Travel | Guy Portman's Blog

My Tour of Antigua

Dec 17 2022

It’s been a long time since I wrote a blog post. As of late I’ve been suffering from WordPress nostalgia, so I have returned to my old haunt. Last month, I visited the tropical island paradise that is Antigua. It proved to be a relaxing break for the most part.

There is something cathartic about a sunset.

I assumed clouds would diminish the spectacle. I was mistaken.

These super yachts aren’t mine unfortunately. The black one belongs to a Russian oligarch. It will be moored here until sanctions are lifted. The crew have been living on it since February’s invasion.

I very much doubt the Russian oligarch is familiar with this establishment.

Dinner time. It had been a while since I had sushi.

This is the cathedral in the capital St. John’s. It could do with some serious renovation. Note the vegetation growing out of the tower on the right.

English Harbour’s Dockyard Museum proved to be a hive of interesting exhibits and information. Admiral Nelson spent time here. In the harbour, not the museum.

The Atlantic side of the island is much more rugged than the tranquil Caribbean coast. It’s where I would want to be if I was based here.

Not all of Antigua is scenic.

It’s not a holiday without a visit to a cemetery.

If you followed this blog back when I was posting weekly, you’ll know I love to gloat. Here is a picture of me holding the giant wahoo I somehow managed to reel in. Relentlessly circling a shoal for eight hours straight under a searing sun was not without its challenges. But this leviathan made it all worthwhile.

A Trip Away

Oct 01 2021

Last week I went to Norfolk for three nights. Little did I know on departing that a national petrol crisis was poised to begin. Fortunately, I was able to secure enough petrol to make the 150+ mile trip home. Not planning to go anywhere until the petrol fiasco ends. That may not be happening anytime soon despite the government’s claims to the contrary. Anyway, back to the trip.

New location; same animals. Captured these roe in a fen field first thing in the morning.

Trigga and a female viszla we came across on a walk.

A mute swan.

Time for a swim.

Back in the day whale bones, bones from slaughterhouses, and even human bones were ground down into bonemeal at the Narborough Bone Mill. The bonemeal was used for fertiliser.

Don’t believe me. You can read all about it here.

A mediaeval church in Narborough.

You can’t beat meat from the butcher, especially not this butcher.

Burgers from the butcher.

I wasn’t the only who tucked in.

If you come across any petrol let me know, I’ve only got eight miles left. For those of you who use the metric system, that’s not a lot. Have a great weekend.

Cambodia – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Mar 06 2020

I’ve been out in Cambodia briefly. A strange time to travel what with the global epidemic, but I needed a break from the relentless rain. As for the trip, it was good, bad and ugly. In hindsight I probably wouldn’t have chosen to spend much of my time in Sihanoukville on the Cambodian coast. The city is in the process of being turned into a Chinese gambling destination. Or at least it was – the coronavirus has resulted in many would-be Chinese tourists staying at home. And due to an online casino gambling ban, the majority of the 100+ casinos are closed for now.

Unbeknown to me, the city had just been dug up in order to build new roads and water pipes, resulting in the place resembling a post-Apocalyptic nightmare. All western tourist amenities (bars etc.) have been bulldozered.

It is a dirty, dusty and unforgiving environment. No fun for the city’s residents, especially those with respiratory complaints. If and when the Chinese reappear in numbers, their navy and air force are expected to join them.

Factory-bound workers.

Fortunately, the resort I was staying at was on the edge of town. It was by and large fairly pleasant.

There are islands off Sihanoukville. I made a couple of day trips to one of them – Koh Rong Samloem. This idyllic paradise felt a world away from the urban nightmare.

I also spent a few day in the capital, Phnom Penh. My activities included a cruise on the Mekong. It wasn’t the most scenic of cruises.

The Royal Palace proved to be a more ascetically pleasing outing.

Pigeons beside the Mekong in downtown Phnom Penh.

Once you get away from the main thoroughfares, much of the city is a rubbish-strewn dump.

Octopus and a beer.

Tawdry, ill-advised advertising.

A delicious crab soup.

These oriental-style ribs were exceptionally good.

A ‘Boutique Hotel’ (see middle)

Phnom Penh’s Golden Temple.

I hope you enjoyed my whistle-stop tour of Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. See you next week.

My Tour of Nong Nooch Botanical Garden

Feb 22 2019

This is the third and final post about my trip to Thailand. While out there I visited the famous Nong Nooch botanical garden, a place billed as one of the world’s most beautiful gardens.

Some of this expansive garden is truly spectacular.

Water features heavily here.

Elephants are a popular mode of transport at Nong Nooch.

There is an abundance of remarkable trees and plants.

The Thais seem to have a predilection for merging the serene and pristine with the gaudy and the ersatz.

The plethora of plastic flamingos were not to my liking, but they were preferable to these random, ill-advised Dalmatians.

So this is where all of London’s telephone boxes have gone.

The French Garden is in my opinion Nong Nook’s most spectacular feature.

My Trip To Thailand

Feb 15 2019

I have decided to devote a couple more posts to my recent trip to Thailand. While this is not a travel blog, these posts are a welcome hiatus from my customary writing/book related theme.

