Brighton - because you're never too old for the Carousel

The best thing about that strange thing we call the 'Bank holiday' is that it comes around every year on the last weekend of August.  Three glorious non work days to look forward to, and of course for every British person worth their namesake a trip to the seaside.  It doesn't matter which one you choose, traditional fishing villages, large stretchy of sandy beaches, or one of the more traditional resorts, they all have a lot to give.

My favourite on a Bank holiday is the old fashioned resort, where you are guaranteed to see that most traditional of sights, people walking around in shorts no matter what the weather is throwing at them.  We are British and we are at the seaside.  Alongside this of course are the buckets and spades, ice-cream, fish and chips and if you are really lucky a pier with amusements.

This weekends' choice was Brighton.  Of course more upmarket than most, this happening city on the south coast is always bustling whatever time of year you visit.  Yesterday it was packed with people trying to make the most of the long weekend.  The trick is to arrive fairly early and park along the promenade, then you can join the hundreds of others milling about by the seashore, stroll along to one of the UK's best piers, or if you like head into town and get lost amongst the quaint shops and cafes of 'The Lanes'.

 

First stop is always for coffee, recommended is the Bandstand Cafe, below the Victorian bandstand, a friendly place with a great view.  From there a bracing walk along the promenade taking in the somewhat eerie view of the old pier, its last limbs rusting just of the shore.  There's also new boutique shops fighting for space alongside ice cream parlours, pubs, bars and fish and chip cafes.  In the middle of this, work is on going on what's going to be the i360° a 360° high rise viewing platform which claims to be the world's first vertical cable car, when finished the views should be amazing.

For lunch 'Pho' is always a winner.  Tasty Vietnamese food offerings just off the main promenade.  Follow this with some retail therapy in some of the many individual boutiques scattered in 'The Lanes', a drink in 'The Fortune of War' or if like me you prefer some seaside fun it's a race to the pier.

 

I love it, it's a strange mixture of tack and dated pleasure.  Opened in 1899 you can still image how it used to be when people dressed up for the Bank holiday and took a steam train to the coast.  And besides who can resist a place called the 'Palace of Fun' arcade!  It's a colourful display of neon and a cacophony of sound, as millions of bulbs light up fruit machines, horse racing machines, virtual games and everyones childhood favourite, the 2 pence machines.  Mix this in with chiming and ringing, bells, the dropping of coins and other various noises and you have the sensation of the pier. 

 

If all this gets too much there's always the rides and games on the outside.  The tin can shy, the shooting and the horse racing where Minions in all shapes and sizes seem to be the prizes of the day with people seemingly pouring money into these games to pick up one of those pesky Minions even when, when they get home they have no idea what they will do with it.  A sense of achievement however to all the winners.

I reject rides meant to scare the hell out of you, the Turbo coaster, the Crazy mouse and the Air race, I even reject the Wild river and the Horror Hotel, all of which seem to be providing endless amounts of pleasure for many.  Instead I head to the one ride I always go on.  Its' beautiful decoration, colour, mirrors and splendour drawing me in.  And as I choose my horse, I listen to the traditional organ music and wait to start twirling and reflect you are never too old for the Carousel.  

Hanging out in Antigua, Guatemala

The first thing you can't help but notice in this small Guatemalan city is that its surrounded by 3 vast volcanoes, looming like giants over the town below.  The second thing you notice are the rows of neat coloured houses and other buildings laid out like a grid pattern, letting cooler air funnel through narrow passages and providing much needed shade on at least one half of the street in this low rise city. 

Buildings of various shades of yellows and orange glow warm in the sunshine and seem to invite you in.  The whole city itself was very inviting.  As my first stop in Central America this was proving to be a good start.

Grabbing a map, I followed the cobbled streets through an archway with clock and arrived in the main plaza.  Here first stop was one of the many coffee shops for breakfast and to watch the activity in the square.  Market traders were setting out their wares on trestle tables, a colourful mix of bright fabrics, jewellery, flowers, and various fruits and vegetables. It was a  Sunday morning but the place was filling up fast, many people spilling out of the cathedral and numerous churches scattered amongst the city.

