I don't think I have ever spent as long with my daughter, son in law & 2 grandsons before. In fact we have rarely been on holiday together - I think this is the 3rd time. I am not used to more or less continuous company now after 9 years of widowhood. So I was a little concerned that there might be tensions. Although we are family, there are marked differences in age, attitude, personality & perspective. Fortunately I don't think it was a problem - but that's just my perspective!
It was a very active holiday for the Safari & very laid back for the Beach. I was concerned about the physical effect on me for the first & wondered whether I would be able to tolerate the inactivity of the second.
The Safari was a constant source or pleasure for me, not just the wildlife, but the ever changing landscape & the people & culture. I have always used distraction technique for pain & it worked. I was totally engaged in what we were seeing & doing despite the unbelievably bumpy 4WD travelling over dirt roads & even no roads. It exceeded all expectations - the wildlife in particular was really amazing. The only thing we didn't see was Rhino. Having a pride of lions of all ages playing round your Toyota Land Cruiser & seeing a lion kill is much more than I could have imagined.
The beach was a surprise too. I probably needed the relaxation of not having to get up very early & spend hours travelling over rough terrain - I was very tired. I did have a really good book & I did enjoy meeting new people, eating good food, & generally doing none of the things I do at home.
The local people we met both in the Safari Camp & the Beach Resort were all wonderful. It is good to realise that poverty in the developed world is not the same as poverty in Africa & other developing nations. The mere fact that I could afford to take my family on this holiday makes me wealthy beyond the imagining of most people we met - apart from the other tourists of course.
I always return from travelling in less fortunate places aware of the accident of birth that made me so lucky to be well fed & cared for, with a well built home, a free health care & education system & no serious worries. Then there is our relatively uncorrupt, democratic government. How to bridge that huge gap is something which I don't know the answer to.
All everyone that I met who looked after us really wanted was a better life, education & health care & enough food for their children. Half of humanity does not have clean water. It's not a lot to ask. It doesn't seem that we are getting any closer to achieving it for a huge number of people less fortunate than we are.
Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. More than 80 percent of the world's population lives in countries where income differentials are widening.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
Sounds like you had a great holiday Val.
ReplyDeleteI’ve met several people who chose to cruise almost continuously throughout the year - on the grounds that it wasn’t that much more expensive than the living costs of being at home and receiving full care, which was set to increase exponentially as they aged. The advantages were manifest - interesting places to visit in a guided capacity, all meals and domestic arrangements catered for, good friends made in similar situations - the list goes on!! Thinking ‘outside the box’ if you were given the choice between this alternative and a nursing home - which would YOU opt for?! ��