Anti-counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Goodbye freedom: ACTA

Once again we look to trade to solve the world's problems. If anybody read my article on Monsanto then I am sure you can see how ludicrous the whole situation is.

Want to help retain our freedom? Online activist Avaaz is one of my most frequented sites. They strive for justice through petitions and campaigning, giving a voice to all those crying out to end injustice. In a world of 7bn, we can too often dwell on our insignificance. This has to change.

Our attitude of 'but how can one person make a difference' needs to be abolished! This site shows that an individual action can lead to a global shift. Jump on board the band wagon guys, making a difference feels good!!

A terrifying tale... the Tesco Takeover.

When I left for my travels, my anxiety and sense of entrapment  had reached an all time high. Feeling worthless and lost in a country of mistaken identities, an almighty bang rang long and loud as my bubble of 'peace, love and happiness' had been burst for the last time. 


Naive some may say. 


I considered it hopeful. I was hopeful for change. Hopeful for a shift.


Returning 6 months later, my faith in Britain had been miraculously restored. Having met so many people who were seeking the change they wished to see in the world, I came home positive of a similar response. Up sticking to Bristol my hope became reality. A cohesive community that actively works to keep it local and encourages diversity, this metropolis shares my views and keeps me motivated in my ongoing battle for change.


Yet I am still left with an undercurrent of corruption as I see the Asian tiger rear its head. Now I am not referring to China here but instead the almighty beast that is Tesco. Tesco epitomises capitalism and a loss in the values that so many of us are trying so desperately to regain. 


Britain is no longer Great in the original sense of the word. Dwindling down to a rather pitiful blip in the global economy our power of 'reigning supreme' is but an afterthought in the history books. Having sold our soul to the multinationals and accepting defeat, many have succumbed to the mindless, sedentary squaller which capitalism has inadvertently created.


As I have previously mentioned in blogs past, many of us escape our country in order to reconnect to the self. Too frequently are we bombarded with advertisement and societal pressure to be something that was fabricated out of our consumer culture. Absorbed into these ideals many have lose sight of instinctive habits and the intuition that has made so many philosophers before us Great. 

So Tesco...


Our detachment from Gaia and feeling of disdain, as I hope to explain, can be told through terrifying tale of Tesco's...


Intensification: Farming is the lifeblood for which we are lost without. But ever since the 17th century our practises have been altered and manipulated to feed our fury. As a result, our rural lands and traditional values have become all but extinct. Increased buying power that has jeopardised centuries of farming, Tesco has pushed many farmers to the 'brink of bankruptcy' according to a 2005 FoE report. Further to this, Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) states that Tesco consistently pays suppliers nearly 4% below the average price paid by other retailers. 


Fact: Tesco finished in 5th place (out of 8) in the 2007-08 survey by CIWF, finding over 80% of chicken meat sold by Tesco to be from intensively reared fast-growing breeds. 


Globalisation: Tesco's investment overseas is relentless. But like many international brands, the practises they preach on their home turf is not upheld in the international market. Often paying workers wages that keep them in poverty, there is scant regard to their health and safety of employees. When I was in SE Asia it came as a shock to find palm oil in Cadbury's. 


100% Malaysian beef? I highly doubt it McDonalds. 


In the all too familiar Greenwash employed to cover their arses, companies portray an ethical concern to satisfy Corporate Social Responsibility.


Fact: Rankings of top companies in 2004 named Tesco as one of the worst offenders on social and environmental issues and heavily criticised its CSR report for being incomplete and inadequately verified (Accountability/CSR Network (2004) The Accountability Rating)


Exploitation: We need to exist as a self-sustaining global entity in order to maintain harmony in nature. Recognising the importance of individuality and inter-connectedness, community is a basic human need. Look to the wild and we see that community allows for protection, cooperation and sustainability. A breakdown of this norm and chaos ensues. Flip back to today and what do you see? 


