Bouldering: Aches, strains and embracing your inner child

Picture this: you're clinging to a rock face, searching for the next hold. The ground is far below you. Oh, and there's no ropes.

This is bouldering. Or as my brain insists on calling it "rock-climbing-without-ropes".OK, so the ground's never going to be that far below you - most climbs only reach about 6m - but the thought of falling even a few metres seemed to be enough to keep me clinging on for dear life.

I've been climbing a couple of times before. Nothing spectacular - indoor walls for fun rather than technique - but I really enjoyed it. So when my mum suggested trying out bouldering for my sister's birthday it sounded like a wonderful plan.

Rockover Climbing Centre in Manchester seems to specialise in bouldering, so we headed there for an induction session. There's little kit involved - just a pair of climbing shoes to help you keep your feet in a better position.

There's just me, my mum, my sister and a guy with his son. First impressions of the walls are "ohhhh... that's quite high" followed by "I hate these shoes". The latter because our first foray across the traverse wall resulted in the climbing shoes crushing my dodgy toe. Ouch.

From that first sideways clamber to get us going, we moved onto some climbing.

"Right," said our guide, "just swing up and grab the next hold."

"Just straighten your leg and reach up."

That easy. Only, my leg kept going into spasm which meant straightening it wasn't really an option. Brilliant fun though.

I imagine it's much like climbing trees. I never climbed trees as a kid, but there's something really wonderful about clambering up a wall with no rope to catch you. When I've been climbing before I've managed to reach the top pretty quick, but bouldering makes you really think about where you're putting your hands and feet.

Several times I managed to get myself nearly within reach of the final hold, only to find that I'd got myself into such a position that there was no way to get there. From there, the only way to move is down. Get to the bottom, have another look at the wall, work out where you went wrong and try again.

Now I've been on that induction session, I can go back whenever I want. Clamber about unsupervised. Probably get stuck a few more times. Great fun. Just need to find some different shoes...

Oh, and I need practice. Partly because my arms and shoulders ached like hell for 2 days after the session and partly because I fancy adding bouldering to my list of adventures for the Grand Tour. A friend gave me Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Adventures for Christmas and it includes bouldering in Canada and Australia.

Bit too advanced, maybe?

So I'll be back on the indoor walls before I leave, trying to work out how to reach that last hold. Got to love a bit of adventure for your inner child.

The Grand Tour: The Excitement of the First Booking

So... I told my manager last week.

Yesterday I booked the first flight.

Today I formally handed in my notice.

Yeah.

Now it has to happen.

Remember how I was a little bit freaked out about this trip being six months away? Definitely freaked out now.

Not by the cost, or the planning or even the thought of spending a year travelling (mostly) on my own.

It's the fact that it's real now. It has to happen. No going back. Of course, I could retract my resignation, I suppose, but where’s the fun in that?

So it’s going ahead. The flight is booked to take me to Iceland on June 13th.  It leaves at 6:30am so I’m going to be knackered, but it does mean I’ll get to spend most of the day actually in Reykjavik. Hurrah.

That first booking was also a bit terrifying. I don't know... telling my manager I'm leaving was weird enough, but booking the first flight means I have to at least start on this trip. You never know, I might get to Iceland and freak out and decide I want to come home, but because it's booked, I have to go.

It keeps hitting me at work that this is actually happening. I catch myself smiling for no reason or the iconic theme from The Lord of the Rings will suddenly start playing in my head. I've been planning this for so long and now it's only a few months away.

It's going to be amazing.

I'm going on an adventure!

Destination Daydreams: USA (the lower 48...)

Land of the free, home of the brave. The USA's got a lot going for it. It's a huge country though and expensive to boot, so where should I be heading to make the most of it?

Well, Alaska's already been covered in a previous post: Destination Daydreams: Alaska.

So, let's take a look at the lower 48 (or the Contiguous United States, as Wikipedia informs me I should be calling them...)

First stop will be Seattle, simply because it makes some sort of sense to start at the top and I can get flights there from Anchorage. I'll admit, I'm not in the least bit interested in the cities, but I could spare a couple of days in Seattle just to wander round.

From there the first thing I really want to see is Yellowstone National Park. Which turns out to be a bit more difficult to get to than I expected. It looks like I'll need to get a bus to Salt Lake City and then another to Jackson, which is the main gateway town for the park. Accommodation there is expensive (but what isn't in the States?) but I think I've found somewhere on the cheaper end of the scale. I could take a bus tour into the park, not having my own transport and maybe take a shuttle service into the Grand Teton National Park which adjoins it and go for a hike.

