UK to Antipodes OVERLAND Part III … via TOTNES!

Welcome to my planning reports.

If you’re new to my sustainable (?!) journey across the world, here’s a menu to help you find your way: https://ourrelationshipwithnature.com/overview-overland-uk-2-nz-without-flying-eleven-stages-in-fifty-days/

For fellow travellers who might notice errors and omissions, please add your comments. In fact, all comments welcome!

Two bands of contrails across a blue sky
Contrails might only be the visible marks of a plane
but around that water vapour also fizzes the remains of burnt-up av-gas

In a somewhat nefarious manner I picked up the NHS application forms at a local doctor’s surgery where I had not made application before. The receptionist said (voice tinny through security speaker) it was against the rules at this outrageous time, seconds after closing, but she did reluctantly agree to slip the papers through the door. She opened it only a few centimetres to prevent my bursting in upon the doctors unannounced. It felt very clandestine. The next day I returned the forms, brazenly walking right up to the desk, the office now formally open. Signed, sealed, delivered. I have no idea why I couldn’t have been accepted in the closer surgeries. They didn’t like the cut of my jib, I suppose.

It would be a couple of weeks before I could get an appointment. I must reassure you, everything was honest and fully disclosed except I neglected to mention that pesky medical certificate for the shipping company. That would be between me and the doctor. When I got an appointment. If the forms were accepted. What could possibly go wrong?

On a journey half way across the world? Many, many things. Did I really want to do this? Could I take all the risks? By myself? Oh, I was nervous.

I needed a holiday, a little break. I would go to Totnes. Why Totnes? Because of Transition Towns!

The main street of Totnes
The High Street of Totnes might have been littered with horse manure four or five hundred years ago but historical buildings are still to be seen jetting over pedestrians
in this modern market town

I first heard about Transition Towns perhaps a dozen years ago, during a Symposium at our son’s school. I’m not sure how I first heard about the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium. It might have been organised by Be the Change Australia although I also attended one held by Engineers without Borders before I became more involved with the Action Circle Discussion Groups which helped our small community to learn about sustainability and deep green philosophies.

My family also joined our local Transition Town, watched films like The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, ordered our fresh organic veggie boxes straight from the co-op and enthusiastically supported our first CarrotMob!

I’ve just mentioned a lot of groups.

Paul Hawken calls the environmental movement the largest movement the world has never seen. There are millions of organisations, from Transition Towns to The Red Cross, WWF and Greenpeace to the Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Leadbeater’s Possum and 350.org, all working together to heal the wounds of the Earth. Paul Hawken calls these groups (Amnesty International, Sea Shepherd, the Wilderness Society) the white blood cells of the world.

Which groups do you belong to? You are part of the movement.

As well as Transition Towns, Totnes is the home of Schumacher College, Charles Babbage and … for the Australians in the audience, Wills (from Burke and … )

Totnes is famous for many things - for an Australian - Wills! From Bourke and ...
Right in the centre of town, famous Australian explorers,
Bourke and … (Did I say successful? No, I did not.)

You can read more about my theory of places of power here but I am sure Totnes must be such a place. There must be Ley Lines near. It’s first mentioned in history in 907 AD but apparently Brutus of Troy landed here to found Britain way back before there was writing. There is definitely a wonderful energy, particularly around the Dartington Estate during the summer music school.

On the approach to the estate
Wetland area of Dartington Estate – singing frogs, singing people …

I found a delightful Airbnb and wrote to the host, Marcea, to confirm dates and establish communication. After I explained my interest in Totnes, she was pleased to tell me of her own long-time involvement with Transition Town. I was particularly interested to hear she hopes to get a place in their co-housing project. Her children are grown and gone and, as mature-aged ladies, we established a rapport even through these early emails.

When I walked into her house, here is one of the first things I saw.

Extinction Rebellion Flag
A patch for Extinction Rebellion made by Marcea.
The symbol represents an hour glass hemmed in by limited time.
Marcea, my Airbnb host, a delightful climate activist
Marcea was one of the thousand arrested in the April Rebellion.
(Note her little home-made felted badge.)
Birds flying to freedom drawn by Marcea during her short incarceration
Marcea spent only a few hours in prison but it felt long and lonely to her.
This is her statement
with her drawing depicting a longing for freedom.

