Yes – the Mayans were mad about stucco. They used it to hold the stones together in their walls, and then covered all their buildings in a thick layer of stucco before colouring them. Let this be a lesson to all those who slavishly follow the latest home improvement craze … it could lead to… Continue reading Breaking news … Mayan Civilisation wiped out by stucco!
Category: Countries
“No, I think it was the other Ernest Hemingway.”
I wish I’d heard the rest of this conversation between two Americans who passed me in the street in Havana. It would explain a lot if there was more than one, as the ubiquitous Ernest seems to be irrevocably linked to so many places – Paris, Spain, Venice, Key West, Havana … how much easier… Continue reading “No, I think it was the other Ernest Hemingway.”
One of the strangest things I’ve ever seen …
I went to Mexico to learn about the Mayan civilisation, and I thought that the Mayans had mysteriously disappeared when their civilisation died out around 900 AD. But that isn’t true; the cities were abandoned and the civilisation collapsed, but the people lived on and are still thriving today in parts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala,… Continue reading One of the strangest things I’ve ever seen …
Cuba: land of rum and Pringles
I’ve never been anywhere as different as Cuba before. The first hint of difference came at the airport in Mexico as I queued to check in for my flight and looked around at all the other passengers and the luggage they were checking in – Each family had about fifteen large bags, some so heavy… Continue reading Cuba: land of rum and Pringles
Ernest and me
There’s a pervasive Hemingwayness in Havana that’s hard to ignore. He had not one, but two favourite bars – La Bodeguita del Medio was his favourite mojito bar – so of course I had to try one – Then Floridita was his favourite daquiri bar – where he demanded a less girly version of the… Continue reading Ernest and me
How to pass for a Guatemalan
Step number one: buy a poncho – Step number two: take up salsa – … but don’t try to take a photo and follow your teacher’s instructions, or you end up making a complete mess of both activities. The lovely Martin was a tiny, swivel-hipped salsa god, who only winced slightly as I crushed his… Continue reading How to pass for a Guatemalan
Swerving around cows
What is it with India and cows? They’re everywhere, and nobody takes any notice. It’s completely normal to see a cow … … on a railway station platform – … wandering through the city centre – … having a quick kip in the road – … inspecting a rubbish pile – … and even on… Continue reading Swerving around cows
Yet another painful experience
In the interests of research, I tried many different types of massage on this trip – deep tissue, aromatherapy, Balinese, to name but a few. The strangest was the chakra unblocking head massage, which I had in the Royal Palace at Bundi. The masseuse flicked and scratched my head and pulled hard on chunks of… Continue reading Yet another painful experience
I’ve seen the future …
… or at least I’ve peered murkily in the general direction, but the pollution-filled haze would have challenged even the oracle at Delphi to see anything clearly. The pollution in Delhi is appalling – a smelly, foggy haze hanging over the city. It’s just downright lucky, for all my blog readers, that I look so… Continue reading I’ve seen the future …
Indulging my inner hedonist in Rajasthan
If you want a taste of a royal lifestyle, Rajasthan’s the place to go. It seems that there are as many royal palaces and forts in Rajasthan as there are branches of McDonalds in England; every little town has at least one. Very fittingly, the word Rajasthan means ‘land of kings’, and all the black… Continue reading Indulging my inner hedonist in Rajasthan
An Indian wedding – day three …
The reception on the final day was the most Western event of the whole wedding, and Western dress was the order of the day, so there were no more anxious moments, anticipating unravelling saris. We started with what is usually called ‘pre-drinks’ – and which I thought would be the only drinks at a dry… Continue reading An Indian wedding – day three …
An Indian wedding – day two …
Day two was actually straight after day one – but due to travelling and intermittent Wifi, this post has been languishing in my notebook for a while. Day two started for us with a ceremony for the groom, attended by his family and friends, to ask Ganesh to bless the marriage. Hursh, the groom, sat… Continue reading An Indian wedding – day two …
An Indian wedding – day one …
It was very exciting to be invited to a wedding in India, so we packed our bags and headed off to Rajkot in Gujarat. Gujarat is a dry state, so – following instructions from the groom – we had to apply for alcohol permits before we left – With our Brits-abroad priorities firmly in place,… Continue reading An Indian wedding – day one …
A potential change of career
Kanazawa is a wonderful little town on the west side of Honshu. It’s wonderful for a number of reasons: firstly, it was the seat of an important feudal clan and so has many big houses, temples and shrines, secondly, it escaped bombing during the Second World War, and thirdly, it has one of the top-ranked… Continue reading A potential change of career
My first experience of sumo
It was most definitely serendipity times two; firstly to discover that one of the six annual sumo tournaments in Japan is held in Nagoya, and secondly to find that it would take place during my stay. I felt that there must be a ticket with my name on it – but just to make sure,… Continue reading My first experience of sumo
University life in Japan
Before I arrived, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about teaching in a women’s university. How archaic, I thought, to have such institutions in the 21st Century in a first world country. But now that I’ve experienced just how much of a man’s world it is in Japan, and how women are supposed to… Continue reading University life in Japan
Nara – too much venison walking around uncooked
Nara was once the capital of Japan. In 710 AD it became the country’s first permanent capital city, losing the title to Kyoto 75 years later, due to the corruption of the Nara clergy … plus ça change, as we French speakers say. As it’s a city that’s so steeped in history and culture, I… Continue reading Nara – too much venison walking around uncooked
Osaka – home of the pot noodle
Osaka is famous for being the foodie capital of Japan, so I was surprised to learn that it is also the home of the pot noodle. It was a bit like discovering that Angel Delight is a popular dessert at the Dorchester, or that Raymond Blanc invented the turkey twizzler. Anway, once I knew that… Continue reading Osaka – home of the pot noodle
The Ginger Ninja
I’ve had quite a cultural weekend, one way and another. I went to Kyoto because I had a ticket to see a kabuki play at the Minamiza theatre, which is the home of kabuki. It’s a wonderful old building, which has been hosting kabuki performances for 400 years – – and I was pleased to… Continue reading The Ginger Ninja
Bears and eel chips
Shogun Ieyasu was a canny chap. When he became Shogun in 1603 he forced all the great lords to spend every second year with him in Edo, or Tokyo as it is now. This meant that they spent huge amounts of time and money travelling with their vast retinues along the road between Kyoto and… Continue reading Bears and eel chips