At this point, this leg of my trip is already approaching the "more-expensive-than-I'd-really-like-it-to-be" range. Which is why I'm trying to spend as little time as possible in the USA. Not because I don't think I'd enjoy it, but I simply can't afford to stay long.

Moving on. Next major must-see for me is the Grand Canyon. This seems to be a little less expensive than Yellowstone, but I still need to get there. Which means getting back on the bus to Salt Lake City and then onto the Greyhound network to Flagstaff, AZ. Flagstaff, thankfully, has some cheaper accommodation options and I've found at least one that offers a day tour to the Grand Canyon for half the price I'd be paying for Yellowstone. Obviously, it might be a rubbish tour, but I've still got a while to do my research on this.

Plus, Flagstaff's only a small place, so I wouldn't mind sticking around a few days to get over spending so much time on long distance busses.

Even more interesting, I've just discovered that the awesome Meteor Crater isn't that far from Flagstaff... Wonder if I could do a trip there as well... I'll have to see how it fits into the budget.

Then my final must-see is Monterey Bay on the west coast. Again, I'll have to hop on a bus which will take a day (or more) and accommodation in Monterey is expensive, so I'll have to take a look at whether I could stay somewhere nearby to get round it. But I have to see the Bay. I'd like to go whale watching and I will find a way to fit this into my budget because Monterey is famous for its whales and sealife in general. Nice walking along the coast by the look of it too...

And then another bus to Los Angeles to catch a flight to Peru for the next leg. Los Angeles holds absolutely no appeal for me, save from maybe seeing the Hollywood Sign, just to say I've seen it.

I think this post has made it clear that I'm much more interested in the natural beauty of the USA than I am in its cities. No change there - I'm just not a city-lover.

What other places would you recommend for the USA? Are there little natural beauty spots that I should search out? Maybe a hidden gem? Let me know in the comments below.

"LAMBIKINS, YAY" or "Six sperm whales"

The end of the trip was fast approaching, but we made up for it by taking another epic trip to the most northerly point (or thereabouts) in New Zealand.

The day began with a rather early pickup and a brief introduction to our driver who was called Ariel. At least, we think that was his name…

After a drive past the kiwifruit orchards around Kerikeri, our first stop was in the Puketi & Ohatune Forest, where we went on a very short walk through the Kauri at Manginangina. Kauri are huge trees and it’s amazing walking beneath them. Shame we only had 20 minutes or so to enjoy it.

Then we were off again, this time for a brunch stop at Taipa on the shore of Doubtless Bay. Grabbed a quick cuppa and something to eat (pie? Sausage roll? I remember pastry…) and ate it by the beach, watching the rain clouds sweep over.

At this point in my notes it says:

• Jed (following Ted & Fred)
• “You’ll be dead!”

And I have no idea why. The joy of writing this 18 months after it happened…

ANYWAY.

Let’s just assume the Jed/Ted/Fred thing was a moment of madness (on my part or Ariel’s, I’m not sure). A long drive followed in which Ariel the driver revealed himself to be slightly unhinged by yelling “LAMBIKINS!” on seeing some very small lambs…

At last we reached Cape Reinga. Widely touted as the most northerly point in New Zealand, which isn’t entirely true, it’s beautiful nonetheless. This is the place where you can see two great seas colliding, although I’m not sure my photos do it justice.

Having geeked out over the fun ocean clashing and the lighthouse and the mythology, we hopped back on the bus and headed a bit further round the coast to Tapotupotu Bay for a lunch break. Amy and Claire went for a paddle.

And promptly got asked if we were English, mostly because of the paddling in cold sea. Is it that obvious? I suppose when we were making disapproving comments about others on the tour feeding the gulls, maybe…

Lunch consumed, we headed off again to Te Paki, a stream and dune complex at the top of Ninety Mile Beach. Here the trip took a more adventurous turn as Ariel drove the bus through the stream. I should maybe point out that the bus was just the bus shell on a lorry chassis in order to get better ground clearance…

Anyway, the first reason for coming through the stream was to access the massive dunes beside it. SAND BOARDING TIME!

Here’s the deal. Take your board. Carry it up to the top of the dune. Lay on the board. Slide down the dune.

Bit windy though, so the simple enough task of climbing up the dune turned into an adventure in itself. Amy lost her board to the wind and had to run after it.

Boarding down the dune was the real challenge though. You’ve got to get your weight centred right and then steer with your feet. Sounds fairly simple, but I’ve got a dodgy toe on one foot so could only steer with the other and Amy and Claire couldn’t get their weight in the right place. Suffice to say, hilarity ensued.

I managed to get down in one piece but somehow ended up facing back up the slope.

Amy came down shrieking and then fell off her board.

As did Claire.

At this point I decided I should start getting some photos while Claire and Amy had another go.

