Saturday 10 May 2014

Why we travel

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I was so saddened to be told last night that there are now budget flights from England to Georgia.

I want Georgia to remain my secret country, like something out of a children's story, my secret garden. It's like learning there are now budget flights to Narnia.

I suppose this remark may indicate my intrinsic immaturity, but if so so be it.

After someone, I think it was Gertrude Bell made her way, with difficulty to Samarkand she was surprised to find that as she left they were organising charabanc trips there though I do not recall from where. Now Tibet is ruined by tourist tat and I wonder whether Xanadu is tourist-free. If so then it is some dreary Communist town in China.

The past is the undiscovered country and ones unconscious mind. It is ones unconscious that one is really exploring when one goes abroad. This is the attraction of all travel, a form of spirituality.

1 comment:

  1. This reminds me of the way I thought after communism collapsed. I thought people would be rushing to study Romanian now that it was free and in the news. No such thing. I tend to think the Ibiza/Tenerife crowd won't be tripping over themselves to get to Tiblisi

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