The city itself was founded in the early 16th century and is now protected due to its historic value and appears on the UN's world heritage list.  Wandering around its easy to see why.  The city itself was partially destroyed by a huge earthquake in 1773 and much abandoned by the local people.  This has meant that many of the original architecture and buildings still stand.  Although people re-inhabited the city and rebuilt some of the key buildings the atmosphere has been maintained.  Many of the original churches were not rebuilt and now these partially destroyed buildings add to the atmosphere and cry out for exploration.

It's easy to walk around this city, despite a dodgy map and the intense heat of the day.  There are loads of places to stop, lots of inviting cafes and bars, many with their own shady courtyards or roof top terraces.  The food was good, simple local dishes, steaks, quesadillas and various other Mexican type offerings to go along with the local beer.  What was also nice was the lack of tourists, there were some but the place wasn't overrun.  Walking away from the main plaza, the crowds are quickly left behind.  

I got a tuk-tuk up to El Cerro de la Cruz, just a few minutes' drive out and up outside the city itself.  From here there is a breathtaking view of the city spread out below and a great view of two of the volcanoes that dominate the skyline.  Living this close to these dormant volcanoes although potentially dangerous has given life to the city itself, the surrounding fertile land supporting the cities inhabitants.  Whilst taking in the view one of the volcanoes gives off a few puffs of smoke and reminds me of how close we are in this living landscape. 

Volcano boarding on Cerro Negro, Nicaragua- is the way up better than down?

I'd seen it on the TV before I left home.  Ed and Dara had made a programme about travelling through Central America, they made it look good.  One of the things that stood out, was their visit in Nicaragua to Cerro Negro, a still active but dormant volcano where you can go volcano boarding.  So I thought as I were here I would check it out.

Cerro Negro

I joined a small group of friendly people all prepared to throw themselves down the side of a volcano for fun.  The journey to the volcano passed through fields and volcanic plains as we left the appealing city of Leon and headed toward the ridge of volcanoes located only 40 minutes away.  Helpfully our guide asked the driver to stop so we could take a good picture of the volcano from the bottom and so he could point out the tracks of other sliders.  It looked very steep, and nervous chatter from the group clearly meant I wasn't the only one who was now reconsidering what they had let themselves in for.

The volcano stands out from the others in this area as its black.  Black volcanic lava has created a near perfect cone shape, with a hollow crater in one side and finer black sand and grit on the other.  The edge of the last lava flow stops abruptly at the base of the volcano, clearly seen where black rubble gives way to green scrub.

After stopping to register that we were climbing the volcano in the observation hut we pulled into the car park and got ready to climb.  The boards are pieces of plywood with a piece of thick rope to hang on to and a piece of metal attached underneath to make you slide faster.  The best way to carry them up to the start point was horizontally between your back and the rucksack of jump suit, gloves and goggles needed.  Slightly uncomfortable but not impossible. 

Group photos done we started the climb.  Circling round the back of the crater at first climbing over steep piles of rocks and at times struggling to keep our footing.  Half way up, the climb got easier as the gradient smoothed out and the path became more gravelly.  Despite the heat of the afternoon, there was a cooling breeze, and a couple of places to rest in the shade and admire the view.  This is what made the whole experience worthwhile.  Vast volcanic grasslands spread out below, the light of the afternoon sun spreading a warm glow across the whole area.  And the best part, no sign at all of humans, no buildings, villages or towns.  Just space for as far as the eye could see.

At the top we dumped our bags and boards and finished the climb to the top and rim of the crater.  The volcano gave off gas constantly, reminding us we were standing on an active time bomb!  The views from here if possible were even more spectacular, 360 degree vistas.  Volcanoes in the chain formed a line in front of us, the refreshed green landscape of trees and natural scrub blending with the sky which appeared huge.  And in the distance a glimpse of Leon, a city that sometimes gets covered in ash as the landscape around them lets off steam.  It all felt like such a privilege to be here and share this view with just a few others.

But we could put it off no longer.  It was time to slide.  Large yellow and green jumpsuits were provided which didn't really fit anyone but promised to stop us getting scratched on the way down.  A briefing followed, sit down on board, slide, feet down it you want to slow down.  That was it, short and to the point.  The sense of anticipation grew, then it was my turn, as I waited for the wave meaning it was safe to go I felt positive about this, gloves on, goggles down and I was off.  At first it's exhilarating, then the speed kicks in and you start to think about what you're doing.  Half way down I started to come off the board, I got grounded and stopped, the front of the board dug in the gravel.  Managing to get going again, all thoughts now were of just getting to the bottom as quick as possible.  I picked up speed, despite feet down I wasn't slowing.  Gravel flew at my goggles, and my leg, scratching it like sandpaper.  Aghhh, I wanted to scream, although I couldn't as we had been told to keep our mouths shut in case gravel flew in!  Then the end came and in a far less glamorous end than start I was flung off.  Ouch.

