Adventure Magazine April 2020

WORLD
EXPEDITIONS
When reality gets too much, dreams help us to survive
By Natalie Tambolash
Who would have thought that we
would be sitting here today in a world
that changed overnight. Where today,
is an incredibly different today from
yesterday, and where tomorrow still
brings with it many unknowns. Some of
us relish in the adventure, grab it with
both hands, excited for the changes,
adapting to the new reality and ready to
explore. Some of us struggle to adapt,
living with the fear of the unknown,
anxious, uncertain, wondering what
next. No matter where you sit right now
on this current new adventure we are
all in….take a moment. Breathe in. Sit
back and dream for a moment of where
you might want to go to next.
It seems that as kids, we were
better at dreaming than what we are
now. We would go into our own world,
where we would think about who we
would marry, what kind of house we
would live in, would we have a cat or a
dog, what we would do when we grew
up, what kind of cake we would have
for our birthday, and well, what exotic
destinations we would travel to. For
some of us, it was a rocket to the moon.
For others, it was camping during the
holidays along the river. No matter how
big or small, we dreamed and for that
moment, we escaped our reality. The
game of life was ours and we could
make it whatever we wanted.
As I sit and think about where to
next, I think about the amazing trips
of the past. That cycle trip down the
Danube on a beautiful Spring day in
Europe. Blue skies, and bitter ice-cold
days with pelting rain. Cycling along
one of the most well-known rivers in
Europe. Peering over stone walls into
village gardens, trying not to be nosey,
but interested in what lay over that
stone wall. Stopping for coffee and
pastries at one of the many bakeries
and patisseries along the way or my
favourite, discovering the amazing
flavour of poppyseed ice-cream which
for a lover of poppyseed was heaven.
Also discovering a new favourite soup,
Baerlauchcremesuppe, (Wild Garlic
Soup), all of the flavour, none of the
pungency. Peering through stained
glass windows of old churches and
reading the headstones in the historic
and gothic looking graveyards trying
to work out their stories. And well, who
could forget Vienna!
Then there were those trips to
Africa. A real eye opener and honestly,
never really on my bucket list. From the
best of the best on offer in South Africa
including seeing the slum life of Soweto,
delving into the history of humankind,
sampling delectable South African
wines and local produce in Franschoek,
experiencing 5* game lodges and
drives in Kruger, the native fauna of
Grootbosch and much more. To 4WD
game drives in the forests of Tanzania
and the well know Ngorongoro Crater
with wildlife everywhere you could
possibly see. Of course, one of the
main dreams come reality was climbing
Kilimanjaro. Taking each step on that
final night, in the pitch, black darkness,
with not much left in the tank. Crying.
Thinking what on earth are we doing.
Eating gummy bears. But you haven’t
seen sunrise, until you are standing on
the roof of Africa, seeing it raise its head
over the continent. Bringing with it the
warmth and the utter joy that you need.
Perhaps the adventure is in the
mystery of the land and its people such
as my trip along the Silk Road. Stories
vaguely that I could recall from history
lessons past, but nothing much known
about the people or the landscape of
these lands. I learnt that trekking in
the Fann Mountains is by far one of
the most scenic in the world. Stunning
vistas. Crystal clear blue lakes. Amazing
mountain surrounds from atop the high
passes and incredibly friendly locals
who pull up to your tent and you’re not
entirely sure if they are out to rob you,
or chat. Chat it was in our combined
Russian, Tajik and Croatian dialects.
The people are incredibly friendly.
Melons, cucumbers and tomatoes are
a staple. But you will never have a
peach as tasty as you will in Uzbekistan,
nor see such intricate buildings and
architecture.
Some of us might want the rough
and rugged. The untouched landscapes
that are shaped by ice, wind and
geology on a journey to the Arctic Circle.
Where the weather is unpredictable and
the wildlife even more so. The scenery
changes on a daily basis. The journey
onboard a small ship has a planned
day to day schedule, yet the plan gets
thrown out the window depending on
what the day brings. Where you think
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