Month: August 2011
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Stunning, Stormy Jordan
I got stoned in Jordan. I also got tomatoed, window-framed, slapped and sworn at. When you’re alone, language-less, and unable to understand why you’re on the receiving end of several daily doses of hurtful xenophobia, it’s pretty tough on morale. Continue reading →
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Use Your Bank-Holiday Weekend To Enter A Microadventure Competition
Since returning to the UK I’ve been dabbling with the ‘microadventure’ phenomenon, which I see as a fantastic way to get my outdoor and adventure kicks in between planning bigger future projects (of which more news very soon!). Continue reading →
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Look at Syria
Apparently some bad stuff has happened in Syria recently. I hope that those I met and who helped me so memorably on my ride through the country are doing O.K. — but then they’re the probably the lucky ones, living in the rural regions rather than the political hot-spots. Continue reading →
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The Rise Of Anti-Social Networking
On the train to London the other day I picked up a dog-eared copy of Metro, the city’s finest free newspaper. Buried on page 24, opposite an article about a new Harry Potter theme-park, was this little piece: ‘Facebook is causing a “crisis of loneliness“ ‘, read the headline. Continue reading →
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The Ravaged, War-torn, Peaceful, Gentle & Stunningly Hospitable Country of Sudan
In my last post I asked what readers wanted to see more of. At the top of the list was more photographs. An excellent choice, as I’ve recently been reviewing my raw images from the road. And no other month in my life was more eye-opening than the one I spent trundling through the sun-baked […] Continue reading →
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Make This Blog Better — Tell Me What You Want
Over the years, my blog has attracted a reasonable following. So the premise of this post is simple. If you’re a regular visitor, tell me, in the comments section, what kind of thing you’d like to see more of (or less of). Some common themes appear in this poll. [polldaddy poll=5388228] If you don’t have time […] Continue reading →
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Microadventure: Hiking, Hitching & Packrafting The Highlands (Part 2)
Early one morning, in the far corner of a wheatfield just outside Laggan, two gaudily-dressed hikers might have been spotted unpacking the contents of their backpacks. A passing dog-walker or cyclist might well have wondered why, before shrugging and continuing on their way. But closer inspection would have revealed the strewn contents taking the form of […] Continue reading →
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Writer’s Blog: On Adventure Travel Literature
Why write a book anyway? There seems to be a welter of expedition and adventure literature hitting the shelves at the moment, along with a growing surge in high-profile expeditioning. Continue reading →