Journey's end (sorta)

[fragment]

Well, I'm back in London, after over four months of backpacking round various Mediterranean countries. I popped in to FF a fair bit while travelling, but I mostly lurked because I just wasn't on often enough to make getting into any discussions worthwhile.

My net access is still a little sporadic, and likely to stay that way until after I fly back to New Zealand in November, but I expect to be around and posting a bit more from now on.

Nice to see y'all again, and looking forward to getting to know the new folk.

[Leesifer]

:wb: fragment. :pounceglomp:

[fragment]

:leeshug:

[Crumb]

:ciao: fragment. Good to see you around!

[livius drusus]

Yay! fragment's back where tha intarweb is plentiful. :bundance:

So what grade do you give your trip overall? Was it as much of a blast as it seemed to be from your posts and blog entries? Are you glad to be off the backpack or do you miss your peripatetic ways?

[pescifish]

Welcome back!

[fragment]

Hi Crumb! Hi liv!

Grade? Hard to say. It's been like nothing else I've ever done really, mostly because on previous trips to foreign lands I was with my gf of the time. For sections of this trip I did travel other people, but the overall thing has been my mission and mine alone. Kinda liberating and daunting. I went to some pretty cool places and did some amazing things with some fantastic people, but had moments of exhaustion and emotional collapse as well. And periods of tedium and confusion. Sometimes travelling is as much about exploring yourself as foreign parts. I think the only way I could put a 1 to 10 score on it would be to go tangential to the scale with something like 7 + 4i

I'm kinda glad to be putting down the backpack for a bit. I think 3 months is the ideal length of time for me, by the end of this trip I was flagging in enthusiasm somewhat. Nonetheless, I'm missing it as well. The freedom and spontaneity, the excitement of arriving in new places, the ease of striking up new friendships with people of different cultures - I love these aspects of travelling, I just can't keep it up forever.

Beats me how guys like Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, and Magellan managed travelling for years in pretty primitive conditions to places they knew very little about. If I was wearing a hat, I'd take it off to them.

edit: Hi :fishie: !

[Watser?]

Sounded like you were visiting some very interesting places Fragment. I have been travelling 3 months twice myself and it is a maximum for me too, though I missed it when I got back it was a relief to be back as well.

Anyway, good to see you more.

[JoeP]

wb fragment! I'm raising an imaginary glass of beer to toast your good health. And in anticipation of lots more pics

The moments of exhaustion and collapse are all part of the traveller's package. I find you forget them after a while and are only left with good memories!

[fragment]

Thanks, Watser & JoeP.

It might take a while to sort through all the pics, but here's a taster:

[livius drusus]

Ooh! Cappadocia balloon!

Sideshow Bob: Cecil, no civilization in history has ever considered Chief Hydrological Engineer a 'calling'."
{Cecil glares at Bob}
Sideshow Bob: "Yes, yes, the Cappadocians, fine."

[pescifish]

For sections of this trip I did travel other people, but the overall thing has been my mission and mine alone. Kinda liberating and daunting.This was one of the things I noticed and really admired about your trip. Some of our other :ff:ers have also done this and I find it inspiring! Sometimes travelling is as much about exploring yourself as foreign parts.Well said. I think the only way I could put a 1 to 10 score on it would be to go tangential to the scale with something like 7 + 4iVery fitting: it's a complex thing to assign a number to! Does that mean there were real parts and imaginary parts? :wink:

[fragment]

Of course.

[Beth]

Welcome back, fragment!

The picture is simply stunning. To the right of the balloon, is that a fortress carved into rock, or is it a natural formation?

[fragment]

Thanks, Beth!

That one's a natural formation, you can tell because there's no windows. It's a weird area, because there are houses, churches, fortresses, etc carved into those kinds of natural formations, making for a truly surreal environment. I run out of adjectives every time I try to talk or write about it.

[slimshady2357]

I think the only way I could put a 1 to 10 score on it would be to go tangential to the scale with something like 7 + 4i

The length of that vector is approximately 8.062.....

Nice.

[fragment]

Yep, that sounds about right!

[viscousmemories]

Welcome back, fragment! :)

[fragment]

Thanks, vm!