Travel

I am very fortunate; I travelled to Australia from Britain by ship in 1952.  That was well before flying was an everyday occurrence.  I was still eleven during the journey; I turned twelve after reaching Sydney.  But, that trip on the MV Strathnaver, was an eye opener for me.  I learned a lot about how people lived in other countries.  Even arriving in Australia, which was a Commonwealth country, was different. 

The first thing pointed out to me was when we arrived in Perth, and my mother looked into the shop window of a butcher.  She hadn’t seen meat in such quantity for years, and made me look at it all.  We had been having wonderful meals on board ship, but because we went through the war in England with rationing, meat of such quality and such a large amount was amazing to my Mum.

Because we travelled by ship, we visited several Ports which allowed us to walk around the cities and see how the inhabitants lived.  Clothing, shops, street food, were all different to what I was used to, so I was fascinated.  All this information was stored in my brain, and helped me understand many things about warmer climates, and other ways of life as I grew older.

There is a saying Travel broadens the Mind.  And I would have to agree with that, because it did for me. 

As a teenager growing up in Australia, I was always aware of older teenagers and early twenty year olds going overseas (usually England) to see the world.   It was a way of discovering themselves.  These young people who had grown up in Australia, were doing what I did when I was eleven.  But there was a difference.  I had my family looking after me as we travelled the high seas, these young people were leaving home and reliant on themselves.  They had to find a job, accommodation and look after themselves.  Doing that at home in Australia, would have been easy, doing it overseas, when it cost a lot of money to ring home, and the only other means of communication was a letter or a telegram, was completely different.  These young people grew up very quickly, they had to. But for all that they also had a great time, visiting Europe and meeting other people.

In the early 1970s I went back to England, along with my then husband.  We had relatives, with whom we stayed for a while, but it wasn’t long until we found a flat in London which we shared with others, and got to know London as adults. 

The fad in those days was taking coach tours around Europe.  As there were only seat on the coach, I guess one could call it a bus, but a long single decker bus. The tours were mainly for under thirty-year-olds and the accommodation each night was in a tent at a camping site.  The cost was quite reasonable and for younger people sleeping in a tent in the middle of summer was fun.  I don’t think the tours were available in winter.

After living in London for three years, Hubby and I decided to return to Australia.  We’d flown to Paris and spent a weekend there helping an owner of a hotel set up his TV system so he could watch English television.  We’d seen a fair bit of Paris on that visit, and eaten Steak Tartare.  It was a great weekend.  Along with that we’d travelled most of England on a motorbike and side car.  We’d discovered the North, West and South of England.  But, other than Paris we hadn’t seen the continent.

There was a 10 week coach tour from London to Kathmandu, taking in the continent, Yugloslavia (no longer in existence) Greece, Turkey, Afghanistan, India and Nepal.  From Kathmandu we had to fly to Bangkok and then home to Sydney.  It wasn’t cheap, but not overly expensive.   We could afford it and we both thought a perfect way to get back to Australia and see the world. 

As both Hubby and I had travelled to Australia by boat through the Suez Canal we had seen quite a lot of how other nations existed, but this trip was something special.  Like the European coach tours for the under 30s, us taking that section would be quite fun.  In fact, it was. We slept in a tent which we had to erect ourselves each night.  Cooked once a week for all the people on the coach.  Managed several languages, and assisted when the coach broke down or got stuck. 

Because we drove across the countries, we saw several cities and got an insight into how those people lived.  We were subjected to the children begging for money, in the poorer countries; cheated out of money when we thought we were getting a bargain; quite often got diarrhoea from eating a poor choice of food; leant how to get on with people from all nationalities, and tried not to look too scared at some of the creatures sitting above our bed at night. 

It was a magnificent trip.  Something no one can do any more.  We drove through Afghanistan, which is out of bounds now for tourists.  We saw the first trials of Light and Sound shows on buildings such as old forts and palaces.  We watched people bathing in the Ganges while an Indian played a recorder as a python in a basket rolled and moved to the music.  We saw another way of life. 

But with that travel came a knowledge that where ever you travel people are the same.  They might have different coloured skin, hair or eyes, but their faces are the same structure.  Their bodies are the same, except for the poor souls who suffer from a disability.  And, they laugh and cry like us.  They enjoy life, and don’t ask for much, just a roof over their heads, work to buy food, and an education for their children. But above all, everyone, everywhere we went were friendly.  In Greece I can’t remember how many people presumed because we were Australian we must know their cousin living there. 

Yes, Hubby and I learned a lot from that 10-week tour.  And even now as we travel to various places on this wonderful planet, we still discover that people everywhere are the same as us.  They may speak a different language or have a different way of enjoying themselves, but they are welcoming and love it when you join in with them. 

Travel does broaden the mind.  It makes you realise that this planet is inhabited by earthlings.  Not just Greeks, Americans or Fijians.  We are here on this earth to contribute to everyone’s life.  Travel helps you learn this, and if you have never travelled to another continent or country, it probably is time you did. 

If you tell me, you can’t afford it, then I suggest you book a trip for two or three years in advance.  You can’t book that early with flights, but you can with tours, or cruises.  I can guarantee, once you put a deposit down, you will find the money and save for the trip to cover the cost.  And, as the trip gets closer you will be so excited to see something different. 

There is only one problem that could stop you enjoying yourself.  Don’t look down on the way others live.  Your way of life to them might be just as different.  Make it a tour of discovery and find out as much as you can about the new country and its inhabitants.  I feel sure, like me you will find them very friendly and fun to be with.

Julie Finch-Scally ©