Others came down with interesting degrees of success, one thing in common being the dirty black faces and white goggle marks and sand in places there shouldn't be sand.  But we had all survived and hobbled back to the bus with various injuries, for water melon and beer!

Stopping once again at the volcano monitoring station to sign out we were treated to one last amazing spectacle.  A platform into the trees opened up to a now dark sky, not tainted by light pollution but stars beautifully clear, constellations like the song, diamonds in the sky.  This place it seemed just kept on giving.

Check out the YouTube link below to see a footage shot by some lovely Americas who took on this challenge with me.  Thanks guys. 

https://youtu.be/D-05Je92YaQ

Vietnam - Hanoi to Halong Bay

We were excited to arrive in Hanoi.  The airport was small but we quickly passed through immigration and took a taxi into town.  The noise is the first thing that hits you, thousands of scooters making their way with their own sense of order through the narrow streets, made smaller by the street vendors selling their wares from the pavement, an astonishing amount of tableware and stainless steel stood out.  Also on the roads, hundreds of bikes and cars and people carrying the tradition pole on their shoulders with various goods attached to the baskets dangling below.  A manic scene to arrive to, but one we quickly got used to in the next few days.

Hanoi Streets

We learnt that a good place to check out Hanoi was from the balconies of the many cafes that lined the streets.  The best ones serving up Vietnamese spring rolls, fresh lemon juice, baguettes (the legacy of the French) and some of the best coffee.  From this elevated position, whilst the coffee slowly dripped through the stainless steel filter into the sweet condensed milk below, it was possible to keep an eye on what's going on, and watch locals and tourists alike haggling for bargains with different degrees of success.

Hanoi is a great place to hang out for a few days.  There is plenty to see as long as you are just happy to wander.  The maze of streets take you from crowded markets, to boutiques selling all sorts of silk and lacquer goods.  Sooner or later it you will end up at the lake in the centre of the city, all roads seem to lead to here.  We took a chance and brought a ticket to see the 'famous' water puppet show, I wrote in my diary 'kind of interesting' make of that what you will.

Perfume River

After a few days in Hanoi we decided to venture on out a trip to the 'Perfume Pagoda', 60 km southwest of Hanoi found in the limestone hills that seem to rise out of nowhere in the paddy fields.  We got to the start of the path to the grotto by means of a traditional boat along the Perfume river, as it was January it wasn't busy, but judging by the many boats lined up on the side of the banks we could only imagine what it was like in peak season.  For us though it was peaceful, a view of paddy fields and farmers wearing traditional conical hats and colourful clothes.  The only others on the river were a couple of boats full of soldiers, out on a day trip! 

 

 

The path was steep to the Pagoda, which turned out to be a grotto, a gaping cavern accessed by a steep decent of 120 steps.  A place of Buddhist worship, the smell of incense permanently lingered and created a haze in the air, adding to the atmosphere of this spiritual site.  As we climbed down we saw the foundations of a cable car being build, a disappointing image to leave such a sacred area with.

Perfume River Temple

Top of the list when thinking about a trip to Vietnam was a trip to Halong Bay, a picture postcard image of the essence of Vietnam, 2000ish limestone islands rising up from the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin.  Well we made it, unfortunately on possibly the worst weather day of the year.  We could only imagine the beautiful scenery laid out before us as we made our way to the boat dock.  As a positive we had the whole boat to ourselves, clearly the only foreigners mad enough to be taking this trip today.  Still we got the picture, and as the boat made its zigzag path between the formations the mist lifted at times giving us a tantalising view of what had been promised.  We stopped twice, both times at caves that had been discovered by fishermen a few decades before.  One had been nicely 'neon'ed', but the other more impressive without the added bling.

Halong Bay

Once back on shore, coats and woolly hat still on we wandered around the small town, and got the impression that it only really came alive in the sunshine.  So we found a cafe on the waterfront and order Pho, followed by banana pancakes, all washed down with ice cold beer.  Hanoi and the Perfume River had been great, Halong bay a disappointment, but that's the way it often goes, the least sold destinations are always the best.

