I adore New York City. It’s the only place on this trip that I’d visited before, and consequently was a little nervous. I am never sure about bringing people to places I love; I feel the weight of expectation to know the things they might like most about it, but more than that I worry that they might not love…
***taken from my journal, in the middle of a three week trip to Boston, Niagara, Toronto, Montréal and New York with my father. As I normally travel alone, this was an adjustment for me both in pace and in focus. Finally some space to breathe. To sit and watch the country roll by from the window of a train. I’m…
It was reasonably easy to get to the falls (Ontario side) from Buffalo, a Megabus to Niagara Falls, and then a straightforward walk from the bus terminal along the Olympic Torch Trail. We’d been able to leave luggage at the bus terminal, in what felt like a slightly under-the-counter transaction but apparently happens fairly often. The trail ends right around…
I’d burned myself out. Again. The trouble with being single-speed, is that when you come across a brick wall you run smack into it at that single speed, with all of the inevitable repercussions. I’d worked too intensely for too long, been struggling with some connections, and felt like a pale imitation of a human. So I took myself to…
I’m fortunate to be sent by my work to places that form new bases for adventure and exploration, places that it might take me longer to get to under my own steam. It’s how I got to Australia this year. I was in Gold Coast for a week, and took advantage of a clear weekend to go surfing, visit Currumbin…
As I’m sure may have already become clear, I’m not totally in love with Houston. It’s huge and sprawling (and humid) and it’s a bit of an adjustment for a walking explorer like me. However, I go there quite frequently and like to make the best of it, so with an afternoon to myself in the middle of a recent…
I made a somewhat desperate impromptu escape from London to one of my favourite parts of England. I grew up not far from the Peak District and continue to love its dramatic landscapes. My favoured destinations are in the Dark Peak, the higher and wilder uninhabited northern part. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea; it’s bleak and windswept,…
I went for a walk in the jungle at dawn. Alone. Of course I did. Still jet lagged and awake at at 5am, it seemed sensible to be up and ready at the gate of Tikal National Park in time for the 6am opening. With no electricity and not a huge amount to do during that hour, I was early,…
A very very brief stopover in Kandy gave us the opportunity to take in a bustling city. Opting not to spend the hours in line for the busy tourist spots, we took a walk around the lake and through the back streets and markets. The primary reason for visiting Kandy was actually to pick up the train to Ella. This…
As with most of my travels, I arrived in Sri Lanka with a cloud of interesting ideas but no real itinerary. This time, a combination of train strikes and weather helped make the initial decision easy. Beach bad, hills good. However, the first part of the journey was going to be the most challenging, and the easiest option seemed to…