Paradise lost?

Almost every time I get the chance to soak up the beauty of some remote area, I think of the original inhabitants who enjoyed the land for thousands of years. I try to imagine what it would have been like....to travel through a country unspoiled by buildings, roads, traffic, hordes of people and pollution in its many forms.

The marks left by the indigenous tribes over countless generations were microscopic compared to the landscape modifications that have been made more recently - and, usually, in the name of progress. My mind tries to envisage how everything looked more than two centuries ago: the crystal clear air and the natural environment with its abundance of flora and fauna.

Then, quite quickly, I jolt back to reality. What would I have done if I had had an accident or become seriously ill? A broken bone, a spinal injury or even a bad toothache would have turned paradise into pure hell. There would be no way of letting others know you need help, no rescue service or ambulance to whisk you off to the gentle care of a modern hospital, no injections to wipe out intense pain, and no air conditioned room in which to recuperate.

Come to think of it; the 21st century is really where I belong!