I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
You can look at the world through a microscope or a telescope. Stay at home, travel. It doesn’t really matter. The important thing is to pay attention and not miss it. Personally a summers afternoon sat in the shade of an old English oak tree looking at the life around me is bliss.
I remember chatting to a Luxembourger in Wiltz with an Indian motorbike about 1988. He had spent years travelling the globe, and was in India for six months biking on an Enfield. Then he found himself dreaming every night of the cool pine forests and rolling hills of his native town, so he settled back there with a camera shop and a concession to sell Indian Enfields for the Low Countries. In the end he wanted that attachment to place, that heimat feeling.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Would it be horribly unkind to say that we don't want to risk meeting you?
I mean, we all have our own visions of you, swanning around flinting knapps or knapping flints or whatever it is that you do and writing charming travelogues. But one doesn't want to meet one's heroes - because they might turn out to be smelly people with bad teeth and only 5 foot 2.
And even if that's not true, in your case we might also find ourselves bumping into that (your words) "wanker SeanT". And before we know it you or he or God help us both has taken us up on a polite "oh yes let's do lunch" invite and so not only is our holiday ruined but now we've got a ghastly lunch to get through.
So all in all best to stay here and hide out in places you'll never be seen dead in.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
You can look at the world through a microscope or a telescope. Stay at home, travel. It doesn’t really matter. The important thing is to pay attention and not miss it. Personally a summers afternoon sat in the shade of an old English oak tree looking at the life around me is bliss.
“Stay at home, travel, it doesn’t really matter”
Bollocks. It matters
“Travel broadens the mind” is a cliche because it is really true. The one way to open yourself to new experiences is to thrust yourself, immerse yourself, in an entirely new culture, even if only for a day, but for longer if possible
Travel - especially more difficult remote travel - raises the IQ and keeps the IQ high because every task becomes a learning curve and a challenge. Just ordering a coffee in a town where no one speaks English. How do you do that? You have to be wily and resourceful. You have to learn how to charm strangers, you have to be content with your own company when necessary, you have to tolerate hassles with grace and humour, there is so much good it does to a human, and it brings humans together
If I could have one wish for my two teenage daughters it would be: that they go out there and see the world
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
Finally, did the Trafford Centre branch of Manchester's Metrolink tram network more than two years after it opened, which incidentally was just days before the first lockdown in March 2020!
Also, my first long distance train journey since March 2020. Quick out and back from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, roughly two hours each way, plus about half an hour each way on the tram.
Until the Blackpool Tram extension to Blackpool North station opens later this year, I've now traversed all of the UK's light rail and/or Metro networks
And the Nerwhaven extension of the Edinbuirgh trams next year (about bloody time too).
Anyway this is my 3rd visit to London in as many months and it's too bloody hot.
However, for the 2nd time, I have been offered a tantric massage. I am but a poor unsophisticated country mouse these days but even I twigged that rushing to accept this might not be the wisest course.
Does this happen to others? Is it London? Is it (gulp) me?
Is that a massage without touching or something? Sounds like a scam to me. Good call.
I rather suspect that quite a lot of touching goes on. Rather more than one might expect.
Not really one for massages in any event. My never fail way of really relaxing is a swim in the sea. I can be in there for hours.
And if I had to end my life that's where I'd do it. After a very good lunch with lots of wine.
Anyway, goodnight all.
Ah, right. Well still a good call probably. There's lots to be said for not doing things.
That's the second time you've said about checking out in the sea. Getting slightly worried.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Possible explanations: not as pleasant as it used to be, and too expensive.
Covid apart, neither of these is really true
Cheap air travel has opened up the world - and made it cheaper, natch. and also more pleasant as you can now fly all over and it doesn’t take aeons
Pandemic aside the one thing that has got worse is tacky overcrowding in a select few spots, mainly European - Venice, Paris, London, Prague, Barcelona, the Med in general - but it is not hard to find alternatives
Choose Tbilisi over Prague
(Tbilisi is actually way way more interesting, beautiful and historical anyway)
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
I went to Kashmir in 1984. Gorgeous. Glad to have seen it.
Yes, I don't think that it is the place it was, between civil conflict and lake pollution with the famous houseboats deteriorating.
After India, everywhere else does seem a bit boring. The colours, the noise, the smells, the chaos, the poverty, the riches, the people, everything is so extreme.
Anyway, greetings from Yeghegnadzor, Armenia where I have just slept, on and off, for 15 hours
Quite odd. The accumulated sleep deficit of travel, I guess. Feel fine now. Unsurprisingly refreshed
Back in November 1999 during my Armenia trip I arrived in Yegheghnadzor having travelled in a dodgy taxi over the high plateau from Martuni on lake Sevan, where I’d had a really quite nasty stomach bug. I too slept for a similar amount of time.
I’d fallen in with an American peace corps volunteer in Martuni and slept on his floor after a day of the squits, but the evening, first with some teenage kids we got talking to in a shack on the outskirts and later in a highly kitsch mafiosi restaurant with Armienski conac finished me off. Was retching the whole next day.
I’m sure the place is better presented now but that whole central and Southern part of Armenia was a juxtaposition of wild and beautiful scenery, and ugly as hell settlements that had barely emerged from communism.
PB is incredibly well travelled. Who woulda thunk another PB-er has already been to “Yegheghnadzor”, southern Armenia. I am determined to go somewhere, on this trip, that no PB-er has ever been
FYI, Armenia has not changed, one jot. Alarmingly ugly towns of grey concrete and derelict car yards, surrounded by rugged sometimes magnificent mountainscapes, dotted with ancient monasteries
The “tourist” industry consists of the odd minibus with Russians, and nothing else at all
The upside of being the only tourist is that everyone seems genuinely pleased to see you, quietly puzzled by your presence, shyly eager to practise their English, and all round amiable, warm and welcoming, without going overboard and intruding.
