Wild Water Wonderment!

Well yesterday I had a real kids day. You know the sort.... You go to a waterpark and spend hours and hours going up and down water slides. What could be better?

The Wild Wadi Water Park is at Jumeirah beach, not too far from my hotel. This is a very exclusive spot and features a couple of amazing buildings - the Burj Al Arab and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. A seriously expensive option for those who find Dubai not quite over the top enough!

I was not the only big kid there let me tell you. There were groups of business men and plenty of people older than me riding the slides. Now that's a way to spend a day! Today is a day of nothing. Resting up because I'm less than two days away from Ethiopia!

The Burj Al-Arab, Jumeirah Beach.

The Jumeirah Beach Hotel

Wild Wadi Water Fun!

A view of much of the Water Park

Dubai or no Dubai?

The plane touches down in Dubai and within seconds there is na chorus of beeping mobile phones throughout the aircraft. Welcome to Dubai where big is small and bigger is not quite medium.I have arrived in the future, and Jordan feels like I was far far far in the past now.
This morning I sat at breakfast in one of the four Ibis hotels in Dubai and watched businessmen from India, the middle east and perhaps even Europe eating a mixture of rice crispies and coco-pops. It was hard to fathom. Surely they are all doing million dollar deals, buying property and investing in the world's latest extravagent metropolis.I feel so out of place, a phony, the lone backpacker in a city of business men. A city of excess - of shopping malls that no place can rival.
Yesterday I visited the Dubai mall. It has an ice rink. It has a giant aquarium, various waterfalls, and the biggest food court I have ever seen. Oh yes, it also has a theme park.But wait that is hardly enough, is it? The Mall of the Emirates, a way down the road, has Ski Dubai, an indoor snow park. And I went to that. How could I not? I went on a bobsled run and marvelled at ice scultpures.
Outside the mall it was mid-thirties and humid. Inside Ski Dubai minus four degrees.
Giant cinemas, and giants cups of coke. Virgin Megastore and computer shops, a department store slash supermarket called Carrefour which has to have been the biggest I have ever seen.And yet little ol' me has a budget to keep to. Somehow, so far I have resisted the urge to buy everything in site which is what the place is designed for. The candy shops.... hasnt anyone told them that large amounts of sugar mixed with kids is a recipe for disaster? In the words of bumble-bee man, Ay Carumba!Perspective. Please. Rampant consumerism gone wild or wild consumerism gone mad? Too many adjectives?How can there be a market for so much stuff. There are plenty more malls you know.
Jordan left me tired... in need of a few good night's sleep. Well, I have a nice hotel here where they regulate the temperature there are two bars and three places for eating. I was most happy to find they have just opened a new slick metro which will take me most of the way to places I might want to go. And it stopped at my airport terminal. The heat is easy to escape, which is a good thing - the humidity is damned high too. It does mean spending much time in malls though. Oh well, won't go hungry. Candy close by if I need a sugar rush.How do I equate this? It is really futuristic here. Like something from another world. It's one of those places which feels like anything is possible. And then today I crossed the Dubai Creek on a small passenger boat called and Abra. It just crosses the creeks day after day. I went to the museum, inside an old fort. Very impressive. I've still had to walk a fair bit, and internet is not so easy to come by either.Saturday I venture to Ethiopia. It's going to be very different.

Ski Dubai.

View of the city centre from an abra, on the Dubai Creek

The ice-rink in Dubai Mall. Every mall should have one.

Aqaba baa baa

Aqaba was my final stop in Jordan before returning to Amman and flying to Dubai. It was hot there - around the high 30s, but nice enough if not the world's most interesting city. I stayed to nights there, was a little sick, relaxed. There is a small fort and museum which were interesting. The main attraction is the red sea, and from Aqaba you can see Israel and I believe Egypt as well. So a special little area. Although diving and snorkelling trips abound, the sights are apparently not as good as in Egypt.

