picked the wrong day).

So what a treat when, just as our hopes looked dashed, and the majority of the group shrug shoulders and traipse back through the jungle, the rain stops, and the remaining dozen or so of us look up to see the start of the bats evening feed. Three million of them...

In Sheets of Rain and Mist

2007-08-26T16:11:00.005Z

We took the easy option and photographed the "Garden of Eden" from inside Deer Cave, otherwise we'd have to take another 2 hour trek through cockroach-infested guano to get to paradise... From where we stood, a hanging waterfall of cool water drenched the lush green tropical life in this magical place. Sunlight refracted through droplets of mineral rich water.

Illuminated webs weaved by giant spiders scatter ever rock face. Streams of water 300 feet high hang from the rocks ahead. The echo of cool, clear refreshing water filling pools at the base of the cave, rivers formed, salt water rich in guano that attracted the deer in prehistoric times. In sheets of rain and mist, limestone mountains rear up outside, framed by forest at the entrance to this spectacular cave.

test blog post

2007-08-23T12:00:00.000Z

Mist covered rainforest

Descents

2007-08-20T11:47:00.003Z

The descent into Singapore: above the thickest eiderdown of continuous cloud, bright white-tipped in the morning sun; a pristine sky above, of an iridescent blue.

Penetrating the protecting veil, we brake through in the most spectacular way, Singapore the city-country-island-state appears in its globally strategic position. A clean, ambitious, economic miracle bursts forth into the 21st Century from its humble beginnings.

Glimpsing Borneo

This is the way I expected to first glimpse Borneo. As a dark shadow covered by clouds, the odd hint of what was once quite literally shrouded in mystery. A tantalising taste of what might follow.

Mama Betty

2007-08-20T11:20:00.000Z

Fast boat to Manukan Island with the enigmatic 70 year young Betty, owner of KK Tours. Self-styled ‘Mama Betty’, the most well-connected Tourist agent in Sabah (her past life in the Bornean police special branch no doubt extending her sphere of influence), was to become a recurring motif during our journey around Borneo, usually appearing just in time to thwart chaos and disaster, with a beaming smile and infectious positivity.

Stirring half-century old memories of Mudeford

2007-04-17T17:37:00.000Z

Having read the Distant dreams, childhood places piece, I'm pleased to say it stirred fond memories for Dad, who reflected on these so I could add them to this blog.

"My wife and I enjoying a breezy weekend in Lilliput, Poole, last autumn decided to visit nearby Mudeford thereby breaking my taboo of some fifteen summers...

We were relieved & excited to see the so familiar sand spit again, lucky to get the Land Rover lift, no 'Noddy' running.

The beach was virtually deserted save a couple of chippies demolishing a life expired hut to be replaced by a spanking new unit for a city businessman.

We dodged the squalls & sheltered for a while in the lea of the black house, dryish from the horizontal sheets of stinging rain driven on a stiff south-westerly.

The 'run' that evocative stretch of moody water stirred half century memories of Jim, the celebrated blue clad, tobacco tanned fisherman who took my family so many times over that mere 25 yard stretch of sometime torrent, sometime flat calm gateway to the channel.

We lingered a while then made our way to the empty bright & trendy cafe to enjoy a coffee. Refreshed we made our way back the mile or so to the car soaked to the skin we nevertheless loved the walk through the ancient woods, past the 'canyon' where as children we collected spent bullets & scaled then, to the huge cliffs. Many memories flooded back.

Awakenings

2007-04-02T21:26:00.001Z

Returning to Stanford Dingley as the sun set across the Pang Valley, we cherished that extra hour of daylight as British Summer Time arrived. Fields glowed gold in the crisp afternoon and birdsong filled the air. You can breath, feel, see, touch and hear the changing seasons as the cycle of life rolls on. Arriving home, an inquisitive blue tit found herself the perfect place to nest in our little country garden.

CO2 - They call if life, what do you call it?

2007-02-12T22:58:00.001Z

This incredible piece of propaganda featured on the excellent "God is Green" Channel 4 documentary tonight. The look of the presenter when the clip had finished said it all.

