Bye, Bye Big Adventure?

Well I’m on the plane home to London and what awaits me I really don’t know. The reality of life will no doubt be masked by the mayhem of the Olympics which I am so delighted to be attending (with Tor to the Trampolining…yes it is an Olympic sport!). But the truth of the matter is - What next?

Tribulations like sorting out a phone number, all my travel insurance claims, a tax rebate and well when that runs out a job. But right now my greatest joy is heading home to the flat in East London mere minutes from the Olympic action and catching up with family and friends. I have loved the contact from friends and family over the past year, and Tom & Vicky’s blog comments, without which I wouldn’t have survived the lonely days of solo travel. So readers take a bow, You have encouraged me on and this is your raucous cheer “HOORAH” from high in the air over….Kuwait I believe.

I have been enjoying writing this blog and for the coming weeks I have a number of posts which need to be polished and posted from the Sense of India, Chandigarh, Agra Revisted, Slumming it and Hello Mumbai Bye Bye Bombay. Not to mention the Myanmar one I was meant to write many months before – I’ve almost been savouring it till the end as it really was the most amazing country of my entire year. I will keep you posted with plenty of photos and stories from my Olympic experience, as the Big Adventure was tailored to take this very local event in to account. So it’s not quite Bye Bye Big Adventure blogging just yet….If my year of travel has shown, Life itself is the Big Adventure so I doubt it ever will.

Comments

Is it just you?

Traveling solo lets you dwell on a few reasons it BRILLIANT and FRUSTRATING to Travel Solo. Every time I went out to eat I was asked " Is it just you? ". " it is especially me" was always my answer.When you travel every individual gets something different out of the experience. For me travelling alone allowed me to embrace all aspects of my personality from art galleries and history to walking for miles and taking photos of all things great and small. These highlights shaped my experience and might help with planning or understanding that travelling solo is a whirlwind. THE HARDEST PART IS THE FIRST STEP - when people ask me about travelling alone the hardest part I found was my first flight out of New Zealand 7 years ago. Sitting in the departure lounge, on my own, with all the people I love and home being behind a glass wall. I even called my sister and asked " is this what it really is all about?, hours of waiting around ". But then someone sat n...

Breath Taking Everest

I have always wanted to go to Everest Base Camp to see what the closest to the top of the world must be like. My big sister Fiona made it there some 14 years ago on her way to London. She had run into Ants (her old school friend and now my brother-in-law) in the streets of Kathmandu and later met Simon (her husband) after her trek in Chitwan National Park. She had also bought a painting of the beautiful Ama Dablam (mother mountain for Mum) with Tengboche Monastery in the foreground and it sits pride of place in our family lounge. As a result Nepal and the Everest region screams family adventure to me. After a couple of days in Kathmandu during a strike (the country is in massive flux as it does not have a constitution or a governing majority) I met Dustin and Elan near my hostel telling them I was keen to do the Everest Base Camp trek. I had been recommended the Anapurna circuit time and time again but with recent deaths due to slips and the coming m...

Day 9 -12 Waitangi Forest to Helena Bay

I farewelled Original Sue who had joined me for the last night in Kerikeri and my host Victoria from the backpackers dropped me at the start of the Waitangi Forest to avoid a dangerous road walk. The forest road was a hive of activity with trucks passing regularly in the first 4km. Finally dipping off the active logging route to Te Puke Road the evidence of ancient Bush amongst falled pine felt like a very visual symbolism of Aotearoas botanical history. Right on the backblocks of New Zealands Treaty Grounds seemed all the more poignant. I reached Mt Bledisloe for lunch and the sweeping views across the Bay of Island. I also got to catch Original Jen who had gone off trail to deal with blisters and had a support crew ferrying her as needed. The forestry road swept through Mountain Bike tracks passed the Waitangi Golf Course and finally the Treaty Grounds. Sadly they are all fenced off so my visions of a welcoming home to Waitangi were squashed. I took a brief rest is t...

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