Why Not Travel? You Should if you Can! (Why (not) travel?)

Member Name: lamorna

Product:	Why (not) travel?
Date:	10/12/03 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Global Understanding, Cultural Understanding, A Move Towards Peace?

Disadvantages: Travel can be expensive, Is it true that only 5% of Americans have a passport?, Scary!!!!!!

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Q: How many times a year do you travel?

A: For the last two years it has been twice a year. There is so much to discover, so much to see; as the opportunities arise we will travel as many times as we can in a year.
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Q: For how long do you go away?

A: We try to make it for at least ten days at a time as one week is never enough. It also depends on the travelling distance involved because the outward and homeward journey always takes a day each way from the holiday.

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Q: Do you stay in your home country or do you go abroad?

A: Abroad. I am known for my cowardice so we have been to exciting destinations like Russia, Egypt, Israel, Hungary, Morocco and the USA purely because my bloke is more adventurous than I am. I know I would settle for the comfort zone of mainland Europe if it wasn't for him. I am such a scaredy kinda person. When we were children my parents had a big, black second-hand Austin Sheerline and we all knew it used to be a hearse. They always insisted on travelling down narrow lanes in it and I would spend the whole journey screaming out that we were going to die. I still scream out to Morty that we are going to die when we do things like hire mountain bikes to cycle through remote Egyptian villages or go anywhere off the beaten tracks. He simply says that he'll have to hit me if I don't stop screaming!
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Q: Do you organise your holidays yourself or do you go to a travel agency?

A: I refuse to take any chances given our destinations. I insist on staying in the best we can afford. I have never been capable of roughing it in any form. Doing it yourself sounds OK for some but we prefer using a reputable travel agency.

Q: Do you prepare your holidays in advance by reading guide books and studying maps?

A: We get books from the library and read t
he history of the country we are visiting as well as studying maps. Understanding other peoples' culture and customs is a very important part of our holiday. Some basic historical and cultural knowledge is an enormous advantage when visiting Muslim countries and countries that were once living with a Communist regime. Perhaps if more people travelled with an understanding of why and how other people think and believe in the way they do there could be more World harmony. Or maybe I'm being an idealist?
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Q: Do you travel alone/with family or friends/with an organised group?

A. Just the two of us and we don't mind groups because we are pretty good at not getting too involved. When we visited Morocco we were a group of eight travelling over the Atlas Mountains in a mini-bus. We were all strangers at the start but had a rollicking good time by the end of the holiday. Once again, we travelled during the day but stayed in luxurious accommodations overnight. The same with Russia; I feel safer with a small group and an expert guide-after all I am a scaredy custard.
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Q: Do you prefer the sea / mountains / plains / cities as destinations?

A: All of them; Plus deserts, rivers, canals and lakes.
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Q: Do you mainly relax or are you an active holidayer?

A: Doing is important during the day but relaxing in the evening suits us. We like museums, palaces, scenery, art and walking so we are more than ready stop at night time and have a good meal and local wines and review our day.
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Q: If you go abroad do you learn at least some words of the foreign language?

A: Just the basic words. Although I never managed to make myself understand at all using one word of Russian or Moroccan; can't get my tongue round them but I do try to.
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Q: Are you interested in the cuisine of a foreign country?

A: Certainly. Goose liver in Hungary, pigeon pie in Morocco, Russian pickled cucumber, caviar and pancakes washed down with Lemon Vodka, a dubious mixed grill in Egypt-I was convinced it was camel, goat and horse meat but it tasted good. I always read up on the local cuisine and make sure we eat something regional.
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Q: Which means of transportation do you prefer?

A: Our last trip sailing through the Russian rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs opened our eyes to the enjoyment in cruising the waterways of any country. Road travel is tiring and the driver misses so much as they are busy concentrating on the route. We always fly to our chosen destination and enjoy it. Its all part of the holiday for us. The minibus journey through the Atlas Mountains was terrifying at times as we drove through high mountain passes on hair-pin bends and I could barely look out of the windows-but I had to because I needed to see the beautiful scenery. We hired a car in California but I have refused to ever hire a car abroad again. Driving one hundred miles to see the Petrified Forest and the Napa Valley was all very well but two hundred miles in a day? No thanks.
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Q: What kind of luggage do you take with you? Have you got problems packing? Do you tend to take too many / too few things with you?

A: I am dreadful. My suitcase always has a 'Heavy' label lobbed onto it at the airport as a warning to anybody who has to lift it. I do try so hard not to take too much but it doesn't seem to work. We have those solid cases with wheels and extending handles and I'm sure they are heavy to begin with. I don't know how to pack in a minimalist kinda way. Morty thinks he can but he always runs out of clean clothes when we are away so I do a fair amount of gloating because I ne
ver run out!
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Q: Do you send picture postcards to your family and friends?

A: No we don't. However, this year my family had to sit through one hour and twenty minutes worth of digital camera film of our Russian holiday, plus around one hundred photographs. Do you think I should ask them if they would prefer a postcard?