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British Mensa Travel Special Interest Group |
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Magic
moments People often ask which holiday/place I have enjoyed the most and I always struggle to answer as I have enjoyed all of them for different reasons. However, there are places or events that have provided me with images that will always remain with me - my magic moments. Perhaps others have had similar experiences - when the heart lifts or when you just think ‘wow’. So, instead of my Top 10 Places I would like to share some magic moments: * Standing at the end of the Siq in Petra, Jordan and seeing the Treasury for the first time. Wanting to visit Petra was the stimulus that made me take my first holiday as a single traveller. The image was so much better than I had expected and, coupled with a sense of achievement, it was a real ‘wow’ moment. * The smile of an Indian woman in the backstreets of Varanasi (Benares), India. I have never seen such a warm, open, welcoming smile - full of joy. I can still recall it and the warm glow it gave me. * Seeing a snow leopard in Chitwan National Park in Nepal - it flicked its tail at us and then stalked off into the forest. * Entering the courtyard of the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus and seeing the gold and green mosaics on the Prayer Hall glinting in the sun. I had not expected anything so beautiful. * Seeing Mount Everest emerging from the clouds during an early morning flight from Kathmandu. I had the same feeling when I saw it again on a flight to Bhutan several years later. * Crossing Dochu La in Bhutan. Emerging from the forest and rounding a bend in the road there, in front of us, was Dochu La Chorten, hundreds of prayer flags and the whole panorama of the NE Himalayas - ‘wow’. On the way back the whole pass was shrouded in cloud and nothing was visible. * Being one of 3 people in Machu Picchu at dawn (5.00 am) in the pouring rain with cloud swirling around. The view changed every few seconds and the atmosphere was magical. * The arrival of the condors at Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon in Peru. As the condors appeared, gliding on the thermals, an awed silence spread over the watchers. * Taking part in the Sunday service on Easter Island. As the singing and music filled the building the warmth and friendliness of the islanders was almost palpable. * And, closer to home: Driving along the A142, rounding a bend in the road and seeing Ely Cathedral bathed in early morning sunlight. This never fails to lift my spirit. First published in VISA issue 68 (August 2006) |