The sun shines, it is 25 degrees and I sit peacefully behind a computer in the Central Library of Ulan Ude, our last Russian city. It has been such a full month, a month I could never have imagined. Some facts: we reached this place with 56 rides and 3 trains. Based on signs and drivers’ wisdom we calculated that we covered 9940 km in 21 days on the road. Our route went as following: Tallinn, Kaunas, Minsk, Cherkasy, Mehedovka, Khorol, Voronezh, Samara, Ufa, Kurgan, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Abakan, Kyzyl, Chadaan, Kyzyl, Kurgana (Petropavlovka), Khansk, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude. Tomorrow we will head towards Mongolia.
But now back to where I left you last time.
From Novosibirsk we took a 24 hour train south to Abakan, a sideway to an ethnic festival we had heard of in Kurgan. We managed to get a cheap platskart place which means a bed in a wagon with some 60 places, two nights of accommodation and a relative amount of rest and constant free access to hot water for our usual porridge, mash potato and noodles meals. In Abakan we hitch a car early in the morning, again a Camaz, which we load with building materials in a nearby little village. Our search for fresh milk is without results. After crossing the mountains we enter another world, this time next to the enormous statue marking the border with Tuva Republic we also saw some clear other signs of this new place, this new seemingly undiscovered paradise. A natural border of good weather clouds, a drastically changing landscape and the Asian stone drake statues together with the Asian faces of the forest people selling berries show off against the typical Russian Siberian views. Tired but with open eyes we reach Kyzyl late at night and stay at Valody’s place, our kind driver. The joy of the shower and the real beds is great. Next day we manage our business in Kyzyl which meant still trying to get our registration of our immigration done. A true, and continuing, hassle which was without success in Voronezh where some hotels for example simply do not take foreigners. In Kyzyl we are also unsuccessful but the ‘luck’ with our Mongolian visa compensated this. Being so close to Mongolia we were happily surprised that there was a consulate in Kyzyl, which was not the case in Novosibirsk (4th biggest city of Russia). The civil servant even managed to get it done in a couple of hours. But nothing goes just like that! He asked for our gratitude, three times, so not knowing what to do we add some money to our visa costs. He returns it. We ask Valody’s advice. “Too little” he said. When returning to the consulate to pick up the visa we decide to ask how much his gratitude costs, not knowing how to deal with corruption. His embarrassment led to us leaving without paying anything extra but unfortunately we also did not have exactly what we dreamed of. We got a 5 day transit visa and the information that even being so close to Mongolia we had to go via Ulan Ude as Tuva did not have any international border making it not possible to cross for persons from third countries. Anyway very happy having done our ‘business’, we leave from Kyzyl direction festival in the afternoon and drive through marvelous landscape. A taste of Mongolia! When dropped at a road-police post we make some fun with them. They helped us to get a ride to Chadaan, showed us hashes being the currency of Tuva and advising us to cross the border to Mongolia illegally.
The 4 day festival in Ustuu-Huree is really great. We camp along the shores of the river between nice smelling trees and friendly guarded by raptors who come very close to show their beauty. Amongst great people we enjoy the Russian and Tuvian ethnic music. The typical throat singing is truly new and amazing. The feeling of experiencing this ‘exotic’ cultures at the spot itself instead of at Sfinx or Helsinki World Village is great. We were some of the few ‘outsiders’ on this festival. Tuva really impressed us and raised our interest. Already very soon we realized we were witnessing a smooth mix and a clash of two cultures in the same time. The festival contributed to preserve and honouring the Buddhist culture of Tuva which had been repressed by the Soviets. I feel we witness an important part of a strive for independence and cultural identity. A theater play and the speeches accompanying the celebrations clearly ask for tolerance and respect. The music was truly beautiful and I liked the simplicity of the way this free festival was organized. We also witnessed a ceremony of Lama’s at a newly build Stupa, the finish of a horse race of children going 40 km without saddles and a real wrestling competition. The fact that we experienced this with local people instead of tourists made it feel very ‘real’.
