Postcards From The East

About the Book

A spontaneous decision to fly to New Delhi and a chance meeting with a Kashmiri tour agent took the author for five weeks to Kashmir.

Highlights in Kashmir were a visit to a floating vegetable market, a two week pony-trek through the mountains and a water trek. The author tells how the mountains and the water helped in allaying his fear of heights and water, he also reflects on the friction that arose between himself and his guide/tour leader during the trek. He also touches on the ever-present Indian Army.

Back in England the author plans a trip to New Zealand.

Once in Christchurch the author embarks on a six-week bus tour of both the North and South Islands. Initially alienated by the first group, the mood changes with new groups of travellers. The author relates his experiences, good, bad and sometimes comical, whilst travelling with the many backpackers, he has some very enjoyable experiences travelling from Picton to Queenstown.

Returns to England for Christmas with mum before planning a last-minute holiday to Sri Lanka.

The author relates the hotel's attempts to woo the European clientele despite its limitations and describes two regional day excursions he made.

The author tells how his trip to Pattaya in Thailand was marred by the overt sexual activity prevailing the city.

Singapore a super clean shopping mecca for the shopaholics and searching for the Iban headhunters and Orang Utans in Borneo. Chilling out on the tax-free island of Langkawi before returning to England.

About the Author

The author was born in Tehran, Iran in 1947, father was working in the British Embassy. During his early years he also lived in Meshad, Vienna and Kabul, before being sent back to England in 1954 to a boarding school in Pocklington, East Yorkshire. In his first year at school he was bullied for being the youngest and smallest, here he developed most of his phobias and anxieties, he also developed myopia from the constant head banging. He left boarding school at fourteen to live in London with his parents and attended a local crammer. In 1966 the author went into computing (Service Delivery). Various positions brought him to Switzerland and Holland, here he lived from 1969 to 2001.

Divorced in 2000 after 27 years and two children, he returned to England on a job transfer in April 2001 and was made redundant later in the year. He took up web design and was initiated in Reiki I and II, later he was invited to join two healing groups in 2002/3. Travelled, with intermittent stays in England, from August 2003 to March 2005. Qualified Massage Therapist. In 2006 he spent four months in Brazil.