Back home - Volver al inicio

---

Well, here I am back in Manchester, after a trip with more ups than downs. What do I think I have got from it? I had travelled in a way that was to an extent similar, mostly by myself in my late-twenties out towards India, and wanted to know if I could still manage it at the age of 65. Could I survive psychologically, medically, and financially? I went through an initial phase of adjustment, even occasionally wondering how long would I have to stay away to be able to return without loss of face. Well, eventually I settled in and lasted the full planned six months. I now know that I can survive and enjoy such a trip by myself. That is not to say that I might not prefer to make a subsequent trip with a kindred spirit; but at least it would be out of a desire for a fuller experience and not out of fear of being alone. Maybe it is too early to judge what the best experiences were but some things stand out: getting really close to a glacier in Argentina; visiting a geyser field in Chile; and visiting Inca ruins and Lake Titticaca in Bolivia. Something has been kindled rather than quenched - I will return to South America!

---