I have a strange feeling writing this epilogue.
one hand, one could call the "epilogue from a distance" because more than 15 days since we left that area in the world. But at this early stage in Chile have been traveling with more people (and I will tell you), and there has been no opportunity to sit a few hours ahead (essential to calmly wait for inspiration to come, or otherwise appear to "spit" the blog entry that I take it off of him ... and the last thing I want, or write it as I like or do not). And, although it seems increcible have been 15 days so intense that our 2 months in Oceania now seem a distant dream, a trip we made a long time =: -0
On the other hand, this epilogue is also special in that not many notes I have accumulated over 2 months just for this final reflection, while in the two previous epilogue had accumulated so much material had to do selection. Trying to find a reason, I can think of two different one for each type of country we've visited in Oceania: Australia and New Zealand are so Western, so similar to Spain in many aspects, and also so well known to us, that we have not many situations encountered exotic, original, culturally as special and encourages me to write them down. And in Fiji and French Polynesia have been tan inmersos en el ritmo isleño, tan relajados, tan ocupados em vivir la esencia de estos destinos de desconexion... que el blog quedaba no en segundo plano (eso siempre), sino en decimo segundo.
Pero vamos alla, hagamos un breve resumen de estos dos meses en los que hemos intercalado (cual chicha del bocata) dos paises preciosos aunque occidentales, entre otros dos exoticos y paradisiacos (que han hecho las veces del pan mas exquisito :-) Y se me ocurre una forma distinta de resumir nuestros dias por estos destinos, respondiendo a la pregunta siguiente: ¿viviriamos aqui?
En Australia y Nueva Zelanda, sin dudarlo. Tienen una mezcla perfecta de paises desarrollados (lease comodos y seguros) junto with nature in abundance. The character of the people also fits us, like to enjoy life, are open and expressive, loving sports and spending time outdoors. The climate of New Zealand, particularly the South Island, it may be too strict for our "chilly" ... but we would be willing to try. And indeed, in Australia as we did last year (we were almost half of the year in Melbourne), although in this case I offer the rigors of the project that I worked, in general I loved the experience and enjoyed a lot all the breaks we did.
But that was the simple answer, now comes the most complejilla: Would you live in Fiji or in Polynesia French? If you remember, this was one of the jokes at the beginning of the trip: that as we stayed on the road, such as renting deckchairs on a beach in Tahiti. However, as so often happens with dreams, that would be difficult to bring to reality. Without going any further because, as we learned after going through there, Tahiti and its islands are a beach destination well (there is very little natural beach and artificial large hotels are dwarfs), so that no excessive demand :-) hire loungers No, joking aside, these islands are a wonderful destination for a vacation and, once again, we found that not only are so luxurious. Before leaving, I remember reading a blog from other English travelers a tremendous critical to French Polynesia, which they considered exorbitant and unjustifiably expensive, and their supposed natural beauty had disappointed them. After passing through there, as well as for Fiji, I get the idea they could have that feeling, if someone lands on the islands of the Pacific (in any, so I have understood) with a BUDGET wearing em like Asia or South America (the most typical previous stops on the routes around the world), will barely make ends meet. Sleeping and eating only take so much money that you can do to stay limited to less attractive areas in the islands less attractive, and not being able to do or an activity that lets you really enjoy these sites. But if your economic expectations are more realistic, and you have some luck with the weather (logically, if it rains non-stop to the invention is crappy), I can not imagine why anyone would not enjoy these islands. Being more specific, and if it helps anyone considering the trip, we stayed in Fiji about 50 euros per person per day, while in French Polynesia rose to about 75 euros per person and day, nothing exorbitant, you will agree, As you will remember having read and seen in the photos we have not cut in touring various islands or to sign up for activities. In summary, it can do for less than what you spend vacationing in Europe (flight not included).
But to live there ... that's another thing. Except for 2 or 3 islands French Polynesia, the rest are too small and / or quiet (for the main island of Fiji, where 200,000 people live but all "apelotonaditos" in the capital) for our activity threshold minimum. While here should differ. Eva says she would look if not living a very long season in one of the larger islands, while in my case that would be significantly shorter season: - / Maybe with time you get used to, and may even be "reprogrammed" to avoid being so fidgety or may not need such a wide variety of activities, we've actually seen a hyperactive handful of people that live happily in these parts, now that I think. So perhaps until we test we will leave no doubts. Discarded 10 years ago to move to Gran Canaria, where Eva had offered him a scholarship to the Oceanographic Institute, although part of the reason was that it was only for one year and not much chance of extension. On the other hand, have always said that we would love to live a time in Mallorca, but I see it differently or Canary islands we visited in the South Pacific: Although size may not be much more, gives us the sensation that has a lot more "real life", not exclusively focused on tourism. And what real life is of little tourism? Nothing at all, obviously we feel like just maybe something monotonous ... like so many other occupations, on the other. So, after all this dissertation, it is obvious that our doubts are unfounded, the result of ignorance about that other life, so if there would have equal opportunity to try. And we may be surprised!
