jgtuk

Had a quick look, what a trail!! I wish I were young/single again, I'd be on that like a rash... I've made a small donation (bought them a mattock )

Tooo many places to choose one... The Pantanal is an awesome place (if you like really hard trekking, solitude and tropical jungle/wildlife). Vancouver Island is a place I could happily move to. The Maldives if you like tranquility and the sea (and nothing else...)

Vpn/iptv/smart TV

I know it was tongue in cheek but I bloody love Bats, I spend many hours with my bat detector watching their ariel magnificence.

This... And the more people read it, the more ingrained it becomes.

Could be Fleas. They will live on animals in the garden but have a go at you when the opportunity arises. They will live on Cats, Hedgehogs and other small mammals.

Been there, done that... Atrocious pay but very satisfying work. Best job I ever had on the happiness scale, just couldn't pay the bills etc. My local reserve is/was made up of ancient woodland, hills, moors, mountains and an awesome estuary plus miles of coastline. An amazing variation in wildlife and a chance to work with endangered species. Iolo Williams was a colleague at the time, raptor Specialist for Wales.

Plants will oxygenate a wildlife pond sufficiently. If you have fish then you need to add pumps/aeration devices. This is mainly due to the density of fish to pond size as fish detritus will alter the chemical balance. Koi and Orfe are notoriously fragile and ALWAYS need extra aeration, native aquatic invertebrates will be fine if you have plenty of oxygenating plants and sufficient shade.

If it’s just wildlife and no fish then no filter or aeration is necessary, the water needs to rest and become chemically balanced. Plants are crucial, you need to cover at least two thirds of the surface to stop algae growth. Shade is good too. I personally avoid any treatments unless absolutely necessary. It can take quite a while for you to achieve what you want but well worth it, you’ll notice a massive increase in wildlife. I have a mature pond, 10mx5m and as well as looking fantastic at this time of year it is teeming with aquatic life, dragonflies, damselflies, sawflies, birds and even had an otter earlier this year…

Awsome life story!! So many experiences. So many of which I just don't want to share and want to keep to myself I so relate to this... Honestly though, the biggest mistake I make with travelling is coming home, because especially with the declining political situation here I find myself longing for the road. GO GO GO!!

Killer sentence... I think my life, and I, changed beyond recognition (my old friends and family will concur). I was made to face my thoughts, my knowns, in a more philosophical and open minded way, somehing that was alien to me growing up on a council estate to relatively poor parents with a large family to support. I got to spend a lot of time around Muslim communities and various Arab groups who challenged me and my 'englishness' continually. I had to question my knowledge of history (I was not particularly well educated) and was able to make comparisons with theirs and how they differed with perspective. Obviously their religion played a large part in their understanding of life but I gained a lot of insight and it helped me to better understand my own thinking, face some truths and confront them in a more informed way. My life since then has definitely been somewhat shaped by those experiences.

Just to add some background, I was born in my Grandmas house on Elizabeth St, very early years in Thurnby Lodge, primary school mostly Sileby and Shelthorpe, Loughborough where I stayed until leaving . Lived and travelled in various places before meeting my Welsh wife and been here since. If this sounds familiar, you might know me... PS. Just remembered, I also lived in Mountsorrell for a short while!!

Early 80's. I doubt we've met. I've barely been back to Leicestershire for anything other than a couple of reunions and the odd wedding/funeral 🙃. I don't do any social media (apart from the odd forum) and don't really socialise much. I don't have much in common with most people, I don't watch TV, apart from my beloved FOXES of course, and don't really get on with modern life. I ride a motorbike when I can and am just about to convert my mountain bike to electric so not a total Luddite.

Keep the dream alive… l don’t want to come across as a show off because it wasn’t glamorous. A lot of my travels involved hunger, hardship, spending time alone, away from family and friends. I’ve been robbed, mugged, hospitalised and scared for my life. 75% of the time was spent sleeping rough, in bushes, caves, barns, town hall steps, even a city centre roundabout. I’ve been detained at borders, arrested twice, dropped in the middle of nowhere, broke an ankle in the wilderness near the Syrian border with Turkey and so on… I was incredibly fit though and don’t regret a minute. It does make it hard to have a normal/package holiday type thing now though, my kids get a bit miffed with the trips I make them do. I’m more financially secure now so they don’t suffer hardship like I did, they just reap the benefits of travelling to far flung and exotic places. I still have that dream, one last big one (8500Km - Azerbaijan overland to China) before I get too old…

An Entomologist. I’ve sort of been doing it in a non professional way for a few years now but since lockdown it’s become an obsession… last summer I found, identified, photographed and recorded several very rare insects (and hundreds more common ones). I wish I could be paid to do it.

Fixed it for you.

Also spent six months in borneo (Kinabalu), a couple of months riding a motorbike in the south of india and loads of four/six weekers in Europe, Brazil and Canada - All walking/birding/wildlife watching. I use to have missions instead of holidays , all a bit tamer since I got married but still try and root out unusual places.

Yes.He's based there but he does bird tours which include the Negev Desert. Sorry, I'm not very good at this internet thing

Absolutely, I wasn't suggesting otherwise. I have a friend who runs birdwatching tours in the Negev region, he's based near to the Nahal Sheizaf Nature Reserve I think. I keep meaning to have a trip but, too many places I still want to visit , especially after the last couple of years which I've mostly spent at home or locally hillwalking (Wales).

I appreciate what you're saying. I just happen to disagree re Egyptian men being slimy bastards... I've also seen the same said of Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Pakistan, India etc Don't let hearsay put you off, there are great places/people to meet all over the world. My personal favourites were Iranians.

Sad if that was your case. My last trip was on local buses in Sinai, a proper mix of locals, workers and travellers. Met a Beduoin chap who promised if I went to walk Mt Sinai he would meet me there and guide me. I said I was hoping to walk at night (because of the heat) in a few days time. When I got there he was waiting for me and we walked and talked together reaching the summit as dawn broke. His story moved me greatly but he was fiercely proud and very protective of his way of life. This is his picture halfway back down.

Well I can only speak of my own experience... I've witnessed this sort of behaviour in a few places sadly, it's not exclusive to Egypt and certainly not all Egyptian men. I've also met quite a few western women solo travelling in Egypt. I'm not excusing the acts or denying that they happen, it's more a case of being aware and prepared for each country you travel to. If you got to red Sea resorts you are far less likely to see it. If you go to Cairo, then yes,be prepared. Don't boycott the country based on what Reddit says, it's an amazing place to visit.

I've also been many times to different areas with two different girlfriends, my wife, two daughters and my grandchildren. Although I did witness it sometimes myself I can honestly say it isn't everywhere. I've backpacked there, spent a lot of time diving (although not for a while now) but mainly Birdwatching/exploring. I've taken guides and met some fantastic Egyptians who have been nothing but gracious. I just don't like the whole race being tainted by some experiences (albeit quite common according to Reddit).

Spent 5 years walking (mostly) from UK through Europe from country to country, no real aim, just go wherever fate pointed me. I made a pact with myself that I would not use any long distance public transport (only boats and ferries), only walking, hitching or local transport if I stoppped anywhere for any length of time. Got to turkey wheere I spent about a year working/exploring - met a lorry driver who then took me into Iraq,Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. I'd never been abroad before this trip

It's Reddit so it must be true...