Sain bain uu from Mongolia, I’ve had an epiphany. It should not have taken a trip to Mongolia but I’ve realised that I like animals. It’s actually taken a double negative: I don’t like seeing them suffer. The nine-day trek through the Altai Mountains was possible because we were accompanied by two …Read More
Sain bainuu, from Telenji, Mongolia, Everyone who’s been to Mongolia says it’s like no other place, or words to that effect. While this is a common refrain, no-one has ever been able to articulate exactly how. In the next two epistles, I’m prepared to give it a go. Yes, it’s a …Read More
Annyeng from Paju in South Korea, What happens when/if unification of the two Koreas occurs? For a start, The Demilitarised Zone between the two halves of the peninsula would disappear immediately. That has to be a good thing, right? Joint Security Area Trouble is, the four-kilometre strip that goes from …Read More
Xin Chào from the Việt Nam/China border, Pác Bó is a small village with a big place in Việtnamese history. This is where Hồ Chí Minh crossed the border in 1941 to re-enter his homeland after 30 years abroad. In three different places, we see signs indicating the Chinese border (Border Belt). It’s a beautiful …Read More
Xin Chào from Hà Nội, If you already have a high opinion of Việtnamese women, after you visit the National Women’s Museum in the capital, you will truly venerate them. This is where the welcoming sign tells us that Việtnamese women know more about the grass ceiling (as in the opening for the tunnels) …Read More
Xin Chào from Quê Bắc in Kim Liên Commune, I’m here at the birthplace of Hồ Chí Minh, one of the great leaders of the 20th century. I’ll admit it’s a kind of pilgrimage, to see if there are any obvious clues from those formative years. The house in which Hồ Chí Minh (known at …Read More
Xin chào from Phong Nha, We’re in Phong Nha, in the province of Quảng Binh in the north of the country. We’re here to see the fabled Phong Nha caves; roughly 400, mostly limestone caves, and still discovering more every dry season. It’s a very picturesque valley but there are plenty of reminders …Read More
Kumusta from Puerto Princesa, Long-term epistle readers will know that I’ve railed against the worst of American travellers before. Yes, English oafs and soccer hooligans can be noisome. Yes, Australian yobbos can be very embarrassing in some situations. But, Americans are the most obnoxious. It’s not a three-horse race, of course, but the …Read More
Kumusta from El Nido, Three or four world travellers exchanging pleasantries in El Nido, The Philippines : “The beaches are so clean.” This is an unarguable contention; a reflection of the fact that there’s no garbage apparently washing up here. The inference – a perfectly justifiable one – is that there is a lot …Read More
Kumusta from Nacpan, Palawan, Gustave Flaubert was an easily bored, utterly unpatriotic Frenchman who once penned these words about travel. “How many imbeciles one comes across in the most beautiful places and in front of the finest views. When travelling, one meets many . . . but as they go by quickly, …Read More