Namibia: is there anybody out there? Namibia is roughly the size of the United Kingdom and has a population of under 2.5 million. While navigating from the North to the South, you can drive for hours seeing no one other than the odd passing tourist. That is striking enough. More surprising I found, was that the further south we travelled, it became more, well –...
Reverse culture shock – Hello darkness my old friend Reverse culture shock. I’d heard about it. When you arrive home, and to your eyes, everything is as it was. But to your heart, it’s all so different. Well, it’s 6 a.m., and I’ve been ‘home’ for just under two weeks, and I’m just tired. I have slept little since being home. I have done nothing very productive...
Mumbai: The haves and the have-nots Dharavi Mumbai slum? When leaving Mumbai, I took a video during take-off, and the astounding sight emerged of a vast ‘slum’. Families living alongside the major international airport in the prosperous part of the city came into view as we taxied down the runway. The sight appeared shocking to my unaccustomed, westernised eye. I had...
“Remember in your first letter to me from Death Row, you told me you were going on hunger strike” “Yes, and you told me I had to live to fight to be free” “And here we are nearly 30 years on sharing a bowl of chips!” I started writing to Dan nearly 30 years ago when he was a political prisoner on death row...
Border Crossing in Botswana: think about it when planning Border crossing planning when driving through Africa. Planning for Botswana turned out to be more complicated than first expected (though entirely worth the effort). I pretty much planned a route on Google Map to get from A (South Africa) to B (Namibia) crossing Botswana on the way. To discover, A to B...
Taj Mahal: For the favourite wife – it must be love Taj Mahal, the sublime shrine to eternal love – meh, here’s the big misconception. I can tell you what really happens inside the Taj Mahal. Love, shmove, this is brutal. Approach the stunning Taj Mahal, and the route to this monument of love becomes, well, a bit less lovey. Built in 1648...