planning
We were a bit tardy in planning this year (because our initial plans fell through) but it looks like we’ll be spending Chinese New Years in South Africa, shooting big game (with cameras only). We’ll be spending time in the Kruger national Park and the Madikwe Game Reserve; I’m not sure I would call this trip a ‘safari’ since we’ll be sleeping in the same place for a few nights in a row in each place, but that’s the general idea.
There are only two problems with the trip: first, one of my bosses (from the Netherlands) will be on holiday in South Africa at the same tme, and I think might even be in Kruger NP at the same time! Oops. However, he’s a good guy and being Dutch, I think he will be able to leave work-talk behind if we do happen to run into him and his famliy.
And second, there’s the point Ted raised: what do we do next? An African safari was always one of those things we wanted to do, and so was the Ice Hotel we went to last year. And the visit to the Pyramids, and the one to Antarctica. We need to put more adventures on our “bucket” list! (That is, the list of things we want to do before we kick the bucket.)
After we get back, I’ll only have a bit over a month before starting work in the Netherlands. Planning that transition is tricky. What I’d like to do is to have a week off here before leaving for packing and a week off there after arriving. However, that’s not working out well; for one thing I may not have any vacation time left to take here, since they’ve prorated my available time. Second, I’m supposed to start there on April 1 – but April 2 is Good Friday, and we have April 5 off for Easter Monday. That means all the stores will be closed there, which is not helpful for settling in! This is tricky… I think what I’ll have to do is take a week off here and then only two days there.
January 12th, 2010 at 5:54 am
Dear Paula and Ted,
Have a great time in South Africa! I can’t wait to see the pictures — Hope the move goes well
take care
Sally
January 12th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Even funnier, two of my best friends wil be havingtheir vacation in South Africa at around the same time… But, being Dutch, they will _not_ talk about work (grin) (thier names are Netty and Frans…)
We need to put more adventures on our “bucket” list! (That is, the list of things we want to do before we kick the bucket.)
How about:
taking a tree top swinging Eco tour in the woods of France?;
Go on a pelgimage tour from the Northern part of the Netherlands to Santiago de Compostello in Spain (at leasrt: walk part of it and no: one does not have to be a believer, the walk as such is ctammed with medieval tourist sites and towns from Roman times up till the Renaissance;
go by boat (rowing?) from the Netherlands to Southern France, through all thei r old locks.. adn figure out part of the route of Remy from “Sans famille” by Hector MAlot;
travel at least part of the Old Silk route… ending up in Venice… visit the Megaliths stones adn burial places all over Europe, adn compare them from Karnac to Drenthe…;’
go by bicycle up the Mount Ventoux;
or outside Eurpe:
visit the ruins of Angkor Vat; visit the Borobudur;
travel from Chile to Patagonia adn catch the sea elephants on the beach (by camera) ;
cross Street of Magellaen by sailing ship;
drift down the Amazon;
I will leave it to our Australian friends to give their suggestions…
Easter weekend indeed a rather quiet descends on the Netherlands, (but not for those who work in the tourist industry) so that is a difficult time to arrive… all the best with it!
Grada