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We have done so many bone head moves traveling and have had so many close calls in potentially dangerous situations, that I had to add a part two to our list.  So here are some more ridiculous situations that could have gone bad, but luckily didn’t and now we can laugh about them.
5; Having semi automatics (maybe they were fully automatic, I don’t know my guns, but they were huge!) pointed at us as we cycled through the Sudan.  Sure these guys were there to guard, us but when a truck full of militia pulls up in front of you with a high powered gun mounted in the box, it can be a little nerve racking.  They got a kick out of these crazy cyclist riding in the desert and they would drive in front of us forever with their guns aimed.  The good news is they had big smiles and were always waving.  We just prayed that their finger didn’t slip.

4; Running out of gas on the autobahn. We rented a fabulous little car called a Twingo, it went forever on a tank of gas and we had no problem pushing it to the limit.  Gas is expensive in Europe and we made sure to use my sister’s military coupons to give us a nice discount. She now works for NATO (sorry- just had to put that in, it’s a cool job.)  Unfortunately we could only use our coupons in Germany and Belgium. We are notoriously cheap, and really thought we could make it last. So after driving from Germany to Vimy Ridge, Calais, Paris and back we were running extremely low on gas.  We had been on empty for several kms and now the highway had gone down to one lane in rush hour.  We couldn’t see and exit in sight and we were sweating bullets.  I am not exaggerating when I say that we went at least another 30km (my memory tells me 60, but it has probably gotten inflated over the years in my mind) on empty and still didn’t run out of gas! We were sure that we were going to stall in this construction zone.  Concrete barricades were on either side of us and we wondered how a tow truck would even get to us.  Stupid Canadian tourists that we were.  I seriously have to tell you that we had a severe panic attack, but we eventually made it to a cut off and luckily a gas station was not far down the road.

3; Almost being left behind in the sand dunes of Mui Ne in Vietnam because I had the nerve to complain about the service of our tour. We were in the middle of nowhere, the sun was going down and I complained that we weren’t going sand boarding when that was the part of the trip that our guide had sold us on. I learned the hard way not to ever make a Vietnamese man lose face in public.  Luckily an NGO was in our group that lived in Vietnam and spoke the language. He smoothed things over after several heated discussions and threats. I had to apologize in a grand gesture in front of everybody and he finally agreed to take me back to the bungalow. Thank God, it was late and he was going to leave me behind in the desert.  Wow, I had never seen such anger in a man’s face before in my life.  The NGO said offhandedly that I was lucky we were in Vietnam and not Cambodia. He said that they just would have shot me in Cambodia.  Luckily they have severe penalties in Vietnam, Woah, thank God I couldn’t understand what they were saying.  He must have been infuriated with me. I was pretty uncomfortable staying there the next few days, since he was the manager of my guest house.

2; Being eaten by fire ants in Honduras.  Dave was being a good Samaritan helping to take everyone’s back packs off our local bus in Honduras.  He put his down and continued to heave luggage handed to him out the window.  It was getting dark and once he had finished, he threw on his pack.  It all happened so fast, I didn’t know what had happened.  All I saw was Dave dancing around like a maniac slapping at his body.  Suddenly his white shirt turned black as thousands of Ants swarmed.  Luckily a quick thinking fellow traveler grabbed some medical gloves from out of nowhere and started brushing off the bugs.  I was busy looking for the bug spray in my back pack (right as if that would have done any good) and was no help whatsoever.  As the local people laughed, our well prepared friend swiped all of them away with little damage to himself. Where he pulled those medical gloves out of, I’ll never know. But I am sure glad that he was there. Dave didn’t have a reaction  to the ant bites luckily, but he has certainly developed a phobia of Ants.