Much fun. Adventure followed by more adventure as we headed, in the bus, onto Ninety Mile Beach. There is something almost surreal about driving down a beach in a coach.

More paddling ensued when we stopped to admire the view. Well, Amy and Claire went paddling. I took photos of the big waves coming to get them.

Then we saw our 6th Sperm Whale following the 5 we saw off Kaikoura. Of course, this one sort of doesn’t count because it was lying dead on the beach…
I maintain that we saw six sperm whales. Moving on.

After driving most of the length of Ninety Mile Beach, we headed back onto the sealed roads and into the little town of Awanui to raid the awesome selection at the Ancient Kauri Kingdom shop. Spotted this little bit of tree-ception.

After that there was just a brief stop to get fish and chips (really good, but the chips weren't quite right) and then a return back to the hostel. Long day, but an amazing experience.

Saving for Travel

Planning a trip is great fun. All those shiny guides, all those daydreams. But how are you going to fund it? Better get saving!

I'll admit this post was partly inspired by a colleague who's forever dreaming of holidays and then bemoaning not being able to afford it. Maybe she just needs to budget a bit and try out some of these saving suggestions.

First up, get a rough budget sorted for your trip: flights, accommodation, food and major activities. There's more information about how I budget in this post HERE.

Got your budget? Great. Now to get that cash together.

Big trip planned? A few weeks or more? Open a good savings account. Make a promise to put a certain amount of money into it every month and DON'T TOUCH IT. If you're of the type where you find it really hard not to touch your savings, put your money into something like a bond, where it'll be locked away for a fixed term.

Well, there's the major lump of savings done. But what else can you do? You could start with taking a long, hard look at what you're spending money on at the moment. Is there anything you can cut out?

For example, I know that I spend a lot of money on music. Not a huge problem, but I removed my payment details from the sites I use so that it's not as easy to just grab a download when I feel like it. If I really want an album, I'll buy it, but I know I've saved a lot of money this way.

On a similar note, do you subscribe to anything? Netflix... cable... magazines... yeah, all that adds up pretty quick, doesn't it? Can you do without it for a few months? Yeah? Cancel those subscriptions.

And what about your spending on food? Of course, there's the obvious suggestion of shopping at a different supermarket - there's plenty of cheaper stores now like Aldi and Lidl where you can get the same quality at a fraction of the price. You could also cut out some of the branded products. Believe me, we've been doing this in my house for a couple of years now and there's nothing wrong with supermarket own-brands.

Remaining on the subject of food, what do you take to work for lunch? Or don't you? Do you grab a snack from the cafeteria most days? Stop it. Take a packed lunch instead. Much cheaper. Add to that your coffee (or whatever it is you drink). Even a cheap takeaway coffee is what, £1.50? I'm guessing here - I don't drink coffee. £1.50 five times a week - that soon adds up to a couple of hundred quid a year. Cut it out. Take a flask if you must.

I used to buy my lunch at work a couple of times a week and then grab something from a vending machine as well. I've got round this by no longer taking any cash to work with me. Obviously this isn't practical for everyone, but if you can do this and you're trying to save, I'd recommend it.

Last, one little thing. You know all those pennies that build up in your purse/wallet? The ones that are so tempting to just slot into a vending machine? Keep them. Every kid should have a piggy bank and every adult too. Grab yourself a jar and pop all your small change in it. It's not going to add up to much but it might be enough for a pint or a bus ride or an hour of WiFi.

All in all, saving doesn't have to be difficult. Cutting out the little things you spend money on and promising to save a little each month should be enough.

What tips do you have for saving up for travel? Are there other areas folks could cut back or do you know of cheaper alternatives to life's little luxuries? Share in the comments below.

"My bum is burning!"

To any family/friends who were still wondering where this post was: blame Amy. She was supposed to write it. To any other readers: enjoy.

Our day began with frost in Taupo. It seemed to be much colder in central North Island than anywhere else. That said, it seemed to clear quick - the roads were fine heading north out of the town towards our first stop of the day. Let's face it - most of New Zealand is beautiful, so me saying this drive was gorgeous doesn't actually mean a lot.

[IMAGE]

The funny shaped hill, by the way, is Mount Pohaturoa (I think). Geologically, it's a volcanic dome or plug, all that remains of an old volcano. Historically, there is an old pa on the top, a Maori village site. I'll admit I only looked it up because of the weird geology, but I can see why you'd put a pa on it - it looks pretty secure up there.

Amy had a weird reaction to Backstreet Boys coming up on shuffle... But we'll skip over that bit because first stop of the day was Hobbiton.

