Simon around the world

Indian boy standing in a field.
“Our tour bus was ambushed by some dancing girls who were stood in the road to perform for tips, so we got out to meet some locals. This boy was just stood watching us. Simon asked if he could take his picture, and he said yes, but showed us where the picture would be better. Top lad.” ~ Phil.
Taj Mahal, from the side, showing mainly locals rather than white tourists.
“Taj Mahal, from the side, showing mainly locals rather than white tourists.” ~ Phil.
Colourful, dragon-laden Bumboat in the Singapore River.
“While we have the Razzle Dazzle ferry across the Mersey, this is what they have in Singapore. These are called Bumboats.” ~ Phil.
Roadsign in Sydney, Australia, directing traffic to Liverpool.
“Half way around the world and still seeing signposts for Liverpool.” ~ Phil.
Large crocodile, very close, no fence, mouth wide open.
“We were invited onto the wrong side of the fence for a while by the guy in charge of the crocs. Simon got a bit too close for my liking, but we left with all limbs intact. Those jaws made quite a noise when they snapped shut.” ~ Phil.
View across a river in the Kuranda rainforest, from high up in a cable car.
“Kuranda’s Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, which was a bit scary but the Kuranda Scenic Railway at the top was totally worth it.” ~ Phil.
Edge of a volcanic lake in a rainforest with trees hanging over clear water.
“This is an old volcanic lake near the Millaa Millaa waterfall, in Queensland, Australia. The water was amazingly clear; it looked like you could drink it.” ~ Phil.
A colourful blue and yellow parrot posing on a wall.
“A local surf instructor called Dano took a few days off work to show us around ‘his’ island. We had a most excellent time and managed to see a lot of things which the usual tourist routes wouldn’t take you anywhere near. We made friends like this everywhere we went, wanting to show us the real places that meant things to them.” ~ Phil.
A stand of palm trees along Kalākaua Avenue, Waikiki.
A stand of palm trees along Kalākaua Avenue, Waikiki.
Tiny dwellings that form Montezuma Castle, built into the rock face in Arizona.
“Former home to the Sinagua People, Montezuma Castle is the third National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture. Mind-blowing to see these dwellings built into the cliff faces.” ~ Phil.
Huge, crumbling, red sandstone formations, as seen in many old Westerns.
“An honour to be allowed on these amazing Navajo lands.” ~ Simon.
Huge, crumbling, red sandstone formations, as seen in many old Westerns.
“Kept expecting to see Wile E. Coyote chasing after Road Runner.” ~ Phil.
A massive bridge spans the mouth of the Lake Powell dam.
“Home to the Hopi Tribe and Kokopelli. Second largest dam in the US, the first being Hoover. The original Planet of the Apes movie was filmed here. Amazing scenery.” ~ Phil.
Trees framing a smoky view over the South Rim of the Canyon.
“The atmosphere is so thin, everything sounds different, and it just looks like nothing else you’ve ever seen. Stunning. There was a fire somewhere below, apparently, which gave off a fair bit of smoke, which is evident in this picture.” ~ Phil.
A wide expanse of the Canyon’s red rocks, looking like somewhere on Mars.
“A wide expanse of the Canyon’s red rocks, looking like somewhere on Mars.” ~ Phil.
An alleyway between the hoodoos.
“The Grand Canyon might have better PR, but its younger cousin, Bryce, is absolutely breath-taking and boasts hoodoos and Thor’s Hammer.” ~ Phil.
Bryce Amphitheater, with its huge array of hoodoos (columns of rock).
“The Grand Canyon might have better PR, but its younger cousin, Bryce, is absolutely breath-taking and boasts hoodoos and Thor’s Hammer.” ~ Phil.
Tunnel View at Yosemite Valley, showing El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, and Half Dome in the background.
“Constantly on high alert for bears, but also shouting over the noise of the waterfalls.” ~ Phil.
A Beavertail Cactus in pink bloom, Death Valley.
“How anything manages to grow out there in that heat is astounding, but here’s a Beavertail Cactus in pink bloom.” ~ Phil.
Zabriskie Point sign in Death Valley.
“Pink Floyd once did the soundtrack for a movie called Zabriskie Point, so Simon was very excited about this.” ~ Phil.
The badlands of Zabriskie Point.
“It was 121°F on the day, which is 49.5°C in real money. Body hairs felt like they were on fire but it was worth it for these views.” ~ Phil.
The heavily-lit canopy of Circus Circus hotel in Las Vegas, as featured in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
“This is where we stayed, which amused us greatly.” ~ Phil.
Haight-Ashbury street corner in San Francisco, with Ben & Jerry’s and a large, white cadillac convertible cruising through.
“By 2001, it was all ice cream and no acid. Bummer.” ~ Phil.
The bright red fascia of the Whiskey A-Go-Go in Los Angeles, with a huge PJ Harvey poster.
“We were only passing and didn’t get to any gigs, which was a shame.” ~ Phil.
Self-portrait of Simon in a hotel room mirror, with the sink full of ice and cans of beer.
“Welcome to ‘Travel tips with Simon’ in which we learn how to repurpose the coffee machine into a noodle factory.” ~ Phil.
The Chrysler building, Manhattan, New York.
“The Chrysler building, Manhattan, New York” ~ Phil.