A Prayer for Travelers

I spent last Sunday night at the Embassy Suites in St. Charles, Missouri. While my family is from the adjacent St. Louis area, I was in town to attend the funeral of my husband's grandmother, who lived her latter (wonderful) years at an apartment building just across the road from and outside of our hotel window. We stayed at that particular place to be within minutes of the various events of the weekend and also to support my father-in-law in this hectic and reflective time.

As much as I love the comforts of home (or of someone's home), it was a good decision. The hotel was nice, and the people who worked there and ran it - even nicer. When we checked into our room, we found something on our pillow that I had never seen before -- and believe me, I have spent many a night in a hotel! It was this Embassy Suites' prayer for "The Stranger within our Gates." They said it had ancient roots...and here is a bit of what it said:

"....because this hotel is a human institution to serve people, and not solely a money-making organization..."(this is how they justified putting a prayer on the pillow)...

"We are all travelers. From 'birth till death' we travel between the eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those who know and love you best."

I love that, which is why I had to write it down and share it. And I thought it perfectly fitting to find on the eve of laying a beloved grandmother to rest after her 90 full years on the planet. Here's to you, Ceal.

Airline bereavement fares

My husband and I were looking into travel for one -- and possibly two -- funerals this week. Happy Holidays, right? We're certainly not feeling as festive as in years past.

Anyhow, I started wondering about airline bereavement fares...those "low" fares airlines are supposed to give you if you have to travel for the death, or impending death, of a relative. In my research, I found out some pretty interesting information.

First off, bereavement fares are basically a thing of the past. Yes, they are all but dead and buried. It appears that starting a few years ago, airlines began to gradually cut back or eliminate these fares, to the point where now only a select few carriers offer them, and you'd be hard-pressed to figure out which ones without calling them individually. No, I did not do this...as I did not need to. Why? Because basically airlines have lowered their last-minute walk-up fares enough that they are probably cheaper than any bereavement fare that you would get. And with all of the last-minute discount travel websites out there, you're bound to find an itinerary (and a price) that works for you. Now, since some people are not Internet savvy, or don't care to spend their moments of grief surfing the Web, it does appear that select carriers have empowered their ticket agents to lend a sympathetic discount to relatives -- and sometimes even close friends -- who have to travel last-minute for a funeral...or other medical emergency. Just don't bother looking for information or fares online -- you won't find much, and your time will be better served focusing on more important things, like the reason behind why you're searching for these fares.

A couple of other tips:
-If you live near an airport served by Southwest Airlines, don't just assume they will have the lowest walk-up fare. Much as I love Southwest for a number of reasons, I've been finding lately that they can often be the MOST expensive (unless you have a free ticket).

-Some airlines charge a fee to book frequent flyer mileage tickets last minute...if you can even GET the itinerary you want. If you happen to be so lucky to find availability, don't be afraid to state your case to the airline -- the same way they empower agents to find bereavement or emergency fares using their discretion, they can also waive the fees a lot of times!

Bhutan

My father-in-law is considering a trip to Bhutan (along with a visit to India and the Taj Mahal) with his lifelong friend of at least fifty years. These two journeyed to Machu Picchu and South America together last year, and had no problem reaching the summit -- at around 65 years of age! Clearly I will have to give it a go sometime as well...in the meantime, I'm suggesting they try out for the Amazing Race!

Anyhow, I have offered to do some research for the two as their planning their travels, and here are some interesting things that I've uncovered...

Bhutan is a landlocked country between India and China, and is often called the "Last Shangri-La". Tourism is regulated by the government to preserve the Tibetan Buddhist traditions of the country (and its pristine mountainous environment). The country is currently an absolute monarchy, but in 2008, they will see some major political changes with a new parliamentary democracy and a new constitution. Bhutan is linked historically and culturally with Tibet, but more politically and economically with India (they even widely accept the Indian Rupee). Oh, and they have some immigration issues with Nepal...I'll have to do more reading on that. There is an international airport with limited service in the city of Paro, but the capital and most major city is Thimphu. There is also a town called Phuentsholing, on the Indian border, that is the only other international gateway -- you can enter the country there by bus from Calcutta (there is no train service to Bhutan). The only way to visit Bhutan is to be an invited guest by a local dignitary (good luck), or to book yourself on a packaged tour by a licensed operator. While the government does not officially limit the number of visas it gives out, there is a high tourist tarriff to visit the country, and you are required to spend a minimum of around $200 US dollars per day -- all inclusive, though.