There is a much bigger upmarket tourist scene in Aqaba compared to the rest of the country. Flashy hotels and restaurants abound, as does the odd night club or three. Aqaba by night from my hotel balcony.
The Red Sea. Surprisingly blue.

Again the red sea, along the promenade.

So, as one country bids farewell another welcomes me. Back to Amman. The wrong way - I hopped on a bus and there was some communication problems. It went to Ma'an, not Amman! oh well, luckily it was on the way and then a share taxi driving at a lazy 150kmph with the Arabic music turned past maximum got me back to Amman and my old hotel.

Reflections?

Whew. Sometimes one feels over this sort of travel. It's very tiring and jees, well, I feel old all of a sudden. I'm only 34. Muscat has been scrapped from the destination list so now I will have a week in Dubai. Jordan has been amazing though, if far too hilly for its own good. Taxis - I am very over taxis, the bargaining. Oh well. Met some really nice taxi drivers too. And some really nice people -

Lukas, Sabrina, Karsten, Dorothy, Bert, Charlie, Lucy, Anna and Matthias it was great to meet you all! And Francesco too. Until we meet again!

Where Things are Rum

Howdy Folks!
Just arrived in Aqaba today - a town in the south of Jordan. I spent yesterday and last night in the amazing desert of Wadi Rum. I was on a small tour of seven people and we drove around the dunes. It's truly breathtaking scenery! Here's a general view of the desert. Giant rocks jut out as you can see. It's similar in many ways to central Australia which I visited last year but never quite got around to blogging about. Note to self: When home blog about Central Australia!

Our tour was not one where we got out many times and we given loads of information one could not possibly remember. It was a day of appreciation for where I was. One tidbit though: Lawrence of Arabia spent time in this very desert. Food for thought!

The rocks have been carved over the centuries by sand and wind. The ravages of time have had an art about them, some are striking works of art. There are a few 'bridges' such as the one above. A bridge to where? The soul? Or perhaps just another rock...

What can I say?

The sun set on the day and I spent the night at a Badouin camp. The food was the best meal I've had in Jordan, cooked in a smouldering hole in the ground. There was then a scorpian incident, then some music, and finally sleep in the open on mattress below the stars. What a place to sleep. I saw at least four shooting stars before I fell asleep. Best day of the trip.

So far...

Photo Success - Petra and Jerash

The wonders of modern technology! I have successfully uploaded pictures from both Jerash and earlier today at Petra!

JERASH

Jerash - long street and many columns!

Doorway - Jerash

PETRA

The Treasury, Petra - Most famous site in Petra

Urn Tomb, Petra - Largest of the Royal Tombs and most impressive!

Facades - Petra

Pottering in Petra

Hey folks
still pottering around.In Petra at the moment. Pretty amazing stuff. Unfortunately I can't get pictures up at the moment computers are not agreeing with my card reader for some reason.
I've walked to the point of nearly having no feet here. Quite exhausted.
Petra is most famous for the treasury building and featuring in Indianna Jones and the Last Crusade, but is actually an ancient city bulit across many kilometres. There are amazing buildings bulit into rock faces,and alsomanytombs. Also some Roman buildings although the orginal builders of Petra were the Nabataeans who settled in Southern Jordan 2200 years ago. According to the brochure.
Unfortunately Petra has its bad points - as does this sticky keyboard. The number of tour groups is somewhat over whelming, as are the people constantly trying to sell you things or get you on a donkey. When you say 'No thanks' don't think that's the end of it!
So another day tomorrow at Petra, and hopefully a desert spot of Lawrence of Arabia fame the following day called Wadi Rum.

Jerash and invisible celebrations

Many centuries ago the Romans, as is their want, built a city in the now Jordanian city of Jerash. It certainly was impressive, and was full of columns. They certainly knew a thing about columns!

