travel – Page 7 – Travelling Worm

Category: travel

Bangalore peace and traffic

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are in Bangalore, India, for a few days. It’s an amazing place. Energetic, frenetic, hectic.

My impressions? Bangalore traffic is a metaphor waiting to happen.

In fact, traffic was used as a metaphor in two of the conference sessions that the TC attended this week.

The book I’m in

Railsea, by China Miéville. Moby-Dick meets steam punk, as told by a master of language. This worm has seldom been as impressed by a writer as I am by China Miéville.

Recommended accommodation

ITC Gardenia, 1 Residency Rd, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560025. Actually, though that’s the official address, the entrance is on Vittal Mallya Road.

Recommended restaurant

K & K restaurant at the ITC Gardenia hotel, for excellence of Indian cuisine and friendly attentiveness of service.

Travel tip

Take a stroll through Cubbon Park, during daylight hours, for an oasis of peace and coolness.

The photos

Me at the railway station on the well known MG road:

Next is a rare glimpse of the TC, snapped as she was watching a Bangalore rickshaw. These little three-wheeled vehicles are also called auto rickshaws, to distinguish them from the hand-drawn rickshaws. When this worm was in Bangkok a while ago, we travelled in a similar vehicle, called a tuk tuk. On the TC’s left, behind the green and yellow rickshaw, is the Vidhana Soudha, which is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka, the state in which Bangalore is located:

Communication is an art in Bangalore traffic. Know where you’re going, make it clear to those around you, and toot to let people know you’re there. If you’re on foot, just pretend to be a vehicle:

For a puddle of peace in the swirl of traffic, take a stroll under the trees of Cubbon park:

That’s all for today, folks.
Dangling over the Whitehouse gardens in Washington, DC

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC have been in Washington, DC, for the last few days. Washington is the capital of the United States. It’s also known as the District of Columbia, or DC, or just “the District”. This worm admits that, until today, I thought the city of Washington resided in an area called District of Columbia. But it seems they’re one and the same thing.

My impressions of the city? Wide roads and lofty grandeur. It will be warmer when the cherry blossoms are out.

Travel tips

Don’t dangle over the Whitehouse lawn. The story: The TC has been pretty busy running workshops, which has left me and Peg to our own devices most of the time. As you’ll see, this had a different effect on each of us. Me, I was raring to go when the TC suggested a quick tour of the capital this morning. Peg, on the other hand, had become unfortunately attached to the room and so missed out on seeing the sights. She also missed out on saving this worm from a fate worse than death. Read on, dear friends.

The book I’m in

Zero Recall (Legend of Zero), by Sara King. This is the second of the Zero series I’ve tasted. Meeting the Huouyt and Jreet is like seeing old friends again, and the Geuji look like a force to be reckoned with.

Recommended accommodation

Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 North Capitol St NW. Our room is small, but comfortable, clean and pretty. Service is friendly and efficient.

The photos

Me and the Washington Monument:

The weather is chilly and grey. Yesterday we had snow, although it was officially the first day of spring, which led to much derisive commentary from the locals. Here’s a wintry view of The Mall, which is the thoroughfare connecting many of the monuments and museums in the city:

We walked closer to the Washington Monument and snapped a shot through the trees, along with a passing plane:

The Whitehouse is close by, nestling behind the bare winter branches:

I had to have a shot of me at the Whitehouse, naturally, so here it is:

It was at this point, dear readers, that I sorely missed my faithful companion, Peg. Or should I say, my erstwhile faithful companion.

Peg would have been most useful in ensuring I didn’t inadvertently drift down onto the Whitehouse lawn and be lost, forever out of the TC’s reach. But Peg had elected to stay in the hotel room on this occasion. She said she was keeping the coffee company. I suspect, however, that she was hanging out with the cool kids and basking in their warmth.