However, although we felt like starting is far less easy to stay and live in Fiji or French Polynesia. They are not newly discovered paradise, obviously, so there is much competition for the few jobs that can be aimed at foreigners. And among the local unemployment rate is high. In French Polynesia, in addition, there is much more French culture than we imagined (out of ignorance, of course), nothing against the French because, besides which there usually come by be of different stuff and not the typical Parisian arrogant ... but minus one for an exotic touch to what would live in Polynesia. Because addition, the topic of Polynesian beauty must go back to the days before fast food because it costs today to find it: - /, are what Eva and I call "traditional proportions" (which we read in a book about Botswana to describe the shapes of the African big women, big hips and ass equivalent
:-) [By the way, however, the topic of the beauty of people is VERY true in Brazil, where I finish writing this chronicle]
Finally, after all these countries realize that I've done almost no mention to eat (and drink). And the reason is that we have come across little exotic enough to share in the blog. This is not to say, much less, that we have not enjoyed the food (and drink, I insist :-)
After 7 months of traveling through countries where drinking tap water is prohibited, and fruits and vegetables you should only if you can eat them unpeeled, in this sense has been a pleasure to return to "civilization" in this part of the world. We've put a warm salad and fruit, which otherwise has been good to offset the excess heating of the Western diet ... especially in Australia, which has recently overtaken the U.S. as "the fattest countries in the world" They were so ashamed that was the subject of conversation on several occasions. The first time I heard, while in Fiji, we were surprised, but after the 10 days we spent in nearby Brisbane and fit us more, because the density is impressive shopping temptations of junk food and varied.
traveler's reflections
With nearly 10-month sabbatical at our backs, now if I fully share what someone told me long ago, even before this trip Ecuador: Eva and I are passing a test scrotumtightening coexistence. After the summer holidays, that espoca the year after that excessive friction causes the highest percentage of divorces in the "developed" societies, another friend acknowledged me with a wonderful sincerity that tensions after several days of 24 hours with his family had made him think of us, and how would take him after so many months of "Pin and Pon." He promised to write something about it, so here goes.
To begin, I must say that one of the biggest surprises pre-trip was the amount of people who, to tell our life long dream finally materialize this year, we asked whether we were not going to finish a cake. Our surprise the first times I heard (as with friends who coined the terminology "Pin and Pon") arose for two reasons: first, our vision was exactly the opposite, and just enjoy each other uninterrupted for 366 days was one of the biggest attractions of the trip. But even more than shocked us, recognizing our surprise at the question, the answer was sincere in his case would end a fixed cakes =: -0
After 10 months of travel, understand those questions now :-)
This year of intense living was different to what I thought it would go ahead. But I think (I hope) we've learned a lot about how to evolve our interaction. As once again adapt to the changes our character suffers over the years. How to avoid the superficial and irrelevant to the substance, and we continue to enjoy the company of each other a few years more ... until next sabbatical, which we will have another 366 days to return to strengthen our relationship, if necessary :-)
What was different on this trip? Above all, as already contained some time, the essence of a trip of this kind. When you organize in time your 3 or 4 weeks of vacation you take 80% of the logistics settled and only way is for 20% of the remaining details and possible contingencies. Even the few decisions to take on the go turn on some critical aspects, such as deciding where to stick his gastronomic tribute tonight. When the percentages are reversed, decide on a daily, if you link a string of "high-sync" everything goes smoothly, but when not so the constant argument about which option is best to wear. Over the months, we have learned are to take these "debates" more sports ... finally, after all, if you "lose" one does not have to wait long for the opportunity of revenge
recently ;-) I also understood another reason for me, could say, initial naivete (drawbacks of being a romantic). We traveled several days in Bolivia and Emma Scott, a Scottish couple in their early twenties, at 6-month journey across South America. I looked and could not rewind yourself to avoid nearly 20 years ago, the summers of our first Interrail through Europe. His age and the early stage of their relationship, to the trip itself was much less important than the fact of enjoying together, sharing so many days and nights, so many experiences that couple also lived radically different because you saw them through another's eyes. Apart from that they were very Majete, it was nice to see them thrive. Because it's like Eve and I have always gone (not only the world but if you press me, for life).
I can not say that we were able to maintain that mood (ZP dixit) throughout the year, as we thought at first it would be. But we recovered from some turbulence a few months, when the initial energy ceded slightly and shook on his face every day with something other than we had imagined. And since then, with ups and downs as Naturally, our level of enjoyment in the universal scale of Pin and Pon has been a crescendo. Today we are faced with the illusion of seeing more mature, more baggage, we subtracted 66 days of travel ... and all who come after
:-) 
0 comments:
Post a Comment