Based in Cardiff, Wales I like exploring not just my city and its rich history but also other countries and cultures. Past adventures have included walking the entire coastline of England and Wales and climbing all the mountains. Oh, and going to all 52 European Capital Cities and having a pint of Guinness in each.
We’ve been back in Africa again for the fourth time on this trip around the world. This time Tunisia got picked out of the hat. It was another chance to eat couscous and to explore the history and culture of North Africa. Another trend of our trip so far appears to be that whenever we arrive in a country there is something significant happening politically. This time it was a referendum with President Kais Saied securing a win and more power in the process. It will be interesting to see how things play out.
Food
Our ‘imagication’ in Tunisia got off to a great start. My early research led me to a Facebook page where there were a couple of recommendations for where to buy Tunisian type food locally so off I went shopping. I thanked them on the Facebook page for their suggestions and they promptly posted a recipe, so we quickly had our first Tunisian dish – Ojja made from locally made merguez.
Drink
Although I read that there is beer and wine produced in Tunisia I failed to find any on sale here even via the internet. Instead I read that the most popular drink is mint tea. I even found a recipe – not that one is needed of course for making tea, but if I hadn’t have found it I wouldn’t have discovered one of the things to add is roasted pine nuts. We did our best to recreated the picture in the recipe.
Clock
An interesting shaped country to make a clock of; curves and even a straight line. Then the question of where to put the clock movement; top, middle or bottom. I decided on the middle in the end.
Meeting someone
We had a very nice meal at Deli Fuego on City Road and had a warm welcome from Mohamed and his friendly staff. Mohamed comes from Tunisia so it was an ideal opportunity to gift him the clock in the shape of Tunisia.
Film
We watched Dear Son (2018). This is a simple yet captivating film of a Tunisian family whose son leaves to join ISIS in Syria. It is told more from the point of view of the father, desperate for his son to come home to Tunisia.
Music
I was particularly taken by Anouar Brahem, a Tunisian oud player and composer. He is widely acclaimed as an innovator in his field. He combines Arab classical music, folk music and jazz.
Literature
Books in English by a Tunisian author seem rare so I was lucky to find ‘The Italian’ by Shukri Mabkhout. It was easy to read, engaging and provided a decent background to Tunisia in the 1980s. It was however hard to warm to any of the flawed characters.
I also read ‘The Tremor of Forgery’ by Patricia Higsmith. I very much enjoyed this read by the American author who also wrote ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’. The Tremor of Forgery is set in Tunisia in the 1960s and about an American to goes to Tunisia to write a screenplay, is befriended by another American and a Dane. It doesn’t go fast but builds the suspense.
Sport
I didn’t have to look very far for a Tunisian sporting hero. A few weeks before Tunisia got picked out of the hat I had watched Ons Jabeur loose to Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, in the Wimbledon final, dashing Arab hopes that she would become the first from the region to win a grand slam singles title. Jabeur, whose exuberance on the court and personality off it have earned her the sobriquet “Minister of Happiness”. Her success has also led to her being pictured on a Tunisian stamp. She has just reached the US Open Semi-Finals. An exciting time to be in Tunisia!
Highest Point
In the centre of Tunisia lies Djebel Chambi, the tallest mountain at 1,544 meters and an extension of the Atlas Mountains. Technically it is not a difficult climb. Indeed, some say it is even a drive-up, at least 1,300 meters. There is a metal crescent, the symbol of Islam on the false summit and a mast on the actual summit. Not an easy ascent these days as it is in a military active area.
Geocache
There are only 3 mystery geocaches in Tunisia and I chose to tackle solving La palme solitaire (GC47B47). An easy solve with the aid of Excel. It is on Djerba, an island off the coast of Tunisia which I had missed off my clock!
Railways
Yes, there are railways in Tunisia, both between cities in the north of the country and a metro system in Tunis. The video I enjoyed most was however of the historic Red Lizard Train. It is a restored royal train that runs through arid gorges in the centre of Tunisia. I don’t think it’s running at present however so watching the video and using your imagination is probably the best you can do for now.
Charity
The charity which caught my eye this month was I Can Be. It is a British charity that bring primary school aged children into the world of work, introducing them to inspiring professionals and helping them to discover the breadth of opportunity around them. In 2019 they ran a project in Tunis, Tunisia.
Stamps
My purchase of some Tunisian stamps haven’t yet arrived but I remain hopeful. Hard to tell what’s in the pictures precisely but I can see a few camels which is hardly surprising.
Not too much imagination needed on this trip as we have been lucky enough to visit the beautiful country of Norway as part of my European Capital City Guinness challenge. Admittedly we only saw a small part of the country, Oslo, Bergen and Flam, so it was good to go there on an ‘imagication’ and explore some aspects we missed.
A little bit of Norway in Cardiff
We visited to the Norwegian church in Cardiff Bay. It is restored Lutheran church built in 1868 to accommodate the worshiping and social needs of the large number of Norwegian sailors calling into Cardiff docks at the time. It has had a varied history, even being moved at one stage within the bay area. It has now been tastefully restored and opened as an arts centre and café.
Drama
Very much enjoyed watching the Norwegian series ‘Occupied’. Made back in 2015 but hauntingly poignant with what’s happening in Ukraine. In ‘Occupied’ the Russians occupy Norway in order to help guarantee oil production with is under threat because of Norway’s green members of parliament. Well worth a watch.
Book
A lighter read for me this month. I read the first of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole books called ‘The Bat’. I found it a good read. I expected for some reason for it to be set in Norway but it was set in Sydney, Australia. But there were some cultural references to Norwegian life scattered through it.
I suppose I should also read some Roald Dahl was a Cardiff-born novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter pilot of Norwegian descent.
Sport
I thought I was going to struggle to find any Norwegian sport to follow with it being summer and them being famous for their winter sports but I was wrong. The Norwegian women’s football team was in the Euros and in the same group as England but got soundly beaten 8-0 by the English. There are some decent Norwegian cyclists in the Tour de France too which fared well in the very early stages but seem to tail off somewhat and I never spotted them again. But then there was someone new to cheer on. The golfer Viktor Hovland finished the third day of the Open in the lead with Rory McIlroy but both failed to clinch it on the fourth and final day with Viktor finishing joint 4th.
I also thought it would be a good opportunity to research and write about someone I’ve been meaning to for ages, the Cardiff-born boxer Jack Petersen. His paternal-grandfather was Albert Petersen, a ship’s carpenter, originally from Stavanger, Norway. The output of that research is published in the form of a blog post – Jack Petersen – Boxing Clever.
Food
Lunch one day came from Norway via Wally’s Deli here in Cardiff. Started with the Jarlsburg, a mild cheese originating from about 100km SW of Oslo. We followed it with some brown Norwegian Gjetost, regarded as one of the country’s most iconic foodstuffs – a sweet cheese with a consistency not unlike something from a DIY job. Both good.
I was hoping for more from the Norske Cafe at the Norwegian Church and Arts centre in Cardiff Bay but our choice was pretty limited when we visited. I had Norwegian tomato sauce with our toastie followed by a Norwegian kit-kat.
Drink
I was pleased to find some Norwegian beer available locally at The Bottle Shop. I had can of Loudspeaker beer from the Lervig Brewery in Stavanger, Norway. Marketed as a session beer. Includes oats. Pretty tasty. From the same brewery I also had a can of Modern Antique. A stronger 7% IPA brew.
Music
My friend recommended that I should listen to some of the saxophone music of Trygve Seim and described him as having the best beard in jazz. Norway does indeed have some good jazz music. I played this album a few times: The Nordic Notes.
There are limits you know as to how much I will spend on this silly project. I wasn’t prepared to fork out over £100 to go and see ‘A-ha’ play at Cardiff Castle but I did pop down town and eavesdrop on a few numbers from outside the castle walls. I then came home and listened to them on Spotify. I don’t know what I was doing in the 80s but it wasn’t listening to ‘A-ha’!
