Well, dear Reader.
That, as they say, is that. They think it’s all over. It is now.
No more blog you’ll be pleased to hear. Hope you’ve enjoyed armchair travelling with me and reading the daily digest along with seeing the photos?
I know some of you like to start your working day with my mutterings and observations so no doubt you’ll be able to do some proper work now.
It’s been a slog in places and more than one sleepless night. Incredibly hot, pretty much since Helsinki. It’s rare that the temperature dropped below 30C and the hottest, I think, was Victoria Falls which was 40C plus. Now sitting at home with the heating on full blast struggling to acclimatise to a British Autumn.
According to the blog stats I’ve travelled 35,935km (~22,000miles) and visited 19 countries (21 if you include the 20mins of frenzy and stress in Mombasa, Kenya and a 1hr touchdown in Khartoum, Sudan). The number of blog hits has hit nearly 3,500. So at least someone is reading it.
Countries I have really enjoyed are Ukraine, Jordan, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. Disappointed that I couldn’t travel through Egypt and Sudan. Which made it a trip of two halves. Rather than the anticipated continuous trek. There’s a reason for everything though.
The Middle East is full of hot-headed, irrational nutters. It’s no wonder they have problems. Jordan is the relative calm big brother surrounded by squabbling little siblings. But then it’s a monarchy. Touring Taurean’s travel theory: there’s a subtly different feel to a country with a monarchy.
Africa was a fantastic experience. The majority have nothing in life. But it’s full of happy, smiling, friendly people. And that I shall really miss. Especially now I’m back in the UK and see a lot of miserable people who seemingly have everything you could wish for. The city I’ve felt most threatened in is, sadly, my own. Nottingham. Though suspect I would probably feel the same about any UK city.
It will take time to adjust to reality and must remember to stop waving and saying hello to everyone I meet in a supermarket. I’ll likely be locked up for being a complete loon.
Above all else, I really hope this blog has inspired at least someone to travel. I was inspired by the “girl across the road”. She was older and more experienced. In travel! As a young teen I was mesmerised by photos of her travels. The one photo I distinctly remember was the midnight sun at the North Cape. I first made it there 15 years later.
Thankful I’m fortunate enough to be able to travel whilst I’m relatively young, fit and healthy. So get out there whilst you can! Would not want to do a trip of this magnitude when I’m old and crinkly. No comments, please!
So. What’s next? Well, in a few years I hope to travel from Cape Horn through South, Central and North America to either Alaska or Greenland. Not decided which way yet. All thoughts and proposals gratefully received. Where do you want to go to??
I’ll leave you with a few words from Mark Twain which says it all……….
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream.
Discover.”
That’s all folks!
THE END.