Saturday, November 17, 2007

Escape Plan.

These photos were taken in Malawi, one of the strangest and most beautiful countries I've ever been to. The vast interior space of Africa- which I have barely edged against- has long intrigued and drawn me.

If you've visited this blog before, you may have noticed that I have trouble staying still for too long. It's a nasty habit, but when life gets frustrating, or I feel dissatisfied, or like I'm becoming too predictable, I tend to start researching travel routes across Africa. I call it my escape plan: to travel across Africa with my camera, visiting beautiful destinations like Ethiopia and Uganda, through desert and plains and jungles, and venturing to off-the-track destinations like Angola and the Central African Republic. It hasn't happened yet. The closest I've come to doing it was in 2005, when at the last minute I decided to travel around the Middle East instead. More recently, Bordeaux and I thought of flying up to Ethiopia and traveling back down to South Africa together, but in the end decided to move to Asia instead. At the very least, it's nice to have something like that to dream about, to hope for.

Do you have an escape plan?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, I have two escape plans. One is to travel non stop, always finding new people and new customs to explore. You sound like you are living my dream.

The second is to find a tree in South India and sit there for years.

Prêt à Voyager said...

I love the idea of the "Escape Plan." I've always used my travels as something to look forward to and get me through the monotony that can be life/work...My latest escape plan is to get on a reality tv show with my dad where they send you on crazy adventures around the world. Normally not my style, but what can I say? Anything for travel!!!

Denise Kiggan said...

Yes Africa does have a certain pull. Living here has its cons and its pros!!! In many ways it feels like the original garden of Eden!

Lara Dunston said...

Gosh, Xander, I fear my life is one big escape plan. Don't you think? I so love this post of yours. I'm going to have to quote you when I start to reflect on travel as escape... hope you don't mind? I'm dying to go to Ethiopia also.

Heather Moore said...

I don't have an escape plan. I don't even manage to get away for the weekend! But, as an elderly friend of mine puts it - I have a low pleasure threshold, so I don't often feel the need to escape. It's both good and bad, because although I feel happy staying at home, when I do eventually escape by chance, I enjoy it so very, very much (so I should do it more!)