Woodwork
Unfortunately, Norway was another shape which didn’t appear too conducive to making a clock of. Too many fjords. . I may not have included each and every fjord but it does look like Norway I hope. Instead I used the scroll saw to make a Norway shape and then practiced some framing skills.
Highest Point
The highest point in Norway, and indeed in Northern Europe, is Galdhøpiggen at 2,469-metre (8,100 ft). Two things surprised me when I started looking at it. Firstly is it in southern Norway. For some reason I expected the high peaks to be in the north. The second thing is that it is strangely accessible. Hundreds of people climb it on a fine summers day. I’m not saying it’s an easy stroll and from one popular direction there is a glacier to cross. Some reports say there’s hut at the top selling refreshments – bet those aren’t cheap. I happen to know a couple of people who have climbed and here are links to their reports: Rob Woodall and Martin Richardson.
Charity
I chose to give a small donation to the Norwegian Church Arts Centre here in Cardiff. Yes, I was left disappointed by the lack of Norwegian food when we visited a few times but I support the principle of the importance of preserving this landmark here in Cardiff Bay and of bringing art of various forms to this location. And thinking further back it preserves the memories of Norwegian seafarers that contributed so much to the establishment of Cardiff as a port.
Stamps
For less than the price of a cappuccino in a coffee shop I bought some 1984 Norwegian stamps. Whoever would have thought that the centenary of the Norwegian bee-keeping and poultry breeding societies would happen to fall in the same year. 1984 was also the centenary of the parliament. Looking pretty in pink is playwright Ludvig Holberg. EUROPA stamps underlines cooperation in the postal areas and versions were issued in many countries including UK. The last two commemorate children’s writer Thorbjørn Egner. How come the flower pot doesn’t fall off the tram roof?
Railway
The first country to appear in this ‘adventure’ where I’ve actually previously been on a train. We visited in 2010 and travelled from Oslo to Bergen by train. The six hour six hour journey is recognised as being one of the most scenic in the world. The smooth electric train pulled us up to 4000 feet above sea level – higher than Ben Nevis. The scenery does indeed get spectacular. We look out on lakes, tumbling rivers and wild scenery. There are collective gasps from the train passengers when at the highest point we pass glaciers. We also took a series of trains from Bergen to Flåm including the famous Myrdal to Flåm train. Famous because of its steepness and sheer feat of engineering. The line was only completed in 1940. Construction of the railway started in 1923 and was completed in 1940. It is said to be one of the greatest engineering feats in Norway. The 20-km long railway line is one of the steepest standard gauge lines in the world, with 80% of the journey running on a gradient of 5.5%.
Geocache
There were plots of Puzzle Caches in Norway for me to have a go at solving from my armchair. I chose one called Arktisk-Kultursenter all about the northern town of Hammerfest, home of the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society. It is said to be the most northerly town in the world. It provided an interesting insight into the region.
Meeting someone from Norway
I’ve been in contact with a Norwegian living in Cardiff via a mutual friend. With a bit of luck we’ll be able to meet up in person after the summer.
Farewell Norway
And so its time for us to bid farewell to the beautiful country of Norway. We leave with the sound of Norwegian jazz in our heads and memories of looking at some lovely images from our virtual tour. There are some here on the Hand Luggage Only website.
Everything was going well for a while on our ‘imagication’. We landed in Manila having flown from London via Doha. Going through security we got pulled over, seemingly because we only had backpacks and no suitcases. When they commented that there were no shoes in my wife’s luggage, I flippantly said ‘Who do you think she is, Imelda Marcos?’ That was the wrong thing to say. We were quickly ushered into a small room and told to wait. A couple of hours later a gentleman arrived and introduces himself as Bongbong Marcos, son of Imelda. I make another flippant remark. How was I to know? He name really was Bongbong and not only that but he has just become President of the Philippines. Talk about putting my foot in it. Anyway, we chatted about his time in England where he was educated and parted friends (I think).
Sport
I stuck lucky and arrived in the Philippines just when the SEA Games (South East Asian Games) was on – it’s not being held here but in Hanoi, Vietnam but the media is full of it, especially as Philippines came out on top last time.
I enjoyed watching a whole range of sports I’m not used to including Sepak Takraw. It looks like volleyball but players use their feet! The Philippines ended up coming fifth in the medal table out of eleven nations. Electronic games were a category in these games, sanctioned by the Olympic Committee. The Philippines won gold in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament would you believe. And here to prove it is an eight hour long video of the match against Indonesia.
Drink
Not! San Miguel is the most popular beer by far in the Philippines. There’s a San Miguel brewery there that brews a range of beers including 8% Red Horse. Optimistically, I ordered some from a Filipino shop in Leeds only to find the cans says brewed in Hong Kong! It was a surprisingly nice drink. Lightly carbonated. No metallic taste, so probably within its ‘Best Before Date’. That’s a relief – there’s another 3 cans to drink.
I had better luck with a passion fruit drink I ordered at the same time – made in Manila. Strangely though it is mainly pineapple.
smart
Food
The highlight of the month was definitely going up to Mountain Ash and eating at the Kalan Café and Noodle Bar. I discovered it by just doing a bit of internet searching and reading some reviews saying it was the best authentic Filipino food noodle people had found in South Wales. We weren’t disappointed. We asked Grace for a recommendation and had the Pancit Pinoy. It was excellent. Not only was the food good but we were impressed by the happy and welcoming atmosphere in the café.
Kalan Cafe & Noodle Bar, Mountain Ash
We had a few other taste of the Philippines during the month. I made some Pinoy Chicken Curry. This was nicely different from the traditional curries we make. It included potato and fish sauce but not the traditional Indian spices.
We also ventured into Cardiff and had lunch at Jollibee. This is a Filipino fast food chain. I had the chicken rice bowl which was certainly tasty, spicy and sweet and Margaret had the same in a wrap. It left our lips tingling.
My attempt at Pinoy Chicken Curry and a visit to Jollibee in Cardiff
Literature
I attempted to read Illustrado by Miguel Syjuco mainly on the basis of this positive review, but I’m afraid I didn’t get on with it. It’s one of those novels that jumps around one heck of a lot between the story of the narrator, the person he is writing about (an author) and the author’s writings plus it jumped around in time periods too. I never quite knew where I was and it changed every page. I have to admit I gave up half way through not just because it was confusing me but because I wasn’t getting much out of it in way of an insight into the Philippines etc.
I got on much better with Awaiting Trespass by Linda Ty Casper. I centres around the death of a member of a well-to-do Philippine family during the Marcos regime. Linda Ty Casper is a Filipino author who lives in USA and this novel of hers is apparently banned in the Philippines. Lucky I didn’t have it in my luggage when we went there.
Film
I struggled finding a film I wanted to watch. Although there are a lot of Filipino films available on Netflix they just weren’t my cup of tea. Most were seemingly aimed at the teenage market and sort of rom-coms I guess you would describe them. I ended up watching Lola Igna, a comedy where the main character is to receive an award for being the world’s oldest grandmother at 118 years old. If nothing else I enjoyed it for watching the veteran actress Angie Ferro.
Highest Peak – Mount Apo
Mount Apo, active volcano, south central Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines and down the bottom of the country. The peak is 20 miles (32 km) west of Davao City and rises to 9,692 feet (2,954 metres). It may be an active volcano but it hasn’t erupted in living memory but does spew out sulphurous gasses. At least if you break wind you have something to blame it on. It’s one of those peaks you need a permit to climb as it was getting too popular. These days only about 50 people per day are allowed to summit. It takes a couple of days and there is mention of an 870 bolder face which to me is another word for a rock face so well beyond my capabilities. I enjoyed reading some accounts of the trek from a couple of successful baggers: The Lone Rider and Eric Gilbertson.
