Day 20- Why?

Halfway through, its probably time to ask the big question.

Why am I taking the train to New Zealand? Don't I know that the plane takes a fortieth of the time, and is cheaper?

You might ask, "do you want to see the world?". My immediate response would be "of course". But I am a physicist. A qualitative assessment must be made to justify my answer!

I did some sums. Allowing a generous view of 5 miles on either side of the train, I could claim that I will have seen 0.1% of the land surface of the Earth by the end of this trip. This assumes that I simultaneously look out of both sides of the train at all times, and that it never gets dark. A reasonable estimate would probably be something like 0.001%. The world is a big place.

We can only conclude that it's physically unreasonable for me to suggest that I am trying to see the world. If this were my aim, it would probably be more effective to tie 80 helium balloons around my waist and try to make it into space. We'll have to replace "world" with "places I haven't seen before".

Let me nitpick even further. Who ever said they wanted to see the world, without also meaning that they want to feel it with the rest of their senses too? I was more than aware of this when I wandered the streets of Hanoi. I smelt the spices on every street, I was deafened by the cacophony of moped tooting, I tasted rice porridge for breakfast and I felt the sweat sting my eyes as I waded through the tropical heat.

So I think I have found an acceptable answer to the question of why. To sense places I haven't sensed before. Doesn't really roll off the tongue in the same way though, does it. 

There are plenty of other answers, some of which might be more important to me, such as...

To talk to people who see the world in a different way.

To see how I cope with the difficulties involved.

To be patient.

Have I ever had the luxury before, of forty days entirely to myself, with one clear goal to aim for? It is a luxury, so perhaps the best answer is because I can.

Rooftop repair work in Hanoi, Vietnam.