Today is a quiet day, so I thought it would be good to provide a quick summary of the trip so far – what you might call an overland overview.
I hit the road at 10.00 hrs this morning, full of enthusiasm. [Well, this last bit is not actually recorded in my travelogue, just a bit of creative writing here on my part, trying to develop a sense of tension, atmosphere and drama. My future as a travel writer still hangs in the balance, I might have to look to screenplays or short stories as future revenue streams/trickles/drips.] Everywhere was deserted. No people around. No traffic. Had I awoken to a post-apocalyptic world? Had I turned left into a dystopian nightmare, or a Stephen King novel? [Interesting questions that did not occur to me at the time.]
The reality was a little more mundane. Today is census day. Everyone has to stay put. I walked for about 400 yards and booked myself into a different hotel. Cheap, of course, but a lot cleaner than I had come to expect and I had a room to myself. I read for a bit (coming towards the end of Murphy and starting on Chariots of the Gods that I picked up cheaply somewhere on my travels).
I started to walk towards the beach. After about 30 minutes, I got a lift in a Jeep. The driver took me to his home where there was a large party. I was offered more food than I could eat. Everyone was very friendly. I went to the beach with a couple of the guys and then headed back to town. Another free tea in a cafe I passed. I felt tired even though it had been a relaxing day. And I noted that my knee hurt a bit. I obviously thought that was an important detail to include. Will it prove to be significant as the plot develops? You know the answer.
And tomorrow finds me in another coastal resort, now home of Europe’s largest water park and the European center for beach volleyball. Grab your beach wear and meet me there!
Psychologist on the Move 