Geocaching
There’s just two active puzzle caches for me to have a go at solving in the Philippines, both in the Manila area. I successfully solved one of them, ‘status quo ante’ Mystery Cache GC5W0PA. When I say I solved it I mean I got the answer by googling the code but don’t understand much more than that.
Clock – or not a clock
So far on this imaginary journey around the globe the countries have been of a shape conducive to making a clock. Not so with the Philippines. It is made up of some 700 islands. Someone suggested I make a negative but when I tried to work that one out my head hurt, mainly because my scroll saw isn’t easy when it comes to threading a blade through a pre-drilled hole and reattaching it. Instead I was left with the idea of cutting out the shapes of the main islands which was relatively straightforward. Then came the challenge of trying to mount them on something and more so, trying to put them all in the correct position. I ended up cutting out more than I ended up mounting as they were so small. I think the end result still looks like the Philippines. You decide.
Cutting out the Philippines, the final result, the islands that never made it around the edge.
Meeting someone
Well that didn’t take long. The morning after the Philippines got picked out as our next country to visit I popped down the newsagents for a paper and discovered that she came from the Philippines. I’ve been practicing my Tagalog language ever since: Magandang umaga – good morning.
In fact it got even better as when we went to the Kalan Café and Noodle Bar in Mountain Ash we were greeted by Grace who came from the island of Negros in the Philippines. Luckily that was one of the islands I had included in my picture!
Charity
A bit of a different type of charity this month. I picked Kalayaan, a small London based charity which works to provide practical advice and support to, as well as campaign with and for, the rights of migrant domestic workers in the UK. Why did I choose them? Things don’t always go right when you go abroad to work and it’s nice to think that on those occasions people have got someone like Kalayaan to turn to for advice and support.
Railways
There doesn’t appear to be a lot of railway in the Philippines, some but not a lot. Around Manila there is some modernisation that has taken place. There’s quite a lot of videos on YouTube and the one that stays in my mind the most is a BBC film of the trolley taxis. These are people who use trolleys on railway tracks to take commuters and others in and out of Manila in what could be described as extreme commuting. It’s dangerous to say the least as the tracks are shared with trains and accidents occur. Here’s the video I’m talking about:
Stamps
There were plenty of Philippines stamps available for sale on eBay. I chose a selection where one had a train on it. It’s taken me a while to realise there was a volcano in the background. Mount Mayon volcano erupted in 2018 causing the evacuation of 74,000 people.
Music
I must admit I’ve struggled to find music to my taste from the Philippines. The US colonial influence comes through a lot. There’s a lot of sugary-sweet ballads. I went back and found some more traditional music and even some jazz but again nothing that stayed with me. I thought I had found something when I came across the folk singer Freddie Aguilar who it is said has influences from Cat Stevens and James Taylor. I was quite enjoying it till I read his Wikipedia page and personal life. The 60 odd year old recently changed his religion too enable him to marry a 16 year old. I stopped listening after that.
Farewell Philippines
Another interesting country to visit that I knew next to nothing about before this month. An interesting history, lots of languages, but above all it looks a great place with attractive coastlines. And the noodles in Mountain Ash were great!
There’s nothing like visiting a continent I’ve never been before, even at my age. This month we are visiting Colombia, names after Christopher Columbus – even though he never went there. We flew direct to Bogota, capital of Colombia, with Avianca from Heathrow. It’s a ten hour flight but before we knew it we were touching down. Bogota is the fourth highest capital city in the world at an altitude of 8612 ft. above sea level. It is the third-largest city in South America after São Paulo in Brazil and Lima in Peru. One of the unique features of Bogota is that it is located in a valley between the Guadalupe and Montserrat mountains. We stayed in the La Candelaria historic neighbourhood with its many museums. Yes of course it rained sometimes – it’s May. On one day a cable car was taken up to the top of Mount Monserrate. Here’s some videos from people who actually went there: Jumping Places and Divert Living.
Railways
It’s becoming a common theme of this challenge that as far as railways are concerned the story seems to be ‘we used to have a railway and hope to have one in the future once the investment is approved but we haven’t got any just at the moment’. There even seems to be a suggestion of a railway being built from one Colombian coast to the other to compete with the Panama Canal. I can’t quite envisage how that is going to work as loading and unloading a freight train would seem pretty labour intensive but I guess it all depends on the charges levied for using the canal.
I searched around and found a lovely heritage railway operating between Bogota and Zipaquirá, some 25km north of the capital. Turistren has amongst their fleet five restored steam trains, originally built in Philadelphia, and decked out in marvellous colours. I’m not sure it is running just at present but with the help of some YouTube videos we enjoyed our ‘virtual trip’ along the route.
Geocache
One thing I like to do when ‘virtually’ visiting a country is to solve a geocache puzzle. The choice in Colombia was rather limited – there is only one such puzzle cache GS#62 – Ciudad Perdida. To solve the puzzle and get the coordinates for the geocache requires answering a series of questions on Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City) that was discovered in 1972 by a group of treasure looters. To find the cache itself involves going on a four day guided walk. I successfully solved the cache and in the process learnt about the geography and indigenous people. Now to find the cache.
Highest Point
I’ve had it relatively easy up till now. There’s been no need for the ice axe and crampons. Colombia was different. The highest peak is Pico Cristobal Colon and it is seldom climbed. It is a twin peak with nearby Pico Simón Bolívar. Here is Petter Bjørstad’s account of the only documented climb of Colombia’s highest peak, Pico Cristobal Colon at 5,730 metres (18,800 ft) in recent times led by John Biggar in 2015. It is an enthralling account in terms of mountaineering, organisational logistics, the local Kogi people. The pictures are well worth opening though it’s a bit frustrating trying to re-find your spot in the blog. The account somewhat glosses over the energy-sapping nature of the ascent so best to read it after you’ve exhausted yourself climbing your local hillock.
Stamps
I purchased a set of three 1990 stamps commemorating the 150th anniversary of the death of Francisco de Paula Santander. He was President of the Republic several times throughout his lifetime and his heritage a mix of Spanish and native blood. I quite liked the following description of him: He was known to be a quiet and taciturn man that enjoyed spending time by himself more than in the company of others.
Charity
Casting my eye around the internet my eye was caught by the work being done by Friends of Colombia for Social Aid. They are busy donating medical, educational and other vital equipment to hospitals and medical institutions that treat children and improve their quality of life and of their families in Colombia. They seem to be pretty active as a charity here in the UK.
Sport
A nation keen on football and producing more than its fair share of top cyclists. I chose to keep an eye on Colombian winger Luis Diaz who since January has been with Liverpool as they challenge Man City for the Premiership title. His first game for Liverpool was against Cardiff. He has since gone on to score four times to date and show some impressive moves including the move that left fans drooling when he controlled a high pass with his leg bent behind him. Let’s see how he does in the FA Cup Final against Chelsea.
Literature
I knew as soon as Colombia got picked out by the random number generator which author I was going to read. Nobel prize-winner Gabriel García Márquez had come recommended to me by a number of people and I’d never read any of his work. I chose to read his 1985 novel Love in the Time of Cholera. It is set in a fictitious Colombian port city in the late 1800s/early 1900s. It’s one of those books that’s joy to read for the quality of writing maybe more than the actual story.
Film/Drama
Cocaine seems to be a major these in Colombian media. We watched the film Maria Full of Grace in Spanish with subtitles about a young girl from rural Colombia who finds herself drawn into the international drug trafficking scene. There is nothing complicated about the film. It’s a simple straightforward story but compelling at the same time.
We also watched half a dozen episodes of the series Narcos, the American drama set and filmed in Colombia about the drug Pablo Escobar. It was interesting but just seemed to be more of the same after a while.