Sunrise over Sinai

Whenever people ask me which is my favourite travel experience, it's always a difficult answer, but one day always makes it into the top ten.  I had been travelling through Egypt for two weeks already, had crossed the White Desert, swum in an oasis that appeared as a welcome vision out of nowhere, taken in my fill of history, temples and pyramids and escaped the chaos of Luxor and Cairo.  Now I found myself in the Sinai peninsula, a vast open expanse of desert, dry land and mountains, interspersed with a few isolated villages, settlements and many goats.

We stopped after a very long hot drive next to Saint Catherine's Monastery at the base of Mt Sinai.  Our reason for being here, to climb to the top and take in the sunrise.  Mt Sinai is famous according to the book of Exodus as the mountain at which the ten commandments were given to Moses by God.  Now, as well as being a destination for the several travellers that make their way to this remote spot, it's also a place of pilgrimage for many who come to feel the magic of this special place.

We had heard talk of large crowds that gather on the top and, keen to get a good spot we started our trek up the mountain at 11.30 p.m. armed with water and sleeping bag.  The trek up follows the camel path, we were lucky, the brightness of the moon lit our way and added to the silent atmosphere, the mountains at their most beautiful in the colourful hues of the dusky light that lit them, a far cry from the reddish hues of the days heat.  It was quite a trek as the path wound its way up the side of the mountain, near the top just before 2 a.m. we reached the steps of repentance, the final challenge to pilgrims looking for forgiveness.  Victory was ours 15 minutes later as we took the final step and made the summit.  The top of the mountain is surprisingly a little flat, a perfect spot of a church and a snack stall.  So having repented we brought cups of hot sweet tea and found a spot to get settled in. 

As we attempted sleep, there was a noticeable change in air temperature and we were glad that we had bothered to haul sleeping bags up here.  Sleep came and went, the stars filling the sky and proving a distraction too many, despite the weariness of the legs and the late hour.  Finally we drifted off, surrounded by just a few fellow pilgrims.

Just before 5 a.m. we awoke to mummers of quiet chatter all around.  There must have been 400 hundred people all here to see one thing.  And it didn't disappoint, standing on the edge looking out over the endless horizon of the desert plain, the sun began to rise filling the land with blues, pinks, yellow and bright orange as the light was turned on over Moses' mountain.  Whatever your feelings about religion no one could have helped but be impressed with the majesty of what we had been lucky enough to see.

With the crowds this time, we made our way down the side of the mountain and back to our truck in time for banana pancakes!  The moment lost as reality set back in.  One final effort took us to St Catherine's monastery with is beautiful frescos and inlays of gold.  Even the chance to see the 'burning bush'  which is looking particularly green after all this time.  From here it was time to leave the interior and make our way to the coast, but the imprint of that sunrise has stayed in my memories for a long time.

 

Paddling in Qingdao

Like many parts of China its probably changed fast and become almost unrecognisable from what it was.  And what is was, was great, a total contrast to the manic cities of Beijing and Shanghai an unexpected discovery on China's east coast.  I'm not going to lie, we headed for Qingdao for one reason and that one reason was the beer.  Of course it was a bonus that the very city that produced this tasty beverage was near the first sign of a beach / resort city that we had seen in the year we had spent in China.   

Exiting the train at 6.30am we were preparing to run the gauntlet of hotel touts and find our own place to stay.  Our resolve lasted at least 30 seconds, before we were approached by a man offering a brand new hotel for the bargain price of 40 Yuan.  Always one for a bargain, plus the fact that when pointed out, it was straight opposite and we had heavy bags were all compelling reasons to sign up.  The outside look sparkly the inside didn't.  In fact it wasn't even finished, still even builders in China should be able to make a little on the side and the double room complete with its own bathroom was quickly made up with clean sheets and bleach poured down the toilet that was so close to the wall that it was only possible to use if a straddle or sideways approach was adopted.  Perfect what more could we want.

We dumped our stuff and set off exploring.  It's possible to walk along the top of the cliff top for quite away.  We stopped several times to check out what was on offer.  Walking over the jetty we stopped to watch local fisherman trying their luck hoping to sell some of their catch to one of the many seafood restaurants on offer in this city, or if not, at least to the market stalls that popped up in an evening on the pier offering tasty treats at a more affordable price for the locals, and those on a limited budget like ourselves.

