| In my capacity as the UK Director of | | | | afternoon departure I decided that I would |
| Operations for One World Tours Limited, I am | | | | take the three-hour evening tour. |
| often asked about the destinations I have | | | | |
| been to and how it all began in the first | | | | I was quite excited about the prospect of |
| place. 10 years ago I embarked on my second | | | | actually visiting Alcatraz; it was to be an |
| trip around the world and I suppose you could | | | | unexpected bonus to say the least! None of |
| say that this is where it truly all began. | | | | the so -called Wonders had given me such a |
| | | | rush. I had seen the Taj, Sydney Opera House, |
| I decided to visit the Seven Wonders of the | | | | The Great Wall, The Golden Gate Bridge, but I |
| world in eight days. Firstly I had to decide | | | | could not believe that I was going to |
| what actually constituted the Seven Wonders | | | | Alcatraz! |
| of the World in the end came up with the Taj | | | | |
| Mahal, the Great Wall of China, the Leaning | | | | I was allowed to stand in the solitary |
| Tower of Pisa, the Golden Gate Bridge, The | | | | confinement cells and I found it to be an |
| Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House and | | | | extremely eerie experience. You could still |
| the Pyramids of Egypt. This would notch up a | | | | feel the history that the place was seeped |
| staggering 42,000 miles in 8 just days. The | | | | in. I saw the exercise yard and the dining |
| airlines and a chain of leading world-wide | | | | hall and for a grand finale heard the guards |
| hotels thought that it would be a great | | | | slam the cell doors closed. It was dark when |
| promotional stunt and sponsored the whole | | | | I left the island and San Francisco was truly |
| trip so all of the flights and accommodation | | | | magnificent by night. |
| was free. Sounds like a brilliant blag eh? | | | | |
| However nothing was guaranteed and my fate | | | | I flew out of San Francisco at about 12.30am |
| was entirely in the hands of the airlines. | | | | and touched down in New York at 9pm. |
| | | | |
| So on the first leg of the trip (18th | | | | I got up early and traipsed the streets of |
| February) India and the Taj Mahal, I realized | | | | New York looking for somewhere to have |
| that I was on standby tickets and began to | | | | breakfast and then made my way to the Empire |
| wonder if the trip would start at all. I | | | | State BuildingI walked down to Battery Park |
| think that once I saw the very beautiful | | | | and caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty |
| Indian stewardess wrapped elegantly in her | | | | in the distance. |
| red and gold sari, I knew my trip had begun. | | | | |
| | | | Then from JFK airport New York it was back to |
| Arriving at Delhi airport and in order to | | | | London. The flight to London was due to |
| continue on to the next stage of the journey | | | | arrive at 6.20am the next morning. It was 40 |
| I had to find out how much a taxi would cost | | | | minutes late and arrived at 7am instead. I |
| to take me to Agra and back to see the Taj | | | | had to take a taxi form Heathrow to Gatwick |
| Mahal. Eventually I was ushered towards a | | | | in order to catch the 10am flight to Pisa. |
| driver willing to attempt to take me the 300 | | | | |
| miles in about 8 ½ hours for the price of | | | | It seemed very strange to be back in England, |
| £130. I remember the name of the driver | | | | so much had happened in such a short space of |
| and the journey to Agra very vividly. Ashok, | | | | time. |
| drove like a madman, honking his horn and | | | | |
| driving towards oncoming traffic on dual | | | | I arrived in Italy at 2.45pm and I had a |
| carriageways in order to help me complete my | | | | lovely view of the Swiss Alps as I had been |
| mission. | | | | sitting near the window again on this flight. |
| | | | I left the airport and took a taxi to the |
| On reaching the Taj Mahal, I was very | | | | hotel Granduca which was nestled in the |
| impressed by the stunning creation of love | | | | Italian countryside and was very pleasing to |
| that stood before me, definitely the stuff | | | | the eye after New York. After a quick shower |
| that fairytales are made of! I did not have | | | | I took a cab to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa |
| too much time, 15 minutes, so I quickly set | | | | where I took the appropriate photos. It |
| about taking photographs of the beauty before | | | | didn't seem possible that I was now in Pisa |
