Verve. May 2019. Issue 155.

Page 70

‘We travel not to escape life,

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but for life not to escape us’. I read this quote the other day and it struck a chord with me. We can get so absorbed in our daily routine and busy lives that we can forget there is a world out there full of diversity and ready for us to explore. One of the most amazing things that comes home to me when I visit other countries, is the ingenuity of the human spirit. Whether it be in the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam; Soweto, South Africa; or Vancouver, Canada, us humans get on with life in many different ways. We adapt to our particular circumstances, whether rich or poor, employed or unemployed, child or adult. We can learn so much from experiences gained travelling and visiting the wider world. Our minds are broadened, our perspectives are lengthened, and we return to our communities richer from the experiences and able to adapt better to the changing circumstances of our own lives. Over the past five years since we took over running Travel Encounters and Charlies Golf Tours, my wife and I have been privileged to travel around the world, hosting tours for Kiwis wanting to expand their horizons by seeing the world, one country at a time. The combination of being a tourist experiencing the diversity of culture, food, language and life of some amazing countries has proved to be an irresistible mix. We must have something right, as 80 percent of our clients come back time and time again.

The majority of people travelling with us are over 50— children have grown up and left the nest, and life feels more manageable and under control. This means that the opportunities for ‘life not to escape us’ becomes more realistic. We have found our fellow Kiwi travellers to be inquisitive, interested, engaging and friendly to all they meet; really wanting to experience a country and spend time with the peoples they are visiting. Whether it is learning to barter at a local market, riding with the Gauchos in Argentina, fishing in the Zambesi with local fishermen, visiting historical sites that previously had just been a name in a book, dancing a tango in Buenos Aires, supporting the All Blacks on tour, or visiting the home of golf, there really is something for everyone. One trip that particularly impressed us last year was our Dunes, Delta and Falls tour in Southern Africa. The big five on safari, four countries, three Cessna flights over deserts and deltas—this was a special tour with plenty to 'wow' about! We gathered in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, a desert country, famous for its diamonds, before setting out for Etosha National Park. An early start the next morning was rewarded by sightings of three lions sitting in the savannah. The rest of the day was filled with great sightings of elephant, giraffe, springbok and a myriad of wild- and birdlife. Back at the lodge we compared and shared photos and created some everlasting memories.

TRAVE L E N CO UN TE RS.CO.N Z


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