Never mind. Despite the brisk breeze, I managed to cling to the Whitehouse railings long enough to get the shot, and the TC and I continued our stroll. More of the Whitehouse:

The buildings in this area of town are gorgeous and grand. This is 1301 Constitution Avenue, home to the US Environmental Protection Agency and other organisations:

Pennsylvania Avenue:

The Ronald Reagan Building:

More grandeur:

The Corcoran Gallery:

And… the Eisenhower Building? How come Ronald Reagan and George Washington merit such imposing structures, while Eisenhower is relegated to this humble construction?

The TC, bless her cotton socks, was actually taken in by the sign, until we rounded the corner and spotted the actual Eisenhower Building:

The Metro offers a painless, easy way to travel around Washington DC :

That’s all for today, dudes.
Bennetts Wallaby with joey in pouch

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC spent a couple of days in Freycinet Park, Tasmania. A Bennetts Wallaby, also called a red-necked wallaby, wandered into the car park at the start of the walk to Wineglass Bay Lookout.

My impressions? Somewhat jaded, slightly faded – I’m referring to the wallaby, not to myself of course.

The book I’m in

Where Song Began, by Tim Low. The fascinating tale of how Australia’s birds took over the world.

Recommended accommodation

Freycinet Lodge in Coles Bay. The cabins are dotted around amongst the trees. Inside is clean and comfortable. Open the doors to step out amidst the trees, birds, wallabies and echidnas.

The photos

This worm can pardon the mother wallaby for her slightly dufus expression. It must be hard work carrying such a big joey in the pouch. And so hard to scratch that itch too!

Here’s a still photo of the pair:

That’s all for today, dudes.
Echidna at Freycinet Park, Tasmania

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC spent a couple of days in Freycinet Park, Tasmania. We encountered a couple of echidnas, sometimes called spiny anteaters.

Unlike other famed Australian creatures, echidnas are not marsupials, although they do have a pouch. So, why not a marsupial? Because they lay eggs and put the eggs into the pouch, whereas marsupials give birth to tiny babies which crawl into the pouch. This puts echidnas into a rare order called “monotremes”. The only other creatures in this order are platypuses.

My impressions? Like a small prickly bear with ostrich tendencies.

The book I’m in

Where Song Began, by Tim Low. The fascinating tale of how Australia’s birds took over the world.

Recommended accommodation

Freycinet Lodge in Coles Bay. The cabins are dotted around amongst the trees. Inside is clean and comfortable. Open the doors to step out amidst the trees, birds, wallabies and echidnas.

The photos

Here’s the first echidna we saw. It “hid” when it heard us, by sticking its snout in a bush. After a few minutes it decided we must have gone away, so it came out to play:

The TC, bless her cotton socks, says this has to be the cutest animal ever. This is the second echidna that crossed her path:

Here’s a still photo of one of them:

That’s all for today, dudes.
Salamanca Market in Hobart

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC, plus her husband whom this worm fondly dubs the “TC-once-removed”, spent a long weekend in Tasmania last week. We visited the Salamanca Market in Hobart on Saturday morning.

My impressions? Colour, talent, scents, laughter.

The book I’m in

Catching Fire, part 2 of The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Classy teen science fiction that appeals to adults for its fast pace, clever social commentary and appealing characters.

Travel tip

Take a stroll around the streets in the area of the market, to smell the roses and absorb the architectural variety.

Recommended restaurant

This worm was a tad disappointed in the lunch we found near Salamanca Markets. I’d heard Hobart is a gourmet heaven, but the TC’s potato salad was decidedly below par. Enough said on that score.

The photos

Me in Salamanca Place:

Looking up through Salamanca Market towards Gladstone street:

A couple of the colourful market stalls, snapped by the TC-once-removed:

The view from Gladstone street, looking down through the market:

Nearby the market is Battery Point. It’s one of the longest-settled parts of Hobart, dating back to around 1804:

The balcony on this building intrigued the TC-once-removed, because there’s no way of getting onto it:

Wrought iron and roses:

A rose, just because it is:

That’s all for today, dudes.
Cockatoo Island in Sydney

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC spent yesterday afternoon on Cockatoo Island on the Parramatta River, immediately inland of Sydney harbour. It’s a forlorn place, strewn with gravel and history.