I journied out to Jerash yesterday by bus as a day trip. The bus had an accident 500 metres after leaving the bus station and we had to wait 40 minutes whilst the police arrived and photographed it for presumably their report. All the men bar myself and couple of others exited the bus and sucked down some nicotine goodness. It's amazing how many people smoke here. It's playing havoc with my sinuses. In fairness though it seems to be other travellers who do the smoking mostly. And indoors over meals as well....

anyways wandering a largish Roman city is a splendid thing to do and I recommend it to everyone. I am back in Amman today and will head to Petra tomorrow! Here the roads are closed and there are celebrations... somewhere. Didn't see them myself! For you see today is Amman's 100th birthday. On the television there was a song 'Amman Amman Amman Amman Amman' (it continued in a similar vein!) So I have done nothing today. It is good!

Looking for Amman?

Hi Folks
And good morning here from sunny Amman. Yesterday I visited some of the sites around this cool city, which I really kind of like. The guide book says 'Amman is not one of the great cities of antiquity', suggesting it's not so amazing but it was built on Roman ruins which have been somewhat restored and I think it's really amazing. As one can see it's a very hilly place. There is a Roman citadel on the top of a hill that is sort of the centre of Amman, but over the surrounding hills are many homes which make it very striking. This is the view on the roof of the hotel I am presently staying in.

Here is the citadel - well part thereof. It's slowly being restored.

And this is the Amphitheatre. It has been restored and they are preparing for a royal visit apparently. Very cool indeed.

I've met a few people who are not so enamoured with Amman, but I give it the thumbs up! A great place to start a Middle Eastern trip. Many people here (tourists) have come from or are going to Israel. Jordan is one of perhaps two countries in the Middle East that permit you to enter if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport. It's the obvious and now rather predicatble dinner conversation. However this is not a political blog and so I keep my thoughts to myself. Generally not a relazed topic.

Photos from Mt Nebo et al

The view across to Palestine from Mt Nebo. People get covered in mud before they swim in the Dead Sea.

Looking across from Mt Nebo in the direction of Jericho.

View across to Israel/West Bank over the Jordan River.

Day trip not to Bangor!

One day in and I already took a day trip.
After a nice long trip sleep on my first night I was feeling surprisingly good to go and headed out on a 'tour' that is run by my hotel here in Amman.
Now tour gets quotation marks because in fact it's just a taxi service to the different sites. This tour was to Mt Nebo, the Dead Sea and a couple of other places. I shared with three Germans who were really nice people... and spoke German a lot!
Well what would I expect? So yes I was the one non-German speaking person in the car

The first stop was a town called Madaba, with the impressive Orthodox church of St George of dragon slaying fame. The town is also famous for mosaics which were rather impressive. Onwards and upwards to Mt Nebo where Moses is rumoured to have stopped and pointed across the way saying 'how about here? let's build our lives here. A McDonald's there and a Starbucks also here!'
Impressive view, a host of tourists some dressed in strange white garbs singing songs. We ventured to the river Jordan to the site where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. Right on the Palestinian/Israeli border, we looked over where the river now flows (it has changed its course in the last 2000 years. Eh, these things happen. So the point of baptism is now completely dry) and only 30 metres away was an Israseli flag flying in the breeze. Everyone I've met travelling here seems to be headed that way at some point or has come from there. I must be the only one just seeing Jordan in this part of the world. When in 1999 I travelled to Egypt it was similar.
So the Dead Sea was the last stop before returning at breakneck speed to Amman. Well it's te Earth's lowest point and incredibly salty. I thought it would be the highlight of the day but alas not really. After five minutes of being really floaty I was over it. That was a good thing because i got some of the salty water in my eyes and couldn't keep them open. They stung like crazy and I ran like a girl to wash the salt out! Still it was like a mini resort and the pool was nice!
The drive home was fast. 120 in 60 zones. However we kept slowing down suddenly - Jordan has radar. They stand behind a large fourwheel drive and well are pretty obvious, nevertheless we must have passed nearly ten on the way back to Amman. A new day dawns and I want breakfast! Photos hopefully very soon!

