It may seem an obvious one, but remember to dress appropriately if you’re going to, say, a temple or significant monument. Or a museum. While walking through the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh, formerly the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, Sarah and I stood horrified in front of several deformed foetuses, preserved in formaldehyde, displayed to show the devastating effects of Agent Orange. At that moment, I also realised that Sarah was wearing one of those souvenir T-shirts from a trip to America, which said “I love NY” on it. “Go to the loo and turn it inside out,” I hissed, so she did, but such t-shirts are made from flimsy cotton and the logo was still very much visible, only backwards.
If you head that way, take as many Indian train journeys as you can. They’re magnificent, if character-building. I woke on one to find a sadhu groping my feet and had to kick him away, spent another 13 hours beside a box of chickens, and another still in a sleeper carriage with a family who kindly but insistently forced me to share their gargantuan Burger King order. These remain much more memorable and epic than any Great Western jaunt to Cornwall.
Don’t phone home every day. Mobiles weren’t as ubiquitous in 2004 as they are now. Instead, we occasionally sent emails home from internet cafes. But the point of such adventures, or one of them, is to be away, properly away, making mistakes, learning from them, and getting yourself around a different environment without constant help (unless you lose your bank card).
Also, pick up books about the country you happen to be in. I vividly remember taking long bus journeys through Vietnam while tearing through The Girl in the Picture, the biography of nine-year-old Kim Phuc, who became known as “Napalm Girl” after she was photographed running from her village, naked, with her back severely burnt. I read and loved Chasing the Monsoon while heading up through India. It felt so much more meaningful to be in such places while reading about them. I don’t believe it was solely because I was 19 and impressionable.
Finally, Lady Louise, treasure it. I was away for seven months in total and I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so carefree since. Days, weeks, months spent exploring, and for most it’ll be decades until retirement and the chance to travel that way again. It was a privilege and (mostly) a joy. Just do think carefully about that tattoo.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.telegraph.co.uk ’
