“There is no world view so dangerous as the world view of those who have not viewed the world.”
Alexander von Humboldt
I have recently returned from a week in Cape Town. Even as I write this I have to pinch myself to believe it actually happened. Whereas once my husband and I travelled regularly; me for holidays; him for work and holidays, like many we had not boarded an aeroplane or left UK shores for over 2 years.
Travelling has always been a large part of who I am. I have been fortunate enough to travel to far flung places and explore both on and off the beaten track for many years. I have an enviable collection of Lonely Planets, and photographs from destinations as intrepid as Antarctica and Nepal litter my home.
When the lockdown curtain came down, travel was the last thing on my mind. It wasn’t even a consideration. All energies were directed into work, home, staying connected with family and keeping well
In the summer of 2020 when lockdown lifted and travel corridors reopened, I still did not consider leaving British shores. It didn’t feel right. 2021 arrived, and with it further lockdowns and restrictions which seemed to make travel more complicated and stressful. I watched others book summer holidays to Greece; I envied those sun drenched images on Instagram and yet still it felt too soon. Like many in the UK, holidays were taken in Devon, Cornwall and Norfolk.
And then something happened. In early autumn I became aware of some familiar rumblings deep in my solar plexus. The rumblings gathered pace. Perhaps it was just FOMO, or perhaps the prospect of a long winter and a bunch of about to expire flight vouchers. Whichever it was, the tentative ‘could we’?, ‘should we’? conversations became more animated. Then, just like that, they were replaced with a resounding YES. The overwhelming desire to escape, dormant for so long, had taken hold, and couldn’t be ignored.
In November of 2021 with the pop of a cork we pressed ‘Buy Now’ on two return flights to Cape Town. If we had glitter cannons, they would have been released. One week later, the first case of Omicron was announced by South Africa and it was then quickly discovered in multiple countries around the world including the UK. South Africa was on the red list, borders were closing and it seemed our travel plans were thwarted.
Throughout Christmas and into the new year the prospect of long lunches in the sunshine and views from Table Mountain looked unlikely. We were convinced we would not be going and were considering UK alternatives. Until that is, things changed. Overnight, red lists disappeared, travel was once more allowed and our flight was going. Despite some reservations we had no reason to cancel. It seemed we had no reason not to go. In an unexpected turnaround, we were being forced to travel.
In the week leading up to the trip, the usual excited anticipation was there, albeit a little marred by a new to me, travel related anxiety. I regularly questioned if I we were being foolish or irresponsible. Had we got the timings of our fit to fly PCR test correct? Had we completed the correct paperwork, and ultimately would we be let into the country? What should I pack,? How do I pack? How many books / masks/ pairs of shoes do I need. Not as many as I took as it happens?
Arriving at the airport was reassuringly familiar. Rows of check in desks, fraught looking family groups, the stressed lady sitting on her suitcase as it spilled its contents onto the floor. All the usual.
Less familiar was the space and the lack of people filling it. On a Friday night in London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe, we barely queued and found our way through check in, passport control and baggage check, in almost record time. Staff were friendly and seemed as pleased to see us as we were to see them.
An overnight 11 hour flight in economy is always going to be arduous. Behind a mask for the majority of it, except when eating and packed in uncomfortably close to strangers, only serves to make it more so.
My husband told me of someone he knew, who on their journey to the airport suddenly realised they hadn’t thought about what they would do with their car when they got there. Although we didn’t do this (we got the tube!), we realised there was so much about travel we had forgotten. It took some practice to get into the routine of planning trips and days out. We regularly left our Airbnb only to return two minutes later realising we had forgotten, sunglasses, sunscreen, guide book etc. Two years on home soil had turned us from hardened travellers to rookie tourists.
Thankfully we soon re-established some tried and tested travel routines. This was certainly helped by Cape Town being such a fascinating, complex and beautiful destination. It also happens to have incredible food and wine all at very western traveller friendly prices.
Travel is clearly a privilege and should not be taken for granted. It is an essential way of making sense of the world. It is only by visiting other cultures we can learn about other ways of living. It causes us to question and be curious. It gives us understanding of other people and makes us grateful for what we have. It hopefully teaches us compassion and kindness. Through travel we develop so many life skills.
How do I feel after this first foray back into foreign travel? I feel re energised and rejuvenated, and without being too dramatic, I feel I have re-found a piece of myself which had been missing for a while. Perhaps travel will never be exactly as it was before, the world has changed. But that’s alright, I have changed too. We’ve all changed. I am excited to travel again. Those longings for new places have returned, and tentative plans are already being made for the next adventure.
