Category: Wanderlust

First Day Blues

Well I did it, got out of bed before midday even though it felt like the middle of the night, put on my work face and made it to the office on time. Granted my day wasn’t terribly productive thanks to all the emails I had to read through and two catch-up meetings I attended, but it felt good to know I was missed and my return to work is valued.

So why do I now feel so flat?

The feeling started when I pulled down my holiday itinerary from the office wall, was reinforced after being asked about my personal highlight of the seven week holiday (seriously?), and set in with vengeance after my second cup of coffee.

The amazing holiday we planned and saved for and counted down the days to is really over, so apart from reading through my journal and blog, and revisiting the amazing places and faces in my mind there is nothing else on the horizon for me apart from work, friends and family for the rest of the year.

Don’t get me wrong, I like working and love spending time with my family and friends but that doesn’t stop me scrutinising every cruise email and travel website and fantasizing about a life where I get to work while I travel.

To paraphrase a Slim Dusty song my husband plays, ‘looking forward, looking back, I’ve come a long way down the track, got a long way left to go … making sense of what I’ve seen …’

Leaning forward to see what’s coming, the anticipation and excitement of venturing into the unknown, for me that’s a happy high that’s hard to beat.

A very pleasant detour

When planning how to spend our time in the UK after the end of the cruise, our only definite was the need to be at Gatwick airport by Sunday. Hiring a car to move ourselves and our luggage around seemed logical, and allowing time to stop and admire the scenery my personal priority.

Little did we know that a random conversation with a couple at the next table one night on the cruise would result in a memorable night on the Isle of Wight?

Ian Sherfield, retired magistrate, his wife Angela and adult son Edward joined our circle of friends on board Arcadia and insisted we accept their invitation to travel to and explore their home.

Home for the Sherfields is Buckbury Farm, a ten acre property in Newport on the Isle of Wight they share with their three adult children, five dogs and two cats. A pleasant ferry ride from Southampton, the Isle of Wight is famous for hosting one of Jimi Hendricks most memorable outdoor performances and for our party of four a very pleasant detour.

After a ploughmans lunch Ian took us on an insiders tour of the sights including Fort Victoria, named after the Queen and the Cowes Royal Yacht Squadron where all the major sailing events are based. Unfortunately our viewing of the scenery was hindered by the mist rolling in from the sea, but our host more than compensated with his commentary.

Back to Buckbury Farm for afternoon tea before we headed to the accommodation recommended by our hosts, The Waverley Inn. Quaint and Cosy but definitely not quiet thanks to it being karaoke night in the bar below our rooms, we were happy to head out for dinner to The Wight Mouse with our hosts an hour after checking in.

After a delicious dinner and placing second in the pub quiz, we returned to Buckbury Farm for coffee and cake before Ian took us back to our accommodation to settle in for the night.

Breakfast in the front bar then back to the Red Funnel for the return ferry to the mainland, where our tentative plan is to be in Bath by the end of the day.
How that pans out remains to be seen, but as they say it’s the journey not the destination that counts.

Cruising the Suez April 13 2015

After the amazing day in Petra I assumed that every subsequent stop on our journey would pale in comparison, but I am happy to report that cruising through the Suez Canal was another unique and memorable experience.

It was an early start for many on board, based on notification from the Captain of Arcadia of our arrival at the entrance to the Suez Canal at 6 am. Other vessels waiting for permission to transit included general cargo, container, car and oil carriers and cruise ships.

It was close to 11am by the time the pilot was on board and we were on our way, third in a convoy led by a U.S. submarine and a destroyer, with a Russian helicopter circuiting above us all, the whole convoy receiving waves and cheers from the locals as we passed by.

Monuments and sights along the way included war and peace memorials, armed soldiers standing guard on both sides, and the uniquely named Shodada 25 January Bridge. Aida, a German cruise ship travelling behind us was dwarfed when passing underneath but it looked like a tight squeeze for Arcadia.

Arcadia travelled from the Gulf of Suez, Red Sea, to the Mediterranean, a transit which took just over ten hours at a steady 8 knots. For the majority of this time the seating areas inside were largely vacant in preference for all available external vantage points.

At best a cruise can only offer a small taste of life in other lands, necessitating a return visit by air in order to see and do more.

Cruising the Suez, however, is a uniquely maritime experience I feel blessed to have enjoyed.

Chasing the sun

Back at sea for three days after an amazing day in Petra, Jordan. Absolutely awesome and humbling experience to walk the path of a modern world wonder, The Lost City. Truly indescribable and highly recommended to anyone considering the journey.