After the festival the car of the disaster medicine took us back to Kyzyl, another slow Camaz brought us back close to Abakan. We were on the way to a community of one of the artists we met in Chadaan. The village Petropavlovka was truly strange. Instead of being one of those Siberian villages slowly dying this village was alive, new houses build, young people and esoteric buildings and cultural places. A sharp contrast to other villages where the attempts of the Soviets to create a cultural place is only visible in the form of ruins. That the image of young Jezus-like man had something to do with this strange atmosphere became soon clear but we were left with a feeling of not-understanding until we visited the house of some Germans. The village is the heart of the cult of Vissarion who is writing the last testament and emphasizes the power of survival of Siberians. While many people feel very attracted to this place and person, who gives speeches all over the world, we felt ill at that place. We also met there with Gert from Antwerp who lives there already for seven years. His explanation about the way of living of the village was “we try to reproduce positive energy and we try to filter negative energy”. They live as much as possible from their own gardens and focus on handicrafts. To me it felt a bit like a new version of the Truman Show. However the attention on children’s creativity and time for talking were very nice features of this village. At Gert’s place we also experienced a real Russian banya. After two days we were happy to leave and to continue our travel to the East. This sideway however had more surprises for us. We ended up on empty roads, roads without asphalt through Siberian taiga. With a record amount of cars, some time with Russian railroad workers and playing games on empty crossroads in the middle of nowhere, we reached the main road again in the evening. Russian hospitality which I haven’t mentioned enough brought us into the dacha of a very nice family where we received food, a shower and a very warm welcome. On the way to Kansk we slept in the fields were I experienced the second attack of Siberian mosquitos, luckily the many bites only were itching for a short while. Kansk is a true example of Russian roads! A young soldier decided to help us to get on the road to Irkutsk, also not knowing that the ring around Kansk leads the traffic through unpaved forests roads. Also later on we drive through sandy roads, going from one side of the road to the other. It is absurd to think that this is a highway. Concepts like km/hour or mappy.com seem useless. In the rain we reach to a small town called Nizhneudinsk with a brand new Lada, almost unrecognizable! We stay at a great special place of an artist. Carina had been there last year and also now we got the special travelers house for us. Aleksey is an extreme traveler and guide, going into taiga and rafting on the wild Russian rivers. Again maybe a place to return to! Next day we stop close to Irkutsk and get to cook for the first time on a fire. Mmmmm I enjoy that so much! A big thunderstorm in the morning gave us some extra hours of sleep, hardly needed! We become a bit tired, often leaving very early and making long days but with great feelings of satisfaction. Irkutsk gives us a break from the road where we have access to fruit and milk products and this time also a successful possibility for getting our registration done. Our visit to Tuva continues to lead us. Via a visit to a youth hostel run by a girl we met on the festival we end up at a nice apartment of a friend of hers. Laundry, a shower and a real bed give again great pleasure but it was Natasha’s care and friendly communication which made this stay very nice. With the train we reach Baikal Lake, a lake as big as Belgium. Unfortunately the grey sky covers the mountains and soon it began to rain. With only having touched the water with our feet we decide to go on with our driver to Ulan Ude. After driving through the end of the city and knocking at the door of the male Datsan (Buddhist temple) we reach the only female Datsan in Russia and are warmly welcomed there. We get another place to stay for the night! They could so easily have said no, because it is not a usual place for people to ask for accommodation. After posting this we will go and help them to make Pozi, a traditional Buryat dish.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
From Europe to Asia
After just a few days of travelling we stayed for a while in the heart of Ukraine. While visiting local libraries for internet facilities we were invited to speak about our trip. About 30 citizens of Cherkasy and a local journalist listened to us posed many questions and started to dream. By train we went to a very small village called Mehedovka were Carina's father grew up to work in the garden, eat peaches and abricots and visited relatives. A real into the field experience. Since we left Cherkasy we left showers and 'normal' toilets behind us. We drove old but very good Soviet bicycles, enjoyed the river and fresh local traditional food. I started to speak my first Russian words.