Well, Matamata, with it's excellent Hobbiton Movie Set. Yes, it's sad. Yes, it's geeky. But I am a massive Tolkien fan and it was something that had to be done. Look, there was a bus called Legolas.

Ahem. So the tour was amazing. Here, have some photos.

I won a leaf from Bilbo's tree. Amy and Claire filched some fallen ones. Thieveses.

Another member of our tour group landed in a heap trying to recreate that iconic "I'm going on an adventure!" leap over the fence.

And then we got a free pint in the Green Dragon. Pretty good, that cider, actually.

Altogether now...

You can search far and wide.

Basically, Hobbiton was amazing.

After that, another scenic drive through the Waikato countryside to the little town of Rotorua, famous for its geothermal features. A quick stop at the hostel to dump bags and then on to Te Puia.

Here we hit a snag, because I left my camera at the hostel and as yet I still don't have any photos from Claire or Amy. Let's have a go though.

Te Puia takes in a geothermal area on the outskirts of Rotorua and a Maori cultural centre including the National Carving and Weaving Schools. Our experience there began with a walking tour of some of the main sights, including Pohutu Geyser and the Kiwi House. The geyser was impressive, as were the bubbling hot pools of mud. Our guide was most informative and as with many of the guides was a member of Te Awara, the group of tribes who are traditional owners of the site.

Following our little tour, we stuck around for our evening Maori cultural experience, Te Po. This began with a hongi, the traditional welcome between people. Claire has some excellent photos of this, somewhere.

This was followed by a performance of poi (a dance), haka (a war dance) and Maori song. Brilliant stuff but once again I have no photos.

Then it was time for tea, with delicious food cooked in the Maori hāngi style. This involves putting stones in a pit, heating them, placing the food on top (wrapped) and then burying the whole lot for a few hours. Some really delicious dishes and the staff kindly found us to let us know which dishes had nuts in, since Claire's allergic.

Much delicious nomming followed. I tried mussels and crayfish for the first time and discovered they're yummy.

Our evening ended with a trip on the waka (read: giant golf buggy) back down to the geysers. Hot chocolate and a seat on hot rocks while our evening guide told us stories about both the area and his experience of growing up around the valley were a brilliant end to the day.

The highlight, though, might just have been Amy jumping up in a quiet moment yelling, "My bum is burning!"

Wonderful Walks: Afternoon Strolls & Epic Tramps

It's my dad's birthday today. He does a lot of walking and this summer, just before I leave for the Grand Tour, he's taking on the Three Peaks Challenge. So I got thinking about which walks I love and which walks I'd love to try. Here's a few.

Tried & Tested

For which read: I, my dad or someone else I know and trust has walked it and liked it. As such, these are mostly in the UK. Naught wrong with loving your home country!

Viking Way, Lincolnshire & Rutland

I'd have liked to have picked just one part of this long-distance footpath which runs from Barton-upon-Humber in the north to Oakham in the south, but there's just too many nice bits. Try out the northern end for a nice stroll from the Humber bank or head a bit further south to the extent of my Viking Way experience and take a ramble through the rural Lincolnshire villages of Donington-on-Bain, Goulceby and Scamblesby. My favourite part though is the tramp over the hill between Walesby and Tealby - you can see for miles from up there and you might even catch sight of some Lincolnshire Long Wool sheep. Funny critters.

Snowdon, Gwynedd

The highest peak in Wales (and second highest in the UK) and yet a surprisingly easy climb. Now, you could cheat and take the train either up or down, but where's the fun in that? I'm told the easiest climb is the one I took with my family a few years back and that starts in the little town of Llanberis. From here the path follows the railway most of the way to the top. Be warned, the first section up out of the town is possibly the steepest! Don't let it put you off. You'll be rewarded with amazing views, providing the weather holds out.

Be aware that, as with most mountainous areas, the weather up Snowdon can change quickly. Be prepared.

Flamborough Head, Yorkshire

This headland sticks out into the North Sea and as such can get a bit wild, but catch it on a good day and it makes for a beautiful walk. Start at any car park and just go for a stroll. It's very hard to get lost - just follow the cliff edge round!

If the tide is out, head down to the beach at North Landing and do some exploring. It's a long time since I went down there, but I'm pretty sure there's a couple of small caves. Just be careful and don't go getting cut off by the tide.

Lyke Wake Walk, Yorkshire

Enjoyment isn't necessarily a factor in this challenging walk. While the others above can be done in any timescale, this 40 mile tramp across the North Yorkshire Moors must be completed in 24 hours to really count. My sister managed it with a group from school a few years ago and while she was tired and aching by the time she finished, I'm sure she was pretty proud of herself for managing it.