The biggest surprise was the bitterly cold wind we encountered, and also the circus of activity inside the Lost City. Horses, camels, donkeys, locals and horse drawn carriages competed for space amongst the thousands of tourists traipsing through the well worn path.
Thankfully I was prepared with a woollen hat, gloves and a scarf but the English tourists wearing shorts and thongs would have surely regretted their outfit choices.

Apparently UK residents only receive two weeks annual leave, if true this explains their on board obsession with chasing the sun. Today for example it is very windy but the sun is shining so the sun chasers are steadfastly sunbathing despite the chill factor in the air.
Another lesson learnt for me who shuns the sun as much as I can…

Tomorrow we cruise through the Suez Canal, unfortunately not stopping in Egypt but still likely to be another incredible experience. I wonder how many of the UK vacationers will leave their deck chairs to witness it?

Another point of view

Arcadia is at sea today, the first of four sea days before our next stop, Aquaba. A time for rest and relaxation, along with personal reflection about our experience at our recent destinations.

After three days in the UAE we spent Easter Monday in Muscat, the capital and largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and encountered a unique blend of Asian, African and Arabic cultures.

Fahed, our shy and gentle young tour guide, led us on a journey of discovery of the heritage of Muscat with stops ranging from the Muttrah Souk (Marketplace), the oldest in Oman,
Al Alam (Flag) Palace, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and the Royal Opera House, the first and only in the Arabian Gulf opened in 2012.

The rocky, mountainous landscape presented a stark contrast to what we encountered in the UAE, with the dry 35 degree heat reminiscent of what we left behind.

Fahed, wearing a traditional white dishdashah (dress) with a kunmah (cap), patiently provided us with extensive information about his homeland and was happy to answer every question thrown at him.

Bordered by UAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Oman is a Muslim state with Islamic customs strictly observed, but thanks to our ability to receive answers to our questions about Islam I can honestly say I have left with a vastly different point of view from that portrayed in the media.

Just as it was in UAE, Oman is proud of what has been achieved from the wealth generated by it’s natural resources, and tourists are warmly welcomed to it’s shores.

Highly recommended is a visit to the Bait Al Zubair (House of Al Zubair) museum inside a traditional Omani townhouse which provides a unique insight into Omani culture.

Walking amidst the locals inside the Muttrah Souk, inhaling the scent of spices and frankincense also provides an authentic shopping experience.

Who am I to judge or worse still condemn Islamic customs when we have been so warmly welcomed?

Shukran (Thank you) Fahed; Ma’salama (Goodbye) Oman.

The Gateway of India

‘If the heat doesn’t get to you, the traffic will’ we were informed by our tour guide, Arun, on our Mumbai Highlights tour this afternoon.

Honestly the day was a pleasant surprise, the heat was dry and the traffic was noisy but not chaotic and I would be happy to return for more of India beyond Mumbai.

It was the little things that made it so attractive, the unexpected row of Art Deco homes along Marine Drive, the children wishing us a good afternoon as we walked by, the way the traffic flowed despite the wide variety of vehicles competing for space, and being made to feel so welcome.

Just don’t mention the World Cup …

Go, because you want to.

It’s funny how sometimes the people you meet on your journey seem to cross your path for a reason, which is exactly how it felt this morning on our flight to Singapore. Hubby in the aisle, me in the middle, and seated by the window what looked to me like a teenage girl.

It wasn’t long before I’d introduced myself and we started the obligatory small talk about where we were from and going to. Turns out my seat companion, Sanio from Taiwan, has been travelling aound Australia on a working holiday visa for the past year, working in bars to save enough funds for her next plan, hiking Camino de Santiago in Spain. As often seems to be the case with tourists to Australia she has seen and been to more places over the past year than I have in my life here; Ayers Rock, Broome, the Bibbulmum track etc

During her time in Australia Sanio has been recording the names, birth year and dream job of the people she has met on a paper aeroplane which represents her dream job to be a pilot. I recorded mine as travel writer. Her thanks to all who contribute to her momento, a handmade friendship bracelet I will proudly wear as long as I can.

Sanio will be celebrating her 25th birthday the day we embark on the Arcadia cruise, this Wednesday March 25.
From what I can see she is well on her way to being the pilot of her own journey.

Sanyo from Taiwan

Last Goodbye

So sweet to find a little note from my daughter on my phone this morning, a wonderful keepsake to take with me and remember why I am going away and also what I’m leaving behind.

So proud that my wandering spirit has been inherited by my daughter who has already been to Europe, New Zealand and Japan and is planning and saving for her next adventure.

From little things big things grow; thankyou so much sweetie, I won’t have ALL the fun but I’ll have fun trying x