HOME, UPDATE AND INDEX

31st Jan 2017

I am now joyfully back home amidst the fog, rain, ice, wind and general gloom which so characterises our delightful country at this time of year. Whoopee!

I am interested to know who actually reads this blog. The number of 'hits' doesn't actually mean much  as many of these 'visits' might only be from people scanning through to find something more entertaining. I know I have a few staunch followers because they communicate in some form or other either to say they find it amusing, or educational, or not, or (in one particular case) take great  satisfaction in painstakingly pointing out all my (many) grammatical, spelling and typo errors, for which I am most grateful. Thanks Bernie!

Those that I know read this are Bernie G (with a microscope), Pam K, Julia B, Belinda M, Nick R and really I don't know of any others.

The reason I write this stuff is primarily for my own amusement and record. When eventually I sit, immobile, dribbling, and incontinent in the Sunnylands Home for the Elderly and Confused I will hopefully be able to re-read these posts and remember where I have been and what I did. Of course my memory will have gone by then so every time nurse opens up the computer for me each page will always spring out as a complete surprise.

It would satisfy my curiosity, though, to find out who does read it. Perhaps you could be so kind as to let me know by e-mail (if you have my e-mail address which I daren't publish here) or by using the comment box at the bottom of each post. I know it is somewhat tricky to use, but must be possible because a few managed at the beginning. I think you need to establish a temporary Google account, on site, to do so. I would be most grateful for any feedback, however rude.

I have been asked by some friends, when they are about to travel to one of the places I have visited, how to find the relevant entry. This blogsite does not make it easy because when you go back to 'previous page'  or a particular year, the first entry you see is the latest on that page ie. you have to scroll down to the bottom to get the earliest (if that makes any sense). So, I thought I would print out a list of chapters to assist readers, and myself, in locating a specific post. In fact I have just discovered that it is not so difficult; just look at the blog archive posts at top right and click on the 'year' arrow to expand. Then click on the 'month' arrow to expand further. All are revealed and can be entered directly.   Here goes:

