July 05, 2006
Worldnomads Honour Claim
The review committee at Worldnomads has found in my favour (I think I have blogged this before) and have now settled my claim. The settlement is fair and it means that I can replace my backpack and sturdy boots which...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 10:29 PM |
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May 31, 2006
Worldnomads: credit where it's due
I've just received a letter from the Internal Dispute Resolution Committee at Mondial/WN informing me that they have overturned the initial decision to deny my claim. It means that I can replace the camera in time for my trip to...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 01:37 PM |
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March 28, 2006
Yeah, yeah, I know...
...I get back to my travel journal at some stage. Right now it's about the last thing on my mind....Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:08 PM |
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The staggering incompetence of Worldnomads Travel Insurance
I think the following email exchange speaks for itself. Most of the exchange between WN and its unfortunate clients takes place on their website, which seems to be a source of great confusion (why does Denise forward Patrina's decline letter...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 02:59 PM |
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February 25, 2006
Worldnomads—schmomads
The insurers have denied my claim for the stolen backpack. It isn't so much that which felt like a punch in the stomach (although it is that part which leaves me feel winded), as it's the way in which it...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 01:45 PM |
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February 17, 2006
A BIG thank you to Royal Jordanian...
...and indeed to the ground staff and medical personnel who cared for me in Amman and to Ian who looked after me throughout the flight and during our stop-over, nearly risking missing his own connection in the process. I'll make...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:15 PM |
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February 14, 2006
Angels of Mercy (4) Jordan
It had to happen, given that this condition is psychosomatic. Having a panic attack on a plane was high on my list of nightmares, because I suffered my first violent attack on the day before I had to fly home...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 09:24 PM |
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February 13, 2006
Angels of Mercy (3) Relapse
It was almost twelve o'clock by the time I woke up the next morning, so I figured I might as well hang on to the room for another day. My flight was not due to leave until almost midnight and...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 02:22 PM |
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February 12, 2006
Angels of Mercy (2) Kao San Road at Night
I remember only having a single beer that night. I struggled with it. It didn't feel right. There was a bit of banter. The Moroccon owner of the bar, which comprised just a row of tables and chairs on the...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 08:59 PM |
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Angels of Mercy (1) Panic in Bangkok
The room at the Sawasdee House was no bigger than a cell. Correction: it was no bigger than a double bed. On several occasions, while rumaging around in it, I had left my bag outside because it barely fitted with...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:51 PM |
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February 11, 2006
Intermission nearly over
I haven't blogged much since John got to Bali because writing is a solitary activity and because I could do with a break from it, but I'll be better—promise. Only three days to go before it's back to rainy England...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 05:03 AM |
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January 31, 2006
Tulamben: Shark Bait!
Because of John's infection, the diving part of our holiday had been cut short; there wasn't enough time to do a 3-days course to get--at long last--PADI certified. Even though we've been diving on-and-off since the mid-nineties, lazyness and forgetfulness...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 01:37 PM |
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January 30, 2006
Tulamben: Diving the Liberty
We stayed in Kuta for five days while John was on antibiotics—which cleared up his infection—and I tried (and failed) to become a surfer-girl. Then, with just three days of his holiday left, it was time to go diving....Read this update
Posted by Denni at 07:23 PM |
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January 26, 2006
Ubud: Monkey Splash
It was the rainy season. Every now and then the sky burst and it rained so heavily that we would get soaked to the skin even during the 30-second dash from the guesthouse to Café Kita. On our last day...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 04:40 PM |
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January 25, 2006
Ubud: Bali up Close
Ubud is the cultural centre of Bali. Early every evening and during much of the day, the sound of the traditional gambelan orchestras filters down the street and across the rice paddies from the many places where the musicians meet...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 06:53 PM |
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January 24, 2006
Ubud: The Healing Spices
It is true what they say: the food in Ubud is the best in Bali. This is not a town to visit when you are a diet. The restaurant where I had booked my cookery course—on an impulse after looking...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:29 PM |
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January 23, 2006
Bali: the Island where the Gods dwell
At my feet there was a small square box of woven palm leaves, containing coloured rice, flowers and a small cookie. A stick of incense had been placed on top. The sweet smoke rose up to my nostrils in...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 05:36 PM |
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January 22, 2006
Bali Surf
The waves keep rolling up onto Kuta's wide golden beach and for the past three days or so, feeling much better, I have been looking out to sea with longing. Now that John has safely arrived, it was time to...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 12:17 PM |
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January 21, 2006
Entries backdated
More backdated entries have been added from 24/12/2005 onward. Rant warning: the entries up to now are a largely uncensored account of my experiences in Indonesia. Solo travel in Sulawesi drove me to the verge of a nervous breakdown (yes,...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 12:04 PM |
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January 20, 2006
"Is Bali Dead Now?"
