ROB

Coup in Mauritania

Mauritania’s state run television and radio networks were last week occupied by members of the Presidential Guard in the capital, Nouackchott in what some diplomats are speculating was a coup attempt. Nobody seems to know if it was successful or not! With the president out of the country to attend King Fahd’s funeral in Saudi…

Burma Finally Getting the Message?

Last week the Burmese Junta took the step of foregoing its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the coming year. The Association breathed a collective sigh of relief as it would have come to be regarded as somewhat of a joke with Burma at the helm, and certainly its ability to…

Bangkok Restaurants – A Hidden Pearl

After a particularly painful stint of chicken kebab-induced diarrhoea in Morocco a few years ago, I began to curtail my adventurous spirit within the realm of culinary delights. Today I pushed the boundaries. I ignored the convulsions my body automatically threw itself into as it saw another possibility of days of intestinal agony. I ignored…

The Children of Khaosan

I knew it would be touristy. It’s famous for being touristy. It’s in all the most popular guidebooks and not many people escape this area without at least one visit. But no matter how much reading you’ve done, no matter how many stories your friends have told you about the place, no matter the rumours…