“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”…Eleanor Roosevelt

Travellers’ Tales Festival – Saturday brought in the crowds with women outnumbering men almost 4 to 1. It really didn’t surprise me as we women love to be constantly inspired. Hence our dedicated magazines and self help books.

Explorer Benedict Allen opened up with a rousing and harrowing tale of his 300 mile trek through the Amazon…with practically nothing. I could feel the crowd’s breath collectively catch as he talked about how his then-perceived Samaritans robbed him blind and left him to die in the jungle.

National Geographic nature photographer Frans Lanting followed up with some breathtaking photographs that showed the relationship between various elements of nature; from the mundane to the awe-inspiring. We were also treated to a sleek preview of his multimedia orchestral performance of Frans Lanting’s LIFE: A Journey Through Time.

Foreign correspondent Fergal Keane took us on a moving journey from his childhood to the midst of darkness and despair around the world and back out of it in a poignant talk. From witnessing Rwanda and South Africa to other war-torn regions, I found it surprising at first, then totally heartwarming when he said he’ll never go back to war-torn countries again. That he was done covering that aspect after seeing so much. That it was okay for a war correspondent to feel that way.

That it finally made them human…

Travellers’ Tales – So You Want to Explore, Heh?

Sat in on a very unstructured panel discussion with TV host and explorer Simon Reeve, Hilary Bradt of Bradt Guides, and Arctic photographer Martin Hartley. Hilary was fantastic as moderator trying to find and bring some rhythm to the set, but in the end, I wasn’t sure what I took home besides a link to this offbeat website, Polo’s Bastards Adventure Travel.

The day would bring a series of lectures and presentations from various last frontier projects, unknown tribal languages learnt, Arctic tundra traversed, live volcano craters climbed into, frozen ice shimmied across…you get the drift. I truly wondered if the crowd overflowing with middle-aged women wouldn’t mind trekking for weeks barefoot through treacherous jungle floors.

But there was one speaker I didn’t want to miss…

Finally got to listen to legendary writer of “place”, 83-year old Jan Morris. There’s something about Jan that fully sucks you in, leaving you waiting on her very next breath, and I believe the word is “captivating.”

Witty without feeling forced. Direct without seeming crass. Honest and fully transparent. I can’t wait to delve into more of her writing.

I do admire explorers on many levels. That inherent inquisitive need to uncover what’s around the corner and the courage to face it whatever it may be.

However, my (very rare) cynicism bubbles up to the surface on occasion. This brotherhood and (to a lesser degree) sisterhood of explorers who reach and reach and reach get me thinking. While no doubt commendable, sometimes, I truly wonder if there weren’t some other driving force beneath it all, a force besides “testing the human spirit.”

That same country-counting force that says, “I’ve been there!” but on a larger scale.

I never did stay for Sunday’s lectures at Travellers’ Tales even though I paid. I’m sure they were exciting; filled with more daring tales of adventure, exploration, wanderlust, and staying one step ahead of the everyday man travel-wise.

Weeks of travel had finally caught up with me and at that moment, my wanderlust flew me stand-by to Stockholm; right home to my eager husband.