They are also highly tolerant of slightly drunken driving
I wonder if there's anyone on PB who did more travelling during the 80s and 90s than since then?
Me. I was all over the shop in the 80s and 90s, about 50 countries, and since then I've travelled far far less. My recent short holiday in Belgium was my 1st trip abroad for 10 years.
Why? AIUI your kid/s are grown? Why stop travelling?
Genuine Q
OK I travel for my job but even if I didn’t I’d travel anyway. You clearly USED to like travelling, did you just get bored?
Much of my travelling was work and I stopped working. That's one reason. Then on the hols they seemed somehow less important when life had sort of became one anyway.
And then it just became a habit to only take easy little minibreaks in the UK. A bad habit though - hence trying to break it now. Would have done a few trips in the last couple of years if not for Covid.
It’s a really bad habit
With all due respect, I think this may account for your odd narrowness of mind, despite being a clearly bright guy. You’ve become set in your ways, as you are set in your opinions. You do not challenge yourself with new ideas, as you do not challenge yourself with new places, cuisines, cultures, languages
DO IT. I mean that in a genuinely friendly way. DO IT. You have the time, the money, the intellect, and you are still young enough to really enjoy it. EXPLORE. It’s not like you only have one holiday a year so if it goes wrong it’s a disaster. I totally understand that argument: why a poorer family may choose Benidorm again and again, because they can only afford one holiday and it has to go right, and they can trust Hotel X in resort Y with sunshine Z, so they repeat. Totally fair
But this is not you. What a waste of your freedom and affluence if you don’t exploit it!
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Mrs Foxy was brought up in Zambia, and travelled all over the Southern part of the continent, and I have Guyanese friends.
Finally, did the Trafford Centre branch of Manchester's Metrolink tram network more than two years after it opened, which incidentally was just days before the first lockdown in March 2020!
Also, my first long distance train journey since March 2020. Quick out and back from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, roughly two hours each way, plus about half an hour each way on the tram.
Until the Blackpool Tram extension to Blackpool North station opens later this year, I've now traversed all of the UK's light rail and/or Metro networks
Have you done all the heritage lines too?
No, not all of them. I've always prioritised the official "National Rail" network and the Metros (inc. London, natch). But I have done:
Epping Ongar (of which I am a member!) Bluebell Southend Pier Kent & East Sussex East Kent Sittingbourne & Kemsley Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Volk's Electric Mid Hants Chinnor & Princes Risborough Great Whipsnade Bristol Harbour Great Orme Seven Valley Peak Railway Strathspey Snowdon (a long time ago! 1988 and 1997 - before I had a camera in fact!)
I completely forgot it’s Thursday nite because PB has been so sedate and not the usual drunk tank.
Don’t forget Slade, PB has a new friend, James Doyle, who will crunch all tonight’s results into a special algyrithm - GWBWI GloopyWoopyBoobyWoozyIohze - that can assess electoral value of each seat wins and declare a weekly by election party winner. That’s going to be the coolest thing posted tomorrow I expect.
"Sajid Javid is prepared to wage war against gender-free language after he demanded the NHS stop dropping the word 'women' from its online health advice."
Anyway, greetings from Yeghegnadzor, Armenia where I have just slept, on and off, for 15 hours
Quite odd. The accumulated sleep deficit of travel, I guess. Feel fine now. Unsurprisingly refreshed
Back in November 1999 during my Armenia trip I arrived in Yegheghnadzor having travelled in a dodgy taxi over the high plateau from Martuni on lake Sevan, where I’d had a really quite nasty stomach bug. I too slept for a similar amount of time.
I’d fallen in with an American peace corps volunteer in Martuni and slept on his floor after a day of the squits, but the evening, first with some teenage kids we got talking to in a shack on the outskirts and later in a highly kitsch mafiosi restaurant with Armienski conac finished me off. Was retching the whole next day.
I’m sure the place is better presented now but that whole central and Southern part of Armenia was a juxtaposition of wild and beautiful scenery, and ugly as hell settlements that had barely emerged from communism.
PB is incredibly well travelled. Who woulda thunk another PB-er has already been to “Yegheghnadzor”, southern Armenia. I am determined to go somewhere, on this trip, that no PB-er has ever been
FYI, Armenia has not changed, one jot. Alarmingly ugly towns of grey concrete and derelict car yards, surrounded by rugged sometimes magnificent mountainscapes, dotted with ancient monasteries
The “tourist” industry consists of the odd minibus with Russians, and nothing else at all
The upside of being the only tourist is that everyone seems genuinely pleased to see you, quietly puzzled by your presence, shyly eager to practise their English, and all round amiable, warm and welcoming, without going overboard and intruding.
They are also highly tolerant of slightly drunken driving
I wonder if there's anyone on PB who did more travelling during the 80s and 90s than since then?
Me. I was all over the shop in the 80s and 90s, about 50 countries, and since then I've travelled far far less. My recent short holiday in Belgium was my 1st trip abroad for 10 years.
Why? AIUI your kid/s are grown? Why stop travelling?
Genuine Q
OK I travel for my job but even if I didn’t I’d travel anyway. You clearly USED to like travelling, did you just get bored?
Much of my travelling was work and I stopped working. That's one reason. Then on the hols they seemed somehow less important when life had sort of became one anyway.
And then it just became a habit to only take easy little minibreaks in the UK. A bad habit though - hence trying to break it now. Would have done a few trips in the last couple of years if not for Covid.
