What’s to see in London? Lots. So how do you know what is worth seeing? That depends on what kind of thing you like to see. A relative of mine was visiting with a friend and they didn’t think it worth the 18 pound to visit the inside of St Pauls, so they didn’t go. I, however, wouldn’t have missed it for the world, and for me, it’s a ‘must see’. But then, I’m particularly interested in architecture, particularly of the gothic variety. I also, having done some research, had a National Rail week’s travel ticket that gave me a two for one deal on many sights including St Pauls and Westminster Abbey. So my daughter and I got in for 9 pounds (roughly 18 AUD) which is a lot more reasonable than 18 pounds or roughly 36 AUD each. As some of you know, I made travel vlogs of my recent travels. These are on You Tube now, but I’ll be posting more here on my travels over the coming months. One thing I discovered from doing videos is that, though I enjoy making videos, I prefer writing, and there … [Read more...]
Patong Beach, Phuket 2014: Scams to avoid.
If you go to Bangla Road in Patong Beach—and everyone does at least once—and you’re with a partner and between the ages of about 35 and 64, there is one scam that you are extremely likely to come across. It goes like this: An ex-pat (not the lady-boy in the photo) approaches you and asks if you speak English. Automatically, you say yes. They pull out a wad of coloured tickets with scratchies on them, and explain that if you rub off the covering, you may win one of the prizes—cash, an ipad, an iphone, an island cruise or a free holiday. If you scratch off the coverings, you’ll discover that one of you gets a T-Shirt, and the other gets the big prize. The ex-pat gets really excited and makes a big fuss, saying something like: Wow, you got the big prize, that’s awesome, hardly anyone gets that. (There’s an English couple who is particularly good at this charade. They sucked us right in.) But the truth is that one in a couple always gets the big prize; they make sure that you do by … [Read more...]
How was your trip? A view from outside.
In New Zealand, where I was born, the young are expected to travel then return home with a broader perspective on life and a greater appreciation for their own country. It works—except that some of us decide that Australia suits us better and end up living there, as I do. But no matter where you travel, what your revised perception of your own country may be, and where you end up, travel gives you a different perspective, which if you contemplate on it, can give you greater insight into yourself and the human condition in general. This is one of the benefits of travelling. Usually we are so involved in the concerns of our life that we don’t consider how things are for others. Our own challenges totally consume us. Though it would be beneficial to do so, we don’t step back and look at our life from a more objective distance, but travel forces you to do that, at least to some degree. I sit now on the veranda of a Thai resort on my last day in Thailand and find that my holiday has … [Read more...]
