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Chris Dickson

Chris Dickson

57 カ国を旅行しました もっと詳しく🇦🇺Sydney
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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Sri Lanka 2025
      Stilt fishermen, making money
      Turtles, a few days oldNote this poor guy/girl only has one front flipperDutch church in Galle Fort. It was initially Portuguese, then Dutch then English.Galle Cricket GroundSunset drinks, not for the first time on this tripHarvesting toddyDrinking the finished poison, I mean productMadu River mangrovesMadu River birdlifeHarvesting cinnamonIndependence Square, ColomboOld Parliament HouseColombo Lighthouse (1952)1One of the insanely-driven blue buses, stationary for a change

      Bentota

      3月27日〜30日, スリランカ ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

      Our last destination for this trip was partly for some relaxation as well as seeing a few things.

      We travelled here via the south coast, and our first stop, just south of Galle, was for a look at the stilt fishermen.

      It’s a good gig, really. You put some big sticks in the sand and charge tourists a few thousand rupees for a few photographs of you pretending to fish. On a busy day this could be quite a few rupees per hour, for sitting still on a pole in the water.

      Then we went to one of the numerous turtle hatcheries in the area. In equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting - much like the Elephant Transit Centre - we saw some magnificent creatures, all without an arm or a leg or with a hole in their shell, mainly through collisions with ships.

      The hatchery part of the activity involves harvesting eggs and ensuring they are released in the evening so that there are far fewer predators waiting to eat them on their obstacle course stumble to the sea.

      We have had a great trip, and have seen so many great sights, but felt like we short-changed Galle somewhat. We only had time for a quick whip through the fishing port and the historic fort, with the cricket ground in its shadow. So much more to see that we missed!

      We were heading to our hotel for the night, driving along the very scenic coastal road from Galle to Bentota, when the sunset beckoned. Prashan, our guide, never short of good ideas, pulled into a rather tired looking hotel, found the bar and ordered some drinks and snacks to be taken next to the pool overlooking the beach. He then had a swim in the pool, and we enjoyed barbecued prawns and a beautiful sunset.

      We also took a boat trip on the Madu River, braving the oppressive heat to look for wildlife in the numerous mangrove-encircled islands. Reminiscent of the safaris, there were probably more tourist boats than animals, but it wasn’t a bad way to spend the morning.

      On the way to the boat ride, Prashan spied some men, high in the coconut palms, collecting toddy, which is the fermented sap of the palm tree. Fourteen per cent alcohol, not a great taste, and nine-thirty in the morning - probably not the way to enjoy a relaxing drink! Still, the skill of the men who harvest the stuff high up in the trees was incredible.

      Our last event on the trip was a look around Colombo, which, to tell the truth, isn’t the prettiest or most exciting city we have seen. Still, Independence Square, where independence was declared in 1948 and with a statue of Don Stephen Senanayake, Sri Lanka’s first prime minister, was very nice, as were both the new and old parliament buildings.

      Post script

      We very much enjoyed our brief tour around the country. We will almost miss the crazy driving at heart stopping speeds, and the red (government) and blue (private) buses that dominate the roads, speeding along, overtaking everything in sight and with the conductor hanging out the door shouting out to potential passengers.

      There is culture aplenty, and a mix of religions happily coexisting. There is also beautiful countryside and wildlife and some marvellous iconic sights - Siguriya for one.

      It was also stinking hot, and there were a few heavy afternoon downpours.

      With a good guide to show the way through the incredible range of foods, to help buy beer and wine at the liquor stores and to handle the crazy traffic - and maybe even to tell you a little of Sri Lanka’s life story - it is an incredible, wonderful place to visit - especially with Steve and Kim, our great, long-time travelling companions.      もっと詳しく

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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Sri Lanka 2025
      Ravana Waterfall
      A cheeky monkeyBuduruwagalaOn safariPainted storksSpotted deerPeacockBee eaterTwo bee eatersTwo bee eaters, fornicatingCrocodile and water buffaloWater buffaloFeeding at the Elephant Transit Centre

      Udawalawe

      3月27日〜28日, スリランカ ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

      We had a busy day, and a bit of luck, on our trip to Udawalawe, and its eponymous 131,00-hectare national park.

