"Are you alone?" I've been asked this question a lot recently. My confirmation usually elicits a combination of awe and pity. The truth is that there are lots of solo travelers here; my situation is not that unusual. However, I suspect I get questioned more often because people tend to assume I'm much younger than I actually am. No, I'm not on my gap year... No, I'm not a student...
Being on my own is not so bad. In fact, I'm starting to enjoy it. (Of course, I'm still very excited to get some company next week!) You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and change your mind on a whim. It's easy to talk to people, and it gives me a sense of accomplishment. The day is filled with little triumphs. Very little triumphs, like successfully ordering dinner or locating a particular temple. It's just me, my map, and my horrible sense of direction. If at first I don't succeed (and I usually don't), I try try again. Nine times out of ten, I wind up where I want to be.
On my way home from a river cruise yesterday, I asked the driver to drop me off at a Chinatown market instead of my hotel. He stopped the van in the middle of the road, hurried me out, pointed toward the sky and said "5 minute." Thanks. When I eventually found the market, I wished I hadn't. It was hot crowded chaos. I had to turn my body sideways to allow a car to pass. Sometimes I just stood still because there was nowhere to move. I wanted to get out of there.
Naturally, the one time I want a tuk-tuk is the one time I'm not hounded by tuk-tuk drivers. I slowly made my way to a quiet corner and pulled out a map. A lost-looking British guy in his 60s soon approached me and asked, "Where do you reckon we are?" I laughed and said, "I have no idea." We studied the map together, found our respective ways and wished each other luck. Two ships passing in the stormy seas of Chinatown...
Being on my own is not so bad. In fact, I'm starting to enjoy it. (Of course, I'm still very excited to get some company next week!) You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and change your mind on a whim. It's easy to talk to people, and it gives me a sense of accomplishment. The day is filled with little triumphs. Very little triumphs, like successfully ordering dinner or locating a particular temple. It's just me, my map, and my horrible sense of direction. If at first I don't succeed (and I usually don't), I try try again. Nine times out of ten, I wind up where I want to be.
On my way home from a river cruise yesterday, I asked the driver to drop me off at a Chinatown market instead of my hotel. He stopped the van in the middle of the road, hurried me out, pointed toward the sky and said "5 minute." Thanks. When I eventually found the market, I wished I hadn't. It was hot crowded chaos. I had to turn my body sideways to allow a car to pass. Sometimes I just stood still because there was nowhere to move. I wanted to get out of there.
Naturally, the one time I want a tuk-tuk is the one time I'm not hounded by tuk-tuk drivers. I slowly made my way to a quiet corner and pulled out a map. A lost-looking British guy in his 60s soon approached me and asked, "Where do you reckon we are?" I laughed and said, "I have no idea." We studied the map together, found our respective ways and wished each other luck. Two ships passing in the stormy seas of Chinatown...
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