My impressions? Sandstone, sheds and seagulls.

The book I’m in

Gidget, by Frederick Kohner. An engaging tale of a teenage surfer, written 1957. Clever use of language and style to carry along a simple story with tons of atmosphere.

Travel tip

When travelling to Cockatoo Island, take sunscreen and something to tie back your hair. (That is, if you have lots of it, as the TC does.)

The photos

Me on a metal lathe in the industrial area of Cockatoo Island:

Cockatoo Island, as seen on Google Maps:

The Aboriginal name for the island is Wareamah. The Aboriginal people of the area used to come to the island to fish. But there was no fresh water, so they didn’t live there permanently. In 1839 a governor of New South Wales decided the island was an ideal place to house prisoners and put them to work quarrying sandstone and building prison and military barracks and official residences.

The entrance to the island from the ferry wharf:

Walking into the industrial area:

An impressive sandstone cliff on the right as you walk in, which has survived the extensive quarrying:

A view of Sydney Harbour Bridge from the island:

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the island became a major ship-building site, playing a large part in ship construction and repair during World War II. Its use as a dockyard and construction facility for ships and submarines continued until 1992.

Inside a huge ship-building shed on the island:

The magnificent machinery made this worm feel small and insignificant:

More machinery:

A giant crane stands guard over the Parramatta River:

These imposing beam benders are the remains of a hydraulically-powered plate-bending machine from the 1920s, used to bend metal plates up to 9 metres long and one inch thick for ship building:

Below is one of the slipways used to launch ships after construction. Film buffs note: The ark at the top of the slipway was created for and used in the film “Unbroken”, directed by Angelina Jolie and filmed on the island last year:

The solitary confinement cells on the island, opened to visitors only last week, and introduced with great enthusiasm by our charming guide:

Inside the left-most solitary-confinement cell:

A tunnel cut through the sandstone, built in 1912, and used as an air-raid shelter during WWII:

A view through the window of the now roofless military guardhouse:

Below is the prison barracks, built in 1839. The convicts themselves quarried the sandstone and erected the buildings. Our guide told us that each man had a specific style when hewing sandstone. You can still see the marks in the stone used in the buildings on the island. At the end of each day, the overseers could tally each man’s work just by looking at the distinctive cuts in the stone:

Notice the seagull nesting at the bottom of the building in the above photo? Pro tip from a wary worm: You don’t need to worry about cockatoos on the island. They all left when people cut down the trees to make room for the convicts. So now the seagulls reign supreme. Go Jonathan! Be afraid, be very afraid. As our guide said, the chicks are cute but the parents are not.

Inside the barracks:

A window to freedom:

That’s all for today, dudes.
Grand Canyon, cactus, and Arizona skies

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are spending a few days in Arizona, USA. We started in the capital, Phoenix, then drove to the Grand Canyon via Sedona and Flagstaff. The roads are good, the views are grand. Names like “Dead Horse Ranch Road” and “Bloody Basin Road” reminded us that travel wasn’t always as easy as it is now.

My impressions? Open skies, friendly people.

The book I’m in

Rules of Vengeance, by Christopher Reich. Fast action, intrigue, suspense.

Recommended accommodation

Little America Hotel, Flagstaff. Space and comfort.

Recommended restaurant

Diablo Burger in Flagstaff. Good food, friendly service, and a relaxed atmosphere.

Travel tip

Pack layers of clothing for travel in Arizona. The temperature in Phoenix was 40° Centrigrade (over 100° F). In Flagstaff, just two hours’ drive away, it was 18° C (64° F) and dropped to 9° C (48° F) at night.

The photos

Me at the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA:

This worm does confess to a bit of nervousness when my Travelling Companion, the redoubtable TC, propped me in position for the above shot. There was a bit of a drop behind me. The wind was a trifle gusty, and I not so gutsy.