      A quick stop at the scenic Ravana Waterfall turned exciting when a monkey grabbed a packet of biscuits from a tourist and proceeded to open it and start eating. The imbecilic tourist got closer and closer to have her photo taken with it, then tried to grab a biscuit back from the monkey. It was only intervention from our guide that saved her from likely injury, as she clearly wanted to keep tormenting the creature.

      We then visited Buduruwagala, an archaeological site containing a fifteen metre high Buddha statue carved into a huge rock face, and dating from the seventh or eighth century. The Buddha is accompanied by six other statues, and there are extensive other ruins in the complex.

      This took some time, and we had a long drive in front of us. We were due to go on a safari in the national park that afternoon but it became obvious that, even driving extra-suicidally, we wouldn’t make it. This was our good fortune, though, as it rained all afternoon but was warm, still and clear for the rescheduled event the following morning.

      And what an event it was. Plenty of elephants - and plenty of Jeeps watching them, it must be said, spotted deer, water buffalo and come quite beautiful birds. We hadn’t even reached the national park when we stopped to look at some incredible painted storks.

      After the safari we visited the Elephant Transit Park, where sick or orphaned elephants are helped to transition to life in the wild. We had great seats, right near the feeding and amongst a bunch of pre-schoolers.

      The elephants were sent to the feeding station in groups and the smaller ones given some milk but only enough that they will still be hungry and therefore seek out more food. It was exciting to watch not only the feeding but the jostling for spots as the bigger animals literally threw their weight around to get at the juiciest snacks. The viewing area was absolutely packed and it was good think of the support provided by the entrance fees for such a worthy cause.

      From Udawalawe we head south to the coast and thence to Bentota, our final stop on this trip.      もっと詳しく

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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Sri Lanka 2025
      Views from our Ella accommodation
      2Path up Little Adam's PeakLittle Adam's Peak viewsA trainNine Arches Bridge. The last step down is a doozy

      Ella

      3月24日〜26日, スリランカ ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      Ella is a very tourism-oriented town a few hours of manic driving south of Nuwara Eliya. Almost every shop is a bar, restaurant or transport provider and the town bustles with backpackers and other travellers. The tuk tuk population is enormous, too.

      We stayed in a home stay a few kilometres out of town, very basic but perched right on the side of a hill with the most incredible views. The bathroom got so wet you needed to leave your pants outside when using the toilet, but that’s a small price to pay for the magnificent outlook. It was amazing sitting on our balcony as the sun went down, nursing a drink and watching the lights of the train weave around the hill opposite.

      We took a walk up to Little Adam’s Peak, just to keep up the number of hot sweaty climbs up lots of steps. The views from the top were spectacular. About half way up was an outdoor activity centre with a giant swing - and a shop with outfits you could wear whilst swinging - and a zip line. Both of these were in constant demand and the area was crowded with thrill seekers and old people like us taking a breather from the constant stairs.

      In the afternoon we took a train ride. We were actually supposed to catch the train all the way from Nuwara Eliya, but due to some form of black market scalping or other corruption all the tickets had been sold.

      So we were on the tourist train, which was probably better. All seats faced the windows and there was an open-air carriage that would have been fantastic had it not been raining.

      Our trip started in Demodara, then rattled down to the Nine Arches Bridge, a most picturesque piece of engineering. Everyone hopped off for a look around, which was easier said than done, as the steps on the carriages only reached about half way to the ground. It was even more fun climbing back on to the train, with lots of heaving and groaning and pushing and pulling.

      In persistent light rain, we travelled to Ella, and thence through very attractive rice-growing countryside to Bandarawela, a bustling little town, much more commercial and less touristic than Ella.