Clock
Another interesting shape to make a clock of. It took a while this one. I’d been given a piece of hardwood from a local joinery business. As it was hardwood and quite a bit thicker than the wood I normally use for making clocks it took a while to cut and finish. I also had to source some new clock movements which took a while but it all came right in the end. It was a pleasure to be able to gift the clock to Gloria and her son at the Wings of Glory Restaurant.
Food and Drink
We went for a meal at the Wings of Glory restaurant in Riverside, Cardiff. The owner Gloria is from Cali, Colombia. We had a selection of Colombian food made by Gloria and served up by her son. The dishes were quite meat orientated but with fried plantain and arepas (cornmeal cakes).
Wings of Glory, Cardiff
We had a failed attempt to find some Colombian food in an international supermarket here in Cardiff. I picked them up on the internet as advertising Colombian food but it had been discontinued I’m afraid. Never mind, it was an interesting exploration.
Finding a Colombian drink wasn’t difficult – the country is a major coffee producer. We found a local seller of Colombian coffee and enjoyed drinking it over our ‘virtual’ month there.
Meeting someone from Colombia
See Food & Drink above!
Gloria and her son at the Wings of Glory restaurant in Cardiff
Music
My first chance to take in some jazz on this virtual world tour. There was nothing specific but quite a few Colombian jazz playlists were listened to on Spotify, though I’m hesitant to recommend any in case they are not authentic Colombian! To get a bit more Latin music I listed Narcos playlists. A good month for music!
Farewell Colombia
It seems like I won’t be returning from Colombia this weekend as originally planned. It all started to go wrong in the taxi to the airport. Even after spending a month here my Spanish is very poor. That together with my poor hearing has seemingly led to some communication problems. The taxi driver kept going on about money and mules and got very agitated. In the end I had to pretend I already had a mule and didn’t want another one. This didn’t satisfy him and he drove me out of town, threw me out of the taxi and said if I wanted my bag back which had my passport in it I was to meet him back at the airport today.
The only thing I could think of doing to persuade him that I already had a mule was to buy one. Luckily enough there was a farm close to where I had been thrown out and after a bit of haggling I was the proud owner of Pedro, a Colombian mule. It took a long time for me and Pedro the mule to get back into town, stopping lots of time on the way to give him a rest.
The taxi driver was at the airport as arranged to meet us but again didn’t seem at all happy. He got so agitated that in no time we were surrounded by armed police and he was led away. I don’t know why he looked so unhappy as they were promising him a one way ticket to USA. Meanwhile, the police didn’t seem to believe my story. They got me my bag and promised to take good care of Pedro but insist I stay here another three or four days. They won’t lever me alone. They even accompany me to the toilet. It’s all very strange.
So the random number generator we use to chose the next country to visit has eventually allowed us out of Africa. We went to Bulgaria. I was last there some 18 years ago when it was the first country to be picked out of the hat at the start of my Guinness European Capital City challenge after visiting Dublin. That seems a long time ago now. I remember being very excited about embarking on the challenge combined with the excitement/nervousness of travelling alone to a destination I knew little about. It also had the challenge of coping with the Cyrillic alphabet.
I’ve watched a few videos of modern-day Sofia. The multitude of ‘places of worship’ are still there as are the relic of the communist era but it somehow seems tidier than it used to and maybe there are not so many missing man-hole covers as there were making it safer for the pedestrian on a night time walk. The tour of Bulgaria by Rick Steves was interesting. I also listened to an interesting interview with Bulgaria’s new Prime Minister, Kiril Petkov.
I must say that I don’t think I’ve got properly under the skin of Bulgaria in this ‘virtual’ visit meaning I’ve not attempted any whimsical imaginary trips so please forgive me. Maybe there were too many other distractions in the month we spent there or maybe I got a bit disillusioned about my failure to meet a Bulgarian. I think I’d better reign back my ambitions a bit next month.
Meeting someone from Bulgaria
It’s took a while but I did eventually manage to meet a Bulgarian. Sneja, from Plovdiv, Bulgaria runs the Pekarna stall at farmer’s markets. We met up with her at Insole Court and purchased various items made with hand-made filo pastry, a recipe taught to her by her grandmother and a Bulgarian loaf of sweet bread. It was a pleasure to gift her a clock I had made in the shape of Bulgaria.
Food
We had just the one meal at home this month, a Bulgarian moussaka – which is a bit like the Greek version but made with potatoes instead of the aubergines. And very tasty it was too.
Drink
We found Bulgarian Deer Point wine available and got hold of a couple of different bottles and very palatable it was too.
Literature
Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov. That was sure an interesting read. A labyrinth of stories. Provoked a lot of self-reflection in me. Not difficult to read but in many ways dense and not to be rushed. I lost the thread at times and read it more as a series of short stories. Well-written and well-translated.
On the lighter side I also read ‘A Brit of Bulgaria’ by Richard Clasby. Written in diary format, a good intro to life of an ex-pat in Bulgaria, but one who works as an odd job builder, does lots of charity work and grapples bureaucracy with plenty of wildlife thrown in. Strangely enough it was this book that gave me perhaps my greatest insight into modern-day Bulgaria.
Film
Zift (2008) – A man is freed on parole after spending time in prison on wrongful conviction of murder. Jailed shortly before the Bulgarian communist coup of 1944, he now finds himself in a new and alien world – the totalitarian Sofia of the 1960s and onwards to the modern day. Filmed in black and white, full of somewhat bizarre characters and events but enjoyable.
Love.net (2011) – a film about that follows the parallel stories of a number of characters who are trying to change their lives via the Internet or are simply having fun online. Not a great film but not awful. Improves as it goes on and the stories develop. Too much unnecessary titillation in my opinion (I must be getting old!). Didn’t get too much insight into modern Bulgaria except that the apartments looked very smart and modern.
Music
I tried a number of Bulgarian playlists on Spotify but I kept coming back to a CD I purchased in Sofia when I was in there in 2004. Looking back at my notes from that trip it was a band of five male singers, three of whom were blind, with an accordion performing in the street. Lots of good harmonies. I wonder if they are still performing?
I managed to obtain a nice bit of off-cut hardwood from a local carpentry business from which to make a clock in the shape of Bulgaria. Another interestingly shaped country, perfect for a clock!
Charity
Casting my mouse around to see if there was a Bulgarian charity I would like to support I came across the work of Friends of Bulgaria which focuses on the wellbeing of children growing up without parents or family in institutional care. What particularly caught my eye was an upcoming triathlon they are competing in and raising funds for Ukrainian refugees in Varna.
Railways
Bulgaria is the first country on our virtual tour we’ve visited that has an extensive railway network. I contacted my friend Ian who is aiming to travel by rail in every European country. He’s almost made it. And yes, he has been to Bulgaria and was kind enough to share with me his blog of his 11-day trip there. I was tired just reading it! Ian is a great planer and record keeper as well as someone who finds interesting things to do and see even in destinations described as dull and boring in guide books. I can tell you that on his trip there in 2011 he travelled 1154 miles by train at an average speed of just 30mph. He’s also good at finding restaurants, another reason I like travelling with him!
New Siemens loco about to be delivered to Bulgaria in 2022
Stamps
Used Bulgarian stamps are very inexpensive and you end up with quite and eclectic mix. Art and theatre seem to be one theme they concentrate on as well as sporting achievements.
Geocaching
When I went to Sofia in 2004 geocaching was still in its infancy. There were a few geocaches in Bulgaria but not in Sofia itself. I had an idea of creating a virtual geocache whilst I was there and did all the homework but when I returned home, put it all together and submitted it for review, it was rejected on the basis that I was not a resident of Bulgaria and could not maintain it, even though it was a virtual cache and did not have a physical geocache at the end of it. Bulgaria remains one of the few European countries where I have not found a cache.
As part of this challenge I want to solve a mystery cache in each country I visit virtually. Things have changed a lot and there are now loads of caches there including many mystery caches. I tried to solve one based on the tile game 2048 and must have attempted it more than ten times but failed every time. Instead I solved one called For Bravery and based on the date of the Serbian-Bulgarian War. Not only was it interesting but it reacquainted me with using Excel spreadsheets.