1; Motorcycle accident in Thailand. It was our first trip to Thailand and we were newbie adventure travelers.  We had just got off the ferry in Ko Samui and during our tuk tuk ride, we noticed that several people had bandages on their faces, legs and arms.  We thought that there must be a coral break that people were surfing on or something and never thought anything of it.  The next day we rented a motorbike to tour the island and had a fantastic day.  That is until we turned a corner and lost it on some loose gravel.  We wiped out and both suffered 2nd degree burns on our calf and thigh.  Dave on the muffler and I on the back tire. Dave’s was far worse than mine and both our legs eventually became infected since we didn’t go to the hospital right away.  We made our way to the hospital after many nice people tried to help us by giving us aloe and putting iodine on them, but they only got worse in the heat and humidity. We thought that we would go and get some nice pain killers and be all better at the hospital, but instead and they proceeded to clean Dave’s wound with a razor blade as he bit on a towel. To add insult to injury, they poured pure iodine on the wound after the fact.  I had it a little easier, mine wasn’t quite as bad, so they just peeled away the skin with a big cotton swab.  It was bad, it might as well have been a razor blad.  That cotton swab on a fresh burn felt like fire. We had to keep going back for 3 days to have them change the bandages. And each time was very painful because every day our skin would get stuck in the dressings. We hobbled back and forth from our hotel to the hospital in bandages like the rest of the tourists on the island. And locals laughed  at us yelling, Motorcycle? Motorcycle?  When we got back to Canada we went to the doctors and he said that they did an amazing job cleaning the wounds.  It is 10 years later and neither of us have scars.  So, if you ever burn yourself, just grab a straight razor and scrape away at the burnt flesh until nice new bright red skin is showing. Just make sure that you have a towel to bite on.

Oh. PS Being typical Dave and Deb we were more worried about what we would have to pay for the damages to the bike rather than worrying about our legs.  Luckily we crashed close to a repair shop and they hammered out the pedal for us and straightened out a couple of other things.  We had a few scrapes in the paint, but they didn’t notice when we returned it, thank God. Can you believe, here we are with burns as big as my entire calf and daves entire inner thigh and instead we are busy at the shop fixing the bike.  Ridiculous.

Honorable Mentions.

3; Knee infection in Africa.  Many have read and heard about my knee infection, I have written about it in detail in Tanzania, but it really was one of the scariest travel experiences we have had. My small cut in Tanzania, turned into a serious case of cellulitus.  Infection spread from my ankle to my hip and it was impossible to walk or even move.  The pain was unbearable and antibiotics refused to work.  I went to 2 different hospitals, my leg swelled up so much that the doctor thought that I broke my tibia, and I was worried I was going to have to go home, that is if I could get a ride somewhere to civilization.  The most excruciating pain of my life, but 10 days it cleared up enough to let me continue riding down the continent.  Now I can’t even remember the pain.

2; Climbing in Thailand. We were standing on the beach waiting for our next climb, when out of the blue; a body falls right beside us.  He jumps up and shakes it off, but seriously, he could have died. Apparantly they ran out of rope and the end wasn’t tied off, so it just slipped through the gri gri leaving the climber in a free fall.  These guides had our lives in their hands, so we were a little nervous.  We then proceeded to do our first multipitch climb with a figure 8 descender instead of a gri gri which I am used to. Needless to say, I was white knuckled the entire climb.

1; Driving in a van from Vientianne to Vang Vieng in Laos .   Armed bandits tried to wave us down as we passed.  It is known to be a dangerous highway and when we were there anyway, it was not uncommon for tourists to be shot.  Luckily our driver didn’t stop.

About the city

The crowd is attracted to sparkling ski slopes of the Alps, sunlit vineyards and sun-baked beaches of this beautiful country. France is a country which draws more tourists than any other country. It is easy to see why this is the case given France’s great reputation for fine wines, good food, high fashion and relaxed lifestyle. But while France is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink till your heart is content, there’s much more to this fascinating country than only cutting-edge cuisines. Spring is the best time to be here, and those interested in winter sports can drop at the Alps and Pyrenees with some polar gear. The summers are very hot and winters are moderate. An all-weather coat and pair of comfortable shoes are a must. Women, especially, should carry cocktail dresses as some of the restaurants ask for it. When visiting any religious site, refrain from wearing sleeveless shirt and shorts, as they are disliked at such places.  

