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“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires? - Nelson Mandela

Voyage to a wealthy land, a cyclone and a haircut

Rob Lilwall
2007-12-01 15:16:47

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an extremely pleasant place to live. People can enjoy blue skies and sandy beaches and a terrific outdoor lifestyle of sport and water. The marinas brimming with luxury yachts bear witness to the affluence of the nation too. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to enjoy such a luxurious country for a while, but I also felt rather uneasy when I first arrived. I felt uneasy because I noticed more than ever before, the sheer difference and inequality between the poorer countries through which I had been cycling for so long - and now, the rich. The immigration barriers which "us? rich countries build up are understandable ? we cannot have all the world's poorest coming to live in our country, that just would not work. But it also suddenly felt rather selfish to me - we are so wealthy ? and yet, like a kind of international apartheid, we desperately try to keep ourselves separate. As I say - I am
happy to have the choice to be able to live in such luxury - but I also cringe at the inequality which means most people have little chance of a comfortable life. The only (rather obvious) conclusions I can make is that those of us fortunate enough to be from rich countries should appreciate how much we have, whilst at the same time endeavouring to help those who do not
have.
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As I now near Sydney, I come to the realisation that I will soon be into the second half/homeward leg of this journey which began in Siberia. I am starting to wonder how I can justify another 18 months of this nomadic lifestyle. It has been a very worthwhile experience so far - with over ten thousand pounds raised for Viva Network and their amazing work with children at risk(see www.justgiving.com/cyclinghomefromsiberia), and a good "University of Life? education for me, but is it worth keeping this up for so much longer... all of us (or at least all of us from wealthy countries) live in prisons of our own making and I am not going to keep cycling just because that was my original stated aim... but, for a number of reasons... I
think I will keep riding... we shall see...!

As always, many, many thanks for all your kind emails, prayers and donations to Viva Network.

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"I MUST down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life.
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over�?
-John Masefield, Sea Fever