Travel Writing Library

It all starts in an overheated coach on the overheated island of Tenerife. I’ve survived the Mars landscape of Mount Teide and come out of the Hobbit-esque lava tubes underneath it alive.

“You must empty your bag now…please”. This strong suggestion came from the poor airline security chap on day two of my 40th birthday trip to Africa.

After spending some time at the shocking killing fields of Phnom Penh, I set off on my trek North-East to Siem Reap where I would go explore the majestic ruins of Angkor Wat.

An Indian bus journey is always interesting; usually long, usually crammed, usually going to the wrong places, usually breaking down, but this you can deal with because you're on 'Indian time'.

“And when were you born?” the wizened gentleman asked Anna and I in a bar one night in Thailand. He opened the astrological oracle he always lifted from place to place.

I stood in the Bangkok airport with no plane ticket, no plan, and no personal belongings aside from the care package from my Mom that I picked up at the post office that morning.

I was in Luang Prabang, Laos. The loudest noise I heard was birds chirping and stress seemed far away as I sat on a bean bag and sipped my mango smoothie.

It was the event that would solidify my love for travel. It was also the most intense moment of my entire life.

I’d call it a road, but it resembled a wide path: a dusty, grey path which was approximately 5 metres in width and had 2 lanes. Cars, trucks and even motorcycles were racing down, overtaking each other as if tomorrow...

It was 2am and here I was sitting in McDonald’s in one of the most energetic cities in the world, New York City. My friends who I was spending the weekend with are what you’d call indecisive.