It begins again.

Dear Reader,
The trip is officially under way!
I am writing after a very very long day of travelling from Amman, Jordan. I left Melbourne at 3am this morning and the day still has a few hours left in it. Well, here it does, it's already tomorrow in Melbourne!
The weather is warm. The first flight was Melbourne to Dubai and was a very good flight - I slept heaps! Which is what I really needed to do. I left feeling stressed and tired and the ol' tum was not being my friend. After the fourteen hour flight I actually felt better and more awake.
Ok so I left my notes on Dubai and Muscat at home, so I had to buy the Lonely Planet in Dubai, but apart from that it was a pretty successful getaway.
There was dust all over the middle east unfortunately as we flew over Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan but still it was clear the scenery is amazing.
The second flight from Dubai to Amman changed gates twice and had me running like crazy. But such is life. I got through customs in Amman and was on the bus into town by 5pm.
There are house and buildings over rolling hills. It's quite amazing I think. Can't wait to get out and take photos. For now I'm at the Palace Hotel and ready for some well needed Zzzzzs.....

Soon I go... and Hamiton Island

Today is Thursday the 1st of October. I am flying out at 2.55am on Monday the 5th. So yes, the time is almost nigh. Or it is nigh.... Is it nigh when it's time to go or when it's nearly time to go?

Sigh.

So yes packing is happening. I have been doing exciting things like filling small bottles with shampoo and scanning in important documents. The most important thing though is making sure my ipod has album artwork for every single one of the 1700 tracks. Now that's a task and a half of full cream dairy milk! For some reason these little tasks always occupy my time as I lead up to another trip.

But

Hamilton Island. Thought I would share some thoughts and photos with this wonderful global interweb community who never bother to pay my blog a visit. Yes I mean all of you! As you don't read this I presume that's a mute point...

I went to Hamilton Island a few weeks back for my brother's wedding. Hamilton Island is a small island in the Whitsundays off the coast of Queensland. Tropical paradise? Undoubtedly. Cheap? Not even slightly! Relaxing? For sure! Tired of this back and forth? Shit yeah....

oops ok

The whole place is owned by one man (so I hear) and it's big for weddings and families. There are pools dotted around the place that one can swim in at their leisure (awesome) Plenty of bars for the thirsty... some at pool level. Not a lot of choice with restaurants and all places are somewhat pricey. It's really a situation where one has to hang the expense and enjoy where you are. Cocktails are a must.

Plus a reception on a boat.....

can't complain on that score, can I?

Anyways.... looking towards next week i expect this Blog will be a lot busier! Be here or... don't?

Photo from the past

I was recently writing about Mali for my book that will one day hopefully be finished and chanced upon this photo. It's from Mopti, and the boat is full of coffins on the Bani river. Why I didn't think to post it before I'm not so sure...

get ready for more hijinks

Ok so I just like the word 'hijinks', but who doesn't??
October the 5th is the big day, a monday. The red-eye special taking me from Australia across via Dubai to Jordan. Nothing like a 2.55am flight to make you wonder if you'll ever sleep again!
Yeah I've been holding this trip pretty close to my chest and apologies for this only being the second post in like a hell of a long time.
I will have some 37 days in which I will visit, in order, Jordan, Dubai, Muscat and Ethiopia. Should make for a hell of an interesting trip! and it's just over two months away. So that means... keep posted!

videos on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/thegreaterworld

Hi folks
I've just began the long process of uploading videos onto youtube from my travels. I have a few from my last trip (2007), and then there are a couple of small avi files taken on my digital camera from 2006 West Africa which i might put together. From 2004 I have a series of film shot on 8mm with no sound which I plan to convert over the next few weeks or months (well there's a lot) so I'm setting myself quite a little project. Nevertheless I think it's a good one.
Today I've started with Senegal and Casablanca in November 2007. Hopefully neither are longer than ten minutes or i've wasted a lot of bandwidth...

Andrew

Home again, home again jigadijig!

