London Buses on Fleet Street, England, UK

18 Cool Things to Do in London

August 9, 2013August 6, 2015 Matt Edwards 71316 Views 11 Comments Architecture, Beer, Famous Quotes, Food, History, Parties, Rivers, Shopping, Street Art, The Tube, Trains

“Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”
— Samuel Johnson

Thus spake Johnson to his distinguished biographer James Boswell, and though the words are over 200 years old, they might equally well apply to any age. For London is and has always been one of those places where you can experience the complete spectrum of human possibility. Centre of an empire for centuries, from history to the arts to the sciences, London is a place where you can see, do, and find anything- a world unto itself. If you however, unlike Johnson, will measure your stay in London in the days rather than the years, you’ll want to quickly sort the wheat from the chaff and avoid the touristy riff raff. This list par excellence will help you decide what to check out.

Photo Essays

Sydney Harbour in Lights

July 30, 2013May 27, 2014 Matt Edwards 2366 Views 2 Comments Architecture, Lightshow, Photography

If you were ever in any doubt that Sydney possesses the world’s most beautiful natural harbour, adorned with the world’s most innovative architecture, this year’s Vivid light festival would surely have reassured you. Now in its 5th year, the Vivid festival encompasses music performance and an ideas forum, but the real drawcard for the visitors in their millions is the light display. Designed and choreagraphed by artists and technical wizards, the lights are breathtakingly projected onto the city’s most prominent landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, Customs House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I rarely need an excuse to check out Sydney Harbour so I thought I’d get on down with my DSLR and take a good old gander.

Conference Row at the Joint Security Area in Korea, seen from the South Side. The building in the background is Panmun House. The concrete line running through the huts is the MDL, the official border between the two countries. The ROK solders stand with half of their body obscured in order to provide a smaller target to those on the North, as well as to be able to signal unseen if necessary.

Adventures

An Adventure in the Korean De-Militarised Zone (DMZ)

July 19, 2013June 20, 2014 Matt Edwards 4182 Views 2 Comments Animals, History, Iron Curtain, Politics, War

“The visit to the Joint Security Area at Panmumjeom will entail entry into a hostile area and possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action.”

It is not often I wake up early enough to see the sunrise, let alone have soldiers giving me orders. Or visit a place where I might get shot if I don’t follow those orders. I suppose I lead a less disciplined life than some. But on this hazy Saturday, things were to be different. I was going to visit one of the last vestiges of the Cold War- the Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). The scene of more than 700 acts of violence since the end of the Korean War, the DMZ and Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjeom is also one of the world’s most macabre tourist attractions. I thought I’d better see what all the trouble was about and report back.

Adventures Fun Stuff Photo Essays

List of Countries I Have Visited … Plus a Photo for Each

July 11, 2013February 13, 2017 Matt Edwards 2248 Views 6 Comments

I awoke from the deepest, darkest sleep on the softest pillow and found myself staring out the window of a hotel in disbelief as the last red rays of the sun drifted below the clouds. Wow, I thought, that’s the most beautiful sunset I ever saw. But the bed was unfamiliar and it was far too early in my mind for the sun to be setting. Hang on a second, I thought- where am I?

I am often asked where I have been. But over the years I have done so many oodles of trips that the answer is blurry- several countries I have been to several times, with little rhyme or reason- sometimes I’d need to travel for work, sometimes I followed my heart someplace and sometimes my heart yearned for someone I’d met on a distant continent. I make this list as a little catelogue of memories and moments as much for myself as for you.

Travel Incidents

Whatcha Gonna Do? My Run-Ins with American Police

July 4, 2013January 12, 2015 Matt Edwards 3815 Views 8 Comments Food, Parties, Police encounters, Roadtrips

Dad and I watched our TV horrified as the SUV was chased mercilessly through packed streets by police, swiping other cars and narrowly missing pedestrians. Finally, it had its tyres shot out, and it came to rest surrounded by 6 cops with guns drawn. As the guy surrendered and put his hands up out the open driver’s-side window, he was grabbed buy the police and dragged head-first out the window, face-planting the highway. “This crim thought he could get away with it,” the voiceover man said in his most badass tone. “He didn’t count on the dedication of the City’s police force.”
“Bloody hell,” exclaimed my Dad, as the “Bad Boys Bad Boys” music started. “When you go to the US, do not mess with the police. These guys are not messing around.”

