Excerpt from my Albanian travel journal notebook: Mon 20/2 klo 13.25 Cold so won’t write for long, but just to share magical moments w/ you. Sat alone @ top of Mount Something, maybe begins with a Q (pronounced “ch”), maybe not. I LOVE THIS. Views are PHENOMENAL. Just had a nutritious lunch of yesterday’s peanut […]
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Albania, land of…
I went to Albania roughly due to the same reasons I went to Kazakhstan – why not? Voldemort chose it as his random country to hide in, what more random place to choose? What I knew about Albania before going: So, I spent seven nights in Albania. I went alone, which I think is arguably […]
Szimply the B(udap)est – 5 things to do
I just came back from the epicest four days with my favourite Scottish human, the lovely Nicola who fans may remember as my beloved travel companion in Cesky Krumlov last year. This year twas time to brave the Buda and the Pest, so without further ado, here goes, five things we did which I would […]
The sun which set beyond the Kok-Tobe cable cars
What to do when first arriving in a new town? Go see the highest view you can find. This can be via a tower, via a tram up a mountain or, traditionally in the Story of My Life, via a cable car. One of the attractions of Almaty in the first place was the cable car […]
Cesky Krumlov Castle Grounds: a Bohemian fairy tale
Cesky Krumlov Castle dates back to 1240 and it is the second largest castle complex in Czechia after Prague. It houses this incredible-looking bridge over the moat and is recommended for anyone who visits Czechia, let alone Cesky Krumlov itself. Without belittling the castle itself, many people and sources said that already the grounds were […]
The Clash of Beaches
What do you think of if I ask you to imagine a Beach? Translucent turquoise waters lapping the warm silky sand of the pristine coastline, with a few perfectly placed palm trees bordering the natural greenery of this secluded beach where it just happens to be just you? Or a packed shore full of stressed, […]
I went up the Burj Khalifa and lived happily ever after
The title sort of rhymes, doesn’t it, depending on your English accent and Arabic pronunciation, eh? I contemplated titles like ‘Burj Khalifa: Where dreams come true‘ or ‘Burj Khalifa: Proof that dreams come true‘ but they would be too cheesy, right? And I am fully aware it is only my personal opinion, and that many […]
My trip to the North Korean border (the DMZ-tour)
Extract from paper stuck into travel journal: DMZ thoughts. IN BUS 8.34am. Didn’t bring my journal in case the NKoreans confiscate it… Of course I knew that there would be no legit reason for the North Koreans to confiscate my travel journal, or even any legit reason for me to be meeting any North Koreans, […]
The Nams of Seoul: Namsan Tower and Namdaemun Market
Seoul has a tower. Seoul Tower, or Namsan Tower, is a 238m-high building, built in 1980, which marks the highest point of Seoul. Seoul also has a cable car that goes up to the tower. So, I guess it comes as no surprise that on my second day in Seoul, I decided to explore the […]
The secret of the Fushimi Inari fox
“You’ve seen the deer village, what about the fox village?” asked my Canadian Tokyo hostel buddy. I hadn’t heard of the ‘fox village’. I had, however, heard of Fushimi Inari, boasting the #1 slot on both Tripadvisor Kyoto as well as Tripadvisor Japan. I was slightly disappointed just now to find it only on place #25 […]