Highest Point
The highest peak in Bulgaria is Musala which stands at 2,925 metres (9,596 ft). A peak that is reasonably accessible in summer months, in particular on days the gondola is running which takes you part way up. It is snow-covered for many months over autumn-winter-spring making ascents much less common. Rob Woodall gives a good account of his ascent, when he was unfortunate enough to turn up on a July day when the gondola was not running.
Sport
Again I failed to find a game Bulgaria were competing in where I could cheer them along. After a bit of research I came across the high-jumper Stefka Kostadinova. Her world record of 2.09 metres has stood since 1987. That’s a long time! She was the 1996 Olympic champion, a twice World champion, and a five-times World Indoor champion.
Farewell Bulgaria
A lot seems to have changed since I was last in Bulgaria in 2004. Perhaps the biggest change is that Bulgaria is now in the European Union and the UK isn’t. One day it would be nice to go back there in person.
If you enjoyed reading this you may like to read about other countries we have visited as part of our Armchair travel Challenge.
The random number generator we use to select the next country for us to visit appears to like Africa. It chose Rwanda this time. Some early homework revealed Rwanda is a country which has some tasty food with lots of bananas included. We thought we’d even aim to source some banana beer. Rwanda looks green and lush and is called the ‘Land of a 1000 hills’. It didn’t enter the Winter Olympics nor did they qualify for the finals African Cup of Nations football competition currently underway so I chose to concentrate on their cycling competition. My other initial impression was that it’s an excellent shaped county to make a clock of! It looks a bit of a no-nonsense country so I’d better watch my step. Please remember therefore that the following tales are all in my imagination.
Travel in Rwanda
Well that was a surprise. Rwanda is not what I was expecting at all. Perhaps that’s why I got so many things wrong and ended up, how can I put this, in trouble.
I should have guessed that my preconceived ideas of Rwanda being a desperately poor and underdeveloped country was wrong when I went to see Arsenal play and their shirts were emblazoned with ‘Visit Rwanda’ slogans.
Like many of you no doubt, the last I had heard of Rwanda was the 1994 genocide when close to a million people were killed in the space of 100 days. A lots been going on since then with reconciliation being at the heart of it. I’m not going to paint a scene of a bed of roses and with an administration in power that could be described as authoritarian, I’m going to watch my step.
I flew from Heathrow on with the swanky RwandAir straight into the capital Kigali. Rwanda is a small, landlocked country, about half the size of Wales, mid way down the eastern side of Africa. I had an image of dry, arid, dusty capital but no its not. Kigali is almost as green as Wales and nothing like I imagined. It is modern, swanky hotels, new cars, lots of scooters and very welcoming. Something I wasn’t prepared for.
I’ve learnt to travel over the years without drawing attention to myself. I dress down and carry what I need for the day in a plastic carrier bag. That way I aim to look just like I am out doing a bit of grocery shopping. This time however that policy got me into trouble. None of my mates told me plastic bags are banned in Rwanda! The policeman was very kind. He let me off with just a warning provided that I attended one of the monthly clean-up days that Kigali has.
I turned up ready to do my penance but it seemed everybody else in the country had done something wrong. The place was packed with litter pickers. No wonder the city is so clean.
I also got into trouble when I walked into a bar and asked for the local banana beer. It was brown and cloudy – a bit like a Bass in the 1970s. I complained saying it looked like it had been made from bananas that had been wrapped in banana leaves and buried underground for three days before being retrieved and fermented. It turned out that’s exactly how banana beer is made.
(A video that helped give me an insight into the country: Oscar and Dan)
Railway
We had a bit of a problem catching a train initially in Rwanda as there aren’t any. But we weren’t going to let that deter us. Rwanda has become known a place where it is easy to do business. It’s like a Singapore of Africa. There’s been lots of tentative plans to build a railway in the past but nothing had materialised – not till now. It seemed like plans are all well and good but if you keep falling out with your neighbours then things aren’t easy. Having said that if the UK and France can build the Channel Tunnel and even get it to meet in the right place in the middle then anything is possible.
Our plan was to build a north-south and an east west railway line to the borders with DRC, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. That would show a sense of willing and if the neighbours wanted to join up the line they could. Even if they didn’t we thought it would be a great tourist attraction.
One slight problem though. Rwanda is also known as the Land of 1000 Hills and hills aren’t always conducive to building railways. Not to worry, if we can build railways in Wales then Rwanda should be a doddle. We just kept to the valleys and went around any hills. The idea of the prototype trains seen on past Rwanda stamps however had to be shelved. With those long noses they just couldn’t get around the sharp bends we had put in.
Highest Point
They say everything you read about Rwanda is about gorillas and genocide. From my experience it’s true. The books I’ve read and films we’ve watched all focus or mention them, oh, and banana beer – its everywhere. These next couple of days would be no exception. We were heading up to Rwanda’s highest point, the volcano Karisimbi and at 4507 meters, 14,787 feet, and it’s a bit of a beast. It lies in north west Rwanda right on the DRC border, and in the Volcano National Park, famous for its mountain gorillas. We were told that if the gorillas don’t get you the kidnappers will, hence the need for guides and a military escort.
Most people we met were in the area to start their gorilla treks. We were lucky because on the first day a couple of gorillas popped out to see us on the forest trail. I think they wanted to see me in my green wellies. Well, it is the rainy season and pretty muddy, and that’s me saying that from Wales.
We camped just below the summit and the solders lit fires and were kind enough to share their food with us – potatoes and bananas. We were up before dawn the next day, quickly climbing above the tree-line and on the summit by mid-morning luckily escaping any altitude sickness which some suffer from climbing this peak. The other thing I wasn’t expecting was the snow at the top! There’s no road up here but there is a communications mast, built by hand apparently – they must like communicating. In no time at all it was time to head back to Kigali.
We have had our first experience of cooking plantain – looks like a banana but is starchy rather than sweet. Igisafuliya means “pot” in Kinyarwanda, one of the official languages of Rwanda, and so named because it is all made in one pot. It consists of chicken (not a lot), onions, leeks, pepper, tomatoes, celery (or in our case celeriac), plantain and spinach. The addition of rice and garlic bread was not in the original recipe.
Drink
Every Rwandan book read and film I watched seemed to have a reference in it to banana beer. I managed to find an online purveyor of Rwandan beer/wine and thought I would be daring and order some. It was a bit of a nerve-wracking experience since as soon as I placed the order I received an e-mail back saying that my luxury handbag was on its way from a delivery company in America. Exactly the same thing happened to a friend who writes an excellent beer blog Big Alex’s World Beer Blog and picked up on my discovery of a source of Rwandan beer and ordered some. Fortunately our beer arrived safely and not our luxury handbags. I found the 11% banana beer pretty refreshing. It may look like the homebrew I made in college days but tasted like a fizzy punch.
We also managed to find some Rwandan coffee. One of the books I read described the challenges of developing a coffee industry and the need to get the freshly picked coffee beans to the washing plant within four hours. The lack of transport made this difficult hence initiatives started up to provide loans for people to purchase bikes to transport the beans.
Film
We managed to find three films to watch about Rwanda:
‘Shooting Dogs’ with John Hurt and Hugh Dancy. A film about the 1994 genocide from the point of view of a priest and an English teacher who share their school with UN peacekeepers. A harrowing watch which leaves you asking ‘what would I have done?’
‘Hotel Rwanda’ . Another film about the awful 1994 genocide. It portrays hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his efforts to shelter over 1000 people in the besieged Hôtel des Mille Collines during the genocide. Since leaving Rwanda in 1996, Paul Rusesabagina has become a prominent critic of the Rwandan regime and is currently serving a lengthy jail sentence.
