Trivial Tracks

i would say that this is the hardest and most emotional, reckless, thrilling trip i've ever done. without detailed plan or particular preparation, i just bought flight tickets on the day before the departure day and then booked a hotel for the first night.. it's not so special when i travel alone as usual, but not this time. accompanied by parents and an aunt and i was responsible for everything as translator, planner, guide, caretaker, besides the remaining days were running out. i devoted myself and my whole time to make the trips memorable for them. that's the only my goal. thanks to my strong iron will, helpful people who never gave up helping us even if we couldn't understand our languages, and also miracles.
everytime hurdle appears before us, i made the impossible come true. that's what the journey taught me how. Belief in myself, never give up.

some of special things that happened during the trip are,
a small stone fell down from top of a famous cathedral church into my head and now it became my lucky stone. even i looked for other stones on the floor but i cound't find any, which means it was pretty rare.
i managed to rent a car for one day to go around small towns of spain, but the schedule was ridiculously reckless, so i drove like bullet, even though spanish highway has speed limit not like german. followed only my instinct without navigation system nor detail map, the instinct was always correct and never got lost.. so i was able to return the car just in time to catch the important train and kissed the lucky stone. also thanks to perfection of Mercedes at high speed:)
pocket pickers targeted us 3 times and they all failed. carefree japanese tourist is perfect honeypot for them, so they attacked us literally every day in barcelona and i kicked them out every time.. they were lack of moral and also practice.. it seemed like as if pocket picking is legal business in barcelona, nobody cares about it.

after all, this trip became the most memorable one we've ever done. the true journey is not always happy, easy or perfect, sometimes you'll want to cry and get angry at something you hate. this is almost how our life goes on. you can't be happy without going through unhappiness. i continue the journey as long as i live. remember, we're all travellers since we're given birth.

am i getting closer to the truth?:)

photo album part 1
photo album part 2
photo album part 3

このポルトガル・スペインへの旅が今までで一番辛くて、感情的で、無謀で、ワクワクしたといえるだろう。プランや準備なしにとりあえず飛行機チケットを前日に買って、初日のホテルの予約だけして出発。自分ひとりの時には特別なことではないけれど、今回の場合は自分のほか両親と叔母の付き添い。そして役目としてガイドや通訳、旅行プランナー、世話役まで一人でこなさなくてはならない。それに彼らの滞在残り日数はなくなっていく。 とにかく旅が思い出になるようにだけ願って最大限の努力を惜しまなかった。
この集中力と、言葉が通じなくても親身に助けてくれた人たち、そして奇跡のおかげで度重なる困難が現れようとも不可能を可能にした。 それは今回の旅が教えてくれたこと。 「信じて諦めるな」

特筆する出来事をあげると、

教会の屋根から一つの小さい石が自分の頭にめがけて落ちてきた。その石は今では僕の幸運の印として大切にされている。

やっとのことで借りられたレンタカーでスペインの小さな村を訪ねることとなったが、予定が無謀だったため、発射された弾丸のように車を走らせる。カーナビや詳細な地図もなしに自分の直感だけを頼りにしたが、その直感が常に正しかったため迷うことなくようやく時間ぴったりに大切な電車に間に合い、そして幸運の石に感謝。もちろんベンツ車の驚異的な高速安定性にも感謝:p

スリに３度遭い、３度とも撃退。注意不足のスキだらけ日本人観光者はスリにとっての打ち出の小槌。ということでバルセロナでは毎日スリに襲撃され、そして毎回たたき出す。良心と練習不足の連中。あまりに誰も無関心なのでスリはバルセロナでは合法なビジネスかと錯覚。

結果として今回の旅は一番記憶に残るものとなった。 本当の旅とはいつも楽しくて、楽で、完璧と決まっているわけではなく、時には泣きたいときや激怒することもある。これは人生についてもいえること。 不幸を切り抜けることなくして幸せは味わえない。ぼくは生きている限り旅を続ける。生まれたときからすべての人は旅人なのだ。

真実に近づいてるかな？:)

Author yasu : April 11, 2007 1:50 AM