Dani the bar keeper at the Kubuki Bar on Poppy 1, Kuta, made this remark to an English tourist who was sitting two chairs away from me. They had been talking quitely, but I could not help listening to the...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 09:26 AM |
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January 19, 2006
Pictures uploaded
It took a while to find an internet café with CD drive, but I'm now uploading the final pictures from he Togean Islands and Toraja, Sulawesi. Greetings from Kuta Bali and apologies for not updating this blog. It will have...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 08:18 AM |
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January 05, 2006
Down and Out in Makassar
My backpack has been stolen. I was waiting for the (delayed) Awu to Maumere at the harbour terminal at 3am, having a smoke, when some guy started talking to me and when I turned around again, it was gone (and...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:03 AM |
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December 31, 2005
The Great Indonesian Flu
Yahoo is notoriously difficult to get into, I may change my account to Gmail. I don't know what their excuse is for running such slow servers. So I tried the old 'mailto' protocol instead, but got Outlook Express, from which...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 08:09 AM |
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December 30, 2005
The Trouble with Travelblogging...
...is that travel often leads to where there is no internet, or electricity for that matter. This is why I have not been in touch for a while. I'm very sorry, John—I back-stepped on my original plan to go to...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 11:06 AM |
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Is it a bird? Is it a bat...
...No—it was a bug! A beetle, to be precise, the size of my hand, which whizzed above our heads with an awesome buzz before colliding audibly with one of the roof beams at Black Marlin Divers on Kadidiri, Togean Islands....Read this update
Posted by Denni at 05:21 AM |
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December 28, 2005
Snorkelling in the Togeans
Memories of happier times... I've managed to shrink a few pictures down to manageable size, for blogging purposes only. They are a little grainy, but clear enough. They were taken just after Christmas in the Togean islands—as close to Paradise...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 05:01 AM |
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December 27, 2005
Togean Temptations
And here is one of the highs: Imagine a land where it is always summer. Where green islands are dotted in turquoise waters, surrounded by coral gardens. Where dolphins weave through the silvery tapestry of the sea in shouting distance...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 12:36 PM |
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December 26, 2005
Christmas Day in Ampana
At 5:30 in the morning, the sun painted the sky pastel pink. It looked to be a wonderful day with a mirror calm sea and clear sky. I mimed throwing a stone at the dog whose howling had woken...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 04:52 AM |
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December 24, 2005
Palu to Poso
Rant warning; the following (backdated) entries up to January 20th are a largely uncensored account of my experiences in Indonesia. Solo travel in Sulawesi drove me to the verge of a nervous breakdown (yes, really) and isn't recommended for...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 11:42 AM |
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December 23, 2005
The Pelni Experience (1)
(ca. 1500 words) I had my adventure back. The smell of fried plantain mingled wit diesel fumes as I pushed my way through the throng of taxi-touts. There were buses going to Manado, but I had decided to base myself...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 06:13 AM |
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December 22, 2005
The Pelni Experience (2)
The guy at the information counter, when it finally opened, confirmed that the ship was due to arrive in Pantoloan, a port 22km north of Palu which wasn't on my map, at 10 o'clock the following morning. I could not...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 09:24 AM |
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December 21, 2005
The Night of the Southern Cross
I blinked at the unfamiliar constellations. It wasn't a full moon, yet the fans of the banana leaves and the feathery bushels of oil palms stood out as clearly as if they had been drawn in crayon....Read this update
Posted by Denni at 06:00 AM |
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December 20, 2005
Kota Kinabalu
This may have turned into a bit of a city-trip, but when the cities are as nice as Kota Kinabalu—the state capital of Sabah—I don't mind. The lashing rains and grey skies have finally given way to sunshine, the better...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 09:47 AM |
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December 19, 2005