The Channel 4 programme itself was insightful, with the presenter interviewing spokespeople for the Roman Catholic Church (no clue about climate change), Evangelicals (looking forward to it because it implies the end of the world and the second coming!), Hinduism (what will be will be, it’s karma) and Islam (the Koran is very green… and so are we, and we’ll blame climate change on the imperialist west).

The presenter did not (or was unable to / or chose not to show) interview a representative for the 376 million buddhists on this planet. This was disappointing, especially when you consider that the Dalai Lama’s Nobel prize in 1989 was, in part, awarded for his declaration that Tibet should be 'transformed into the world's largest natural park or biosphere.'

Embrace life's imperfections

2007-02-09T13:22:00.000Z

Are you a perfectionist? Never satisfeid? What did you feel when you noticed that typo?

Since reading "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" many years ago, I've tried to take this mantra to heart: 'embrace life's imperfections'. If you're mathematically-minded, think of the following formula:
stress = the difference between expectation and reality.

We only ever progress when we learn to fall down and pick ourselves up again. I'd never considered that my brother would end up writing a book of his experiences of 'falling down', but he's just received his first reviews on Amazon, and I can't describe how proud I am.

Congratulations, Mark, on a fantastic new book, not forgetting your website to help share the wonder and magic of life with the world!

Virtual travel

2007-02-05T12:29:00.001Z

How can technology enrich this journey we're all on? I'm pretty new to all this Web 2.0 stuff, so I'm going to experiment:

Step 1: This is a straightforward test to try publishing to my blog by email. (It works! - Ed)

Step 2: Set up Skype (easy!) so I can talk to Stair in Seattle (time zones mean I can talk to you on a Friday after work, just as you're facing yet another day in the office Stair! Heh heh).

Step 3: Add 'Snap' preview functionality to Blog (cool - but what's the benefit? Hmmm, need to think a bit about this).

Step 4: Set up Flickr Pro so I can archive public and private photo albums and share different ones with different sets of people.

Mad about the Mekong

2007-01-31T08:17:00.000Z

"A breathtaking account of one of the greatest ever feats of exploration..." - Literary Review

Ever been entranced by the magic and mystery of the Mekong? It's been a month since we returned from our trip to Indochina, yet reading this fascinating book by John Keay has kept that magic alive.

John retraces the nightmare journey of one of the nineteenth century's most ambitious feats of exploration. In 1866, the Mekong Exporation Commission disappeared into the unknown for two years, covering a greater distance than the length of Africa. This book finally tells the incredible story of Garnier et al that should stand proudly alongside the exploits of Livingstone and Stanley.

Sunken forests, floating schools...

2006-12-27T17:28:00.000Z

A change in pace for our last morning, as we ventured onto Tonle Sap with our superb guide, Ley, of Hanuman Tourism.

Visiting a floating village (comprising floating pig pens, floating hospitals, floating schools attached to floating playgrounds and - an inspired one this - a floating car battery charging station!), we joined in with the local school children at playtime.

Banging drums on an old wheel with the younger kids (too young for school, but seeking mischief nonetheless - just look at my friend in this photo!), this trip left me with the realisation that we can connect in this world without even sharing a single word.

Later, beckoned onto a small wooden raft, we discovered a dreamworld for the princely sum of $3. The simple sound of birdsong echoed off the still water, broken only by the gentle lapping of an oar. Complete tranquility as we weaved past sunken trees in this magnificent place, Thich Nhat Hanh's 'Calm Waters' meditation sprang to mind.

Mrs T captured, in my opinion, the magic and mystery of this stunning location with this shot:

Note: we travelled with Audley Travel to whom we thank for their truly exceptional customer service. Jack, their Indochina specialist, really looked after us, is knowledgeable and most importantly, passionate about the area. Highly recommended.

