Sophie’s World

Inspired by a cold, dark wintry Oslo, here’s where I’d rather be right now:

1.  Svalbard - even colder and darker, Spitsbergen is magical during the polar night.
2. Oz – anywhere in Oz would be super, smack right in the middle of summer. Take me there! Tasmania! Never been to Tas. Would love to go to Tas.
3. Devonport, New Zealand – right now, I’d love to walk along Narrow Neck beach gazing at the sail boats passing by Rangitoto and all the other islands in the beautiful Hauraki Gulf. (Well, it’s midnight right now – but let’s say a lazy stroll along the beach tomorrow afternoon).
4. Singapore – I wouldn’t mind having a coffee by the book store on the corner of Orchard and Scott – watching hectic Singapore hurry by, while I had all the time in the world.
5. Buenos Aires – one of my favourite cities in the world. I’d land early, then head directly to the centre to watch the city wake up, either from a café serving medialunas - or stroll along the avenues. A nice 25 degrees C is forecasted for tomorrow morning.
6. Paris – winter or not – Paris is always wonderful. Right now, Paris is slightly cloudy with a bit of wind and 9 degrees C, just warm enough for an ice cream from the Berthillon shop on Ile St Louis. Saturday will be quite a bit colder - I’d slouch about in the dusty, delightful Shakespeare & Co.
7. I could be on top of Table Mountain as well right now – looking out on Cape Town, one of the most stunningly located cities in the world, or
8. get sunburnt in Windhoek. Haven’t been to Namibia for 15 years – it’s bound to have changed heaps. But I’d probably still get a sun burn.

Where would you rather be?

7 September 2006

I was just now submitting a Kiev story to BnA, and was reminded of that trip. And Uzbekistan came to mind. Why? Well, as I was waiting in transit at Riga airport, I noticed an Ilyushin from Uzbekistan Airways on the tarmac - and I remember staring dreamily at it while sipping a so-so coffee.

Uzbekistan, the country, is the object of my dream here, not Uzbekistan Airways, a spin-off company of old Soviet Aeroflot. Always a sobering thought. (However, in all fairness, the airline “has distinguished itself as one of the better managed post-Soviet airlines”, their website claims).

But the cities of Uzbekistan, well, the names alone evoke mystery, romance, magic. Just listen: Samarkand, Bukhara, Tashkent. Aren’t you picturing shiny minarets, the sound of the muezzin calling out prayers at sunset, swarthy carpet sellers, men smugly exchanging hard currencies in a dark corner of the souk…

Oh hell, who am I kidding? If someone handed me a ticket, I’d jump on that Uzbekistan Airways flight in a minute.