Marcea is currently awaiting trial with some trepidation. Although Extinction Rebellion does offer legal and emotional support, Marcea is not intending to make any grandstanding speeches. She’s a grandmother. She didn’t want to be dragged when she was arrested, in the middle of the night, at Waterloo Bridge. She has a sore shoulder. Even though the police are slowed considerably by having to use four officers to shift one climate protester, Marcea chose her more sedate walk to the police vehicle, not wishing to add to her already high stress by causing police too much trouble.

Extinction Rebellion provides a web of educated communicators and different levels of involvement. Marcea is no longer part of the arrestable group but will support those who have been imprisoned. She says the joy of seeing a friendly face and being handed a peanut butter sandwich on her release was one of the highlights of her life.

Extinction Rebellion faces accusers who believe the idea of white middle-class protesters putting themselves in the way of arrest is immoral. How can the Extinction Rebellion be a rebellion for all people? Read an excellent article about this here.

Only the wealthy will be able to weather the initial storms of climate change and after a few years even they may find basic supplies harder to access. Climate change is for all people.

This is not a drill is a collection of essays and think pieces about the future and humanity's place in it
‘This is not a drill’ is a very entertaining and informative book.
You can pick it up, read a short piece or hang on to read many opinions.
I really like the Social Contract at the end.

Extinction Rebellion is trying to broaden their reach and has already managed to get Great Britain to declare a Climate Emergency, one of the main objectives.

Extinction Rebellion’s website states the following aims:[12][13]
1. Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
2. Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2025.
3. Government must create, and be led by the decisions of, a citizens’ assembly on climate and ecological justice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_Rebellion

This is why Marcea was willing to be arrested. She believes something must be done and … ‘if good people do nothing … ‘ At least the Extinction Rebellion protests with art and good humour. With no alcohol or drugs, violence is strictly prohibted. Yoga classes, singing and dancing are strongly encouraged. The blockades are for families, sharing food and discussions.

Police said they had been forced to divert officers from tackling crime and policing neighbourhoods to deal with April’s protests – which saw a pink boat block Oxford Circus and Waterloo Bridge fitted with greenery and skateboard ramps.
Activists called it “Garden Bridge”.
Mr Taylor said officers arrested more than 1,150 people during the protests and around 180 have been charged so far. He has previously said he wants the Met to push for every one of those arrested to be charged.
“We absolutely respect people’s fundamental right to protest, but we do not accept that extends to causing misery and mass disruption to everybody,” Mr Taylor said. “Absolutely I can assure Londoners we will do everything we can to avoid that situation again.”
But Mr Read said “any disruption that we cause is just a vanishingly-small fraction of the disruption to our entire civilisation and utter misery that ecological breakdown and climate breakdown are starting to bring.”

https://us-issues.com/2019/08/06/extinction-rebellion-you-cant-arrest-us-all/

And then there’s Greta Thunberg, the Joan of Arc of the environmental movement. She too travels lightly upon the Earth and I wish I had a fraction of her fortitude.

Okay, Greta. Okay, Marcea. I’ll try. I will continue with my plans to travel without flying.

Greta

And so, with renewed Totnes vigour, fired up from Greta’s successful Atlantic crossing, I returned to Brighton to find the NHS had accepted me! I could make an appointment with a doctor which I did, forthwith. He tested my blood pressure, made me jump up and down, listened to my chest and looked at my old teeth. Then he signed the necessary medical certificate! I was on my way!

Once I sent the paper work to my environmentally-minded shipping company, I could start booking the rest of the trip. I needed to clarify my dates backwards. Starting from Ningbo, China, where I would catch the CC Coral, I needed to book accommodation, because the dates of the ship are ‘around’, given the exigencies of tide and wind. Then a train from Beijing to Ningbo. Once I had my dates for the TransSiberian, Moscow to Beijing. I’d need visas.

I spent a few anxious hours trying to work out the Chinese and Russian visa procedures. I’m sure it’s only a matter of going step by step. I looked at the Man in Seat 61 again and then the Lonely Planet guide and finally decided I needed help.

I contacted the wonderful Real Russia and asked if they could advise me. When should I start organising my visas?

Last month.

AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaargh!

Tune in to Part IV to discover how much visas for Belarus, Russia, Mongolia and China cost. Especially when you have to pay for the rush version.

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