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The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page

Author: Matt Reynolds

  • Fez – Everyone is so Friendly

    Fez – Everyone is so Friendly

    After a close punch up at the Chefchaouen bus station, our bus was slightly delayed due to a small child that no one claimed, he was just chilling out on one of the reserved seats in front of me. The ticket holder looked unsure what do to, so when the driver got back on he…

  • Chefchaouen – Blue and Crimson

    Chefchaouen – Blue and Crimson

    The hotel reviews for Tetouan where fairly positive for the hotels themselves, however a few negative comments were directed at the actual locals not being very friendly. I had put this down to a few special snowflakes, until a friend emailed and happened to mention not to go to Tetouan, unless I want to be…

  • Tangier – Sipping Coffee Like a Local

    Tangier – Sipping Coffee Like a Local

    The grand taxi pulled up outside the bus station among a sea of blue petite taxis, there must have been a good hundred of them all parked around the area waiting patiently for their turn to shuttle people to their destination. Jumping out of the cramped back seat, I stretched and donned the backpack. Time…

  • Larache & Asilah – Spanish and Hippies

    Larache & Asilah – Spanish and Hippies

    Arriving at the Salé train train station and making my way to the ticket office, a station official called me over to try out the new automated ticket machine. This is the first I’d seen of this in Morocco and it seemed like they had just begun rolling them out. They’re very much like the…

  • Salé & Rabat – Medina’s and a Kasbah

    Salé & Rabat – Medina’s and a Kasbah

    I had looked over the map of the Salé medina and had an idea of where the riad (guesthouse) I was staying at was located. In fact the Maps.ME app that I had used in Myanmar even had it bookmarked, so I was fairly confident when I got off the train I could make my…

  • Casablanca – Play it Again, Sam

    Casablanca – Play it Again, Sam

    Yes I know that’s a famous misquote from the film, and now I know Casablanca the city is nothing like the film too. Forget the exotic locale, Casablanca is a grimy place full of rubbish in every possible nook and crany (note I’ve tried to avoid the grime in the photos). I had repeatedly read…

  • Sydney to Casablanca – Crying and Yelling

    Arriving at the Etihad counter I was greated with an enornous queue to check-in, snaking it’s way out of the roped area. One common theme holding up the line was people overpacking and going over the weight limit. One guy must have spent 15 minues repacking his suitcase, staying at the counter so no-one else…

  • Bagan – Part 2: Easy Rider

    Bagan – Part 2: Easy Rider

    The E-Bikes are straight forward vehicles. The right hand grip is the throttle, along with a manual squeeze brake. When I first mounted one of these things it was hard not to accidentally turn back the throttle and leap forward, which is exactly what I did and catapulted myself across the road and skid out…

  • Bagan – Part 1: New Bagan by Foot

    Bagan – Part 1: New Bagan by Foot

    The area of Bagan exploded in temple building dating back to the 11th century, when King Anawrathta was converted from Hindu to Buddhism by the monk Shin Arahan. Like all good monarchs that switch religion, he did so with much gusto and started an enormous Buddhist temple building exercise that lasted the course of 200…

  • Mandalay – Climbing a Hill and a Cruise down the Irrawaddy River

    Mandalay – Climbing a Hill and a Cruise down the Irrawaddy River

    The flight to Mandalay was aboard a small two prop aeroplane, just flying low enough below the cloud layer to enjoy the view of the lands below. I really like small planes like this, they’re agile and move quickly, not having that slow lethargic feeling of the bigger long distance planes. I had lucked on…