Reflections on crossing the globe

If there is one thing that I have learnt from this trip is that when it comes to tourism there are a large number of factors that can make or break a place that have nothing directly to do with the place. For example:

1. Preparation: For some people, going in unprepared is part of the adventure. The unexpected often brings the most brilliant of moments. We met a couple of people at various points who were having visa problems, I don’t think that is the type of adventure that anyone wants. We spent a lot of time researching and planning and it paid off. The “Russia Experience” were excellent and we enjoyed our various homestays, were impressed with the personal guides and were relieved to have all our tickets and accommodations booked for us without being part of a big tour group.

2. Company: It is always more fun to travel with someone and be able to share your experiences, provided things don’t’ go awry! Gideon and I have had our moments when we’ve been tired or hungry (mostly me) and a lot of patience has been required, but mostly it has been wonderful to have someone else to depend on and get excited with. The people you meet can make a place truly memorable, eg. Our nomadic host family or Mongolian train friend

3. Weather: Without a doubt sunny skies are how I like to travel. Helps make those photos look better, even if you have little skill! We’ve had only one or 2 days of rain over the last month, and one of them, our cold day in the nomadic tent made it one of our favourite days of the trip.

4. Attitude: You really have to get in there and “grab the bull by the horns” so to speak, it definitely makes the experience more enjoyable and less stressful. I don’t know if it is my age, laziness or snobbiness, but I am not sure if there is much of the intrepid traveler left in me. While I don’t think I will ever completely lose the travel bug, there is something to be said for the comforts of home or a good hotel! We have met some travelers who have definitely inspired me. Lisa, our American friend who we spent much of the first half of the trip with, spent six months learning Russian before the trip (in addition to studying for The Bar), and it showed. Thanks to Lisa, we were able to go to a restaurant and not end up ordering the boiled ox tongues. Brook and MianXin, the Kiwi we met had a wonderful optimistic outlook and love of trying new things which makes almost any place or situation enjoyable. There was Simon, the 20 year old from Melbourne who conversed with the locals with his little Russian, constantly trying to learn more. While we did learn a few basic words in Russian, and I learnt to read the Russian Cyrillic, I feel ashamed that we barely made an effort in Russia to learn the language. I think it would have made a difference.

5. Sheer luck & Timing: We booked our trip for the dates we did purely because it was when we were due to leave the UK. As a result we had near perfect weather, we missed the ticks at Lake Baikal, we experienced a proper Mongolian BBQ and experienced Beijing post Olympics. On the other hand there are some things that are destined not to go your way, e.g. trying to find deep friend scorpions in Beijing. Although, of course, often bad luck or bad timing can be offset by good preparation (see point 1) or good attitude (see point 4).