I’ve not really planned walks before that I haven’t already done. Last week in Snowdon I took people up Ranger Path, but I’d done it before. Normally people planned stuff and asked me to come along which is great but meant I hadn’t had the chance. This time, it was just me and Steve so I planned my ideal walk.
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Snowdon… Again
Today was a monster! One of the major objectives of this holiday was to go up Snowdon with Aimi. She had never done it before. I could have taken her the easy route but where’s the fun in that?
Naughty Climber
I had bought myself a ticket over to Phi Phi from a booth in Ton Sai last night. It was 400b (£10) which is far cheaper than I expected. The chap at the booth told me to get to the longtail boats on the beach at 9am. Because I’m British I was there at 8:45. By 9:15 I was concerned I’d somehow missed it, but people were still turning up so at 9:30 I resigned myself to “island time”. At 9:45 the ferry showed up and the longtail boatman sprang into action, heaving rucksacks into the boat and helping people aboard.
Shit Culture
Koh Tao is a significantly smaller island than Koh Pangan. There is really only one town spread along the major bays beach. I imagine it was historically 2 towns but now the resorts and bars have filled in the middle. After our relatively hard night out (my definition of going hard on a night out has dramatically changed since dancing elephant) we slept in late. Phil slept longer, maybe some jet lag, so I went for breakfast.
West Coast Blast
Today I had quite a long bike journey ahead of me. Starting in Westport my destination was Franz Josef, the town that serves all the walkers and tours visiting the glacier. I had been told that this glacier was nothing on the ones in America, but as I’ve never seen a glacier before, I was looking forward to it.
Bike Hunting
I’m leaving the last plane in a dream-like state. I’m glad the airport signs are big and yellow because it makes them easier to see through my sleep deprived eyes. I’ve been warned about the airport security regarding pests and fruit and mud, so I declare the dustiness of my boots to the government and they ask me to stand on a sponge…. Am I still dreaming?
Valencia Vistas
Instantly you know you’re somewhere different when you wake up. The air feels different and the noises outside the windows are different.
We are staying in the centre of Valencia in the 3rd storey flat of a grand old building. The decorative iron gates at the entrance give flashbacks to the days when buildings were built to show off to their neighbours, not just “provide economic housing for the masses” as is so often the case these days. I’ve grown up in London but it was a quiet suburb, not a main street. The faint smell of industry and car fumes permeates the room, not unpleasantly, enticingly. Urging me to get up and go exploring this new city. But first, we fixed a typically non-english breakfast of bread, tomatoes, jamon (cured ham), mozzarella and watermelon. I love the Mediterranean food, it is just the best, but I still had a hot cup of tea… I’m not a savage. Continue reading Valencia Vistas
Escape To Spain
Watching the minutes tick away is BORING…
5 left to go… close down computer programs (that I’ve only been staring at for the last 10 mins anyway)
3 left to go… turn off computer (I’m practiced at this sequence to know how long it takes)
2 left to go… put papers to one side & pull on jumper (basically just move stuff randomly around desk)
1 left to go… hook bag over shoulder (pre packed covertly during the last 15 mins of the day)
GO GO GO ! ! ! ! !
Wild Swimming
After an excellent night’s sleep, with the van all to myself, I rose to a glorious day. A good cup of vietnamese coffee in the sun and some baked beans set me up for what we had planned.
Wild Swimming is a book our friend borrowed that lists a load of secret places dotted around the country. In these places, you can find pools of cool, scenic water to splash around in next to your picturesque picnic and obedient, docile dogs dozing in the shade…. Quite a picture of tranquility. Continue reading Wild Swimming
Indi-Vanners
I have a friend (shocker I know) and we both seem to have been following the same instagram and pinterest lists without knowing about the other. When we finally did air the topic a new mutual interest was born!
Campervanning has had a resurgence in the last 2-3 years. While the 60’s campers are still as popular as always, they have been joined by the Van DIY-ers. This new group of people vaguely have the following traits: