ANZAC Day at Gallipoli

UPDATE: So I spent five wonderful days in Turkey, taking in the sights of istandbul, the flavours of

Things I think you should see

Scotland, full stop. The land of the kilt, scotch whiskey, and bagpipes is a stunning mix of desolat

Best Travel Advice I was given…

Sitting in London after a tour I always reflect on why I love to travel and am I doing enough to pr

So I spent five wonderful days in Turkey, taking in the sights of istandbul, the flavours of the middle east and the memorial sites at Gallipoli. The services at ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine, and Chunuk Bair were wonderful. The speakers full of emotion, the music and entertainment overnight filling in the gaps in my knowledge of the events of the Gallipoli campaign.

I’m honoured to have help 120 people experience and night under the stars in a place that for three nations, Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey, heralded the birth of their national identities. I would recommend to anyone making a pilgramage to the Gallipoli national park is a very rewarding adventure.

I would also advice doing it as part of a tour, the main reason is the hassle of entry is reduced, at the end of a very draining 48 hours you have a coach ready to take you back to Istanbul with a bed waiting for you, and the final reason is you’ll have people to share this wonderful adventure with that are there for the same reason as you.

Check out www.contiki.com for our tour, but there are plenty of other companies that run similar tours. (But you know you might even get ME as a tour manager!)

GK Out!

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So In less than 5 days I’ll be on my way to Turkey, along with two other awesome TMs (Steve and Matty) to run one of the Contiki Anzac day tours. Life St Patricks day earlier last month this will be another Before 30 crossed off my list, while being paid. I honestly think I’m going to have to buy my boss flowers for the rest of the year, or offer my two passports in marriage because strait after the ANZAC tour I’m back off on my third London to Athens tour. This means I’ve never run a tour with less than 3 days paris!

Watch this space for updates about ANZAC day tour.

This tour though has also made me realise that my life isn’t normal. I was having a conversation at the cafe with one of the girls behind the counter and she asked where I was going next week.

Oh I fly out to Istanbul on sat, but I’ll be back in a week.

This statement, said with the calmness of a TM was met with an open mouthed stare. It’s not surprising when I think about it as it’s not a normal thing to say. In fact saying you’re popping down to London is a big trip for many English people to just casually pop over to Turkey for a week is quite a stretch.

Last year I didn’t qualify to pay tax in ANY country because I wasn’t in them long enough, this includes the UK! That will change this year now that I run tour here but I honestly was a homeless, tax free hobo for 2011.

So from a Train blasting through the british countryside.

GK Out!

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Things I think you should see

April 15, 2012 in Out of my Brain, Travel Stories

Scotland, full stop.

The land of the kilt, scotch whiskey, and bagpipes is a stunning mix of desolate beauty and jam packed cities. For such a small nation it truly has much to offer the wandering hobo.

Edinburgh

The captial is of course a great place to start. From london you can pick up a train ticket (6-8hours) for £40-60, or an airfare for around the same.

Highlands / Loch Ness

The Nessie infested loch gives you the perfect chance to experience the Scottish highlands. While you’re there why not take a dip like these crazy kids from my last tour.

The surrounding areas, and in fact the entirety of the north of Scotland is a hikers wet dream. In winter the highlands give you the cheap option for skiing (£70.00 for gear hire and lift pass!).

Glasgow

Home to 40% of the population this city is the home of scottish nightlife, and the perfect mix of crazy scot and european awesomeness.

A bar crawl is well worth a hangover.

If you’re in town then let me know, as I’ll be running tours around the UK there’s a chance you can party with me!

GK out!

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Best Travel Advice I was given…

April 10, 2012 in Out of my Brain, Personal

Sitting in London after a tour I always reflect on why I love to travel and am I doing enough to promote the positive reasons to travel to my contiki peeps.

My first year on the road were heavily influence by a few fellow travellers I met along the way, and once piece of advice a few of them told me.

Travel for yourself, not to impress others..

