BootsnAll Travel Network



Archive for August, 2007

« Home

Important Trip Preparations

Thursday, August 30th, 2007

KL Cafe

I can’t imagine trying to take children who won’t eat broccoli or chicken feet or whatever-they’re-given round the world….ours eat anything and everything – and even *request* salad and veges (to the eternal dismay of their cousins). Once in a while it’s good to check that they haven’t forgotten how to eat out (as if they would!). Thanks, Grandpa, for treating us to our favourite local haunt, the KL Cafe, last night.

chilli chicken

Once in a while? We go frequently enough that the owner (that’s him giving us chilli chicken) knows us and what we like to order (always chicken laksa for Rob). If we go with the children, he knows us. If we go without the children, he still recognises us. If Rob’s sister and family visit, he tells us they’ve been. If I go on my own, he says Rob is Superman to be looking after the children on his own. If Rob goes on his own or with his Dad, he doesn’t mention Superwoman, but he does know to make a chicken laksa.

traveller or tourist?

Friday, August 24th, 2007

I’d not really thought about it before. But it keeps cropping up in various things I’ve been reading. Apparently there’s this divide and each side supposedly thinks it has THE answer on THE way to travel.
Being a very black-n-white kind of person, you might expect me to plant my feet firmly on one side or t’other. But not this time. This is one of those issues that depends on the individual…and neither way is right or wrong, not even better or worse (in a gross generalisation sense).
And quite frankly, aren’t there more important things to devote our energies to? (particularly given that I don’t have an awful lot of THAT left over at the end of each day).
All the same, it’s an interesting thought.
One highlighted again just last night in discussion with my mother about *trips*.
She is reassured by the certainty of knowing when she is going, where she is going, how much it is going to cost, what kinds of food will be available, not wasting time looking for transport…..so cruises and organised tours suit her perfectly. That’s not to say she didn’t enjoy saving lots of euros the day she and dad took a train into Rome instead of joining the cruise ship’s tour party!
Me? I want to save that many euros *every* day!! Not knowing where we’ll sleep tonight only heightens the adventure. Searching for the right platform is part of the fun. Reading train timetables to *anywhere* in the world is more full of promise than reading a luxury tour brochure. For me.

So I say (and instead of commenting on the blogs which praise one way at the expense of the other I’ll just say my piece here and get it off my chest once and for all)…let’s accept that there are different approaches, and each person’s journey will look different to the next one’s.
Let’s learn from the path we tread, and from those we meet as we walk. Let’s celebrate each other’s accomplishments, share each other’s burdens, and perhaps travel a mile or two together.

Boots-n-all Plug

Thursday, August 23rd, 2007
Time to rave about Boots-n-all. They're a friendly bunch over on the fora....full of good ideas and just as opinionated as I am;-) Said fora are well-organised, easy to negotiate and there's something for everyone -and I mean EVERY-SINGLE-BODY. You post a question ... [Continue reading this entry]

this time it’s just a trip

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007
Remember this? Rob came home last night saying “I was in a meeting today and we were working out who to send up to China to deliver a programme next year” He had put his hand up. Of course noone thought he was ... [Continue reading this entry]

travel journals

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007
When we're away we are all going to keep a journal. The kids don't know it yet, but I've managed to pick up some nice not-too-little-but-not-too-big ones to tuck in their packs and be discovered on Christmas morning. Rob hasn't ... [Continue reading this entry]

*plane* rhymes with…….

Monday, August 13th, 2007
Last week we realised our plans included arriving in Beijing when the Olympics are on. We're not snobbish travellers, but we'd really prefer not to be where half the world is at one particular time! Given that the Chinese academic ... [Continue reading this entry]

The Trip Is *Off*

Sunday, August 12th, 2007
Only a week after the last post, we were writing this one. Auckland, New Zealand 22 April 2007 The Trip Is *Off* By Rachael A late night followed by a bad day and we sit here thinking it’s a mad idea to take the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Post The Third

Sunday, August 12th, 2007
Here's another of our pre-blog posts....we'll catch up within the week! Auckland, New Zealand 13 April 2007 Blog Post Number Two By Rachael This past week has seen “progress” made in our investigations. On Good Friday we went to visit a Missions Ship that ... [Continue reading this entry]

Beginnings

Saturday, August 11th, 2007
This is a post I wrote when I knew there would be a blog one day, but there wasn't one yet! It was intended to be The First Post...as it turns out, it's the second one......which, I suppose, means the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Less than a year to go

Thursday, August 9th, 2007
In under a year we'll be leaving. So I thought it was no-longer-too-soon to start a blog. We've already made plans, researched places, checked finances, tightened the proverbial belt, emailed faraway exotic locations, dropped hints at work that Time Off Will Be ... [Continue reading this entry]