Flying in Circles
Time for another rant. I'm beginning to think I'm not very good at this travelling lark. Despite the late night, I snapped awake 30 seconds before the Palm started bleeping. When I got out of the bathroom, the main lights...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 09:20 AM |
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December 18, 2005
Surf ‘n’ Turf, Jungle Style
I don't dig the food here. The flavours are weak and poorly balanced. There is no heat, no tangyness and too much sweetness and I don't care to acquire the taste of the dried fish with wich nearly everything is...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 10:47 AM |
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December 17, 2005
Magical Morning
On my last day in Kuching I managed to catch the 7:00 am bus to the Sarawak Forestry reserve at Semenggoh, home to the state's botanical collections and to an Orang Utan rehabilitation centre in a 630 ha rainforest reserve....Read this update
Posted by Denni at 10:16 AM |
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December 14, 2005
Interlude
If this entry is written badly, blame the internet café downstairs in this shopping mall. The woman running it listens to badly recorded Malaysian pop at full volume on the computer opposite. The Borneo B&B will have internet access from...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 11:43 AM |
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December 12, 2005
U-Turn
If Taman Negara is the green heart of Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur the commercial head, so—some say—Melaka is its soul. Steeped in history from centuries as a trading port, under successive occupation by the Dutch, Portuguese and British, home to...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 12:51 PM |
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December 11, 2005
River of Treacle
Kuala Lumpur is a strange town. It has no day or night, only periods of light and dark. When I woke up in my window-less cubicle for the third time, I finally turned on the light. It was just before...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 08:59 AM |
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Rainforest for Beginners
(long entry warning) When I woke up this morning, I got a surprise. Not that this is unusual when travelling—in fact it had happened to me most mornings on this trip—but this was not just the familiar 'where am I'-feeling....Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:39 AM |
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Bug Safari
The river bus had delivered us to Kuala Tahan a few hours before dark, so I booked a place on the night walk, or rather the Bug Safari. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! We set off by boat...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 02:36 AM |
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December 09, 2005
Into the Jungle
Having no alarm clock and being such a chronophobe, I woke up about every ½h, finally getting out of bed at a quarter to six—just before really drifting off to sleep. Why does daylight have such a soporific effect...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 01:58 AM |
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December 06, 2005
Up yours!
The weather was OK this afternoon, so I set off across town to the Petronas Twin Towers—the tallest buildings in the world. From the sky bridge, on the 41st floor, Kuala Lumpur could really be appreciated. The towers are at...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 09:58 AM |
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Chinatown
So, the neighbourhood is a little dodgy, but it has its compensations. Lots of backpacker hostels, for one; the proximity of the bus station for another. I won't have to go far to make my enquiries about Taman Negara; although...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 05:23 AM |
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Nice 'Hood!
Chinatown, around the corner from Puduraya Bus Station This street is blissfully quiet at night. I discovered this place by following LP directions across the road from Puduraya Bus Station and then walking up a set of stairs to...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 05:08 AM |
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December 05, 2005
Fools will travel...
(...or why I am not a Lonely Planet Writer) The ferry was late, and it was packed. That should have told me something. According to LP and to local lore, buses leave directly from the tiny town of Kuala Perlis...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 02:39 PM |
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December 03, 2005
Unlucky 3rd
I had a beastly few days, but it's therapeutic to write about it ;) Plenty of good times ahead! That evening at the bar, we had a discussion about auspicious and unlucky numbers. "The Chinese believe eight is a bad...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 02:35 PM |
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Bug-attack!
