Cape Town - Gideon Lombard has travelled extensively. Originally from Namibia, he grew up all over the world. He was educated in Namibia, on the East and West Coast of the US, in Holland and South Africa. He has travelled to Spain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Holland and all over South Africa. He is in the internationally acclaimed play ...miskien at the Baxter Theatre from September 2 to 27.
How widely have you travelled?
I grew up travelling. My parents are academics, so every time they went overseas to lecture, do research or on a sabbatical, the whole family tagged along.
I did a lot of my primary and high school education either somewhere in America or in Europe, and always with a great deal of travel in between.
Where was your favourite holiday or time spent abroad?
That’s an unfair question. I love every place for different reasons. I will say that my three favourite cities are Amsterdam, Berlin and Barcelona. I was lucky enough to visit all three in the past six weeks.
Your worst experience on holiday?
I had tonsillitis, which developed into an abscess in the back of my throat while I was on holiday in Greece.
It started on the plane from America, where I was living at the time. By the time I landed in Athens I could not swallow or speak.
I went to a doctor, got anti-biotics, with the promise that the tonsillitis would clear up in a matter of days. I left for Mykonos with the hope I would soon feel better and be able to enjoy my holiday.
Two days later everything was worse than it had been before. I went to a doctor on Mykonos, who promptly told me that the tonsillitis was certainly gone, but an abscess in the back of my throat had replaced it and that minor surgery was the only solution.
The nearest hospital was back in Athens.
Your funniest experience?
When I was 19 or 20 I had an hour-long conversation with a male prostitute in Barcelona about how he saw himself as a street artist.
What do you avoid during a holiday?
Too many obligations. I think a lot of trips are hindered by the obligation to try to see every single tourist attraction, especially if you are only in a new town or city for a couple of days.
I enjoy seeing the sights, but I also love just walking around and getting a sense of the daily life of a new place and people.
Best meal abroad?
At the beginning of the year I had a selection of oysters in Bordeaux, which were incredible, but I think the best meal has to be the crab at a place called the “The Barking Crab” in the Boston Waterfront, Massachusetts.
Your favourite place to drink a glass of wine or to have sundowners on your travels?
On a dune in the country of my birth, Namibia. I think of all the places I have been Namibia still has the most beautiful sunsets. The sense of space and quiet you get in the Namibian desert, close to the coast, is unparalleled.
What have you learnt from your travels?
I’ve learnt most of what I think I know now from travel. Some of the most important things I continue to learn time and again are: to assume less about things unknown and to always try and retain a child -like curiosity about life. Another big one is perspective. You always look at your daily life back home, wherever that may be, in a renewed or different way.
Ideal travelling companion?
A blank journal and good music.
Culture vulture or adrenaline junkie?
Being involved in the arts, I would say that I tend more towards culture vulture. I have a great interest in street musicians and to see how different or sometimes similar the music and instruments played in different countries and cultures are. Two other big interests of mine are architecture and coffee.
Greatest travel luxury?
Anonymity. To know no one and to be in a entirely different culture, surrounded by a different language and way of life affords you the luxury to be whoever you want to be. Anonymity also has a definite shelf life wherever you go, so, in order to keep it, you have to keep travelling.
Holiday reading?
I usually read a good mix of fiction and non-fiction, but one book that has become a constant companion wherever I go is Alain De Botton’s The Art of Travel.
Favourite drive?
I try to do a solo road trip every year and for the past two years I have driven along the Garden Route to different spots. Having said that, any mountain pass or coastal drive is an adventure.
Dream trip?
I would love to walk the El Camino de Santiago in Spain. I find it a joy and a challenge to be and travel alone and I think this pilgrimage might be a wonderful combination of challenge and joy or fulfilment.
As a seasoned traveller and flyer can you share some useful tips?
Aside from having comfortable shoes, water and wet wipes, I can only recommend a healthy curiosity and not to plan every single aspect of your trip. Switch your phone off for a couple of days and try getting lost on purpose every now and again.
Where next?
The map of the world is big and life is short! I am planning a trip to Namibia at the end of the year, which will be the first time in seven years that I will go back to the country I was born in.
Weekend Argus