While at the time I wasn’t complete sure of what they ment the last couple of months have brought this home. What it seems like is that some people today are using travel as a way to ‘one up’ their friends, or to coin a phrase ‘Keep up with the jones’. The ease of travel in the modern age has led to a increase in the number and type of people that are packing a bag and hitting the road. While travel through the east used to be the domain of the hippy or lost wander today you’ll find Gap Year students, and grey nomads rolling through as well.

This shift has meant that in some places getting the cheap and cheerful accomadation is harder, that the bars and clubs have upped their prices and the street vendors have all started to sell ‘western’ food. It saddens me when I hear comments like ‘Where can I get a burger’ or ‘That’s not what it’s like at home’.

I loved that in Beijing I ate nothing but random street food, from street vendors that could not speak english Read the rest of this entry →

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A green and orange start to the Year!

March 21, 2012 in Personal, Travel Stories

So my season with Contiki has started and boy was it with a bang. On the 15^thof March I set off with 51 eager guys and girls on a coach to Dublin. Our goal celebrate the death of a 600year old Christian missionary, St Patrick of Ireland.

My friends Idea of my job

This is the first year that Contiki is running the St Paddies day tour, and as such it was a play it by ear tour. My briefing for the four days was longer than my briefing for my 45 day tour last year.

While I know my friends all have an image of me wearing a funny hat, leading groups in drinking games and occasionally pointing to big monuments, truth be told working as a tour manager, especially on things like a new tour, is a challenge.

Dublin normally is busy, the temple bar area attracts tourists year round and the city is a tourist mecca during the summer months. Knowing this I thought I was prepared for what was to come, I was not.

Dublin was bursting at the seams with tourist for the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Places like the Guinness Storehouse, an included item on the Contiki tour, was so packed that a normal hour self guided tour was taking two. The line for none group entry was nearly a KM long and ran nearly three blocks away from the brewery

This aside the other challenge was of course offering both a structured tour but with enough flexibility and I will admit this was a struggle. Groups are hard to manage at the best of times, when you’re trying to walk 52 people through already crowed streets, or trying to organise group entry to a attraction when some want to meet you there is a nightmare. Try finding the one person dressed in green, in a sea of green dressed people. . . . Yeah that sucks and ends with me standing in the rain at the entrance to Guinness holding tickets like some beer ticket scalper.

That said most of the tour was simply unbelievable fun, from the drive through Wales to the short stop in Holly Head before our ferry.

Paddies Day was a blur of Green and Orange, followed by a night of fun in the bars. The city itself put on a show, the parade, the bells ringing and the general mood all combined to make a brilliant few days and a wonderful tour.

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F*ck Your Protest

March 12, 2012 in Personal

F*ck Your Protest

It seems that every night there is a mob of people on a street somewhere in the western world demonstrating their right to protest. As of lately each time I see protestors on the news they are inevitable out the front of a dinner, or lecture screaming ‘Shame’ at some person accused. Now it is completely possible these people did commit the alleged offence, but I don’t care either way.

I’m all for our rights, the right to assemble and protest, the right to free speech, however as I watch these people on television all I see is a bunch of peasants with pitchforks and torches who have decided that their right to protest overrides someone else’s right to be assumed innocent until proved guilty in a court of law. They have decided that while they’ll scream about their right to free speech they’ll happily trample all over someone’s elses right to a fair trial by a group of their peers.

Then my other bug bear arises when these protestors inevitably do something that gets them arrested, normally invading a restaurant or meeting, or pushing over a fence and the police swoop in and make arrests. This now arrested protestor then very loudly to any camera, normally being held by a conveniently located fellow protestor, screams ‘My rights, my rights are being violated, WHAT ABOUT MY rights’.

Here’s what I think people about people that want to protest against someone who is accused of something should do. SHUT THE FUCK UP. You getting out with your placards and chants does nothing but violate an individuals rights, the same rights that we all rely on, the rights that ensure that we all receive a fair day in court if we are accused of something, the same rights we all rely on if we are, say, arrested and then accused of assaulting a police officer.