      We had a demonstration of Sri Lankan rain once we were back at our digs, about half an hour of absolute downpour. When it had finished the air was beautifully clear and the waterfall on the hill opposite had turned into a muddy brown torrent.      もっと詳しく

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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Sri Lanka 2025
      Ramboda waterfall
      The tea pluckers workspaceInside the tea factoryThe road to Moon PlainsPotato farmingView from Moon PlainsWith fellow travellers Peter and ChristinePlucking

      Nuwara Eliya

      3月23日〜24日, スリランカ ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      The road from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya twists and turns constantly for 76 kilometres, climbing all the time. It was a fascinating few hours, passing through numerous small townships built along the ridges of the hills, all bustling and offering more opportunities for road carnage.

      We stopped for a tour of the Damro Tea Factory, which was interesting. From green leafy bush to tiny browny-black particles is quite a journey, and the free cuppa at the end of the tour was welcome, too.

      Nuwara Eliya is sometimes called “Little England” for the numerous colonial buildings and institutions that remain from the days of sweaty white people who ran the tea plantation or who would journey up the hill for respite from the heat of Colombo. When we arrived, around six o’clock, these were nowhere to be seen. We found only a typical Asian shopping area, with the supermarket next to the tyre fitter and the ladies’ dress shop between a tattoo parlour and a battery shop, all with traffic at a standstill and vehicles parked on every scrap of ground.

      The following morning, we ventured up to Moon Plains. We boarded a Jeep and drove up through extensive potato farms to a magnificent 360-degree viewpoint, with Sri Lanka’s highest mountain in clear sight. Well, not all that clear - the weather was very hazy and any distant sights were completely obscured. There were native buffalo in the distance, and rumoured to be leopards in the adjacent jungle.

      Finally, as we exited Nuwara Eliya, we did take a turn around some of the quite attractive buildings from the English period. The Post Office - still in use, the very exclusive-looking Hill Club and numerous fancy-looking villas.

      As we left, also, our driver pulled over to the side of the road and after a rapid-fire conversation Sharon and Kim found themselves with bags on their heads, learning to pluck tea. Suffice to say it’s not a skill that can be learnt in a few minutes, even when taught by a bunch of laughing women with very bad teeth.

      After our short stay here we are moving on to Ella.      もっと詳しく

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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Sri Lanka 2025
      Buddha, viewed from the bottom
      Inside the Dambulla Cave TemplesThe Royal Botanic GardenCannonball tree. The pic doesn't do the flowers justice - they were magnificentKandy from aboveCultural show in the auditoriumCultural show in the car parkSmall crowd on stairs of Temple of Sacred Tooth

      Kandy

      3月22日〜24日, スリランカ ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      On the way to Kandy lies Dambulla, where there is a rock that rises 160 metres above the surrounding countryside. Near the top of that rock there are some caves where, a bit over two thousand years ago, some dedicated monks decided to build the Dambulla Cave Temples.

      So we sweated our way up another hill, donned our knee-covering saris, removed our shoes and spent an hour or so in awe of the hundreds of statues of Buddha, Lord Vishnu and various other deities. It wasn’t only the statues, too. The walls and ceiling are entirely covered with murals - remarkably well preserved and quite artistic. It was a very worthwhile few hours.

      The variety of edible fruits, vegetables and spices in Sri Lanka is simply amazing, and we are slowly being educated about them. One stop on our way here was a spice centre, where we were shown around the various plants from which the spices originate.

      The spices have various medicinal and health-restoring properties; our guide may well have been a well-preserved ninety-year-old if he used them all regularly.

      We continued our plant education in Kandy, with a visit to the huge Royal Botanic Garden, 59 hectares of every plant imaginable. In particular, we are now experts on bamboo, perfumed orchids and the stunning flowers of the cannonball tree.

      Our inevitable cultural performance took place in Kandy, too, and it was very good. Once the main show was over we were herded into the car park, where some spectacular fire dancing took place.

      Our final stop in Kandy was the Temple of the Sacred Tooth, a temple built near the royal palace to house the relic of one of the Buddha’s teeth. Apparently, whoever has the tooth relic gets to run the country, so it was quite important to the kings.

