Mark Baker - Year 39
I am currently working my notice and everything is very nearly in place for me to fly out of the country on the 10th of July. But why am I in this situation and how did it happen when less than two years ago I had a nice house, a good job, and was living […]
Do you like my cards? I do, however the Zen Dog really appealed to me. Thought was given to it and it was made personal, it relates to how the next year is hopefully going to be. The words inside related to fun and experiences, both of these are really important to me. Life is short […]
As I start to write this post I am sat on the Lake Terrace at the Barbican Centre and feeling ripped off in the purchase of a 250ml Tropicana Orange juice (£2.75!!). Just 40 minute after leaving the Russia Visa Application Centre. The first part of this morning was all very official, take a ticket, […]
In the kitchen of where I was living this face was looking up at me from the floor where it was left. I am still considering this little persons characteristics.
For the last 18 months or so I have been living a minimalist lifestyle. I have 3 sets of clothes, as you can see from the image above, and all the items I own can fit in to one removal box. But why do it and is it something I will continue to do after […]
This morning I had a knock at the door and it was the postman. He returned my documentation and passport, but almost as importantly my passport contained the visas for Russia and China! I can now travel to my first destination of St Petersburg on the 10th of July. The plan is coming together, then […]
Travelling alone and not really liking Selfie Sticks, a feeling which was increased on my recent trip to London when walking across Westminster Bridge, I had to decide on another solution. I would like to introduce you to ‘Happy Hippo’. I like Hippos because they make me laugh, and yawn ;-). I particularly like this Hippo […]
This face was looking back at me from my Yoga teachers hallway. I imagine this character would be very wise. As well as being a great listening she would always share a piece of wisdom to help others make the best decision for themselves.
In less than 48 hours I am going to be in Russia. I feel it is important I know at least the basics of each country’s language before I arrive, so I am going to share my attempt at Yes, No, Please, Thank You, Hello and Good Bye in Russian. Да (“da”) – Yes PlayНет […]
This is the first in a series of photos documenting the different beds I sleep in while I travel. It seems correct to start with the one that has helped me start these travels. My Boston bed. Thank you for the lodging Mike.
Before catching my train to London to fly out to St Petersburg I had some spare time so I looked around the shops in Peterborough. In the shop ‘Tiger’ I bought this notebook and a little I spotted this face. I think he will be named ‘TIG’ after the shop I purchased the note book […]
This is me leaving the house this morning because today I travelled to London to stay over night before catching my flight early tomorrow morning for my year of travelling. Leaving Boston, and my friends, was a feeling of mixed emotions. I am excited about the adventure but know I will miss the people and the […]
A typical Travelodge bed, I find them pretty comfortable. This one was at the Heathrow Terminal 5 Travelodge. A good nights sleep ready for the big adventures of travelling!
Landing in St Petersburg at 14:20 local time I was ready to get off the plane and start exploring. This did not happen, but what did happen was much more advantageous. Leaving the plane and walking down the tunnel I arrived at a very crowded hall, full of people I quickly realised that this was […]
Whilst walking along Nevskiy Prospekt in St Petersburg I spotted this little fella looking at me. I imagine his character would be a little accident prone, like getting his head stuck in a railing. His voice would be ‘Raspy’ and ‘Rusty’. He will be easy to scare and make jump (Like SQ 😉 ! I am thinking […]
A couple of days before I left the UK I read a few pages in the St Petersburg edition of the Lonely Planet. I am so glad I did and please if you are ever planning on coming here take the advice. Purchase your ticket online before arriving. The queues were huge, so big I […]
With my two day pass for the hermitage, I gained access to the Hermitage General Staff Building too. It was an amazing building on the inside (click image above to open gallery) with a balanced mix of modern and traditional. The pictures on display were amazing . There were lots of Monet’s, Renoirs, Van Gough’s […]
This was one of the those moment when I walked in side and said WOW! Yesterday evening after doing my post for the day I went for a walk to look at this church from the outside again. To my surprise it stays opens until 10:30pm. I bought my ticket for about a £5 and entered. The […]
Climbing the 262 steps to the top of St Isaacs Cathedral was well worth the effort. The inside was pretty impressive and may well have been more impressive had I not visited the ‘The Church on Spilled Blood‘ yesterday. Todays lessons are: Remove my hat when entering a church. ( I always forget that! ) Corn […]
This evening, very near midnight, I catch an overnight train to Moscow arriving at 7:55am. So this morning I thought I would go for an early morning stroll prior to checking out and going to a hostel for the rest of the day to work on a website. My walk was quite interesting, I saw […]
I really love the idea of having a multi-functional space to live in and this wardrobe can be hidden away into the wall when not needed.
