*friendship*
“Maybe you guys could escort us on our first ever out of western civilisation trip.”
So suggested good friends a couple of years ago when we were tentatively dicussing maybe possibly perhaps going to the UK via Malaysia. They would come for the Malaysia leg.
When our plans firmed up more recently we threw the ball into their court again.
A couple of months ago they threw it back.
“What would it cost us? Where could we go? What would we do? Should we bring the two-year-old?”
It only took us a couple of hours to answer all the questions with ideas and suggestions and what-we-would-do-if-we-were-you-s.
But they couldn’t decide.
Then last Tuesday Mr Uncertain gave himself a deadline: Saturday morning.
Mrs Hopeful’s eyes sparkled in anticipation at the closeness of the decision.
And we waited.
By mid-morning we had to text them.
They returned texts, one word at a time:
We
…
…
have
…
…
decided
…
…
that
…
…
you should be patient.
Grr!!!!!!! But before we knew it, they were telling us they would come, two-year-old-n-all.
How exciting!!
And the mad scramble for finding flights in peak season began.
But they’re not going to Malaysia.
They’re jumping in the deep end.
**Christmas in Cambodia**
We’ll all meet up in Bangkok and then travel together by train into The Unknown.
We told them about temples and cultural experiences they cannot imagine from the comfort of New Zealand; their research had brought to their attention landmines, high temperatures and spicy food. We added snakes to the mix and turned the conversation towards something less risky.
How can you reassure someone when you’re actually a bit nervous yourself?
You can’t promise it will be all right.
You don’t even know what it will be like.
You know your own limitations, but you can only guess at theirs.
What a journey it is going to be as we walk through our apprehensions side by side, visiting 800 year old temples, an enormous rubbish dump which is home to thousands, the Killing Fields, orphanages, schools and who-knows-what-else. We’re yet to write the itinerary together.
Tags: itinerary, preparation
rayres
That IS exciting!! (Jealous, lol.)
AAGGHH?!!!
i’ve already almost been on two trips to cambodia but fleur says she’ll disown me if i go there on a m*ssions trip lol. cambodia for christmas sounds wa-a-a-ay more our cuppa tea.
funny, we were talking about the possibility/probability of me getting a “real job” one day soonish and Bulldog was brainstorming all the fabulous global trips we could make if/when we added some more dosh to the pot.
cambodia certainly came up.
as did paris….
luff u guys X
get that m word outta here!!!!!
you just hop on santa’s sleigh and meet us at top banana guesthouse. deal?
deal. this year or next? X
We’ll be there this year, so you better get your katie-skaties on.