The majestic structure above is the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya.

It has been hand-carved in its entirety out of wood. The ongoing project started 30 years ago. Perhaps the man below is an Atlas-esque figure, destined to bear this weight for eternity.

I arrived at the Sanctuary of Truth jetlagged, hungover and stressed, but left with a feeling of serenity. There is something tranquil and beautiful at the heart of Thai culture, which is far removed from the seething traffic, materialism and ageing, corpulent sex tourists bedecked in fluorescent palm tree emblazoned beach attire.

Pattaya’s Big Buddha.

The below presumably found enlightenment via Burger King.

Everyone is here in Pattaya to party. Age is no barrier.

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The Eiffel Tour at Pattaya’s Terminal 21 shopping centre.

A view of the sea from Koh Lan (Coral Island)

My Thai Culinary Tour

Feb 08 2019

I have just returned from a week long trip to Thailand. Today, I am going to share with you some of the things I ate along the way.

With its long coastline, Thailand boasts some delicious culinary fare. This is the lobster I ate on my first day. Half was served with cheese and the other with something else that I was unable to discern.

I couldn’t resist some dim sum in Bangkok’s China Town.

A post-dinner snack.

This restaurant may have had a peculiar name, but its setting was serene.

And the Tom Yum seafood soup was delicious.

This Karaage (Japanese fried chicken dish) was good, but not a patch on my ex-wife’s.

Sometimes one craves Western fare.

I came across menus in Thailand that make Anna Karenina look like a pamphlet.

Convenience stores were stocked with a range of delights including some of my favourites from my days in Japan – Pocari Sweat, cold green tea and octopus sashimi.

If I’d eaten another maggot larva, I would have burst.

My Peruvian Culinary Tour

Aug 12 2016

Last week I wrote about my recent trip to Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru. Today’s post is dedicated to my Peruvian culinary experiences.

Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of Peru. The seafood is cooked not by heat but by the acidity of the lime/lemon juice it is soaked in. The acid changes the structure of the proteins in the fish, essentially “cooking” it. Ceviche was the first meal I ate in Peru. See below.

There are numerous other seafood dishes including chicharron de camarones (fried shrimps).

And here is some Peruvian-inspired sushi.

Anticuchos (grilled beef hearts) are extremely popular in Peru, and for good reason.

Not all the food in Peru looks appealing as these cow faces testify. No idea what you are supposed to do with them.

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The only thing that made me ill was a pizza made with very slightly rancid cheese. 48 hours later and 3 kilograms lighter I found myself pinning for pizza once again. I got lucky second time around.

Below is a picture of me drinking a mug of quinoa juice at a bus station in Cotahuasi Canyon. The juice is so viscous it is more akin to food than drink.

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In Cotahuasi Canyon the population thrive on a healthy diet that in addition to quinoa includes avocado and trucha (trout) from the canyon’s river.

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Meals aren’t always easy to come by in the canyon. When I wasn’t dining on the above I survived on bread and the aptly named Sublime, a brand of chocolate sold throughout the province.

After returning to the city of Arequipa from my all night bus ride I was feeling very hungry so I ordered this steak and chips.

Realising that I had forgotten to order salad, I said to the waiter, ‘Salada por favor.’

Waiter: ‘¿Salada?’

Me: ‘Si, salada.’

The waiter disappeared, emerging moments later with a salt mill which he plonked on my table.

‘Non salt. Salada. Sa-lada.’ I was prodding at the salad option on the menu as I said this.

Waiter: ‘AH. Sa-la-da.’

Below is an alpaca kebab I had in Cusco. It tasted rather like lamb if I remember correctly.

For dessert I had this award winning decadent chocolate creation, which I considered to be overly ornate, but it tasted good.

Pisco sour is a popular alcoholic drink in Peru.

No Peruvian culinary tour would be complete without guinea pig, or cuy as they refer to them in Spanish. Below is a picture of me about to tuck into this Andean speciality.

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In Cusco guinea pigs are served roasted (see below) whilst in the south they tend to be fried. What did I think of the guinea pig? Pleasant enough though rather hard work. There is a lot of fat on a guinea pig you see, but not much in the way of meat.

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Cotahuasi Canyon

Aug 05 2016

This week we take a sojourn from the usual literary-related theme. As I have recently returned from Peru I am dedicating this post to my travels there.

After visiting Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu I was in dire need of a break from poncho clad tourists, so I headed to the remote Cotahuasi Canyon. The canyon is a 9 hour bus journey from the southern city of Arequipa.

Any fatigue was forgotten on arrival.

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Below is a picture of me posing beside a cactus.

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Travelling to different parts of the canyon entails traversing its unpaved roads in public buses.

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The view from the bus.

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The roads are often blocked with debris from avalanches (see below).

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Memorials are a regular sight on the canyon’s roads.

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Away from the road the canyon is an idyllic place.

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Every village in the canyon has a church.

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And most have a bullring.

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Living conditions in the canyon can be rudimentary.

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Donkeys are the only mode of transport in the more remote villages where it appears little has changed for hundreds of years.

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That is until I ventured into a house.

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Canyon residents gathered outside a dwelling.

