I am a spoiled traveller and it’s all…

28 November, Sunday evening; Nairobi, Kenya. I feel that I must preface this blog that I wrote before arriving in Kenya and dealing with our baggage situation. I have it good. I have it really good. I have a comfy life, my health, a safe work/home environment and great opportunities. Many are blessings bestowed upon me and many are things I work hard to achieve. It’s so easy to forget this or to get so wrapped up in our own lives. Complaining about our travel woes can sometimes seem shallow when I put things in perspective. I keep thinking about my complaining while a friend of ours deals with tough news about his health, while I see rampant poverty and people in seriously crappy situations. I find it interesting that I was thinking before, why didn’t I choose to stay in the 5* hotel in Cape Town and be luxuriated on our honeymoon. That thought now seems so trivial. Our hotel for 1 night in Kenya was a budget hotel chosen by our tour company for a budget tour. It was adequate and clean by local standards, but certainly not by normal American standards. The shower was kind of gross, the light switches were nasty, our TV didn’t work, there was a weird smear at the bottom of the bed sheet, the furniture had seen its day way back in the 1980’s, and I’m being generous. But the facilities were sufficient and the staff was fairly friendly and helpful. I would definitely not stay at a place like this in the US, but, hey, I’m not in the US and it’s just one night. We’re staying there on our last night in Kenya after our 17 days of camping and I bet it’s going to feel so luxurious at that point. But I’ll probably still touch the light switches with my sleeve pulled up…I’m not that adjusted Smile

. International travel is a great way to force yourself to step away from a perfectly-planned itinerary. It’s a lesson in rolling with the punches and improvising and I highly recommend it to everyone that has the means. 26 November, Friday; Cape Town, South Africa. OK, so maybe it’s not ALL Ben’s fault, but it’s certainly the main factor. Those who have travelled with me before, Ben included, know that I can be a bit of a frugal traveller. I prefer to get local transport from the airport or around town – subway, bus, etc. to avoid high taxi costs. I’m always armed with the subway or bus map. Even if a taxi is only a few dollars, why would I do that – I can walk or hop on the bus. Ben is the opposite. Don’t get me wrong – he’ll walk (and stop and take photos every block along the way). It was only about 18 months ago that I finally got him on the MUNI in San Francisco. But get Ben to take the subway to/from the airport – it’s like pulling teeth. I’ve since conceded to taxi travel more often, but I haven’t given up keeping a public transport map/app on my iPhone! I remember a specific trip to Madrid with my friend Tanya. She made me agree beforehand that I wouldn’t complain about anything that was under $10. She also insisted that we have a nice meal at a fancy paella restaurant on our last night and she very kindly paid. That was a good start for me and a good rule for travelling companions. I can’t really say what my new tolerance level is, but it does depend on what kind of activity. I’ve never missed out on a museum or attraction due to costs, but used to shy away from restaurants if the entree was over $10ish. After living in San Francisco, if an main dish is under $20, I think I’m getting a fantastic deal. Nowadays, dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine under $100 is on a budget to me! I’ve become used to San Francisco costs. To be honest, I rarely even look at menu prices when choosing a restaurant anymore. THAT part is 100% Ben’s fault! Not too long ago, Ben and I were both budget-conscious travellers (most of the time). We’ve both upped our standards a bit since then, though somewhat unevenly. When we first started dating, Ben always wanted to stay at the Marriott and I would want to be at the Best Western. I do have to caveat Ben’s desire to stay at the Mariott – he does have a ton of points there. A recent flip on this, however, was when I decided on our trip to Tucson that the JW Marriott wasn’t “good enough” (Ben’s description!) and I just HAD to stay at the Ritz Carlton. My explanation is that the Ritz was $10 more…why not? I still think that my overall hotel standards are lower than Ben’s, but my expectations/desires on a non-city trip are often higher. I can’t help it….after a few stays at 5* hotels, you start comparing everything to your stays there. The staff didn’t bother to learn my name? I wasn’t greeted with a warm, genuine smile by every staff member? What, no soaking tub in the bathroom? The spa doesn’t have a sauna AND a steam room? I do try to remember to keep this in perspective, though. On the very day that I write this post, we drove past a shanty town on the way to airport. Seeing that poverty really makes you think about things. I am VERY thankful that I am blessed with the opportunity to travel and the ability to eat at nice restaurants and stay in 5* hotels [every once in a while]. In the meantime, I’ll be roughing it for the next 3 weeks on a participatory group camping trip. And I don’t mean the luxury tented camps….real put-up-you-own-tent-and-sleep-on-the-ground camping. I will certainly be looking forward to our luxury stay on Pemba island in Tanzania afterwards, though. Smile

I am a spoiled traveller and it’s all Ben’s fault