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That Was 2023
Well, we have to say, 2023 was a pretty good year. After the distraction which called itself COVID which reduced our ability to travel, this proved to be the second successive year in which we really did make our dreams come true. It’s been good. We broke some of our records this year too: number of days travelling (270), number of beds slept in (93), countries visited (18), each of which set a new high. There were some real highlights too, which hopefully we’ve managed to capture below. This is how it went: JANUARY Countries: Panama. Route: Pedasi-Boquete-Boca Chica-El Valle d’Anton-Gamboa-Panama City-San Blas Islands (Pelicano, Aguja, Perro Chico)-Panama City-home Bed…
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Cape Verde: Island Life Begins On Boa Vista
It looks a little strange from the air, rolling dunes topped with tufted grasses leading to desert-like landscapes where angular outcrops stand above dry, waterless canyons, dunes which form the hinterland to miles of empty golden beach. There’s not a single building to be seen until just before the wheels of the aeroplane touch down on the tarmac – and even then, it’s an airport terminal which looks more like a sand castle than a transport hub. The island of Boa Vista fights two perpetual battles with nature. One, Sahara sand from continental Africa blows constantly across the island, shifting dunes from east to west and regularly forming damaging sand…
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Glimpses Of Life In Happy Town
Antonio is not having a good day, despite his smile. “Today is not a good day. Already I have a broken ankle, and now the printer doesn’t work”, he explains, as I try to work out what the connection between the two events might be. Despite these things, Antonio quickly warms to the task of telling us about his town, becoming even more animated when we ask about restaurants. He grabs his pen and starts to draw circles and arrows on our town map. “These restaurants in this road are very touristy”, he says, rather dismissively, “except this one” – he jots down the name – “and this one at…
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Michaela’s Favourite Photographs #8: The Sky On Fire
Jarun Lake, Zagreb, Croatia. 2015. Towards the southern end of Croatia’s capital city lies a large and relaxing green space, where the nation’s sporting heroes are commemorated with murals, photographs and plaques around the beautiful parkland. As the winter afternoon neared its end, so the setting sun began to bring a fiery orange to the sky. This photo opportunity, as the blazing sunset bounced its reflections off the silent lake, was too good to resist.
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Michaela’s Favourite Photographs: #3 Island Sunset
Klong Nin, Koh Lanta, Thailand, 2020. Of all the many wonderful sunsets we’ve witnessed across the world, the island of Koh Lanta produced probably the best. Michaela has not enhanced the colour on this photo in the slightest, this is unedited – it really was this colourful. As we sat on the sands watching the sky move through its amazing palette, Michaela captured this stunning moment.
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People, Food And Funny Words: Last Day In Cambodia
“Hi”, he says, his whole face illuminated by his broad smile, “how long you been in Cambodia”. “Four weeks now, we leave on Tuesday”, says Michaela, and adds in response to his next question, “Siem Reap, Tonle Sap, Battambang, Phnom Penh, Kampot and Kep”. He beams. “Thank you so much for visiting my country, I hope you like it” When we tell him just how much we have loved it, his smile nearly bursts out of his cheeks. He can’t say thank you enough times. Big smiles, friendly manner, gracious attitude….and there you have our experience of the people of Cambodia summed up in one brief exchange. Honestly, we haven’t…
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From Kampot to Kep: Discovering A Seafood Heaven
The South East Asia Games are underway. This regional, Olympics-style event is being held in Cambodia for the first time in its history, with Phnom Penh the host city. The last night of our time in Phnom Penh coincided with the Games’ opening ceremony, a spectacular event encapsulating typical scenes from Cambodian history and everyday Cambodian life all delivered with the wonderfully choreographed routines that characterise these opening ceremonies. Packed with commentaries on the country’s bright future and full of pride and patriotism, the whole thing felt like another powerful statement, another big step, on Cambodia’s road to a new era. The enthusiasm of the crowd simply watching on the…
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Halong Bay
Sunshine greets us in Halong Bay and even that one simple fact is different from the miserable days when we bowled up here before, with the world starting to close borders and the grip of a pandemic stretching its dirty fingers everywhere. Back then, this entire place was a ghost town, just us two and a handful of others about to start the mad dash home. It was a hazy grey that day with a mist hugging the silent sea and all the tour boats waiting forlornly at anchor. Vietnam was already shutting down and tourist spots like Halong (or Ha Long) Bay had been among the first to have…
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Drug Barons, Michaela’s Knee And An Island Named Accountant: Days In Paradise
We have to admit that we’ve been a bit self-indulgent for the next seven days – well, it is Christmas after all. From now until 28th we’re on the ridiculously picturesque island of Contadora, out in the Pacific about 90 minutes on the little ferry boat from Panama City – a ferry boat which, with echoes of how Greek ferries used to be, crams as much goods and produce into its limited space as it does passengers. An early departure time means we’re down at Flamenco Marina before daylight and disembarked and checked in to our room-with-an-incredible-view on the island shortly after 10am. Before coming here we’d read that the…
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Exploring More Of Panama City
Once inside the Iglesia San Francisco de Asis in Plaza Bolivar, the lady behind the cluttered desk motions us towards a door at the side of the church and explains that the nativity scene within is a permanent display, not just for Christmas, and is one of four in Casco Viejo. It’s an extensive and impressive display, but passing through the next door we are cast into some sort of ethereal, pretend world. In this ante room there is, in working model form, an entire replica of an American town at Christmas time. Fairgrounds are alive, music ekes out from various venues, the Big Top issues sounds of a crowd….lights…
