The sun setting on the Ucayali, with the Andean foothills in the background, and the taste of freshly cut papaya in my mouth, restoring a body utterly shattered, made for one of those ‘ones to tell the grandchildren’ memories. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
Our grandparents’ generation never expected too much out of life and, paradoxically, were happier for it. It never occurred to my granddad that he would enjoy work. He hated it from the day he walked through the factory gates at 14 to when he left at 65. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
People generally complain that they’re overburdened by responsibilities, forgetting that they chose to have those responsibilities. No one makes you work like a dog in order to live in a nice house, put your kids in nice schools, drive a smart car and go on exotic foreign holidays. It’s up to you. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
A dog doesn’t care if you’re tired or it’s raining. It wants to go out – and if it doesn’t go out, it’s going to be mournfully following you around the house for the whole evening. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
When Reg died and we first looked into getting a new dog, I was adamant we should pick up a mongrel from an animal-rescue shelter. It’s not only that they’re usually healthier and have better temperaments, they also fit with my world view – I prefer a ballpoint to a fountain pen, a barber to a hair stylist, and camping over glamping. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
Not wishing to blow my own trumpet, I’m as near to being the perfect dog owner as it is possible to be. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
With a rescue dog, you take what’s at the centre as long as it roughly fits the bill. When you buy a dog from a breeder, you can choose everything from its personality to how shiny its coat is. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
In a way, the road between Huaraz and the lodge is a metaphor for Peruvian politics. It used to be in good repair, and in some places still is. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
I was staying at the Konchucos Tambo lodge, next to the Huascaran national park, near Chavin. Sitting here on its veranda, I was beginning to see where all those Latin American magical realists get their inspiration from: they don’t need to make anything up; they just write down what’s around them. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
What older men and younger women have in common is they are both suffering from different insecurities. She is looking for someone to make her feel safe, and he is looking for someone who doesn’t answer back and is a trophy. Mark Barrowcliffe Read Quote
