The Temples of Abu Simbel are about 300 kms south of Aswan in the south of Egypt. The 2 massive temples were carved into the surrounding mountains during the reign of Ramses II, as monuments to himself and his queen Nefertari. Continue reading
Category Archives: Travelogues
Living in Spanish Caves
Arriving in Spain with the intent to explore Spain’s wilderness by hiking and rock climbing we rented a speedy Golf TDI and quickly drove out of Barcelona. I had heard that there were many abandoned caves in Spain and it was possible to bivvy in them. I had planned on our one month trip to find and stay in Spanish caves. The TDI headed south west to Parque Monsant. The park itself consists of a massive limestone table top one hundred kilometres in circumference, with small valleys, forests, natural springs, and rocky crags inside of it. Outside of the park are olive orchards, vineyards, fruit trees, and pueblos throughout the region. The hillsides have all been terraced and four hundred year old rock walls can be seen. Continue reading
Sleeping under the Stars in Morocco
As part of an organised tour through Morocco, we had an overnight camp in the Sahara Desert. Arriving at an auberge or inn, we had a chance to offload our bags, collect overnight gear and sip mint tea before climbing onto camels for an hour long ride through the magnificent dunes of Erg Chebbi. The views as we were riding were amazing — rolling dunes of a beautiful orange gold colour and so peaceful. The camels seemed so placid, happy to stay in formation, and did as they were told. I’m sure they would have found their own way to the camp, but we had a guide leading us. Continue reading
The backpack has landed
Aside
I’ve finally gotten my new backpack. It’s a Deuter Futura Pro holding 42l. This means that I have 33l less than with my earlier backpack, but I won’t be taking my dive gear with me anymore, so I have actually more space for my other stuff.
Costa Rican Tales
We often wander directionless on our travels but other times, like now, we are on a mission. The destination is a little place called Playa Guiones on the western, Pacific side of Costa Rica. We have focused specifically on this goal based purely on a rumour of world class surf. Continue reading
Off again in 3 months
Status
Just got confirmation of my flight to Mumbai, leaving on the 30th of September, so just over 3 months!!
Easter Without the Bunny
Ah, Easter. It’s the time of year when eating copious amounts of chocolate is the norm, and rabbits lay plastic eggs filled with goodies for young children to find and fight over. That is, unless you happen to be in Leon, Nicaragua, where the celebrations are, strangely enough, religious in nature. Continue reading