Turkish girls are very mysterious, constant reader. I flew from Van to Istanbul to catch a connection on the next flight bound for Cyprus. So anyways, the girl at the airport check in does her thing on the computer with passports and stuff, then while looking straight at me without talking she reaches towards my face. Self consciously I started flicking at my chin, as I'd just spent three days in Van without a mirror and god only knows how I looked. She keeps looking at me silently, reaches out further and lightly touches my hair with her hand. It was all very mysterious... Cyprus itself just screams money, and I just scream! Having been let down by a failed…

This journal from Van is dedicated to my brother and his new bride. Recently married in Sydney, they spent their honeymoon in Greece and Turkey and I’m now following in their footsteps. Despite my brother’s initial wish during the planning stage, they made a joint decision not to visit Van during their honeymoon. But never mind, cause your travel-obsessed family member has made it to this exotic destination guys! Van is situated in South Eastern Anatolia close to the border with Iran. I’ve been going great guns in Turkey since last sharing travel adventures with you, so let’s bring the journal up to date… We left off in Kusadasi, dear reader, and it was time to head out for the…

Turkey is where Asia meets Europe. The astonishingly complex history of this ancient region is probably the world's longest running clash of civilisations. The more I learn about Turkey and her rich history, the more I begin to realise that Turkey is and always has been at the heart of the world's affairs. The Turks are extraordinarily proud of their great history, and equally proud when it comes to the creation of the modern Turkish state, under the national hero Ataturk following the conclusion of World War l. They are also amazingly friendly, and just this instant while typing away a stranger walked up and shook my hand while greeting me in Turkish. You know something, I can't remember a…

There is something timeless about Greece and her welcoming people. Even as a citizen of a young country one can’t help but be caught up in the glory of classical Greek culture. The Greeks were the leaders of the ancient world, and were so admired that even their Roman conquerors protected the magnificent culture for several hundred years during the height of Roman rule. In fact the Greek speaking Byzantine empire of the east ensured the culture and traditions of Ancient Greece would stand the test of time. I arrived back in Athens on a flight from Santorini, and it was time for further exploration as the Greek travels continue. I have to say it was with some degree of…

A week spent on the Greek Islands is to experience a magical part of the world. I’ve had the chance to add my footsteps to the countless thousands who preceded me, to post this journal from the iconic Santorini Island. The middle of a northern hemisphere winter means ferry connections have been problematic, so I've just had the one overnight ferry trip from the port of Piraeus to Rhodes town. There's no choice but to use island hoppers of the aerial variety to keep moving, as time continues to march on during this trip. So let’s get to it… You haven’t lived, dear reader, until you’ve been shouted at in Greece! I may have felt like the Colossus of Rhodes…

To view the Parthenon spectacularly lit up at night is to bear witness to the glory of Ancient Greece, and the timeless temple perched atop the Acropolis is the best sight I've experienced in my life. I'm aware of course that Socrates could quickly change my mind with brilliantly constructed rhetorical questions, inevitably leading to a contradiction of my original premise. But hey, this is a democracy brother ... and I'm sticking to my guns! Athens in fact is the birthplace of democracy, where the ultimate gift was bestowed on mankind by the ancient citizens of this famous city. That is a very special gift for any country to lay claim to, and on behalf of you, I send my…

In the midst of the current maelstrom unravelling with alarming speed around the world lurks a seemingly unstoppable monster, who is gobbling up entire financial systems without mercy. However, it's with a sense of relief I note some things haven't changed, despite the ongoing mayhem taking place in global stock markets. Singapore is still the can do island of South East Asia, and having just completed a 24 hour stopover the little city-state provides a sense of certainty in an increasingly uncertain world. So despite all the chaos, the lovely reader, the effortless efficiency of the Singaporeans comes as a great relief, and helps reinforce the positive impression gained from a previous visit to this Asian tiger a decade ago.…

As I flew into Brunei for an overnight stopover, I got to thinking it's been far too long since the last visit to Asia, a region in the world that has long been a personal favourite of mine. But nothing lasts forever, and it's great to have an overnight stay in the Sultanate of Brunei. This small country on the north west coast of Borneo enjoys a very high standard of living, thanks to the oil and gas reserves located just offshore. Somehow it feels familiar to experience a taste of Asian culture again, and the opulence of the capital Bandar Seri Begawan after many years spent travelling in other continents. But let's get the journal up to date then,…

Liverpool has her ticket to ride after the city became the European capital of culture for 2008. Everything is going gangbusters for this historically important seafaring capital, which for two hundred years was at the centre of transatlantic shipping. Liverpool provided the last glimpse of Europe for many millions of people emigrating to the new world, as they sailed off to North America or Australia to start new lives. The level of construction at the site of Liverpool One is on a monumental scale, and the original catalyst for the rebirth of this magnificent city has been the world renowned renovations to Albert Dock, completed in the early 1980's. If you pay a visit to Albert Dock there's plenty to…

The Scottish Highlands are dead sexy, and at the heart of all this wild and sexy stuff is a 1,500 year old mystery, featuring a legendary monster who lurks within the depths of Loch Ness. We were at the end of day one on an awesome Scottish Highlands tour, and our group was looking forward to a boat trip on the most famous loch in the world, when we were told that our skipper had mysteriously vanished. Had this ever happened before, we asked our guide, and the answer was no. The following words may be of international significance, but the only plausible explanation is the skipper was taken by Nessie, thereby providing incontrovertible proof of the existence of the…