Leaving a village is a different thing than leaving a city (also not always easy), we walked for four hours with only a few cars, going to the next crossing or field, passing us. Carina's father and aunt were with us and the bikes also helped to carry our backpacks (about 40 kilo all together). Finally we jumped unto and old bus to Zolotonozho and still made it to the big road by the evening. Those days in Ukraine were really lovely. Our last long ride was a Polish man who drove us through the city of Kharkiv, the former capital of Ukraine, a mix of 80 percent lost glory and 20 percent typical modern big city (like all similar shops). The trams and busses I saw there are so old and broken, I even had not seen such things in a tram museum!
On the 17th of July we crossed the Russian border. A Russian family made a big trip through Russia not going straight to their destination Tula by dropping us off in Voronezh. Faces and surroundings kind off touched me. Not the most nice place. But also tiredness grapped me. That morning a dog woke us up in our tent in the fields. After he left we packed our stuff, afraid he would go and get the other dogs of the nearby houses. WE walked towards the road with a beautiful sun. Only for this you would get up even when feeling tired. We were just finishing our breakfast when two people were discussing the weather at the busstop. Carina translated to me that they were wondering if that white cloud would give rain today. I did not understood, I saw only dark grey when I looked behind. Five minutes later a terrible rainstorm embraced us, we luckily timely reached the busstation were we realised it was only 6.15 in the morning. Thank you for waking us dog! Everything would have been really wet and full of mud ...
From then onwards we are fully on the road. We spent the night at the trainstation in Voronezh after encountering a typical Russian thing, many hotels do not take foreigners and it was too late to get out of the city again. No good trains to take us so a minibus brings us early morning out of the city. Ahead of us a huge space ...Russia ...Siberia ...having no idea were we would get that day. With a great 'wash' stop at a river and catching a couple of rides we do get a ride with our first Camaz, Russian truck. A truck we will get to know quite well. The road to Saratov is not the best one ... but Russia becomes more and more beautiful. Thinking about the road to Samara we consider the idea of a taking a train. Our kind driver finds out there is a night train at 22.46 ... Saratov is still far ahead of us at 19.30. With the experience of the previous night we would not like to get again to spend the night at the train station. But nothing is sure on the road. With a short brokedown of the truck we reach Saratov with a smile and portion of adrenaline at 22.15 ...I told Carina before if we do not reach city at 22.15 we should stay before the city to camp. But we got there, it is to say at the border of the city. We jump from the truck into a taxi who understandsa our situation and drives us as quick as possible. Nothiong sure yet! Long ques at the ticket offices ... if there was not a kind lady at the administration desk and we would not have ran through the station we would have missed it ... You can imagine what a joy we felt sitting in our own coupe of a Russian train ... we have beds and would arrive at 8.00 in the morning.
In Samara we use the same technique, taking a bus out of city that would bring us to the road to Ufa which we reach by 18th evening. We passed through the muslim republic Tatarstan which has its own alphabet and ethnic traditions. The driver of our third Camaz is really very kind, going to a far away place in northern Siberia. He had for example been driving in minus 45 degrees, tolds us a lot about his different life experiences and stories of the road. We slowly get into the tough but interesting life of truck drivers. He is almost a hero when helping to pull out a new bus that went off the road and caused a hilarious view on two rows of cars crossing the field instead of waiting. We camp next to his truck and wake up early to drive with him a full day to Kurgan. We cross the Ural mountains, the statue that marks the border between Europe and Asia to end up near the first Siberian city. Here we met for the first time two other travellers coming from the student city Tomsk, we camp with them in the fields accross a large truck stop called the Siberian gate. All the places we stop for coffee or to eat are kind of similar, we definitely are a rarity among the truck drivers audience. Also toilets become, let's say more and more 'Russian'. Stopping for food or a drink starts to depend on the drivers, we start to live like them ...which for example also means to live according to their time. Some continue to live at Moscow time others adjust to local time. And we? I don't know, time became an uncertainty and something that does not really matters. We crossed some time zones without knowing, others that are on the map seem not to exist in reality.