Christmas 2006

2006-12-26T19:12:00.000Z

Trying to load a photo of our Christmas for your blog! Wish you were here, too!! xx

Christmas Day in the jungles of Cambodia

2006-12-25T12:23:00.000Z

We rose at dawn and drove to the Ta Prohm temple in the jungles of Cambodia with Ley, our guide. Arriving at 7 am, well before the masses, we were alone and it was a dream world. Mist covered the temple complex, clearing gradually as sunlight broke through the trees to illuminate each detail of the intricately carved stone.

Quite the reverse of Angkor Wat (which rises magically from the jungle), Ta Prohm itself has been consumed by the giant strangler fig trees over a millennium. These trees, host to squawking parakeets & red and white squirrels, are as alive with sounds as the temples themselves lay silent.

As we departed an hour or so later (just before the hoards arrived), the jungle stirred with the sounds of drums, evoking a lost world when Khmer civilisation dominated South-East Asia. But the reality of modern day struck us as we passed the musicians, each member a victim of landmines.

Matt Peak's photo of Debs and Cambodian Village kids

2006-12-23T21:59:00.000Z

Matt Peak
Originally uploaded by .JT

An amazing, unplanned stop as we entered Cambodia on the mighty Mekong. Needing a comfort stop, Debs, Matt and I hopped off at this village, the kids crowding round our digital cameras. We had nothing by way of a thank you to the village chief, so our skipper found some coffee and left this! I guess it was the gesture that counted.

Christmas Eve

2006-12-23T15:12:00.000Z

It all sounds fantastic, very poetically written & a wonderful experience! Most enjoyable to read, too!!
Will raise our glasses to you on Christmas Eve, our time 11pm, your time 7 hours on!!

Have fun.

The journey is the reward

2006-12-22T12:58:00.000Z

The day started with a blood red sunrise over the Bassac (lower Mekong). It was in 1979, close to this spot, that the world first awoke to the full horror of the Khmer Rouge. Vietnamese patrols spotted dead bodies floating down stream from the closed world of Cambodia up river. This flow of death increased as the days passed: many starved, many were executed. Either way, the bodies swelled the river and the secret was exposed.

Yet two generations later, an irrepressible spirit lives on. You can see it in the smiling faces of school children; you can feel it through the determination of survivors of the Khmer Rouge to let go and look forward.

As we travelled up river into Cambodia, a whole new world opened up to us. When Matt*, our American 'speedboat hitchhiker' need a comfort break we surveyed the distant banks of the river for signs of life and eventually moored at a local village. Graciously allowing us to use their facilities, we were all directed to the cashew fields to pee in the wind!

Isn't it funny how the unplanned activities breath life into a holiday? Chancing on the local kids' inquisitiveness, we took photos on our digital cameras and were able to show them the results. The smiles and laughter (truly a universal language) remain with me to this day.

*See Matt's photos of his trip as it merged with ours during a memorable day.

Goodbye Vietnam

2006-12-21T10:08:00.000Z

It seems a bit crazy to be writing this 200km up river on the Mekong, at the Vietnam / Cambodia border. But that's the miracle of modern technology - and the setting is out of this world (Victoria Hotel, Chau Doc). We woke at 5:45 this morning for a sunrise breakfast on a junk at Can Tho, and leave it looking out over the Bassac River in the Mekong Delta sunset.

Our guide, Thuy, has been fantastic - taking care of us in Saigon and around, traveling with us down through the Mekong Delta to Can Tho and on to the border. Absolute professionalism, great sense of humour and a fountain of knowledge. I'd recommend Vidotour as a great local tourism company that really look after you. Having said that, there's a definite feeling of guilt touring around like this as the lives of the locals continue on a couple of dollars a day, and the French-owned Victoria stands aloof and arrogant. It's been a weird day, seeing the best and worst of a developing country.

The best of Vietnam (a cliché) are its people - warm, generous, with open hearts. These kids saw us stop along the roadside and ran to investigate - offering their innocent, happy faces for a photograph; or when we waved back at startled teenagers from our car, shocked at our white, doll like faces (their dolls all have western features, so when they see a westerner they see a giant version of their own doll!), bursting into laughter at these crazy looking westerners!

