There was something odd about the weather but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. The air was still hot and the wind had changed direction, and I no longer had my forecasted tailwind to push me the rest of the way to Damascus. There was some magnificent fork lightening in the distance and…
View MoreThey really do wear tea towels on their heads in Syria. For a country that gets a decent amount of bad press, I can understand how the less-informed at first might be a bit apprehensive about the place, and even my mum at first thought I was nuts for wanting to travel overland through the…
View MoreThe bloke sitting opposite was one of the dodgiest, slimiest looking operators that I’d ever laid eyes on. I’d already been to the foreign exchange and done everything in my power to avoid the situation – so I’d thought – but their operation was much too clever for that. Fortunately (in a twisted way) luck…
View MoreIt’s amazing how easy it is to get yourself into the shit, but what I like the most about this story is the poetically just way that it ended. The moment that I first looked into Talat’s eyes, I knew there was possibly a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock, but how much trouble…
View MoreI dragged Hannah up to the seventh floor on the pretence of checking out the view, which was reportedly pretty spectacular. There was possibly a brief moment of panic as we exited the lift, as she realised there was no actual viewing platform, but I grabbed her hand and led her through the door into…
View MoreI must say that Istanbul had a lot to live up to, given that a few of my friends had recently visited and all gave it the thumbs up. I always hate it when you have expectations of a place, as often they rarely live up to them. But regardless of what I thought of…
View MoreThe wind was howling at around 45km/h and I was wondering if the car ferry wasn’t going to sink. The shores of Anzac Cove lay barely over the hills of the Gelibu peninsula – Gallipoli – I could see them in the distance. Bessie was sandwiched between two cars and I hoped that the rocking…
View MoreDespite all preparations and contingencies, it was bound to happen eventually. The moment I set foot on Turkish soil I was ready to bet my last lire that the hideous highway conditions would sooner or later get the best of me. And as sure as shit, despite going to great lengths to avoid the countless…
View MoreGetting around the Greek Islands wasn’t always as straight forward as it may have seemed. Certain islands have ferry connections only to certain other islands, and then the boats don’t necessarily run every day. Some islands have airports, but that doesn’t mean you can just catch a plane to another island with an airport. Often,…
View MoreThey say that sailing into the caldera of Santorini at sunset is one of the most magical moments you can have in the Greek islands. I wouldn’t know, since I arrived just after midnight, but I have to say that the view from the rock ledge that I camped on just up the road from…
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