Jo Herrings Adventures

To celebrate my return to health and with 2 months left to knock off some New Years Resolutions I got on Skyscanner and booked 2 weeks in Cuba. Now I am not your classic beach holiday kinda girl. I own a bikini but loath to don it at the best of times - let alone now I have some funky scars. Alas I know no-one in Cuba, so with hopes of experiencing life free of the trappings of Capitalism I rolled up my sleeves and set off on one of the strangest, friendliest, easiest, safest, stunning, peaceful, inspirational, theory destroying journeys. I arrived in Havana late at night on Sunday and after delays in London and Madrid and the long queues at both Havana's customs AND bag collection, I fortuitously blagged a ride to the Hotel Nacional with a tour group of Brits. For anyone planning on going make sure you have a hotel booked and transfers sorted for your first night. I ended up in Hotel Victoria around the corner from The Nacional (Havanas crowning glory of a hotel which deserves ...

I can barely remember where I left my blog last year. It seems like a pretty ugly patch in my life after a year of travelling to some of the most beautiful, enriching and challenging places in the world. I am so grateful to be on the otherside of the post travel blues that challenged me coming into end of 2012. So much of travel is about the preparation before you go. The saving of all those pennies, stocking up on quality time with loved ones, savouring of experiences once taken for granted on your front door, handing in your notice, putting your bank, phone, flat in order so it doesn't cost you more than it needs to (some more successfully than others!)  storage of your possessions, handing over of keys and finding some time to make a plan about  where and what that elusive travel might entail.  Then there are the farewells, those last tastes of home, hugs of babes who will be walking talking boys when you get back and getting to the airport on time without holding o...

This blog is almost solely about my love of my friend Haps book and how it has made me feel a little more normal than I did last week. If you haven't heard of my dear friend Hap let me introduce him to you....Mark Cameron aka Hap was a hung over dreadlocked student when I met him in my hall of residence in my first year at University and over the coming 3 years we would work together on almost every group assignment I had in my Marketing major, usually with a girl nicknamed Dogs making for a cherished bond in my life. In my last year of university Hap called around to my flat having graduated the year before to have a cuppa on my balcony overlooking the city of Dunedin. He told me of his mission to live and work on all the continents before he was 30. At 21 that seemed a fair plan, so the next day he headed off to Korea to get the ball rolling. Over subsequent years Hap made his way around the world working and backpacking and falling out of trees - see Hap and I were part of th...

Not many people talk about the readjustment into "normal life" that you have to endure after travel. Probably because most travellers come back desperate for a pay cheque and follow the path that leads them to income. I have a few extra pennies in the bank to give me the opportunity to get the "right job" (sometimes quote marks are required I am sorry!). And in my journey to get this illusive job I am finding that its like a damn roller coaster. I could throw in life in corporate life to make tailored dresses, I could go back to the BlackHole I left a year ago which sucked my will to live and left me heartbroken or I could walk the long lonely road to the career I can see is a good fit with my experience.  Everyday I am troubled with the what next and as my Christmas deadline comes glaringly into sight I learn more about myself. How I want to learn more about Myanmar and the confining state that has captured my heart. How I question if living in London is t...

I'm now in the fidgeting disillusioning part of travel where you feel a little unsure of the what comes next? See I have stopped "travelling" and have settled back into my old flat, back to familiarity. Or so I thought. See we hosted the Olympics in my neighbourhood so the area is "regenerated". Don't get me wrong my timing couldn't have been better. I missed much of the reconstruction, road works and delays leading up to the world coming to the neighbourhood. "Regeneration" generally means suddenly white middle class folk think that they should live here. I am white and by New Zealand standards middle class but have always loved living in London where my people don't. So coming back to my flat after a year to be surrounded by hipsters instead of burkas (I live in the East End where it may as well be Bangladesh). So the familiarity is well on the way out...and  my sister moved out, so I now share with an Italian chocolatier - so the ha...

No one ever wants the shits and to have it for my last 2 months makes my time on the Big Adventure less than enjoyable. It started in Nepal on the Everest Base Camp trek and ceased in the plains of India until I reached the Himalayas again in the foothills in McLoed Ganj and then amongst the mountains again in Manali. Then I’ve been welcomed back to the plains in Chandigarh with the need for the loo. It’s a real pace killer. So now I am packing that bad feeling into metaphysical suitcase and throwing it into a holy waterway (there seems plenty here in India) and making my way to the bright lights of Bollywood. And god damnit I am not going to be sick doing it. UPDATE:I’ve met an old friend from London in Mumbai and his first comment was “ Oh Jo you have been in th 3 rd world too long. You need to get home and eat ”. In an attempt to street feast on something new (Meat!) I discovered that its not just Delhi Belly but Bombay Belly that claims you here. Oh the joy. One week be...

Israel is unlike any country I have ever been to before. It is the centre of religion and Politics - and I'm not exaggerating this point - for the axis of Judaism, Christianity and Muslims (referred to locally as Arabs) it really is the hot spot for humanity since before year 1 AD.  As such I have broken this into a few posts for your leisure Relaxation, Food, Transport & Security; Post 2  People Post 3 Religion & Sights . As a preface to this post it should be said I went during Holy week known by us as Easter Week preceding the Easter Weekend. This meant many of the sites were closed to contain crowds and to ensure the peace was maintained while pilgrims from around the world decended on the Holy Land. I would not recommend this as the best time to visit. Relaxation Tel Aviv Beach looking to Old Jaffa This is not a theme many people I know would relate to the hot bed of Israel but as I arrived in the city of Tel Aviv I was assured that winding down is...

Israel and the Palestinian Territories would be nothing without the people that call it home.  The first of whom I met was Roy. He was the wonderful host of his 1month old hostel. He is well travelled, speaks several languages and is a delightful dope. Whom I think, has got himself into more than he bargained. Working 24 hour days as host, hotelier, handyman, cook and bottlewasher. Roy is Jewish and made us all feel at home with his laid back attitude and his willingness to share the significance of upcoming events of his religion. Answering questions about his city and his country with politeness (I was so worried about my dress that when I walked out of the hostel I felt like a Mormon amongst the uber cool TA's!). If you are going to Tel Aviv make sure you pop and  see him . He would welcome you warmly and always has room - I ended up on the couch at his flat after I called in unexpectedly! Say you know me.  Maureen inside Christ Church, Jerusalem Maureen was...

With Religion it brings the sights of Israel. Further to my Holy Land Posts this focuses on the Sights and Religions I encountered during Holy Week 2011. Nazareth  My first pilgrimage was to the city of Nazareth which is the home of Mary and where Joseph had his carpentry and Mary drunk from the well. So the sights I sought out were Mary's Well at the top end of the old town where it is said that Gabriel came to Mary and spoke to her. Now the sight has graffiti and no water so I guess its lost its drawing power.  Just meters away is the Eastern Orthodox Church where it is believed that the Annunciation took place. Everyone was huddled around a water fountain from the 3CE with their Evian bottles so it must be the drawcard these days. I fancied a cheeky wine next door as I watched an end of term party crack on in the village discotech which polluted the village square.  The final destination in Nazareth was the Church of the Annunciation. Built in the 1900's this ultra ...