Monthly Archives: February 2023

“But Madam, He Loves Me”

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Madam is petite, brilliant and beautiful. But she can be fierce. Over the years she’s lived in many Asian countries, where she’s always had at least one live-in maid. And some of her Western friends, us included, thought she could sometimes be a bit of a tyrant. For instance, she...

Whatever it Takes

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We grow a little weary of hearing our Western leaders say — as they march off on their latest Boys’ Own Adventure in some distant, dusty land — that they’ll “do whatever it takes”. It’s a phrase that’s worth closer examination — particularly when you visit the Cu Chi...

Monkey Business

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Los Angeles to Australia — is this the world’s longest single-leg flight? Well, no, it just feels like it. Actually it’s number fourteen. But at just under 16 hours, it’s right up there. And you might not be in peak form to begin with, if you started your journey...

Taxi Rage

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The woman at the spa’s reception desk was in quite a state. Her taxi driver was parked on the pavement outside the large front window, leaning against the car with his arms folded and a murderous scowl on his face. There’d been a dispute about the fare, she explained...

Toucans and Tapenade

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If you’re fortunate enough to stay at the Santa Clara Hotel in Cartagena, Colombia, you’ll meet Mateo. The Santa Clara is a Sofitel which began life in 1628 as a beautiful rose-coloured convent, with high ceilings and wide cloisters surrounding a big central patio, lush as a jungle. Mateo...