.... of travelling

" The Travellar" or rather " The Modern Travellar " in Oviedo, Spain.

Yours Sincerely ( Y S ) is always amazed by the history of great explorers who left the familiarity, security and comfort of their homes, mansions, castles, palaces and country to venture out into the unknown " terra incognito." Y S means the brave and heroic individuals who charted new courses and made history , certainly not those were sponsored by the Kings and Queens or the State, or closer to home, those who tag along as paying tourists on tax payers' monies . These exceptional individuals, Marco Polo among them, left their familiar horizon and coast lines , without any Travel Insurance, and not knowing whether they would return or not, or return in one piece !

Where do these steps lead to? Some are not curious at all.

Travelling is for those with the sojourning spirit. To some venturing out of the confines of the four walls is rather intimidating and daunting, not to mention the change of routines and rituals. Life to them must as predictable as the sun will rise tomorrow. The usual comments :-

"Oh... I can't sleep on unfamiliar bed."
" Uuooo... .., I can't stand the air-conditioner."
" Eeeee .....I need by Dutch pillow."
" Waaaa..... I can't move my bowels on strange toilet."
" Eeeee .... I'm not use to ( Fill in by yourself any country) food."
" Uuuooo....I have no one to feed the dogs and cats !"
" Eeeee...... it is dangerous.... got suicide bombers or not... "
" Uuuooo...... I'll miss my Korean series on TV."
" Oh...I have irritable bowels."
" Errr. do they serve " sambal belacan" there? ........... and the list continues.

Y S cooks up a travel-phobia terminology "The Caveman Syndrome." Way back during the Stone Age, the caveman lived in a cave with his "cavewife" and perhaps "cavekids." He only went out to hunt in the space he had carved out which was within "dawn to dusk " traveling distance, what we say " day trip" today . He must not go too far or intrude into another caveman's domain . To provide for the family he ventured out when the sun had risen and darkness faded away. He could then see clearly and this arrested all his fear.

Mr caveman must come back to the cave at dusk or before sunset, not because Mrs "cavewife" would get upset, suspicious or dejected, and not because he had no karaokes, clubs or pubs to drop in to socialise with the boys. He feared attacks by wild marauding animals or evil spirits lurking in odd shaped stone, boulders, branches, and twigs. Mr "Caveman" has to go home and sleep in his cage day in and day out, venturing far from the cave is out of the question. This was his daily routine.

So, Travel-Phobis " Caveman Syndrone" is the reluctance to travel and to see the sun rises and sets on other continents. This reluctance rests on unfounded fears, urban tales, unreasonable wishes ( like getting "sambal belacan" in New York or eating "Bak Kut Teh" in Bahrin or Cairo. ) , self imposed commitments ( "I have to save for old age, in case I need surgery.) and a host of what could be thought of. It is morbid to think that some save up for a life time just waiting to pay the doctor.

Live before life expires.

Some only start to live after being diagnosed with a serious illness. Then, they want to eat this and that. They go on this and that diet. They start their exercise programme. They look for this and that lost siblings. They want to travel here and there. They fight hard to regain the lost time and opportunities, and to live as much as possible on the borrowed time.

All mortals come with a battery each like the clocks on our walls. But, unlike the battery in the clock, ours is IRREPLACEABLE.

Seize the day. Decide to be happy. Live to the hilt.