Fact: Over-exploitation and land-use change are the biggest causes of species extinction (Millennium Assesment).


With Tesco monopolising the high-street, our ability to remain as unified being becomes somewhat limited. The ongoing battle in Bristol over Tesco's takeover of the high-street is but one example. Bristol prides itself on innovation and independence but the plight of the community to upheld this has fallen on deaf ears. Although 93% of Stokes Croft opposed the new Tesco, our loss of influence in the hierarchy of governance leaves us more ostracised than ever.


 Fact: Every day a new Tesco Express opens it's doors. 


Power: 'Power corrupts, Absolute power corrupts absolutely'. Have we not learnt anything from our forefathers? Land grabs are one of the biggest problems facing the developing world. With weak governance and lack of investment in the past,  Africa is particularly at risk. China is buying up land in the remaining fertile lands of Africa to help feed it's own population! Plundering local businesses and buying products from far reaching corners of the globe to compete with the low costs that local produces try to encourage, Tesco is a prime example of how warped the current system is. 


With no due care to the environment, Tesco's are also a major supplier of Palm oil-laden products. They may be a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil but there commitment still remains poor.  


Fact: Deforestation which causes 20 percent of global emissions and planting of palm oil on cleared lowland peat forests in places such as Indonesia releases  methane gas which has much more GWP than CO2.


In January, Tesco's market share dipped below 30% for the first time since 2005. Chief executive, Philip Clarke, admitted that Tesco had deep, "long-standing business issues" to address. Could investment in areas in which you are not welcome be the issue?

GROW 
As Oxfam's GROW campaign enters it's second year I will be working my preverbial socks off to help empower local farmers, spread awareness of the global issues we face and provide local solutions for you all, in order to make the steps towards a future that is sustainable. Stay tuned for updates!


Fancy a chuckle...
Been saving those Tesco clubcard points have we? Well pay a visit to the online shop and spend those points on an Oxfam gift to 'feed a family'. O the irony. 

A homage to Wildlife Photographers

I recently visited the Bristol museum to take a peak at the 2011 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards. I was overwhelmed by the captivating imagery, harrowing landscapes and sheer beauty of what was on offer. From dancing birds to stark seascapes, I highly recommend a visit.

Feeling inspired, I have tracked down a few of my favourite wildlife photos to share with you. Enjoy x

Jordi Chias Pujol

A winner from the 2010 WFoY.

Daniel Beltra: Still Life in Oil

One of the winners from this years WFoY. Daniel is a photography for Greenpeace an took this image in the aftermath of BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

 Vier Pfoten/Four Paws/Rex

This mother orangutan and her baby were saved by the animal charity Four Paws from people who are paid to kill them. There are allegations that many palm oil companies in the area of Borneo pay rewards of up to 1m Indonesian rupiah (about £70) for each ape killed.

Julia Cumbes/AP

More than 110 common dolphins have been stranded on Cape Cod shores in the last week.

Divine Presence; Ole C Salomonsen

'The greatness of a nation & its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated' - Gandhi

These photos are so inspiring. Gandhi is one of my role models. Please check out the rest by following the link x

Photograph: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images

Permaculture: planting your way to a sustainable future.

An article I wrote in Bali:

Considered by many as the number one tourist destination; Bali in the midst of an ecological crisis. With tourism reaching its highest since the bombings of 2002, environmental terrorism has occurred, and it’s taking no prisoners.

Rubbish clogs the arteries of this beautiful haven and a toxic fume, from the daily ritual of burning of plastic, pollutes the lungs. Its belly is grumbling and its mouth dry as its rice paddies are flattened and its waters drained for hotels. The tourist mob has constricted the heart of this once peaceful soul. Out of ignorance - whilst holes are burning in the pockets of the government - the residents are suffering.

The balance of man and nature is no longer harmonious. Barbaric dogs have become the dictator in this corrupt system that shoots and imprisons rare birds, poisons aquatic life and tortures the land due to misuse. Balinese are unaware of the damage they are causing, but the problem is only heightened by external influence.

