3 long days in airplanes and on airports and some memories and feelings from the trip
It’s 20th of January 2014 … long awaited and feared day. Day which I imagined 100 times full of emotions and memories … and now!
The bags are checked-in and we have time for some sandwiches before the first flight. Everything goes smoothly and after 3 hours we can feel the hot air while getting out of plane in Buenos Aires. The next check-in is in another building so we can fully enjoy the Argentinian sun during the walk outside. Drops of sweat are flowing on my back and I know that long jogging suit is too much in this part of the country :).
The last procedure is the immigration to leave the country and they require scan of the fingerprint. Jan doesn’t like that and not very nicely (he says he was polite :D) expresses that it is a privacy violation and requires explanation of this procedure … Perfect, and now they won’t allow us through because he doesn’t want to accept some security procedure?!
We are in and on time – great! After 6 hours of waiting because the plane is 4 hours late we get to the giant airplane and definitely leave American continent.
And it’s here – memories and feelings. We wanted to bicycle around the world, find enlightenment, become better people, enjoy every moment and be happy every day…
Reality: we’ve bicycled “only” part of America (we still haven’t seen the bigger part) but discovered the best way of traveling which we like and which gives us the freedom. We don’t think we’ve became new people and don’t even know if we’ve changed. But we are sure it gave us something – maybe something hidden somewhere in background in the brain which will come up in important situation or decision.
We thought that the local people will bring wisdom and knowledge into our lives and had the romantic picture about the life of simple local and indigenous people … they’ve shown something else – honesty, modesty and hospitality to us nomads. They taught us how to behave to strangers, how to share even if they don’t have much and what is humanity and trust to others.
The knowledge about the world came to us through another travelers who saw and experienced and wanted to share it. We met people who we’ll never forget and who we’ll definitely meet again. People who fit with us and with who we spent many pleasant evenings talking. During the trip we didn’t feel home sick thanks to our parents with who we were skyping always when it was possible (it was definitely much more difficult before without internet or mobile phones). But the biggest support we were to each other – 17 months in good and … actually I cannot remember anything bad. It was a pleasure to make this trip with Jan and I believe he feels the same …
“Do you want tee, coffee or water?” end of thinking – food and drink finally!
Except my numb leg after the 12 hours in the plane everything else is OK. Just before landing we discover that the head support on the seat can be folded to prevent the head falling to the side in sleep – like ours whole night! :D
Madrid – Europe! We are almost at home … but because of “small” mistake we bought the tickets for wrong day and we have 36 hours more to work on our webpage. We find a perfect spot and watch until an old lady (who is for 3rd time changing color of her nails) will leave it. Because of the jet lag we don’t want to sleep and I dictate the articles to Jan till the morning.
People around us are still sleeping on the floor around us when we finally get tired and lay down. “It’s 6am, you cannot lie, please sit” – these words of the security guards sound like a bad joke of today. We sit like zombies and are looking forward every minute more and more to get home.
Finally in the last plane – hungry but not wanting to eat more crackers and because Wizz doesn’t give anything for free, we stay hungry.
The wheels are touching the airstrip and we haven’t been this close to our homes in last year and half. Like last ones we take our luggage and guess what will wait out there – just Jan’s parents or also mine? Have they prepared anything?
We are approaching the exit and know that when we’ll see our parents, it will be he final acknowledgment of the end. The gate opens and I’m scanning the hall from left to right, Jan is already laughing … Yes, impossible to miss that reception committee with big banner “Welcome” – Jan’s parents and brother and my parents. Big smiles and hugs. Bread and salt, bottle, many photos, some tears of happiness and looks of people around, what are these guys doing after returning from Madrid :D.
Our family don’t disappoint us and they’ve brought schnitzel and pickles (I’ve dreamed of them – telepathy). We talk for another half an hour and then almost through Kosice we are returning home (as always, we get lost in Hungary).
After 1 year, 6 months and 27 days … I’m home in bed alone (Jan went to his hometown because of some administrative duties). I still don’t get it all and don’t know if I should be happy or cry.
This is the final end of one big life dream and at the same time a BEGIN of something else and new – what and how it will be?
We believe that it’ll be perfect – exactly how we’ll do it :)