A Different Kettle of Fish
If you want to be shot in Alaska, other than doing it yourself (which, given the low levels of sunlight in winter it seems a lot of people do. The state has the highest per capita suicide rate in the US), there are 2 ways. Say the wrong thing about Sarah Palin to the...
So long and thanks..
Let's play a game. How about Word Association? I'll say a word and you come up with a word or phrase it makes you think of. First thing that pops into your head. OK? Ready? Here goes... ...Salmon. You probably (bear with me here) came up with “fish” or maybe “leap” or...
Going South
Back on the good ship Columbia. Of all the places I've left in the last few months, leaving Ketchikan was the hardest. It was always the aim of my trip, originally the plan was to get there overland from Buenos Aires. Well, that didn't quite work out, but...
Doesn’t Do What It Says On The Tin
Vodka purchased in Paraguay - ingredients: Ethyl Alcohol, Water Whisky purchased in Bolivia - ingredients: Whisky (20%), water, caramel flavouring 100% Cranberry purchased in USA - ingredients: Grape, Cranberry and Apple Juice
State of the Nation
Warning: The following disjointed rambling contains some outrageous and ridiculous generalisations which the author cannot substantiate in any way, shape or form. Additionally the author makes no claims to historical, geographical or indeed any other sort of,...
Madam, I’m Adam
OK, so humanity has unravelled the human genome, been to the moon and we have machines that can tell us exactly where we are on the planet. But, I have a question for science. What is the point of Adam Sandler? Has he ever made a good film? Ben Stiller is no thespian...
On My Own Again
I've just boarded the venerable MV Colombia which, in a mere 38 hours, will deliver me to Ketchikan, Alaska where I will be staying for a week or two with my cousin. In the last 3 weeks I've made my way up from San Diego, via Los Angeles, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San...
West Coast Baby!
OK, so you've read the last entry and are thinking, wait a minute, one minute he's in Machu Picchu and now he's blathering on about being in California? How can that be? Well, yes faithful reader, I am indeed in California, the Golden State (not the Sunshine State as...
It’s Fun To Stay
I love Bill Bryson. I really do. I read his first book, The Lost Continent, back in the mid-90s (I could actually tell you the month and year if I felt like it, I'm my Father's son). It's his story of driving round the US in his Mum's car and I thought it was...
A Bit Blurry
One thing about being abroad for a long while is you often get asked what you miss from home. Visitors from England coming to Geneva would always ask me what I would like them to bring me to remind me of Blighty. And it was always with slight embarassment that I would...
Braaasil
Ok, so a little out of synch chronologically speaking, but hey, you get what you pay for right? And you're not paying for it, so there you go. After Ilha Grande, we spent 4 days in Rio. Now, Rio is a must-see place, you can't go to that part of Brasil and not go to...
Salty Goodness
After Sucre, caught a good ole Bolivian bus and headed off to Uyuni, passing through Potosi (highest city in the world), getting to Uyuni at about 6 in the evening. Now, the phrase "the middle of nowhere" can be used to describe lots of places, but Uyuni literally is...