While I agree those that are convicted of rape, murder, stealing, embezzlement all deserve to go to jail however until evidence is presented in a court of law they have, the same as I, the same as the protestors, the right to be assumed innocent. As a society either we all are covered by the system of laws or none of us are. We can’t on a case-by-case basis decide to ignore this cornerstone of our legal system.

Tags: My Brain
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Love my Job

March 8, 2012 in Personal

So at about 9am I open my laptop, log into my work email to see if anything has changed with my first tour of the season. Sitting in the cafe at Liverpool st station in london I’m suddenly overcome with the urge to jump in the air, throw my fist up like a Jersey Shore cast memeber and yell ‘Fuuuuuuuuuuck Yeeeeeeaaaaah’, so I did.

There on screen was a breif yet awesome email message.

Hi Glenn, are you available to take the PT15C (St Patricks Day Tour) next week. regards ‘The Office’

Was I available, YES. Am I over the moon to be going to Dublin on the biggest holiday of the year, Fuuuuuuck YES! One it will be lovely to get back on the road just before really getting back on the road. The tour is only 4 days, two of which are on the coach making the journey from London to Dublin. Then I get a full day to explore the city and take in Guinness, Whisky and the Temple Bar area, and freaking Ireland again.

I also, like egypt last year, get to cross off one of my ‘Before30′ Items.

46: Be in Ireland for St Patricks Day – Drink a Guinness!

It’s a strange thing to suddenly go from thinking that you have
3 weeks to kill in a small coastal town on the east of the UK where the average age of a resident is 50 to suddenly being 6 days from being back on the coach taking what is likely to be a 51 strong group of Aussies, Kiwis, Yanks, Maples and a dash of Sumbas to the capital of the Republic of Ireland for their national day.

So expect to see me dressed in Green, drinking a pint of the brown and white Guinness and more than likely looking a little worse for wear!

A VERY EXCITED GK out!

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30 Creeping Up

February 26, 2012 in Out of my Brain, Personal

I hadn’t really thought about it until last week, that in less than three years I’ll cross the imaginary ‘Get a real Job’ Deadline I set myself 3 years ago upon embarking on this world trip.

My recent folly back in Australia was brilliant, and probably should have given me a bit of a shake seeing as all my friends are now in long term, monogmous relationships, all buying houses, being promoted, having screaming poop machines or at least planing for them, but amazing it didn’t.

No what caused me to think of it was a documentary on school leavers focusing on the number of years they believed it would take to ‘become an Adult’. The strange thing is that I have no intension of stopping travel, stopping having no fixed address, no real impulse to walk down the isle or procreate and I can’t see this changing in the next two and half years.

The other thing it got me thinking of, which I’ve avoided recently, is looking at a five year plan. Where in the world will I be, and what the hell will I be doing. So here’s what I invision for myself in 5 years once i’ve breached the 30 milestone.

Money

I would like to own, or be part owner of a business in Australia. With my group of friends I have no doubt there’ll be an opportunity in the next couple of years to help one, or more of them, set up a company of their own and it’s something that I’ve long thought about doing – it would also be nice to use the business degree hanging on the wall of the folks place in Victoria.

I suppose this also covers work, what will I be doing to fund this wanderlust, well frankly being a tour guide is working ok, I enjoy the social aspect, there’s stability in working for a part of the year and having the rest to explore. Will it be with a Travel Corp. business like Contiki or Trafalgar, I don’t know but for now I like the lifestyle and that’s all that matters.

Home

Yeah this one’s a no brainer – I don’t plan on having a fixed abode, infact until I stop travelling all I view a fixed address as is a cost I don’t need. That said I’m not against purchasing a investment property that in the future could become a fix place for me.

Adventures

I’d like to think in Five years I’ve completed my travels and now can start returning to places I’ve loved and exploring them more. India sticks in my mind as a place I’d love to live for a year or so, as does Nepal. I can see myself dedicating a year or so of my life to a volunteer or charity in these countries.