| me that was intended for the publicity for | | | | when hours before I had been in New York. It |
| the sponsors. I took enough photographs to | | | | was very difficult to take in those last few |
| prove that I had been there, along with a | | | | days. |
| duplicate set in case the first ones did not | | | | |
| come out and then one more lot for luck! The | | | | I had to be up at 6am to catch a flight back |
| sun was beginning to set and it gave | | | | to Gatwick. It was roughly 6.30pm when I |
| everything around that wonderful orange glow, | | | | dropped off to sleep. The malaria tablets |
| a fitting end to a brief but memorable | | | | that I had to take had to be taken at the |
| experience.Well the high speed car ride back | | | | right time and once a week I had to take an |
| was even more hair-raising as we did the | | | | extra one. Can you imagine how difficult it |
| whole thing over again but in the dark this | | | | was with all the different times I had been |
| time! | | | | through to make sure when I had to take them? |
| | | | I had to set my alarm to make sure that I |
| Day two of the trip was to be mostly taken up | | | | took them at the correct time. I awoke at |
| with flights. I left Bombay after 6am to | | | | 12pm with a start, took my tablet and I |
| arrive in Hong Kong (stopping off at Bangkok) | | | | remember telling myself that I shouldn't have |
| at around 3.15pm. I then had to take another | | | | gone to bed so early as I would never get |
| flight to Beijing to arrive at 9pm that | | | | back to sleep now! Next thing I knew it was |
| evening. | | | | 5.30am the following morning. That was |
| | | | definitely the most sleep I had had in one go |
| I was fortunate enough to experience the | | | | since I had left home. |
| beauty of flying into Beijing at night with | | | | |
| the added bonus of the magnificent fireworks | | | | I was a bit disappointed that I had slept my |
| in celebration of their New Year. | | | | time away in Italy yet I had needed the sleep |
| | | | to revitalise myself. |
| The hotel, the Tianlun Dynasty Hotel was very | | | | |
| grand affair with staff spoke limited making | | | | When I arrived at Gatwick I took the speed |
| it almost impossible to try and organise for | | | | bus back to Heathrow, the place where for me |
| a taxi to pick me up at 4am the next morning, | | | | the trip had begun. It became apparent that I |
| to take me to the Great Wall, my next | | | | had got a four and a half-hour wait until the |
| destination. I then had to catch a flight | | | | flight to Cairo. It was the longest four |
| from Beijing to go to Sydney at 11.30am! With | | | | hours of the trip. |
| the limited communications it was very | | | | |
| difficult to get across exactly what it was | | | | Finally the gate number came up and I rushed |
| that I wanted and I had to do drawings in | | | | up to where I expected I would be leaving |
| order to communicate. To be honest I did not | | | | from for the most exciting part of the trip, |
| see much of the Great wall as it was still | | | | the only bit that I was really looking |
| dark being so early in the morning! | | | | forward to. I discovered that I was on |
| | | | standby tickets and that the flight had been |
| Back to Beijing airport on to Shanghai | | | | oversold by 50 tickets. I had resigned myself |
| instead of directly on to Sydney as I had | | | | to the fact that I was not going to go |
| expected . The Quantas crew were very lively, | | | | another step further. |
| and I assumed that it was because there was | | | | |
| hardly anyone else on the flight so they | | | | There was only a handful of people left to |
| could let their hair down a little. I was | | | | board the plane and about ten more minutes to |
| even invited to sit in the flight deck as we | | | | go until the plane was due to leave. I had |
| came in to land at Shanghai. | | | | been waiting for over four hours and was not |
| | | | even sure if there was anything to wait for! |
| I arrived at Sydney airport at about 6.30am | | | | I even wondered if I should ring someone to |
| on the 21st of February. It was all too | | | | come and collect me to take me home. |
| obvious that I would not be using a hotel | | | | |
| until the next day in San Francisco, so I | | | | I touched down at the scheduled time of |
| decided to leave my luggage in storage at the | | | | 11.15am on the 26th February. I wouldn't get |
| airport. I had a whole day to kill in Sydney | | | | a proper look at Egypt until the following |