One of the Most important posts in a travel blog is the one that tells people you made it home safely. Well, blogger managed to delete that post before it was posted so I apologise.
I have been home a week now. Since Casablanca I flew to London where I had just over 24 hours and managed to shop and see the Globe theatre, a reconstruction of the theatre (a very accurate one too, a maginificent job) which stood 200metres away where Shakespeare and his ilk put on plays in London a few hundred years back now.
Then at 22.00 hours on November 27th I left London to return home and complete my trip. Just after 8am on the 29th that journey was completed and here I am now. Obviously I need to post more photos, but that's how the journey came to its conclusion. I slept a bit on the flights home but not a lot. So a week later I am stioll feeling the effects of jetlag.
take care y'all.......

Images of Mali and Senegal

Bit of time on my hands today, so here are some more photos. We start with the Senegal River at St Louis, Senegal; then Bamako, Mali outside the main post office; getting on a bus in Mopti, Mali; an interesting building in Dakar, Senegal; the Mosque at Djenne, Mali and finally a street on the Ile De Goree, Senegal.

Bogartting the Blog

Hi all

Well, the trip is winding down. Casablanca is a fine city, one without hassle like Senegal which I think had more hassle than the other West African Nations I have visited.

It's also much cooler, about 18 degrees yesterday. I have a bit of a cold with isn't much fun. Still, I have had enough energy to walk around the city a bit and take in the amazing Hassan II Mosque, the third largest in the world (pictured) and then stroll the Medina (one of the gates also pictured). Not much else to see here I believe, so it's been a nice little day. Also far cheaper than West Africa here too.

No time to really take in what Morrocco is like, I am sure Marrakech is a far different city - more tourists more hassle. Still it hasn't been a bad little stop over all told. Hard to believe I will be home in a few days. I had a shave in a barber shop today, and saw news of the Australian Election. Smiley face.

So tomorrow I get on a plane tomorrow. If it leaves without me I will regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, soon and for the rest of my life....

Pictures from The Dogon Trek

Finally I have had a chance to get some photos from the amazing Dogon Trek up. I am in Casablanca today and tomorrow, and then to London and home by the end of the week. Enjoy the pics!
First is a village called Injeli (I think), then some rocks on the escarpment, thirldy in the village of Ende the girls (who do all the hard work in Africa it seems!) pound millet, Fourth are houses (no longer inhabited) on the cliff face, Fifth the trek begins, and finally a couple of Dogon children.

St Louis, Senegal

Folks,
The trip is winding down.
Two days ago I journied from Dakar to St Louis, tomorrow I return to Dakar to take my flight the next day to Casablanca, then London on Monday and home Tuesday night (arriving two days later).
Ive found the last few days a bit tough - just exhaustion really. Where as Mali was light on the hassle, Senegal certainly isnt. Not in St Louis and certainly not in Dakar.
I headed two days ago to the Dakar Gare Routiere. It was the biggest and most confusing that I have seen. Still; I soon found myself on a minibus to St Louis at about noon. Only three people on the thing, oh god i thought, It will be a good two hours before we leave. No... I was wrong, try six and a half.
Crikey indeed.
Still, I showed great patience as we began our ride that should take between three and four hours. Wrong again. Peak hour in Dakar, and you`ve never seen traffic like it. It was stuffy and hot whan the minibus was stationary, and it was for a long time getting out of Dakar. To get to Thies, 70km away it took three hours. I kid ye not. Then we were held up as there was a bad looking accident on the road involving four vehicles. Very bad indeed... Two ambulances needed - but thank goodness they were available. I shudder to think the response time in say Niger.
Another accident slowed us down a little further on. In summary - arrived at St Louis just before 1am. Phew. Makes that journey from Parkou to Niamey seem quite successful.
Now St Louis.... was steaming hot yesteday. A sleepy sort of town, not luch to do. Fine, I don`t want to do much. Had some good mmeals thankfully as the I journied here four bananas made up my lunch and dinner. Still trhe hassle exists in the centre of town. Cooler today but a hot sun. Such is life... I can`t believe I am so close to returning home, but I have to say I am tired and ready!! Africa sure takes it out of one!