It’s a really bad habit
With all due respect, I think this may account for your odd narrowness of mind, despite being a clearly bright guy. You’ve become set in your ways, as you are set in your opinions. You do not challenge yourself with new ideas, as you do not challenge yourself with new places, cuisines, cultures, languages
DO IT. I mean that in a genuinely friendly way. DO IT. You have the time, the money, the intellect, and you are still young enough to really enjoy it. EXPLORE. It’s not like you only have one holiday a year so if it goes wrong it’s a disaster. I totally understand that argument: why a poorer family may choose Benidorm again and again, because they can only afford one holiday and it has to go right, and they can trust Hotel X in resort Y with sunshine Z, so they repeat. Totally fair
But this is not you. What a waste of your freedom and affluence if you don’t exploit it!
I went to Belgium just the other week.
A fascinating little gem of a country. I went on a motorcycle tour there in 1987. It started as a bit of a joke, because we didn't trust our bikes for a long trip, but we had a great time. There was a battlefield theme, so we went to Waterloo, Bastogne, Wiltz, Dunkirk, Ypres etc. Waterloo was a bit disappointing, but south of the Meuse was gorgeous sweeping roads with light traffic and lots to see.
Get just a few miles from the tourist honeypots like Bruges and there is lots to see.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Mrs Foxy was brought up in Zambia, and travelled all over the Southern part of the continent, and I have Guyanese friends.
Fair enough. Personally I doubt anything can match the great Zambian National Parks at the end of the Dry, the wildlife is insane, but I shall put Botswana on my list, I have plenty of friends who like it, Okavango etc. And I shall investigate Guyana, thankyou
One thing really missing here in the Caucasus is wildlife. I’ve noticed it acutely. There is NONE. You’d see more in an English woodland - deer, mustelids, etc. Here there is nothing. Even the bird life is poor (not enough trees? All shot dead?)
Nothing compares to Africa for wildlife, of course. It is only now looking back at my many travels that I realise how lucky I was to see so much of it. The scent of the African bush at twilight, the predators begin to move… oooh….
I like the Athletic, couple of things that struck me above what seems like a pretty stupid rule for an outlet that doesn't need staffers to be impartial on political issues in personal capacity (in the way a BBC news reporter is supposed to be careful), but all the examples of well we need horrid right wingers group think and the 4 affinity groups who get special meetings with the boss....gay people, black people, women and one with mental health issues. Is this normal these days? Doesn't seem very inclusive, colour blind and equitable. What happened to having team meetings and if you personally have a specific issue of a personal nature you can discuss that one on one.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I’ve done a fair chunk of Africa, Morocco to Kenya, Egypt to South Africa, Zambo and Zimbo
Madagascar is a peak travel experience everyone should try. Bloody poor and hard travel, but well worth it
Driving yourself around Namibia is amazing. Likewise the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Wow
I’ve yet to do central Africa, and west Africa, and those big French bastards Mali and Chad etc
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Mrs Foxy was brought up in Zambia, and travelled all over the Southern part of the continent, and I have Guyanese friends.
Fair enough. Personally I doubt anything can match the great Zambian National Parks at the end of the Dry, the wildlife is insane, but I shall put Botswana on my list, I have plenty of friends who like it, Okavango etc. And I shall investigate Guyana, thankyou
One thing really missing here in the Caucasus is wildlife. I’ve noticed it acutely. There is NONE. You’d see more in an English woodland - deer, mustelids, etc. Here there is nothing. Even the bird life is poor (not enough trees? All shot dead?)
Nothing compares to Africa for wildlife, of course. It is only now looking back at my many travels that I realise how lucky I was to see so much of it. The scent of the African bush at twilight, the predators begin to move… oooh….
I prefer the green season. At the end of the dry, the animals are easier to spot, but they are lethargic and anxious, crowding around the remaining water, looking nervously for predators.
After the rains start, everything turns a miraculous green within a week. The birds gain their breeding plumage, the herbivores become sleek and well fed, and have their young. The animals do disperse, but look a lot happier. It is harder to spot them, but just a better experience all round.
Anyway, greetings from Yeghegnadzor, Armenia where I have just slept, on and off, for 15 hours
Quite odd. The accumulated sleep deficit of travel, I guess. Feel fine now. Unsurprisingly refreshed
Back in November 1999 during my Armenia trip I arrived in Yegheghnadzor having travelled in a dodgy taxi over the high plateau from Martuni on lake Sevan, where I’d had a really quite nasty stomach bug. I too slept for a similar amount of time.
I’d fallen in with an American peace corps volunteer in Martuni and slept on his floor after a day of the squits, but the evening, first with some teenage kids we got talking to in a shack on the outskirts and later in a highly kitsch mafiosi restaurant with Armienski conac finished me off. Was retching the whole next day.
I’m sure the place is better presented now but that whole central and Southern part of Armenia was a juxtaposition of wild and beautiful scenery, and ugly as hell settlements that had barely emerged from communism.
PB is incredibly well travelled. Who woulda thunk another PB-er has already been to “Yegheghnadzor”, southern Armenia. I am determined to go somewhere, on this trip, that no PB-er has ever been
FYI, Armenia has not changed, one jot. Alarmingly ugly towns of grey concrete and derelict car yards, surrounded by rugged sometimes magnificent mountainscapes, dotted with ancient monasteries
The “tourist” industry consists of the odd minibus with Russians, and nothing else at all
The upside of being the only tourist is that everyone seems genuinely pleased to see you, quietly puzzled by your presence, shyly eager to practise their English, and all round amiable, warm and welcoming, without going overboard and intruding.
They are also highly tolerant of slightly drunken driving
I wonder if there's anyone on PB who did more travelling during the 80s and 90s than since then?
Me. I was all over the shop in the 80s and 90s, about 50 countries, and since then I've travelled far far less. My recent short holiday in Belgium was my 1st trip abroad for 10 years.