 

A little weirdly there is also a German mansion house that you can go see, left over from the colonial occupation at the beginning of the last century and also a cathedral that strangely appeared in the middle of a Chinese neighbourhood and some of the smaller shopping streets around.  And of course there is the beach which appeared clean enough to swim or paddle.

 

Two things however really stand out from the trip.  One, it's apparently the place to go if you're a bride in China and want photos by the sea.  During my year here I had been lucky enough to go to several weddings and had learnt that it's fashionable to have official wedding photos taken in western style dress before the big day so they can then be sent out as an invite.  Looking down on the beach that day in Qingdao was a surreal experience, there were literally brides everywhere! all in big meringue dresses complete with thick makeup doing 'romantic poses' as directed following the instructions of the keen photographers that were buzzing around.  And of course the slightly awkward looking grooms dressed in polyester suits and trying their best to keep up.  The photographers assistants followed on with large silver reflectors and makeup bags responsible for keeping the brides make up on her face despite the 30 degree heat.  An amusing site and surely the basis for a game show somehow.

The second thing that really stood out was the awesome fact that in this city if you fancy a beer you can leave your hotel room, pop down to the street and some man with a keg will fill up a plastic carrier bag for you to take away.  Awesome, a little impractical, but still a definite must do whilst here.  No better way to sample Qingdao than in Qingdao.

As we ate that night on the pier we tucked in to a variety of unidentifiable sea-life and of course a refreshing pint whilst we chatted to some locals.  This is definitely one place in China that would be worth a second visit.  I just hope with rapid modernisation and hosting major events like sailing regattas it won't have lost its very charm and quirkiness that made it so unique in China.

 

Montenegro - a quieter alternative to Croatia

This small Balkan nation has a lot to offer.  A relatively new nation formed in 2006 with a population of less than 700,000 it feels like there is plenty of space to go around.  Located on the Adriatic coast the biggest draws to this less explored nation are the rugged mountains, narrow strips of beaches and medieval villages and fortified towns, that reach all along the coast.

Unfortunately the pristine landscape and unspoilt beaches are slowly being revealed as some of the best kept secrets of this part of the world.  As Croatia becomes over run with tourists and cruise ships stopping along the Adriatic, more and more people are searching further south for a quieter alternative which is no less beautiful.

One of the cheapest and easiest ways to get to Montenegro is to fly into Dubrovnik and take a bus along the coast, jumping off where ever takes your fancy.  As we only had a week, we headed for one of the more famous stops along the Adriatic, the beautiful fortified town of Budva.  Getting off the bus we found our hotel right on the beach, a 10 minute drive from the centre.  Mountains behind and clear tempting sea in front.  The location couldn't have been better, and what's more it's possible to walk all along the beach into the old town of Budva.  The wide sweeping bay is lined with small bars and restaurants which were mainly filled with local tourists, a much tempting offer than those further north, filled with cheap package holiday sun seekers.

The medieval town of Budva is small and very walkable.  Small narrow alleys offer shade from the heat of the day, interesting buildings, craft shops and cafes, and views over the harbour.  Plenty to do for a couple of hours if relaxing on the beach gets too much.

Not being people to lie about we got a bus to Kotor.  Another fortified medieval town, this is slightly bigger than Budva and has a little more to offer.  Its location is stunning, a natural harbour protected by the remains of a hill fort looking down town below.  It's also more expensive here which may have something to do with the ability for clipper ships to pull in here and disgorge tourists every so often.  Despite this the boat just added to the feel of the place, and it was easy to disappear and find back streets and alleys, steps cut into rock between buildings led to places where it felt only locals might go.

The architecture here is also a draw, indeed we saw several groups of artists, set up their easels tempted by the carvings, balconies and slightly weathered exteriors that the buildings had to offer.  Very picturesque and all very lovely.

If I had had more energy I should have gone to Sveti Stefan an island attached by a sand bar to the mainland, complete with churches and red roofed houses and narrow streets, one of the most photographed places in Montenegro.  I also should have gone into the mountains and done some walking through native forest and wild countryside, seen the National park of Lake Skadar and the monastery of Ostrog, but I didn't.  Next time huh, and quickly before the crowds catch on.