Читать книгу Travel Adventures 1950 - 2018 - Herbert Herzmann - Страница 8

Prologue

Dear Reader,

Apparently you like to travel. If not, then you would not be reading this book. But what do you expect from a trip? Are you seeking the security of the familiar enriched by sunshine and a deep blue sea, or are you looking for adventures? If you belong to the latter category and not take adventure to mean playing with death this is probably the right book for you. Opening up to new experiences may not be entirely risk-free but it enriches life and creates precious memories. If, on the other hand, you prefer lying on a sunny beach and have no desire to explore the country where you are holidaying, I hope that reading this will encourage you to be a little more daring. Maybe you are worried that you will not be able to communicate in a foreign language or that you may be robbed or get into other difficulties. Travelling under your own steam is not as dangerous as you may think. You do not have to risk life and limb by riding on your bicycle through Africa or snowboarding from a Himalayan peak in order to have an adventure.

I always loved travelling. By this I do not only mean visiting faraway places but also trips near home. A short break in an alpine resort or by the sea can be as rewarding and exciting as a tour of the Amazonas. A car journey without a clear destination, a week on a bicycle in your own country, a few days hiking in the mountains can be adventurous and satisfying.

Nowadays we are used to flying everywhere. This is fine when one has little time, but arriving in a few hours at the destination deprives one of experiencing the journey toward it. I have always preferred to travel slowly: by train and by bus, by car, by hitchhiking, on bicycle and on foot. A worthwhile journey should not be rushed. The way is as important as the destination. Without reaching it, the traveller is still left with the memories of attempting to get there and back.

For this book I have selected the episodes of the journeys I remember best. These include holiday trips, travels I undertook in connection with my work as well as hikes and climbs in the mountains. We are not talking here about great and dangerous expeditions into the unknown, but about the kind of journeys anybody can take who wants more than sun sand and sea.

Bon voyage!