Mission: Dakar

So
I am here in Dakar. I flew in two nights ago, and was quite assaulted by many taxi drivers at the airport, but I made it safe and sound. To be honest, part of me thought I would never make it to this place.
Still here I am at last, with just over a week of the holiday left. Mali was brilliant in retrospect, even if tough going at times. Bamako was not the most impressive of capital cities, but could hold interest for a day or two. Lots of markets and things to buy, if only I had some money left. Much more in Bamako than the rest of Mali - from restaurants to toilets being sold on the side of the road, but still poor; dusty and as polluted as any city I have been to before, excpet for perhaps Dhaka in Bangladesh.
And now, Dhaka to Dakar is complete. Dakar, Senegal is a pretty happening place. Easily the best of the African capitals that I have visited in terms or money - new buildings, obvious investment, new roads being built, even an over pass of sorts. Still there is a lot of hassle though. I visited the interesting and colonial Ile de Goree yesterday, which also has a slave trade history. Today its a nice place, people swim; there was a music festival too. Still; the past lingers in the Maison des Esclaves. Very popular (the island) on a Sunday, absolutely packed.
A little look around the city today, then to St Louis tomorrow....

Nothing easy, but safely in Bamako; Looking to Dakar

Well, here I am in the Malian capital of Bamako, and getting here was a bit of a challenge.
We took the bus from Segou which left at about 10am. Almost immediately the bus had to stop and they needed to tinker with the engine. This had me only mildly worried. On we went and the trip had taken nearly four hours and we were perhaps thirty kilometres out of Bamako. Then the bus just died. The engine stopped, and they couldnt get it going again. We were all left to our own devices to solve the problem, the bus company had nothing to say on the matter. So, Paul and myself hitched our way in on a green van carrying bags of coal. A unique experience to say the least. I accidently disconnected the drivers speaker and hqd to reconnect it.
Once inside Bamako We were put on local transport, supposedly to our hotel. No sir, we got to the centre; and then a nice policeman found us a taxi who knew where to go, so at about 3.30pm we found our hotel. Quite a day, but that`s African travel for you.
Tonight I fly out, inshallah, to Dakar. Yes that final goal is well within sight; although anything can happen yet... The airport is definately open though, so that`s a good start.

Segou

hello all
im in the town of Segou today. Sleepy town along the Niger River... its hot. Im a bit tired. Had a lovely steak sandwich for lunch....thats about all

Dogon trekking, Across the universe

Here I am in Mopti, Mali. I am sorry for the lack of recent postings but it just hasn`t been possible.
A week ago I left Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and took a bus to Ouigouyah in the north. My friend Paul and I met a couple of Irish girls and we teamed up to visit the Dogon country, along with Timbuctu this countrys premier tourist attraction.
The Dogon Escarpment stretches for some 150 kms, basically a large long cliff. Tribes live both below and above this escarpment. We found a guide, and from Bankass in Mali we set about trekking some of this area.
Starting at a village called Kani-Kombelai were walked along the bottom of the escarpment to villages Ende and Teli. We slept on the rooves under the stars and enjoyed the hospitality offerred; even though there was no electricity and the food was basic.
The next day we climbed the escarpment to Begnimato. Its all very rural but the scenery is just breathtaking. Ok; so they have coke for sale. The heat is bad so a coolish drink never goes astray. Much of the village life hasnt changed much for ages.
Another rooftop night, and then we were driven to Bandiagara the next day. Then yesterday to Mopti.
Paul and myself took a trip on the Bani river yesterday which was great; then today we did a day trip to the town of Djenne where the worlds biggest mud-brick structure, an amazing mosque, stands. We were guided around there for a while, another amazing place. tomorrow its onto a town called Segou....

