Destinations, France, Stories

Melancholic In Montpellier

“So, are you starting to feel melancholic about leaving Montpellier?” Moritz asked. I took another bite from my pizza slice and smiled. It’s interesting talking to people who speak English as a second language – they tend to come up with funny ways of saying things. Moritz, my youngest classmate at 19, had become my …

 Read More

Destinations, Popular, Turkey

I Don’t Like Turkey…Yet

In all my years travelling I’ve never really come across a place I didn’t like. I think that’s changed. Turkey. When I landed in Istanbul, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d heard in passing conversations that it was an amazing city and there was a lot to see there, but I hadn’t really …

 Read More

Destinations, Stories, Turkey

A Night At The Border

It’s Wednesday in Cannakale. I’ve been in Turkey six days and still have so much to see, but I’m already gunning to leave. It’s just not my kind of place. I decide today’s the day I’m getting my bus to Bulgaria. I jump out of bed and head to the Metro Turizm office around the …

 Read More

Destinations, Turkey

Visiting Gallipoli: Two Sides To A Story

When I landed in Istanbul, it hadn’t even really crossed my mind to visit Gallipoli until I saw the “Gallipoli Tour” flyer on the noticeboard. I’d actually forgotten the place was even in Turkey. My initial plan had been to see Istanbul for a few days and jump west, but I decided, as a Kiwi, …

 Read More

Australia, Destinations, Stories

Better Luck Next Time, Sydney Airport

The plane hits the pavement. I look at the clock. 10:51. Check-in for my next flight closes at 11:45. I do the math slowly in my head. 54 minutes to get through customs, collect my bags, and make it upstairs to check-in. Easy peasy. Well, it should be easy peasy, except for one problem – …

 Read More

Destinations, Japan

Tell Me Your Secrets, Okinawa

I’m not sure what brought me to Okinawa. I’d heard it was kind of cheap, sunny, laid back, and just a little bit different to the rest of Japan. But we hadn’t really planned things. We just kind of ended up there. Of course, I’d done a bit of pre-arrival research, and in doing so learned …

 Read More

Destinations, Japan

Dinner At A Maid Cafe In Tokyo, Japan

As we walked around Tokyo’s Akihabara district, wandering through video arcades, toy stores, and a rather popular six-storey sex shop, my friend turns and says to me, “Oh, and we should definitely have dinner at a maid cafe!” A maid cafe? Sure, whatever that is. What followed was undoubtedly the most bizarre dining experience I …

 Read More

Destinations, Japan

Tokyo: Just A Little Bit Overrated

About 15 years ago, I visited Tokyo with my mother for a two week trip. At the time I was about 12 or 13 years old, and the first thing I noticed were the lights; big colourful lights towering over me, as if I was walking through some kind of human pinball machine. Next was …

 Read More