So much for my travel plans….

I love to travel. I know. I know. Most people say they do too, but have they ? I could go broke traveling. I almost have a few times. And although old friends and history can nurture your heart, travel will nurture your soul.

I love off-beat travel too. The more remote, the happier I am. My ex husband had a look of vengeance in his eye more than once on some of my planned trips. I didn’t even think where we were or what we were doing was that adventurous. Venezuela was the last straw for him. He told me and I quote, “There are many beautiful places in the world. We can go there, but I’m through with third world countries. No more for me. I’m done. ”  Oh well. We were a real mismatch on that one.

You won’t find me on a tour. I never have and never will like someone else telling me what to do, especially when I’m paying them. My father would even tell you that if he were still alive. He knew me. There are some people you can not tame. In spirit . I had one stint with a tour because I was going to Asia alone. The language and area were so foreign, I thought it might be best to go this route. And only because the company described themselves as adventurous did I agree. I was the youngest person there. One or two had canes. Was I pissed off !  I was ready to leave, but I didn’t think I’d find my way too easily through the rice paddies, so I didn’t.

At the last minute, a friend decided to come with me. One night, we were let loose at a large outside bazaar and were told to return in 2 hours. We got lost in the market, in the activity and ourselves. I got lost in the freedom. Well wouldn’t you know that when we found our bus an hour later than scheduled, those 25 people in their seats were so mad, they almost shook the last few grey hairs they had,  off their heads. Well, I was mad too. I was mad I had paid so much money to be put on a time schedule. Never again I vowed. I had always traveled on my own or with friends, boyfriends, my ex husband.

I have all these exotic trips in my head. Laos, Bhutan, Tibet, Java, Bali, Argentina, Africa, Mongolia. The list goes on. But now, on the last few days of news, people are blowing up our embassies, rioting in the streets and burning the American flag. They think we hate them. They think we’re against their religion. Some non-thinking person, or maybe he was thinking he could create a stir, made an anti-Muslim or anti-Islam low budget movie. He probably never thought it would spark riots. If I were him,  I’d get my butt to one of those countries that hate us fast. He might be safer there and could be a hero to them. Who knows what he was thinking or wanted the outcome to be. According to the news, there are a lot of people who hate this guy and the message that started all the anti-American riots, destruction and killing. I haven’t seen the movie or any clip from it..

So, being an American and a woman, it might be wise to stick close to home right now. I wish the people who are rioting could think past their mob rage. I wish they knew that American people, for the most part, do not think this way and whatever negative actions they see, are not accurate views or opinions of the majority of people. At least not the ones I know. We are a melting pot of various ethnic and racial backgrounds, of different colored eyes and hair and skin tones. We are different sizes and shapes and this is a country with a lot of different religions which we are lucky enough to be able to practice freely.

So, I’ll wait it out and hope there are no more riots, but am doubtful that it will hold right now. I’ll wait it out and hope no one else is killed. I’ll wait it out and hope the people rioting will eventually run out of steam and go quietly back to their life. What gets me mad is that we helped many of the people in these countries overthrow dictators and come to freedom. I guess they forgot.

One thing I’m never going to do though, is go on a cruise. Well, maybe in my 80’s, if I can’t walk.  When cruise people ask other cruise people where they’re going, I laugh. They’re not going anywhere but riding around in a big ocean. That’s why on the brochures, they call them stops. That’s what they are. They stop at the ports of these countries right in the middle of all the tourist shops where they probably get a kickback. If you call that travel, then I’m good at home. I’d rather watch a movie that’s set in an exotic land and go on an odyssey with them.  I won’t be on anyone else’s time schedule anymore and it won’t cost me a cent.

Till next we meet….

Advertisement