Silly Keyboards in Burkina Faso

So I am here in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Again. It was quite the plane journey - or series of, as my mate Paul and myself flew London to Casablanca to Niamey to Ouaga. And here we are, after arriving at 2.40AM.
It is around 37 degrees celcius here, sop that`s a dramatic shock to the system. The place is still familiar, and I have a throat infection too so again i am here and not feeling the best. It is a weird feeling to be here... as nice as the place is for Africa if they could just knock five degrees off the temperature I would be very grateful. A bit eerie after the way I left last time.... still; Im up for the challenge.

Off towards Mali tomorrow by bus, hoping for some decent sleep tonight. And the keyboard... Id forgotten just how bad it was, keys moved all over the place. I am planning my revenge on the man who invented this keyboard.

Throaty Times

Well it's been a strange few days here in London. The weather has been mild, but I've been sick since Saturday. I've a throat infection which is very painful, so I didn't get to do much here as I have been trying to recover before flying to Africa.

I did walk along the Thames and see Big Ben and the Millenium wheel before coming down sick... I saw 'Spamalot' too, the Monty Python Musical based on Monty Python's Holy Grail. I was so high up that I nearly needed oxygen. Actually that's when I started to feel sick.

Yesterday I made my way to Ockley in Surrey where Paul and myself got our Burkina Faso visas. The honoury consul operates out of his small office in a shed, it was quite the 'different' experience. I returned to London and visited a doctor who gave me some medications and told me I was fine to travel today to Ouagadougou. Who would have ever thought I would return there! I leave for the airport in less than half an hour, although we don't arrive in Ouaga until 2.40am. Now that should be an experience!

Airport Hijinks

So I am at Helsinki airport, it is 6am and I discover that my flight from Casablanca to Bamako has been cancelled, from an email from my travel agent. Wowser... what could have happened? just like that?
I went to Air France at Heathrow to find the airport at Bamako is closed for a week for repairs! No, I had never heard of such a thing before. SO I am now booked to return to Ouagadougou on the 6th... It's more flying and travelling overland to Mali, but not real option. On top of that I need to get a visa for Burkina Faso now before I go, and I had to book for my friend Paul without his ok as I couldnt contact him, but the seats were disappearing as I waited.
So I have to go to Surrey, where the Bukina Faso Honoury Consul lives and works out of his own home and can process visas on the spot on Monday. Bizarre.
Here I am bleeding money, but have my own comfortable apatment with a wide screen tv, so shouldn't complain too much. Been checking out locations where doctor who was shot... yes i am a dork and proud!

Helsinki

Helsinki - I had one day. I caught the ferry from Tallinn, it took an hour and a half (twas the fast ferry).
After checking in to my hostel I visited several sights (and had a subway!). I went to the 'Cave Church', which has a far longer finnish name which I can't possibly remember. Inside a huge hill of rock an amazing church has been carved, with a man-made dome.
From there another Church, and Orthodox one close to the port. Allowed inside of this one, it shows the influence of Russian Orthodoxy even beyond its own borders. There is also an impressive cathedralin the centre of town.
I visited the cable factory - no longer working as one, it's a home to Helsinki's artists. An exhibition was there influenced by Africa. I will soon be there!
Then I visited the impressive National Museum.I spent an hour and a half there, and enjoyed much of what I saw and learned things about Finland I didn't know. I tried hard not to walk around humming or singing Monty Python's 'Finland' or 'Hard Rock Hallalujah' (Lordi). A very warm and friendly city was Helsinki, where the toilet cost an unreasonable one euro.... but I had to get up at 4.15am to catch my plane to London....

St Petersburg Pictures

Hi folks

well, here are some photos of St Petersburg. First Is me in front of a defaced picture of Dima Bilan, who sang at Eurovision 2006. Outside the biggest train station in St Petersburg is number two. Inside the Hermitage number three, number four is the Church of the Spilled Blood, and finally the Alexander Monastry.