Reflection on our Travels

It has been a little over two months since Kenny and I have left our comfortable homes to venture out into the world of the unknown. I have to honestly say that it hasn’t always been a smooth ride. We were faced with so many hurdles and challenges along the way. But it is through these challenges which allow us to learn more about our self and the highest limits that we can push ourselves to.

There are two big things that we have learned on our trip so far. Firstly, we have learned that HOME is always better. We really realized how good we have it in Canada. Having been in countries like India and Egypt, we know how lucky we are. The people in these countries are either really poor or filthy rich. There is no medium. The countries are just so overly populated with people that not even the government can do much for them. There is just too much people to feed and to shelter. What you see on TV or on the news about India is much different from what you actually experience in real life. It is in India, that I really felt lucky to be living in Canada. Yah Canada may be boring and cold, but it sure beats starvation and having to live on the streets. As one of my good friends told me recently, “we have one blackout in Toronto and it was chaotic, while in India, blackouts occur every hour of the day.”

The second thing that we have learned is the power of prayer and faith. (I know this may sound corny, but its true). Each time we were faced with a problem, be it the time our stuff was stolen in Barcelona, or the time we missed our flight in Rome, or the time we were in Rome waiting for our Yellow Fever Certificates to be mailed to our hotel before we departed (and let me tell you it was pretty slim, it arrived on the second last day of our departure date)…each time, Kenny and I prayed for God’s help. And each time, God came through for us. This trip has truly strengthened our faith in God. As Matthew 21:22 says: “And whatever things you ask in prayer, really believing, you will receive." Faith brings answers to prayer.

We have planted ourselves in Melbourne (our pit stop) for 4 months. It is here that I can finally take a moment to look to the past and reflect on what we have learned during our travels so far. Europe: Though it's a good introduction for first-time travellers, Western Europe was, in general, not my favourite, except for two cities (Paris and Venice). Everything was too expensive, and everywhere we went, it was crawling with too many tourists. Once you have seen one or two of the cities, the rest all seem to be the same, just different in terms of the type of museums, galleries and monuments that were visited. At the end of traveling Europe, we didn’t want to see another museum or monument. We basically didn’t want to see anything that did not move. The food was also not so great until we got to Athens. It was always sandwiches for lunch, and pasta or pizza for dinner. Meat was not always readily available until we reached Athens. Even if there was meat, it would only be a very small portion of it, and it would cost an arm and a leg. When we got to Athens, eating that first souvlaki was like heaven to us. However, water was really cheap throughout Europe. It was at most 0.25 cents (Euros) for a 2 litre bottle. So if I had to describe each of the cities briefly, it would be as follows: London: Way too expensive, Paris: Just romantic and relaxing, Barcelona: Land of thieves and ruckus, Madrid: Tappas were bad, Rome: fountains everywhere, Florence: Statue of David, Venice: City of mazes, Athens: Real food.

Egypt: Travel through this ancient region proved much easier than expected, but maybe that is because we always had a tour guide with us. Majority of the locals are welcoming and did not seem threatening, even though the men gawk and stare at the women. I was most surprised at how many people spoke good English. As a matter of fact, there were more people in Egypt that spoke better English than those in Europe. The attraction sites are just unbelievable. It was a good change from the typical European city and attractions. However, the only bad thing about Egypt was the lack of order on the streets. Each time we got in the van, I always felt like we were bound to get into a car accident. There were actual times I had to close my eyes when we were zooming past the traffic.

India: Solitude does not exist in this country. We were never alone in India. You will always have beggars, solicitors, or just an inquisitive local by your side. (You would think that they were following you all day) At night, there are the sound of honking cars, rickshaws, and bicycle rings to keep you company while your are asleep. However, it was here that made the biggest impact. It made me realize how good and spoiled we are in Canada. We have cars, infinite electricity, order on the streets and a wide variety of fresh, clean food. There isn’t a huge class gap like there is in India. We don’t need to send our kids out on the streets to beg for food and money. We have it real GOOD in Canada. I take back all those times when I complained about the things I had in TO such as food, clothes, slow internet, and having nothing to watch on TV. I am lucky enough to even have a TV and a computer to use with a roof over my head. Yet even with all of this poverty in such an over populated country, the people are still happy and smiling. I still remember this one time when we were in Delhi visiting the India Gate, there was a small pond on the side and there were a lot of children and men in it playing and laughing. Despite the water being real dirty, they were having a great time. Their wives sitting on the grass chit chatting with the other women and the children with their dads splashing in the pond. This was memorable as in spite of their poor conditions, they have learned to appreciate what they have and made the best of it. I think I have learned how to better appreciate and value what I have back home and to always try to make the best of everything that I have.