I am writing now from Novosibirsk but have to go, how I get here will be for later ... so many thoughts ... and only more new experiences will come on top ...
Leaving a village is a different thing than leaving a city (also not always easy), we walked for four hours with only a few cars, going to the next crossing or field, passing us. Carina's father and aunt were with us and the bikes also helped to carry our backpacks (about 40 kilo all together). Finally we jumped unto and old bus to Zolotonozho and still made it to the big road by the evening. Those days in Ukraine were really lovely. Our last long ride was a Polish man who drove us through the city of Kharkiv, the former capital of Ukraine, a mix of 80 percent lost glory and 20 percent typical modern big city (like all similar shops). The trams and busses I saw there are so old and broken, I even had not seen such things in a tram museum!
On the 17th of July we crossed the Russian border. A Russian family made a big trip through Russia not going straight to their destination Tula by dropping us off in Voronezh. Faces and surroundings kind off touched me. Not the most nice place. But also tiredness grapped me. That morning a dog woke us up in our tent in the fields. After he left we packed our stuff, afraid he would go and get the other dogs of the nearby houses. WE walked towards the road with a beautiful sun. Only for this you would get up even when feeling tired. We were just finishing our breakfast when two people were discussing the weather at the busstop. Carina translated to me that they were wondering if that white cloud would give rain today. I did not understood, I saw only dark grey when I looked behind. Five minutes later a terrible rainstorm embraced us, we luckily timely reached the busstation were we realised it was only 6.15 in the morning. Thank you for waking us dog! Everything would have been really wet and full of mud ...
From then onwards we are fully on the road. We spent the night at the trainstation in Voronezh after encountering a typical Russian thing, many hotels do not take foreigners and it was too late to get out of the city again. No good trains to take us so a minibus brings us early morning out of the city. Ahead of us a huge space ...Russia ...Siberia ...having no idea were we would get that day. With a great 'wash' stop at a river and catching a couple of rides we do get a ride with our first Camaz, Russian truck. A truck we will get to know quite well. The road to Saratov is not the best one ... but Russia becomes more and more beautiful. Thinking about the road to Samara we consider the idea of a taking a train. Our kind driver finds out there is a night train at 22.46 ... Saratov is still far ahead of us at 19.30. With the experience of the previous night we would not like to get again to spend the night at the train station. But nothing is sure on the road. With a short brokedown of the truck we reach Saratov with a smile and portion of adrenaline at 22.15 ...I told Carina before if we do not reach city at 22.15 we should stay before the city to camp. But we got there, it is to say at the border of the city. We jump from the truck into a taxi who understandsa our situation and drives us as quick as possible. Nothiong sure yet! Long ques at the ticket offices ... if there was not a kind lady at the administration desk and we would not have ran through the station we would have missed it ... You can imagine what a joy we felt sitting in our own coupe of a Russian train ... we have beds and would arrive at 8.00 in the morning.
