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:: World Cruise: From Nightmare To A Dream
September 10, 2000
World Cruise: From Nightmare To A Dream
United States
I did it. I turned my dream of world travel into a reality - with a lot of help from my friends.
In April, I began a four-month dream cruise around the world that quickly morphed into a nightmare. On May 23, the M/V Riviera - the cruise ship scheduled to take me and 200 other passengers around the world - was stopped in Tahiti because the organization operating the vessel, World Cruise Co., had run out of money.
I was lucky - I had booked the tour through Grand Circle Travel, a reputable agency that refunded all of my money. I didn't know it at the time, but the premature end of the cruise was the best thing that could have happened to me. I disembarked a ship unfit for its intended voyage, and I missed countries that wound up in communal turmoil just at the time I would have arrived.
Then, after island-hopping in French Polynesia, with my refund and the help of a responsive, creative and compassionate U.S. travel agent, continued my journey, starting anew and alone in New Zealand.
With an open air ticket, faxed itineraries and visa instructions in hand, I continued to Australia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East and Europe, fueled by logistical assistance from my close friend and home coordinator and by supportive e-mail missives from friends, family and strangers through my sojourn on ctnow.com.
I saw ports that I've dreamed of since childhood, and I visited remote parts of the globe that had more to offer than I'd imagined. Most of all, I learned I am capable of traveling the world alone.
Have I drawn from this experience any profound conclusions about the planet we call home? The human condition? Our global future?
Nope.
Maybe, in time. Maybe, not at all. But for now, here's a look back.
Costa del Sol, Spain: One of the friendliest places on earth.
Madeira, Portugal: More glam and international than I had anticipated.
St. Lucia, West Indies: Still as lush and green as the first time I saw it in 1992.
El Valle, Panama: The best tostones (fried plantain) I've ever eaten. Guayacil, Ecuador: A poverty-stricken coastal city.
Cuzco, Peru: This quaint yet cosmopolitan sky-high city deserves more than two days.
Easter Island, Chile: One of the best education travel experiences I've ever had.
Pitcairn Island, United Kingdom: A natural fortress revealing a legendary history.
The Society Islands, French Polynesia: Beautiful. Relaxing. Inspirational.
The North and South Island, New Zealand: Two tiny surprises in the South Pacific.
Sydney and Cairns, Australia: The Great Barrier Reef is aptly named.
Bali, Indonesia: Two words: Rice and terraces.
Java, Indonesia: Egypt has the pyramids, India has the Taj Mahal and Java has Borobudur.
Northern Thailand: Magnificent hill tribe adventures.
Vietnam: Culturally textured. Genuinely accessible. Topographically remarkable.
Eastern and Southern China: It's been said that "the 19th century belonged to Britain, the 20th century belonged to the United States and the 21st century belongs to China." Brush up on your Mandarin.
Israel: A religious history buff's dream.
Jordan: Three reasons to go - Petra, Petra and Petra.
Italy: Eat everything!
Ireland: A fun-loving culture rife with wit and good nature.
As I check a world map, I see that despite five consecutive months of travel, I've barely made a dent. "No worries," as they say in Australia. I'm just warming up.
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