Blog – Wednesday June 1st 2011
Location: On a ferry across the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Colonia, Uruguay.
Its June 1st! Where does the time go? Today marks 17 months since I left Ireland. That’s 485 days. Seven countries and 29,000 miles later I find myself on a ferry between Argentina & Uruguay on a quest to see country number 8.
The only things I know about Uruguay is it was the destination for the first world cup in 1930 which was won by the hosts as was the 1934 world cup. Diego Forlan the infamous Man Utd disaster singing is also from there. If you are regular reader of my blogs you will know that I don’t do much research on the countries I visit. This is not laziness or due to a lack of interest, quite the opposite in fact, I do it very very deliberately. Countries are to be experienced first-hand not just read about in books with recommendations of the same regurgitated nonsense of where to visit, what to see, where to eat etc etc. Yes I don’t deny that they have their uses for some but when Columbus set off to discover the new world in 1492 he didn’t have the benefit of the internet or the Lonely Planet Guide now did he?, he instead travelled in complete naivety and ignorant bliss and thus his experiences and that of other worldly explorers were completely genuine and more truthful than many of todays “tourists”. I don’t for one second compare myself to Columbus, de Gama or Magellan but I do share their desire to experience things with their own eyes and thus I will form my own opinions on this world we live in through my own experience of its sights, people, and cultures.
As for that word “tourist” I wouldn’t class myself as one either. After 17 months of traveling this is currently a lifestyle choice and thus I would consider myself more of a “Nomad” than a tourist. Tourists stay for the weekend and buy souvenirs, I'm more likely to buy the local newspaper and apply for a job! Tourists only need two things in order to travel - vacation time and a visa card. Nomads need tree – Balls, Naivety and Patients. Balls to “up sticks” and leave a life you have been comfortable in behind and decide to travel in the first place. Naivety to experience the world for what it is, to try new things without fear and to take on everything and anything – because if you were to stop to think logically about what you were doing you probably wouldn’t do half the things you did! And lastly patients for what we discover in the world, whether it is something as simple as a bad mannered check in assistant at the airport or that person that that just won’t stop snoring in the hostel dorm to more emotionally charged experiences like seeing starving children begging in city streets or slums, religious or political persecution – patients is a virtue for all.
Right now however patients is not required at all as I look out the ferry window across the vast body of water that is the Rio de la Plata and enjoy the effect its calmness is reciprocating in me. Indeed if only this cup of coffee I’m drinking had been a lot cheaper that the $6 it cost me I would have nothing in the world to complain about this morning what so ever!
I have curiously always enjoyed taking boat trips, as a kid the best part of going to England to visit relatives was always the ferry crossing from Roslare to Pembrooke or Fishguard. Today’s sailing is almost similar in duration and the ferry I’m on is practically identical to the Steana lynx complete with duty free shop, bar and of course other passengers! Sitting at the table across from me are a couple I have been chatting to from Houston Texas. They are here on weeks’ vacation, its very obvious that he has no interest whatsoever in this day trip they are taking to Uruguay but she cant shut up about it and proceeds to tell me every minute detail of what has to been seen in Colonis del Secramento (the place we are sailing to) - see as above who needs the lonely planet?! More interesting though are the couple sitting behind me, she is certainly Australian but his accent I can’t quite place. My guess is that today’s excursion is a date and one of the early ones in their relationship also judging by the nonsense conversation they are having, seriously sweetheart he doesn’t want to know about your first trip to the dentist when you were 5, and you sideshow bob lookalike should really shut up about all the places you have been surfing! I can tell that this chick is into him (it’s a given that he is into her or he wouldn’t be on the date in the first place!) but if he keeps going the way he is he will have talked himself out of any chance with her by lunchtime…. Us men we really don’t know when to stop talking do we??
As for me I’m slowly learning when to stop writing and so that’s enough rambling for today…. Just enough time for another $6 cup of coffee before the boat docks in Uruguay………Until tomorrow