For the first four nights I slept at the Nevsky Group Aster Hotel which had an excellent location. I walked everywhere and saw most of the city. The bed was comfortable with 2 big pillows. My checkout time was midday but my train did not leave until 23:55. I asked to extend my checkout time. […]
Two different hostels I have stayed in have both used this magnetic keys to enter their buildings. I really like there ergonomics, they fit perfectly around the thumb and the texture is reassuring that you have a good grip. I would consider having these for any house I own in the future. The only thing […]
This journey was made better by three events – 1. I’d forgotten I had book myself a first class ticket 🙂 2. It is an amazing train with a iconic past as the quote from www.russiantrains.com demonstrates: The Red Arrow train first chugged along the historic railway line between the two capitals of Russia in 1931, and has […]
Departing the overnight train from St Petersburg, I thought I would be at my hotel and settled with in an hour and half. I was wrong. My first day in Moscow could be best described in one word ‘lost’. I followed the sign to the subway train, to be told that I needed to use […]
My original plan today was to explore Red Square and The Kremlin, However that changed and I will do that tomorrow now. This morning at breakfast, when I learnt that what I thought was milk, was in fact a Russian form of sour yoghurt as it splodged on to my Corn flakes, Dr. tom said he […]
Today was a day of exploring as much as we were allowed with out getting told off by the guards in Kremlin and Red Square. Morris, the new person who arrived in the hostel last night, and I walking the 20 mins to Red Square and wondered at how brilliant it looked. When every thing […]
Good old ‘Lonely Planet’ pointed me in the direction of this most unique of markets. I was looking through the top 10 things to do in Moscow. I have now done most of them, so it was now down to visiting this Market or having a man hit me with birch branches called a ‘Banya’ […]
I rose early to have a wander round and discovered the 1980 Moscow Olympic stadium. Then later, after saying goodbye to a few room mates who were getting on their respective bikes, one motor and the other pedal to head deeper in to Russia, Dr Tom, Renarta (from Brazil, but lives in Spain) and I visited […]
I had no real plans to visit the Ballet whilst in Moscow, however when Ali, a new person in my hostel room said he had a ticket to go yesterday evening, I thought why not go too! So whilst walking back from the english bookshops, I need a paperback book for the train in case my […]
At my second attempt of finding somewhere to stay in Moscow I really ‘nailed it’ picking ‘Godzilla Hostel’. It was secure, tidy, friendly and very close to metro a station and only a 20 min walk to the Red Square. The people I met there was pretty amazing, everybody having there own very interesting story […]
I am travelling on a train across Siberia to Mongolia. I will start blogging again when I reach Ulan Bator.
I love the way this ladder can hide away so discreetly. It makes me think about how I could use this method to hide other objects out of the way.
When putting the seat down on the Trans-Mongolian Train I was greeted by this cheery fellow. I would imagine his character to very practical and helpful. He is very proud of what he does and understands what an important part in society he plays because without somebody to remove the waste we would all live in […]
This face was found straight after finding the the Happy Toilet Seat. Sophie the Soap Dish is passionate about cleanliness and will talk to everyone and anyone about it. She is not very good at listening to excuses because knows just how important hygiene is. She works very closely with Happy ‘Larry’ the toilet seat […]
Leaving Moscow seems a very long time ago. 5 days on train with only a few 15-30 minutes stops each day can do that I guess. Add in to the equation that the train has no WIFI for passengers, there is internet on the train but only for the conductors, and you have a very […]
Having arrived in Ulan Bator at 6:15 in the morning and not being able to check in until 2pm. I though I would explore a little to get me bearings. Using a fantastic app called “Ulmon” (Thank you Paul for showing me this) which allows you to download maps of your destination when you have […]
Today I decided to explore, but before I did ask the owner of the the hotel for some tips. He suggested the Gandantegchenling Monastery, The Mongolian Natural History Museum and Bogd Khaan’s Palace Museum. This worked for me because I needed to pick up my Beijing Train ticket from near where the The Mongolian Natural History Museum. […]
Another very wet and rainy day, but unlike yesterday when it had disappeared by 11am, today it was raining all day. This is not very much different from the UK weather so of to the Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs I went. It was easy to find just behind Freedom Square which I first visited when […]
In the Mongolian State Department Store in Ulan Bator was a food shop called Homnh. I liked their logo, I am sure I have seen something like it before but this time I want to record a copy of it. I like the way the hands make the star with the white space. Logos with […]
Today I had booked myself on trip to Terelj National Park Mongolia. On the way the plan was to see the views over the city followed by experiencing some Eagles (and Vultures) and then viewing of the Genghis Khan statue that everyone keeps mentioning. I left the hotel with 2 others; Annabel who is German and has been […]
My was very comfy and I am pleased I went for the double and a high rated place on booking.com. Where I went wrong, and hopefully, for the last time is I booked a hotel when a hostel is better suited to travelling alone in my opinion. I still would highly recommend Zaya hotel in […]
This 29 hour trip from Ulan Bator to Beijing had much more variation than the 4 night journey from Moscow to Ulan Bator. The Scenery changed more often, as too did the wheels on the train as you can see from the photos above. The width of the railway track differ between Mongolia and China by only 10cm […]
Using the note the lady a reception kindly wrote explaining I do not eat meat. I would like to be able to tell you what I ate, but I don’t know what it is was. I am 90% sure it had no meat. After which I had a relaxing afternoon on my computer and getting settled. Settling […]
This afternoon I went back to Tiananmen Square after this mornings trip. This time I was going to look at the surrounding area, which is mostly shops. These shop though felt very Chinese. The photo above was taken because I felt over whelm with lots of information but understood so little of it I thought it […]
This logo to me is the logo Internet Explorer always wanted to be but never quite making it. I love the way they have made it feel worldly.
