vickygoestravelling

my journey to health and well being via exotic destinations


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Asian Odyssey: getting mucky at Black Sand Dive Retreat

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It’s 3 am on Easter morning and we are woken by gospel singing blasting out full volume. This continues until 5 am, when various competitors join in from the surrounding villages. We are near Bintung, a Christian stronghold in the majority-Muslim Indonesia and the singing marks the beginning of an Eater procession. We have come here to finish our holiday with some muck diving at Black Sand Dive Retreat. Ross has been here twice before, and I once – Manado is short hop (three hours) from Singapore and was on our long weekend itineraries. Continue reading


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Asian odyssey: Singapore to Siladen

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The first port of call on our thrice-postponed diving trip to Raja Ampat is Singapore. Since my broken and dislocated shoulder at the end of December I have been doing my physio religiously every day and having acupuncture, cranial osteopathy and massage. I’ve brought with me three different wet suit combos to see what I can actually fit my shoulders into so I am well prepared. Continue reading


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Farm Africa in action: meeting farmers & donors in Kenya

 

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Juliet with Patrick, the Farm Africa Project Manager, showing us a recently mulched field

After Zimbabwe, we travel to Kenya. Here I am to visit some Farm Africa projects and to host a donor cultivation event, whose purpose is to introduce private equity, corporate investors and potential new partners to our work in East Africa, but specifically in Kenya where we have regional headquarters. With a team of 200 staff operating across Eastern Africa, Farm Africa is a unique NGO with over 35 years of experience working with small scale farmers in agriculture, market engagement and natural resource management. We work collaboratively with communities and business to build resilient and sustainable livelihoods so that people and the planet can thrive together. I only recently joined the Board so am anxious to leverage my contacts and see the work that we do in person. Continue reading


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A long post-Covid weekend in Champery

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The Dents glowing in the evening sunshine

Still exhausted from Covid and lying on the sofa watching Wimbledon, I haul myself off to meet Ross in Champery after his long walk. Heathrow is busy and security has long queues and we are late taking off as there not enough staff to load the plane. This is only the beginning of broken Britain – the worst is yet to come I fear. I go to Switzerland to try and forget about the state we are in….and to admire the Swiss attention to detail as below! Continue reading


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Covid tours to Sicily: Part 2

Still feeling a bit rough, after a couple of nights at the Agrotourismo Trigona in Piazza Armerina,  we head off for Ragusa via the Casa Romana,  a villa housing 4th century AD mosaics. This extensive villa was excavated and restored only quite recently and the mosaics are largely intact and quite astonishing in their detail and long-preserved information on life all those centuries ago. The best ones represent the capturing and loading of wild animals for show in Roman games in Carthage – rhino, elephant, ostriches, camels – but also pastimes such as fishing and domestic scenes. And no – those are not bikinis but competitors in the heptathlon! Plus an erotic image – look closely! It is very hot.

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Covid tours to Sicily: Part 1


A long-booked holiday with our Swiss family & friends (Diego, Christine, Tim, Annie & Janet) became a parental honeymoon following the marriage of our beloved Tommy to his gorgeous Anna. Can’t start this blog without reference to the great day – and of course some pics. The humanist ceremony took place in a woodland glade at High Billinghurst farm in Surrey; the sun shone and the cotton wool clouds scudded across the sky in a light breeze.

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The highs and lows of 2021

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In a year where there has been little travel and many health issues I am challenged where best to post and how to write this blog! For most of us it has been a year of great uncertainties and lows, with a few highs. On the whole we don’t share our lows as we maintain our oh-so-very-British stiff upper lip. So here goes – my year in review. Continue reading


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English staycation: Sissinghurst, Dungeness & Great Dixter

637C8F37-0362-42D4-9E34-EECC444231EDWe should have been in Provence for a glorious 12 days of sea, sun and relaxation. For the past few years we have stayed in the delightful Villa du Soleil with various friends, right on the beach of Lalonde les Maures. Thanks to CVOID quarantine restrictions this year it just ain’t gonna happen. Continue reading


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Escape to & from Switzerland – just in time!

img_8640Last week it was announced that Brits had to quarantine on return from Switzerland. This quarantine business seems to be peretty arbitrary – for instance I discovered that Romania magically appeared on the list but has never been mentioned in despatches. I can’t help wondering if it’s got anything to do with the fact that the government consider Romanians who live in Britain as EU migrants rather than British holiday-makers, and don’t vote. Anyhow, to continue…here are some photos of the Dents du Midi in all their glory. Continue reading


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Round the world in 113 days: 105-112 coffee country, archaeology & desert

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Wax palms at Cocora

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Tatacoa desert

The final stage of our four month trip takes us by air to Pereira capital  of the coffee country. Just as I say, ‘we’re all aboard and taking off 5 minutes early’ we find ourselves being asked to disembark due to a technical issue. It doesn’t look good as we are given drinks and snacks but suddenly we are asked to board again and we leave only an hour or so late. Phew! Continue reading