[A Laos travelogue, from a journey taken in 2002] In the words of former Taoiseach of Ireland, Charles Haughey, the situation is “grotesque, unprecedented, bizarre and unbelievable”. It’s 10.30 at night in a bar on the outskirts of Muang Sing, a town itself on the outskirts of the rest of Laos, a country on the […]
This article was translated from the Italian orginal, available here It’s the dawn of an August morning, the fresh morning breeze and the sky dotted with grey clouds announce the coming monsoon. We find ourselves travelling, leaving the capital, normally chaotic and congested, but at this hour still sleeping. The suburbs of Delhi are the […]
It was a telling sign of our 'foresight' or lack thereof, that, in the midst of South America we'd left behind the one book that really manages to capture the 'backpacker' experience of the continent – The Gringo Trail by Mark Mann. There was a certain logic to this, as we'd both read the book […]
The fine spray of regurgitated aguardiente, with an unexpected force, drenches her, as two clowns, in every sense of the word, clash antlers all around her. Meanwhile I thank my lucky stars that it’s not me, pulled from the crowd, to participate in this curious ritual. Let’s clarify the above picture. Imagine that you’re at […]
A stretch of coastline littered with rocky islands and skerries, hidden bays and coves, shimmering, clear water. No “Private” signs. Free access to your own piece of sun drenched rock and blue-green lagoon. Newly picked strawberries. Fresh shellfish. Lush forests, green meadows and carpets of wild flowers. A small town with beautiful, old whitewashed wooden […]
Our, alas short, interval in Guatemala ended with an adventurous trip back to Mexico to say the least: first a bus from Xela, with a forced change in Huehuetenango, to La Mesilla (the real border town: in fact the border is bigger than the town!), 4-5 km of nobody's land by taxi, collectivo to Comitán […]
“Surfing in Ireland?!? SURFING in IRELAND? Are you sure?!?” It's rocky, rough, cold and wet! Well, honestly… people DO surf in Ireland and I have to confess, it is one of the most consistent surfing areas in Europe and it has some seriously good waves! There's something I have to explain first. Surfers are a […]
The following story is an extract from the diary of a trip, rigorously and absolutely independent, that brought us from the Yucatan peninsula to Mexico City, passing through Guatemala, Chiapas, Oaxaca and the mining cities of the Altoplano de la Sierra Madre.We are awaiting breakfast in a small café with three tables, of which two […]