Why? AIUI your kid/s are grown? Why stop travelling?
Genuine Q
OK I travel for my job but even if I didn’t I’d travel anyway. You clearly USED to like travelling, did you just get bored?
Much of my travelling was work and I stopped working. That's one reason. Then on the hols they seemed somehow less important when life had sort of became one anyway.
And then it just became a habit to only take easy little minibreaks in the UK. A bad habit though - hence trying to break it now. Would have done a few trips in the last couple of years if not for Covid.
It’s a really bad habit
With all due respect, I think this may account for your odd narrowness of mind, despite being a clearly bright guy. You’ve become set in your ways, as you are set in your opinions. You do not challenge yourself with new ideas, as you do not challenge yourself with new places, cuisines, cultures, languages
DO IT. I mean that in a genuinely friendly way. DO IT. You have the time, the money, the intellect, and you are still young enough to really enjoy it. EXPLORE. It’s not like you only have one holiday a year so if it goes wrong it’s a disaster. I totally understand that argument: why a poorer family may choose Benidorm again and again, because they can only afford one holiday and it has to go right, and they can trust Hotel X in resort Y with sunshine Z, so they repeat. Totally fair
But this is not you. What a waste of your freedom and affluence if you don’t exploit it!
I went to Belgium just the other week.
A fascinating little gem of a country. I went on a motorcycle tour there in 1987. It started as a bit of a joke, because we didn't trust our bikes for a long trip, but we had a great time. There was a battlefield theme, so we went to Waterloo, Bastogne, Wiltz, Dunkirk, Ypres etc. Waterloo was a bit disappointing, but south of the Meuse was gorgeous sweeping roads with light traffic and lots to see.
Get just a few miles from the tourist honeypots like Bruges and there is lots to see.
I've lived in Brussels but Belgium other than that, no until this trip. We did Bruges plus Ypres for MeninGate. Magical little place, Bruges, exceeded my expectations. Did boat trip. the beer, the waffles, the general mooch around, the bridges etc. It was great.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I’ve done a fair chunk of Africa, Morocco to Kenya, Egypt to South Africa, Zambo and Zimbo
Madagascar is a peak travel experience everyone should try. Bloody poor and hard travel, but well worth it
Driving yourself around Namibia is amazing. Likewise the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Wow
I’ve yet to do central Africa, and west Africa, and those big French bastards Mali and Chad etc
I would be careful in the Sahel, it isn't very safe at the moment, but I hear good travel experiences from Ghana and Uganda in particular.
I really quite fancy Nigeria too, but it isn't for the fainthearted! Even my Nigerian friends working there concede that.
Considering how great Zelenskyy and Ukraine been to Boris, why can’t his government even get the refugee thing right 😕
Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in England facing homelessness Some families fleeing Ukraine to England have found themselves either homeless or at risk of homelessness after their accommodation was unavailable or arrangements to house them broke down. A total of 660 Ukrainian households were owed a statutory homelessness duty by local authorities in England in the period up to 3 June, according to government figures. This means they have either been assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. Of these, 480 were households with dependent children. The figures do not reflect the true scale as more than a quarter of local authorities did not respond to the survey. "The overwhelming majority of people are settling in well but in the minority of cases where family or sponsor relationships break down, councils have a duty to ensure families are not left without a roof over their head," a government spokesperson said. "Councils also have access to a rematching service to find a new sponsor in cases under the Homes for Ukraine scheme." More than 77,200 Ukrainians have arrived in UK since the conflict began.
Considering how great Zelenskyy and Ukraine been to Boris, why can’t his government even get the refugee thing right 😕
Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in England facing homelessness Some families fleeing Ukraine to England have found themselves either homeless or at risk of homelessness after their accommodation was unavailable or arrangements to house them broke down. A total of 660 Ukrainian households were owed a statutory homelessness duty by local authorities in England in the period up to 3 June, according to government figures. This means they have either been assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. Of these, 480 were households with dependent children. The figures do not reflect the true scale as more than a quarter of local authorities did not respond to the survey. "The overwhelming majority of people are settling in well but in the minority of cases where family or sponsor relationships break down, councils have a duty to ensure families are not left without a roof over their head," a government spokesperson said. "Councils also have access to a rematching service to find a new sponsor in cases under the Homes for Ukraine scheme." More than 77,200 Ukrainians have arrived in UK since the conflict began.
The big downside with the idea of people taking Ukrainian families into their homes is Ukrainian refugees are for life (well years to come) not just for Christmas. I am sure lots of people thought yes I have a spare room or two, we could help, perhaps many naively thought that the war would be over in a month or two.
Now they have got cold feet, or realised after they moved in that it isn't like having a single lodger and that sharing you home with people in general, especially those you don't really know, is really hard (Mrs U can attest to that, probably why she spends months away with work...).
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I’ve done a fair chunk of Africa, Morocco to Kenya, Egypt to South Africa, Zambo and Zimbo
Madagascar is a peak travel experience everyone should try. Bloody poor and hard travel, but well worth it
Driving yourself around Namibia is amazing. Likewise the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Wow
I’ve yet to do central Africa, and west Africa, and those big French bastards Mali and Chad etc
Wow. Namibia is The Skeleton Coast?
Did you see any unexpected creatures that made you go wow? My friend stayed in hotel in Kenya that had little furry cliff creatures running round, like Ewoks.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Mrs Foxy was brought up in Zambia, and travelled all over the Southern part of the continent, and I have Guyanese friends.