| and the first thing that I did was to catch a | | | | day. Once booked in to our hotel it proved |
| bus to Sydney harbour. I took a whole bunch | | | | very difficult for me to sleep that evening |
| of photographs of the Opera House and its | | | | as it was like being a kid on Christmas eve, |
| surroundings | | | | trying to force myself to go to sleep but |
| | | | being too excited to achieve it. The young |
| To waste a bit of time I went on a cruise of | | | | hotel porter had asked if I had stayed at |
| the harbour. I found it very hard to stay | | | | this particular hotel before. When I answered |
| awake, the travelling around over the last | | | | no, he pulled open the long curtains in the |
| few days finally catching up with me. | | | | manner of a minor star unveiling a plaque. |
| | | | The modern city of Cairo stood beyond in all |
| I left Sydney airport about 40 minutes later | | | | of its glory as beautiful as any city by |
| than scheduled. This was a little worrying | | | | nightfall. The opened curtains exposed a long |
| because I was supposed to be making a | | | | balcony onto which I was offered to step. The |
| connecting flight in Los Angeles an hour and | | | | young man seemed proud to show me the |
| a half after I arrived! | | | | magnificent view of the river Nile. I could |
| | | | have enjoyed the stunning view for the entire |
| There was a problem with the next part of the | | | | night but knew that if I didn't get a good |
| trip. When I had originally planned the trip, | | | | nights sleep I wouldn't be able to enjoy my |
| I remembered that the international dateline | | | | time in Egypt to the full the following day. |
| would be crossed, meaning that although | | | | I felt saddened to see the advertisement for |
| having left Sydney on the evening of the 21st | | | | coke lighting up the evening sky of a country |
| of Feb, I would be arriving in San Francisco | | | | steeped in so much magical history. It seemed |
| on the afternoon of 21st of Feb! The people | | | | too commercial and somehow disrespectful. |
| that had rearranged the original schedule had | | | | |
| not taken this into account. In effect it | | | | I photographed the stunning sphinx. |
| meant that I would be arriving one day | | | | |
| earlier than was planned, it also meant that | | | | The pyramids were absolutely breathtaking. I |
| I did not have anywhere to stay that night, | | | | could not believe that I was only a few feet |
| as I was not booked into the hotel until the | | | | away from them. I had imagined of this moment |
| following evening! It actually turned out to | | | | so many times in the past. It was everything |
| be a blessing in disguise because I had | | | | that I ever dreamed of and more. |
| missed the connecting flight anyway. I | | | | |
| eventually arrived in San Francisco in the | | | | I wanted to go to the museum to see |
| early part of the evening and took a taxi to | | | | Tutankhamen's mask and after entering the |
| the intercontinental hotel. | | | | museum, I was totally blown away by the |
| | | | exhibits that up until then I had only seen |
| Having topped up my sleep on the flight over | | | | in reference books. |
| and now feeling refreshed from the shower I | | | | |
| felt alert enough to experience San Francisco | | | | As I lay my eyes on the mask I found it was |
| by night. Thee streets were incredibly steep | | | | more breathtaking than I could ever have |
| and I wondered how on earth the parked cars | | | | imagined. |
| managed to stay in place. | | | | |
| | | | In the evening I went back to the pyramids to |
| After having a good night's sleep I got up | | | | see the sound and light show and I have to |
| early and took a cab to the Golden Gate | | | | say it was the perfect ending to an amazing |
| Bridge. I took the necessary photographs and | | | | trip. A dream come true. |
| treated myself to an ice cream. As I sat | | | | |
| admiring the scenery I overheard someone | | | | I had to be up early to catch the 8.45am |
| mention that they could see Alcatraz in the | | | | flight back to London. |
| distance. I had no idea until then that | | | | |
| Alcatraz was so close and as I had a whole | | | | And there you have it. I had caught the |
| day to waste until my next flight, I decided | | | | travel bug good and proper and I wanted other |
| that visiting Alcatraz was not the worst way | | | | people to share it too! |
| to spend the day. Having just missed the | | | | |