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Change of Plan!
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A week ago, I was planning a trip to China to meet Darrell for a holiday in May. I chose the country because it was a half way point for us both to meet, without me having to travel all the way to Australia, where Darrell is currently living, caring for his Mother. A few days ago, along with my Aunt who is also travelling with me, we decided to change our destination. The process of obtaining visas was just too painstaking and difficult to achieve before our planned departure on the 29th April. Trying to co-ordinate Chinese paperwork and the booking of flights and hotels, with a month to go and no guarantee of having the application accepted was just too much of a risk to take. I didn’t want to arrange a holiday, that was going to cost thousands of pounds, with only a few short weeks before our departure. If the visa was turned down at the last minute, we would have both lost a substantial amount of money.
Last week we looked at the alternatives and came up with a new plan of action. Rather than flying to China, we have decided to visit four Asian Countries in three weeks, quite an undertaking when you consider the distances involved. First we will fly to Vietnam as originally planned, followed by Hong Kong; onwards to South Korea and finally to Cambodia.
There is a lot to plan before we go. I am interested in visiting the demilitarised zone in South Korea and want to experience the real Asia while I am there. Street food, sight seeing and occasional relaxation is top of my list of things to do. I haven’t had a holiday in three years now, so am looking forward to my time away from the UK. I am however disappointed that I will not be able to visit China, my destination of choice, but the archaic process of navigating this country is just too demanding, especially as independent tourists.
This will not be a cheap undertaking, we will not be backpacking while we are away. We will be staying in first class hotels and an apartment in Seoul. I want to experience the real South Korea, as I know my Aunt does, so living and shopping as the South Koreans do for a week will be an unforgettable experience. I know I speak for all of us, when I say how important it is to travel unaided. I have never been a person who likes to stick to a schedule, eat at set times and follow a strict itinerary; I need to travel freely, at my own pace and do what I want, not what I am told. This is not an easy option, but it will be a character building exercise, full of new and wonderful encounters, that none of us will forget in a hurry. Above all it will allow Darrell and I to spend a short time together, before he returns to Australia and I go back to the UK. My life may well be difficult at the moment, but it certainly isn’t dull. How many people get to travel as extensively as I do? Not many, that's for sure!
With only a few months to go, we all have a lot of organising to do and money to save, but the end result will be worth it. Any advice from the readers of ‘Roaming Brit’ is of course welcome. If you have journeyed to any of the countries we are visiting, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Last week we looked at the alternatives and came up with a new plan of action. Rather than flying to China, we have decided to visit four Asian Countries in three weeks, quite an undertaking when you consider the distances involved. First we will fly to Vietnam as originally planned, followed by Hong Kong; onwards to South Korea and finally to Cambodia.
There is a lot to plan before we go. I am interested in visiting the demilitarised zone in South Korea and want to experience the real Asia while I am there. Street food, sight seeing and occasional relaxation is top of my list of things to do. I haven’t had a holiday in three years now, so am looking forward to my time away from the UK. I am however disappointed that I will not be able to visit China, my destination of choice, but the archaic process of navigating this country is just too demanding, especially as independent tourists.
This will not be a cheap undertaking, we will not be backpacking while we are away. We will be staying in first class hotels and an apartment in Seoul. I want to experience the real South Korea, as I know my Aunt does, so living and shopping as the South Koreans do for a week will be an unforgettable experience. I know I speak for all of us, when I say how important it is to travel unaided. I have never been a person who likes to stick to a schedule, eat at set times and follow a strict itinerary; I need to travel freely, at my own pace and do what I want, not what I am told. This is not an easy option, but it will be a character building exercise, full of new and wonderful encounters, that none of us will forget in a hurry. Above all it will allow Darrell and I to spend a short time together, before he returns to Australia and I go back to the UK. My life may well be difficult at the moment, but it certainly isn’t dull. How many people get to travel as extensively as I do? Not many, that's for sure!
With only a few months to go, we all have a lot of organising to do and money to save, but the end result will be worth it. Any advice from the readers of ‘Roaming Brit’ is of course welcome. If you have journeyed to any of the countries we are visiting, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
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