ABOUT
Hi! Welcome to the Lens Cap Chronicles! Here’s a little about me and how this site was born.
Firstly, please check out my YouTube Channel and subscribe to it if you're keen to stay up to date with all of my latest travel adventures! Here's the introduction video outlining what you can expect to see on my channel.
My Nature
I wanted to run before I could crawl. My Dad says the only thing I’ve been ambivalent about was my own birth: I was two weeks late. Since then, my life has apparently been conducted at what was once described to me as a frenetic pace. I disagree with this on the most part but many people see me to be working, then flying around the world to somewhere new on a holiday or adventure. The reality is a little more measured than that but it’s true to say I do jam pack a fair bit into my time!
My Love of Writing
I’ve always loved to write. I’ve been traveling on and off for 12 years and for most of the countries and continents that I visited I kept a travel journal: the old fashioned, hand written type, which involved me trying to find the local supermarket or news agency on the first day of a trip or tour, to find a glue stick. The glue stick was instrumental in adhering all of my site visit tickets, plane tickets, beer labels (the removal of which needs a detailed blog post in itself!) and other paraphernalia into said journal. I love reading these old journals from time to time: they detail my life in excerpts that include the wonder of a new place, the account of a traditional meal or newly experienced wine, right down to the heartfelt emotion of past loves and new friendships made that are still major players in my life today. Perhaps as this site progresses, I’ll include one or two of those pieces.
The Impetus To Finally Start My Travel Website
Before starting this website, it had been quite some time since I’d written such a descriptive piece on paper. I had numerous friends ask if I had a travel journal ‘out there somewhere’. I always laughed it off with my usual response: “I don’t have time for that”. However, around the time of the Corona Virus pandemic and the associated enforced restrictions, I realised that this site might allow a creative avenue where I could combine both my love of writing and my love of photography. Over the past year or so I have tried to develop my camera skills and drag my mind back to first year university physics to understand the inner workings of these marvellous little machines. I’m still very much an amateur and I’ve still SO much to learn but I am enjoying the journey.
Background to the Name of My Site!
Rewind to July 2019, I was in the Singapore Gardens trying my darnedest to take a cracking photo of the river and almost translucent trees behind: in all my rush to get the lens cap off of my camera, it audaciously dropped to the ground and rolled off down the wooden plank walkway only to be forever donated to the bottom of said river. It’s become somewhat of a joke now and the subsequent lengths I took to both find a new lens cap in downtown Singapore, and attach it with foolproof piece of string. Thus the name of this site was born!
How My Website Can Help You Create A Holiday
Since its inception in early 2020, my website has evolved to provide a more structured approach for those planning holidays. My focus is on creating unique yet comprehensive itineraries for each destination I have travelled, combining my extensive pre-trip research and subsequent experience in that place. There have been so many times I’d wished I had a local’s knowledge to iron out the bumps in the travel journey. That is what I hope to do for you!
In the ‘Overview’ section at the top of each post, you’ll find a mix of introductory cultural, historical and logistical information. Next, in the ‘Itinerary’ or ‘Essentials’ section, is a list of ideas and suggestions with hyperlinks that expand on each suggestion and a more detailed description thereof. The hyperlinks are designed so that you can jump ahead to items of interest!
Don’t Forget The Food!
I also have a deep love for trying new foods in each place I visit, something I see as contiguous with exploring a new region and its culture. Most of my itineraries therefore include my recommendations for local restaurants and bars, ranging from fine dining to the best street eats. You’ll find these suggestions both as part of my writeups on various destinations, as well as in dedicated ‘foodie’ posts. Many of the destinations I write about I have also lived in for at least a year, so they come as true top picks!
Final Reflections
I’ve loved spending my time tapping away recounting past adventures (whilst planning upcoming ones!), delving through my photographic archives and researching the cities I’ve visited all over again in order to compile these posts, which serve as both a memoir for me and hopefully provide some tips for you! It’s going to take me a supremely long time to write about all 43 countries but thanks for joining me on this journey and for engaging with my site!
Personal Thank-yous
Thank you to my partner in crime who has taught me more about website construction and cameras than I ever thought possible whilst also patiently assisting with the teething issues and coming on so many of these adventures with me. Thank you to my mum, dad, sister and brother for encouraging me to live my dreams and explore the world. Lastly, I’m ever grateful to the incredible number of people (and now friends) who have been part of my travel journies at any given point. You have made these expeditions memorable and so enriching.
Thank you for visiting! Hope you enjoy!
Amanda