‘Gorillas in the Mist’ starring Sigourney Weaver as the American naturalist Dian Fossey who goes to Rwanda to study the mountain gorillas. She is appalled by the poaching of the gorillas for their skins, hands, and heads. She is eventually murdered by person/people unknown. Her efforts are said to have helped save the gorillas from extinction and made the administration in Rwanda realise the tourist potential of the mountain gorillas. Part of the income generated from gorilla treks now contributes towards their preservation. The film seems pretty dated now but still a moving watch.
Literature
There was no shortage of literature for me to read. I ended up reading four books in all, two fiction and two non-fiction books, a bit of a record for me as I’m normally a slow reader.
‘Our Lady of the Nile’ by Scholastique Mukasonga. It may seem strange but out of the films and books on Rwanda this is the best I’ve encountered for giving me a real insight into the country, customs, food, countryside and its people. It is told from the point of view of the pupils at the Our Lady of the Nile boarding school and has translated very well from its original French.
‘The Flower Plantation’ by Nora Anne Brown – beautiful writing. I hadn’t realised how it dovetailed into the ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ story till part way through
‘Do Not Disturb’ – Michela Wrong. A weighty tome. A piece of investigative journalism looking at Rwanda over the years. Puts the genocide in context. Not a book to take with you on holiday to Rwanda.
I extended my ‘virtual’ stay in Rwanda to follow the Tour du Rwanda and read ‘Land of Second Chances’ by Tim Lewis. I don’t pretend to know a lot about cycling but now know more than I did before and much more about life in Rwanda. A good read, well written and more than just about cycling.
Stamp
Gorillas seem to be synonymous with tourism in Rwanda so what better stamp for me to get as part of my ‘virtual’ holiday than one with a gorilla pictured. They look fine creatures.
Geocaching
I tackled solving the only Puzzle Cache currently in Rwanda. It was called Never Again and gave me an opportunity to learn more about the genocide and to spend time reflecting on past atrocities in the country. Here’s wishing Rwanda a bright future moving forward.
Charity
I was happy when I discovered Rwanda Restored, a local charity based here in Cardiff that is supporting education in Rwanda. Rwanda Restored seeks the advancement of education of young people in Rwanda by building or improving schools, relieving financial hardship by providing money for food, housing, education, clothes and social support for widows and orphans across Rwanda. It was certainly interesting learning more about the valuable work they have been doing in Rwanda over the years, building a school and financially supporting pupils who attend.
Clock
I’m continuing to try and make a clock in the shape of each country I visit. Rwanda is another nice shape for a clock. I failed in my attempt to meet anyone in Rwanda in Cardiff so rather than have the clock sit on my bookcase I gifted it to Rwanda Restored and they kindly took it out to their school in Kigali where it now of the wall. Many thanks.
Sport
I stayed on a bit longer in Rwanda than I originally intended to in order to catch some of the Tour du Rwanda cycling race. I didn’t find a live stream of the race but the highlights on the official YouTube channel were good to watch. As well as the cycling it was interesting to see countryside and people. Stage 6 was won by Ukrainian Budiak Anatoli, a valiant effort considering the terrible things happening in his home country.
Rwanda – Music
Rwanda is quite a musical and dance nation as far as I could tell. Like the Rwanda nation itself it has modernised quickly and there is a lot of hip-hop music around. Searching Spotify and I came up with quite a few playlists that appealed to me from gospel to traditional music with a strong bass and harmonies.
Farewell Rwanda
The modernisation of Rwanda had completely passed me by so it’s been an excellent month learning about Rwanda old and new. I haven’t met a Rwandan as yet but did get the opportunity to meet up with some people who had visited the country and it was great to listen to their experience. Farewell my friends.
Meeting someone from Rwanda
When we had our ‘virtual’ month in Rwanda earlier in 2022 I never managed to arrange meeting anyone in Cardiff from Rwanda.
In August 2022 presented an opportunity to put that right. We had the pleasure of seeing and meeting Ingoma Nshya – the ground-breaking Woman drummers of Rwanda.
I learnt that for centuries in Rwanda, drumming was an activity reserved exclusively for men. Women were not permitted to touch the drums or even approach the drummers.
They played at the Clifton Street Festival and gave it their all. Well done.
It’s a public holiday today – Independence Day. They are celebrating 71 years of independence since King Idris became their first head of state. I’m not making that up – his name was Idris. There must be some Welsh blood in there somewhere.
Welcome to Tripoli, the capital of Libya. It’s sunny and 18 degrees. Getting here was not easy and things here are, let’s say, a little bit tense. Tourist visas don’t exist so it was a case of obtaining a working visa, not an easy task. We flew in via Tunis and were met by our official guide at Tripoli airport. This isn’t a place to wander around alone. Our guidebook was published in 2002 and a lot has changed since then!
Today was also supposed to be the day of Presidential elections but they got postponed on Wednesday, hence things are even more tense than normal.
Many Libyans were looking forward to casting a vote and getting a taste of an election process – maybe next month. One of the candidates was Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former leader Muammar Gaddafi. Some of the other candidates were equally controversial.
After being taken on a tour of Tripoli, seeing some of the ancient buildings in the Medina built in the 4th century, the modern Tripoli and the blue of the Mediterranean, we have escaped back to our apartment to make Independence Day dinner. We had Mbatan Batata – stuffed and fried potato wedges, accompanied by couscous and fried vegetables.
Here’s wishing you all a Happy Christmas. May your couscous be free of sand.
There’s a lot of Libya. It’s one big country. But as everyone will tell you most people live along the coast and have done for generations. This included the Romans. They build a huge city here called Leptis Magna, the largest Roman city in Africa. Our local guide took us the roughly 150km ride to see the remains. There was hardly anyone there. I made my usual weak jokes about how it will be nice when it is finished which didn’t go down too well and I was told the remains would have been even more intact had the French not nicked a lot of it, shipped it back to France and incorporated it into the chateau of Versailles.
Libya Highest Point
The highest point in Libya is Bikku Bitti, 2,266 metres (7,434 ft). It is located in southern Libya, near the Chad border and is incredibly remote, deep in the Sahara Desert. Add to that that the area is extremely arid and littered with landmines and ordnance, the risk of bandits and it is illegal to visit. It only has one recorded ascent, by British mountaineer Ginge Fullen. I say only one recorded ascent but when he got up there, with a couple of guides, on his third attempt, there were same cairns at the top. That must in one way have been somewhat disappointing. There is an interesting report of the successful expedition, but no summit photos mind you. It states that on reaching the top Ginge left a bottle up there with Gadaffi’s Green Book inside which he had signed and dated, a toubou knife along with some M&Ms inside a cairn along with his walking stick.
For our trip, Alex and I went well prepared. We weren’t going to let a scarcity of water defeat us so we took a very long hose pipe, heavy and time consuming to lay but worth it in the end. I had told Alex it only rains there once every 30 years but we still took our macs – after all we are from Wales. It took an age to reach the summit and boy were we glad to find a packet of M&Ms someone had left us and a knife to open them. We left an tin of spaghetti hoops and a copy of the Western Mail.
Libya Train Journey
You just wouldn’t believe how difficult it was to get to go on a train journey in Libya. Ian told me it wouldn’t be easy, there being no railways, but I was up for the challenge. First we had to overcome the problem that tourists aren’t allowed into Libya at present. Going under the guise of a pair transport consultants overcame that hurdle. We soon hooked up with our guide/fixer who had connections in all sorts of places.
To say Libya hasn’t a railway isn’t quite correct. It doesn’t have a functioning railway. It has a short section of track and one train – and boy, what a story there is behind it. The train is an Italian IC4 ‘given’ to Colonel Gaddafi by then Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in 2009. I say ‘given’, it was one of those gifts that had conditions attached i.e. if I give you a train, you give Italy a big railway construction project. The flaw in this plan was that Gaddafi was overthrown before the contract came to fruition.