But the draw of the city is strong in this, like any, developing country. Villagers leave their traditional working practices for the promise of the dollar, but lose the unquantifiable wealth of a social network, family unit and let go of the fabric that bonds them together.

So tomorrow we say goodbye to Vietnam and take a speedboat up the Mekong to Phnom Penh and I have to say we're both a little nervous but it's gotta be done, and Angkor beckons!

10,000 clicks from home

2006-12-17T19:16:00.000Z

The 777 'cockpit cam' flickered into life at dawn as the sun reflected on the mighty Mekong, a silver snake winding its way through the delta - our first sight of Vietnam.

We landed at Saigon and spent an absorbing few days exploring the city by day, then strolling down the old Rue Catinat and sinking a beer or two at the haunts of foreign correspondents in darker days. The Majestic, Caravelle and Rex (where the US Press Corps gave their daily updates on 'progress' against the VC, then moved to the bar to forget the reality of war).

Thuy, our local guide, painted in words what the books can't describe - what are the hopes and fears of the new generation of Vietnamese? Has the 'American War' been laid to rest? You've really got to make your own mind up by visiting this incredible country and talking to its people.

Following Saigon and the inevitable trip to Cu Chi, we travelled into the heart of the Mekong Delta, visiting local business, factories, and crossing this magnificent river along the way (16km wide at one point). My usually conservative tastes were put to one side whilst we sampled Elephant Ear fish, Snake wine and the like!

After an exhausting few days, we plunged into the luxury of the Victoria Can Tho and its majestic setting on the banks of the Hau River, and relaxed.

Into the Heart of Darkness

2006-11-30T21:54:00.000Z

I guess the Vietnam War lodged itself in my memory alongside The Beatles, Nixon and the death of John Lennon as iconic moments during my formative years. My taste for the Orient deepened during our honeymoon to Thailand and, soon, we'll be flying out to Saigon, and working our way up the Mekong into Cambodia.

It's almost time to say bye bye to Blighty and head for the humidity of the Mekong and its lands. We fly into Saigon and then have some boat trips planned throughout the Mekong delta, visiting family businesses and floating markets. Our guide then takes us from Can Tho to Chau Doc via village wanderings which should be great! From Chau Doc the speed boat takes us to Phnom Penh ("5 hours" - every trip in Cambodia apparently takes "5 hours"!). Nothing prepares you for Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields, but we're here to immerse ourselves in the culture and history, not lie on a beach somewhere. We'll then fly on to Siem Reap for a good few days to look around Angkor, before the trio of flights home (Siem Reap to Saigon; Saigon to Frankfurt; Frankfurt to Heathrow).

We're both passionate readers and and there's no better book than Francois Bizot's "The Gate" to understand recent Cambodian history. I'd urge anyone with an interest in Indochina to read this important book. For an insight into life as a foreign correspondent, try John Swaine's "River of Time".

The alternative Lake District

2006-11-30T21:40:00.001Z

Being a piscean, I was destined to settle in the area described as the "alternative lake district". Based around Theale (a relatively unscathed village in the heart of the Thames Valley), over 30 lakes have been created out of the gravel pits, excavated for the construction of the M4.

Like Hosehill Lake, shown above: it really is a haven for wildlife and it will always have a place in my heart. Kingfishers, Peregrines, Nightingales, Hobbies and Ospreys have all been sighted in and around Hosehill Lake Local Nature Reserve.

Working from home occasionally, the best possible start to the day is a dawn bike ride around the lakes, lifting the spirits and helping centre me for a day of emails, phone calls and general office emergencies. Places like Hosehill help to remind me of the relative unimportance of work, office politics and the rat race in general. Focus instead on the beauty of the sun's reflection or the song of the nightingale.

From the Valley of Death to the City of Sin

2005-09-16T22:26:00.002Z

Tues am: From a Yosemite dawn with the scent of cedar trees heavy in the air, through a burning haze in Death Valley, to that great mirage in the nevada desert, Vegas. A 10 hour drive and 1,500 miles on the clock. Stopping off at "Manzanar" where 10,000 japanese americans were pretty much imprisoned during the 2nd world war by the US Government because of "national security". Incredible!

