We had rented a cabin and were about to spend a week on an uninhabited island, Uoleva Island, in the Haap’ai Group of Tonga. It was an island we would have all to ourselves with absolutely breathtaking white powder beaches and crystal clear turquoise water (perfect for skinny dipping). There were no roads, no… Continue reading
Walking around Old Havana is like being in a toy shop. The sounds, the colours, the smells whirl around you in every direction. There are things tinkling, and rumbling, and whizzing. Brilliant colours fly past, beside, and in front of you. Along with the luscious smells of food, there… Continue reading
Borneo Jungle Walk It was time for the Borneo Jungle Walk in Sabah, Borneo. As we entered the jungle, the first thing to walk across was a swinging rope bridge, which David managed with ease. [spacer height=”20px”] I won’t say how T managed on the rope bridge,… Continue reading
As people kept referring to farms in the Azores – often right in the centre of towns and villages, we would look around expecting to see an expanse of field, and never find it! All we could see were houses, and trying to be polite (and not wanting to… Continue reading
Birds are not a big attraction for us, but we were a little curious about the Yucatan flamingos. We thought $100 was a little steep for the Flamingo Boat Tour out of Celestun, so we declined several offers from local tour operators. Since there was a large… Continue reading
The Elephant’s Walk Art Centre Just a short walk back of the N1 Hotel, the Elephant’s Walk Art Centre has high quality African local art set in a tropical garden. It’s also a quiet place where you won’t be bothered by hawkers. The Animator at the Elephant’s Walk Art Centre… Continue reading
At Orange Walk, in Belize, we stayed at the Orchid Palm Inn, a lovely inn filled with – you’ll never guess – orchid plants. Reasonable rates and very nice rooms: Orchid Palm Inn. The owners of the Orchid Palm told us about the Lamanai Jungle River Boat, so the… Continue reading
Is a Safari Worth the Money? Our safari in Botswana was beyond special. When reading about safari’s, one wonders if the reports of their life-changing experiences are really authentic. We’re here to say yes, yes they are, they truly are! In fact, nothing compares to the awe-inspiring experience of seeing… Continue reading
[spacer height=”20px”] What a thrill it was going to be to actually stay in a real castle! We were excited. [spacer height=”20px”] [spacer height=”20px”] After spending a few days in Limerick and driving out to see the Cliffs of Moher, we were on our way to our first castle –… Continue reading
Some people find history fascinating; others find it completely boring. I used to be the latter, finding all those dates absolutely meaningless (stop scowling). Random dates and events seemed like completely useless knowledge. I wanted to know what was happening today! Not 500 years ago. In high… Continue reading
Belize is a tiny Central American country on the Caribbean side, so that usually means amazing turquoise waters, white sand beaches, and Spanish-speaking people. Because I have wanted to go to Belize for about 10 years, I could hardly wait, but to be honest, it was a tremendous disappointment. … Continue reading
The first thing you need to know if you’re driving around Ireland is that there are no traffic lights. That’s right, no traffic lights. Instead, there are 50 million roundabouts. [spacer height=”20px”] On arrival the ten or more roundabouts just to get out of Shannon airport caused us great… Continue reading
“Now why in God’s creation would you take yourself ever go to Ireland if yer didn’t havta? The weather is bloody miserable! For God’s sake, it rains all the frickin’ time. Are you daft man? And the wind’ll go right through ya… give yer head a wee shake.” T’s solidly Irish… Continue reading
Sepilok Orangutan Nursery We were still giddy from seeing the wild Orangutans that morning. After returning to the gorgeous Sepilok Nature Resort, we had lunch and a short break before we headed to the Sepilok Orangutan Nursery and Rehabilitation Centre. The Orangutan Nursery and Rehabilitation Centre houses… Continue reading
We were going to Africa – AFRICA, the trip of a lifetime. Exotic, wild, enticing, mysterious Africa, but it became both the best of times and the worst of times. Rather than go to the most touristy parts of Africa, which are too much like North… Continue reading
We were trying to party hardy, really we were. Perhaps we are a little under-stated, but we were having fun, just like everyone else in New Orleans! The Ticket Officer wasn’t buying it. She gave T a ticket! A Ticket and a Scolding for not partying hard enough! Seriously. I… Continue reading
Grottoes Loltún, Lol Tun Cave, Yucatan: An Underground Castle [spacer height=”20px”] Take a walk into Lol Tun (Grottoes Loltún) Cave, and it feels like you are walking into a grandiose cathedral or castle. It is a bit of a rough walk down and into the cave but it is… Continue reading
New Orléans: Disney World For Adults Mardi Gras is an event which must be experienced in order to be understood. It is a mixture of traditions and high-tech. It is a Disney World for Adults! New Orléans has experienced disaster after disaster. Hurricanes, yellow fever, floods, wars, and just plain… Continue reading
Ok, so maybe Belize wasn’t so bad after all. One of the few times in Belize that we saw that inimitable Caribbean turquoise water was when we were on the ferry heading toward Caye Caulker from the rather ugly Belize City. It was thrilling to see the true… Continue reading
One never knows when an opportunity may come along to be a hero. It is never planned, and probably the last thing on your mind at that moment. My friend, G, loves to snorkel and spent many an afternoon at the far end of the lagoon at the… Continue reading