tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40101042011-04-21T23:12:10.090ZAlison Travels the WorldAlisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comBlogger161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-1062345391870713272003-08-31T15:56:00.000Z2005-07-05T16:05:02.260Z

It's been a long time since I last wrote - well 2 months. I have had a month back in the UK attending friends' weddings and catching up with friends and family. The weddings were both great and it was lovely to see people, and also spend time back in the country and not working.I am on the home stretch now, having spent the last few weeks travelling round Scandinavia by train, boat and bus. I

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-1056909648850339992003-06-29T18:00:00.000Z2003-06-29T18:01:30.373Z

Just a quick posting to say that I will be back in the UK on 1st July. Spending the first few days in Shrewsbury with my parents, then off to Miss Bettys wedding. Very exciting stuff - can't wait. Then off to London for a few days and hopefully will catch up with a few of you readers then. Had a great week in New York catching up with friends. I even saw Enasha who was over to start a Trek

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-956750212003-06-15T02:41:00.000Z2003-06-15T02:44:16.000Z

Since I last wrote I took another roadtrip with Richard, who was visiting San Francisco from London. We managed to drive over 2000 miles. Unbelieveable but we did see a lot of different things. Our first stop was Point Reyes, just north of San Francisco. This is an ideal spot for whale watching although none were there for us, but 5 had passed the day before. We also managed to walk the 180

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-948066392003-05-23T23:18:00.000Z2003-05-23T23:53:02.000Z

Next stop after returning to Mexico from Cuba was Los Angeles, to commence my West Coast adventure. Stayed in Santa Monica in LA, which although a very upmarket area is full of weirdoes and vagrants - because they are allowed to use the beach showers, are fed in shelters there, and the people in the area are wealthy, therefore they stand a better chance of being given money. The other reason

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-936922802003-05-03T05:39:00.000Z2003-05-03T06:02:53.000Z

Well, having been told off by Tara for not updating Ali on Tour, I thought I had better update the site with the rest of my time in Japan, then Mexico and now Cuba. The last week in Japan I went to Takayama for the festival (Matsouri) which was very interesting. There is a night parade through the streets on floats with lanterns and have people dressed up as a dragon Gods knocking on all the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-925598562003-04-14T03:28:00.000Z2003-04-14T03:38:20.000Z

I had a busy week last week travelling by train around the East of Japan - first Tsuruoka, then Aizu Wakamatsu and then Nikko. Managed to wear myself out a bit and was exhausted on the weekend in Izu with Keiko and her friend Karen. I am not too sure how I didnt get lost either considering I cannot speak Japanese. I have perfected the art of pointing. I also now understand why Japanese

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-919626062003-04-04T05:15:00.000Z2003-04-04T05:40:02.000Z

I have had quite an eventful week or so since my last posting. Headed down to Sydney on the overnight bus with Rhian. Surprisingly, even though the bus was full we still managed to sleep most of the 12 hours. Spent some time in Sydney organising my Thailand trip, which as it has now turned out was a wasted effort. Had a great last night in Sydney with Rhian. We met up with Sam from the

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-912653082003-03-24T06:36:00.000Z2003-03-24T08:55:14.000Z

Well, here I am in Byron Bay with the peculiar and very weird Rhian! That's what comes of being born on the 7th December. We have had lots of fun, a bit of exercise and some relaxation. The first day we were here we cycled to the Lighthouse up a very steep hill which was far too energetic for Byron Bay. We were lucky enough to see some dolphins in the bay surfing with the surfers. There were

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-906195642003-03-13T00:58:00.000Z2003-03-24T06:23:41.000Z

I have fallen in love with Airlie beach, but sadly I have to leave today to make my way to Noosa and a trip to Fraser island. We went out on Broomstick for 3 nights, a 76 foot maxi racing yacht, and it was fantastic. The boat leans on its side when the wind picks up and staying on your feet was impossible, so had to sit down on the high side. The Whitsundays are beautiful islands and we saw

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-902274082003-03-06T08:23:00.000Z2003-03-13T01:00:08.000Z

I arrived in Darwin and felt like I was entering the jungle. After the dry heat of Alice Springs and Ayers Rock, the damp humidity and a few degrees lower was a real relief. I also felt a lot more comfortable in Darwin from a personal perspective compared to Alice Springs. Had an afternoon to have a look around, then the next morning I was off on my 3 day camping trip to the Top End and Kakadu

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-897656422003-02-26T08:31:00.000Z2003-02-26T08:48:03.000Z

I arrived in Australia about 2 weeks ago and have done stacks. I am exhausted, but no rest for the wicked I suppose. I spent a few days in Sydney, which was quite restful.... Had my hair dyed darker - kind of light reddy brown streaks, thought it was about time I had an image change, then spent some time in Manly, and the botanical gardens where the fruit bats are in abundance and we also saw

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-890639442003-02-14T01:21:00.000Z2003-02-14T01:24:47.000Z

Hamilton, despite the Auckander's (JAFA's) warnings, is a lovely place, and I enjoyed Erin and her family's hospitality immensely. On the Saturday we drove out to Raglan, a lovely seaside town with nice beaches full of surfers and some lovely craft shops and cafes. We then visited the Bridal Veil falls and walked to the bottom to obtain the best view, then had the strenuous walk back to the top

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-886838812003-02-07T03:11:00.000Z2003-02-07T03:11:10.020Z

Had a very hot time in Napier. Went on the wine tour last Saturday, which was great fun - more like a booze cruise. I met up with Ruth, who is living in Gisborne with her boyfriend Angus. They were a part of a large group and to prevent anyone from getting lost, they all wore orange, so were a little conspicuous. The wineries were open to the public, and you could hop on and off buses between

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-883119592003-01-31T05:53:00.000Z2003-02-07T02:46:45.000Z

Since I last wrote we have been liasing with the rich and famous - well, Gwyneth Paltrow's double for the film she is making in New Zealand, and the runner on the film who Gwyneth befriended. Enasha was very pleased to have heard about celebrities by word of mouth rather than in a gossip mag. Walked up to the Gondola in Queenstown, then took the chairlift higher up Ben Lomond and a luge down.

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-879858392003-01-25T01:22:00.000Z2003-01-25T01:47:03.000Z

A thousand apologies to anyone who took offense at my comments about New Zealand's wine. I have since had a lovely Riesling from Napier!! We left Kaikoura and headed down the coast to Christchurch. We stopped in Akoroa, a French settlement on the coast just beyond Christchurch. The town has retained a strong French influence, which can be seen in the architecture, shops and cafes. We had

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010104.post-877654712003-01-21T04:21:00.000Z2003-01-21T04:40:23.000Z

Enasha, Karen and I are now in Kaikoura on the East coast of the South Island of New Zealand. We went Whale watching this morning. We saw 4 sperm whales and i got some amazing photos of their backs and their tails as they dived into the sea. We also saw a seal colony living on the rocks by the road coming into the town. I was hoping to go swimming with dolphins this afternoon, but the winds

Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06634391389561171051noreply@blogger.com