Fair enough. Personally I doubt anything can match the great Zambian National Parks at the end of the Dry, the wildlife is insane, but I shall put Botswana on my list, I have plenty of friends who like it, Okavango etc. And I shall investigate Guyana, thankyou
One thing really missing here in the Caucasus is wildlife. I’ve noticed it acutely. There is NONE. You’d see more in an English woodland - deer, mustelids, etc. Here there is nothing. Even the bird life is poor (not enough trees? All shot dead?)
Nothing compares to Africa for wildlife, of course. It is only now looking back at my many travels that I realise how lucky I was to see so much of it. The scent of the African bush at twilight, the predators begin to move… oooh….
I prefer the green season. At the end of the dry, the animals are easier to spot, but they are lethargic and anxious, crowding around the remaining water, looking nervously for predators.
After the rains start, everything turns a miraculous green within a week. The birds gain their breeding plumage, the herbivores become sleek and well fed, and have their young. The animals do disperse, but look a lot happier. It is harder to spot them, but just a better experience all round.
Nah, give me an actual lionhunt with a KILL, any time
You are nicer than me. I like the sturm und drang. And I saw plenty in Zambia, So exhilarating
Anyway now I must turn in because tomorrow I go travelling again, to the oldest winery in the world!
Considering how great Zelenskyy and Ukraine been to Boris, why can’t his government even get the refugee thing right 😕
Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in England facing homelessness Some families fleeing Ukraine to England have found themselves either homeless or at risk of homelessness after their accommodation was unavailable or arrangements to house them broke down. A total of 660 Ukrainian households were owed a statutory homelessness duty by local authorities in England in the period up to 3 June, according to government figures. This means they have either been assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. Of these, 480 were households with dependent children. The figures do not reflect the true scale as more than a quarter of local authorities did not respond to the survey. "The overwhelming majority of people are settling in well but in the minority of cases where family or sponsor relationships break down, councils have a duty to ensure families are not left without a roof over their head," a government spokesperson said. "Councils also have access to a rematching service to find a new sponsor in cases under the Homes for Ukraine scheme." More than 77,200 Ukrainians have arrived in UK since the conflict began.
It came up at PMQs:
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq tells Boris Johnson a 13-year-old Ukrainian girl that her constituent is trying to house has been sent back to her hometown which is under siege.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I’ve done a fair chunk of Africa, Morocco to Kenya, Egypt to South Africa, Zambo and Zimbo
Madagascar is a peak travel experience everyone should try. Bloody poor and hard travel, but well worth it
Driving yourself around Namibia is amazing. Likewise the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Wow
I’ve yet to do central Africa, and west Africa, and those big French bastards Mali and Chad etc
Wow. Namibia is The Skeleton Coast?
Did you see any unexpected creatures that made you go wow? My friend stayed in hotel in Kenya that had little furry cliff creatures running round, like Ewoks.
I’ve been to Namibia a few times. It is glorious
I’ve seen many animals there, I once spent a week on the road in the north - for a charity - following the desert elephants that wander the barrens, seeking water
One morning I rose at dawn, alone, with a bit of a hangover. We must have been 200 miles from civilisation. The camp snored
I wandered down a ravine as the sun broke over the rocks and the thorn trees and I saw this fabulous cat. A caracal. Maybe returning from a night of hunting (him not me). We looked at each other, he wasn’t fussed. He strolled on right past me, then slowly disappeared, into the sands and the leaves
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Mrs Foxy was brought up in Zambia, and travelled all over the Southern part of the continent, and I have Guyanese friends.
Fair enough. Personally I doubt anything can match the great Zambian National Parks at the end of the Dry, the wildlife is insane, but I shall put Botswana on my list, I have plenty of friends who like it, Okavango etc. And I shall investigate Guyana, thankyou
One thing really missing here in the Caucasus is wildlife. I’ve noticed it acutely. There is NONE. You’d see more in an English woodland - deer, mustelids, etc. Here there is nothing. Even the bird life is poor (not enough trees? All shot dead?)
Nothing compares to Africa for wildlife, of course. It is only now looking back at my many travels that I realise how lucky I was to see so much of it. The scent of the African bush at twilight, the predators begin to move… oooh….
I prefer the green season. At the end of the dry, the animals are easier to spot, but they are lethargic and anxious, crowding around the remaining water, looking nervously for predators.
After the rains start, everything turns a miraculous green within a week. The birds gain their breeding plumage, the herbivores become sleek and well fed, and have their young. The animals do disperse, but look a lot happier. It is harder to spot them, but just a better experience all round.
Nah, give me an actual lionhunt with a KILL, any time
You are nicer than me. I like the sturm und drang. And I saw plenty in Zambia, So exhilarating
Anyway now I must turn in because tomorrow I go travelling again, to the oldest winery in the world!
Goodnight PB
The oldest winery in the world, and a church with a shaft of light to remind you have to go to the dentist. We are proper spoilt tomorrow.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I’ve done a fair chunk of Africa, Morocco to Kenya, Egypt to South Africa, Zambo and Zimbo
Madagascar is a peak travel experience everyone should try. Bloody poor and hard travel, but well worth it
Driving yourself around Namibia is amazing. Likewise the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Wow
I’ve yet to do central Africa, and west Africa, and those big French bastards Mali and Chad etc
Wow. Namibia is The Skeleton Coast?
Did you see any unexpected creatures that made you go wow? My friend stayed in hotel in Kenya that had little furry cliff creatures running round, like Ewoks.