List of Posts

2011

1.      The Beginning

2.      At Sea - Now Antwerp

3.      Stranded in Le Havre

4.      Crossing The Pond

5.      Noo Yawk, Noo Yawk

6.      Virginia

7.      Washington DC

8.      Columbia - South Carolina

9.      Charleston - South Carolina

10.    Miami - Florida

11.    Fort Lauderdale - Florida

12.    Savannah - Georgia

13.    Boston - Massachusetts

14.    Boston - Post Script

15.    Niagara Falls - Ontario

16.    Toronto - Ontario

17.    Winnipeg - Manitoba

18.    The Canadian - Toronto to Vancouver

19.    Vancouver Island - British Columbia

20.    Seattle - Washington

21.    Amtrak. Seattle to San Francisco

22.    San Francisco - California (Part 1)

23.    San Francisco - California (Part 2)

24.    San Diego - California

25.    Tijuana to La Paz - Mexico

26.    La Paz - Mexico

27.    Mazatlan - Mexico

28.    Guadalajara - Mexico

29.    Mexico City

30.    San Christobal de Las Casas - Mexico

31.    Antigua - Guatemala

32.    San Salvador - El Salvador

33.    Managua and Granada - Nicaragua

34.    San José - Costa Rica

35.    Panama City

36.    Flight to Lima - Peru

37.    Lima - Peru

38.    Nazca - Peru

39.    Cusco - Peru

40.    Machu Picchu - Peru

41.    Andean Explorer - Peru

42.    Puno (Lake Titicaca) - Peru

43.    Arequipa - Peru

44.    Panama to Auckland - New Zealand

45.    Bay of Islands - New Zealand

46.    Lake Taupo - New Zealand

47.    Cape Reinga - New Zealand

48.    Russel Birdman Festival - New Zealand

49.    Rotorua - New Zealand

50.    Napier - New Zealand

51.    Wellington - New Zealand

52.    Blenheim - New Zealand

53.    Nelson - New Zealand

54.    West Coast, South Island - New Zealand

55.    Queenstown - New Zealand

56.    Lake Tekapo - New Zealand

57.    Christchurch - New Zealand

58.    Kaikoura - New Zealand

59.    Auckland - New Zealand

60.    Across the Tasman Sea

61.    Sydney (Part 1) - Australia 

62.    Sydney (Part 2) - Australia 

63.    Melbourne (Part 1) - Australia 

64.    Melbourne (Part 2) - Australia 

65.    Tasmania - Australia

66.    Adelaide - Australia

67.    The Ghan - Adelaide to Darwin

68.    Darwin - Australia

69.    The Red Centre - Australia

70.    Back to Adelaide - Australia

71.    Onwards to Brisbane - Australia

72.    Brisbane to Singapore (Part 1)

73.    Taxis

74.    Brisbane to Singapore (Part 2)

75.    Brisbane to Singapore (Part 3)

76.    Singapore (Part 1)

77.    Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia

78.    Up Country - Malaysia

79.    Singapore (Part 2)

80.    Mozart. Malaysia to Sri Lanka

81.    Colombo - Sri Lanka

82.    Coffee

83.    Kandy - Sri Lanka

84.    Nuwara Eliya - Sri Lanka

85.    Back to Colombo - Sri Lanka

86.    Galle - Sri Lanka

87.    The Ancient Cities - Sri Lanka

88.    Trincomalee - Sri Lanka

89.    Negombo - Sri Lanka

90.    Tiruchirappalli - India
91.    Kerala - India
92.    Goa - India
93.    Bombay - India

2012

94.    Delhi - India
95.    Palace On Wheels. Rajasthan (Part 1) - India
96.    Palace On Wheels. Rajasthan (Part 2) - India
97.    Palace On Wheels. Rajasthan (Part 3) - India
98.    Palace On Wheels. Rajasthan (Part 4) - India
99.    Palace On Wheels. Rajasthan (Part 5) - India
100.  Calcutta - India
101.  Rangoon - Burma
102.  The Train To Bagan - Burma
103.  Bagan - Burma
104.  Mandalay (Part 1) - Burma
105.  Mandalay (Part 2) - Burma
106.  Inle Lake - Burma
107.  Ngapali Beach - Burma
108.  Bangkok - Thailand
109.  Siem Reap - Cambodia
110.  Phnom Penh - Cambodia
111.  Saigon - Vietnam
112.  Hanoi - Vietnam
113.  SaPa - Vietnam
114.  Ha Long Bay - Vietnam
115.  Beijing (Part 1) - China
116.  Hong Kong
117.  Beijing (Part 2) - China
118.  Mongolia
119.  Siberia - Russia
120.  Trans-Siberian to Moscow
121.  Moscow (Part 1) - Russia
122.  Moscow (Part 2) - Russia
123.  St Petersburg - Russia
124.  Helsinki - Finland
125.  Rovaniemi - Finland
126.  Up To Kirkenes - Norway
127.  Hurtigruten (Part 1) - Norway
128.  Hurtigruten (Part 2) - Norway
129.  Hurtigruten (Part 3) - Norway
130.  Hurtigruten (Part 4) - Norway
131.  Bergen to Oslo - Norway
132.  Oslo - Norway
133.  Copenhagen - Denmark
134.  Hamburg - Germany
135.  Hook of Holland - and Home
136.  The End
137.  Post Script - London