This storm cloud moved in a few minutes later:

Two more intrepid souls:

Is it possible that this streamlet dug the mighty canyon?

This little lady was squirreling around the edges of the canyon, storing food for the babes in her tum:

Arizona skies:

Drifting rain:

Delicate cactus hues:

All shapes and sizes:

A tiny ground squirrel living under a cactus:

When positioning me in this pose, the TC discovered that prickly pears are aptly named:

That’s all for today, dudes.
University of Queensland in Brisbane

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC popped over to Brisbane last week, to check out the two main campuses of the University of Queensland (UQ). My previous post includes moody shots of Ipswich and some fish in a library. Now for the lowdown on the big smoke itself.

My impressions? A university with character, in a city of character, owned by a river full of attitude.

The book I’m in

The Intercept, by Dick Wolf. Fast, believable action.

Recommended accommodation

Manor Apartment Hotel, 289 Queen Street, Brisbane. It’s in the centre of the city. The service is friendly, the rooms are roomy, and the breakfast is excellent.

Travel tip

Take a ferry trip down the river. It’s not always the fastest way of getting from A to B, but it’s a great way of seeing the city and relaxing at the same time. The ferry ride from the Eagle Street Pier to the UQ campus (St Lucia) takes about half an hour.

The photos

Me on a map of Brisbane, on a podium, on the top of Mount Coot-Tha:

The dark squiggly line running across the map is the river.

A view of the city of Brisbane, from the viewing site on Mount Coot-Tha:

The St Lucia campus is further inland by a couple of bends of the river. In this picture, you can see the wall of the great court that lies in the centre of the UQ’s St Lucia campus. It’s to the right of the patch of river, in front of the four poles rising up from the bridge:

St Stephen’s cathedral, Brissie:

“Brissie”, pronounced “Brizzy”, is the locals’ rather irreverent name for their city.

We took the ferry from the CBD to the university’s St Lucia campus. Here’s the striking Kurilpa Bridge, seen from the ferry:

Before depositing you on shores academical, this worm would like to take you on a diversion semiotical. Take a look at the sign below, which this worm spotted on a lavatory door at the end of a queue of women:

The women in the queue ignored this door. Instead, with great patience and forbearance, they were waiting in line for a single toilet, which had a sign containing just three pictures: the figure of a woman, a wheelchair, and a baby-changing platform. The patient queue assumed the first toilet (shown above) was for disabled people only, and the second was for everyone. The TC, bless her cotton socks, piped up that she was sure it was OK to use the disabled toilet. Imagine her delighted surprise, and that of everyone else in the queue, to discover six vacant toilets behind the above door, all ready and waiting for “ambulant” people’s use.

So, this worm muses, past experience has conditioned us to expect a special toilet for disabled people and to assume the difficult word “ambulant” is yet another term for “disabled”. And we don’t read.

Here’s another diversion. This worm as vastly amused to see the following sign in the hotel lobby. Shades of Sweeney Todd?

A closer look:

Moving on from dark humour to the light of academia, this is the outside wall of the magnificent great court at UQ’s St Lucia campus:

Inside is spacious and restful:

The detail on the walls:

One of the grotesques, rather gentler than many of that ilk:

That’s all for today, dudes.
Table Mountain – what’s it like on top?

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC were in Cape Town, South Africa, last week. We spent a day on Table Mountain. This worm has been there before (blogged too). The top of the mountain is one of the TC’s favourite places to be. This worm is fond of it too, though it can be a trifle draughty. I find myself hanging onto my hat, and the TC hanging onto me. It’s lucky one of us is the strong and silent type.

My impressions? A place of quiet and beauty.

The book I’m in

The Secret She Kept, by Amelia Carr. Tangled secrets, tangled emotions. The TC is moving me through this well-written book at a good pace.

Travel tip

If the mountain is clear, go up it. Do not delay. Tomorrow may never come. Or the cloud may roll in.

