Bucket List

                          Algonquin Provincial Park

I have never made a bucket list - a list of things to do before you die, so I thought it would be fun to do a list of the places I want to see before I kick the bucket, or pop my clogs, take your pick.
The problem is that the list is fluid, and seems to change on an almost daily basis. There are a few stalwarts like Petra (visited last year so can now be struck off), the Taj Mahal (also seen), Venice, New Zealand, the Aurora Borealis (which I do know is not a place) and Bhutan, but as for everything else on the list today, tomorrow it will be different.

I would though, dearly love to see more than cities. I do enjoy visiting museums, art galleries, coffee shops, taking in the atmosphere of a city, sitting and watching the world go by, but for a change, it would be nice to see something of a country. I would, for example, love to see the "real" Canada, to hear the call of the wolf, to smell clean air and to be able to see the stars at night. There is so much light pollution here that it is difficult to see a single star. I know they are out there keeping company with the moon, but it would be nice to view them.

A few years ago, we had a family holiday in Canada, the second week on the edge of the Algonquin Provincial Park. The idea was that we would go on a wolf listen. Typically, the wolves had other ideas and had moved to another area and we were unable to go out and listen to them howling. In fact, it was a spectacularly unsuccessful wildlife holiday, we did not see so much as an elk. Every beast in the vicinity seemed to have packed a suitcase and gone on their own holiday, as far away from where we were as they could get, and frankly who could blame them?
I want an adventure, not the usual book a flight and hotel and go shopping or to a cafe (although coffee-less would be very bad indeed). I want to get off the beaten track, to wander aimlessly, to watch clouds scud across the skies, trees bowing before the wind, hear the echo of silence, see the stars at night, or the sun dip behind the mountains. These things you cannot do in the city. The cacophony of car engines, doors slamming, mobile phones ringing and people yelling, prevent the rhythms of the earth being heard. There is no stillness. Everywhere is noise and movement. We have become disconnected from our environment and from ourselves and we need to take time to stop and listen.