Weds 7am: Helicopter trip to our champagne breakfast after landing next to the Colorado in the pre-dawn light of the Grand Canyon. Cool.

Weds 9 pm: Up in the air again - this time on the world's highest rollercoaster - 1,000 feet up on top of the Stratosphere, screaming out into the Vegas night, the Strip a haze of neon down way below. Crazy crazy - the other rides were even more insane.

Thurs 4 pm: After shorter drive (just 4 hrs 30 today) we collect our thoughts on Santa Monica beach waves thundering in off the pacific tide.

As we return to Santa Monica, where we started 2 wks ago; Over blue haze horizon the sun sets on our road trip way out west. 2,000 mile round trip crazy unforgettable rollercoaster ride

Awesome

2005-09-13T15:30:00.003Z

Last night we watched the sun set and the moon rise from on top of "glacier point" in Yosemite, at 8,000 feet looking down on to a valley 4,000 feet below - a straight drop - a mile down.

We could see 10,00 foot peaks in a view stretching from the setting sun in the west to the Tioga Pass some 50 miles away in the east. We ended up sitting their with a few other lucky souls just watching the sun paint kaleidoscopic colours on the peaks in Yosemite - as if the tips of mountains were dipped in red, orange, purple... and then the famous "alpenglow" as the sun had set and the photographers wrestled for the best view (not too strenously - we were on the edge of the mile drop) - the peaks, in particular half dome, were lit silver but the rising moon. I could go on and on. But it's 7:30 am and we've gotta drive through Yosemite, then Death Valley and on to Vegas. 500 miles and a 9 our trip. Better go! Each journey just gets more incredible.

On top of the world

2005-09-12T06:09:00.009Z

Hey guys. Wow - what a week. Sorry not to catch up with you sooner but we've been a tad busy. Thanks for your emails.

Since our last email we've (I've...) driven 1,128 miles; climbed to 10,000 feet; watch the sun set over the pacific; clung to the edge of the world in our yurt, listening to the midnight barking of seals on the beach below; been out to alcatraz at night time; walked across the golden gate bridge; driven thru the wild west to yosemite and seen the most incredible place - yosemite valley with bridalveil waterfalls, monolithic rocks 10,000 ft high, birds of prey soaring above; got drunk in North Beach, Frisco, in the "beat" heartland, entertained by the drunks and all sorts... gottta go

Big Sur

2005-09-01T12:10:00.005Z

So many highlights. The drive along Route 1, Pacific Ocean just a salt spray away, then climbing up along Big Sur to the magnificent beaches, such as in Julia Pfeiffer National Park. We stayed in a Yurt at Trebones, the hippest place for an overnight stay, lying on our bed watching the stars.

On we traveled, to San Francisco, arriving at dusk to a muffled banshee cry of a police siren lost in the fog. Perfect introduction to the perfect American city.

The hepcats, bums, beats and hippies may be long gone, but the vibe remains. Not to mention Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands & Muir Woods. Hitchcock fans will go crazy at the opportunity to spot the various location shoots for Vertigo.

On The Road

2005-05-09T02:57:00.000Z

Arrived in LA yesterday arvo and cruised up the main drag to our first accom in Santa Monica. Went out for dinner at Meh-hee-caan place (very weird, being 4 am Sunday morning UK time!). Slept like a baby on vodka and warm milk.

7am Sunday round Hollywood and, you'll not believe this, we couldn't find the god damn Hollywood sign! Must've been the jet lag. Up Sunset Boulevard / Sunset Strip and into the Hollywood Hills along Mulholland Drive - awesome, awesome place. I'm sure money does grow on the tress round here.

Set the cruise control and (after lunch on the beach 100 miles north of LA) 4 hours later ended up here - in the lobby at our place in Pismo Beach - free beers and ready to go and watch the sun set over the Pacific.