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And this is a bridge I had to cross. Note the man taking a nap in the middle. Did I mention that I’m scared of heights.

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Fortunately the bridge was in fairly good condition.

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The same cannot be said of the next bridge.

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These are agricultural terraces built by the pre Incan Wari people.

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Below is a picture of my guide posing in the Wari Cemetery.

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The human bones here date to about 700 A.D.

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Is there anything in this world as cathartic as water and a blue sky?

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A forest of cactuses.

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On my last day in the canyon I ventured too far from the town to get back in time for the once daily bus back to Arequipa. I was fortunate to come across this motorised rickshaw. I made it back just in time.

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Bridges not withstanding I thoroughly enjoyed my 3 days trekking in Cotahuasi Canyon.

My Tour of Highgate Cemetery

Nov 06 2015

I am fascinated by cemeteries. The protagonist in my 2nd novel, Necropolis, works for the burials and cemeteries department in his local council. I have also written blog posts about the Old Brompton Cemetery in London, Recoleta in Buenos Aires and Zentralfriedhof in Vienna. This week I visited Highgate Cemetery in London. It is home to many famous people including a number of authors.

Highgate Cemetery is divided into 2 sections – East and West. To view the West one has to pre-book. Tour groups are admitted once a day. As for the East it is open to the public – admission £4. And it is the East side that I visited on a grey, wet but mild November afternoon. Below is Douglas Adams grave. Adams wrote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. (Note the pens in the pot).

Jim Horn was an avid reader.

Below is Mary Ann Cross’s (pen name – George Eliot) grave. Eliot was one of the leading novelists of the Victorian era. She used a male pen name so that she would be taken seriously in a male-dominated society.

Karl Marx is the most famous resident of Highgate Cemetery.

Much of the cemetery has a rural feel (see below).

This lady evidently really loved her dog.

The multi-cultural nature of the area is reflected in the style of graves (see below).

No prizes for guessing what Harry Thornton did for a living. He perished in the 1918 flu pandemic.

Malcolm McClaren (1946-2010) was an impresario, rock-artist, clothes designer and boutique owner. His epitaph reads – ‘Better a spectacular failure, than a benign success.’

Below is TV presenter Jeremy Beadle’s grave. The diminutive star was adored by the nation’s TV watchers.

Some of the graves have seen better days. I was trying to locate Anthony Shaffer’s resting place (author of 1970 bestseller Sleuth) when I came across this grave. I never did find Shaffer’s.

Bruce Reynolds was the mastermind of the Great Train Robbery in 1963.

Below is a resident of the cemetery.

I would highly recommend Highgate Cemetery.

Vienna Part 2 – My Whistle-Stop Tour

Jul 10 2015

Last week’s post was dedicated to my tour of Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna. This week my book/author related weekly blog post sabbatical concludes with Vienna part 2 – My Whistle-Stop Tour.

The day started with a visit to Schönbrunn Palace, the Baroque, 1,441 room, former imperial residence (see below).

No photography is permitted inside the palace. Below is a picture of the water feature in Schönbrunn’s back garden.

Last week you saw Mozart’s grave. Here is his statue. Vienna is also home to Mozart’s house, Mozart key rings and Mozart chocolates.

The Austrians love schnitzels. It was a good thing that I resisted the Mozart chocolates during the morning’s sightseeing, or I would have struggled to finish my lunch.

Below is a one of the city’s quaint shopping arcades.

I stopped for a quick beer before continuing with the sightseeing. One would have turned into two, were it not for the fact that time was ticking.

Next up was St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

You are allowed to take photographs in St. Stephen’s.

Below is a statue. Of what I can’t tell you. I was in too much of a hurry to get to the Belvedere to stop and find out.

If you like Baroque palaces then Vienna is the place to be. Below is the Belvedere. Not the best photo I must confess. I was experimenting with the panoramic option on my iPhone camera. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

On entering the palace and taking a right, I was met by the sight of this spectacular ceiling, which was painted by the Italian painter Carlo Carlone (1686-1775).

In the main hall, I was able to appreciate how art has evolved since the Renaissance era. Below is your esteemed author standing in front of ‘The Incredible Hulk and Friends’.

No trip to Vienna would be complete without a visit to the Café Sacher (inside Hotel Sacher), and this is where I headed for afternoon tea. The Original Sacher-Torte (see below) has been the world’s most famous cake since 1832. At least this is what Hotel Sacher claim. Evidently no one has told them about Bakewell Tarts. The Original Sacher-Torte recipe is a closely guarded secret. My guess is that it has chocolate and orange in it.

What better way to end a day of sightseeing than dining on Tafelspitz. Tafelspitz is generally considered to be the Austrian national dish. It is boiled beef in broth served with horseradish.

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Category - Travel

My Tour of Antigua

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A Trip Away

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Cambodia – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

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My Tour of Nong Nooch Botanical Garden

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My Trip To Thailand

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My Thai Culinary Tour

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My Peruvian Culinary Tour

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Cotahuasi Canyon

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My Tour of Highgate Cemetery

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Vienna Part 2 – My Whistle-Stop Tour

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Category - Travel

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