Culture

English is widely spoken here, although French is the official language. Handshaking is customary greeting and women should be kissed on both cheeks and should be addressed as Monsieur or Madame. French people are popularly known for their like for stylish sportswear and of course perfumes. Nudism is allowed on some beaches only. Social functions, fine restaurants, and clubs call for more formal dressing. When at a formal dinner, wait till the host gestures to start the dinner. Smoking is banned in public places.

Site Seeing

Paris, the city of love, is a massive city with many attractions in reachable distance thanks to the highly efficient public transport system. It boasts of more than 80 museums and 200 arts galleries. A trip to Disney land and the magnificent Eiffel tower will make the trip worthwhile. The attractive tourists spots are the Arc de triomphe which spans over the tomb of an unknown soldier, the forbidding gothic architecture of the Notre Dame cathedral, the picturesque Sacre Coeur, to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Moulin Rouge and boat tours along the Seine. Get the Carte Musees-Monuments pass, which gives access to 70 monuments and museums.

Shopping

Although service tax is included in the bill, a humble tip won’t cost much. An extra dollar can be given as tip to the waiter. A tip of $2 can be left for the bus drivers.                   Electricity

220-volt, 50-cycle AC current. Getting There

The national airline that operates here is Air France. Many low-cost airlines, too, provide services from UK. Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy-Charles de Gaulle is the major airport of France, which is 23km away from the city. Coaches, taxis, limousines services are provided at the airport. The railway facility provided by the airport, claims to reach all the terminals within eight minutes. These trains run 24 hours. The other airports that offer flight services are Paris-Orly, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Toulouse.

Ferry and cruise trips can be made from ports such as Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean, and Havre.

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco

2. 1liter of spirits over 22 per cent or 2liter of alcoholic beverage up to 22 per cent

3. 2liter of wine

4. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette

5. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract

6. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract

Food and agricultural products should be avoided.

The summer of 2005, my friend and I decided to apply for a summer program as part of our graduate degree and travel from United States to Europe and specifically to Brugges in Belgium, so as to attend an intensive seminar at The College of Europe on Politics, Policies, Lobbying and the European Union. Although I have never visited Belgium before, I was really excited to discover, while browsing the internet, that I was about to visit one gorgeous and historical city of the “Old Continent,” while enhancing my academic knowledge and meeting new people.

Before leaving the US we printed any information we could find regarding the city’s tourist locations, interesting cafes and historic buildings. Although Brugges is a very small town, it offers a lot of possibilities to those interested in exploring its excitements. But even if it surpassed our expectations, visiting only one European town or country seemed a waste for such a trip. Thus, we decided in advance to research the opportunities a young graduate student has while traveling around in Europe and the most convenient, cheap and interesting way to go from city to city and country to country was via train. The Eurorail trains are the simpler way people have to visit a variety of European destinations, as boarding a train actually offers to the adventure-seekers the possibility of having an extraordinary trip and admiring the countryside in the meantime.

In fact, upon the completion of the summer program, we packed our bags and traveled from Brussels to Amsterdam. The Netherlands’ capital was a combination of beauty and adventure. The city streets, the people walking or bicycling around, the nice weather and its countless river docks create a unique combination of images, which are food for hungry eyes-like ours. Since we had less than 48 hours available to see as much as possible, we decided to pay a visit at the Van Gogh Museum, walk the Red District by night, and of course take the tram to travel through the city and gaze its unbelievable beat.

Next stop was Paris, France. Lucky as we were to find an available and affordable room as soon as we got off the train station, the next thing was to find a map of the city and its incredible metro system and travel around to check everything! Notre Dame, bridges, the Eiffel Tower, the Bastille, Champs-Élysées, small cafes and long walks across the Seine River or through the area of Montmartre, made our stay in Paris unforgettable. In fact, one of the best pictures we got from this trip was in front of the Arc de Triomphe and we took it by ourselves-both faces appear on the frame. Monte Carlo was our next and most expensive destination, but its beaches and sun gave our trip a legendary feel.

Next, we visited Italy. Florence and Venice, two of the most important trade cities in Europe offered us some life-time opportunities. Historical monuments, paved streets, canals, museums, restaurants and Italian cafes convinced us that Italy is actually much more than an interesting destination. In fact, I fall-in-love with almost every single building we crossed and by the time we had to catch our plain back, I though we have made a huge mistake; our eight day trip should have lasted a lifetime.

