The Last Place on Earth I Expected to get Married- Our Quest to Convince the Catholic Church to Marry Us in the Most Beautiful Church in Brazil

December 19, 2014February 9, 2016 Matt Edwards 2993 Views 2 Comments Architecture, Churches, Weddings

Brasilia is not usually regarded as one of the world’s beautiful cities. Spawned in 1956 from dusty red-dirt surrounds almost identical to the Australian Outback, the planned capital of Brazil resembles a curved white concrete dystopia in the middle of a desert- a vision perhaps of a future that never eventuated. But in the middle of this metropolis stands the world’s most beautiful church.

It was probably the last place on Earth I ever expected to get married.

Confiscated Toothpaste airport security check

Fun Stuff Travel Incidents

The Time US Customs Found Nitroglycerine on My Cell Phone

August 18, 2014August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 4579 Views Leave a comment Airline dramas, International criminals, Police encounters

I love Americans and I love visiting the US. The people are friendly, talkative and (mostly) clever, and they love Australians, so why shouldn’t I love them back?! There’s just one problem- and that’s that American airline companies and airport security don’t love me. At all. A case in point is the day US Customs found nitroglycerine on my cell phone.

FIFA Fan Fest, Copacabana Beach, 2014 World Cup Final, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Adventures

Watching the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil

August 14, 2014August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 2350 Views 1 Comment 2014 FIFA World Cup, Football, Parties, Sport

Although I love to travel and had a good old time at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000, I have very rarely travelled for a major sporting event. This all changed recently when I headed to Brazil to get married to my Brazilian girl. We timed the wedding for the week after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, so that we and the guests could have a second reason to visit Brazil. So.. how was the World Cup in Brazil?

Sydney Opera House with Universe Projection during Vivid Festival 2014

Photo Essays

Sydney Harbour Illuminated- Sydney Vivid Festival 2014

July 4, 2014August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 1514 Views Leave a comment Architecture, Lightshow, Photography

If you were ever in any doubt that Sydney possesses the world’s most beautiful natural harbour, this year’s Vivid light festival would have reassured you. Now the biggest festival in Australia, Vivid encompasses music performance and an ideas forum, but the real drawcard for the visitors in their millions is the projected lightshow. I rarely need an excuse to go down to Sydney Harbour for a gander so I thought I’d get on down and put my Canon EOS 6D through its paces.

Fun Stuff Travel Incidents

The Time I Boarded the Wrong Plane

June 30, 2014August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 4483 Views 1 Comment Flying

With airports supposedly a model of organisation, checking in, passing through security, reaching your gate and being cleared to board the correct plane is a walk in the park, right? Um, well actually…

Adventures Fun Stuff

Why this FIFA World Cup 2014 Means More to Me than Most- Getting Married in Brazil

June 17, 2014August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 2433 Views 1 Comment Football, Philosophy, Relationships, Religion, Romance, World Cup

As the world’s eyes turn towards Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, I’m getting excited not just for the football on display but for a passion of a different kind. I’m heading to Brazil for the World Cup Final, and the week after that, I will be getting married. In Brazil. To a Brazilian.

The romance of Malacca. The River Klang at night.

Adventures

The Colonial Romance of Malacca: Kuala Lumpur to Singapore Overland

May 6, 2014August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 2528 Views Leave a comment Architecture, Food, History, Markets, Overland journeys, Roadtrips

Something is troubling me as I land at Kuala Lumpur late at night. It’s not nervousness at being in a new city, or wondering how I’m going to get from the airport to my hotel. I’m worried about how I’m going to get to Malacca. By the time we my driver Roger and I stop at the 2-and-a-half hour mark, palm trees all around, Roger again asking “you need piss?”, I’m beginning to wonder if we will ever arrive in Malacca. Because Malacca is where I really want to be.

Petronas Towers Detail, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Adventures City Guides

2 Days in Kuala Lumpur

April 16, 2014August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 4947 Views 3 Comments Architecture, Food, Markets, Mosques, Shopping, Street Food, Street Performers

Last work trip to Singapore, I thought “this time I am going somewhere I have never been before”. So I let my eyes trail north of Singapore and began Malaysia dreaming. The romance of the Malacca Straits. The Orient of yesteryear. But to get there I’d have to first fly to Kuala Lumpur- the Oriental megalopolis of today.

Multiple Faces, Hackescher Markt, Berlin

Photo Essays

Notable Berlin Street Art (including the East Side Gallery)

March 24, 2014August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 4862 Views 4 Comments Berlin Wall, Graffiti, Street Art

It’s no secret that I love Berlin. In fact I’ve previously waxed lyrical about the quirky hotels and bizarre sights on offer. But more than that, I love the gritty streets of Berlin, the street art-filled urban dystopias which make Berlin at times seem another planet. In this photo-essay I expose some of the best Berlin street art.

Travel Tips

Travelling and Changing Money in 2014: These Currencies are So Hot Right Now

March 17, 2014August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 1244 Views 2 Comments Foreign currency

Are you planning on travelling this year? If so, it’s more likely than not you’ll be dealing with foreign currency, be that greenbacks in the US, rands in South Africa, or even neuvo sols in Peru. Given this, what happens to the foreign exchange rate this year will mean the difference between whether you end up with a large pile of bank notes, or just a few coppers. So what do the forex Gods have in mind? I spoke with Peter Lavelle of foreign exchange specialist Pure FX, to determine the currencies of interest in 2014.