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Published: February 24th 2007
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7th February 2006 to 27th January 2007
How do you sum up something like this?
Well, if I start at the very beginning, that’s a very good place to start. It all began with an idea; Pack in my job of eleven years, pack up my troubles in my old kit bag, rent out my house, borrow a bus load of cash from the bank and bugger off! Simple as that really! I compiled a list of locations I would most like to visit (it was extensive to say the least and included almost everywhere) and I also catalogued what I wanted to see and, far more importantly, DO while I was there.
These two inventories formed the basis for me to backpack around the World and made suggestions as to what routes could be taken but, the only real plan that was fashioned as an ideal to be adhered to throughout the trip was not to have a plan at all.
I did my best to stick to this ethos and reminded myself of its wisdom every day of my traveller’s tour of duty. Let’s face it, if your plan is not to have one, how
can you ever be upset or disappointed with what happens to you? Surely, this makes for much happier travels? A similar philosophy was applied to the locations aspect of it all. If you set off on a journey without a designated destination, how can you ever get lost? When you take these ideas on board, what happens is that the getting from one place to another becomes the whole point of travelling and not just a means of “Getting there” wherever “There” is!
Following these self imposed principals and coupling them with a belief in being open to all eventualities, I found only enhanced my experiences. These were valuable lessons to learn but, what else has the trip taught me?
I learned a little Spanish, a certain degree of self reliance, how to be more flexible and tolerant, how to write a bit better (hopefully) and a little about my own limitations. Sadly, I was also educated in some of the Humanities’ too; I witnessed injustice, bigotry, greed, poverty, cruelty and intolerance but, despite all not being well in the world, I have also seen the positive side of the planet; Wherever I have been I have found
kindness, compassion, generosity, faith and love. These wonderful Human qualities are everywhere and in abundance too if you just take the time to notice them.
And, what’s more, I can guarantee that they are a hell of a lot easier to find in a far flung foreign land than a Football match from home you desperately want to see on TV. Having traipsed many an exotic street (and a fair few un-exotic ones too) in search of an important game (more often than not, in vein) I am now of the mind that not nominating Footy as your national sport should be universally accepted as a crime against humanity. In an ideal world, this injustice would instantly attract severe punitive sanctions imposed by the United Nations and would be backed up by the threat of invasion by Mr Bush’s bully boys (although, I don’t think the Americans, being some of the worst offenders, would appreciate being invaded by their own army somehow).
So, I suppose that the first thing that everyone is going to want to know when they see me is “What was your favourite bit?” It’s a fair and good question but, I’m afraid
it is impossible to answer definitively. I have enjoyed so many things that differ in so many ways that even if I created categorised lists and tried to put them in order of preference then I would still struggle to come up with what my faves were.
Instead, I think I’ll just tell you about some of the things that I’ll miss most about travelling (and a few that I won’t);
Sipping a pint of Quilmes (Argentine lager) while doing my Spanish homework in my “Local” on Angel Gallardo, Buenos Airies.
The bone warming weather of the South American Summer and conversing with the natives in their tongue (sort of).
Long journeys on any form of transport (apart from the ones where you’re sat next to B.O Bertha from Bolivia).
And, talking of animals, I’ll miss the Sharks, Seals, Penguins, Crabs and Iguanas of the Galapagos, the Cayman and Capybaras of the Pantanal, the Elk and Bears in America and the Whales and Dolphins off the coast of New Zealand. But, I won’t miss the animals found in that country’s Queenstown bars!
I already pine for people to ask where I’m from at every turn
because I look or sound different. And, I already regret the absence of a friendly “Hello” from strangers regardless of how the natives look or sound- it just doesn’t happen at home, we’re a miserable bunch of buggers in the UK.
I’ll also miss the spectacular scenery I’ve seen and the wealth of wonderment this has blessed me with in various locations around the Globe. And I’ll definitely miss getting stamps from these places in my passport (especially the ones with residency written on them)!
On the down side, certainly not going to be missed are;
Mosquitoes, Sand Flies and any other unpleasant bugs I came across (and having to constantly apply repellent to keep these creepy crawlies away- it burns your skin, makes you stink and doesn’t bloody-well work half the time).
Dorm rooms in Hostels, or rather the nearly always uncomfortable and sometimes flea infested beds and the habitual, ever-present snorers.
Mixed dorm rooms. No offence intended and with all due respect to all the females I know and love but, girls are slobs!
Having to eat dodgy food and ending up with even dodgier guts to the degree that ingesting only
Hostels-
The good (cheap), the bad (girl slobs) and the ugly (snorers)! Empanadas or Pizza is an option until the dickey tummy has recovered.
Inclement weather. i.e. excess wind (no flatulence jokes please, I’m talking about the external kind here), snow, rain and electrical storms. That said, isn’t “Bad” weather only ever bad when it doesn’t fit in with our plans? All you have to do is amend your apparel and your plans and the “Bad” weather won’t seem too bad at all.
And finally, I will not miss sitting in certain cybercafés- the sort that have intermittent internet connections, suspect servers and extortionate charges for extracting your emails. However, I will miss writing these entries in such places, and being able to send them to you all from some far flung corner of the World. That always buoyed my heart when I felt far away.
While writing that last sentence it suddenly struck me that I DO have a favourite aspect of the year I have spent wandering the World- the people. I have met many amiable and helpful locals in numerous localities, made friends of foreigners and fellow travellers along the way and had the chance to relate to relatives who went out of their way to
Cheers
Here's to you all welcome me in to their homes. I am privileged to have had the opportunity to meet and get to know you all and sincerely hope that our paths will cross again someday, somehow, somewhere.
If you are reading this far away from me you are one of the people that have enriched my life over the last twelve months with your kindness, compassion, comradeship communication and conversation. You and the people I left behind at home (the ones that gave me the strength and confidence to do this thing in the first place) will be forever in my heart as part of the most memorable experience I’ve ever had. All of you have helped to reinforce my faith in Human nature, confirming to me that family is family anywhere and so are friends from everywhere.
Thank you and please stay in touch- it's a small World but it's only that way because of the meeting of minds.
The dream has had a life
This amazing journey's done
Now it’s time to start
To dream and live another one……
Ian "Doctor Tree" Carmichael
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Iain Hamilton
non-member comment
True Words !!
It sometimes takes a while to realise what its all about, maybe you are close Ian !