The other flaw was that it wasn’t Silvio Berlusconi’s train to give away. It was part of a contract to deliver 83 trains to Denmark. It took Denmark a number of years to discover they only had 82 trains and what had happened to their missing train. The giveaway was that the IC4 in Libya had signage in Danish all over it.
Anyway, this IC4 train is still laid up in Tripoli – until now that is. Our guide/fixer was very clever and had many friends. First he discovered that the key had been left on top of the front wheel. Then he got his friends to give the train a service, some new oil and even to construct some extra track for us to use.
And we were off. An early start as I know how Ian likes to have his cooked breakfast on board a train. Before Berlusconi shipped the train to Libya he had arranged for a bit of an upgrade. He didn’t want to see Gaddafi slumming it after all. One carriage was converted into a suite and another into a conference room. Ian and I made best use of these facilities we could, careful not to spill any couscous on the carpet.
Before we knew it, it was time to park up the IC4 back where we found it, lock up put the key back. Another great international armchair railway adventure.
Yes I know I said I was aiming to solve a Puzzle Geocache in each country I ‘virtually’ visit but the problem here is that there aren’t any in Libya. Instead, I chose to ‘virtually’ visit Acacus – First earthcache in Libya (GC18KWH) . Anyone who caches with me will know I’m no great fan of Earthcaches (and that’s putting it mildly). You would have thought being a scientist that I would like them but I’m afraid geology just doesn’t rock my boat. So to try and make things easier I invited Olddandare to join me. I’m sure I recall him telling me he knew a thing or two about riding camels and picked it up watching John Noakes ride one on a Blue Peter expedition.
This earthcache is in the Fezzan region of Libya in the South-West, where its hot and sandy and as I’ve found out from reading, a long way from anywhere. It’s an area that used to be popular with tourists but in recent years not so much. You still need as permit from the authorities to visit and a 4×4 or in our case, some good camels.
The scenery was stunning and the evenings chilly. Apart from the unusual rock formations there are ancient wall paintings in the area. What these reveal is that the area hasn’t always been desert as amongst the paintings are things like rhinos and crocodiles.
Last night was indeed a bit chilly in the desert, but made bearable by the high quality sandwiches prepared by Olddandare. I did have trouble getting to sleep though because someone kept humming Maria Muldaur’s – Midnight At The Oasis. Not sure if it was Olddandare or the camels.
And could I answer the question on the cache page? No, of course we couldn’t. Back to school for us.
Olddandare reported back that he’d had some difficulties with the visa but thanks to my insider knowledge he arrived in the country. We had two types of sarnies representative of the national dish(es) of Libya the traditional tuna and harissa and also Imbattin, which is fried potato and beef. We got sand in them but surely that’s part of the fun of a picnic in the desert?!
He said he could have done with a bit more padding on the camel, and I bet he/she was struggling under the load.
Charity in Libya
In all the reading I’ve been doing about Libya in the past month, migrants and refugees feature highly, whether it be the part migration has played in Libya’s history or the present day migration crisis. In recent years, stories of migrants and refugees is about the only time we hear Libya mentioned in the UK media. The country is on the main migration route from Africa to Europe and the last African county refugees visit before embarking on the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean. Reports often feature stories of exploitation, gangs, imprisonment and violence. Some of the refugees are from Burkina Faso, the country I ‘virtually’ visited before Libya. They are fleeing the violence that’s been occurring in the north of Burkina Faso in recent years. I don’t pretend to have any answers. It hasn’t been easy for charities to work in Libya but one organisation that seems to be doing so is the International Rescue Committee. I was interested to read that their roots go back to founder Albert Einstein.
Libyan Film
Libya doesn’t appear to have an established film-making industry. I therefore had a search around to see if I could find any films that had been filmed in Libya. I came across ‘Lion of the Desert’, a 1980 film about the Second Italo-Senussi War, starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leader Omar Mukhtar, a Bedouin leader fighting the Italian Army and Oliver Reed as Italian General Graziani. It also starred Rod Steiger as Mussolini. Even John Gielgud was in it. Quite a star cast. It is set in the 1930s and tells the story of Omar Mukhtar and his men fighting the Italian colonization of Libya.
A tough film to watch in some ways but educational at the same time. The last hour of the three was hard going. It was also a whole new experience for me – renting a film on-line. This project is teaching me all sorts of new things!
Libyan Literature
I read ‘The Bleeding of the Stone’ by Ibrahim al-Koni, Libya’s leading novelist and published in 2003. He has been called a master of magical realism. I don’t begin to say I understood all the symbolism that was no doubt present but it certainly helped to develop the sense of the area and well as the Bedouin people. I don’t think I’ve heard of them since school geography lessons. It’s a book about deserts, man’s relationship with nature, spirituality and religion, environmentalism and the effects of solitude as well as a good dose of mysticism.
I also read ‘Green Mountain’ by Gwyn Williams, a Welsh poet who was Professor of English at the University of Libya in the 1960s. The book is a travel book about the Cyrenaica region of north east Libya. As you may expect from a book written by a poet, it is well-written with lovely descriptions, and has lots of history. It’s also a book that contains a snapshot of the time, around the time oil wells were being developed and pre-Gaddafi.
Libyan Music
I was struck with what a high proportion of Libyan music was labelled as ‘wedding music’. It was only when I read about the average Libyan wedding lasting over a week did I realise why – they need a lot of music to fill that time. I listened to some Libyan folk and other selections on Spotify including the Libyan Icon playlist.
Libyan Food
We made a couple of Libyan recipes over the month. They certainly reacquainted us with couscous which we hadn’t had for a long while. It used to be one of our regular starch accompaniments but for some reason had got forgotten about.
I ventured into the kitchen and had a go at making Kusksu (Libyan Couscous with Spicy Beef and Vegetables). My wife helped by laying out all the ingredients I needed making sure my patience wasn’t tested by not being able to locate thing. Yes, I know if I cooked more often I would get to know where things are. For this recipe I needed to make a Hararat spice mix and here’s what went into it: cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, chilli flakes and allspice berries. They were roasted before being ground. The meal was very tasty though I can tell by the quality of my photograph that I’m never going to be a cook with thousands of followers on social media.
Libya Sport
I get the impression Libya isn’t famed for its sporting superstars. That’s no doubt doing a disservice to the many Libya sportspeople toiling away on the training grounds. My guidebook, albeit 20 years old now, writes how Colonel Gaddaffi’s son is the captain of the national football team and attempted to bring Pele and Maradona to Libya to make him the best player in the world. I think that’s the same person currently standing in the Presidential election so I guess he is focusing his efforts elsewhere at present.
As I couldn’t find a big match to follow live I thought I’d take a look back at the Libyan involvement in this year’s Olympic games i.e. the 2020 Olympic Games (good quiz question for the future – When were the 2020 Olympic Games held?). They had 4 participants. Hadel Aboud competed in the Woman’s 100 meters and came 5th in her heat with a personal best time of 12.70 seconds, not fast enough unfortunately to qualify for the next round. Their flag-bearer was Al-Hussein Gambour who competed in the men’s single skulls rowing. He qualified for the finals, rowing the 2000 meters in 7min 47.64sec but in the end ranked 29th, an improvement on his position of 32nd at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Rumours are that the others were competing in the best selfie competition.
Libya Stamps
My selection of stamps may appear strange. It was a set of three 1979 stamps featuring Colonel Gaddafi and the Green book. It is in no way meant to convey any support for the Colonel, more a look back in history. The Green Book contained Gaddafi’s political philosophy. It was widely distributed in Libya and abroad in Arabic and in English. The book contained some interesting ideas, the last being: ‘Spectatorship in sports, theatre and other entertainments is foolish. People should engage in sports directly, deriving the benefits of athletics for themselves, rather than standing by and watching others perform’.