But as is often the case with the USA, my expectations were opposed by my experiences. As it turned out, the police were pretty bloody nice!

A bluebottle washed up on the sand. The long stinger trails out behind it. Australia

Travel Incidents

My Close Encounters with Australian Wildlife: Part 2- Dingoes, Jellyfish, Octopi and other Wondrous Creatures

June 27, 2013January 12, 2015 Matt Edwards 2220 Views 4 Comments Animals, Australian wildlife, Dingoes, Drop Bears, kangaroos, killer jellyfish, Koalas

And now ladies and gentlemen it’s time for Part 2 of My Close Encounters with Australian Wildlife, where I tell the world about the elation and terror of my encounters with Australian animals and how it sometimes ended in tears. Last time, we discussed Spiders and Snakes. This time around, we discuss dingoes, killer jellyfish, kangaroos, koalas and drop bears, among other wondrous creatures of Australia.

Dubai Creek, United Arab Emirates (UAE)Dubai Creek. Taking a dhow or abra across the creek is cheap and magical.

City Guides

11 Cool Things to Do in Dubai

June 20, 2013June 20, 2014 Matt Edwards 47309 Views 11 Comments Arabian Nights, Architecture, Beaches, Food, Gold, Ocean, Shopping, Snow, Spices

I don’t care what you’ve heard of Dubai. The fancy attractions, the hotels, the impressive buildings, it’s all well and good. But if you want to see the real Dubai, you want to see the area around Dubai creek. The city was founded here, not really so long ago, in the early 19th century. Until the 1960s the city remained a small fishing village, centred around the Creek, an oasis in an unhospitable desert. And then they struck oil. What happened next is one of the most stunning transformations of a city in modern history. Now a giant metropolis and air hub, Dubai is a convenient stopover on the way from Australia or Asia to Europe. But it’s also worth stopping for a look, despite its huge size, oppressive heat, and obscene displays of wealth and unsustainability, if only you plan your days there well. Here’s what to do.

Travel Incidents

My Close Encounters with Australian Wildlife: Part 1- Spiders and Snakes

June 11, 2013January 12, 2015 Matt Edwards 3382 Views 5 Comments Australian wildlife, Family issues, Snakes, Spiders

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote 18 Strange Observations of America (from an Australian Living in the USA). I commented that America has some of the world’s most dangerous animals, including bears, bison, coyotes, bobcats, cougars, and panthers, and that I was far more afraid hiking in the US than I had ever been in Australia. The article has so far been read over 40,000 times, and this point seemed to be somewhat controversial. To be honest, none of the wildlife in Oz has really ever bothered me that much and I don’t think it bothers most Aussies. But it got me to thinking that actually, I have had many encounters with Australian animals and it sometimes ended in tears. I haven’t written much about Australia yet, and I thought these tales might amuse my readers in the USA and elsewhere.

Statue of Liberty, New York City, USA, America

Fun Stuff

18 Strange Observations of America (from an Australian Living in the USA)

May 23, 2013February 22, 2015 Matt Edwards 111606 Views 258 Comments Beaches, Burgers, Cheerleaders, College Football, Cultural Odditites, Food, Parties

America! You’ve seen it on TV, in the movies, you think you know the USA but you really don’t until you live there. As an Australian who has lived in the US on two separate occasions in two different locations, here are the things that surprised me.

Pachinko parlour with rows of machines with colourful lights and gaudy music, Japan

Travel Incidents

From a Terrorist Bombing to a Pachinko Jackpot

May 9, 2013January 12, 2015 Matt Edwards 2585 Views 5 Comments Bombings, Destiny, Illegal Gambling, Pachinko, The Tube, Trains

There was 45 minutes remaining til takeoff as I rushed up into the terminal. As I ran my gaze caught a plasma screen showing the BBC News. The label across the bottom of the screen shocked me- “THE ENTIRE TUBE SYSTEM HAS NOW BEEN SHUT DOWN”. How could this be?, I thought. I had just been on the tube! The anchorwoman was talking about a “major incident” on the London Underground. But I couldn’t stay to sate my curiosity as they were about to close the gate. I jumped on the plane and we took off for Japan. Later that day, shoeless, a crowd of onlookers whooped and cheered as I inexplicably won a major jackpot in a strange Japanese Pachinko parlour. If there’s anything to be expected when travelling, it’s the unexpected, as I found out during a most bizarre 24 hour period spanning two continents.