tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91380067508341740522011-06-30T08:06:20.023-07:00One step at a timeALI KATInoreply@blogger.comBlogger331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-91985541077282633102009-03-01T17:30:00.000-08:002009-03-17T08:36:16.090-07:00

It's tough to describe the Richmond Park walk.First, it was less of a route than a compromise. Dr. Phil had planned to cook a juicy Sunday Roast. Unfortunately, Amanda was down for a visit yesterday, so I could not make a walk on Saturday. This turn about Richmond was a way to bridge the desire for walk and for chicken, of which, both are good for the body and spirit.Ali and I met at Richmond

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-24039012547479164302009-02-21T18:24:00.000-08:002009-03-03T17:55:26.236-08:00

Due to various delays caused by the weather, it was only this week that we finally got out of London for a walk. We took it nice and easy with a low level walk that wasn't too long in distance. We took a train from Liverpool Street to Harlow, which is 30 minutes away. We had timed it right, it was pretty glorious weather.Although walking around London affords its own pleasures, being out in the

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-5446035419553562802009-02-01T18:21:00.000-08:002009-03-04T03:19:12.194-08:00

It's been a challenge to kickstart walks for this new year. There were plans for a trip out to Harlow for a country walk but that was shelved due to weather and scheduling issues.But if we can't get out of the city to enjoy the beauty of the countryside, we should embrace the city and all its grittiness. We started off early this Sunday morning. After some mild confusion as to which Bow station

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-50942761623531061862009-01-02T07:41:00.000-08:002009-01-02T19:12:57.150-08:00

Sorry, folks. Walks have been suspended without plan due to 1) me being away in India 2) blastardly cold weather 3) Ali being away 4) distraction of Christmas festivities.We'll get going with some walks and activities soon. There's a need to find different routes, I think - due to us having pretty much criss-crossed anywhere a hour or so outside of London. Also, my camera's busted but I'm sure I

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-7374581001776723802008-10-04T15:39:00.000-07:002008-10-04T16:17:51.674-07:00

I spoke with Asad from Project Enlighten the other day about their efforts over in Burma. Apart from some exciting developments in the pipeline (more scholarships and sustainable programmes), he also forwarded me some reports on how the monies were spent.I don't know about you but when I think about the goal of $1000, I kinda feel it really isn't that much even though it's taking a while to

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-13970140257140611032008-09-30T17:27:00.001-07:002008-09-30T17:28:04.217-07:00

Two hundred miles clocked!However, as we've yet to reach $1000, just got to keep walking!

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-57485551269229551332008-09-27T22:00:00.000-07:002008-09-30T17:26:38.241-07:00

Perhaps it's because of the universal attraction of Pooh Bear, but for some reason, we had more guest walkers today than ever before. Two scientists from Dr.J's lab and Chris, a friend of my colleague, with his most suitable last name, came along. We've been doing these walks for a while now. And while it's usually good whether we are few or many, having some fresh feet along for the jaunt

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-86676859384353480552008-09-20T22:21:00.000-07:002009-01-02T16:09:57.781-08:00

As the highest mountain in the British Isles at 1344m, Ben Nevis is a hugely popular destination for trekkers and climbers. On different sides of the mountain, lie various routes of different levels of difficulty. We approached our ascent from the south side, on the easy trekking route, known as the Pony Track.We crossed the wide valley and began the ascent after the first fence.The weather

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-85719326664451215162008-09-20T06:07:00.000-07:002008-09-23T09:25:13.587-07:00

We were up at the ghastly hour of 3.30am. Ali roared up on his bike not long after, and set off for Stansted Airport. It reminded me a little of the road trips I used to take with my parents. My parents used to have holidays where we would drive up either the east or west coast of Malaysia. In order to avoid the rush of traffic at the Singapore-Malaysian causeway, we would set off hours before

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-60627754342850952402008-09-19T15:05:00.000-07:002008-09-19T15:17:26.423-07:00

All packed and ready...just need to get a couple of hours of sleep before we make the bleary, weary-eyed journey to Stansted, that human campsite of an airport. From there, we'll fly via Ryan Air to Preswick Airport near Glasgow.Then we head up Ben Nevis. As the highest mountain in the British Isles, this is going to require quite a bit of sweat and panting.So if you've been thinking about

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-42286674171132590302008-09-15T18:50:00.000-07:002008-09-15T18:54:14.037-07:00

Wise words from Eastbourne!

