We'd flown all over Southern Tanzania in our 5-seater Cessna, spoilt for choice game driving in the Selous, Ruaha, Mufindi and next up Mikumi. This would be the final stop before flying north to Arusha to see and experience the busier safari circuit. As soon as we got off the plane in Mikumi, our driver-guide whisked us on a mini, private safari en route to the lodge. Sightings of wild dog were crackling over the radio and we found the pack after a little while. I don't really remember much of the event other than that I sat and took it all in, appreciating the spectacle. This trip was my introduction to game viewing in Africa (a tiger safari in Sariska, India had whet my appetite the previous year) and I was loving (absolutely loving!!!) every moment of it. I had expected to see lions and some of the other Big 5, but certainly not wild dogs. Those unexpected, unplanned happenings are always the best.
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Now for a travel experience miles and miles and miles away from home back in 2002 - being in Thailand for the Songkran Festival celebrating their New Year. Aside from the wandering hands of a Vietnamese rally car driver on the flight out who wanted to "snuggle up", Thailand was a cultural blast for me. I'd never done longhaul and I had no idea what to expect from a country so different to the UK. It blew my senses in every way possible, but the craziest moment for me was during the last afternoon in Bangkok. I went out onto the streets to party with the locals and being white and so obviously a tourist, I was like a magnet - everybody, and I mean everybody wanted to touch me and throw white goo and water in my face (that's the main ingredient of Songkran) !!! I was totally overwhelmed, in a right sticky mess and I dropped my camera and smashed it. A kind shopkeeper dragged me into his shop and pointed upstairs to his bathroom so I could clean up a little. I couldn't have been more grateful! But no sooner had I gone back out onto the streets again to try and skirt back to my hotel, I was covered head to toe in white goo and soaked with water. I ended up walking into the hotel, feeling all eyes on me as I boldly approached the Reception desk keeping a straight face, politely asking for my key and then getting into the shower fully clothed. So, sadly no photos, but what a weird and wonderful experience that was!
Thank you all for the lovely birthday messages over the course of the weekend, it certainly was a good one!
Now, as I promised, coming up over the next month or so are my 29 best travel experiences and moments (thought I could do this in a day's blog post, but that would be crazy), and what travel has done for me. It's a very rewarding thing, you'll always get something out of it, but how much depends on how much you're willing to give... Kick starting us then is my earliest travel memory and first ever time abroad with my family. We stayed in Albufeira (Algarve) in May 1992 when it was just a sleepy village, but I hear it isn't so much nowadays! To be honest, we could have gone anywhere and I would have been equally as excited. The first night we arrived, we had to split the family and take 2 taxis to our apartment. The taxi with my mum and both sisters got lost, which meant my brother and I picked the best bedroom - score! Something that is so important when you're a kid. Anyway, after all the kerfuffle, we headed down to the beach so my parents could unwind I suspect ;) All I remember is it was the early hours, pitch black and we could hear the waves lapping right next to us, but we couldn't see them. Looking up to the cliff top, I could see the twinkling lights from the bars and tavernas playing music I'd never heard before. A very magical moment when all your senses come alive because of the newness of it all. |
AuthorBlogging is an amazing concept so here I am giving it a whirl. You'll get words. You'll get pics. Sometimes a vid or two. You'll get tongue in cheek, the odd humble opinion and an honest insight into my travels and writing life. Maybe even a few gems along the way. I'll be musing on home turf as I see more and more of the UK and sharing my experiences further afield on holidays and adventurous trips across the globe. Archives
December 2022
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