Uluru Base Walk, Northern Territory, Australia

Uluru (also: Ayers Rock) is a magical place. A huge lump of rock rearing out of the desert, cast in beautiful light by the setting sun...

Yeah, so we know Uluru is awesome and you should see it yourself. If you do, don't just stick around for sunset/sunrise. Take a walk around the base to get a better grasp of just how special the area is. It's sacred to the traditional owners, the Anangu and every nook and cranny of this massive rock is rich with stories from the Dreamtime. I'd suggest going with a guide to make the most of the myths - there are, if I recall, some info boards, but a guide will go into so much more detail.

Just be aware that it gets very hot in Australia's Red Centre. Temperatures regularly hit the high 30s (Celsius, not Fahrenheit) and it's very dry. Take plenty of water and wear a hat.

Daydreams

For which read: long tramps in (mostly) foreign climes that I haven't done.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand

When I found out Dad was going to do the Three Peaks Challenge, I decided I needed to do some sort of challenge walk while on my Grand Tour around the world. Now, I enjoy walking, but I'm a bit out of practice so I'm not about to leap into the Inca Trail. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, on the other hand, is a one day tramp across New Zealand's Tongariro National Park and is about 12 miles in total. Of course, it's up and down over weird volcanic landscapes, but I figure I could do that. Just have to hope that the weather is better than when I first visited Tongariro...

Overland Track, Tasmania, Australia

One of Australia's great walks, this trail winds through Tasmania's western wilderness, from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. Here's Cradle Mountain, hiding in the cloud.

Of course, that was in winter and the track is most popular in the summer when the weather's a bit better. That said, I've seen how quickly the weather changes in Tasmania and I wouldn't trust it to stay nice. I'm considering doing it though - Tasmania's such a beautiful place and this seems like a great way to do a bit more exploring.

Three Peaks Challenge, UK

This exists in a few forms in the UK. There's the National Three Peaks, where walkers climb the three highest mountains in the country - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon. The challenge here is to walk it (including transport between the mountains) in 24 hours. Sounds like a spoiled walk to me.

There's also the Yorkshire Three Peaks, which includes roughly the same distance walking, but less climbing and takes in the mountains of Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent in the Yorkshire Dales. The challenge is to complete it in 12 hours. This is the one my dad's going to do in the summer and I'm sure it'll be fantastic.

However, I'm rather inclined to agree with the great Alfred Wainwright:

Some people have chosen to regard the walk as a race, and this is to be greatly regretted. Walking is a pleasure to be enjoyed in comfort

Looks like a really nice walk, though. I'll have to try it myself one day.

Appalachian Trail, USA

Perhaps the queen of long distance tramps and certainly one of the best known, this trail runs from Maine all the way to Georgia, a total of about 2,200 miles. I can't begin to imagine the challenge of walking this all in one go but it's been done and must rank as one of the ultimate walking challenges. As for me, I wouldn't mind trying out a few sections. After all, it looks to pass through some really beautiful country.

Inca Trail, Peru

Famous for leading to the magnificent ruins of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes, the Inca Trail runs through beautiful wilderness and in places follows the original Inca routes through the mountains and forests. It's incredibly popular, so numbers are limited to protect the track. I'd really like to do this one day, but I think for now I'll settle for just seeing Machu Picchu. I don't fancy the idea of getting partway down the trail and falling ill with altitude sickness. Much better to have that happen when I'm nearer civilisation. Say, Cuzco?

So, there's a few options there - shorter walks in the UK to multi-day hikes across the world. I'd love to know if any of my readers has done any of the longer treks!

Where are your favourite hiking destinations? Do you dream of undertaking one of the world's great walks or have you already done it? Share in the comments below.

London: Tips for Budget Travellers

London is expensive. No secret there. There's plenty of folks like me who are either unwilling to fork out or simply can't afford to. So how can you make the most of a trip to London without breaking the bank?

Plenty of options there. Here are a few tips from personal experience.

Accommodation

If you're on your own, consider staying in a hostel. As a general rule, this'll work out cheaper. If you're travelling as a group, you can get a hotel room for up to 3 people starting from about £50 a night - which works out as cheap or cheaper per person than a hostel. Think hostelling isn't for you? Check out these tips HERE.

Booking accommodation further from the city centre is cheaper. Just bear in mind that you'll then have to commute into the city to hit the attractions. From experience, the Travelodge at East India Quay balances commute time with cost quite well and my sister would recommend the same at Walthamstow. From both it takes about 30 minutes to get to the centre.

Travel & Transport

Pick up a travelcard or Oyster Card to save on Tube and bus tickets. Fares soon stack up and you can save a fair bit by using a card instead. Alternatively, if you have a contactless card, you can use that - the fares are the same as for an Oyster.

