Tag Archives: life

colourful, crazy india

Essential Films and Books for Understanding India

ndia is such a vibrant, colourful, chaotic and exciting country, with tons of different languages and ethnic groups, a deep and complex history and culture. Before you dive into the mayhem, I thoroughly recommend taking the time to watch and read a few books, movies or documentaries as it will give you a far better understanding of this incredible country.

Reclaiming our senses: navigating the disconnect from nature.

We have lost touch with many of our five senses. How can we reclaim them and be more in touch with nature in a modern world?

Revisiting Ethiopia 10 years on…

It had been a few years since I had been to Ethiopia, so I was curious to see the changes. Sometimes things change for the good, sometimes for the worse. But I think what I had forgotten is that it’s how Ethiopia changes you. Unlike most other countries which you visit, learn about the culture […]

Bedouin wedding

Getting married the BEDOUIN way – the women’s party

I walked carefully in the dark between the houses, through rough alleyways on stony ground, the sound of the Egyptian pop music getting louder. Finally I saw the tent walls and the hanging lights. Little boys hung around outside, as they always do, eager to get a glimpse of the girls as they anonymously entered […]

HOW TO TAKE TIME OUT FROM LIFE

Ever worked like a madman? For years I had a ridiculously manic work life, working 6 days a week in tourism and up to 12 hour days. At the end of my “paid work day” in an office, there was all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, socializing, emails, and hobbies (if there was any time for […]

The Sinai Trail – a 220km hiking odyssey across the desert

The Sinai Trail is a 220km epic walk accompanied by Bedouin guides through the mountains and desert of South Sinai

It’s Christmas: still no room at the inn

It’s quite hard, I find,  to enjoy a cup of tea at someone’s house when you can hear gunshots being fired outside. It was late in the afternoon, and I was at Hashem el-Azzeh’s house in Hebron, Palestine. My friend, Sophie, and I had just spent an interesting and moving day walking around the settler-occupied neighbourhood […]

My favourite books on my favourite place: Morocco

Morocco is a mystical, mysterious and exotic place. It’s a magical blend of Arabia and Africa – from the Atlas mountains to the Sahara desert where the warm, timeless desert breeze touches your soul, to the ancient cities of Marrakesh, Fez and Casablanca, whose protective city walls drip with secrets of days gone by. It’s also a […]

My top 10 most insightful books to read on Cambodia

Recommended Reading: Cambodia Cambodia has to be one of the most moving places I have ever been to. Their tragic recent past still haunts the population today in the form of landmine victims, psychological trauma, lost family members and mistrust.  However they struggle on with life – because after all, it could not be worse […]

Desert Days – spending time with nomads

Recently I had the privilege of spending a couple of days in the Sinai desert with a nomadic family. They are not quite as “nomadic” as they used to be, as modernity and necessity has crept into their lives, forcing them to adapt in different ways. Whereas children used to learn survival in the desert (how […]