I had seen this game being played throughout the day in Beijing. My surprise when I saw it looking back at me when for sale on a street stall. The character is called ‘ASPEX’ has a massive personality and is always happy to give advise from all her experience of life which is multiplied because she […]
These multiple face were found on shelving edge. Their characteristic is that off protection and surveillance to ensure the safety of everyone the care about.
These drains were looking back up at me from a lane in Beijing. The eyes will be able to move from close together to wide apart to demonstrate which personality this person exhibiting. Both personas will have their positive and negatives.
Today was an eclectic mix of both the modern, the past and finally the present/future. I started by visiting the 2008 Olympic Park which was quite exciting and a hive of activity getting ready for the 2015 IAAF Athletics World Championship at the end of the month. I read the other day that Beijing has been […]
I have been fascinated by natural healing for quite a few years now, hence creating my Possible Mind blog. So whilst in Beijing I searched for natural healers. I found the Beijing Tibetan Hospital. With a bit research the location and nearest metro stop was found. Today I made the trip and met with a Tibetan […]
Using the Beijing Metro for the last few days has been an interesting experience. There are a few features it has which London does not. This is contrast to Moscow which could learn from London and Beijing especially around signage. Beijing does it utmost to be clear in where you are heading, what the next […]
Today I decide not to do very much based on the fact that both of ankles are swollen due to Mosquito bites and tomorrow I plan to walk a bit of the great wall. All I have done today is book my next location in China, which involves a 10 hour train journey this Friday. […]
Whilst sat at my computer at the Chinese Box Courtyard in Beijing I noticed the shadow the book were creating. This guy will only appear when the sunshines. He is very scholarly and knowledgeable and has an amazing ability to retain information.
This little face was hanging upside down staring at me on the Beijing Metro. This girl, Hanna, is the one everyone turns to for support. She is caring and compassionate and wants every everybody to complete their life’s journey and fulfil their purpose. Her passion is compassion. November 8th update: This little character looks younger […]
On the journey from Beijing to the Great Wall these face were everywhere. Every seat back had a face which looked like it was wearing it cap backwards. This cool dude loves nothing more than relaxing, chilling and just watching the world go by. However on occasions, when he is bored, he can get up to […]
Today I visited the Great Wall. It was a bit of a slug to get there but really worth it. Three became two right at the start of the day when Jordan decided to do the trip another day because he was not feeling too well. When our mini bus arrived at 7:30am, half an […]
Today I planned to see more of the Forbidden City because I don’t think I saw it all last time. I got there and the queues were really long and there was no way I was going to queue to go in. However the big bonus was that to the side of the City was […]
This long necked contemporary dinosaur looking figure caught my eye on the trip to Beijing West station to catch the bullet train to Guilin. This creatures characteristics will be that of a friendly animal who is good at finding things, he like nothing better than being task to find an object using all of his skills. […]
This cute looking face was inspecting the doors of the metro. This character loves exploring and finding new and exciting activities to do. She can sniff out adventure like nobody else. She is always on the go until she runs out of energy. You can tell how much energy she has left by the angle her nose […]
I have really chilled and enjoyed my stay in Beijing. The Chinese Box Hostel is a great place to stay, made easier by the excellent english of the people who work on reception. They are also very knowledgable of the area. The thing I have liked most, once again, is the different people I have […]
I had a 10 and a bit hour journey to Guilin today. I have some photos to share but not much of story unfortunately because I have sat on train full of people who spoke no English. Finding the right platform and train was simple once I found the correct building and zeroed in on […]
I stayed at the Riverside Hostel for one night after a 10 hour trip from Beijing on a bullet train. This idea worked out much better for me than having to navigate the hour and half public bus journey to YangShuo. It truly was a riverside location and overlooked the main river in the city which […]
Having washed my hands on the bullet train to Guilin this little fella was watching as I searched for a towel. I imagine this character to be a very calm, spiritual and caring individual. An expert in martial arts as well as the healing arts. He would only use his martial skills as a very last resort. […]
