Latest posts from Bridges and Balloons

Death, Christmas and a different sort of day

Lying back into Steve’s arms, listening to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes around a beach fire as new and dear friends danced around in the sand under the starry sky, I smiled and started to think that perhaps Christmas could be okay again.

Then, out of the shadows, appeared a girl crying to one of our friends: “You have to come, quickly, your dog just killed another dog.” The animal I had been stroking just moments before had attacked a holidaymaker’s pet. It died on its owner’s leash. Chaos ensued, tears were shed, and the owners decided to use the beach fire as a pyre for their deceased pet.

Together we built up the flames, and the party became a funeral. For me, this wasn’t the first time that death had come at Christmas.

Shades of light on Lake Titicaca’s Isla del Sol: a photo story

“You have to go to Isla del Sol – it’s magical,” were common words as we travelled through Bolivia. It’s the legendary birthplace of the Incas, where the god Viracocha made his first mystical appearance, and it’s full of Inca ruins. People tend to wax lyrical about it’s tranquil, mystical nature, and we were keen … Read more

Review: Bauhouse Hostel and Bar, Cuenca

Details Bauhouse Hostel and Bar, Benigno Malo10-31, Cuenca, Ecuador Price $10 for a dorm and $32 for a double. In a nutshell Sleekly designed hipster party hostel and bar for the nocturnal. We loved it the first two nights, but hated it the day we left after being kept awake until the early hours by a party. … Read more

Welcome to Vilcabamba, land of conspiracy theorists…

“There’s a lot of that going round – loads of panic attacks,” said the long-haired, wiry Californian. His wild-eyed companion peered around nervously before speculating: “They must be interfering again.” I wondered who the ‘they’ were that they referred to – a mysterious force causing endemic panic attacks. It sounded like something out of a … Read more

A note on dreams from a very proud girlfriend…

Today is the day that the dream comes true.

At 15, while I was reading Heat and worrying about the colour of my hair, Steve was delving into Buddhist philosophy, cosmic theories and anything he could get his hands on that might help him understand this world we live in.

That enquiry grew into a dream to share the things he read with the rest of the world – to bring those ideas to a wider audience and help us as a planet to better understand ourselves.

If I had a Superpower: Kash the Budget Traveller

Kash Bhattacharya, 33, was born in England, grew up in Calcutta, and has spent the last 14 years in Scotland. He’s the king of budget travel in Europe and has an awesome series on luxury hostels. He’s also a born ringleader and made a fine job of herding bloggers to parties at TBU and TBEX this summer. Find him at The Budget Traveller.

Best Instagram places in London - Shoreditch street art

If I had a Superpower: Marcello the Wandering Trader

When I first met Marcello at TBEX, I was a little taken aback by the smooth-talking travel blogging stock trader, but he quickly became one of my favourite people. He blogs at Wandering Trader, and I’d definitely recommend watching his videos – he’s bloody hilarious. Marcello, 28, was born in Venzuela, is half-Spanish and half-Italian, … Read more

Comparison is the thief of Joy Roosevelt

Comparison is the thief of joy, and other stories

An elfin-like girl perches on a chair, slicing her bow expertly across the strings as she winks and smiles at the dreadlocked guitarist. He’s the kind of man I can’t imagine ever not being topless. The singer sways with stoned, sparkling eyes, and the crowd dances wildly to the klezmer mix. I sit to the … Read more

Victoria skimming stones on Salr de Uynui

Into the wild on Bolivia’s salt flats: Tips and advice

Drunk, kamikaze drivers, freezing cold nights, and crippling altitude sickness was enough to make us apprehensive about venturing into Bolivia’s salt flats – but it definitely wasn’t enough to put us off exploring what promised to be some of the planet’s most other-worldly landscapes. Here is our journey in photos as well as some travel … Read more

Building a garden in a Wichi village, Argentina

Working with the Wichi people in Salta

Have you ever heard of the Wichi people? We hadn’t until we went to Jueves a la Mesa, a vegetarian puerta cerrada in Buenos Aires. A couple from New York – Leigh and Noah – were holding an exhibition there of photos taken by Wichi children. They had given kids in the community digital cameras … Read more