Onward to the land of Disney!

Having followed the hordes of pilgrims to the amazing spectacle, which was the Olympic Park, I was mesmerized by the display that unfolded in front of me thanks to another new technology – giant rectangles which play out real life happening in a place you cannot see – mind-boggling! I believe they are called plasma screens.

I simply could not believe what I was seeing  - huge golden rings, an army of drummers and of course who could forget those magnificent explosions, bigger and brighter than I ever saw during my time on the high seas. It really was a tremendous battle, although I am not entirely sure who won – it all seemed very acrimonious. Not like in my day that’s for sure.

Of course, being an explorer at heart I awoke the next morning with one thing on my mind – travel. Luckily for me adventure was well and truly on the horizon.

 After scoffing a muffin and skinny latte at St Pancras Station (it seems the rumors of those magical coca beans were true, and who would have thought they could be ground into such a tasty, low calorie brew!) I was on my way to France.

I had traveled to this difficult and dismal land many a time during my previous explorations and have to say I found the French less appealing than most. However, I was willing to give it another shot after careful research on travel guide website Toowist had led me to another discovery - an exciting and quite unbelievable way to get to French soil – an underwater train! Who ever would have thought! Similar in concept to London’s nifty Underground yet this contraption travels under the sea for miles on end. My mind went into over drive thinking of the places and treasures I could have found had I been the captain of the Eurostar.

I have to say, the journey was far superior to navigating the wild and wily seas, and not one of my fellow crewmates succumbed to scurvy. In fact my limes remained safely tucked away in my jacket pocket. Despite this it has to be said I did miss the homely smell of sea breeze and the cry of gulls from above.

Having glided into the Gard de Nord in a miraculous three hours the wondrous Eurostar was in no time off again. You see the city of Paris was not my destination today. No, I had heard of a magical and mystical land where anything and everything was possible. A land ruled by a giant mouse and home to more princes and princesses than anywhere else on this fine earth. Yes, I was off in search of the land of Disney.

 Well all I can say is that explorers of today have it far easier than in my time. Finding the mysterious land of Disney was, well, far from a mystery. All I had to do was remain in my seat for a little while longer and my underwater vessel, which had by this time become an over ground vessel, dropped me off at the edge of this ‘promised land’.

And what a place it was! Just where to go first? I was confronted with an abundance of choices – Main Street USA, Frontierland, Discoveryland, Fantasyland, Adventureland…it was like discovering the New World afresh, only this time with burgers, French fries and the most wonderful invention of all, carbonated soft drinks…bliss.

 After a hearty lunch to build my strength I set off in search of Adventureland. I had heard of a nasty fellow who goes by the name of Hook who rules this land with an iron fist. This I had to see.

What a place it turned out to be! Not only did I survive my trip aboard Hook’s pirate ship I also rode a run-away train through Indiana Jones' temples of perils and was a fearless teammate throughout the journey to the Caribbean, defying cannonballs and pillaging pirates.  It was clear that I was victorious in my voyage. In fact, when I met the main man Hook he gave me a big hug and ruffled my hair – he clearly knows who is boss.

Well, one land down and four more to conquer…not bad work for one day. Now, where is that delightful burger stand?

A New Adventure...London Calling

I’VE discovered a lot going on in the short time since deciding to return to my travel adventure.

This week I found myself in the hustle and bustle of the great city of London – rumour has it there is a big event being held here over the next few weeks: The Olympic Games.

During my years out at sea I had come across fellow travellers from far away lands who talked of the ancient Olympics held in Greece centuries before where proud warriors would compete in the name of Zeus. I had thought this was all nonsense, although from the number of pilgrims who have already made their way to the capital of this land named the United Kingdom I seem to be the only one without a ticket!

Research tells me these modern Olympic Games started in the late 19^th century and it is a privilege to play host to the many thousands of athletes who take part every four years.

Finding my way around London has been a whole new challenge for me – those pesky gatekeepers wouldn’t allow me to sail my ship up the Thames – so I’ve had to familiarise myself with a method of transport they call the London Underground. This involves using a train – a concept I find hard enough to fathom – to transport people under the ground –incredible!

Another amazing tool I have recently discovered is the Internet! What a marvel, it allows me to research anything at the click of a button. A quick search of London on Toowist armed me with the knowledge to discover this incredible city from top to toe.

So much has changed since I last visited English shores – gone are the horse and carriages and in their place are cars, buses and a wonderful contraption called the Boris Bike! Apparently it was introduced by the Mayor of London to encourage a people making their way around the city to be ‘greener’ – although how that works I’m not quite sure, the bikes are bright blue after all. It does make me chuckle to watch people zip in and out of traffic though.

A walking tour around the city on Friday led me to Stratford, east of the city. I’m not generally one to follow the crowds, but in this instance I’m glad that I did – because I ended up at the gateway to the Olympic Games. Once again I watched history unfold before my eyes, a glittering ceremony to mark the official opening of the Games.

The atmosphere was joyous and you could feel the excitement crackling through the air like that fantastic new invention electricity. I was surrounded by thousands of people from all across the world, all there for one reason.

Thank goodness my journey led me to London at this time – I cannot imagine a more exciting place to be but I have time on my side and a whole new world to discover.

Until next time…

Christopher Columbus Sails Again...

Sailing the high seas in search of new lands and adventures, the world’s most famous explorer of all time Christopher Columbus, was top dog of the travelling world back in the 15^th Century.

Ever in search for a quicker way to get to Asia, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain several times during the 1490’s in search of Oriental treasures; instead he headed west discovering the New World of Central America and coining the name Hispaniola – now known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Fast forward more than 500 years and budget airlines have solved Chris C’s biggest travelling dilemma, yet the world renowned globe trotter is back on earth to continue on his journey of discovery – 21^st century style.

Finding that all that remains of his beloved Santa Maria is her anchor on display at a museum in Haiti, Chris C has been left with no choice but to use more modern forms of transport to fulfil his quest to tour the new exciting lands which make up planet earth.

No longer able to rely on a map, compass and a good pair of sea legs, Big C has joined the technology revolution and thanks to his laptop and smart phone is able to access travel information from even the most remote of locations.

Not only that, but thanks to travel guide website Toowist Chris C is learning new tips and advice wherever he goes from fellow travellers whose guides feature on this revolutionary site. In fact, with almost 30,000 guides for everywhere from Alaska to Zanzibar, Chris will be hard pushed not to find a guide written by travellers for travellers which will suit his needs.

In this blog Chris C will share his views on experiencing the world anew as he comes to grips with everything from the modern layout of cities he thought he knew well to new, previously unfound, lands.

Of course the big question remains… will Big C ever make it east and if so what will he make of the modern version of this ‘promised land’? To answer this question you will need to read on!