We visited some awe-inspiring ruins today, just outside the city of Trujillo on the coast. It's one of Peru's biggest cities and the ruins were fascinating. I finally got to put this song into context! We were driven by our guide to some stunning desert temples to learn about the civilisation which built them. The … Continue reading Going back in time
Just before sunset, baboons climb up the trees to roost, stay warm and get away from predators. Ancient Egyptians thought this was an act of devotion to the sun; that they watched it set and rise again. To protect it and show it affection.That is how the baboon became the protector of the sun.I have … Continue reading Sun worshipping
Today was the last day of a fellow volunteer, and we spent the evening at the small town beach on San Cristobal, Playa Mann.Earlier in the evening, we had gathered ingredients from across town so that we could make our own empanadas, a common food here. We had cheese and ground beef inside, vegetables, salad … Continue reading Last sunset at the beach
Today I am on the biggest Galápagos island - Isabela. It's appropriately shaped like a seahorse and is the most beautiful of the three islands I have visited so far. It's got a tiny population, no proper roads and the animals are bigger and more plentiful; the beaches are broad sweeps of white sand and … Continue reading Lava tunnels and volcanoes
Galápagos sea lion or Lobos marinas ("sea wolf") are regularly seen hanging out by the harbour. I was dozing on a bench when this one crept up on me
Originally published on Shiny Shiny. So, a trip's on the cards. You might think that going travelling is about switching off your gadgets and switching into relaxation mode, but even the most minimalistic of travellers can benefit from these electronic essentials. I've put together a list of some of the handiest travel gadgets around today. … Continue reading What to take travelling – gadgets / accessories
You will sometimes find me writing elsewhere, and this is a post I originally wrote for Shiny Shiny - basically all my favourite films in one list... so if you're looking to unleash your inner nomad, I recommend you sit yourself down on a big comfy sofa and watch them all. There’s something undeniably refreshing … Continue reading 9 incredible films about travelling
Being born a woman is an awful tragedy... Yes, my consuming desire is to mingle with road crews, sailors and soldiers, barroom regulars—to be a part of a scene, anonymous, listening, recording—all this is spoiled by the fact that I am a girl, a female always supposedly in danger of assault and battery... I want … Continue reading ‘Wild’ and the perils of travelling as a solo woman
OK, not quite the deepest. The record has just been beaten, in fact, by a new pool in Italy. But Nemo 33 in Brussels, Belgium, was the world's deepest swimming pool for 10 years, at 34.5m deep. And it was pretty spectacular. Along with my diving club, we travelled to Brussels for our Christmas "party" … Continue reading That time I went diving in the world’s deepest swimming pool
Tweet Exactly two years ago I was sitting up in this very same bed, restless, listening to the unique silence of the night before Christmas around me. I was intensely frustrated at being unable to sleep, for no one really wants to dwell alone in the dark pre-Christmas dawn. I knew that my younger sister would … Continue reading Déjà vu
no cash on the highway 