Sometimes it's quicker to switch lines on the Tube instead of running straight through. Transport for London (TfL) website has a journey planner that'll give you the quickest routes.

At Tube stations, move to the end of the platform - end carriages tend to be less busy. You might even manage to grab a seat.

If you're like me and struggle with crowds, avoid the Tube at rush hour - take this to be any time between 7:30-9:30am and about 4:30-7pm.

In central London, skip the Tube/bus altogether. Leicester Square and Covent Garden stations are famously only a few hundred metres apart and likewise, most of the major attractions are within walking distance of each other. You'll see more on foot too.

If you've no fear of heights, take a trip on the Emirates Air Line, the cable car that spans the Thames near the O2 Arena. Fun, if a bit short and only £3.40 if you use Oyster.

For a new view of London, take a trip on a river boat. There's plenty of sight seeing trips, but if you resist the lure of the commentary, you can get the same experience by taking one of the commuter boats and it costs less. It also tends to be less busy than the Tube.

Attractions

Take advantage of the free museums and galleries. Most of the bigger ones - the Natural History Museum, National Gallery, V&A etc - are free entry and also offer free gallery tours.

If you're in a hurry, most of the major museums and galleries have floor plans on their websites. Pick out the bits you really want to see and plan a rough route before you get there. You can easily cover several places in a day doing this if you're in a major rush. You can find mine and my sister's suggestions for London's Highlights in a Day HERE.

Specific to the Natural History Museum - if you want to see the famous Dinosaur Gallery, hit it late in the afternoon to avoid the school groups and the early rush. After 3:30pm during the week seems to be a good time. It's harder at the weekend.

Have a wander around Covent Garden. Assuming you don't go shopping, this is free and it's a great place to people watch - make sure to check out the street entertainment, like this fella up a ladder wearing a kilt while juggling knives. Because, of course.

Take in a bit of theatre. Who cares what you go to see? That said, don't go booking the expensive seats. Sure, your leg room might be a bit compromised, but you usually get just as good a view from the cheaper seats. And if you're really lucky, you might get upgraded for free like my sister and I did when we went to see Henry V at the Barbican.

Take a stroll around one of London's many green spaces. Hyde Park is perhaps the most famous, but why not check out Green Park and St James' Park too? You can go and see Buckingham Palace while you're there.

Speaking of, you can get free entertainment (sort of) by going to see the Changing of the Guard at the Palace. This happens every other day just after 11am. Who wouldn't want to watch a bunch of soldiers in funny hats marching around? Just don't do that typical tourist thing and try to get the sentries to react to you. It's really not funny.

Food

OK, so this applies to most cities, but I'm going to include it anyway: eat your main meal at lunch. Lunch menus tend to be a bit cheaper and some places have daytime discounts. Then you can just grab a sandwich or similar later on in the day while everyone else is forking out to eat.

Eat brunch. Skip breakfast and eat a bit later in the day. If you get a decent enough meal you can then miss lunch as well and just have tea/dinner/whatever the southerners call it... I feel I must point out that I don't usually advocate skipping meals, but this one seems to work. I recommend the lovely Dishoom near Kings Cross for brunch, by the way.

For a quick bite that's no more expensive than, say, any major high street coffee shop, grab something in one of the museum/gallery cafes. You could end up eating in the most amazing surroundings. Check out the cafe at the V&A for example.

Basically, it's not that hard to cut down on costs in London. Get out there and explore!

What would you recommend for folks going to London? Do you know of a cheap place to eat or a great place to stay? Let us know in the comments below.

Destination Daydreams: Quebec

Destination Daydreams has returned from the haze of Christmas and New Year and this time I'm looking at the beautiful Canadian province of Quebec. Enormous, as is much of Canada, with the population concentrated in the south and the wilds stretching away to the north. Oh, and predominantly French-speaking. Better get brushing up on the French I learned at school...

So, where to go?

Cities

I've got a week or so currently set aside to explore a little of the province so where should I go? Well, Montreal is certainly an obvious option. One of the biggest cities in Canada, packed full of culture - what's not to like? Well, apart from the fact that I'm not over-fond of big cities. I'm willing to forget about that though because SO.MANY.MUSEUMS. So, let's say I spend 3 or 4 days in Montreal overdosing on culture.

Where next? Quebec City. By bus or train - prices seem to be relatively similar at this point. Perhaps I should take the train and make the most of a little comfort while I can. After all, later on in the Canada stretch of my trip I'll be taking buses across the vast emptiness in the centre of the country. More on that in a later post.

Anyway, Quebec City. Looks like a quaint little place, full of beautiful old architecture. Maybe a nice place to unwind for a couple of days? I'd like to see if I can get out into the countryside around it as well, perhaps find a more outdoorsy activity. Canoeing would be lovely. I like a nice paddle - somewhere nice and calm where I can float along in peace. Ahh.