In Samara we use the same technique, taking a bus out of city that would bring us to the road to Ufa which we reach by 18th evening. We passed through the muslim republic Tatarstan which has its own alphabet and ethnic traditions. The driver of our third Camaz is really very kind, going to a far away place in northern Siberia. He had for example been driving in minus 45 degrees, tolds us a lot about his different life experiences and stories of the road. We slowly get into the tough but interesting life of truck drivers. He is almost a hero when helping to pull out a new bus that went off the road and caused a hilarious view on two rows of cars crossing the field instead of waiting. We camp next to his truck and wake up early to drive with him a full day to Kurgan. We cross the Ural mountains, the statue that marks the border between Europe and Asia to end up near the first Siberian city. Here we met for the first time two other travellers coming from the student city Tomsk, we camp with them in the fields accross a large truck stop called the Siberian gate. All the places we stop for coffee or to eat are kind of similar, we definitely are a rarity among the truck drivers audience. Also toilets become, let's say more and more 'Russian'. Stopping for food or a drink starts to depend on the drivers, we start to live like them ...which for example also means to live according to their time. Some continue to live at Moscow time others adjust to local time. And we? I don't know, time became an uncertainty and something that does not really matters. We crossed some time zones without knowing, others that are on the map seem not to exist in reality.
I am writing now from Novosibirsk but have to go, how I get here will be for later ... so many thoughts ... and only more new experiences will come on top ...
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
... truly on the road?
I am slowly becoming aware of my actions and while my feelings and thoughts have travelled already many thousands of different roads ...physically I made it from Tallinn (Estonia) to Cherkasy (Ukraine)!
13 rides, all kinds of kind drivers and from a rainy night in our tent in Lithuania to appartments from babouchkas and aunts ... the road, the road ... on the 10th of July we travelled more then 800 kilometers in 12 hours ... drivers would stop before raising our hands; coffee, ice cream and lunch were given to us ... No need to reach at any point, no given time to be present ... I feel I recieved a most precious gift ... TIME.
We spent a truly nice day in Minsk with Alex (a Belarusian student in Tallinn). The last dicatorship in Europe, felt by its people in many ways, no competition, slightly changed soviet symbols are on every corner, the 'for Belarus', 'for Lukashenko' propaganda is big and colourful according to advertisement strategies ... To much attention for a Lenin statue in front of an unpowerful parliament provokes distrust by the guard ... last protests in March 2006 were brutally repressed, internet is not an easily accessible freedom ...and while prices rise, with an average salary of 300 dollar, vodka gets cheaper ...
We left this 'socialist country' but its enormously beautiful open spaces continued after the Ukrainian border and many warm memories came when I crossed the river Desna. I travelled for several days on rafts on that river when I was the first time in Ukraine in September 2004 and still have very good friends from that time! Coming from Gomel (Berlarus) we passed close to the Tsjernobil area, so not a good place to stay ... the contamination is still very present, people are still suffering from the disaster ... Small villages, colourful houses, waterwells and goose ... how could those people who sell fruit and vegetables from gardens and forests along the road be helped with foreign aid? Would I be able to stand alone along a road for a full day without anything to read? ... Russian language becomes familiar, I slowly start to master the new alphabet, the cyrillic and try hard to pronounce the new sounds. I accept the fact that when travelling the world I am not able to communicate everywhere in many words, I am present in silence and observations but I often do think and would like to shout ... learn languages and teach languages ... knowing that a child learns them best before it is nine.
Even my own experience is yet not enough to make me fully aware of what is happening ... I made it to Ukraine in three days with 26 euro and 2 dollar (21 euro for the Belarusian visa), We escaped from tourist areas, lived with local people, tasted local food like borsht, pure pig fat and home made cakes ... and I saw, I saw a lot ... millions of sunflowers smiling, faces of young and old, churches from the in- and outside ...
We currently live at the lake, or Cherkasy Sea, and await Carina's father who is arriving tomorrow to go to a small village ... on 15th of July we have entrance tickets to Russia ...
13 rides, all kinds of kind drivers and from a rainy night in our tent in Lithuania to appartments from babouchkas and aunts ... the road, the road ... on the 10th of July we travelled more then 800 kilometers in 12 hours ... drivers would stop before raising our hands; coffee, ice cream and lunch were given to us ... No need to reach at any point, no given time to be present ... I feel I recieved a most precious gift ... TIME.