After arriving in GuiLin yesterday evening and a good nights sleep. I had a couple of hours exploring the city before heading to YangShuo. I saw a few of the main sights and may have time to see the ones I missed when I return to catch my train to the next destination in China. […]
Waking at 6am I decided to, once again, explore the town early. I am really pleased I did. I got to experience something I would never have seen had I not been up early. I had been walking from the hostel for 20 minutes when I heard drums and bugles. I was expecting to walk around […]
When I first decided to visit YangShuo it was because of the views of the amazing rock formations poking out of the ground. Today my plan was to hike up to the Television mask to look out over the city. But first breakfast! The most amazing pancakes dribbled in maple syrup topped with Bananas. Whilst […]
During my first afternoon here in YangShuo I saw a man walking along some stepping stones in the river. This morning after I had woke and meditated I decided to see if I could find my way to this part of the river. It took a little while to find the correct entrance, at one point I […]
My afternoon got off to a rocky start when the shop I was to meet the instructor at was closed. The instructor, Hector from Spain, arrived on time but was as surprised as me to see it locked. After about an hour we were ready to go. I had my training shoes, helmet and harness. […]
Stay in at Wada Hostel was great choice based on two from a very knowledgable traveller in Beijing. I really enjoyed my stay in the hostel and in particular YangShuo, especially after yesterdays excursion rock climbing I could have stayed there longer had I not made other plans. I can completely understand why it has […]
After staying in Yangshuo for 4 days I chose to head to Shanghai to do some volunteering. So although I loved my stay I had to leave to head back to Guilin on the bus. This journey was much less eventful than it the opposite was, mainly because I had a plan and now roughly […]
It was pouring down as I left the Guilin hostel at 6am on the Thursday morning to catch the train to Shanghai. It was the first time had to use me rain mac! On the recommendation of the hostel I found a taxi to take me the 40 minutes or so to Guilin North station, […]
After leaving the train I headed straight for the metro, once there I realised I did not know where to go because it was 6:30am and too early to go to the hostel. So I decided I would head to the Peoples Square and see what it looked like before too many people got up. Coming […]
This morning I had my induction at the Shanghai Healing Home on the outskirts of the city. I arrived at the JinJing Road Metro station in good time, though I was not sure of what would happen after this point because the instructions were unclear. I didn’t know if I was going to be picked […]
Today I thought I would do very little. I felt I needed one of the days. Yesterday I saw a barbers a few doors up from the hostel, so I thought I would pop in a for a chop. I got more than I bargained for. I thought we had clearly conversed that I would […]
Today I went to Zhujiajiao, getting there it was a few subway stops followed by a 40 min to 1 and half hour journey depending on which bus I caught. I had no idea how to tell the difference so that was going to be down to luck. Lady luck was on my side on the way […]
For the first 4 nights in Shanghai I stayed in the Blue Mountain Youth Hostel. On the most part is was a good stay, the people there were OK the staff were helpful but not over the top helpful. It was just an OK hostel. It was let down badly by not having any wifi […]
Waking this morning I felt fresher and more sprightly. So I packed my bags because today I am off to another hostel after volunteering. The 1 and half hour trip to the Orphanage went smoothly, my driver picked me up from the Subway Station on time and I was at the Shanghai Healing Home ready […]
Wednesday morning I was supposed to be volunteering at the orphanage, however my fever on Tuesday evening put an end to that because I did not want to pass it on to the children. Most of Wednesday morning I spent in bed reading and recovering, after letting the Shanghai Healing Home know I would not […]
Arriving at Jinhal Metro station a few minutes early I enjoyed a Pineapple yoghurt and an orange juice for breakfast. My driver arrived a little while later and I got to the Orphanage just before 9am. Today was quite awkward because for some reason the nurse who was the only person who spoke english was […]
Whilst in a hostel in YangShuo I was speaking to a friendly and helpful Scottish girl who had already been to Shanghai. She stated one of her best experiences had been looking out over the city from the Hyatt hotels Vue Bar on the 32nd floor. The last day or so I have been chatting […]
I always keep my eye out for great design as I travel and today I found a logo which is right up my street. I love design with double meanings and this logo for Shanghai Construction Group really delivers on this. The company generally builds high rise buildings and the red corner looks like a skyscraper if you see it as being […]