2013

138.  Stand-by For More...
139.  To The Democratic Peoples Republic Of Korea (North Korea)
140.  Pyongyang 1 - North Korea
141.  Pyongyang 2 - North Korea
142.  Kaesong and Panmunjom - North Korea
143.  Back to Pyongyang - North Korea
144.  Pyongyang 3 - North Korea
145.  Samjiyon and Mount Paekdu - North Korea
146.  Daehongdan County - North Korea
147.  Chongjin - North Korea
148.  Hamhung - North Korea
149.  Wonsan and Mount Kumgang - North Korea
150.  Mount Kumgang 2 - North Korea
151.  Mount Kumgang 3 - North Korea
152.  Wonsan Again - North Korea
153.  Back To Pyongyang and On To Nampo - North Korea
154.  Nampo and Back To Pyongyang - North Korea
155.  Train To Beijing - North Korea
156.  The Finale
157.  Impressions of North Korea
158.  Vids From North Korea
159.  Zambia
160.  Battledore Farm - Zambia
161.  Cool Bananas - Zambia
162.  Banana Hazards - Zambia
163.  Back On The Farm - Zambia
164.  Continued Jollities - Zambia
165.  Christmas In Darkest Africa - Zambia

2014

166.  Lusaka 1  - Zambia
167.  Lusaka 2  - Zambia
168.  Livingston (I Presume) - Zambia
169.  On Safari - Botswana
170.  Ndola N'Home - Zambia
171.  Onwards To Sarf America
172.  Buenos Aires and The Wedding - Argentina
173.  Around Buenos Aires - Argentina
174.  Jujuy Province - Argentina
175.  Salta - Argentina
176.  Cordoba - Argentina
177.  Mendoza - Argentina
178.  Santiago (Part 1) - Chile
179.  Olmue and Valparaiso - Chile
180.  Santiago (Part 2) - Chile
181.  To Osorno and Bariloche - Argentina
182.  Bariloche - Argentina
183.  Ruta National 40 - Argentina
184.  El Calafate - Argentina
185.  Tierra Del Fuego (Part 1) - Argentina
186.  Tierra Del Fuego (Part 2) - Argentina
187.  Iguazu - Argentina
188.  Buenos Aires - Finale - Argentina

2015


189.  The Saga Of My Nearly Lost Hat
190.  We Wish To Apologise...
191.  Those Blasted Announcements...
192.  Tuscany By Train
193.  Mulhouse to Montecatini - Italy
194.  Florence - Italy
195.  Around Montecatini - Italy
196.  Lucca and Pisa - Italy
197.  Venice 1 - Italy
198.  Venice 2 - Italy
199.  Venice 3 - Italy
200.  Turin - Italy
201.  'Nam Revisited - Vietnam
202.  Saigon Again - Vietnam
203.  Merry Keesmah - Vietnam

2016


204.  Up The Mekong - Vietnam
205.  Happy Noo Yeer - Vietnam
206.  Snowdrops
207.  Turkey - An Inspiration
208.  Istanbul Or Bust
209.  Budapest - Briefly - Hungary
210.  Brasov - Transylvania - Romania
211.  Bucharest - Romania
212.  Onwards To Istanbul - Bulgaria
213.  This Was Constantinople - Turkey
214.  Up The Bosphorous - Turkey
215.  The Turkish Bath - Turkey
216.  Up The Kennet
217.  Down The Baltics
218.  Tallinn 1 - Estonia
219.  Tallinn 2 - Estonia
220.  Tallinn 3 - Estonia
221.  On To Riga - Latvia
222.  Around Riga - Latvia
223.  Riga Finale - Stuck Up A Steeple - Latvia
224.  Vilnius...And The Dark Side - Lithuania
225.  Vilnius...The Bright Side - Lithuania
226.  A Damp Day In Warsaw - Poland
227.  Berlin And Bed Bugs In Brussels
228.  Cultural Day In Lille - France
229.  Bah Humbug And Chrexit
230.  Laid-Back Laos - Vientiane - Laos
231.  Va Va Vang Vieng - Laos
232.  Vang Vieng Voom Voom - Laos
233.  Luang Prabang - Laos
234.  Luang Prabang And Elephants.

.....and who knows what is in store for the rest of this year. Suggestions welcome.