Many see Bali as a place of tranquility, offering a spiritual journey for all those that seek it. But in reality, it is a place of consumption, lavish retreats and new-age thinking that is devoid of the traditions of Hindu culture. The tenets are grounded in connection with the Gods, the Earth and the Spirit and for millennia it has been an ideal. But then, in the 20th century, project globalization was initiated.

With it came the ‘green revolution’, which, in the 1973 brought chemicals and crops set to ‘save’ the third world from poverty. What actually happened was a breakdown of norms and a dependency on aid. Chemical companies became tyrants, spreading their seeds and spraying their chemicals which were destructive and expensive. Within a few short years it was too late to reverse the damage caused to the land by foreign strains, polluting pesticides and harmful herbicides.

Intensive farming systems instead of varied extensive farms now predominate in Bali. Land has become essentially unusable in some areas and it is only set to get worse under current conditions. The desire for more imported food, often due to western demands, is also straining this vulnerable system and something needs to happen in order to prevent disaster.

One way to avert this unfolding crisis is to embrace the Supa-farmer project inspired by Steve Cran from Green Warrior Permaculture (GWP). The project reintroduces old style farming with a modern twist as it actively encourages training and exponential growth. Supa-farmers will become role models for other farmers who will acquire the tools (and not in the literal sense) to inspire.

What is a supa-farmer?
Farming is a necessity and a way of life. It is the life blood of all societies but it is under threat from natural disasters, climate change and big business. The Supa-farmers project, trains and empowers all who work on the land, creating unified solutions to degraded farmland and societies. It is being used to instill traditional techniques and innovative technologies for maximum profit and sustainability. Working with nature, rather than against it, crops are changed to suit the land. Farmers are first trained in a System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Low External Input Agriculture (LEISA).

Subac farmers, hard at work.

These farmers undertake a contract with Green Warrior Permaculture for their first harvest, at the same price they received before. They agree to save a minimum of 30% of rice for future planting, as to sustain high yields, and agree to be retrained through regular workshops. These workshops will generate feedback, allowing farmers, volunteers and interns to suggest new techniques and ideas. They will also keep farmers enthused and with the assistance of a Balinese LEISA extension officer, the farmer will agree to train other farmers.

LEISA reduces the need for harmful chemicals and instead encourages the use of beneficial crops suited to the conditions of the land. Local varieties of plants (from open-pollinated organic seed) are encouraged and farmers are given training of how to grow them. Instead of monoculture systems (the planting of a single crop), polycultures will be encouraged to prevent pests and provide a diverse agricultural system. The results will
encourage other farmers to diversify and thus create community involvement.

Organic red rice

SRI is a new way of rice farming replacing hybrid seeds with nutritious, heritage red rice. Rice requires intense amounts of clean water, but climate change and excess water usage from hotels (etc) reduce the amount available. With the cost of farming is increasing the price of harvest has become stagnant. SRI uses organic methods in an ecological setting, incorporating ducks, fish and nitrogen-fixing azolla. Each component works in harmony to enhance nutrients and provide biological pest control. Rice intensification systems can yield twice as much as conventional rice cultivation whilst requiring a tenth of the seed stock and one fifth of the water use.

Ducks doing the hard work.

Permaculture
LEISA and SRI systems fall under the term ‘Permaculture’. It is a way of realigning with nature, by incorporating ecological principles into food production. With animism playing such a strong role in Balinese culture, it pays homage to mother earth by respecting her land, caring for it and reaping its rewards. Starting local (i.e. ones back garden), permaculture radiates out to the farm and community level. In time the forests,
the valleys and the whole country can create an organic system. It is small steps taken to stimulate widespread change and it can be implemented all over the world. Think of where you live. What trees are growing nearby? Can they be used for food? If not, why? People complain about the inability to provide enough food for the planet, but if we utilized available space with an ecologically conscious mind, then great things can
happen.