In the tropics, there'll be bugs. Im afraid of bugs above a certain size—very afraid—but not so much that it will keep me from travelling. Here I am surrounded by people who know no fear, including the backpackers in my...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 11:44 AM |
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December 02, 2005
Malaysia Morning
My first really amazing morning of the trip, here on Pulau Lakawi in Malaysia. The sun is out, but it did not get oppressively hot until noon. I spent the time watching the antiques of the 'Gecko' guesthouse's tame...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 06:18 AM |
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December 01, 2005
Troubles with Thai (language)
One thing I do not like about Thailand is the weather. It was raining in Satun—if not as hard as in Songkhla—and the sky was covered in uniform grey clouds. The weather in Thailand is like London, only stickier....Read this update
Posted by Denni at 04:22 PM |
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Land of Clean
When picking up my breakfast snack in one of the ubiquitous 7-11 stores this morning, I briefly felt my sense of reality shift—the 'dim sum' in the little oven were the same as in Taiwan. And also as in Taiwan,...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:32 PM |
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November 30, 2005
Ditherings
I retired to a bar ( 'The Office', owned by an Englishman) to compose an e-mail to Nitokorn Piwong from the Irrawaddy Dolphin Conservation Society in Phattalung, but did not send it. It might sound stupid, but I don't want...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:18 PM |
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South
Taking the bus to Hat Yai was marginally less interesting that taking the nightbus to Glasgow—and nearly as expensive. I could have had a better deal from Khao San Road, but in typical style, I left the rest of the...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 08:16 AM |
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November 28, 2005
A winning day
Some days just go right, even if I didn't fall out of bed until past noon and the sky is as grey as ever. I've got my 60 day visa to Indonesia and will leave tomorrow for Hat Yin, so...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:41 PM |
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November 27, 2005
Intermission
Hey I know: I only just got here, but cut me some slag. John already knows that I've caught an infection or something that has made my left foot swell to about twice the size of the right and hurts...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 02:25 PM |
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November 25, 2005
Bangkok Birthday Bliss
The evening improved the moment I sat down to eat in a very atmospheric restaurant in a quiet side-street, illuminated by candles and Christmas lights which were strung onto bushes of bamboo. I sat down and looked dreamily at a...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:20 PM |
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November 24, 2005
Bangkok Birthday Blues
Not really, but the day got off to a bad start after I could not sleep until 3:30 am (again). So the first thing I did, before even jumping on a bus to the Indonesian embassy, was to relocate to...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 11:19 AM |
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November 23, 2005
The Agent
If I thought Khao San Road looks nothing like the movies then this is because I was not on Khao San Road, I was around the corner. This is Khao San Road: Travel comes from travail. You will hear it...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 01:00 PM |
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I'm off!
Here's a tip: when the plane hits turbulence, do not whip the eyemask off your face, open the shutter and stare straight at the sun. I'm lucky to have retained my vision. The flight was fine—after all the horror stories...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 05:57 AM |
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November 14, 2005
One week to go...
...and travel is sneaking to the forefront of my mind, even though (or perhaps because) I've hit a rough spot in my NaNovel. Watching 'The Two Towers' yesterday didn't help. After that piece of storytelling, why bother to learn how...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 11:43 AM |
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November 11, 2005
Ten Days to go...
...and I'm crapping it. Because NaNoWriMo is such a whirl, I've hardly gotten around even to think about this trip, let alone hang out on the travel boards, read my 'Wildlife Guide to SE Asia' (too heavy to drag along)...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 02:17 PM |
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November 05, 2005
Defense Against Vampire Leeches
I haven't gone away—it's just that I'm rather busy with NaNo at the moment. But yesterday in the pub I met a mate (it was great to see him again!) who'll be off to SE Asia in January and we...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 10:58 AM |
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October 25, 2005
Jabs!
Gaaaa...I'm sitting in the surgery, waiting for a blood test. I have just handed over 50 quid for a rabies vaccination and my arm is still sore from yesterday's jabs. The nurse had a glint in her eyes as she...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 04:16 PM |
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October 02, 2005
Flights booked (!)
It always comes back to Ebookers. So why try anything else? But watch out: they tried to flog me a £180-odd travel insurance policy (for 86 days)! 29th November is sneaking into peak season; an earlier departure is cheaper. So...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 03:52 PM |
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Flights booked (?)
My heart is beating a staccato rhythm. Beads of sweat almost form on my forehead as I stare at the screen (it's a cold day). My fingers shake as they hover over the keyboard. They haven't done that in a...Read this update
Posted by Denni at 02:55 PM |
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