In December, we visited Kagbeni, in Lower Mustang and the pilgrimage town of Muktinath in the Annapurna Region, Nepal. The trekking season was almost over, so it was very quiet - but also cold!
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The Lumba Sumba Pass trek is in a little-known region, the remote Eastern Himalaya of Nepal. The trail traverses the mountains between the third and fifth highest in the world - Kanchenjunga and Makalu. It passes through rarely visited Sherpa and Limbu villages, rugged valleys and up to the spectacular Lumba Sumba pass (about 5200 meters above sea level) itself.
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The 2018 Others Way Music Festival featured 50 bands and artists across 14 different live music venues. The festival showcases new and emerging local artists and bands as well as established New Zealand music legends. Watch this short film.
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Flying Nun Records, the iconic New Zealand music label, donated many hundreds of master tapes from recordings made between 1981 to the mid-2000s, to the Alexander Turnbull Library’s Archive of New Zealand Music. There was a time I thought those tapes were lost and this is that story.
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The Others Way is a music showcase or festival that started four years ago. In 2015 I had just moved on from St Jerome’s Laneway Festival Auckland. I realised what I enjoyed most was releasing albums and working with local New Zealand artists, ones I knew personally.
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I have been living in Wellington, New Zealand, for a little over a year. I moved here from the more northerly, larger and warmer city of Auckland.
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In 1988, when I was 18 years old, I travelled to Pakistan, and it's northern Himalaya regions of Gilgit and Hunza. I then crossed the Khunjerab Pass into the far Western Chinese province of Xinjiang.
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Gibara is a sleepy town on the north coast of Cuba, Holguin province. Located on the entrance to a small harbour, the settlement is surrounded on three sides by water. To the south, distant low green limestone hills rise above the glassy inlet. Apparently, when Christopher Columbus landed near here, he commented: “it is the most beautiful land that human eyes saw.”
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The Old Ghost Road is an 85 km single track bike-packing mountain bike trail and walking path in the upper South Island of New Zealand. The Old Ghost Road traverses mountains, deep river gorges, dense forest and rough backcountry. It is remote, exposed, with rocky sections above the treeline.
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The Old Ghost Road is an 85km single track mountain bike trail and walking path, upper South Island of New Zealand. I spent quite a bit of time preparing for the ride, deciding what to take and planning for the trip. Here is some background and suggestions.
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Baracoa, at the far Eastern end of Cuba, in Guantanamo province is almost the end of the road. Travelling from the big city Havana, on the opposite side of the island, you can’t go much further without disappearing into the sea. We look for things to do, explore the town and travel around the surrounding region.
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Chinchero is a very charming and sleepy backwater town, not far from Cusco, Peru. It has a beautiful old church and one of the most interesting Sunday markets in the region. On a clear day, there are fantastic views of the surrounding valley and Andean peaks.
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I am planning to ride The OId Ghost Road, so I thought I better test my abilities for the trail. To do this, I rode out from my home in Brooklyn Wellington for the local trails called Barking Emu and Red Rocks.
Cubadupa is a festival that happens in Wellington, New Zealand, every March. It takes place on Cuba street, the creative hub of the central city. Good record stores, bookshops, cafes, restaurants and second-hand shops are all found in this area. I take along my Nikon FE2 35mm film camera.
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Last week I attended the Newtown Festival in the suburb of the same name, in Wellington, New Zealand. It was the first time I had attended, being a recent immigrant to the capital city. Newtown is an old central area, partially, but not entirely, gentrified. It is located in a sunny valley. I took along my Nikon FE2 35mm film camera and took some shots.
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Santiago De Cuba has a reputation. Voodoo, witchcraft; a hotbed of hustlers, pimps and thieves. The home of Bacardi and the country’s most energetic carnival. Apparently, it’s Cuba’s rough and gritty city. The wild east - Haiti and Jamaica just over the horizon. More Carribean. More Pirate. This reputation attracted us to the city, so Sonya and I decided to stop in.
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Travel guide to Havana, Cuba, including exploring Vedado, a city bicycle ride and some useful tips. Although everything looks old, dilapidated and falling apart, there is vibrance and energy to Havana. It is a great walking and biking city.
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La Paz, the de facto capital of Bolivia, is a city I’ve always wanted to visit. Surrounded by mountains, between 3000 and 4,000 meters above sea level, populated mostly by colourful indigenous peoples and framed by a crazy cityscape that tumbles into a valley of skyscrapers, La Paz has always held a certain mystique. For a few days, we got to explore.
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When traveling overseas in can be interesting to choose a unique theme and investigate this. For example, when I visit a new city I like to explore it's Brutalist architecture. First, I research the city's notable buildings in this style, then, when I get there, I try to find them. It gives me a reason to visit neighbourhoods or parts of town that might not otherwise be on the tourist trail.
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Located near Cusco and on the way to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, Ollantaytambo gets it's share of tourists. But most are just passing through and don't take the time to explore or get out into the surrounding hills. It is worth staying for at least a couple of days, even if you do no more than explore the backstreets and drink coffee in the Plaza.
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