More museums... in another city

From there, I'd like to revisit Gatineau. I took a trip to what was then called the Canadian Museum of Civilization while on holiday with my parents. Now the Canadian Museum of History, it was the only time we got into Quebec and I'd love to go back to the Museum and explore the city some more. It's just the other side of the river from Ottawa and would provide an excellent gateway for the Ontario leg of the trip.

I mean, look, this museum is amazing. Even my dodgy photography of my even dodgier 2007 photography can show that...

I'm still researching other places to visit in Quebec, but I have to admit that I'm a bit limited by my lack of transport. Buses and trains can only get me so far, after all. That said, I'm also going to have to keep a close eye on how much time I spend in Canada, since I've got a fixed date for meeting up with my mother and sister in Vancouver. Oh, decisions, decisions!

If you could go anywhere in Quebec, where would you go? Do you think a week or so is enough time to really appreciate the province or should I stay longer? Let me know in the comments below.

Around the World In: World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites are wonderful things and there's plenty of them to go at. I've visited quite a few on my travels (although that's as much because the UK has quite a few), so here are some of my favourites.

1. Tasmanian Wilderness, Australia

Some 40% of the Australian state of Tasmania is designated as some form of protected area. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area takes in much of the south and west of the island which is largely inaccesible and a beautiful part of an already beautiful place. I made the trip to Cradle Mountain while I was studying at the University of Tasmania, but unfortunately the weather got the better of it and this is the best photo I managed. Cradle Mountain itself is hidden in the cloud on the right of the shot.

I'm hoping to return to the area when I reach Tasmania around this time next year on my Grand Tour. Easiest access to the World Heritage area is probably via the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

2. Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Famed for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a long distance trek across this amazing volcanic landscape, Tongariro National Park sits at the centre of New Zealand's North Island. Rich with Maori mythology and somewhat alien to look at, it's no wonder the area is so popular. Oh, and I suppose it's an added bonus that Peter Jackson used the area to shoot several sections of the Lord of the Rings films. Mount Nguaruhoe doubles as the infamous Mount Doom, but the whole park is beautiful, even in the ice rain.

Somewhere else I'd like to revisit on the Grand Tour. Access is free (as far as I can see), the main gateway being at Whakapapa.

3. Þhingvellir, Iceland

Þhingvellir, the place where Iceland's ancient Althingi met for several centuries, also happens to lie over the ridge where the North American and Eurasian plates are pulling apart. History and geology all rolled into one and a beautiful place. Not that I could see much of it when I visited this time last year, it being winter and snowing and whatnot. Felt a bit like wandering through Middle-earth... Hopefully when I revisit in the summer I'll see a bit more of it than this.

Access is free, but in winter the area is easier to access as part of an organised bus trip from Reykjavik.

4. Bru na Boinne, Ireland

A rather more human site, this one. Bru Na Boinne is cited because of it's outstanding collection of Neolithic tombs, art and other landmarks. The most famous of these is probably the white walled Newgrange passage tomb. Personally, I found the strange collection of mounds at Knowth more interesting, what with it's huge central mound and numerous smaller satellite tombs. That and the fact that Knowth is home to a third or more of all the known megalithic art in Europe. The huge kerbstones which encircle the main mound are inscribed with all manner of carvings. Very cool.

Oh, and there's something strangely compelling about seeing down the passage at Knowth. Not sure why...

All access to the two main sites - Newgrange and Knowth - is via the Bru na Boinne visitor centre. Entry is €11 to visit Newgrange and Knowth and includes the exhibitions at the visitor centre, plus guided commentary at the sites. Dowth can be accessed without visiting the centre and as far as I can see has no entry charge. Don't hold me to that one...

5. Maritime Greenwich, United Kingdom

Beautiful architecture, amazing history and ground-breaking science all come together in Greenwich, home of the Old Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory. All three are well worth checking out to get a real feel for the history of this area of London. If you've got the time, you should try taking the river boat up from the City to the pier near the Old Royal Naval College or even up past Greenwich itself to the O2 to get a wonderful view of the buildings.

Seems somewhat appropriate to approach the Royal Naval College from the water, doesn't it?

To visit Greenwich, hop on the DLR and alight at Cutty Sark. This will entail some changing of trains. Alternatively, get on one of the river boats in central London and head up the river, disembarking at Greenwich Pier. Entry to the National Maritime Museum and Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College is free. There is a charge of £9.50 for access to the Royal Observatory. If you also want to visit the Cutty Sark, save money by getting a combo ticket which includes both the Observatory and the Cutty Sark.

