An Epic Journey Towards MV Narrative
Guest Post by Joyce Ericson
I woke to the grinding sound of metal on metal hunched on the filthy floor of the third-class train headed for Kashmir. My head had rested on my backpack all night and now everything ached and I was disgustingly dirty. The train was so packed with humanity that I was unable to spread out in the elevated luggage rack where I usually slept, high above the hordes. The stench was putrid from too many people overcrowding the space. Even for me, this was beyond basic discomfort.
As I began to focus, I saw a Caucasian man, also in his 20s, observing me from a nearby seat.
“Where did you come from?” I asked. “You weren’t on the train last night.”
“I was actually. I slept under one of the seats,” he answered. “Not such a good idea, someone spilled hot tea which drained through the seat slats and I was wet the whole night.
“By the way,” he added, “I am renting a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar. I’m herding young tourists, but they expect a certain level of comfort. Would you like to stay with us as a guest? We have room and I assume you have a limited budget.”
“Yes!” I beamed, “And thank you! I’d love it.”
The houseboats of Dal Lake still float today and have become popular tourist accommodations
Built as summer homes for British colonials, lounging on Dal Lake houseboats was heaven-like, especially in the 1960s when I was hitchhiking around the world, solo, for two years.
Swinging between adventure and luxury was not uncommon for me. As I traveled, I lived with roommates in New Zealand, hung out with notable elites in Japan, and skied daily in Garmisch, Germany, and the Austrian Alps.
The Khyber Pass traverses through the White Mountains of Pakistan
I also hitchhiked through Khyber Pass to Kabul, was attacked by passersby in Kandahar, slept in train stations in India, rode on anything moving through Saigon, Laos and Cambodia during the Vietnam War, and sang Moon River on the Mekong. In Bangkok, I stayed in an abandoned beauty parlor with other hitchhikers. By contrast, I also ate dinner in the best restaurants, thanks to my business traveler friends from Tokyo and their expense accounts. One of them even ordered us prime rib and vintage wine “to go”.
From luxury to adventure and back again. My budget in Asia was 50 cents a day and my mantra was:
“There’s no adventure without adversity.”
That might be off-putting for most people, but for me, it represented opportunities to meet local residents and have experiences that most tourists could never imagine.
The impossibly picturesque English countryside region of The Cotswolds
Traveling has informed my life. I no longer hang out in the youth hostels of my past, but I will always opt for independent travel over tours. I like both ritzy restaurants and street food. When my rental car breaks down in some foreign land I know an adventure awaits! I love river rafts, kayaks, and multi-day self-guided walks to just about anywhere. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was a combination of heaven and hell. The Cotswolds and Cinque Terre were heaven.
Italy's Cinque Terre coastline is one of the world’s most scenic walks
I retired to a waterfront condo in México, my current combination of luxury and adventure. I have been here 16 years.
So… what’s next?
Storylines! The MV Narrative!
Why?
New experiences and a lovely home at sea await me.
- Total luxury aboard the ship, total adventure ashore!
- No washing dishes, cleaning the house, doing laundry.
- Fresh oysters with champagne, a doctor at my beck and call, a healthy lifestyle.
- Days in most ports, enough for mini adventures.
- Everything I own is right there, traveling with me.
I will seek out volunteering, I will meet new friends from varying worlds, I will walk from village to village, I will hop on a bus… or rent a car that looks like it might break down.
And then back to the MV Narrative for aqua aerobics, yoga, a massage, a cuddle with my puppy, and more oysters? Or mussels in wine sauce? Or just reading a book on my balcony.