200 miles down, 1400 to go...

Hello from Canada - Part 2

2004-08-12T17:34:00.005Z

Hey ya'll...arrived in Calgary only to get lost driving roundin our "RV" (it's huuuuge!) - the drive to the Rockies was incredible though - storm clouds over the mountains - wow. First night at Banff.

Next Lake Louise - stunning view with glacier in background - kayaked to other end of lake -faaaaaaaaaantastic.

Next day drive up "Icefield Parkway" rated one of THE best drives on the planet. Past Glaciers, 12,000 ft mountains, incredible lakes (stopped at Lake Peyto -as we walked up to the lake a rainbow appeared directly above the glowing, cyan coloured lake - one of those moments you never forget - rainbow lasted a few minutes and gone - magical).

Continued up Columbia Icefields - walk up Athabasca Glacier (not very far as people tend to fall into crevices - the warning signs told us that the last 3 rescue attempts were 'unsuccessful'...).

Onto Jasper - totally stunning location. Stayed at campsite in forest - red squirrels in spruce trees in campsite - bears spotted last week... watched the sunset over the mountains, BBQ, beer, and bed! Next - boat cruise on Lake Maligne (with world famous 'Spirit Island') and Medicine Lake - one thing we thought was 'you've seen one lake you've seen the all' but each one has a unique atmosphere, just amazing.

Drove down towards Lake Louise but too far and no space at campsites on the way so had to stop at the Columbia Icefields - the best view I've ever seen from a 'hotel (RV) window'. Bloody cold at 6,700 ft but looked directly out onto the Athabasca Glacier - watched the sun set so that one of the mountain peaks was just dipped in a deep orange glow and then darkness - and cold! Amazing experience. Totally silent night.

Back down the Icefield Parkway next morning - incredible view watching the sun rise across the mountains, casting whole valleys in shadow and then light gradually hitting snow-capped peaks. Best view of all on way back - Mistaya Lake - incredible reflections of forest, mountains and glaciers in lake. Unbelievable.

Back to Banff, up Sulphur Mountain in Gondola (Cable Car) to 7,000 ft and panoramic views. BBQ, beer, and bed! Drove back to Calgary yesterday morning, flight to Vancouver, drove to Seattle to stay at Stairs, where we are now. Absolute luxury - can send an email, get some washing done, etc - it's not nice having one's garments starting to ferment in one's rucksack...!

Got here last night - BBQ with Stair and friends up on apartment roof with incredible views of 'downtown' skyscrapers, Mount Rainer, and the golden glow of sunsetting over the Olympic Mountain Range and Pacific. Best holiday ever and still one week of Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver to go!

Hello from Canada - Part 1

2004-08-06T14:56:00.001Z

Wow - what an amazing time we are having and only really into our 3rd full day. Got to Toronto and picked up the Pontiac Grand Prix hire car (Im sure I booked a Ford Focus!) - how do you get an automatic to go? Didnt realise you have to engage the break so sat there like a lemon until someone took pity on me!

Drove to Niagara, checked into fab B&B and wandered down to see the Falls illuminated - incredible. And by this time it was 4 am UK time. Slept like a log and ready for incredible first day - Maid o the Mist, Behind the falls, Skytower, then back to Toronto and fab dinner (hey - they have Tibetan restaurants!!). Saw Bill Oddie at the falls!!!

Yesterday - day2 - Clinton in town! CN Tower - glass [floor, etc - Wooooaaaaahhh! Then baseball game at the Skydome in the afternoon.

Dinner with Carla and Dan in the evening. Now at Airpoty ready to go to Calgary - pick up Motorhome this arvo. Bloody incredible! Not a minute to sit back and take it all in. On to the rockies now!

Distant dreams, childhood places

2004-02-28T18:00:00.000Z

The urge to return to scenes of childhood adventures was too strong. As I veered off towards Hengistbury Head, images of yesteryear flick'r'd through my mind like a slideshow set to fast.

Sure, I'd returned a few times since those family holidays took place but, today, I had just one ambition: to ride the iconic 'Noddy Train' to the beach.

