Tales from a down-shifted family
- Making the most of modest means
It was a bit of a shock to the system after 30ºC waters in the Philippines, but there was a nice little wave this morning, so it had to be done. Getting into and out of several layers of neoprene was probably more taxing than the surf itself, and negotiating the lethal frozen pebbles was...
Island hopping in the Philippines is one of the best ways to explore this vast and diverse archipelago. From the busy streets of Manila to the turquoise lagoons of Palawan, El Nido and Coron, this travel series follows our Christmas island-hopping adventure by boat, kayak and snorkel, discovering remote beaches, dramatic limestone karst scenery and...
It was the first day back at work after the Christmas break — if you ignore the work I did on Friday. We had good intentions of heading into the office to catch up, both with the tasks that had built up over the break and with colleagues. We set off at 7:30 am in...
My attempts at eating again yesterday had backfired, and I was feeling a little unwell once more this morning — not quite what was needed on a long journey home, but it was what it was. The holiday had been a Much Better Adventures trip, so all transfers and internal flights had been arranged for us. The...
Christmas Days and Karst Adventures in Coron Merry Christmas! It was Christmas Day, and we were in the Philippines, staying at the very plush Bacau Bay Hotel in Coron, on the island of Busuanga. The staff wore Santa hats, Christmas carols played softly in the background, and the grounds and restaurants were strung with festive...
I took these sunset and snowy sunrise photos just over twelve hours apart, on the same stretch of beach here at Ynsylas. Last night’s sunset was one of those understated ones. No big colours or drama, just a steady fading of light and a calm sea. The sort of evening where nothing much seems to...
The figures are in, the numbers have been crunched and… trumpets and fanfares… ta-da! 2025 was our best year of solar energy yield yet. It was a close-run thing, and I genuinely didn’t think we’d beat the 2022 record. However, a few good solar days between Christmas and the New Year tipped the balance. Our...
My upset stomach and headache really made themselves known today. Full-blown diarrhoea, a pounding head, nausea, and the beginnings of flu-like aches and pains all over — great. Just what I needed on the day we were heading off for an overnight, off-grid camp on a remote island with no facilities as part of an...
Today started with breakfast at the Nacpan Beach Resort, just north of El Nido. Or rather, it did for Anna — I wasn’t feeling great, so I managed only half a piece of toast. We did at least take a look at the early morning beach from the restaurant before getting ready for another day...
After a long drive to Port Barton the previous day, we were glad of a decent night’s sleep in a comfortable room at Holiday Suites and were looking forward to spending some time in the water. We’d also be staying for a second night, which meant we could unpack a little and not immediately be...
Fitness / Technology / Triathlon
Fixing the Altimeter on my Garmin Forerunner 910XT
Monday, March 17th, 2014
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