Letter from the Highlands, April 2003
by Anne Perry

This months letter is going to be at the oddest time, neither March nor April, and from anywhere but the Highlands. On March 13th Meg, my closest friend, and I left home at ten o’clock in the morning, still bright, cloudless and sparkling weather, and were driven by Simon (her son and my Estate Manager) to Glasgow. There we caught a flight to London, and in the evening one from London to Singapore. It was an excellent flight, but LONG!

We arrived safely at about six o’clock in the evening of March 14th. We found we were on the same flight, and in the same cabin, with the charming man who was in charge of cruise organizing for Cunard, and on this occasion, the QE2 – which is where we were bound! We were a little delayed at the airport because although we were ushered through immigration and customs in moments, others in our party for the bus to the docks were not so fortunate. I mention it because a certain man seemed to be very upset, and we nicknamed him ‘Grumpy’ as we watched their behaviour.

When we were finally aboard the bus, I found myself sitting next to him. I fell into conversation, as I like to, and he turned out to be an interesting and delightful man after all, and so did the lady with him. I am not sure if she was his wife or not because they were travelling professionally, and she used her own name. How easy it is to judge people on one episode, and only part of the picture! We leap to decisions so quickly! And so often I, at any rate, am wrong.

We also met a group of Australians, open, friendly, funny, impossible not to like. They turned out to be part of the ‘entertainment’ of part of the voyage, as am I. I shall give five lectures – on my books of course. I don’t really know about much else. These people were musicians, singers and a comedian. There was also a small opera company with full costume for excerpts from many operas. We were all very tired, but already the voyage looked even better than I had hoped!

The ship left port that night, and we woke up out in the Indian Ocean steaming through the Malacca Straits on our way to our first port of call, Colombo in Sri Lanka. The sea is very calm, hardly any movement in the ship at all, the weather is hazy sunshine most of the time, now and then a squall, and so hot the air conditioning is welcome.

I learn that I am to lecture at 11 o’clock in the very first morning. I am too tired to be wound up, and it all goes very well indeed. Now I can relax for two days before I have to speak again.

We dine in the Queen’s Grill on the top deck, and the food is exquisite, so much fresh fruit it is dazzling. One has simply to sit, and everything is brought, glasses are refilled with iced water, course after course appears the moment the previous one is finished. We have one Irish waitress from my previous trip, and a young waiter from Singapore who has a cheeky sense of humour and one has to like them both. Dining is a pleasure in all respects.

The first evening’s entertainment is three operatic sopranos who sing beautifully, and with such gusto and humour everyone enjoys them. The second evening it is the opera company, and they perform choice scenes from Verdi, Puccini, Bizet and others and it is a joy to watch and listen. The third evening it is our Australian friends, and they are superb. They are two brothers with operatic bass-baritone voices, and their wives, one of whom is a brilliant pianist, the other a superb cellist. They have a wide repertoire of opera, operetta, classical and popular – and a little stand up comedy. We could have listened to them for longer – but there will be other evenings.

We dock in Sri Lanka so smoothly we wake up on March 18th without having heard a thing, and there is the harbour in the sun, full of boats – and hot! We have booked a half- day trip ashore, and join the bus at nine o’clock.

The city is on holiday, because it is full moon, and a holy day to the Buddhists. Most of the shops are closed, but not all. Most interestingly we see many Buddhist monks in their saffron coloured robes, and one place we visit is a temple, where we see the Temple Elephant. There is incense burning in the courtyard, priests chanting and beating drums, and the most marvellous flowers. Everyone is very friendly, and we are permitted in as long as we take off our hats and shoes. This we are happy to do. Respecting all people’s faiths is one of the most beautiful of the teachings which should set us apart from those who do not do so. One does not need to agree, or to understand, to treat others with dignity, and with the honour we ourselves would like to receive.

Our guide was friendly and extremely interesting about some of the customs practiced in the villages further inland. The city was busy, and much of it shabby after the financial strain of their recent internal troubles, but we met much courtesy everywhere.

It was good to get back to the ship at one o’clock, to cool air conditioning, and lunch of fresh salad, and a fruit plate so beautiful to look at it was a shame to disturb it – pineapple, watermelon, green melon, yellow melon, mango, papaya, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and passion fruit, all arranged like a still life blaze of colour and design. At other times we have had peach, plum and fresh figs also.

