“Travels to a Different Time” : 1971 Travel Reflections:

• European communism has been a failure: East Germany is in shambles and has fallen so low and barbaric that it has built the Berlin Wall to imprison its citizens. Yugoslavia may have fared better but there is widespread poverty, a poor infrastructure and a shortage of food and consumer goods. Political freedom of expression does not exist in communist countries.
• There is no real difference between citizens of a communist countries and Canadians. Both want peace, food on the table and freedom. It is the politicians that divide people.
• Travelling widens the mind and gets you out of a mental ghetto.
• Travel makes your life a series of compromises especially if you have a restricted budget that makes you live close to the ordinary citizens.
• Travel brings you closer to the people in the country you are visiting.
• For children and teens travel is an essential way towards understanding history, economics and politics.
• Travelling causes you making sacrifices. Forget your daily routine you may have had. You have to be flexible. How important is that big Canadian breakfast. You can do without bacon and eggs and that glass of milk.
• Travelling may change how people think about you back home. How can they relate to being surrounded by soldiers with machine guns with dogs? You may be wiser and more mature and view those who have not traveled and are ignorant.
• You may start to understand what it is like to live in a democratic country and appreciate what democracy means.
• You will appreciate different foods and ways of life.
• The more you travel the more you want to travel.

Photo: Fotini Stephen : Guincho Beach Portugal