      Since the tooth relic is only on display once in a blue moon, we didn’t get to see it - and didn’t really care, actually. The atmosphere in the temple, though, was something else. It was Sunday morning and the place was packed, mostly with locals out to do their devotions. There were lots of Sunday school kids as well, resplendent in their white outfits and with notebooks in hand.

      We shuffled through the various chambers, enjoying the decorations, but it was really more about the hundreds of devotees, all with not a knee or shoulder in sight. By way of extra information, there are apparently 32 different sacred tooth relics scattered around the world.

      From here we head to the high country to taste some tea.      もっと詳しく

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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Sri Lanka 2025
      Traffic jam at elephant central
      Rare unbuilt pic from an ox cartSkilled cooking girl, just out of high school, about to start universitySiguriya Lion RockAbout half way upSteps to the summitIncredible view from the top

      Siguriya

      3月18日〜21日, スリランカ ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

      Where to start? Visiting a country for the first time, and the first three days have been a whirlwind.

      We started in Negombo, near the airport. We took a quick trip around to look at the fishing industry, with big ones for sale at the market and thousands of little ones spread out to dry in the sun.

      Then we headed north-west to Habarana, where we kicked off with a wildlife safari in the Minneriya National Park.

      It didn’t start overly well. We came across several elephants, unfortunately surrounded by about a dozen jeeps full of spectators. The traffic jam was horrendous and the elephants were a bit pissed off at all the attention while they chewed their way through kilo after kilo of grass.

      Things improved though, when we came upon a couple of groups of elephants that we had almost entirely to ourselves, then a dam with some impressive birdlife. They really do need to reduce the visitor numbers, though.

      Next stop was a most touristic combination, beginning with an ox-cart ride. It was slow, unbelievably bumpy and smelly. Not recommended other than for lovers of ox farts - thumbs down.

      Our next activity was a boat ride on a quite large man-made lake. Our boatman was very diligent and we saw numerous different birds, egrets, cormorants, pelicans and even some nestlings. Overall a thumbs up.

      Next was a cooking display. The food was delicious and the skill and friendliness of the ladies who prepared it quite brilliant - another thumbs up. It poured with rain while we were there, so maybe a small thumbs down for the drips through the palm frond roof.

      We later came across the youngest of our cooking ladies, in boxer shorts and t-shirt and playing with her younger brothers - a nice personal insight into the people involved in the family business.

      The following day we climbed Siguriya, the famed Lion Rock.

      It is a stunning landmark, 200 metres high. What a place for a castle, as King Kashyapa decided in the year 477, taking it away from the Buddhists who had been there for the previous few hundred years.

      It was a long, hot, slow climb to the top, in the company of the other few thousand visitors for the day, but the rewards for the sweat and aching legs were magnificent views from all sides and the quite interesting ruins of the fortifications. Thoughtfully they even provided one tree for shade, into which about a hundred people were crowded.

      After a jam packed few days were are now moving on to Kandy, slightly cooler weather and some different attractions.      もっと詳しく

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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Iceland 2024
      Riddarholmen Church, resting place of the Swedish Monarchs, on Gamla Stan
      Riksdagshuset - the Swedish ParliamentThe Swedish Royal PalaceI thought they'd be tallerThe not-so-good ship VasaWaxholmVintage steamer

      Stockholm and home

      2024年9月1日〜4日, スウェーデン ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      My, how time flies! One minute we’re on the train to the airport, the next we’ve been home for four days! Anyway, for the sake of completeness here’s the last footprint that I drafted earlier.

      What an exciting, many-faceted city Stockholm proved to be!

      We’ve just spent three days admiring historic buildings and winding cobblestoned streets, looking into a couple out of a huge selection of museums and sailing out to the Stockholm archipelago for a look around a quiet and scenic outpost of the city.

      Gamla Stan is the island that contains most of the old stuff, as well as the comparatively modern Royal Palace, with its ceremonial trooping of the guards around the square, and hoards of tourists (not us) disappearing inside for various tours.

      It’s also souvenir central, should you need a fluffy reindeer or snow dome.