We spent a truly nice day in Minsk with Alex (a Belarusian student in Tallinn). The last dicatorship in Europe, felt by its people in many ways, no competition, slightly changed soviet symbols are on every corner, the 'for Belarus', 'for Lukashenko' propaganda is big and colourful according to advertisement strategies ... To much attention for a Lenin statue in front of an unpowerful parliament provokes distrust by the guard ... last protests in March 2006 were brutally repressed, internet is not an easily accessible freedom ...and while prices rise, with an average salary of 300 dollar, vodka gets cheaper ...
We left this 'socialist country' but its enormously beautiful open spaces continued after the Ukrainian border and many warm memories came when I crossed the river Desna. I travelled for several days on rafts on that river when I was the first time in Ukraine in September 2004 and still have very good friends from that time! Coming from Gomel (Berlarus) we passed close to the Tsjernobil area, so not a good place to stay ... the contamination is still very present, people are still suffering from the disaster ... Small villages, colourful houses, waterwells and goose ... how could those people who sell fruit and vegetables from gardens and forests along the road be helped with foreign aid? Would I be able to stand alone along a road for a full day without anything to read? ... Russian language becomes familiar, I slowly start to master the new alphabet, the cyrillic and try hard to pronounce the new sounds. I accept the fact that when travelling the world I am not able to communicate everywhere in many words, I am present in silence and observations but I often do think and would like to shout ... learn languages and teach languages ... knowing that a child learns them best before it is nine.
Even my own experience is yet not enough to make me fully aware of what is happening ... I made it to Ukraine in three days with 26 euro and 2 dollar (21 euro for the Belarusian visa), We escaped from tourist areas, lived with local people, tasted local food like borsht, pure pig fat and home made cakes ... and I saw, I saw a lot ... millions of sunflowers smiling, faces of young and old, churches from the in- and outside ...
We currently live at the lake, or Cherkasy Sea, and await Carina's father who is arriving tomorrow to go to a small village ... on 15th of July we have entrance tickets to Russia ...
Monday, June 11, 2007
The long road to joy
From the writings of a Buddhist monk called Thich Nhat Hanh, with the title “The long road to joy”, summarized by Paulo Coelho
1] You have already arrived. So, feel pleasure at each step and do not worry about things that you still have to face. We have nothing before us, just a road to be traveled at each moment with joy. When we practice pilgrim meditation, we are always arriving, our home is the present moment, and nothing more.
2] For that reason, always smile while you walk, Even if you have to force it a bit and feel ridiculous. Get used to smiling and you will end up happy. Do not be afraid of displaying your contentment.
3] If you think that peace and joy always lie ahead, you will never manage to achieve them. Try to understand that they are both your traveling companions.
4] When you walk, you are massaging and honoring the earth. In the same way, the earth is trying to help you to balance your organism and mind. Understand this relationship and try to respect it – may your steps have the firmness of a lion, the elegance of a tiger and the dignity of an emperor.
5] Pay attention to what is going on around you. And concentrate on your breathing – this will help you to get rid of the problems and worries that try to accompany you on your journey.
6] When you walk, it is not just you that is moving, but all past and future generations. In the so-called “real” world, time is a measure, but in the true world nothing exists beyond the present moment. Be fully aware that everything that has happened and everything that will happen is in each step you take.
7] Enjoy yourself. Make pilgrim meditation a constant meeting with yourself, never a penance in search of reward. May flowers and fruit always grow in the places touched by your feet.
1] You have already arrived. So, feel pleasure at each step and do not worry about things that you still have to face. We have nothing before us, just a road to be traveled at each moment with joy. When we practice pilgrim meditation, we are always arriving, our home is the present moment, and nothing more.
2] For that reason, always smile while you walk, Even if you have to force it a bit and feel ridiculous. Get used to smiling and you will end up happy. Do not be afraid of displaying your contentment.
3] If you think that peace and joy always lie ahead, you will never manage to achieve them. Try to understand that they are both your traveling companions.