I’ve been to Namibia a few times. It is glorious
I’ve seen many animals there, I once spent a week on the road in the north - for a charity - following the desert elephants that wander the barrens, seeking water
One morning I rose at dawn, alone, with a bit of a hangover. We must have been 200 miles from civilisation. The camp snored
I wandered down a ravine as the sun broke over the rocks and the thorn trees and I saw this fabulous cat. A caracal. Maybe returning from a night of hunting (him not me). We looked at each other, he wasn’t fussed. He strolled on right past me, then slowly disappeared, into the sands and the leaves
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I’ve done a fair chunk of Africa, Morocco to Kenya, Egypt to South Africa, Zambo and Zimbo
Madagascar is a peak travel experience everyone should try. Bloody poor and hard travel, but well worth it
Driving yourself around Namibia is amazing. Likewise the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Wow
I’ve yet to do central Africa, and west Africa, and those big French bastards Mali and Chad etc
Wow. Namibia is The Skeleton Coast?
Did you see any unexpected creatures that made you go wow? My friend stayed in hotel in Kenya that had little furry cliff creatures running round, like Ewoks.
That sounds like Rock hyrax, which are supposedly related to elephants. There is a colony of them on Table Mountain near the cable car, and they are quite friendly.
I’ve seen many animals there, I once spent a week on the road in the north - for a charity - following the desert elephants that wander the barrens, seeking water
One morning I rose at dawn, alone, with a bit of a hangover. We must have been 200 miles from civilisation. The camp snored
I wandered down a ravine as the sun broke over the rocks and the thorn trees and I saw this fabulous cat. A caracal. Maybe returning from a night of hunting (him not me). We looked at each other, he wasn’t fussed. He strolled on right past me, then slowly disappeared, into the sands and the leaves
I will carry that moment to my grave. A CARACAL
Wonderful! Can't compete with that, but a farcical echo: I went to a UN conference in Nairobi, and on a rest day I hired a jeep with a driver to tour the nearby reserve. He'd obviously done it a zillion times, and we roamed around looking at various herds in the distance. Then he spotted a rhino and said "Ah!" He accelerated towards it, and I noticed the rhino was guarding a baby rhino.
He drove right up - about 10 feet away.
Mama rhino eyed us coldly, and shifted slightly towards us. Baby rhino scuttered backwards.
"Do you think this is really a good idea?" I murmured.
"Huh," he said. "Maybe not?"
The rhino gave us one more baleful stare, and trotted off. Were we in danger, or was I just imagining the glare and the rhinos were used to intrusive humans and not bothered? I'll never know.
I wonder if there's anyone on PB who did more travelling during the 80s and 90s than since then?
I went all over in the 90s/Noughties as I was in the Navy. Then I lived in Russia and only ever went to Cyprus. Now I never go anywhere. Absolutely no interest or desire.
As predicted by fluffy tailed me yesterday, the government could not survive flying anyone to Rwanda and then having to fly them back, as they promised the UK judges they would if the scheme is ruled illegal.
So, oh so quietly today, ALL Rwanda flights have been abandoned until the legal ruling. (Stick that on your front page Daily Mail).
They might well do so, especially if they can blame judges. Even more so if they can blame Eurojudges.
And a "we wanted to but the horrid lefty legal establishment stopped us" is a much better narrative for the government than actually trying it.
Nah. Even the Mail will leave this alone now. The Rwanda policy’s defenders have certainly melted away.
Yep. MoonRabbit called it right again. Daily Mail leads on the Credit Crunch.
Failed and friendless Rwanda policy died this week.
It has rung down the curtain. It has joined the choir invisible.
Now they are going to have to come up with something completely different 😆
If, as I have posted, the whole point of Rwanda policy was to get parties and lies off front pages then 11% inflation will do just as well and Rwanda can stand down.
I wonder whether there are Rwandian government ministers tonight who had factored in the income to the country from this scheme who are wondering whether like any one who has dealings with Big Dog that they have been duped and shat on?
I think Rwanda get the money whatever happens, so are laughing.
Johnson is never one to count the pennies.
You are sooooo funny foxy. How can they get money whatever happens, who’d sign that contract? Even Daily Express would splash that insanity on front page. 🤣
No, I think it is correct. The 120 million quid is an aid package, payments per deported and flight costs are additional, as are the costs of the Rwandan refugees being resettled here under the agreement.
"It is estimated to have cost £500,000 to charter Tuesday's flight, on top of the government's legal costs, payments to Rwanda for each asylum seeker they accept and a £120m aid package for the east African country."
Finally, did the Trafford Centre branch of Manchester's Metrolink tram network more than two years after it opened, which incidentally was just days before the first lockdown in March 2020!
Also, my first long distance train journey since March 2020. Quick out and back from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, roughly two hours each way, plus about half an hour each way on the tram.
Until the Blackpool Tram extension to Blackpool North station opens later this year, I've now traversed all of the UK's light rail and/or Metro networks
Have you done all the heritage lines too?
No, not all of them. I've always prioritised the official "National Rail" network and the Metros (inc. London, natch). But I have done:
Epping Ongar (of which I am a member!) Bluebell Southend Pier Kent & East Sussex East Kent Sittingbourne & Kemsley Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Volk's Electric Mid Hants Chinnor & Princes Risborough Great Whipsnade Bristol Harbour Great Orme Severn Valley Peak Railway Strathspey Snowdon (a long time ago! 1988 and 1997 - before I had a camera in fact!)
As predicted by fluffy tailed me yesterday, the government could not survive flying anyone to Rwanda and then having to fly them back, as they promised the UK judges they would if the scheme is ruled illegal.
So, oh so quietly today, ALL Rwanda flights have been abandoned until the legal ruling. (Stick that on your front page Daily Mail).
They might well do so, especially if they can blame judges. Even more so if they can blame Eurojudges.
And a "we wanted to but the horrid lefty legal establishment stopped us" is a much better narrative for the government than actually trying it.
Nah. Even the Mail will leave this alone now. The Rwanda policy’s defenders have certainly melted away.
Yep. MoonRabbit called it right again. Daily Mail leads on the Credit Crunch.