It was the closest thing to Swallows and Amazons in my life.

I remember clearly the adventures we all had...

Hands clasped weathered wood as we dragged the rowing boat through shallow water. The momentum gathers, we scramble in, and feet find a steady anchor and share the sandy puddle with a lonely crab. We stretch forward, oars creak, and drives us on to explore the estuary, eels and all.

We had our own Hundred Acre Wood too, stretching from the path that leads to the beach and on through the woods that nestle around Hengistbury Head. A winding track passes Roman remains, ancient gnarled trees and adders that weave their way through the bracken, just as the path weaves its way back to the main 'Noddy' train pickup point for the beach.

Protected from the sea by the concrete barriers that withstood storms far greater in my memory than they surely ever were, the family chalet, 'Gotacot' (it was a proud statement that our chalet was big enough to have one), remains today the same shade of blue it always was. Only the layers of fading paint give away the secrets of this magical place.

And I sat peacefully on soft sand, reflecting on those halcyon days as the sun burst through dark clouds and illuminated once again the innocence of younger years. Refreshed and centred, I left this place.

"The cold grey sea waits forever"

2003-11-30T11:42:00.000Z

The day after Steve and Tanya's wedding party (part deux), we stayed on in Bournemouth, and walked the two miles back to our car in lashing rain that soaked us to the bone, then drove home in a steaming car.

This shot was taken just along the coast from Mudeford Spit, a beautiful part of the country. My folks owned a chalet on the beach (and the only way to get there was to walk through the woods and take the "noddy train" to the beach). Fantastic memories...

A Table Mountain Sunset

2003-10-21T12:12:00.000Z

The very tip of Africa under your feet, you sense the full weight
of a dark continent at your back.

Looking down at the waves below, you trace a line to the horizon,
where two oceans collide.

Past that point, no further land just water, ice, and the bottom of the world.

Close your eyes, feel the warmth of a setting sun on your face. Waves crash from a sea of gold on the rocks of Camps Bay.

And blue shadows creep across the landscape,
encasing the continent in the soft stillness of night.

Facelift for MkII

1992-07-23T15:48:00.005Z

Uncle Ken's Ford Escort MkII needed pretty significant reconstructive surgery, courtesy of Mike, to make it road worthy for me to use at Leeds Uni. As it happened, I didn't pass my test until after graduating, and ended up taking it to Herts Uni for my Masters, where it lost a back wheel in St Albans, sparks flying from the axle, me parking on the pavement to find a slightly confused pedestian, carrying said wheel, "excuse me, but is this your wheel?" (errr, let me check...).

Ant Attack & Two Tribes - Annihilation

1983-08-03T23:51:00.009Z

Flippin' eck. Just found the 12" version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Two Tribes" on YouTube, and heard it for the first time since, what, 1983? Jeez, that's 26 years ago! I remember, vividly, playing "Ant Attack" on my ZX Spectrum, taping a copy from James Prosser, and being utterly absorbed in a virtual world. Playing TT on a little mono panasonic cassette player, having loaded AA for 5 minutes, settling down and immersing myself in that different world. A virtual world where nuclear war had caused these dastardly ants to grow... far-fetched maybe, but we lived in a world where a full-scale nuclear attack was a reality. It's amazing to look back on those days now...

A world of possibilities described at school in Z for Zachariah, on TV with Threads..., and the rather more sensational movie The Day After. But what I remember most vividly was the disaster at Chernobyl, the last nail in the coffin of a nuclear future - or so it seemed.

Random memories like splinters of glass

1980-08-30T12:26:00.003Z

Ah ha! Those first few bars of funky bassline supporting an otherworldly guitar riff and it's Ashes to Ashes by David Bowie...

Immediately, my mind rewinds to 1980, a family holiday in Mudeford, raindrops running down the window of the chalet, a well thumbed copy of Readers Digest and The Three Investigators keep me company. Why do I remember Readers Digest? These random things are woven together in the fabric of my memory.

What do you guys remember?