Welcome from Jan

Hi there!
This blog is for those who love both books and travel. I'm starting by travelling back in time to the 1970s and the overland trail to India which I took as an 18 year old. Have a look at my daily diary entries and photos. Some of these places are impossible to visit at the moment, but I can give you a flavour of what they were like in the golden age of the hippy trail.

The experience has inspired my new mystery novel, THE VANISHING OF RUTH, which is out now as an ebook. Find details and extracts at The Vanishing of Ruth

To buy: The Vanishing of Ruth

Also take a look at Facebook Page Overlanders for more memorabilia.
http://bit.ly/Overlanders

HELP ME FIND MY FELLOW PASSENGERS! TAKE A LOOK AT THE GROUP PHOTO (post on 30th November 2009) AND CHECK THE NAMES ON THIS LINK:
http://www.indiaoverland.biz/overland/passengers/sep26_76.html
Cheers, Jan.


Tuesday 4 May 2010

DELPHI, GREECE - AMONG GODS, PIGEONS AND MURMURING CROWDS, 1976

WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER, 1976

"Left Athens.  Dropped Nanette.  Making for Delphi. Incredible amount of shrines along roadside - only seen 1 vandalised yet had loads of small crosses and cups etc inside.  Began to get mountainous - Delphi in big mountains - ruins all the way up mountain slope.

Made my sacrifice of 30 drachma (i.e. full price) and went in.  Got in on bad tour, woman couldn't find the baize of the tripod!  Saw Temple of Apollo and amphitheatre.  Decided to climb even further to see the Stadium - went up dusty windy path, cheap of birds, disturbed a few pigeons.  Reached Stadium, really high up and hidden among trees.  FANTASTIC sight, just me and the gods up there, could almost see the chariot tracks in the dust.  A gust of wind in the trees sounded like the murmur of the crowd!  All the seats around one side of the stadium still well preserved; big square pillars at one end.  (Went to the loo looking down over the stadium - what a boast!)  Fantastic view of the mountains looking down from the top.

Travelled on through striking mountain scenery (much hazier and drier that Jugoslavia.  Idyllic pastoral scene cant have been so idyllic on such arid, dusty mountain slopes).  Clouded over.  Worked way down hairpin bends to a small town where we stopped for a "coffee stop" - taken to drinking nescafe to avoid sweetened Turkish coffee.

Camped again at Stylis - different part of coast, very near beach again and a quiet bar (with great toilet facilities!)  Had a nice Amstel beer then a good camp supper of steak and kidney and fresh melon!  Ground really hard; dark when we pitched - think it's on a road in an orchard!"

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