by Kira Salak
No place is safe. Safety, itself, is an illusion. And I wonder if it is my deep acceptance of this that makes it easier for me to do these trips. No place is safe. And while I don't advocate tempting fate, I guess I just don't worry much about it either. p 33Kira Salak is an adventurer in all senses of the word. She travels alone into the deepest, darkest places to challenge herself, to face her fears, to explore, to see. I had previously read Four Corners Salak's tale of her solo journey into the heart of Papua New Guinea so I knew something of what I would find in The Cruelest Journey. Still nothing prepared me for the true nature of her insane itinerary. She paddled alone for 600 miles along the Niger river to trace the route of explorer Mungo Park. Along the way she conquered injury, illness, weather, verbal abuse, constant demands, true physical danger, hippos, and so much more. She willfully ignored every US State Department advisory on travel in Mali and she survived. She made it to Timbuktu.
She did this alone. I have already said that, but it bears repeating. This is an unfathomable accomplishment to many people she encounters along the way and it will be unfathomable to many people who pick up the book. Salak meditates on her solo travel as she paddles down the river. With no goals other than reaching her final destination, she simply paddles and thinks. She comes to understandings about herself and about the power of experiencing the world.
I travel alone. Not like Salak, but still, if I travel, I go alone. On a recent trip to Europe I happened to be with a group of sorts for the sake of convenience, but spent most of my time wandering on my own. Each person in the group was traveling as part of a couple and each one of them approached me at one time or another and commented how brave they thought I was. I can understand where they are coming from. There is some danger in travel and safety in numbers. There is also the perception of women as more vulnerable. As Salak notes, however, no place is safe. I can run into trouble here at home much the same way I could abroad. I will not let fear hold me back as many think should happen.
I have confidence in my ability to deal with any situation where ever it happens to arise. There is power in that confidence and there is freedom. It opens up great worlds--literally. That is what travel can do for your mind, body and spirit.The truth: my gender will always make me appear more vulnerable. But to not travel anywhere out of fear, or to remain immobilized in a state of hyper-vigilance when I do, feels akin to psychological bondage. I do not want to give away that kind of power. p 90
