Groverdean's VirtualTourist Home Page

Travel has been the vehicle to achieving much in my life. I've travelled at various times and live by a loose plan of visiting 2 new countries a year. I worked for 7 years in the travel/airline industry in AustraIia and the UK. This gave me the chance to see and experience a lot. Despite no longer working in the industry (ended Sept 2001), the passion to travel more is still strong and will always be. Yet the realisation that I have a lifetime to enjoy my travels has enabled me to balance my life better. I always seemed to be in a rush to get somewhere in life whilst in my 20's! I will travel till the day I die-it's part of me and who I am. Just like the pictures, stories and memories.

My Travels
I compiled a couple of stories if you'd like to read them on the following pages and over time I'd love to add many more.

Story Title: Crossing the Caspian Sea- What's the rush!
Page: Azerbaijan Travelogue
Caspian Sea Experience

Story Title: Journey along The Pamir Highway
Page: Khoroug Introduction- Part 1
Part 1 from Khoroug
Page: Murghob Introduction- Part 2
Part 2 from Murghob
Page: Kyrgyzstan Travelogue- Part 3
Part 3 The Kyrgyzstan side

My Favourite Destinations
I'm always asked what are the best countries to visit. I have a top 5 list. There is no one single stand out as every country offers something different. Remember I'm sure there are countries that will probably push these out that I haven't visited yet!
They are:
Georgia
France
Colombia
Japan
Iceland

A Selection Of Memorable Travel Experiences

I thought I might start a little section here of a few "interesting" experiences. There are many so here's just a few for the moment...
(in no particular order)
-The bone rattling and incredible scenery of the Pamir Highway in an old Russian built truck with a driver who spoke absolutely no English(Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan)
-Climbing Mt Fuji and watching the sunrise (and running/sliding all the way down) (Japan)
-Volcano Boarding down Cerro Negro (Nicaragua)
-Swimming, wading and climbing the access the incredible Aktun Tuchnil Muknal cave near San Ignacio with its 1500 yr old preserved Mayan skeletons and artefacts and stunning cave formations. (Belize)
-Climbing Mt Sinai and watching the sunrise (and enduring hours of "Hallelujah" singing) (Egypt)
-Running with the Bulls in Pamplona and surviving (just) (Spain)
-Snorkelling in the magical lagoon (N. P. of American Samoa) on Ofu Island with reef shark's, octupus, awesome corals, etc
-Having 3 Kalishinikov's pointed at me and told to go back to Uzbekistan (entering Tajikistan)
-Sitting in a bar in Tallinn whilst drinking garlic beer and snacking on dried, salted beans while listening to recorded bird noises (Estonia)
-Being chased by rifle wielding guards at Petra in a successful attempt to avoid paying the 50USD entry fee (Jordan)
-The surreal town of Moynaq located on the now near non exhistant Aral Sea. With its salty dry air, fish factory and marooned fishing trawlers (Uzbekistan)
-Witnessing the Kandy Perahara and the incredible procession of entertainers and 50 ornately decorated elephants (Sri Lanka)
-Walking the battlefields of Gallipoli, 2 days after a bush fire had laid bare the area for the first time since WWI, showing the ground littered with the remains of war including human bones (Turkey)
-In the middle of the day, standing outside our broken down mini bus for 1 hour in the middle of the desert 2 hours from anywhere in 50 degree heat with no water left (Turkmenistan)
-On a train travelling through the Karakum desert when a violent standstorm hit for an hour and we were unable to close our compartment window. I was forced to put my head into the seat to breath whilst we were covered in layers of sand! (Turkmenistan)
-Watching the Opera "Cosi Fan Tutti" in the then beautifully recently renovated Estates Theatre, Prague, where Mozart first performed Don Giovanni just over some 200 years prior (Czech Republic)
-The Heineken Experience brewery tour (dont need to explain this one) (Holland)
-Running through the thick smokey halls and down the stairs of the Hotel I was staying in at midnight as the floor above me was being totally destroyed by fire. (UK)
-Getting on the wrong train to go to Tallinn in St Petersburg (no signage or English spoken in 1994). Telling two American backpackers that it was the train to Tallinn. Realising at departure time that it was the wrong train. Watching our train depart two platforms down. Running out of the wrong train with our backpacks then along the tracks till we managed to jump on the moving train (The reason why I love slow Russian trains. Fortunately we never heard from those American backpackers again!). (Russia)
-Attempting to cross the Darien Gap by getting supply boats in the Kuna Yala. Running out of cash after 7 days and having to fly back to Panama City then fly to Puerto Obaldia on the border with Colombia. The cross by launch to Capurgana. (Panama-Colombia)
-Working as a linehandler on a 30 foot sail boat down the Panama Canal (Panama)
-The 6 day trek to and from Cuidad Perdida, possibly the most beautiful place in the world. (Colombia)