It’s a hard life, isn’t it!

But the lasting pleasure will be seeing other parts of the world, their beauty and variety, and meeting new people, learning of their lives and feelings and finding so much that is good.

I need to write between 100 and 150 pages during these three weeks away, because I have only four days at home before I leave again for New Jersey, and then Utah. It is only hard because there are so many distractions, and interesting things to do. Next stop the Seychelles, in about three more days – a little more sunbathing, and more entertainment after dinner. Our Aussie comedian friend is on on Wednesday, and we must go and support him. He seems to be an extremely nice person. He can’t wait to get shore everywhere – to phone his wife just to talk to her!

Another day, and this evening our Aussie friend gave his first performance, and of course we went. He is known as the ‘the Doctor’ because he reckons laughter is the best medicine. What was the greatest pleasure for both Meg and me was that his on stage character was just as nice as his off stage. He told lots of jokes, but they all pointed up the value of caring about people, tolerating differences, liking others for who they are and not expecting or requiring that they be the same as we are. And he certainly made us laugh! Many of his stories were about the differences between men’s and women’s way of thinking and communicating, but there was no unkindness in it at all, no suggestion of a right way and a wrong. If we all had the eagerness for life, the sense of humour and the friendliness that he portrayed, we would judge and criticize less, make more friends, and generally make life easier and pleasanter not only for others, but most of all for ourselves.

Now it is official, we are not calling in at Mombasa as previously planned, because of trouble in Kenya, but will have extra time in the Seychelles, and will call in at Reunion Island which is a stop not previously in the schedule at all. They really are doing everything they can both to keep us safe, and to give us the best holiday possible.

Today we cross the Equator at noon. But before that I have to go and give my third lecture.

Today, Saturday 22nd, we went ashore in the Seychelles. It is very beautiful, but HOT. We took a guided tour in a bus around the largest island, called Mahe. It is steep mountains covered with rich, tropical vegetation, villages by the shore, while coral sand beaches. Apparently some people wanted to stay ashore for the night we are here, and were told that a hotel room is roughly two thousand dollars a night! Guess what – they are staying aboard the ship! Here we have first class accommodation as part of our ticket.

We have fallen into a very comfortable routine of dinner, then the show. It is extraordinarily fortunate for me, because nearly all the music is operatic, or a mixture of opera and songs from shows beautifully sung, with lovely costumes and a little comedy thrown in. Then we walk around the deck in very warm wind before turning in. Last night was clear and breathtakingly lovely with a three-quarter moon making a silver bridge over the sea. I could say ‘I could get used to this’ – but it isn’t true. It’s wonderful for a while, but I love what I have at home as well, the people I know, the work, the scenery there and the things I am used to.

But adventure is marvellous, new scenes, new ideas, watching new people and how they react. It seems there are some who always seem to look for what they can complain about, and others who look for what is fun, beautiful, to be admired and liked. Both find them. I hope when others look at me, it is the happy, grateful kind of person they see!

Tonight there is a B.B.Q. party on deck after we go out to sea for the night. It should be fun. Tomorrow we plan to go ashore again, for the half day, and see the marine life park. If it is as beautiful as the land, we shall be very lucky. The flowers were exquisite, all kinds whose names I did not know, but some I did: oleander, something brilliant yellow they called ‘candle trees’ but looked to me like a huge mimosa flower, lots of warm colours, no blues. My favourites were the frangipani, which smells like heaven, hibiscus, bougainvillea in all shades of orange, red, pink, purple and magenta, great swathes of burning colour, and a crimson flower I had never seen before, called torch ginger.

We took the trip to the marine park, which is a park only in the sense that it is protected from vandalism. It was a trip in a pleasure boat, a trifle crowded, but very leisurely in pace. We had a group of people, two or three of whom complained at everything, and gave the poor tour guide a hard time. We watched them with unhappiness and embarrassment. I wonder if people who behave this way have any idea how they let themselves down. I was so glad they were not British. We do tend to judge a nation on the few representatives of it that we meet. How wonderful it would be if those who met us were afterwards well disposed to all our fellows, national or religious or whatever else. And how dreadful if they felt the other way. I admit, I have encountered far too many people who despise all L.D.S. members because a few have given us a bad name, not only for self-righteousness, willingness to criticize and condemn, and for arrogance, but also for financial dishonesty as well. How much good, or harm, a single person can do!

