Tea is one of those drinks that everyone is happy to talk about. Every person you meet has an opinion on it. How to drink it, how to prepare it, when it should be consumed; even how it should or…
Busted Flat…
The song ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ was originally written and performed by Roger Miller, although you might recognize it from Janis Joplin, Kris Kristofferson or any number of other artists. I’ve always loved the song and it is one of…
Einstein’s Barber Shop Itinerary – Japan: Temples, Cities, and Typhoons
Investigating the Ivy League
One reason (read: excuse) for the pathetic lack of consistency in my upkeep of this little blog project over the past year or so has been my other (or more aptly, actual) job. I spend much of my time pretending…
Dashing around Dallas
Before I visited, Dallas had never found its way to the top of the long list of my travel priorities. Did I know where it was? Of course, but I’d never had a particular desire to travel there. As is…
A New Year home away from home
I’ve spent the Christmas and New Year period in a number of interesting places. While I love our family’s (very loose) tradition of gathering to eat charred animal and sup from a 40 litre bowl of spiked punch to escape…
Lantau Island – Escaping inside Hong Kong
When we arrived in Hong Kong, my expectations were certainly upheld. We stayed in the Mirador Mansion in Kowloon and wandered the shopping district before a stroll along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in the evening. I had expected this extended…
Oxford evening wanderings
On any journey, time can become your enemy. Regardless of the length of time I have abroad, there are things that have to be cut from our list of things to see. In France, the list was long indeed and…
Cardiff and the Doctor (why I went, and why I’d stay)
We started planning our trip (my first) to Europe over a year before we queued up at the departure gate. Two things remained constant over the year between the decision to go and actually making the flight. The trip was…
A few days in Berlin
When we travel, Linh and I usually like to spend a great deal of time immersing ourselves in one or two countries rather than flitting between a few well-visited, high-profile attractions. Most of our journeys involve some overland travel and…
Mid- Level detour – Hong Kong
Darkness had fallen over Hong Kong and a chilly wind had brought temperatures down to less than 10 degrees as I looked out over the city. The tramline that ran up Victoria Peak continued to ferry passengers, crushed in the…
An image of the Eiffel Tower
The change in gravity told me that the elevator had started to descend. There was no other way to know – besides perhaps the shift in the mass of bodies that surrounded me – that we were on our way…
Travelling the Cultural Triangle – Sri Lanka PART 2
Missed part 1? You can read it first here! There is something to be said about arriving at your destination by night. First, there is the anticipation of arriving after a busy day of exploring or driving. Then there is…
Barber Shop Photos 26 – An evening in Oxford
These shots are all the result of an evening walk through Oxford. We had no time to set up the tripod (which is tiny) so it was an exercise in breathing as much as shooting.
Travelling the Cultural Triangle – Sri Lanka PART 1
For such a small Island, Sri Lanka certainly overachieves when it comes to opportunities for exploration. The country’s diminutive footprint on a world map (430km from North to South) belies a wealth of historical, geographical, and biological wonders that are…
Barber Shop Photos 25 – Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa is a sprawling city ruin in central Sri Lanka. We visiting in late September 2016 and spent a couple of hours wandering around the crumbling temples. At one stage, I walked away from a car park with a small market…
How travelling to Europe is different – Normandy, France.
When we take a trip, I’m used to spending a good two to four weeks in a couple of carefully selected countries. Coming from Perth, one of the most isolated cities on the planet, it’s a massive undertaking – both…
My first real encounter with the language barrier
Whenever I travel, people ask me how I deal with the language barrier as if it is some kind of physically oppressive wall that stops them from travelling themselves. Of course I tell them that language is only a part…
A few rules for visiting London at Christmas
For some, Christmas is a time to share their faith with loved ones. For others, it is an opportunity to bring the family together. For me, Christmas means crowds, maddening jingles, and the disgruntled mood that comes with them. We…
Walls of Galle Fort
Unless you are one of the few who have been able to break free the bonds of daily work commitments, then you will know the pain of selecting from the multitude of experiences in any particular location and grafting them…
Barber Shop Photos 19 – Jaresh, Jordan
In 2009 I travelled to Dubai, Egypt and Jordan. I love the landscapes in this part of the world and there is something magical about wandering through the ruins of ancient cities. Jaresh was unexpected for me as I was…
Barber Shop Photos 16 – Petronas by night
If you spend any time in Kuala Lumpur, chances are you’ll find yourself in front of this iconic tower. We decided not to take a tour inside the building as the price was prohibitive considering the haze engulfing the city…
Travelling in search of culture
When we travel, one of our goals is always to find a slice of whichever country we’re touring that has been saved the ravages of tourism. As contradictory as it may be, we travel to seek the very thing our…
Barber Shop Photos 11 – Stilt fishermen in Sri Lanka
One thing that fascinates (and concerns) me about travelling is the effect we have on cultural and social practices as we trudge our way through countries that often have vastly different structures than our own. This shot of the stilt…
Rain on Lion Rock (Sigiriya Fortress)
Once we decided to travel to Sri Lanka and we began to investigate what to do while on the island, I quickly identified four experiences that I could not miss. Firstly, we wanted to climb Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) and…