No more solo travelling?

I had such a good time travelling overland from Bangkok (Thailand) to Penang (Malaysia) that early this afternoon I started thinking that maybe I should keep on travelling and forget any thoughts of going home. And then I had this afternoons bus journey from Penang to Kuala Lumpur.

I left Bangkok on Monday afternoon. The train was late departing but I didn't much mind, I had the pleasant company of British father and son (adult) who were rather enthusiastic about trains. They were going elsewhere and left after 5 hours, and then the beds were set up for sleeping. 

The train compartment, 2nd class air conditioned, was really very nice: clean, well serviced, and not crowded. The beds were very good. 

In the middle of the night more people boarded, and in the morning I was making friends with more travellers. On leaving the train we had gathered a group of 7 people and we all headed off for money exchange, food and accommodation. 

The group spilt, but we were still 4 for accommodation and dinner. I was enjoying all this company. 

I decided that before leaving Penang I needed to see some of the island and its famous beaches. So in the morning my new Korean-American friend and I headed off by public bus (#101) to sightsee, and we walked a jetty and visited the national park too. Then we had a wonderful lunch before I said goodbye to catch a bus, alone, to Kuala Lumpur. 

And then I had the bus journey. On the bus journey a 28 year old muslim Punjabi-Singaporean was seated next to me. And, aside from the little while that he slept, he spent the rest of the 6 hour journey hitting on me. It was most annoying. He agreed with almost everything about me (annoying!) he liked my eyes, thinks I'm pretty, likes my age (about 10 years his senior), likes my opinions, my tastes ... It was really very tiresome. He wanted to take me out in KL, but I refused. 

To all those people who have questioned why I'm bothered when I travel alone and I get hit on, this is exactly the reason: 6 hours, with no means of escape. Exactly. I need a travel companion.  

Photo: Georgetown, Penang.

Binge over

I met a young German who described me as a binge traveller. What an awesome description of me. I have a tendency to work for a while and then travel for a while: binge travel.

Is it a problem? I don't think so, although lots of people often do express such thoughts. 

I've never wanted to have children and I feel that if I were to stay home I'd soon be bored without having them. 

Quite simply, travelling is what I've always wanted to do. Mum has said that the only way to pacify me as a baby was to put me in a pram and take me somewhere. 

I also reach a point where the travelling doesn't excite me anymore. I look at all the exciting options a place has on offer, and they don't interest me in the least. That means that it's time for the binge to be over and to go home. 

I also get tired of travelling alone. 

Today is my last day of this binge, tonight I'm flying home. 

Perpetual traveller

I recently discovered that a term 'Perpetual Travel' actually exists. Wikipedia gives a full explanation of the term.

I have always wanted to travel and just keep travelling, but I hadn't known there was ever a name for it.

So, if I've always wanted to do it, what keeps stopping me and sending me home?

Two things made me return from my last big trip (which was a year). One was that I felt that living this lifestyle wasn't appropriate. It's incredible how many people tell me that I should be at home working, living a normal life. Or contributing to society by having children (ah-hem, the world is already over populated!). So I tried it, even fell in love, but I got bored. (I didn't try having kids! - I've never felt that way inclined).

The second was that doing this lifestyle alone means that I rarely get to explore the things that I really want to. Like going to the national parks. Interestingly, unlike most people it doesn't bother me to visit things alone, it only bothers me that I can't go to them. (For reasons of safety or tours needing minimum numbers).

So, I have resolved to really try to meet another perpetual traveller to share this lifestyle with. Here's hoping.

Camino: Via de la Plata, Day 1: robbed!

The trek can only get better for me. It was cold, it rained, and then I got robbed: At knife point by men wearing balaclavas.

Doing one of the Camino's is largely considered quite safe. It is considered that only a particularly nasty type would rob a pilgrim.

I was walking alone (as I had always wanted to do the pilgrimage alone), when 2 men came out from behind a tree, wearing balaclavas and carrying knives. The knife I remember was a big kitchen knife, I've forgotten the other.

At first a thought that it was some joke. That these 2 were going to a party, or something (ridiculous, as I was still in a rural area, but I'm clearly the trusting type).