But back to the day. We spent a while in a semi-submersible, drifting over a coral reef. I hardly know where to begin. ‘Beautiful and glorious’ barely does it justice. Thousands of fish like jewels so close to the glass sides of the boat we could see them only a few inches away at times. It made me realize again how sublime and infinite is creation and how spectacular in its variety. A creature perfect for every niche in the world, and these ones like living jewels.

We went ashore on a small island covered in rich vegetation and with white coral sand beaches, and water aquamarine, turquoise and sapphire, glittering in the sun. We waded ashore through water that was warm to the skin, drank mango and orange juice, talked to the giant tortoises, and a little blue crab that we found. We paddled, sat in the sun, hunted for shells – and were nearly an hour late being picked up again because some of the passengers held up the returning boat! Guess who? You’re right – our friends the complainers. But what better place to be cast ashore for an extra time?

Then in the evening we had a good dinner, laughed and talked with some of the young waiters who came from all over the world – Singapore, Poland, Belgium, Ireland and Hungary! Such nice young people. Then we went to see the opera, which was gorgeous – and so to bed!

Now today I have to give one more of the lectures – to earn my keep.

Reunion Island was marvellous! We took a half-day tour, conducted by a French guide. He was most interesting. Among the many details of history, geography, politics, economics, industry, botanical names etc., one thing I think is of special note to recall. He said they have a very mixed population in race and religion, and over one in three is unemployed – but it does not include even ONE of the vast number who are of Chinese origin. He said they take education and diligence so seriously they ALWAYS find work. And he was speaking of tens of thousands of people, not a handful. The white population is nearly 750,000. It made me consider that perhaps more of our fate depends upon our own attitudes than we sometimes care to admit. But surely that is good? If I can change and improve, there is great hope. If I am a helpless victim, I am not to blame, but neither can I affect my destiny. Isn’t this the privilege and the burden of agency?

The island itself was fantastic, and I use the word in its true meaning, of belonging to fantasy. We drove inland up a winding road into mountains so sheer the sides were all but vertical, covered with the lushest possible tropical vegetation, palms, vines, giant trees, not a bare inch of earth. It was very obviously volcanic, the wild shapes could only have been created by lava, and in the south was a volcano still alive. It has already erupted this year, but there was not time for us to see it. The highest mountain is about 10,000 feet. We saw a waterfall which drops over 3,000 feet! And on the wet side of the mountains the guide told us they have 45 FEET of rainfall a year. At home on the east coast of Scotland we have roughly 20 inches! (We are one of the driest places in the U.K.)

It was all beautiful and fascinating!

Next day was Mauritius, also volcanic with a skyline like a row of pagodas! We saw acres of wonderful botanic gardens, and a vividly coloured Hindu temple. I must learn more about their beliefs. I should not be so ignorant about one of the world’s major religions.

Like all the other islands we have visited, it has many smaller islands around it – one which is called Round Island, which is not round, and has many snakes on it – and one called Snake Island, which is round, and has no snakes!

Now it is Saturday and we have had two days at sea indulging in great food, lots of sunshine, and some interesting and charming conversations with new people.

Today we docked early in the morning at Durban. They are in autumn now, but everything is rich and green, many trees in flower, sheets of colour, particularly pinks and purples, and African flame trees. We saw terrific Zulu dancers, and learned something of their culture. What a change they have experienced from their very recent past into a western, modern present. I cannot begin to imagine how hard it must be to do this in two or three generations. It is a subject I have not really considered before. I need to know so much more about the rest of the world – I shall require eternity at the very least!

In four days we shall be in Cape Town, and then fly back home overnight to London, then the next day to Glasgow, and drive the four or five hours home. It has been a marvellous trip, life enriching in a multitude of ways, but I shall also be ready to be home again for a few days, and then on to the next adventure!

I had better stop now, or I shall have written more than you have time or patience to read.

May courage and faith be with you.

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