Bill Bryson the well know and respected travel writer once wrote happiness is looking at an ordinance survey map, I quite like looking at them if I am going trekking or climbing a mountain. I have a detailed map of Essex which can come in handy, its throws up all sorts of funny names of Local places and landmarks like Egypt bay, Pigs Bay, Two Tree Island, Lobster Smack, Rat Island, Lost World, and so on.....
Taking of places names, one place I would love to visit, possibly because of its name and location is the Khyber pass. The pass is 30 miles long, not only does the pass run between Pakistan and afghanistan, (previously know as the North West frontier) it has historically been the only way to get to India by foot, connecting Central Asia to South Asia, The armies of Alexander the great and Genghis Khan have marched through it
Its very remote and still very much controlled by tribes, a very dangerous place, even though the pass is a road in parts. The pass has a very bloody past "Every stone in the Khyber has been soaked in blood" is one description. Kipling described the pass as "A sword cut through the mountains"
Guns are every where, the bullet is still a strong currency in this frontier and the AK47 rules the roost, the region is very much a sealed society, houses and homes resemble Strong houses.
it can within the reach of a tourist, probably best to be a day tripper, but you must have an armed guard. thats why it probably best to stay no longer than a day.
Now a days smuggling is the trade ,weather it be, drugs, passports, The local markets and bazaars are beyond the control of the authorities, buckets of hashish, passports, official papers and passes are openly on sale
Putting the above to one side, the local hospitality is very nice, they love thier tea.
I have been caught out before visiting a place with a famous/attractive name, Casablanca!, I loved the film, what a fatal attraction, it was horrible imagine a city build up without planning controls, and has roads the width of the River Thames in central London
Andrew
Taking of places names, one place I would love to visit, possibly because of its name and location is the Khyber pass. The pass is 30 miles long, not only does the pass run between Pakistan and afghanistan, (previously know as the North West frontier) it has historically been the only way to get to India by foot, connecting Central Asia to South Asia, The armies of Alexander the great and Genghis Khan have marched through it
Its very remote and still very much controlled by tribes, a very dangerous place, even though the pass is a road in parts. The pass has a very bloody past "Every stone in the Khyber has been soaked in blood" is one description. Kipling described the pass as "A sword cut through the mountains"
Guns are every where, the bullet is still a strong currency in this frontier and the AK47 rules the roost, the region is very much a sealed society, houses and homes resemble Strong houses.
it can within the reach of a tourist, probably best to be a day tripper, but you must have an armed guard. thats why it probably best to stay no longer than a day.
Now a days smuggling is the trade ,weather it be, drugs, passports, The local markets and bazaars are beyond the control of the authorities, buckets of hashish, passports, official papers and passes are openly on sale
Putting the above to one side, the local hospitality is very nice, they love thier tea.
I have been caught out before visiting a place with a famous/attractive name, Casablanca!, I loved the film, what a fatal attraction, it was horrible imagine a city build up without planning controls, and has roads the width of the River Thames in central London
Andrew
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i dont think its a whtherspoons pub..but yes.they only trusted us with plastic glasses