Traveling the world to entice a return homeward
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Ceylan Yeğinsu
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 16, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL -The motto of a father and two sons who set out from Uruguay to travel across five continents in a 1977 Citroen Mehari made out of fiberglass is "Live life, don’t let life live you."
Two-and-a-half years later, the trio has arrived on Turkish soil, in Istanbul, where their Turkish great-grandfather once resided.
The aim of the Sabah family’s world tour is to visit Uruguayans who have migrated abroad and try to persuade them to return to their country. They additionally seek to establish a worldwide Uruguayan network through which people can meet and discuss ways to improve their country and maintain their Uruguayan roots and identity.
"When you go abroad, you really appreciate your native country," Ismeal Sabah, 27, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "You start to recognize all its unique qualities that you can not find anywhere else in the world."
According to the Sabah brothers, 1.5 million Uruguayans live abroad, concentrated in countries such as Spain, Argentina, Sweden and Australia. "Many people left our country to seek work opportunities abroad, especially in Spain, but since the financial crisis they are coming back," Matias Sabah told the Daily News. "We hope to help them in this process." So far, the Sabahs have persuaded four families to return to Uruguay.
With only a diplomatic passport supplied by their government, the Sabah family sold their personal cars and other valuable possessions to embark on their journey. Their personal funds, along with the support they have received through various sponsorships from different countries, have allowed them to travel 59,000 kilometers, over a total of 410 days on the road. They have reached 33 countries on three continents, and used up 4,300 liters of petrol and 60 liters of oil.
Not problem-free
"The trip has not been absent of problems Ğ I have lost count of the number of times the car has broken down," Ismeal Sabah said, adding that the family members have mastered the art of mechanics through fixing their car on countless occasions.
Though the Sabahs have been in Turkey for more than a week now, they say they have no idea how long they will stay, as their entire trip has been conducted without a plan. "We are free, and we take each day as it comes," Matias Sabah said. "If we like a place, then we stay longer." They stayed in Italy for four months, but spent only three days in Athens, complaining that it was too busy and chaotic.
While in Turkey, the Sabahs have met with Diego Lugano, the Uruguayan footballer who plays for the Turkish League team Fenerbaçhe. During a Fenerbaçhe training session, Lugano told the Sabah brothers that he loves and misses Uruguay greatly, but that his football career takes priority, which is why he is pursuing his dream abroad. The Sabahs have spent much time socializing with Lugano and meeting Turkish people through his network.
Crossing through Istanbul into Asia will be the starting point for the "real journey," the Sabahs said. "Many places in Europe are similar to one another, and similar to South America," Ismeal Sabah said. "Going to Asia and Africa, we are expecting to see cultures totally different from our own." The family will travel for another two years, making their last stop in South Africa before returning to Uruguay.
The aim of the Sabah family’s world tour is to visit Uruguayans who have migrated abroad and try to persuade them to return to their country. They additionally seek to establish a worldwide Uruguayan network through which people can meet and discuss ways to improve their country and maintain their Uruguayan roots and identity.
"When you go abroad, you really appreciate your native country," Ismeal Sabah, 27, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "You start to recognize all its unique qualities that you can not find anywhere else in the world."
According to the Sabah brothers, 1.5 million Uruguayans live abroad, concentrated in countries such as Spain, Argentina, Sweden and Australia. "Many people left our country to seek work opportunities abroad, especially in Spain, but since the financial crisis they are coming back," Matias Sabah told the Daily News. "We hope to help them in this process." So far, the Sabahs have persuaded four families to return to Uruguay.
With only a diplomatic passport supplied by their government, the Sabah family sold their personal cars and other valuable possessions to embark on their journey. Their personal funds, along with the support they have received through various sponsorships from different countries, have allowed them to travel 59,000 kilometers, over a total of 410 days on the road. They have reached 33 countries on three continents, and used up 4,300 liters of petrol and 60 liters of oil.
Not problem-free
"The trip has not been absent of problems Ğ I have lost count of the number of times the car has broken down," Ismeal Sabah said, adding that the family members have mastered the art of mechanics through fixing their car on countless occasions.
Though the Sabahs have been in Turkey for more than a week now, they say they have no idea how long they will stay, as their entire trip has been conducted without a plan. "We are free, and we take each day as it comes," Matias Sabah said. "If we like a place, then we stay longer." They stayed in Italy for four months, but spent only three days in Athens, complaining that it was too busy and chaotic.
While in Turkey, the Sabahs have met with Diego Lugano, the Uruguayan footballer who plays for the Turkish League team Fenerbaçhe. During a Fenerbaçhe training session, Lugano told the Sabah brothers that he loves and misses Uruguay greatly, but that his football career takes priority, which is why he is pursuing his dream abroad. The Sabahs have spent much time socializing with Lugano and meeting Turkish people through his network.
Crossing through Istanbul into Asia will be the starting point for the "real journey," the Sabahs said. "Many places in Europe are similar to one another, and similar to South America," Ismeal Sabah said. "Going to Asia and Africa, we are expecting to see cultures totally different from our own." The family will travel for another two years, making their last stop in South Africa before returning to Uruguay.