Comments on: Bittersweet Quiet.

By: AI

AI — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:56:22 +0000

You are a wonderful writer. I am nostalgic for Egypt and I haven’t even visited that part of the world. Keep writing. Thanks very much.

By: jessiev

jessiev — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:32:01 +0000

such fantastic photos you have shared with us! the hardest part of coming home is, indeed, re-acclimating to real life. and, taking your experiences, and figuring out who you are now. it’s a challenge – one that we’re lucky to have!

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:12:41 +0000

@Greg: Absolutely – I think it’s impossible to really explain the size of the thing in your life to people who ask on your return. It feels, though, as if it was a piece of life well spent whenever such a (relatively) short time stretches to accommodate so much. It reminds me how much I am actually capable of doing and learning.

@Francois: Thanks! I hope that what I can put into words and the occasional picture had some of the same magical effect as the journey itself. Except for the lorry ride – I wouldn’t wish that on anyone :)

@Lesley: You absolutely must go. So much will change in your head in the course of traveling. I’d love to meet up some time. Though I’ll bein Grahamstown from Saturday for a bit, I should be up in Johannesburg in Feb and will definitely pester you to meet up.

@Eileen: Thanks! When the man at South African immigration said “welcome home, countryman”, I just wanted to leap onto the counter and hug him. Unfortunately, they frown upon such behaviour in airports these days. I actually had some interesting good karma in the people who emailed, finding this blog from yours – and got you a present in Egypt to say thanks. But there is a blog post to be done on it first before it goes into the post :)

@Rob: Those pyramids really are as big a deal as they make them out to be. Like full-size mountains.

@Karin: I think life in Grahamstown and surrounds will be an interesting change from what I was doing in my day to day before leaving to go to Cairo. In a way, it’s a nice way to continue exploring – putting off the feeling of ‘returning’ in a way. I promise to keep up trying to get up to (and write about) interesting adventures along the way.

@Karen: You must absolutely go in 2011. It will absolutely stretch your world in so many different ways. And (touch wood), is actually nothing as dangerous as it is hyped up to be. With some decent planning and a sense of humour, you will have an experience you will remember for the rest of your life. I hope you will share stories from your own journey when you go!

By: Karen Naidoo

Karen Naidoo — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:50:23 +0000

Hey Richard,

Thank you for a great blog … Cape to Cairo is a dream of mine and through your blog I have vicariously lived my dream – I will be doing the trip in 2011. Your blog will be a great guide in my planning. Congratulations and welcome home …

By: Karin

Karin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:44:48 +0000

What an incredible trip! I’m looking forward to the writing to come…

By: AdventureRob

AdventureRob — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:42:13 +0000

All good things come to an end eventually, Love the pyramid photo.

By: eileen

eileen — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:29:19 +0000

Welcome home. Wherever that may be.

And the journey is still on. Just the physical part is over. Can’t wait to hear the rest.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:37:49 +0000

Well done Richard! It’s been fantastic reading your blog posts! I will not rest until I have had this experience too.

Would love for you to share your story at New Ideas for Africa. Let’s have a meet up once you’ve re-integrated into society. As if that’s possible!

By: Francois van Dyk

Francois van Dyk — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:09:17 +0000

Thank you! I was lucky enough to stumble accross your site just as you started your jouney and have followed your progress with great interest! Very enlightening!

By: Greg Wesson

Greg Wesson — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:11:35 +0000

Thanks for sharing the journey with us. I understand completely what you have said about it feeling “like Narnia, only real.” I felt the same way when I visited Tanzania. It was only just 16 days, but it feels like a lifetime of experience wrapped up in that small amount of time. The world I returned to was eerily similar. All that had just happened in my world was completely and totally ignored in the larger world. How could those 18 days that meant so much to me have past so unremarkably to everyone else? I’ve always struggled to explain the feeling to others. “Like Narnia” is an excellent description for that feeling!