Some other information I found interesting:
-Early Spring (Feb-March) and early Autumn (Sep-Nov) are considered the best times to visit.
-The country is 6 hrs ahead of GMT; 30 min. ahead of India (I find that somewhat strange)
-There are no ATMs in the country, and credit card acceptance is limited
-They have fabulous festivals!
-English appears to be one of two official languages (though many different dialects of languages are spoken)
-You will not find a US embassy there, but you can contact the office of the consulate general of Bhutan in the US at the UN in New York
-The national sport is archery, but soccer is widely popular as well
-Robes are required dress for Bhutanese citizens (women and men), and smoking is banned
-Architecture is stunning and most conform to traditional design (even gas stations!)
-Use of plastic bags is banned
-Two big resort companies just built amazing properties there -- one is called Uma Paro, the other is an Amanresort called Amankora (eg. Amangani in Jackson Hole)
-The focus of the country is more on Gross National Happiness than GDP -- sounds like an uplifting place in more ways than just altitude!

My recent trip to South Africa

I recently returned from a couple of weeks in South Africa, which marked my first trip to the African continent. What an amazing country. The people there are so warm and friendly, and I found the progress since the end of Apartheid to be quite remarkable. Granted, most of my time was spent either in or around Cape Town, or on safari...so I was a world away from much of the crime, poverty and disease that plague a good part of the nation. As a visitor, I realized that it was there, but never found myself face-to-face with it.

This photo was taken in the Madikwe area, a malaria-free game reserve in the Northwest part of the country, near the border with Botswana. Not much had been written on this area - at least in the mainstream travel sources I frequent - but I had a hunch it would be spectacular and was not the least bit disappointed. My travel companions, which included my husband and my sister (who I travel with for work), and I were so impressed with Makanyane safari lodge, where we stayed for the duration of our visit to Madikwe. By chance, we were the only guests staying at the property for a three-day period, so the service -- needless to say -- was impeccable. I suspect it would have been top-notch even if the camp were full, though. Our accomodations were unbelievable...definitely the nicest place I have ever stayed, and I have frequented some good ones! Our ranger, an Afrikaans guy named Dylan, was a total hoot and led us into some pretty amazing "siutations". We had remarkable lion sightings, as well as an exciting encounter with an elephant. Of course we spotted a great deal of other types of game, including rhino, various antelope, zebra, giraffe, etc...but the lions were the highlight. Just a few months before our visit, Dylan had been the ranger for First Lady Laura Bush and her two daughters...he had some fun stories for us.

Other than Madikwe, we visited two other safari camps -- Garonga (in Makalali), and Tinga (in Kruger Park). All were spectacular in their own way, but the Madikwe area set the bar very high! In addition to safari, we started off the trip with a few days in Cape Town. We found the Arabella Sheraton to be a wonderful and centrally-located hotel choice in town, and a great base from which to do side trips to the peninsula and Cape of Good Hope (don't miss the Boulders Beach penguin colony!), and the awe-inspiring wine regions of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. I am spoiled living in California to have top-rate wine areas within an easy drive, but the South African wine region has such stunning mountainous beauty that it's well worth a visit even if you aren't in to wine.

My appetite (and my palate) have been whet for a return visit at some point in the future. Next time, I'm hoping to add on the Garden Route in South Africa, a visit to Zululand, and hopefully an extension of the trip to some of the bordering countries. Oh, and I would be remiss not to mention the game-rich Okavango Delta -- if only we'd had the time this trip!

Embarking on a journey

I've been finding that a lot of things in my life lately are coming full circle...like maybe the universe is trying to speak to me. One thing I've struggled over for the past several years is how to marry all the different aspects of my career and education into something that interests me on a day-to-day level. A few years ago, I left the workaday world to focus my attentions on a new craft and also try my hand as a freelancer. But I had two fairly different paths that I was pursuing simultaneously -- freelance writing (to validate my very expensive and sought after journalism degree), and event planning/travel directing (something I'd always been interested in and finally had a clear opportunity to try). Ultimately, I expected someday I would write about my travels - probably in the form of a book I would compile that was more rich in information than entertainment. Non-fiction, of course...I've never been into fiction for some reason, and generally only appreciate books that give a great sense of place, history, and the like. Same with movies -- I find my favorites are those with incredible cinematography and those that really let you understand and experience the setting, even if that setting is not actually where the movie is filmed (eg. Canada posing as Wyoming!) Anyhow, I will write that book someday, but for now, I'm going to start using this blog as a place to compile my thoughts, research, and plans for all of the exciting journeys I'll have ahead...I hope you find my information useful -- either in planning an upcoming trip, or inspiring you to create a wish list for when you're ready and able to get out and see the world.

Happy Wandering!
-GlobetrotGal