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-38656480392961355582008-09-14T22:21:00.000-07:002008-09-15T18:55:04.495-07:00

After a few delays due to bad weather and various walkers being away, we finally managed to get our act together for what Ali calls, THE BIG KAHUNA, the big dickens, the granddaddy of all the walks - the level 10 difficulty 14.6 mile trek from Seaford to Eastbourne. We'd been saving this walk for ages, waiting for the right time when we felt strong enough. Finally, it was time before the days got

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-33916798064279044342008-08-28T16:52:00.000-07:002008-08-28T16:58:41.435-07:00

It's been seven months!It's amazing how a few little steps can add up to over a hundred miles, and we're slowly creeping up to the 200 mile landmark.A big thanks to everyone who sent support and donations - sums big and small have arrived from different people around the world, and even surprisingly, from a runaway bear!He sent US 30 dollars! I'm going to keep walking as much as I can - there's a

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-21985260685789666192008-08-25T15:31:00.000-07:002008-08-25T16:21:16.379-07:00

After almost a month's break, it was lovely to be back out in the countryside walking. This week's route was a long awaited one. For some reason we'd been wanting to climb Leith Hill for a while, and we kept putting it off as one of us would go AWOL and we wanted to save the walk till we were all present. This week, it looked like we were finally all present. Unfortunately, at the last minute,

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-87918684828487709502008-07-26T22:42:00.000-07:002008-08-25T16:21:35.004-07:00

I guess we're entering the countryside! Should we follow the hedgehog or kestrel?This week's walk was much shorter but it offered a lovely route along the cliffs off the picturesque coastline of Folkestone. From the station, it very quickly felt like summer with the bright sunshine and a burst of colours from these marigolds.But before we could enjoy the coastline, we first had to wind our way

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-86216630447836441722008-07-19T20:20:00.000-07:002008-08-10T13:40:39.693-07:00

I've got a bit behind on posting as things got really busy suddenly. All of a sudden, I've got a backlog of stuff to blog, receipts to file, stuff to get back to people about.I was really looking forward to this particular jaunt as it started at the monumentally historical site of Battle. The most ignorant yokel in Britain will at least have heard of 1066, the Battle of Hastings, which many refer

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-84002562980161460462008-07-12T17:03:00.000-07:002009-01-02T16:16:16.963-08:00

We were somewhat disorganised this week. Dr J was away, Dr. Phil missed his alarm and so Ali and I were left to our own devices. The forecast of the day wasn't great either. It was a somewhat grey start when we began from Boxhill.This region is very old. Right from the start, I saw traces of ancient stonework. We walked past an old archway and gateway but took neither path.Instead we made our way

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-90240454930879245922008-06-24T20:41:00.000-07:002008-06-24T23:46:58.780-07:00

It was a rather shaky start to the walk as with the Jubilee line being cut off for engineering works, Phil and I had to make a detour to get to Victoria. As I had not slept the night before, I managed to somehow travel up and down the same line before I noticed I was on the wrong train. On top of that, it was fairly overcast when we began our walk.After a little faffing when we got to Berwick, we

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-17609455424414344282008-06-19T14:38:00.001-07:002009-01-02T16:19:35.098-08:00

Sometimes the problems seem so huge, the obstacles so insurmountable. It's all you can do to strap on your boots.So it gives me great hope and joy to see this. Project Enlighten has managed to get past the military junta to bring aid directly to the people who need it.With $ US 12, 000, they managed to bring supplies of clothing, food, medicine, plastic covers for shelter, family tents, two large

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-68835542736352984542008-06-15T22:48:00.000-07:002008-06-18T06:28:54.378-07:00

As the usual suspects were scattered hither and yonder, I was left to my devices this weekend. Thankfully, I managed to coerce a new walker, Cara (aka Tom to civilised folks) to join the ranks. We met at Tower Hill station, and with a nod to the section of the London Wall, a single, mighty fortification that once surrounded the Roman and medieval cities, we started on our way.As cheesy as it is

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-44696904355756561472008-06-09T22:43:00.000-07:002008-06-14T13:47:05.488-07:00

A good night's sleep can work miracles. When I woke up in the morning, I found my legs worked! Unfortunately, the dog took a while to budge from the front of the fireplace.It took a while, but enough coffee did the trick and we set off for the day. We drove a little further south this time, a rather pleasant but at times nerve-wrecking journey of twists and turns through country lanes.From the

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-45990770555579071422008-06-08T21:09:00.000-07:002008-06-14T13:44:24.536-07:00

Phil's parents had kindly let us stay in their home while they were away. The cottage was like a little labyrinth where you'd turn a corner and discover another room tucked charmingly away. The gardens surrounded the house, so from every window, we could see outside where the flowers were in bloom.This first morning, it was a friendly, chaotic flap around the little cottage. After an hour of

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-53158991313758859552008-06-06T13:41:00.000-07:002008-06-06T13:54:25.456-07:00

