Madeira is the birthplace of my family and a place I dream of calling home one day. Explore its beauty through a small selection of my photographs—each one capturing a piece of the island’s soul.
Category: Travel (page 1 of 9)
Spain’s Mallorca is a joy to cycle with friends. A long weekend break in the North of Mallorca proved to be a wonderful break from the rain a cold of London. I landed in Palma and transferred to Port de Pollença.
My group had already arrived and were already saddling up for a ride out. Some had brought their own bikes but most of us and rented bikes from Pro Cycle which is a stones throw from our hotel.
The bikes had been arranged by Mallorca Cycling Tours Who guided us on our weekend break. Their knowledge of the island is great and really made our beak enjoyable. They also made sure that everyone rode to their levels.
The weather was just right and even in October suncream wouldn’t of gone a miss. All in all the weekend was a great break and I would highly recommend a cheeky break in Mallorca.
As the sun sets below the sea line and day turns to night I reflect on my time in Thailand. It’s been a relaxing and thoughtful time. I’ve enjoyed seeing new sights at a relaxed pace. I’ve seen a few temples in Bangkok and relaxed on the golden sands of Karon beach Phuket.
I’ve pampered myself with body massages and had more than a few pedicures on my well-trodden feet. I’ve sat soaking up the suns rays with the sea breeze cooling my shoulders whilst people watching. I would say that I am not one for sitting on the beach but that is not the case here. I’ve really enjoyed doing just that. I’ve taken the time to indulge in me. Watching YouTube, listening to podcasts and enjoying a few beers too.
I’ve missed friends, family and loved one and look forward to seeing them. I think next time I visit Thailand it will be with my partner. The unit then thank you Thailand.
Thailand
I’ve been in Thailand for a week now. I landed in Bangkok and decided that I would spend a week in the city. That was a big mistake. I’d booked an apartment prior to coming in Thong lo area which cost £250, so not a nightmare.
Having never been to this part of the world I wanted to explore the big City for a while. I like to walk and explore and feel the city and the vibe of a place. What I very quickly found out is this that no one walks. Even the locals don’t really walk and that’s because of the oven heat and the most saddening part, is the pollution. It’s really bad. You can taste it in your mouth. It fills your lungs as I’ve never experienced before. So when you see Asian people walking around with face masks you know why. It’s not a germ thing. I assume that Japan or major Asia city is the same.
After walking for a good three to four hours you will be completely soaked in sweat and you will be wasted. After a few days of this, I found out that the best way to get around was on the train which covers a good part of the city but not all. My favourite was by canal boat. It takes you into the old part of the city and connects you to the main river Chao Phraya. My last day there I took the river cruise which is really cheap.
Of course, the major sights were explored such as the Grand Palace but they were completely mobbed. For me, I like to try and find the hidden city which I did on foot. Walking into slum areas along the canal footpath getting strange looks for the looks as to why the tourist is here in our back yard, but never once did I feel in danger. In main I think Bangkok is a safe city. The danger comes in the form of the bars, Tuk Tuk drivers and certain restaurants looking to cash in on Tourist. They will rip you off in a heartbeat.
The other thing is the sex trade and middle-aged European white men looking for sex or a young Thai girl.
That made me feel a little ashamed to be white and middle-aged. Travelling on my own which I know is not the norm, I felt people were looking at me like that. Look here comes a man looking for sex and or bride and to tell you the truth it made me feel bad. But you can not hide from the truth. You see a lot of that in Thailand. Lots of middle-aged to older white men with Thai girls. Maybe its true love or deep pockets.
Time to get out of smog filed Dodge.
So I’d seen some of the city and I’m sure I could have seen a whole lot more if I’d researched it better. My copy of Lonely Plant guide to Bangkok got a light reading for inspiration but in the main, I got a flavour of the place. I’d planned on going to Chiangmai but the heat in Bangkok was so much that I felt it was time to hit the beach instead of more city adventure so I booked a Flight to Phuket.
I got into Phuket at about nine at night and took a cab to Patong beach where I’d booked a hotel for a night. Checking in I got into an argument with the receptionist as she wanted to hold on to my passport or give them 2000 that as a deposit. After a game of bluff where I said that I was off unless the changed their mind about the whole deposit thing, I went to my room. Very tacky place. I walked down the Patong road where all the sex bars are with girls and men are offering you a free drink if you coming into their bar. Girls dancing on podiums wearing close to nothing. It’s a sight for the senses. Within half an hour of being in Paton, I knew this was not the place for me. I managed to make my way to the beach front and got speaking to a Spanish guy with his Italian wife who lives in Southgate North London. We chatted as we walked and it was nice speaking with what a called a friendly couple. After we split a went into a bar and asked about other fewer tourist areas. Karon Beach was chosen as the place I’d go in the morning. The next day I walk around getting one last look at Patong and got ripped off for breakfast. They changed me 200 Bhat for a one egg omelette. As I said before its not the thefts that will get you. Negotiating a taxi is hard work. Example. I have changed 800 bhat for an hour-long drive from the airport to the hotel. Seems fair. The drive from Paton to Karon Beach is about 15 max 20 mins and every taxi stand/driver want 500. Also now of them want to go on the meter. There are metered cabs but getting one is a different story. In the end, I got a taxi for 250.