Tomorrow morning I leave my hostel to head to Shanghai Airport, to get there I will need to use the MagLev which is the worlds fast train. I am quite looking forward to this. Before I board this bullet to the airport to catch my plane to Busan in South Korea I think it only […]
I moved hostel whilst in Shanghai and this was at Chi Chen Hostel. It was really good hostel with very helpful and kind staff. Very clean and a great atmosphere. What made it better is that I met a fellow traveller called David and we explored parts of Shanghai together and had some really great […]
I have now arrived in South Korea with a day very much Sandwiched by high speed with a filling of delays in between. Either way I am here now and it has a completely different feel to China. I am not sure how yet but it definitely feels different. The day started with the worlds […]
Walking through the Shinsegae Centumcity in Busan, South Korea I spotted this futuristic looking Tissue Dispenser face staring back at me. I love the way it looks so happy. I am not totally sure of this faces characteristics yet, but I am thinking that instead of speaking everything he wants to say comes out written […]
A very wet day in Busan today, I was told it was a typhoon. If it was it was a very small one because it was just like a very rainy and windy day in the UK that did not stop all day. My plan for the day was to walk about and explore the city […]
Today I hopped on the metro and just 3 stops from my hostel was Nampo. There was quite a variety of of attractions in a small area. First there was BIFF square which had lots of little food stalls where I purchased a rather scrumptious Corn on the Cobb. The street vendor who sold it to […]
After a relaxing morning I decided to re-explore the Gwangalli Area around the Busan Cinema Centre because on Tuesday when I was there it rained hard all day. Today though was Sunny and I first went back to the Shinsegae CentumCity department store to get some lunch. I have concluded that shopping malls are the best […]
I have been looking forward to exploring the Haeundae beach for a few days now and although I preferred the one at Gwangalli, I still liked the area especially the cliffside walk and the views. I have noticed the kindness of the Korean, they could not be more helpful, smiley and kind. If a person […]
Finding a place to stay in Busan on booking.com was easy because the Welcome Busan Hostel had a 9.1 rating which is very high. I can understand why, the owner is friendly and helpful as to are the other members of staff. The facility is quite new, very clean and well maintained. It is located […]
This face I didn’t spot until I was looking at the photo after I had played in baseball park in Seogwipo City and there it was staring back at me on the screen. I was as surprised as this face looks. I am still considering the type of personality and characteristics this face may have. If […]
Today I flew to JeJu a little island right at the south of South Korea. I thought it was going to be smaller than it is. It took me 1 hour in a taxi to get from the north, where the airport is situated, to the South where I am staying in an area called […]
Today I thought I would explore further and searched for the Jeongbang waterfall. The best part of this one was that you could get really close. So close that I got wet from the kist. I really love the sound of water crashing and could not help but reflect on life as I stood there […]
I spotted this face in the market in Seogwipo, Jeju in South Korea I am still considering the type of personality and characteristics this face may have. If you have any ideas please let me know.
The Mido Hostel is a really contemporary hostel with very happy and helpful staff. Mido is in a great location within Seogwipo that enabled me explore most of the city. My only downside to this visit is nothing to do with the hostel but more to do with my expectation of the island being smaller and […]
Spotted on an escalator in the Hongdae area of Seoul. Updated – 16th October 2015 This is the second illustrated character I have create and now have an idea of the type of personality he may have. Escalators move people up and down and the escalator I spotted the face on was in Seoul and […]
This morning I flew from JeJu to Seoul on Korean Air. I shared a taxi with Dan, the guy who use to work for Microsoft, to the airport. This is a half an hour quicker and much less hassle than a bus. After a very short flight of 45 minutes we arrived at the super […]
I saw this face as I walked along the Cheong-gye-cheon stream in Seoul. I am still considering the type of personality and characteristics this face may have. If you have any ideas please let me know. 8th November Update. I decided to call this character ‘Glow’ because she is very helpful at guiding people in the […]
The Cheong-gye-cheon Area of Seoul came highly recommended because of its modern recreational space and palaces. In 2003 an old underground stream was revealed when an elevated highway was removed. It was then decided that it should be renovated and $900 million later is was refurbish to be an amazing 10km stream with walk ways and stepping […]