Ryan Air has very strict specifications for luggage. We chose not to check in our bags for speed (and also cos they charge a higher fee) which meant we had one bag that had to be 55 x 25 x something very thin which I can't remember, and it couldn't not weigh over 10kg.I spent the day measuring bags with a measuring tape. It's a miracle the zips could close. Apart from wet weather gear, walking

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-14405319936798980652008-06-03T16:38:00.000-07:002008-06-04T15:34:40.450-07:00

A few years ago, on a return flight from Bangkok to Singapore, I was seated next to a young chap. I recognised him as being on the tour my mother and I were on. He was slight and edgy, and had what I called "Nanahara's hairdo". (To be accurate, it was more the actor's hairstyle than the character's.) We started talking and I found out he was from Burma/Myanmar. I use both names here as he was

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-18473912924770143042008-06-03T13:27:00.001-07:002008-06-05T18:53:18.248-07:00

I thought I would be late for the walk so I ran all the way to the station, and then up and down, in between tube-lines to Marylebone Station. Thankfully, I was not late but Ali was. Apparently, his breakfast had taken a flying leap towards a wall and had to be cleaned up. Twas a funny morning, it turned out. Our 9:27 train wasn't showing on the boards. We stumbled towards the conductors who

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-73065469260840357382008-05-17T23:26:00.001-07:002008-06-02T15:08:40.170-07:00

We proved how hardcore we were today. When we reached Otford Station, which is about 40 minutes out of London in Kent, it started to rain. We could have turned tail. We could have retreated to a pub and sulked. But noooooo, we shook our rain jackets out of our rucksacks and zipped ourselves up. We were walking and nothing from the heavens could stop us!Otford dates back to the sixth century when

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-35231728088837007952008-05-10T23:44:00.000-07:002008-06-03T05:52:54.152-07:00

Our morning began at Victoria Station, which was large and any meeting needed to be co-ordinated military style with mobile phones instead of walkies talkies. The train journey to Lewes (pronounced Loo-wes, and not loos!) took just over an hour.We had another glorious sunny day, it felt like proper summer had arrived. I felt a faint twinge of concern for the new baby hedgehogs born early but it

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-52437503020649343942008-05-03T23:14:00.000-07:002009-01-02T16:33:06.503-08:00

For once, we had a totally hitch-free start to the day. Coffee-ed and muffined up, we caught the train to Stonegate which is about an hour away from Charing Cross station.Right outside the station, we were greeted by the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside. A herd of lively brown cows pushed forward to greet us within their pen, lining up as if they were posing for a group photo. Of

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-13306713693461770692008-04-26T22:25:00.000-07:002008-06-02T15:27:26.364-07:00

After another tricky start on the trains - what is it with the British and trains on the weekend? - we arrived in Dover, a not too picturesque town on the southeast coastline of England. With the castle on the hill peering down upon its inhabitants and visitors, the port town is situated at the narrowest point of the channel between England and France.As we were rather late for a pub lunch, we

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-1839047086979566642008-04-12T02:05:00.000-07:002008-06-02T15:28:32.423-07:00

After a little kerfuffle with the tickets, we finally made our way to Saunderton to resume our weekly practice of long walks.Saunderton is about an hour outside London, a town surrounded by rolling fields and lush green hills. We began with an easy stroll in the Chilterns through sloping meadows and woodland. The trail through the forest was very pleasant, until the paths became rather muddy. In

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-29566628302238471032008-02-09T02:33:00.000-08:002008-06-02T15:29:55.300-07:00

With prerequisite coffees in hand, Mister Ali, Dr J and I inched our way up Highgate hill, still slightly sleepy-eyed on Saturday morning. The entrance fee to the famed Highgate Cemetery was three pounds each. Dr J was a little surprised one had to pay to visit a graveyard, but I wasn't. Death, to my knowledge, has always been an expense.While my comrades decided to pay their respects to Marx and

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-47868982650114598922008-02-02T22:48:00.000-08:002008-06-02T15:30:44.841-07:00

Mister Ali, Dr. J and I met up near the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. Not much could be seen of the old clipper, as it had recently been damaged by fire and it's presently covered with canvas while undergoing repairs. We're not used to being up this early on a Saturday, so it was necessary to obtain coffees before we embarked on today's trek. The chaps went to Costa, and despite my aversion to

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138006750834174052.post-52570096464425451452008-01-27T06:38:00.000-08:002008-06-02T15:32:52.529-07:00

Mr. Ali and I managed to start off our London treks. For our first jaunt, we started off at Putney Bridge tube station, and made our way along the river towards Hammersmith Bridge, and kept going till we reached Barnes. Then we looped back across the bridge and traced our way back on the opposite bank.Our walk led us past hundred year old pubs, old boat houses, striking bridge follies and

ALI KATInoreply@blogger.com0