GO AWAY IBD

Sinopse

In early September 2023, I left the sanctity of my Brisbane home and sallied forth on a four-month adventure across Asia and Europe. I travelled, for the most part, alone, joined in a coupleáof locations by my wife. One fine afternoon, as we discussed the travelogueáI would write about the trip, I was inspired by what to use as a title.áGo Away,áwith its subtle as a sledgehammer double meaning,áseemed appropriate.The title and writing style were inspired by one of my favourite writers, Paul Theroux. The journey he undertook to write his genre-defining travelábook,áThe Great Railway Bazaar,áalso took four months.áNever writing a particularly positive account of the countries he passes through, or the people he meets, towards the end of the book Theroux becomes even more curmudgeonly. This is mainly because he is missing his wife and the comfort of home. Desperate to make it home for Christmas, he struggles with flight, ship and train cancellations caused by bad weather.I knew how he felt. Not that I wanted to be home for Christmas, but I would rather not have spent it suffering a dose of COVID in Vietnam. ThereâÇÖs no denying that four months is a long time to be away.It wasnâÇÖt all bad though. Far from it. I loved the people and sights of Romania. I learnt much about the history of Paris thanks to two days spent, in the rain, with a friend who lives there and is a passionateáand knowledgeable history teacher. Italy was a feast of pizza and wine with some historical marvels thrown in. Bangkok, as always, was mostly fun.