So far my stay in Karon at the Kata Tranquil Villas has been ok. And learning my lesson from overbooking my stay in Bangkok I’m only booking a day or so at each place. I’ve booked two days at a different hotel closer to the beach at Karon Beach and maybe I’ll move to a different beach but for now, I’m chilling at Karon in the hot sun with a cool sea breeze.
What I’ve learned so far.
- Don’t book a hotel for too long. You might not like it or the area.
- Don’t trust the bars or restaurants. They will rip you off. Also, make sure they have their prices displayed.
- Don’t trust a cabbie.
- Learn to negotiate with a smile
- Last, of all, put it into perspective. Don’t start negotiating over 50 or 100 Bhat its about £2.00. Some of these people are poor and just looking to make a life.
I’ve been lucky to travel and some of the places I’ve visited are wonderful. Just before I sent off on my new adventure to Thailand which I am sure will bring some amazing photos I thought I’d share a few photos of past travels.
Thailand Bangkok seems a million miles away, but this coming May I’ve booked my place to visit this far away land. My mind wonders with thoughts of new experiences and sights filled with vibrant colours, smells and un-comprehendible conversations.
I look forward to midnight markets filled with people selling their wares, street food cooked in front of you to the Buddhist temples laced in gold.
I hope to stay in Bangkok for a few days and then travel Chiang Mai and then maybe on to Laos or Burma.
I’ve been thinking about buying the Lonely Planet guide Bangkok. What do you think
A short stay, but full of charm. Join me as I explore the magic of Paris through my lens—capturing quiet corners, iconic views, and the everyday beauty of this unforgettable city.
Welcome to Episode 7 Day 5 My trip ends in Lourdes
In short the weather for the next week is going to be crap. Also I’ve loaded up the bike too much and its all becoming a pain. The good bit is that I spent the day exploring Lourdes. Find out the whole story by listerning to my podcast. Thanks for joining me on my journey..
Podcast: Download (19.7MB)
Welcome to Episode 7 Day 4 Bedarieux to Lourdes by Train.
Podcast: Download (18.5MB)
The previous days riding left me battered bruised. I woke up and looked out of the smelly rooms bedroom window. The weather looked grey. The mountains in the distance were covered by dark grey clouds filled to the brim with water. My exit plan was in full swing. Get the train to warm climbs. Head north west to Toulouse or Lourdes better still. I arrived at the station at 8am. Were is the ticket office. A sign on the window says, open at 9.30 am. I looked around not knowing what to do. Then from now where a women showed up. She clearly worked there. I asked how I buy a ticket. Billette I asked in my made up French. She pointed to a machine. This is where my problem began. Listen to my podcast to find out more.
So how much stuff do I need to take on a bicycle tour. The simple question is, as little as possible. On my last trip I took too much and regretted it, and on this trip i’ve done it again. I really didn’t plan this well. I’ve take stuff that I wont even use. The only things that I find a must is electronics. Stuff like laptops or iPads and a mobile phone. With these simple tools you can plan stuff ahead and I feel safe knowing that I can make a call for help. Other stuff like clothing can be purchased on route.
The other question you need to ask is what is the terrain going to be like. Hilly, gravel roads and weather conditions. All these things play a part in working out what you need to take. I think I would of taken 50% less and saved my self and of heavy hauling. We’re learn from our mistakes and I learning fast now.
Camping or staying in Hotels / hostels. This trip in the south of France, camping is proving to be a problem. There are limited places to tent camp and the cost is about 20 euros per night. If you consider that you first have to find a place to camp, which might be hit or miss and when you do find a place. You will need about an hour to set your self up. This all means that you have to start looking for a place at around mid afternoon.
If on the other hand you want to stay in hostels or hotels, you can travel lighter which means faster, or high climbs and travel for longer because there is very little setting up. The cost is about double or triple than camping but at least you get a warm shower and a soft bed at night. Next time I’m going to travel light and see how that works out. Also if you are in main land Europe hotels . Hostels are a lot easier to find than camp site especially in city’s.
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