Organic farming methods and diversification, encouraged by LEISA and SRI, can be used to triple the wages of local farmers, giving them the power to control their land and not succumb to the corporations trying to buy it out. Locally, people can grow their own and supplement their supply with food from the farmer. Thus, once-impoverished communities can become prosperous and empowered, free from the ties of foreign aid. Cooperation and comradory are key but the foundations have been set.

Care for the earth, care for the people, share the surplus is what permaculture teaches. And I, as well as those who came before me, have truly been cared for. I am proud to say I am a Green Warrior! I have been inspired by the potential of permaculture and am excited to watch things unfold. Once skeptical, I am now positive about the future. Projects like this are sprouting up everywhere, even in the UK where I reside, but many are still in their germination stage. If you want to take action, then seek out the change in your own home, community or neighborhood. Dig out that hoe in your garden shed and get digging. Nothing is more rewarding than the fruits of your labour. The seeds have been sewn and I can’t wait to see them flourish.

Wormery/veg Vesuvius, mulch and our tree terrace. 

Thank you to Justin Grothe for his contribution and Steve Cran, Beck Sweetman and Lindsay Houska for being my mentors and friends x

Malaysia: The Westernised West

Peninsula Malaysia is a beautiful melting pot of cultures. Steeped in colonial history and shrouded in ancient forest, this land mass offers a plethora of opportunities. Yet the pattern that was oh so repetitive during my travels reaches its climax on the western frontier of Malaysia. The capitalist culture has ploughed it's way through valley, hill, mountain. It holds no bounds in a country who's pockets are bulging but poor are suffering.

A parallel universe to the one we are accustom. Buildings loom heavy as they tower above. The feeling of insignificance ever more asserting. Pollution. Violence. Unrest. Corruption. It is all too familiar.

Kuala Lumpur. An architectural playground. A rich mans dream. The epitome of wealth in a continent that is so desperate to survive. A laugh in the face of its inhabitants. The Petronas towers. An infamous landmark but a blatant kick in the teeth. A building that defines our pursuit of progress. Our greed and gluttony. The oil. Black treacle seeps from the pours of this country, one that has learnt nothing from our failings.

The intoxicating capital draws you in and then never lets you go. I endured almost a week in KL as I feel ill near the end of my trip. I tried to find the beauty but there was none. The only nature to see was in the fabricated amusements that occupied the downtown. A bird park and butterfly farm could be visited for a premium or you could see the stars if you handed over your ringget. Stars are no longer visible in KL. Light pollution and car fumes create an impenetrable layer in the night sky.

The towns of Melacca and Georgetown provide brief amusement away from the city but even these colonial areas have fallen to the intrigue of consumerism. Shopping malls and fast food vendors are creeping their way in, slowly chocking the town with tourists. Nature is non-existent. Amusement can only be purchased. Our 'happiness' has a price tag.

Borneo: A beautiful disaster.

My Idol, Sir David Attenborough, first grabbed my attention in 2001 after the Blue Planet documentary series. Ever since I have been absorbed by the beautiful camera work and dulcet tones so iconic to the programmes. Digging through the archives, I remember watching the Secret Life of Plants. Seeing both an insectivorous plant (pitcher) and one measuring around 2 meters (raflessia) for the first time, I was left with my jaw hanging and my eyes transfixed. I craved to encounter these phenomenons and as such, Borneo shot to the top of my bucket list.

I remember butterflies in my stomach as a boarded my flight from the Philippines. I wonder what species I will encounter? Will Borneo be what I had imagined? Short answer: No.

Sabah. Capital Kota Kinabalu. Population c. 500,000. Not what you would expect from primative Borneo right? Well times have changed. Being part of Malaysia, one of the fastest growing economies, the pristine preconceptions I had envisioned soon faded. A landscape dominated by concrete and high-rises, it didn't set of to a good start.

