I awoke to the sounds of countless cockerels in the gardens of the homestay. Breakfast was an absolute delight, with delicious bread, passion fruit, watermelon, tea, coffee, an omelette, and some spongiform translucent cupcake shaped local delicacy. To the latter I tried one but passed on the remaining four. I was sad to be leaving the Nam Thamh Homestay, my stay…
I was up and out of my hotel by 06:00am. The road outside the hotel was full of potholes but I just about managed to eat my baguette and jam as I left Tra Vinh behind. My plan was to head northwest all day, first towards Cang Long, then to take a back road for the last few miles towards…
I awoke to the sounds of countless cockerels in the gardens of the homestay. The day started with a noodle breakfast overlooking the Mekong. There seemed to be some cloud cover ahead and I wondered whether it would be slightly cooler today. No sooner had I thought this, the sun burned through the clouds and it was once again, sweltering.…
I flicked the lightswitch next to my bed in the hotel. The light did not turn on so I panicked, not because I was afraid of the dark, but I was on the fifth floor of the hotel and today was my day of departure. I was facing carrying all four panniers bags and my bicycle (still in the box)…
My flight from Heathrow landed into Guangzhou, China, at 17:55 local time, or 09:55 London time. I'd slept intermittently on the flight and watched an excellent film called Wilder People starring Sam Neill. It's about the adventures of a boy and a man in the New Zealand bush and had me laughing out loud which I always think is a…
I’ve only ever owned two vehicles, my trusty 2001 Fiat Punto (that I reluctantly sold for £130 after many adventures – it was all very emotional), and now a Nissan NV200 black van. The Nissan is a great little van, perfect for filling with cycling and climbing kit for adventure weekends, and incredibly fuel efficient – it’s a match made…
I am hugely passionate about adventure and the benefits it can have, but what exactly makes an adventure? A quick Google search of definition of adventure brings up the following: "an unusual or daring experience", but I feel this does not do the term any justice. I've also heard it defined as "an activity or endeavour through which the outcome is uncertain"…
First Aid Courses have been an integral part of my life as an instructor and leader in the outdoors. In order for my outdoor qualifications to be valid, it is a requirement that I hold as a minimum, a Rescue & Emergency Care Level 2 first aid certificate. This certificate lasts for three years and explores the skills and develops…
I got a taxi to the metro at Kartel which was undoubtedly the most dangerous thing I’d done in the last year. This was the second taxi I’d used since arriving in Turkey and unfortunately I was still in the UK habit of getting in the back seat, clutching the seatbelt and expecting there to be something to fasten it…
I have been lucky enough to travel all over the world for both work and pleasure. The majority of my travelling has been to developing nations where there is often a stark contrast from the level of infrastructure and development we are used to back home. This is part of the reason I have chosen these countries, I have wanted…