      Many of the museums are on another island - Djurgarden. On a damp day we walked there - the trams being temporarily out of action - and found both culture and technology.

      The ABBA Museum gave a good insight into the lives of the band members before, during and after their reign at the top. It was also, like their records, slickly commercial, with crowds in every room juggling their audio guides and cameras and jostling for some clear space.

      And life for the band members after ABBA? Well, Bjorn did Mama Mia and dabbled in real estate, but who knew that Benny is Sweden’s very own Red Wiggle? The Benny Anderson Orchestra plays regular gigs and has a few recordings to its credit as well.

      We then got wet walking to the Vasa Museum, the giant building housing the poorly designed ship that sank in Stockholm Harbour in 1628 and was raised in 1961, remarkably intact.

      It’s a huge object, and remarkably well-preserved for its 450-plus years. And, ironically, if it had been seaworthy, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to look at it today.

      Our last expedition was out to Waxholm, an hour and a quarter on the ferry from the city.

      It was a quiet, peaceful spot, and we visited on a beautiful sunny day, timing the return trip perfectly so that we not only had time for a drink before we sailed but our returning vessel was a vintage steamer, built in 1908. It was very stylish, all polished wood (and heat from the boiler), and a perfect last memory for our visit.

      And that’s that.

      We’re now - hopefully - back home enjoying a newly-renovated house and the closeness of our family, but the fun we had with our friends and the stunning places we saw over the last six weeks will be long in our memories.      もっと詳しく

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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Iceland 2024
      Prototype Volvo, 1926. Note bumpers not yet like a dodgem car's
      Lock on the city's canal systemVintage ships at the Maritime MuseumBarken Viking (1906), biggest sailing ship built in Scandinavia, now a floating hotelLipstick, voted seven times Gothenburg's ugliest building. With good reason.The City Museum, in the former Swedish East India Company's headquartersViking ship remainsThe Gothenburg Festival of CultureCulture aficionados burping and farting by the canalNot sure, possibly the German drinking song club's get together

      Gothenburg

      2024年8月30日〜9月1日, スウェーデン ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      There’s tons of history here in Gothenburg, from the Vikings to the foundation of the modern city in 1621 to the Volvo in 1926. Incidental fun (?) fact - “Volvo” derives from the Swedish for “I roll”, a reference to the ball and roller bearings that started the company off.

      There’s also tons of current-day fun here too, with the Gothenburg Culture Festival taking place while we were visiting.

      We were out on a morning walk when Sharon was roped in to a university activity, being forced, by some young people in rather peculiar costumes, to push a person in a shopping trolley up the street to Gotaplatsen, the city’s cultural area. Actually, she pushed it about a hundred metres, but at least she didn’t tip the jockey out like some others did. No photos, so you just have to take our word for it.

      On a beautiful sunny day, we took a boat tour of the city’s canals and out into the harbour and enjoyed some beautiful views, plenty of low bridges and even more bad jokes in the commentary.

      The maritime history is powerful here, with a massive museum full of vintage ships and a shipbuilding industry that only chucked in the towel about ten years ago.

      We also visited the city’s museum, partly because it was free due to the Culture Festival. This was interesting, but with about a day’s worth of information when we had an hour. All the same, the remains of the Viking ship were fascinating, as was a bit of more recent history.

      A fire at a disco in 1998 killed 64 people. Four people were known to be responsible, having argued with security, snuck in and, out of spite, started a fire in a stairwell full of old furniture. The city, as civilised places do, rallied as one around the bereaved, the survivors, the first responders and the carers. The stories of the aftermath of the tragedy were incredibly compelling, and, although every country has its own stories of tragedy or heroism, this one will stay with us for a long time.

      So it was then back to the Culture Festival, which consisted at least partly of hundreds of young people listening to loud music and eating greasy, fried street food.

      We met up with the Roffes, the paths of all our friends seeming to criss cross all over Scandinavia since we parted in Oslo.

      A couple of drinks near the loud music, then a nice dinner a few blocks back, gave us our fill of culture for the night.