Venturing into the interior, there was a glimmer of hope as shades of green emerged as I approached the National Park, but the major species... was palm. Palm oil is THE biggest cause of deforestation. Our insatiable appetite for oil and convenience food has driven species to the brink and jeopardised the livelihoods of local Borneans.

I remember, vividly, a late nigh conversation I had with a local tribesmen over beer. I had visited the Kinibatangan river to see some of Borneo's famous flora and fauna. Unfortunately the oily film clogging the watercourse (effluent (POME) from the interlaced palm oil plantations that lined the river banks), erosion on the banks and signs of eutrophication are my long lasting memories. I discussed my discomfort and concern to this man who happened to be our 'tour guide' if you will. He mentioned that the government of Malaysia receives very little money from tourism. Locals are able to keep all the profits, which is a bonus, but this gives Malaysia no incentive to preserve its wildlife. Considering development as help not a hindrance, I almost fell of my chair when the man responded:


'To us, buildings are more beautiful than nature'

                                                      Palm oil plantation on the Kinibatangan

Borneo is synonymous with endemism and rarity. Beauty and mystery. A utopia, where jungle is thick, water is deep and sky is infinite. But each year this bubble is burst as more forest is cleared and more roads are paved to allow for the trucks to penetrate the forests.

I am a positive person, but the situation in Borneo in bleak. Sabah and Sarawak still have many places that remained untouched but even the ignorant tourists want to pay top dollar to visit communities that should be left alone. There needs to be a balance between tourism and exploitation. Many people I met in Borneo went to harder to reach places that had little impact with the outside world and said their experience was unforgettable. Yet these trips cost $100s. When did people begin to cash in on nature?? O yea, since the invention of money.

It seems conflicting. But I am often at odds with my own conclusions. I went to Borneo to see untouched wilderness, but who doesn't these days. I want to travel the world, but more and more are doing so. The chance to do something someone else hasn't brings out our competitive nature. I have a somewhat compulsion to seek out the unique and challenging experiences and my generation is also craving this desire. But with this we must bare the consequence as we too are to blame for the destruction of nature.

We escape our reality as we are often dissatisfied, but as our western desires and gluttonous wants start to rub of on the east, the world we try to escape rears its head as soon as we arrive. From western food, to modern transport and an absurd need for fashion, my journey through SE Asia is starting to generate a pattern upon reflection.

Yes, Asia is beautiful. Yes, I would move there in a heart beat. And, yes the people you meet will be with you a lifetime. But I can't help but think that this will all be gone within a few decades. But what is the solution when we seek to see the last remaining tiger or the only tree remaining in the forest? What came first, tourists or tourism? Consumerism or consumption?

I hope someone has the answers as I am struggling. I think if we travel light and leave only footprints than we can live a sustained and wonderful life. Not only will we protect nature, but we will protect ourselves. That feeling you get, that anxious one, the one that makes you want to flee to the rest of the world. Part of it may be inquisition. But most of it will be dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction from life. Dissatisfaction from yourself. I'll let you sleep on that one.

Nostaligic notetaking

Something I wrote during a rather long bus ride...

Travelling has allowed for many a day of reflection. Looking out of the window of our bus, the 4th in four days, I am reminded of all those long family car journeys. At the time, those trips seemed endless. Although never lasting more than a few hours, me and my sister would bicker and brawl. Inevitably one would arrive in tears, possible missing a tuft of hair (needless to say the baulding child was me more often than not with Hayley making it out unscathed). Yet, despite all the 'are we there yet[s]?' and 'if you don't shut up I will turn this car round' comments, there were moments in these journeys where I found great peace and satisfaction by sitting in silence, peering out of the back seat window, fixated on the life outside of our silver Passat. It is a supposedly insignificant memory, one that everyone has experienced but few dwell on. Yet, for me, they were some of my happiest moments, away from the bickering and away from consumptive distractions, I would become immersed in my thoughts. Questions would arise such as the 'why are the sky blue?' variety, but every now and again moments of genius of an aspiring environmentalist would emerge. But my inquisitive nature, a defining feature that is always with me, often lays dormant.