There's so many World Heritage sites all over the world. I've visited many more - these are just some of my favourites - and I hope to visit even more over the course of my round-the-world Grand Tour starting this summer.

World Heritage sites can be vital to preserving historic sites and sensitive habitats. Do you have a favourite site? Or perhaps you'd like to see something given World Heritage status? Why not share in the comments below?

The Joy of Maps

I love maps. They're so inspiring. Looking at a world map just reminds me how much of the world is still out there to explore. It's not just world maps though. There's so many maps out there, the inspiration is endless. Here's a few of the ones I have in my house.

Ordnance Survey Maps

My dad's big on walking, so we've got a good stack of these. I like them as much for the history behind place names and such as for their actual help for finding walking routes. Sometimes I'll spot something on one of these maps and just have to look it up because, really why are there so many places marked "cold harbour" down the Lincolnshire coast?

Atlases

Both the traditional atlas - i.e. here are maps of the entire face of the globe - and a more fun version with lots of extra little details about the population and culture of each country. Hours can easily be wasted tracing paths across these, imagining journeys you could make.

And atlases for fictional realms

I'm a bit of a Tolkien fan. Just a bit... Combining Tolkien with a love of maps resulted in the purchase of this little gem. It's been well-loved. Mostly in my attempts to work out just how far the Fellowship travelled across Middle-earth. Not sad. Not at all...

Books about maps

Because the history of cartography is every bit as interesting as the actual maps themselves. Which is why I have these.

The oldest world map (possibly)

Not one of mine, but I found this in the British Museum. It's mentioned in one of the books above. It's Babylonian and possibly the oldest world map in existence. Isn't it wonderful?

Museum maps

OK, so if the things above weren't a little bit sad and obsessive, these certainly are. But I promise you, if you're in a rush trying to see things in any of London's big museums, these maps are lifesavers. Why wander round hoping you'll be able to find that exhibit you really wanted to see when you can pick it out on a map and go straight there?

... I have no idea why I keep them...

Wall maps

My sister gifted me this for Christmas. I'm in love with it because I'm a small child at heart and it has marker pens and magnets. And why not? Who wouldn't love to mark their adventures on a map?

Digital maps

Of course, I can't take that wall map with me, so I created this one using a basic outline from the interwebz. It's colour-coded according to places I've been, places I'm going or would like to go in future. What better incentive to explore more of the planet than all those grey/purple/yellow patches that need colouring in?

I'll admit my love of maps borders on the obsessive, but what maps do you enjoy? Do they give you inspiration for future travels? Why not share in the comments?

The Grand Tour: 6 Months To Go

First off, Happy New Year and all that jazz.

Second, apologies for the recent lack of posts. Let's hope I can make up for that (unlikely...).

Third, it's now less than 6 months until my planned departure date for the Grand Tour, my hopefully epic trip round the world. Thanks to lovely presents from family, I'm starting to gather together all the bits and bobs I'm going to need. Little things like a head torch, first aid kit and a compact sleeping bag.

Perhaps more importantly, I'm pretty sure I'll be booking my first flight and hostels in the next few weeks. I've been warned that accommodation in Iceland books up pretty quick in the summer months and as that's my first stop and possibly the most expensive stop (based on per day costs), I want to get that sorted out soon.

I had originally planned to make my way round the entire island on buses, but looking at accommodation costs I think I'll actually base myself out of Reykjavik and Akureyri and explore from there - accommodation is marginally cheaper there. No worries - the buses are still going to come in handy.

So that's Iceland. But what else do I need to sort out in the next 6 months?

 

Vaccinations

Ugh. How delightful. Thing is, I'm planning on going a few places where I have to have jabs. For example, I'm going to Peru and while Peru has no vaccination requirements, because I'm stopping there, future stops like Cambodia and South Africa require me to have been vaccinated against Yellow Fever. Fun.

Aside from that though, it looks like I might be able to avoid getting too many others. I've had jabs previously for rabies and Hepatitis B in the last 5 years, which are (Doctor Google says) long-lasting. My typhoid jab will probably need redoing and possibly my Hep A. But everything else... looks like I'm getting off light.Yay.

Visas

This is going to be fun. Good job I've included these in my budget because they're soon adding up. Currently I need to sort out visas (or visa waiver details) for Canada, the US and Australia, plus making sure I add in the cost of visas or other approvals on arrival in Chile and Cambodia. All the fun.


Right at this moment though, I'm going to crack out the world map my sister gave me for Christmas. It has magnets and marker pens so I can mark my route. It will be awesome. I'm a small child at heart.

On with the planning. Planning, planning, always planning. Ah, the joys of a round the world trip!