I have recently returned from another long trip. It began in Jaipur at the Kahaani Festival. From there I travelled across Rajasthan, to Pushkar and Jodhpur. Then I flew to Goa for Christmas and New Year … flew on to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam… on to the islands of Hong Kong… and then back to Barcelona for nine days, to acclimatise myself before heading back to the UK!
I love sitting in a cafes, with my notebook and Ipad, working on stories and ideas. In Goa, I worked in various cafes along the beach. A sweet lassi always helps, I find!
In Ho Chi Minh City, I favoured the rooftop of the iconic Rex Hotel. During the Vietnam War (or the American War, as it is known in Vietnam) the foreign journalists used to gather here at five pm every day for press briefings. They called them The Five O’Clock Follies.
In Barcelona, I spent long hours in the lobby of a fabulous nineteenth century hotel on La Rambla, called Hotel 1898. It was formerly the home of the Philippines Tobacco Company.
I am still working on my travel memoir, but also came home with twenty story plans for a book of stories for children, which was an unexpected bonus. I hadn’t planned on doing that!