The end

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17/9/07

Today I ate a lot of tacos and went to lots of air conditioned places. I had twelve tortillas stuffed with chicken, onion and hot sauce in Belize City after taking the 7.30 boat. For lunch I went to a comidor opposite the bus station in the Mexican Border town of Chetumal (where I spent a miserable afternoon a couple of months ago). I had three pork tacos, proper spicy mexican ones. For dinner I had four beef and cheese tacos at a stall where a couple of blokes tried to persuade me to get a prostitute. Tasty.

The air conditioning on my bus from Chetumal was ridiculous and I was freezing. I had shorts and sandals on. In fact, after dark I looked out at the piles of rubbles and dust on the side of the road where it was being repaired or extended or something and in the headlights of the bus I thought it was snow. Then in Cancun I stayed in the Weary Traveller, just as I had in Tulum where I had to move my bed underneath the ceiling fan just to get to sleep. This one had air conditioning! It was the first hostel I'd seen with it. I didn't need it though, they didn't even give me a sheet to use so I just put the fan on. Sooner or later central american people will be cold enough to rush around like Westerners, I hope they never get that rich.


I flew home the next day and didn't sleep for 30 hours to try and get over the jetlag. It didn't really work, it just made me more tired I think. It has taken me days to properly adjust to being back, it was so easy in the other direction. I stipped in Chicago to change flights and was once again horrified by the USA. The New York Times bestseller advertised on the stand outside the shop alongside some books about how to be a good christian was a book entitled 'Religion of Peace? Why Christianity is and Islam isn't.' Imagine a book so obviously prejudice and rather disgusting becoming a bestseller. What's more, the critics comment on the front of the book said 'a clarion call to America to wake up and fight back'. That doesn't sound very peaceful to me.

It was code orange on the terrorist alert in Chicago but they didn't give me the special security treatment this time. I'd had SSSS printed on my ticket again flying out of Mexico (I wish I knew why!) but the search was considerably less thorough than in the united states. They didn't even swab my sandles for traces of evil doer. My second flight was with Air India. It was great. The air hostesses wore hot Westernised Saris, the food was good, I listened to Indian music and I watched Indian films with subtitles. It made me want to go to India again.


Now I am back I'd like to put down a few concluding thoughts. I had a fantastic time on my two and a half months and I am actually really glad that I travelled alone for much of it. I never wanted to and there were ups and downs of course but I feel like it has made a real difference to me. I've done a lot of thinking without even trying to and I think I understand myself better now. These are all cliches but I really think travel, and particularly exploring exactly what you want when you want, really does broaden your horizons and help you understand your relation to the world.

There are several things that I have found strange being back in England. At first when I flew over London I was horrified at the rows and rows or dreary buildings and streets and disappointed to be back. It was raining and a bit cold as well which didn't help. I have returned to find it's pretty much autumn here with conkers on the road outside my house. Since this was my summer trip, I was expecting it still to be summer when I got back, although I haven't missed much on that front by the sounds of it. It is really amazing how much difference hot and sunny weather makes. It really isn't that bad here but I've always got something wrong with me in this country, whether it's just a runny nose or a cold or whatever. I'm a bit of a sickly person but in Central America, aside from the stomach upsets, I was at the peak of my health.

When i first flushed toilet paper on the plane, it was really strange and I did so with much hesitation and not a little guilt. I saw a cyclist on the wrong side of the road and was alarmed when I heard a car turning the corner until I realised they were actually on the right side of the road, that is to say the left.

There are distinct advantages to being back home, not getting the shits every week or so probably being the best. I never find small droppings in my bed, room or bag, I can take hot showers and with my mouth open if I want to, I wear underwear for just one day and it doesn't smell like Satan and I can stop living out of a backpack. On the other hand, I am missing the laid back pace of life and the greater peace of mind that seems to come with it. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again after this trip but British life is just too atomised now. People are too busy looking after their own interests, making more money or going about whatever business they have but there is no real sense of community. You see close (physically and metaphorically) communities everywhere and people chilling out in hammocks (something I will definitely miss) all over the place and despite the problems that exist, these people look happy and happier than a lot of us. Over the next couple of months I will try to see if I can maintain the Go Slow attitude for as long as possible.

I had the most fun on my trip in the USA, even though I didn't do all the much for a lot of the time, and the boys who brought this about deserve a mention. Not only this, if it hadn't been for them allowing me to tag along I may never have discovered Buffalo Wings. If you haven't already, sponsor them at www.teamamerica2007.com

I guess that's about it. Now I'm back I look forward to meeting up with my friends so if you fancy it just let me know. Thanks for reading this blog, I have enjoyed writing it and will be printing it as a memory jog for myself but I have also like the contact with back home and knowing that people were reading about what I was doing and thinking of me.

Until next time (which will be at least two years from now),

Adios

Ed

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