Today, like many a day in the life of a traveller, I am sat staring out of the window. Another day, another ridiculously long bus journey. But today, unlike most spent in transit, I am feeling relaxed, at-ease and reflective. I am not mindlessly staring, but am actively engaged by the life visible outside the confines of this particularly uncomfortable, excessively-air-coned bus (think wind tunnel in the arctic).
Instead of complaing of the child whining in front, the couple arguing behind, the smell of fried pigs ears coming from my right and the slightly concerning plastic seat coverings (OK, so I complained a little), I find myself gazing out at the Philippino countryside.

Rice paddies create a green smear in the distance, while the road markings strobe white to grey. The clouds dark and heavy, the impending rain about to break. Jeepneys and buses hurry past, struggling to break the speed limit due to their heavy load. A man slumbers under a tree, another urinates against its trunk. Tricycles hopelessly awaiting passengers instead provide shelter and a rather crammed bed for its driver. Tin shacks, sponsered by Malboro or Coca Cola, line the roadside, there to feed the hungry truckers or anyone with a strong stomach.

Crop land becomes marsh-land, marsh-land becomes rivers. Shanty towns surround towns, dead carcasses lining the shop windows. Towns become country again and before long the power lines becomes intertwined and numerous. The concrete jungle of Manila veers its head. Towering above, a boundary, a barrier.. what lies beyond this impenitrable fortress. Shopping malls, SM .. sado-masichism comes to mind. For some, the sick yet rewarding pain for others the pleasure of a consumerist culture.

Rain splatters the pavement. Umbrellas pop open, creating speckles of colour against the grey backdrop.
People walk with purpose, with a need and a frustration not seen in the countryside just a few minutes away.

Buildings grow taller, lights become brighter. A thick smog creeps in as the dirt roads change to paved. Lamp posts, the lines of the metro, car break lights, the hustle and bustle becomes uncomfortably common, seemingly worlds aways from green fields and pasture.

Feable attempt at suburbia, trees scatter the roadside, a poor distraction from the obnoxiously large billboards, promising  you will look like an American teenager if you buy these jeans.
Six malls in 5 minutes, a new record.

The skyscrapers of Metro Manila and the cranes that have become a permanent feature fill the skyline, adding to the unerving feeling of insignificance. Unique and beautiful has become uniform and claustriphobic in a matter of minutes. Green has been replaced by grey and even the weather seems to be in a constant state of glum. Yet in all its shameful glory, a charm still remains.

It buzzes and hums with life. Despiration and despair interlaced with hope and excitement.
A city craving acceptance.
A Desire to explore. To find that redeeming quality in the unconventional beauty.

So... the Philippines

I booked my trip to the Philippines on a bit of a whim really... I decided I needed a break before I ventured into the jungle. It was the best decision I have ever made.

Manila. The name sends shivers down the spine of many. Violence. Gang culture. An over-populated metropolis where beggars roam the streets, prostitutes tout the tourists and men carry guns (it is legal in the Philippines). The images and info I found whilst roaming the web left me feeling rather dubious about my choice. Nonetheless, I left feeling excited about a change of scenery. I arrived during the monsoon season. I have never experienced rain quite like it but even though I was pounded and drenched by the time I made it to my hostel, there was a kind of eery yet magical quality about the power of the storm. Nature is a wonderful thing.

Exploring the sights of the city, I dragged Sinead, Gavin and Geoff out in the rain. A motorised taxi (a pimped out but run down motorbike with side car) followed by a Jeepney (former US military WW11 jeeps) and we were there. The heart of metro Manila. Wading through inches of water and tonnes of rubbish and sewage, we passed many a vendor selling counterfeit goods.