The photos

Me at Maclear’s beacon on top of Table Mountain:

We walked across the top of the mountain to Maclear’s Beacon. It’s a two-hour hike there and back, mostly flat with a short scramble when crossing from the front table to the back table. Great views, unique vegetation. Sir Thomas Maclear (1794 – 1879) was the queen’s astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope. He was a good friend of David Livingstone. One of the craters on the moon is named after him. Hmph, pretty famous, I suppose. He didn’t have a blog, though, unlike this worm.

Maclear’s beacon is at the highest point of Table Mountain – more than a kilometer up, at 1085 metres) It’s not much to look at: Just a heap of stones, built to act as a trigonometrical beacon. Still, it’s a good destination to aim for.

A view of Table Mountain draped in cloud, seen from the Waterfront in Cape Town. The TC took this photo after we intrepid explorers had come back down the mountain. You can just make out the top cable car station, towards the midlle-right of the photo where the cloud cover ends:

What on earth is that giant Lego man doing there? He is 18 metres high, made of 4200 Coca-Cola crates. A little bird told this worm the statue is called “Elliot” and is making a statement about recycling.

A close-up view of the top cable car station, with one of the cars visible near the bottom of the picture:

The next photo shows the view from the top. Those cables swoop down at a seemingly impossible angle, don’t they. At the end of the cables is the bottom cable car station. Also in the picture is Lion’s Head, the odd-shaped hill on the left of the cables. Cape Town city is to the right. In the bay, partially obscured by the cables, you can just make out Robben Island:

If you’re lucky enough to be at the top when the cloud moves in, you’ll see it flowing off the mountain and dissolving in the warmer air. This video also shows the coast on the west side of the mountain, ending with an eagle-eye view of Camps Bay, a popular Cape Town beach:

Walking into cloud on the mountain top is atmospheric and eerie:

The TC will take pot shots at plants wherever she goes. Pot shots with her camera, of course:

A plant in the mist:

Another pink plant:

A protea bush:

A protea flower in bud, with a dead bloom behind:

Back in the pink:

Walking back towards the cable car station, we chose the city side of the mountain. The cloud was advancing, swooping off the edge and rolling down towards the city:

That’s all for today, dudes.
Patting lions and licked by a giraffe in South Africa

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC have recently returned from a trip to South Africa. While in Johannesburg, we visited the well-known Lion Park, in Honeydew. Get up close and personal with a lion, be licked by a giraffe, or chat to a meerkat.

This post is mostly about lions. But I’ll tell you a bit about Johannesburg while we’re at it. In contrast to my usual adventure-filled writings, this is a post in which a whole lot of nothing happens. But it’s attractive nothingness, with just a hint of hidden violence.

I see that the Lion Park has a celebrity wall. This worm is sure they’ll add my picture to it soon!

My impressions? Somnabulance. Slow-moving pedestrians on shimmering pavements. Umbrellas wavering in the haze of the summer heat. Barbed wire atop high walls. Electrified fences. Gorgeous shopping. Intense industry. Building, ever building. Chaotic crossroads. Hawkers. Quality and squalour. Awesome. Much inthe last few sentences describes the lions too. The giraffe is all awesome.

The book I’m in

Code to Zero, by Ken Follett. Titbits of rocket science, Soviet spies, CIA and NASA. Just want you want for a good, fast read.

Travel tip

If you’re going to get licked by a giraffe, have a wet wipe handy.

The photos

Me looking nonchalant, with lion looking uncomfortably interested:

I twaut I taw a puddy tat:

Sleeping lions – that’s all that happens in this video, honest:

Lions are not always dignified:

And then, that effortless dignity of the jungle king:

I was safely inside the car with the TC when she took this photo:

Safely? When a lion is just a few feet away and looking right at you, the thin metal of a car door seems a flimsy barrier.

The other denizens of the park provide some light relief:

You’ve just gotta love a face like that.

Fancy being licked by a giraffe?

The TC discovered that a giraffe’s tongue is long and slightly rough to the touch. The saliva is plentiful and sticky.

Mmmm:

That’s all for today, dudes.