Failed and friendless Rwanda policy died this week.
It has rung down the curtain. It has joined the choir invisible.
Now they are going to have to come up with something completely different 😆
If, as I have posted, the whole point of Rwanda policy was to get parties and lies off front pages then 11% inflation will do just as well and Rwanda can stand down.
I wonder whether there are Rwandian government ministers tonight who had factored in the income to the country from this scheme who are wondering whether like any one who has dealings with Big Dog that they have been duped and shat on?
I think Rwanda get the money whatever happens, so are laughing.
Johnson is never one to count the pennies.
You are sooooo funny foxy. How can they get money whatever happens, who’d sign that contract? Even Daily Express would splash that insanity on front page. 🤣
No, I think it is correct. The 120 million quid is an aid package, payments per deported and flight costs are additional, as are the costs of the Rwandan refugees being resettled here under the agreement.
"It is estimated to have cost £500,000 to charter Tuesday's flight, on top of the government's legal costs, payments to Rwanda for each asylum seeker they accept and a £120m aid package for the east African country."
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’VE ALL STOPPED TRAVELLING
Partly family reasons for me, so take most holidays on the very dog-friendly Isle of Wight with Mrs Foxy's extended family.
I still have a few places to go see: Madagascar, Guyana, Botswana, Vietnam, Argentina, Iran, Svalbard, not nessicarily in that order.
I would like to get back to India, Mexico, China, Australia and Russia too. The latter not for some time.
The one place that I kick myself for missing was Kashmir. It sounded great in the Eighties, bit tricky now.
You are well travelled
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
Botswana has the best wildlife parks in Africa. Zambia is good, but not as good.
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
How do you know if you’ve not been? - to Botswana or Guyana?
Have you done much Africa Leon?
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
I’ve done a fair chunk of Africa, Morocco to Kenya, Egypt to South Africa, Zambo and Zimbo
Madagascar is a peak travel experience everyone should try. Bloody poor and hard travel, but well worth it
Driving yourself around Namibia is amazing. Likewise the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Wow
I’ve yet to do central Africa, and west Africa, and those big French bastards Mali and Chad etc
Wow. Namibia is The Skeleton Coast?
Did you see any unexpected creatures that made you go wow? My friend stayed in hotel in Kenya that had little furry cliff creatures running round, like Ewoks.
That sounds like Rock hyrax, which are supposedly related to elephants. There is a colony of them on Table Mountain near the cable car, and they are quite friendly.
Macron compared Russia-Ukraine war to World War I and Versailles treaty.
100 years ago "France made a mistake and wanted to humiliate Germany," said French President, adding that Ukraine must be helped but "we should not make the mistakes that others have made in the past."
We should not make the mistakes that others have made in the past. We should arm the hell out of Ukraine, and keep arming them more until the Russians have fcuked off back to Russia.
I pointed out before that the problem with Versailles was the *lack of humiliation*.
It took marching into Berlin, dividing the country up like a pizza and forcing the Germans to reapply to join the human race to get real change, there.
Comments
The UnHerd Drivelpipe. Imbibe at your own risk.
I’ve done a few of your bucket list
Madagascar, Vietnam, Argentina
All are fabulous, of course. Vietnamese food is quite possibly the best in the world, in terms of consistently good interesting flavours, variety, nutrition, delicacy, inventiveness, it is divine
Madagascar is like an eighth continent, incredible wildlife. The Iguazu falls in Argentine are possibly the single greatest natural spectacle on this green earth
I too have never seen Iran and Svalbard, both are on my list; I’ve never seen Botswana either but I have seen Zambia right next door and I believe they are quite similar, so my compulsion is less urgent
One left which intrigues me. Guyana. Why Guyana?! I’ve never been there either but I have no urgent desire to amend that. Guyana?
I completely forgot it’s Thursday nite because PB has been so sedate and not the usual drunk tank.
I mean, we all have our own visions of you, swanning around flinting knapps or knapping flints or whatever it is that you do and writing charming travelogues. But one doesn't want to meet one's heroes - because they might turn out to be smelly people with bad teeth and only 5 foot 2.
And even if that's not true, in your case we might also find ourselves bumping into that (your words) "wanker SeanT". And before we know it you or he or God help us both has taken us up on a polite "oh yes let's do lunch" invite and so not only is our holiday ruined but now we've got a ghastly lunch to get through.
So all in all best to stay here and hide out in places you'll never be seen dead in.
Bollocks. It matters
“Travel broadens the mind” is a cliche because it is really true. The one way to open yourself to new experiences is to thrust yourself, immerse yourself, in an entirely new culture, even if only for a day, but for longer if possible
Travel - especially more difficult remote travel - raises the IQ and keeps the IQ high because every task becomes a learning curve and a challenge. Just ordering a coffee in a town where no one speaks English. How do you do that? You have to be wily and resourceful. You have to learn how to charm strangers, you have to be content with your own company when necessary, you have to tolerate hassles with grace and humour, there is so much good it does to a human, and it brings humans together
If I could have one wish for my two teenage daughters it would be: that they go out there and see the world
Guyana is fabulous for wildlife too. The interior is wild and sparsely inhabited, but safe to travel.
That's the second time you've said about checking out in the sea. Getting slightly worried.
Cheap air travel has opened up the world - and made it cheaper, natch. and also more pleasant as you can now fly all over and it doesn’t take aeons
Pandemic aside the one thing that has got worse is tacky overcrowding in a select few spots, mainly European - Venice, Paris, London, Prague, Barcelona, the Med in general - but it is not hard to find alternatives
Choose Tbilisi over Prague
(Tbilisi is actually way way more interesting, beautiful and historical anyway)
After India, everywhere else does seem a bit boring. The colours, the noise, the smells, the chaos, the poverty, the riches, the people, everything is so extreme.