They said something like take off your bags. But I was pretty reluctant so one snatched at my phone and tore it from the leather case I've been using. Then they grabbed at the bags. I had a daypack on my back and an old satchel bag at my front (just with food, but the phone had been attached to this), and an external money belt that my shirt was covering (which I've been travelling with for years).

I ended up on the ground. I'm not sure if they pushed me, but maybe I went to the ground to double over for protection (does this protect me?? I was guarding my money belt.)
I screamed as I knew there had been 4 Spanish pilgrims who passed me not much earlier and I thought they might hear me. One man told the other to make me shut up, I didn't want to find out what that meant so I shut up.

I pleaded, in Spanish. 'Not my passport' the talker replied that they just wanted money. I opened my money belt and gave them my money: about €60 and some US dollars which I'd had for years but not bothered to convert (sometimes USD are useful), I think it was $83. I had to show that it had no more money.

They spread the contents of all my bags all over the road. I guess so I wouldn't be able to leave immediately and to see if I had more cash, they opened each container I had: like toiletry bag,first aid kit. I heard camera get mentioned, but since mine wasn't working I left it in Seville in my backpack, so they lucked out there.

I wanted my phone back so I pleaded for it, telling them it had my guide and everything I needed for the camino (I'm travelling with apps only). They said no, that they'd leave it for me on the corner. I didn't trust or like this idea, so I pleaded that they just let me look at it. Yep, it seems I was trying to negotiate!

The talker got the other guy to give the phone to me to look at. I told them it doesn't work as a phone in Spain, only in Australia. I took the sim out to show them. Amazingly they stood and watched while I did this. It's actually a Spanish SIM card, but it's hard to tell. So I was lying, but I'm sure it's okay.

Then I think they saw a glimpse of another pilgrim coming and they casually walked away, with just my money.

I saw the pilgrim. I was rapidly throwing things into my bag, bawling my eyes out and hoping this was a pilgrim and not another thief.

The pilgrim walked me to town and we went to the police station. I made a statement and the police have been searching.

Tomorrow I'll walk with my new pilgrim friend. If he'd been in front of me he'd have been robbed. And at the hostel I met the 4 Spaniards, one of them started solo last year but had everything (all bags, money, everything) stolen earlier on (at a point where they might have saved me today because today the 4 of them had been following me for a large stretch.)

Everyone has asked if I'll keep going. "Yes", I say, "it can only get better."

Meeting Mr Right

For quite some time now I've had my blinkers on. By this I mean that I have refused to entertain even the slightest thought of having any relationship with any guy who wasn't a traveller. And I mean a real traveller, not some vacationer, but someone whose major occupation in life is travel.
I added it to my existing list: non smoking, not a heavy drinker, good work ethic (hey I might travel a lot but I couldn't afford to if I didn't have a good work ethnic), not a free loader, and a suitable age.

I had decided that I could give up my other preference of dark skin and exotic looks if the guy had these other qualities: after all travellers are hard enough to find and they do seem to be mostly white.

Finally I met a guy who fits these qualities! ... But I'm not attracted to him.

It's not that he's not good looking, I identified this guy as handsome the moment I first saw him. He has stunning eyes.

It's not that he's not good company. I've immensely enjoyed my time with him even though he's been sick all of this time.

We've just parted after almost 2 weeks of getting along wonderfully. Theres been great conversations about so much stuff, agreed on lots of things, and become good friends, but nothing more.

So why?
Is it that he's been sick this past 2 weeks?
That he's over a foot taller than me?
That he's not exotic enough?
Could I just never fall for anyone whilst in India as the place stifles affection?

I wonder if it's the same for him... Because he's sick? Because I'm too short? Because I'm not exotic enough ...? Because India stifles affection?

Oh well, we've parted company to go separate ways now, but I'm sure we'll cross paths again one day if we both want too.

Brave woman or brave women?

Here is something that happened to me a while back:

I was sitting in a 3rd class train compartment, accompanied by a retired university lecturer who spoke English and and elderly lady who did not speak English. Both were Indian and she was typical for her generation: sari, glass bracelets, gold jewellery.