Boarding the metro, me and Sinead in our 'female only carriage', we made it to China town (somewhat disappointing but still a right of passage when visiting any town in Asia). Passing through the arches of China town, we caught sight of a beautifully out-of-place anglican looking church. Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz towered over the central square, dominating the grey sky above. Inside is an Aladdin's cave of statues depicting various saints. Entering during mass, it was rather haunting to see the amount of men and women on their knees praying to the man upstairs.

A few hundred yards away, through the tangled web of streets and bodies, we arrived at a church of a far grander scale. Quiapo church was built by Roman Catholic missionaries (aka 'Franciscans') in the 16th century. A vast cavernous space which seemed rather lifeless in comparison.

Intramuros. Far removed from the typical imagery envisioned when Manila springs to mind, yet one of the most alluring. Although it is now essentially a walled student village, it history is steeped in Spanish influence. The oldest district, it was built during the height of spanish colonialism. White facades, balconies and a unified structure, Intramuros seems at odds with the rough and ready reality of Manila. Finishing the day with a San Miguel, we chilled in a coffee shop whilst, um, 'serenaded' by the singer waiters. They REALLY like their Karaoke.

North Luzon, the most northern region of mainland Manila. A beautiful mountainous landscape famous for its fertile soil and chilly climate. A long way from the capital, the journey to the north is split up by a stop gap in Bagio. A student town set high up in the mountains, it reminds me of the swiss alps in late spring. In keeping with the tacky chalet style digs, most accommodation is suitably kitsch, suitable for all the men and women who love a bit of thigh-slapping and lederhosen. Nonetheless, its hilly charm and penchant for good booze, it helps satisfy the weary traveller.

Sagada. The real gem of the Northern territory. A tiny populous of Philippinos who enjoy the simple things. With limited power, you really get to appreciate the natural beauty that shrouds this village. Caves are vast. There narrow passages and exquisite formations are most alluring. Limestone deposits act as velcro against your feet allowing you to become an amateur spiderman for the day. Spelunking and absailing are all included for the extra adrenaline kick and a generous helping of icy water leaves your skin supple - thats if you can avoid the potential frost bite. Food is tasty, but only for the truly carnivorous. Roast chicken became my staple and any thoughts of my vegan conscious were put on hold. Did you expect me to go hungry? Known for it's hanging coffins, fans of the underworld will get there fix in Sagada. A spooky spectacle.

Palawan. One of the largest islands of the coast of the mainland, but one of the least inhabited. Pristine forest and untouched wilderness makes Palawan the Philippines final frontier. Protected from the monsoons, a ray of sunshine always manages to penetrate the clouds. El Nido (meaning the nest) is a bay of clear blue and sandy yellow. You know those postcards of unspoilt beaches and an almost surreal vibrancy... the place you always expect to find. Well you will find it here. As you feel your heart beat ease and take your first breath of the truly fresh air, you know you have arrived. Beach huts scatter the shore and outriggers stand proud in the shallows. Apart from a few places to eat and the odd house you could easily think you were on your own private island. Mainly hanging with the locals, my experience of the Philippines was excelled to a higher level. With smiles on their faces and beer and guitar in hand, they lead the life that most dream of. Spending the day on many of the islands surrounding the coast and the night on the beach serving drinks, playing music or cooking grouper on the beach barbecue, there is very little to complain about in this little piece of heaven.

New Beginnings

It has been a tough start to the year, and I have had to make some big changes, but things are finally on the up! In a bid to declare my new start I have taken it upon myself to rewrite my previous articles and finish my stories from the far east.

But don't fret, I aim to provide you with compact and evocative snippets of my experiences, not hourly accounts of my time away. I realised I had too much time on my hands in Bali and made you endure some rather lengthy tales.

So here's to new beginnings.

I dedicate this blog to my friends and family who have been my rock and support system of late. Tears have turned to smiles at last. xx