Epping Ongar (of which I am a member!)
Bluebell
Southend Pier
Kent & East Sussex
East Kent
Sittingbourne & Kemsley
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch
Volk's Electric
Mid Hants
Chinnor & Princes Risborough
Great Whipsnade
Bristol Harbour
Great Orme
Seven Valley
Peak Railway
Strathspey
Snowdon (a long time ago! 1988 and 1997 - before I had a camera in fact!)
It should give HY’s spin quite a trim.
"Sajid Javid is prepared to wage war against gender-free language after he demanded the NHS stop dropping the word 'women' from its online health advice."
Mail
Get just a few miles from the tourist honeypots like Bruges and there is lots to see.
maybe you should head into the Heart of Darkness (with a torch obviously) and see what you find?
One thing really missing here in the Caucasus is wildlife. I’ve noticed it acutely. There is NONE. You’d see more in an English woodland - deer, mustelids, etc. Here there is nothing. Even the bird life is poor (not enough trees? All shot dead?)
Nothing compares to Africa for wildlife, of course. It is only now looking back at my many travels that I realise how lucky I was to see so much of it. The scent of the African bush at twilight, the predators begin to move… oooh….
I guess HY has gone to bed.
https://defector.com/the-nyt-owned-athletic-lays-down-new-no-politics-rule-for-staff/
I like the Athletic, couple of things that struck me above what seems like a pretty stupid rule for an outlet that doesn't need staffers to be impartial on political issues in personal capacity (in the way a BBC news reporter is supposed to be careful), but all the examples of well we need horrid right wingers group think and the 4 affinity groups who get special meetings with the boss....gay people, black people, women and one with mental health issues. Is this normal these days? Doesn't seem very inclusive, colour blind and equitable. What happened to having team meetings and if you personally have a specific issue of a personal nature you can discuss that one on one.
Madagascar is a peak travel experience everyone should try. Bloody poor and hard travel, but well worth it
Driving yourself around Namibia is amazing. Likewise the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Wow
I’ve yet to do central Africa, and west Africa, and those big French bastards Mali and Chad etc
Bet Mrs Hills gutted 😕
After the rains start, everything turns a miraculous green within a week. The birds gain their breeding plumage, the herbivores become sleek and well fed, and have their young. The animals do disperse, but look a lot happier. It is harder to spot them, but just a better experience all round.
I really quite fancy Nigeria too, but it isn't for the fainthearted! Even my Nigerian friends working there concede that.
Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in England facing homelessness
Some families fleeing Ukraine to England have found themselves either homeless or at risk of homelessness after their accommodation was unavailable or arrangements to house them broke down.
A total of 660 Ukrainian households were owed a statutory homelessness duty by local authorities in England in the period up to 3 June, according to government figures.
This means they have either been assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness.
Of these, 480 were households with dependent children.
The figures do not reflect the true scale as more than a quarter of local authorities did not respond to the survey.
"The overwhelming majority of people are settling in well but in the minority of cases where family or sponsor relationships break down, councils have a duty to ensure families are not left without a roof over their head," a government spokesperson said.
"Councils also have access to a rematching service to find a new sponsor in cases under the Homes for Ukraine scheme."
More than 77,200 Ukrainians have arrived in UK since the conflict began.
Now they have got cold feet, or realised after they moved in that it isn't like having a single lodger and that sharing you home with people in general, especially those you don't really know, is really hard (Mrs U can attest to that, probably why she spends months away with work...).
Did you see any unexpected creatures that made you go wow? My friend stayed in hotel in Kenya that had little furry cliff creatures running round, like Ewoks.
You are nicer than me. I like the sturm und drang. And I saw plenty in Zambia, So exhilarating
Anyway now I must turn in because tomorrow I go travelling again, to the oldest winery in the world!
Goodnight PB
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq tells Boris Johnson a 13-year-old Ukrainian girl that her constituent is trying to house has been sent back to her hometown which is under siege.
#PMQs https://t.co/hReP9ydh3Z
I’ve seen many animals there, I once spent a week on the road in the north - for a charity - following the desert elephants that wander the barrens, seeking water
One morning I rose at dawn, alone, with a bit of a hangover. We must have been 200 miles from civilisation. The camp snored
I wandered down a ravine as the sun broke over the rocks and the thorn trees and I saw this fabulous cat. A caracal. Maybe returning from a night of hunting (him not me). We looked at each other, he wasn’t fussed. He strolled on right past me, then slowly disappeared, into the sands and the leaves
I will carry that moment to my grave. A CARACAL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6lVSIaTgcg
“ he wasn’t fussed. He strolled on right past me “
It probably thought to itself: that’s why PB don’t travel, everything’s going to bump into him one day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_hyrax
He drove right up - about 10 feet away.
Mama rhino eyed us coldly, and shifted slightly towards us. Baby rhino scuttered backwards.
"Do you think this is really a good idea?" I murmured.
"Huh," he said. "Maybe not?"
The rhino gave us one more baleful stare, and trotted off. Were we in danger, or was I just imagining the glare and the rhinos were used to intrusive humans and not bothered? I'll never know.
NO such thing as a quid without a quo, in the murky world of Boris Johnson's Crony Conservatism.
Spa Valley as well!
Jack Grealish cost £100M and Alex Jones has earnt £150M for just talking rubbish every day.
Maybe Rwandan boss gives it all straight to Arsenal for a decent striker, and then they bung left over £20M to the Tory Party is the arrangements 🤭
Marks out of ten accepted
It took marching into Berlin, dividing the country up like a pizza and forcing the Germans to reapply to join the human race to get real change, there.