The man chatted to me about where he was going and what I was doing. The old lady, via the man, asked if I was travelling alone. Yes.

She told the man that I was very brave. It is a common view here.

I gave my head a brief shake. "No," I said, "the Indian woman who marries a man she doesn't know is brave".

He knew I was referring to arranged marriages which are still common today. He didn't translate it back to her. He replied "it's not so like that these days, now they do get to spend some time with the man before the wedding. But," he said considering the old lady for a moment , "in her generation she would very possibly never have met her husband prior to her wedding day."

I think that is a much scarier prospect than travelling alone.

Adding to this I have a an Australian-Indian friend who is visiting India to meet the ladies (I was told of 4) that his parents have arranged for him to meet. If one is chosen (and i am told that it isn't all up to him, she can refuse) how well can they really know each other in the short time they'll have with him here? (He is booked for a 3 week stay.) Adding to this she'll be moving away from her family and friends to another country.

Brave Indian women, that's what I see.

What did I miss?

   Travelling long term people ask me "Don't you miss home?" "What do you miss?" or "Are you longing for a vegemite sandwich?". Usually I tell them I miss the dog (my Mum's). They always look horrified by this (clearly I should miss a person or people), but I tend to find that phone and internet keeps me enough in touch with the people, but the spotted dog has never mastered the technology.

   But what else? No, not vegemite sandwiches! I don't mind a bit of vegemite (the famous Australian spread we put on bread), but mostly I do like to travel with a tube (of it) purely for the point of subjecting foreign hosts to a bit of our culture. Rarely can I find a foreigner who can claim to like it, and it is fun to see the expressions on the faces of my new 'experiments'.
   On the food front, sorry Mum, but I missed Asian food. Australia is so multicultural and we have such a strong Asian influence. I really like Thai dishes, I used to live a block from an absolutely fabulous Indian restaurant, and I missed getting some quick sushi rolls for lunch. Towards the end I longed for a well supplied kitchen in which I could cook a meal.

   The one and only time during the whole trip that I really missed home was when I went to dance Salsa in Colombia. At that point I missed dancing salsa with Wil and Seamus, Merengue with Yann, Reggaeton with Baba, and seeing my mate Sandy's beautiful and welcoming smile whenever we saw each other at the Latin Dancing in Brisbane Square. I also missed dancing around in the privacy of my own space.
   In general there were other things I missed too... Wine and walks with Susan, dropping in on neighbours Shandell and Tulin, eating Asian food with Adele, and spilling the beans with Mel. Danny's sense of humour was still there for me on my facebook account. And I did miss getting on a motorbike - whether by myself or behind someone else.

   Of course, coming home, there are things in South America I will miss too. South America has less regulation, I really enjoyed that. And I kind of like it that people are expected to be smart enough to realise that there is a hole in the road or a step up or some hindrance and that they should avoid that hindrance without the responsible entity needing to spell out the obvious for us.
   I will not miss South American bathrooms - Those without toilet seats. Those that don't flush. Those that obligate you to find a coin and buy the loo paper before you go in. And then those that don't obligate you  to buy the paper but have no paper and then you realise too late! The ones that haven't flushed in ages when you're in desperate need. The Argentine ones that have you carefully negotiating 5mm between the loo itself and the swing of the door (making it really hard to get in, especially with a backpack!). and the hostel bathrooms with an inch of water on the floor from the last person who had a shower. I will not miss those bathrooms.
   I do miss the South American culture and friendliness of it's people, particularly Argentina. Australians are friendly too... just in a very different way. Perhaps our friendliness could be described as more reserved.

   Sleeping in a dorm or sharing a bathroom never really bothered me and it felt like I could go on doing it forever (this feeling might change as I get older). I did wish I had private transport to get from A to B... but for that I would want a travel companion, and for the most part I haven't had one.

   In summary, in travelling I feel very much 'at home'. It's not that I don't like home. I love Australia! I think I come from the best state of a fanastic country. But there is still so much of the world to see, and I love being out there and seeing it.... I'm definitely not settling down yet!