Libya Clock
Libya was another good shaped country to make into a clock. If only all countries were this easy. It surprised me how much of their borders were straight lines. I think that stems from the resolution of relatively recent armed conflicts with neighbouring countries such as Chad.
𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 from Libya
A perfect conclusion to our ‘trip’ to Libya. We met up with Shoruk from Libya for a chat. Shoruk is a charming and bright young lady who my wife taught A-level chemistry. She has recently gained a degree in Architectural Studies at the Welsh School of Architecture here in Cardiff. It was lovely to learn some more about Libya from someone who has lived there. It was great to find a home for the Libya clock and even nicer to gratefully receive some gifts including a picture and some homemade cakes. Thank you Shoruk.
I also met briefly Libyan Adnan Arashi and his son-in-law who run McSims Maltese Bakery on Senghenydd Road. Their pastizzi signature bakes were very tasty. They gave me lots of hints about Libyan food as well as some history and what to look out for as a tourist.
Farewell Libya
I must admit there are some categories here that I haven’t quite got to grips with as yet such as Geography / History / Current Affairs / Economy / Nature / Science etc. I don’t mean in relation to Libya specifically, I mean in relation to this ‘challenge’. I don’t just want to sit here and repeat what’s written on Wikipedia and other such websites as it is dull for me and easy for readers to do that themselves. After all, I may get things wrong.
Instead, I now bid farewell to Libya. The people I have met and seen on videos are smiling and welcoming. The country is going through difficult times in recent years. I wish them all the best.
A shorter journey today for us found us at ‘L for Llantwit Major’. A varied day of history, a blustery beech walk and Greggs vegan sausage rolls. What more could a man want?
There are a couple of different way of getting to Llantwit Major by train from Cardiff. You can either go via Bridgend on a modern GWR train, change and then south to Llantwit Major, or you can choose to go TfW via Dinas Powys, Barry, Rhoose. Going via Barry allows you to travel over the viaduct at Porthkerry, something I normally just look at from the ground up. It’s a wonder it is still standing given the problems they had constructing it in the late 1900s, with lots of subsidence experienced and underpinning necessary. Sorry, I didn’t man to make you nervous next time you are crossing it.
After arriving at Llantwit we headed for the historic part of the town taking in the town hall and views of some attractive and tempting pubs. We arrived at St Illtud’s church which seems a microcosm of history covering the last 1500 years. We struck lucky here in that the church happened to be open, it being a Sunday.
This was the site of the Monastery of Illtud and the college known as Bangor Illtyd, said to be one of the most esteemed centres of Christian culture in the Celtic world with 2000 students – no wonder there’s a lot of pubs in the town. Some claim this is the oldest educational establishment the country was on this site and St David and other saints were taught here in the 5th century. I wonder how he did in his SATs.
The church now houses a collection of Celtic stones which date back to the 9th century. The church itself dates back to the 11th century with later additions in the 13th and 15th century. I was particularly impressed by the medieval wall paintings in the old chapel.
After adsorbing all that history it was time to head to the sea. Its about a kilometre SW of the town and we mainly kept to the paths that ran parallel to the road. Not too many people around today on this blustery Sunday. The tall crumbly cliffs east and west of the pebbly beach always look impressive.
On arriving back in the town we had a bit of lunch and then ambled onto the station for our train home. We waited, and waited, and waited ………. a bit of a medical emergency at Bridgend apparently. Eventually it arrived and all was well – with the casualty too I hope.
I’d been wanting to ride the Heart of Wales line for a number of years and visiting Knighton provided the ideal opportunity. We had our South Wales Rover Tickets so planned to do a circular route, or should that be a triangular route, Cardiff to Llanelli, up to Knighton for some exploring, then onto Craven Arms and back down to Cardiff.
In winter months, over 60s living in Wales go on the Heart of Wales Line for free. As a result of this generous concession our single carriage from Llanelli to Knighton was rather full and noisy. The driver luckily spotted the fallen tree on the line as we approached it and he and the conductor jumped out to move it away – all part of the service. It was a bit like scenes from Casey Jones, the American railroad series I used to watch when I was a boy. If you did too then I bet the theme tune is playing in your head right now!
Casey Jones
Steamin’ and rollin’
Casey Jones
You never have to guess
When you hear the tootin’ of the whistle
It’s Casey at the throttle of the Cannonball Express
Knighton is right on the Wales-England border. Knighton first prospered as a centre of the wool trade in the 15th century. The town itself is in Wales but the train station is actually in England. The station opened in 1861 and is an impressive station in comparison to some I’ve seen recently. After a bit of exploring of Knighton we headed for a cafe lunch.
Knighton station
The town is dominated by the town clock, seemingly modelled on a space rocket. I wonder what it’s like inside? Can you still get all the way to the top and look out of the small windows I wondered.
Knighton, Powys
I’ve been looking at the photos of our trip (a few years after we made it) and just got very confused. There were pictures from the inside of a church and along a riverbank that I have no recollection of. It’s taken a while for me to figure it out – I wasn’t there. It was in fact the afternoon of the Wales versus Scotland rugby match, so whilst I retired to the Horse and Jockey to watch the game and Ian went off for an energetic walk. I should have remembered it as Wales beat Scotland in Edinburgh and went on to win the Grand Slam.
The days when sheep were the main passengers using Knighton station.
By perfect timing the train for Craven Arms left shortly after the final whistle where we picked up a Cardiff train. A long day on the rails and another great railway adventure that’s for sure.
My friend Ian joined me for a bit of train travel and we had a cunning plan. We would buy a South Wales Pass which allowed us four days travel on the train. One day 1 we went to Johnston in Pembrokeshire. As the train heads west from the busy Cardiff and Swansea stations things get a little quieter. Some trains go direct from Cardiff to Johnston but for us we had the added excitement of having to change trains at Clarbeston Road which is a request stop. It gave Ian an opportunity to take some photos, one of which is one of the best photos of a railway I think I’ve ever seen – well done that man.
Clarbeston Road station
Would our connecting train pick us up I wondered? I needn’t have worried. It all worked very smoothly and we were soon on our way to Johnston.
I’d never heard of Johnston before I started searching for stations beginning with the letter J. Having arrived there I could understand why. There’s nothing wrong with the village at all, just not somewhere you may come on a day out, unless like us, you had a cunning plan.
After being on a train for close to three hours I felt the need to do some geocaching. I found the cache near the station no problem and then the one near St Peter’s church. There’s been a church here since the late thirteenth century but there’s been a few rebuilds since then. After exploring the churchyard for a while we set off south down the Brunel Trail. The walk followed the former GWR line, designed by Brunel. I geocached for the first part at the same time was dodging the occasional cyclist. After that it was time to concentrate more on the walking. We passed some pretty ex-railway properties now converted into cottages and the Westfield Pill Nature Reserve.
Johnston and the Brunel Trail
On the outskirts of Neyland we left the trail and took another mode of transport, a bus over the Cleddau Bridge and into Pembroke Dock. There was enough time remaining for us to explore a bit of the town, go down to the dock and see the ferry leaving in the distance and then walk up to the station to catch our train home. Pembroke Dock station is one of those that looks like time has forgot. In fact it you didn’t know the timetable you may have wondered if it was still in use. Luckily it was and we were soon on our way back to Cardiff, via the Pembrokeshire coastal towns of Saundersfoot and Tenby.
Libya doesn’t appear to have an established film-making industry. I therefore had a search around to see if I could find any films that had been filmed in Libya. I came across ‘Lion of the Desert’, a 1980 film about the Second Italo-Senussi War, starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leader Omar Mukhtar, a Bedouin leader fighting the Italian Army and Oliver Reed as Italian General Graziani. It also starred Rod Steiger as Mussolini. Even John Gielgud was in it. Quite a star cast. It is set in the 1930s and tells the story of Omar Mukhtar and his men fighting the Italian colonization of Libya.
Cardiff Capers 