And finally the one that I suppose my mother is most intrested in:

Relationships

Having watched my friends for year in long term relationships, most now married to their partners, I can’t say I’m against the idea. They are all happy, they all have wonderful lives but I am a little different than them in some respects. I don’t want to stop, by this I mean if I am in a relationship in five years the woman I’m with will most likely be exactly like myself, someone that finds the road less travelled the one to be on, one that doesn’t want a house, kids, and a fixed address but wants to explore and deosn’t mind the floor of a nepalese tea house or 30 hour train ride across India.

So that’s its really five year plan that has me doing, well, exactly what I’m doing now. I’ll be 32, just as bald, just as short and hopefully just as happy as I am now.

So from a pondering position on the couch at my Grandfather’s house.

GK Out!

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The 2012 Plan

February 17, 2012 in Personal

The church steaple clock is saying 2pm, the sun is shining, the sky is a brilliant blue and I’m sitting enjoying a rather nice coffee at a small sea side cafe. The little sea side town of cromer, average age 65, is suprisingly busy for the winter months. From here I’m planning 2012 and waiting for the Summer season to start.

Last week, while skiing in Austria, I found out that I’ll be one of the first back on the road for 2012.My tour, a 19day European experience, will cover France, Italy, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands which means I’ll get to meet all the new on site teams (except corfu) which is brilliant.

So for now I have a start for my year – March 31st. Before that I’ve got a short weekend trip to Paris on March 3rd to look forward to. I get to be a prick and make a good mate suffer as I show him just how little he knows about a city he spent a lot of time in. Then I’ve got a week in London before the tour getting ready. I’m also anticipating my first England, Scotland, and Ireland tour that should be coming my way some time this year.

The long term plan is call through Australia in October for a wedding and then head onwards to South America for a good four month trip from the bottom to the top – maybe even a stop in the good old USA. From this plan it is looking like another year crossing multipul items of the before 30 list, and more than likely adding some more.

There is also my other goal of this year, purchasing a business in Oz. While this life of travel is brilliant, the lack of long term stability in terms of income have me a little worried. While many look at property investment I’m more of a business brain so I’m looking to buy a business in Australia that I can run from afar. At the moment I’m looking at health related businesses like Gyms, or Health centres, but I’ll also consider Cafes, or bookshops. Basically I’m looking for a business that I myself have an intrest in.

So that’s the 2012 plan.

Contiki from March 31st
Australia for 2 weeks in Oct
South America from Nov – Feb
Buy / Invest in a company in Australia.

Not unachieveable, and should result in my crossing off a good number of things from the ‘before 30′ list.

From Huckleberries in Cromer (sipping a large coffee)
GK out!

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Comedy in London

January 23, 2012 in Location, Personal

For the second time in less than a week I’m at a comedy club in London. This time ‘up the creek’ in Greenwich.

The unknown comedians have a challange on their hands. The capacity crowd of around 200 are not easily amused.

The MC is the real struggler having to keep a crowd happy inbetween what can be described as decent talent. They have to deal with the hecklers, the talkers and the damn right rude.

As someone that talks on a Mic for a living I can say without a doubt that you wouldn’t catch me up on the stage. Give me a capacity crowd of 51 and i’m good. Also all my jokes are “dad” jokes, designed to be crowd friendly. That said I do use the word rapey a little too often.

So if you are in London, are looking for somethong to do, the many comedy clubs are well worth a visit.

Price: 5pound

Most start at 7:30-8:30.

From the front row,
GK out!

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Winter in London

January 16, 2012 in Personal

Being winter the sun never seems to rise that high in London. There’s a perpetual sense that the sun is just about to set.

Waking up today I’m finally confronted with my favorite view, ice covered streets, blue skies, and a slowly rising sun.

I really do enjoy cold weather. By this I mean proper cold, not the crap useless Australian winter cold, no, I’m talking about ice covered, winter chilled breeze cold.

I like it when I have to wear 4 layers, gloves and scarf.

So with a beautiful blue skied day, I went and played tour guide to my friend Alice and her visiting cousin Steph. We hit the big sights here in london.

My favorite is of course Westminster, the houses of parliament and the Clock tower housing Big Ben the 13.5ton bell that is probably the most famous noise maker in the world.

Read the rest of this entry →

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