Kate Frost
They told us about the electric fence which is turned on as protection for guests and animals inside, from the wild animals outside. Apparently this fence was quite a joke as any animal could easily get through the gap for the gate, or 'over the top,' they said. We wondered what or who we were being protected from. I still don't know, though both told me tales of panther, tigers and even a large brown bear, sighted up in the hills.
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 Frances Garland
Once ashore we walked a short way to the stone archway which takes you through to the old, walled medieval part of town. I came to a screeching halt, all a twitter!! All I can say is for the shopaholic all their Christmas's and birthdays had come at once! Shops, beautiful shops one after the other of glittering high quality gold and silver jewellery, linen tablecloths, cushion covers, olive oil soaps, fine pottery decorated with green and red floral motifs. Leather, particularly sandals and bags, reproductions of early bronzes, figurines and vase paintings just to name a few. And did I mention the gorgeous hand made masks? |
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 Kate Frost
There were the three of us, the mahout and the spotter, a man who walked behind us keeping an eye out for animals approaching through the bush. We stayed very quiet and soon grew accustomed to the swaying movement of the elephant. The animal preceding us relieved itself impressively and having done, moved on.
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 Frances Garland
There are six cruise ships in (Istanbul) today creating absolute havoc with the traffic in the city centre. Horns were blaring continuously and at prayer time all you could hear was chanting through loudspeakers. Our coach tour was abandoned in favour of walking
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 Kate Frost
We sat outside (the Jungle Hut) for a while listening to unfamiliar sounds out in the bush, hoping that the electric fence and cattle stop were adequate deterrents for whatever surprises the bush might hold. Back inside and preparing for bed, we decided to ignore the strange scratching sounds we could hear somewhere in the room and to avoid as best we could, the large ants in the bathroom.
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 Graham Reid
Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah on the northernmost tip of Malaysian Borneo… may be one of the fastest growing cities in Malaysia, but the old world is never far away. Just minutes from the city centre on the highway north are the scrabbles of water-village houses on stilts above inlets and rivers. As are the older, cheaply constructed government-sponsored housing from two and three decades ago where washing hangs like semaphore flags and the fungus patchwork exteriors are notable for the battered air conditioners hanging from walls. These areas are not represented in tourist brochures but are alive, fascinating and available. It is possible to amble through the water villages on shaky but solid planks. This is Old World Malaysia, unchanged by development... Read more: http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/travelstories/2219/kota-kinabalu-sabah-headlong-into-the-future/
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 Frances Garland Our very attractive guide (and I swear she wasn't wearing anything under her flimsy frock) talks on and on and on about Greek mythology and some ancient God - my attention is wandering... All this in the stinking hot sun as we try to listen intently through the crackling head sets which drive us all nuts.
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Graham Reid Norbert shuts off the small outboard and pulls the propeller out of the brackish water. He loosens the weeds which have fouled it and tosses them away. We sit in the silent stillness of Lake Martin beneath cypress trees and Tupelo gums, some of which are 300 years old. They have their roots in soil more than a metre below the still surface. A crane flies low over the trees. "Now, there's a gator over there," says Norbert quietly and points with a rugged finger towards some logs in the distance. I can't see it. "Over there. Beyond." And then I spot it. A small alligator, maybe the length of my forearm, lying on a log some 10 metres distance, barely visible to me. Read more on:
http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/travelstories/268/breaux-bridge-louisiana-in-cajun-country/ |
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Kate Frost
We noticed some women standing on the freshly poured burning tar with only sandals on their feet. Two women accompanied the road roller, holding a bundle of thick cloth on the slowly turning wheels, clearing away excess stones and steaming tar. I remembered the women back at Kovalam, crouched all day from 7 a.m. beneath the shade of banana leaf mats, using heavy hammers to break stones and rocks to gravel, and smiling when they saw us watching them.
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Graham Reid
Most often I have travelled alone, sometimes with a partner, but this was the first time I had travelled with in-laws. Some of my friends, when they heard about this, laughed and said I was courageous. Maybe so, but for six weeks through London, France and Italy, I had the chance to see the world through their eyes. My father-in-law Horst had never been to Europe, and Sue had been once, but only briefly. It was also an opportunity to learn things older people might need to know when travelling, particularly those who haven’t done it before or in a while. Some tips then: http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/travelstories/278/travel-with-seniors-practical-advice-for-older-travellers/ |
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