The Joy Of Traveling Re-found
Four inspiring travelers share with us their dreams, their thoughts and talk about the antidote to the psychological pressure we went through during the health crisis: Traveling.
lnfo:
Alexandros Tsoutis
(www.tripinpictures.com) is a creatiνe director in a large adνertising company, but mainly he is characterized as a passionate traνeler and loνer of photography.
His photographs haνe also been featured and published by National Geographic.
Alexandros Tsoutis
The pandemic that still afflicts humanity is a world-historical eνent that causes incalculable consequences, restricting our freedom, work activity and, of course, human contacts. The fear of losing people that we love, or even our own lives, lingers in our minds. The future of free movement and travel is still uncertain, but some destinations have flexible rules regarding tourism, either due to few cases and successful epidenmic control, or -on the contrary- to indifference to the health crisis. For some of us, travel is a vital necessity, although I consider this to be a more common human characteristic. Everyone needs to travel, some less and some more, for a variety of reasons, from a vacation getaway to a cultural experience and exploration.
Iceland
In this period of constraints, instability but also health risk I managed to make some trips that I have long been dreaming of. Specifically, in August 2020 I made a tour to the enchanting Iceland and then to some other Central European countries. lceland, despite its small size, has an amazing natural wealth, a variety of geological wonders and a unique combination of elements of nature that demonstrate its power. Also. due to its small population and the Covid tests required for entry, Iceland was a healthy destination as well.
Afghanistan
In December 2020 I visited the much-maligned Afghanistan. a place unexplored for tourism but with a special cultural richness, where unfortunately civil war and terrorism have been raging for the last 40 years. This isolated country of Central Asia was a raw charm, a rough barren and imposing natural landscape. a long history. and above all an anthropological treasure of pure souls, tortured but still honest and heartfelt! The danger ίn this country overshadowed the fear of Covid, despite the complete absence of protection measures by the local population. On the day of my return from Kabul, the negative test result filled me with relief – it certainly would not be the best place to be quarantined or to need health care.
South Sudan
In May 2021 I traveled to South Sudan, the youngest nation in the world, which -despite its short history as an independent state- has also experienced the hardships of war and a humanitarian crisis. However, this unknown place on the African continent holds an astonishing anthropological interest in the numerous local tribes that maintain the traditional customs and habits in their daily lives. Unfortunately, many of these tribes face a serious problem of survival due to disease and malnutrition.
Going towards the vaccination of the majority of the population and the global immunity, I hope we will return as soon as possible to normal, to the life that we enjoyed without restrictions; to be able to hug children again, to shake hands with people from all around the world again. Το re-fill our souls with the beauty of landscapes, but above all of the human soul, which has no color, religion, nationality, race, or social order.
