Evolution of a Traveler, Part 4

In 2007 I ventured off to Egypt, I wanted to see the pyramids. I found something much different when I was there. I liked seeing the pyramids and all the ancient stuff, but the difference in the culture was so dramatic, and often in a good way. The other thing I liked was that on this tour, which was with Contiki, we only had 20 people on it, the smaller tour size made a big difference. I should also mention that our tour guide was an Egyptian and he was amazing, really made us Westerners understand life in Egypt.

While cruising on the Nile we stopped in some smaller towns/cities. These places gave a glimpse of what life was like thousands of years ago. While technology has come here, there are satellite dishes everywhere, it's obvious some things have changed very little. I guess when you live in a small town and have little need to travel a donkey is just as good as a car. Also, if you live in a mud brick house you don't really need an air conditioner. Life seemed simpler. Even in Cairo things seemed simpler. Just build a building anywhere and don't finish it, then you don't have to pay taxes on it. It was pretty bizarre but it made sense once I had this conversation with Sherif, my Tour Manager:
Sherif: Poor people at home don't do that?
Me: No, you have to get a permit to do work. If you don't get a permit when you build you have to get it when you sell the house.
Sherif: Well here we just pass it down through the family, they don't sell it.
Me: Well then the neighbors might call and report you.
Sherif: That's not very nice.
I'm not ready to move to Egypt just yet, but I can appreciate keeping things simple. It seems that things just get more and more complicated here at home, and the more complicated things get the more there is a need to make new rules and regulations, making things more complicated.

My tour only had 20 people on it and we really jelled as a group. I wont tell you that everyone liked each other and that we were all one big happy family. But we were all friendly and everyone got along and many of us have continued to keep in contact in the past 2 years. I also felt like everyone in the group was always willing and able to help each other out. I think part of it had to do with being in Egypt, but also I felt that since we were a smaller group we got to know each other well and also had to count on each other a bit more. When I did my tours with groups of 50 people I did have good groups, but with the size it can be hard to get to know everyone (or easy to never get to know people), and even with a great group it's hard to really jell as an entire group, you're more likely to get cliques and they're more likely to isolate themselves from the group. After this tour I'm more interested in trying to do things with smaller groups. A friend of mine did a 38 day tour of SE Asia in 2006 with Intrepid Travel, which has small group tours, from his writing I like Intripid. Groups max out at 12 or 16 and the tour company tries to help you get to know the communities more then Contiki does, both pluses.

In my future travel I'm looking to either tour with smaller groups or to spend more time in one place. I think if my tour had rushed through Egypt more then it did (I was there 10 days), then I wouldn't have had a chance to get to know Egypt and the culture. Unfortunately, I have to work and I'm not rich in money so sometimes I have to compromise and that's why I like tours. They get you to see several different places in a short amount of time without wasting a lot of time.

Figuring out costs

I've been working on the costs of my different trip options for the fall. I broke down tour costs, flight estimates, food estimates. I have not included the costs of admission to museums and such, as well as buying souvenirs. I fully expect prices to change a bit, as well as the value of the dollar vs the euro and the pound. Also Airfare can certainly change in the meantime. But I wanted to get an idea of the costs. Would it be worth it to go to Edinburgh instead of doing the 2 week tour as a cost saving measure, or would the price end up fairly similar?

The exchange rate I used was 1:32 dollar to the euro, and 1.44 dollar to the pound, the rate when I was doing the actual pricing. The pound is the lowest I've ever seen it, hopefully it doesn't go back up.

The Road to Budapest with Intrepid:
1730 for the tour
528 local payment (400 euros)
868 Airfare non stop round trip from Vienna
100 train from Budapest back to Vienna
521 estimate for meals based on Intrepids recommendation
Total: 3747
I will probably also need to get a hotel for an additional night in either Vienna or Budapest for the last Saturday into Sunday when I would fly home. I may also need a hotel for the night before the tour starts.

Bohemia and Beyond with Intripid:
1925 for the tour
528 local payment (400 euro)
803 for airfare (JFK to Berlin, Venice to JFK)
521 for meals based on Intrepids recommendation
Total: 3777
I may also need a hotel room for the night before or after the tour.

Scotland
My plans are to stay in hostels, more for the social aspect then for the price aspect. Subsequently I would prefer smaller rooms, 4 people instead of 8+.
786 Round trip flight to Edinburgh
235 3 day Haggis Tour without upgraded hostel accommodations
64 meals based on Haggis estimate of food costs
103 3 Nights in a 4 woman dorm at St. Christophers Inn Hostel, Edinburgh
30 1 night in Glasgow Hostel, estimate
15 Round trip train from Edinburgh to Glasgow
200 estimate for 5 days of meals
Total: 1433

If I decided to do a 5 day Haggis tour:
403 5 day Haggis tour, without upgrading the hostel accommodation
108 meals for 5 days on Haggis Tour
Adjusted total: 1546

Obviously Edinburgh would be the cheaper option, even if I decided to upgrade some of my accommodations or decided on some more expensive meals. The two Intrepid Tours will work out to cost me about the same amount. Of note is that Bohemia and Beyond tour is a Basix Tour and the Road to Budapest is an Original Tour which should have some nice accommodations.

Fall Travel Plans

I haven't been overseas since I went to Egypt in 2007, it's been 2 years now and I'm itching to go back. I gave it a bunch of thought and I want to go to Eastern Europe (Turkey was also a consideration, but I decided to put that off for now). I have asked my friend Jen from my Egypt trip if she is interested since we had discussed going to Eastern Europe last year.

I'm looking at 4 different tours, Contiki's Eastern Road which is a 2 week tour. Then there is Gap Adventures tour Best of Eastern Europe, also a 2 week tour. Then finally I am looking at 2 Intrepid Tours, which are currently my first two choices.
The first is the Road to Budapest and the second is Bohemia and Beyond. I like the smaller size of the Intrepid tours, as well as how they try to get you to know the locals. The two tours visit a lot of the same places, but one is a basix tour (the more expensive one), and the other is a comfort tour.

I have a couple things to work out though before deciding, a bunch of expensive dental work, picking my vacation time at work,I'm awaiting a transfer at work which could screw up my vacation picks and how much Hawaii is going to cost. Maybe someone will give me some free money in the meantime???

Evolution of a Traveler, Part 1

I'm starting a series of posts called "Evolution of a Traveler." I'm the traveler and these posts will talk about my journey as a traveler and how I've evolved. Here is part 1...

Many years ago a friend of mine took a tour with a company called Contiki and suggested that I tour when them when I finished college. Our friendship didn't last but the advice did. In 2002 I booked a tour with Contiki that covered part of the US - a 6 day tour called California Highlights. My introduction to the tour was on the first morning in Las Vegas when I boarded the bus and met Ty. It was around 7am and his introduction included the fact that he was drunk and hadn't been to bed yet, I knew at that moment this was going to be a good trip. In 6 days I transformed as a person. I started to see the wold in a new way, this was not an alcohol induced vision. I'm not sure if it was the places I saw or the people I met. The tour was filled with Aussies and people from a few other countries, but there were several peple on Around the World trips. Huh? People get to take 6 months or a year off of work and travel the world, where do I sign up for this plan? I came home and spent a week looking at my normal life from the outside; lets just say I wasn't impressed. Quitting my job went through my head, but I was sensible enough to realize I had to have a plan before that. 7 years later I still have my job and am still working on my plan. I get 5 weeks vacation so I have ample opportunity to travel and figure out what I want to do and how I want to do it. But after that trip my life started on a new course.