4] When you walk, you are massaging and honoring the earth. In the same way, the earth is trying to help you to balance your organism and mind. Understand this relationship and try to respect it – may your steps have the firmness of a lion, the elegance of a tiger and the dignity of an emperor.
5] Pay attention to what is going on around you. And concentrate on your breathing – this will help you to get rid of the problems and worries that try to accompany you on your journey.
6] When you walk, it is not just you that is moving, but all past and future generations. In the so-called “real” world, time is a measure, but in the true world nothing exists beyond the present moment. Be fully aware that everything that has happened and everything that will happen is in each step you take.
7] Enjoy yourself. Make pilgrim meditation a constant meeting with yourself, never a penance in search of reward. May flowers and fruit always grow in the places touched by your feet.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Believe It until It Happens
If you believe in the dream enough and are willing to do whatever it takes to make it a reality, then you will be a success. It may not be an easy road, but the rainbow at the end will be worth the effort. If you come to a point where it just does not look like you can muster up any more motivation, you should keep on believing. Pretend that everything is working out and that life is great to get through the difficult times. When you pretend to be positive, sometimes positive things come to you. So, try to keep your dream in focus as you go through the ups and downs of making it a reality.
It is possible to make your dreams come true, if you are willing to allow yourself to dream, take risks, and believe in yourself. If you dont have the courage to do these things, your dreams will stay just as they are: dreams. If you take on the challenge however, you will find that anything is possible.
It is possible to make your dreams come true, if you are willing to allow yourself to dream, take risks, and believe in yourself. If you dont have the courage to do these things, your dreams will stay just as they are: dreams. If you take on the challenge however, you will find that anything is possible.
Friday, June 8, 2007
the positive side of planning
"The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them"
Quote by Denis Watley
That our journey is possible I believe based on the many others who did so before. That I am a traveller able to achieve our set goals depends on the level of goal ... and myself.
Highest goal: travel around the world
Lower goal: travel from Estonia to Japan in two months
Or according to Antoine de Saint-Exupery the highest goal which does not have a plan yet is just a wish ... a dream ... and it's maybe true ...
Will I consider myself a winner if I make it only to Japan, will I be a looser when I only would enjoy one month on the road?
I am going to see the wide world, I am going to be in new places ... on the way I plan to meet others, to sleep on beautiful spots and taste nature ... and I will share this adventure with Carina ... we are ready to leave ... and with others of whom I even can't think yet ... maybe Sven will come to live our dreams together ...
My goal is to open my eyes and follow my heart ...
Quote by Denis Watley
That our journey is possible I believe based on the many others who did so before. That I am a traveller able to achieve our set goals depends on the level of goal ... and myself.
Highest goal: travel around the world
Lower goal: travel from Estonia to Japan in two months
Or according to Antoine de Saint-Exupery the highest goal which does not have a plan yet is just a wish ... a dream ... and it's maybe true ...
Will I consider myself a winner if I make it only to Japan, will I be a looser when I only would enjoy one month on the road?
I am going to see the wide world, I am going to be in new places ... on the way I plan to meet others, to sleep on beautiful spots and taste nature ... and I will share this adventure with Carina ... we are ready to leave ... and with others of whom I even can't think yet ... maybe Sven will come to live our dreams together ...
My goal is to open my eyes and follow my heart ...
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Travel fever
One month ahead of our journey. The planning did not get beyond deciding upon a date 07.07.07. The route is still like the one outlined 6 months ago, my passport is some visas richer. And me? I am caught by a travel fever, waiting for the moment to come, curious, anxious ... but ready to go! Just need to get accross that huge to do list and pack my bag. I know that I can not be prepared for all possible roads and bridges. Nevertheless I will explore some roads the coming days. I tried to registrate at digihitch today, found my first Japanese sentences and read pieces of previous travellers. I feel I just want to have my own story ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
