My Hell of a Valentine's Day Vacation
Point of View: That's what makes a vacation for me. When my Airbnb host in Cape Town asked what drove me to travel, I couldn't explain it. I mean, one of my favorite parts of Moulin Rouge's Féerie is when they start singing "I love Paris every moment," but that doesn't mean I don't still ask, "Why oh why do I love Paris?" It's a certain "je ne sais quoi" (Hint: And it's not the Parisians).
While I'm thankful to finally say that I am here in South Africa, writing from a desk looking out onto a beautiful view of inland Cape Town, it hasn't always been that way. A little over 12 hours ago, I was freezing to death in Istanbul. Stuck in that godforsaken place (okay, Hagia Sophia was a sight to see), the Broadway Musical Leap of Faith described it best: "Out of money, out of options, in a broken down bus right where the road to perdition hits the highway to nowhere."
Rewind. Pan, zoom, and slow-mo... Wait, stop right there. That starry-eyed and sleep-deprived kid on the Paris RER B train line is me. For €1.45, I had boarded the Métro at Trocadero on my way to CDG airport, and two Havabuses from Sabiha Gokcen to Ataturk airport for 27 ₺ (approximately €7). Breaking my traveler's cherry, I was going to visit three foreign continents in less than 24 hours.
Having only been outside of the United States for exchange trips in France, traversing Istanbul from East to West before touching down in South Africa sounded like one of those adventure novels; y'know, Poirot, or Tintin, or some kinda big shot. I had even brought my chargers and adapters, so that practically made me Anthony Bourdain in my book.
Scene from Goodfellas (1990). Image Credit: Giphy
There I was, about half-way into my 24 hour trek, and just 12 hours from paradise before it all went wrong. You see, crossing two continents when nobody speaks your language(s) wasn't my problem... No, airport security was, and not at all in the way you'd think. Being the genius that I am, I had put my wallet in my interior chest pocket, believing that it would be most secure there. However, I didn't account for it falling out at the security check-in, because when I got to my gate to buy some food, it was gone. Speaking of food, I think my spirit food is Smucker's... because I still feel like a real schmuck after this.
I had been so worried about pickpockets that I didn't even account for my own stupidity (of which there was plenty). Over this 10-minute period, I retraced my steps twice and only managed to make things worse for myself by going back to where the problem began. The miniature hyperventilating probably didn't help, but I thought that I had to do something. Security told me to go to information, who told me to go to the police, who told me to go to information, etc.
Finally, the vicious cycle ended by finding a security officer who helped me finally get a moment to talk with the police officer at the desk ("You take a right to the food court, a right at the food court, and then another right behind the food court..." It's that easy!) Reassuring me that it was not his problem, he nevertheless reassured me that it was my fault and confided in me that he "won't do anything about it." I'm not placing any accusations or blame on them, it's just that they oughta take a little lesson from Otis, y'know...
"Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding. Image Credit: Pinterest/OtisRedding1 Dozing off to the in-flight showing of Life of Pi made me realize just how petty I was making this vacation. Sure, I didn't have a tiger named Richard Parker, but I did have just about everything else. The worst part wasn't losing my wallet, it was that I had spent so much time worrying that I had forgotten the reason why I was there in the first place. I was headed to Cape Town, South Africa. Drawn in by the lure of Africa's natural beauty and European colonial grandeur, the trip sounded like an adventurer's dream come true. I was staying on the beach, a 15-minute stroll from Victoria & Andrew waterfront. I had access to two oceans, one of the New7Wonders of the World, and a lifetime's worth of possibilities, and here I was worried because I lost a couple cards I could cancel in a heartbeat and some knick-knacks I kept in there for safe-keeping. Sure I boarded my flight to Cape Town empty-handed, but it's like Roper said in Australia (2008): "All that can be taken away. And in the end, the only thing you really own, is uh-- is your story. Just tryin' to live a good one."
Scene from The Hangover (2009). Image Credit: Giphy
Now I know "Why do I love Paris," and just like the song says, it's "because my love is near." Having been in Paris for the last month, I guess I had been so focused on being a tourist that I didn't realize that I had made it my own home away from home. It wasn't until I was dreading Istanbul that I realized just how much I missed Paris, and as much as I adore Cape Town, it made me realize just how much I had left behind.
While it took all of this adventuring to truly see why I love to travel before the bulk of the trip actually began, I guess I'm finally starting to truly appreciate all that there is to offer. I hope that this has provided some food for thought though... I don't exactly have the means to buy any other kind right now. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I'm going to go take Judy Andrews up on her offer to "Climb Ev'ry Mountain."
