THE UGLY SIDE OF TRAVEL

Tavelling does not always go to plan. It’s 5 pm on a minibus on the side of one of the world’s most dangerous roads in Peru. The bus is steadily filling with mosquitoes and the passengers are becoming more and more frustrated. By now we were supposed to be exploring the city of Cusco. Instead, we are rationing the last packet of crisps between us and trying to prevent our legs from cramping up.

Travelling can be an incredible and life-changing experience, but there is also an ugly side in which lots of things go wrong. This side is rarely shown in the social media feeds of friends and famous travel influencers, which can trick us into thinking that it doesn’t exist. This only serves to make things even more stressful and isolating when things do go wrong - as they inevitably will.

“It is how you deal with this ugly side of travel that can de ne your overall experience, and determine whether you come away satis ed or with regrets.”

Back to the minibus. The day before, my friend and I had an incredible time exploring Macchu Pichu in Peru. However, that evening, we received a notification that, due to worker’s strikes, our train the next day was cancelled, as were the trains for the following three days. Macchu Pichu town is only accessible by train. Our flight home was in two days. We were stranded.

The ugly side of travel had reared its head, and we struggled with the stress of trying to decide what to do next. Luckily, we found a tour company that drove minibuses to Cusco from the next town over. It meant a 3-hour hike along the railway line to said town with a suitcase, but we were grateful for an out. What followed was a very uncomfortable 7-hour drive through terrifying roads whilst being eaten alive by mosquitoes and not having any mobile data. Nonetheless, we arrived in one piece in Cusco and were able to catch our flight the next day.

The stress of things not going to plan - be it a missed flight, an overrated restaurant or dodgy accomdoation - can be extremely difficult to dealwith. But the lessons you can learn from your mistakes and overcoming such stress are invaluable. Understanding that you have the capacity within yourself to deal with disruptions helps you to become more confident both in travelling and in life. To draw upon one of the most clichéd clichés out there, what doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger. After having to navigate my way out of the Peruvian jungle, the prospect of calling the dentist to book an appointment seems much less daunting. One of the worst days of my time in Peru is in fact the day I am most proud of.

“The ability to adapt when things don’t go to plan is also invaluable in travel and in life.”

When travelling, adapting can lead you to experiences you never would have had and people you never would have met. The ability to adapt is also necessary in a world that changes so fast, and can help you grow alongside, rather than in spite of, the changing circumstances in modern daily life.

It is also important to maintain perspective and gratitude when dealing with things going wrong when travelling, as difficult as that can be. In Peru, the reason why my trains had been cancelled was due to a worker’s strike. These workers faced terrible working conditions and a cost of living crisis and were struggling for daily survival. The inconvenience I felt is incomparable with their struggle. It helped to remember that when the stress of the situation began to feel overwhelming. It reminded me of the sheer privilege I possessed to be travelling and experiencing an amazing country, and the privilege to then also have the resources to leave it and leave behind the struggles felt within.

The ugly side of travel can’t be denied. It will inevitably be felt. I felt it as I hiked with aching muscles, battling sweat and bugs through the jungle in Peru towards a minibus whose existence I could not guarantee. The bottom line, however, is that it is okay for things to go wrong, both in travel and in life - in fact, we should expect it. What matters is how we react to things going wrong, and whether we treat them as punishments or as lessons. We shouldn’t lament a change of plans because they can be a lesson to learn from and, for all we know, could lead to an even better path.

WORDS BY ELLICIA METCALFE

TRAVEL.

Editor: Finnuala Brett

Deputy Editor: Grace Burton

Digital Editor: Isobel Edmonson

Subeditor: Eve Baird

The Croft / Adam Liu