      Next stop is our last on this trip, Stockholm.      もっと詳しく

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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Iceland 2024
      Bad posture, stuck on a rock and perved at by thousands
      AmalienborgRosenborgNyhavnAgnete and the Merman - underwater statueChristiansborgChristiansborgFrederiksborgFrederiksborg interiorMeat Packing District

      Copenhagen - just the two of us

      2024年8月27日〜30日, デンマーク ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

      We said our farewells and left our friends to scatter to other Nordic cities, then caught the ferry to Copenhagen.

      Copenhagen on a hot Tuesday was absolutely bustling, with bikes, buses and cars (and oblivious tourists) all competing for the same road space, miraculously never touching each other.

      And it was hot. No more thinking about which jumper to take - it was shorts weather for our entire visit.

      There seemed to be so many things to see here - we looked at countless palaces and buildings and streets, all of them incredible, and still didn’t cover it all.

      But first spare a thought, if you will, for the burden that comes with being the symbol of a city. We took a look at Copenhagen’s symbol and found a tired half-lady, shoulders bowed, alone on a rock facing thousands of cameras every day. She should get a pay rise!

      Palaces they seem to have in countless numbers. We first visited Amalienborg, a residence of the second Australian member of a royal family - Dame Edna, Duchess of Moonee Ponds, having been the first- with a nice changing of the guard, then Rosenborg, with magnificent gardens. Then came the Danish seat of government at Christiansborg, with stables, a library, a parliament, you name it.

      The waterfront areas were also attractive and busy, from the old harbour area of Nyhavn to the busy waterfront near the Opera House.

      For a change from the city, we journeyed out into the country, to Hillerod, and Frederiksborg - yes, another palace. It became a museum after the Royal Family tired of one fire after another, and the tour was extensive to the point of brain-numbing, but it was a fantastic way to spend a few hours.

      The architecture seemed to epitomise Scandinavian building styles, and the gardens were magnificent in themselves.

      Near to our hotel was the Meatpacking District. Repurposed from the original meat processing factories and dating in parts from the 1800’s, it was chock full of bars, restaurants and - most importantly - an ice cream shop. The queue was out the door but the ice cream, according to good authority, was absolutely fantastic.      もっと詳しく

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    • Chris Dickson旅行者Iceland 2024
      Oslo Opera House
      View from the roofVigeland Sculpture ParkVigeland Sculpture Park - Attack of the Babies?Contorted naked peopleThe mind bogglesThe Folk Museum

      Oslo

      2024年8月23日〜26日, ノルウェー ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

      It was exciting to arrive in Norway’s very civilised capital city, particularly as it was about five degrees warmer than icy Iceland!

      And we enjoyed our three nights here very much, quickly adapting to the $20 beers and enjoying the unique scenery.

      The Opera House, completed in 2008, is a masterpiece in white granite and marble that seems to rise out of the water. We joined the throngs for a walk up over the roof for some unique views of the city. The foyer, with fifteen metres of glass on one side and oak cladding on the other, is simply magnificent.

      We also walked around the back of the building, past the set- and costume-design workshops, where the large windows gave a good view of these generally-hidden parts of the operation.

      Gustav Vigeland (1869 - 1943) was responsible for the Vigeland Sculpture Installation in Frognor Park, full of his statues, and a wonderful open space filled with locals (Oslonians? Osloafers?) out for a weekend walk. He may have been a little odd, based on the number of naked people that adorned the bridges, fountains and paths of the park. Too many penises at eye height!

      Once we had our fill of contorted, naked bodies, we moved on to the Norse Folk Museum and looked at some very interesting exhibits - whole interior rooms relocated from farmhouses and apartments, a 1950’s farmhouse kitchen you could walk through and endless (i.e. hundreds) barns, cowsheds, storage sheds and farmhouses in the outdoor section.

      And that was the end of the group holiday. We had a fabulous Indian meal to finish off, along with excessive drinking again, then went home to pack and get excited about the next chapter.      もっと詳しく

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