Or a Vanuatu rugby kit. That would do nicely as well. Heck, I’d even accept a Dominica cricket shirt if I could get hold of one.
Travellers’ collections
I should perhaps explain a little here. A lot of travellers collect things from their travels. Some go for postcards, others like to get stamps, others go for coins. A friend of mine has amassed a fairly impressive collection of shot glasses and my brother likes getting fridge magnets with flags on.
Guatemala football shirt
In a half-hearted manner over the last year or so, I have started my own collection. It all started by getting a Guatemala football shirt for the equivalent of £5 off a market stall in Antigua last September.
It’s almost indisputably not a genuine replica shirt, but then again, neither are my Samoan rugby shirt and Macedonian football top. But it is funny to wear them in completely unrelated places. I like being asked which team I support in, say, Hong Kong and answering “Guatemala, of course”.
Knock-off sports kit
Unfortunately, I’m beginning to get a little obsessive about collecting knock-off sports kit from obscure countries. On my way to the Seychelles in November, I had a couple of hours available to have a look around Doha in Qatar. Much of the time was spent scouring market stalls for a Qatar football shirt and the best I could come up with was a cap and a scarf.
No joy in the Seychelles
It was even worse in the Seychelles – I could get a France shirt, a Brazil shirt and an Argentina shirt, but there was no Seychelles replica kit in sight. Truly gutting.
Missed opportunities
The problem with this growing obsession is that I’m now looking back upon missed opportunities. When I went to Antigua (the island rather than the Guatemalan town), St Lucia, Dominica and Montserrat in February, I wasn’t even looking. Now, of course, I want a Montserrat football shirt or a Dominica cricket kit more than anything else. Frankly, any sport would do as long as it looked vaguely like the genuine kit.
Odd spots
The same applies to other odd dots on the map I’ve been to – San Marino, Gibraltar, Vanuatu, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla etc. I now want their sports kit, and despite having scoured the internet, I can’t find anything.
Any ideas?
So, if anyone knows how I can get hold of a Vanuatu rugby top or Montserrat football shirt, I’m all ears. And I’m more than willing to try and help you source your Lesotho pin badge or Tongan baseball cap in return.
Do you have any weird travel collections? Let everyone know by leaving a comment below.
