I have had the unique opportunity to travel to many countries
across the world. Traveling has broadened my perspective about the world we
live in. While we live on a planet with over seven billion very different
people, I have found through my travels that outwardly different cultures share
quite a few unexpected similarities. Traveling comes in tandem with many
travails some of which can be disquieting. However, they haven’t discouraged me from
future travel. I will now disclose some of these travel woes, many of which may
be entertaining to the reader.
In the last two decades I have travelled to many exotic
locations. Unlike some of my fellow Anglo Saxon travelers prone to angry
sunburns I blended fairly well in places like Marrakesh, Morocco. I felt quite
at home negotiating the narrow alley ways in the medina. The only
transportation inside the souks or Moroccan marketplaces were donkeys. No
vehicles were allowed. They transported
goods and carried out trash. Unlike the lordly oxen of Varanasi, these donkeys
were hard working animals. I decided to
venture out into the bustling market to buy a Berber carpet. I did not realize
how far deep inside the Medina I have been sucked in. Mint teas and colorful
carpets kept me glued to the stores. All of a sudden, I panicked when I saw
multiple pieces being rolled up and packed for my purchase. Neither Arabic nor
French were my strong suit, so I resorted to Hindi to convince the shopkeeper
that I had limited cash on hand. Unfortunately for me, the only store exit door
was barred with piles of carpet. Sheer panic dried my throat when our tour
guide appeared at the door along with one or two other people from the group.
Apparently, quite a few of our travel group had to be rescued in a similar
fashion. A few years later in Tijuana, Mexico, I remembered that lesson and
stayed close to the guide while avoiding alley ways.
Another destination which haunted me for decades was Venice. The year was 1988 and I remember being part of
a tour group covering Venice, Rome, Naples and Florence. We were warned about
the possibility of theft so I kept my bags close to my body at all times. My
luck deserted me during the last leg of the trip. Roma gypsies
caught up with me in the lady’s washroom. I was not on guard as I was amongst
women. Once I sat in the bus on our way
back to the Venice airport, I realized our Travelers checks and passports were
missing. I actually wept, visualizing the harassment I was about to face on our
return. Fortunately, our police report
helped us pass through customs. The majestic ruins and the romantic gondola
ride of the amazing leaning tower were memories that would be treasured for
years. However, that fateful theft kept us away from Italy for years to
come. Moscow was another calamity tale
but mostly due to our incomprehension of the Cyrillic script. Unlike other major world capitals English was
not omnipresent in sign posting, neither was the announcement on the subway
system clear to us. As a result, we rode past our destination several times. The
Russians were easily the least helpful railway employees I had ever encountered.
Lack of English made many people reluctant to talk to English speaking
tourists. Taxis were few and the drivers appeared to wear a gangster like
expression. We were helpless in negotiating fares. We had to fight for a place
to sit during our long wait for the flight. For once, we were glad to leave a
travel destination when the flight was announced.
Tales of travel travails will be incomplete without mentioning
fateful encounters with wild animals. Last summer we were in Yellowstone
National Park. This time our party consisted of three couples and two young
men. Every travel group has over enthusiastic photographers. Our group was no
exception. When she stood right under the moose’s antlers to video him drinking
water, we were slightly alarmed. More alarming incidents awaited us. As mud
valley approached, bison sightings became frequent. At one point the rangers
held up traffic for bison crossing. When our friend decided to get out of the
car, we heard the ranger’s angry reprimand: “get back in your car ma’am, right
now.” Our photographer friend decided her shoot would be National Geographic
worthy. She had planted herself squarely in the path of the bison. Lucky for
us, the bison had a tolerant temperament. He brushed past the small car while
his enormous girth blackened out the sky. We held our collective breaths and thankfully
the moment passed. We often forget that the animal is in his natural habitat, we
are intruding with our camera flashes, I-phone cameras and cars. An avid
traveler always aims to get a good sense of the place and tries to look within
instead of perpetually aiming the camera and capturing every mountain, meadow
or sunset. The bison, moose, whales or grizzles never signed up for this
constant carnival atmosphere. Yet I frequently hear how much people enjoy
playing with the dolphins in Cozumel or feeding the koala in Australia. Kids often cannot distinguish between cartoon
animals and real life ones. But as
adults we surely need to guide them better.
Not all of my travels involve hair raising moments. My latest
one to the Caribbean country of Turks and Caicos was tranquil and dreamy from
the start. The ocean breeze was balmy and the temperatures remained very
manageable even though it was summer. We stayed in the North West Caicos in an
island called Providenciales. Ranked the number one beach destination in the
world for two years running. I always to
try to experience local cuisine. At Turks and Caicos, we learned Conch was
king. The islands had abundant conch harvest and the local industry included
conch hatching farms. Fresh conch meat was consumed in salads, soups, tacos,
pasta, and of course deep fried and served as fritters. We attended the local “Fish Fry” event
orchestrated by the tourist board which gave the locals and tourists an opportunity
to do trade and mingle. Sadly, local arts and crafts were limited by cheap Chinese
souvenirs flooding the market. Last, I must mention the tiny island of Little
Kays inhabited by birds and iguanas. These tiny dragon-like lizards had developed
an unfortunate addiction to Dorito chips. The boatmen lure them with packaged
food kept aside from the customer’s lunch so that tourists stay satisfied with
guaranteed iguana sighting. Luckily, the colorful fish sighted during deep sea
snorkeling needed no artificial baits. Our sailing experience could have ended
in major disaster. Luckily, we turned back as dark clouds could be seen in the
horizon and the normally calm ocean churned ominously.
When all is said and done, travel travails are minor bumps in
the road to exotic adventures and learning and I for one will not let them
deter me from future travel opportunities.
[RIMI PATI]
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