‘Are you sure you’ll be warm enough? Have you got some water? Have you been to the loo?’ Ah yes, the travel realities of parents and children. Except this time it was me, the 27-year-old making sure my 59-year-old mother was equipped for a day of Louvre-ing in Paris.

The last time I went on holiday with Mum, I was 17 with an attitude problem; she was the overbearing, ‘brush your hair dear’ fun-lover. So, had things changed now, after returning from a three-week European adventure?

There are plenty of articles out there about traveling with kids— the ones of an age that need shoe laces tied, to be constantly entertained and who scream when you suggest they try some brie instead of Kraft cheese sticks. But what about an adult child traveling with their older parent? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Advantages

–Money brings richness:

In most cases, money means a more enjoyable holiday; better accommodation, delicious food and actually being able to go up the Eiffel tower. When an adult child can bring money to the experience instead of being a burden begging for a Mickey Mouse toy from Euro-Disney, there are opportunities for richer experiences.

–Mind over matter

While in Switzerland, I was riding a bicycle at breakneck speed (well…I exaggerate a tad)— Mum eventually caught up. ‘Why are you riding so fast? Look around you.’ And instead of focusing on the road, I looked up—she was right. Blue sky with a frieze of jagged mountain ranges, cows with bells, farmhouses like out of chocolate advertisements. Mum’s mature ‘smell the roses’ attitude of an older parent can bring more inspiring experiences. And vice-versa; conversations about a nations’ political system are far more engaging over a limoncello than ‘I wanna see Disneyland’.

–Flesh out those skeletons

Every family has a skeleton or two rattling about in the closet. As a child, they remained bony, and remain so when afternoon teas don’t exactly provide to backdrop to flesh out Aunt watsername never got married and why uncle hoosit isn’t invited to Christmas.
After a few vinos one night Mum and I got into an introspective mood and chatted about the past; what it’s like for her to have found true love at last, her family background, what I should do with my life. Being in a foreign place allowed us to explore the comfort zone of our usual conversation topics.

Disadvantages

While it’s all sounding like a living Hallmark card, beware the disadvantages of traveling as a parent with an adult child.

Freaky Friday Forever

The days of being spoon-fed are at the extremes of life; when as a child the airplane of peas came to you. Then there comes the time when that spoon feeder has ‘senior’s moments’, and general vagueness which give a doorway into future senility. The adult child then takes over the role of parent.

Observe:
Still walking around in a jet-lag haze, Mum and I were choosing some munchies at a Parisian Supermarche…
Me: “Would you like some carrots? How about some tomatoes? This cheese is nice—”
Mum: “Arg! Let me think!”
Me: “Are you feeling OK? Do you need a rest? I can take you back to the hotel— “
Mum: “Shush! I’m not a 5 year old!”
But truth was in a way, she was. Tired and cranky, I expected her to chuck a tantrum right there next to the fromage frais. And she would have gotten lost back to the hotel in the rabbit warren of the Paris Metro and streets. After a few days and more sleep, eventually I learned not to be so patronising, and Mum let me take the reins a bit more.
When one or both of you can’t get past the role reversal; for the younger realising their parent’s mortality— for the older, being babied, then such a travel arrangement is destined for disaster.

Fitness levels

Even if you get on like best friends, there are the practicalities to contend with. Levels of health and fitness are required for even the most sedate bus tour or standing in museums, tolerating foreign foods and nipping around crazy traffic. While age does not necessarily equate to fitness, there may be a disparity between each of you. A better holiday is one where you are both of about the same huff and puff, rather than impatient waiting at the tops of stairs.

So, should you travel with a parent/child?
With the baby boomer generation bounding into retirement, and having inheritances to blow and time free to do it, there comes the opportunity for travel. This may be with a spouse or alone, or with a child of adult age, who is financially independent.
As with any travel buddy, choose wisely— similar expectations and abilities, as well as personality compatibility are essential. But the benefits may well be worth it—a special bonding between parent and child, before it’s too late.