2017 05 Journeys

A complete travelers guide in 4 minutes.  To plan your journey, just ask yourself ten questions:

Where to go, what to see?

How to travel, what to do?

What to spend, how to prepare,

What to take, what to dare?

What to avoid and what to share?

1. Where is first with myriad choices:

Iguazu, Niagara, Victoria Falls,

Taj Mahal, Angkor Wat, Reykjavik,

Normandy, Johannesburg, Tetons, Arches,

Yellowstone, Everest, Machu Picchu, Mumbai,

Tuscany, Barcelona, Antarctica, Alaska,

Egypt, Denali, Petra, Amazon,

Kilimanjaro, Korea, Rapa Nui…or Mars!

2. Then plan what to see:

Rijksmuseum, Hermitage, Louvre, Van Gogh,

Fjords, Tulips, Christmas Markets, Castles,

Terra-cotta Warriors, Windsor, Versailles,

Forbidden City, Parliament, Kremlin, Pushkin, DC,

Neuschwanstein, Stonehenge, Thingvellir, Bayeaux,

Serengeti, Yosemite, Pyramids, Notre Dame, St. Peters Cathedral,

Sydney Opera House, Cable cars,

Gardens—Tivoli, Kew, Butchart,

Moai, Aurora, Eclipse, Calving glaciers, catacombs, hippos,

Tigers, Monkeys, sloths, amusement parks.

3. So how to travel?

Boat, Air, Drive, Walk, roller skate,

Bicycle, Crawl, Scooter, bus,

Uber, Lyft, taxi, shuttle,

Coach, Limo, Raft, Climb.

Helicopter, Train, Gondola, Double-decker sightseer,

Dog sled, Camel, Llama, Ski, Snowshoes,

Snowmobile, parasail, ultra-light…hmm.

4. What to do?

Backpack, Bungie jump, bicycle, surf,

Symphony, Opera, musical play,

Ski, swim, scuba, snorkel, Mai tai and marguerita,

Parasail, parachute, camel ride, roller coaster,

Snorkel, kayak, walk, spelunk,

Fish, birdwatch, hunt, golf

Tennis, soccer, photograph, zipline.

5. What to spend?

Pesos, Pounds, Euro, Dollars,

Stirling, Dirham, Franc, Kroner,

Rupee, Won, Yuan, Shilling,

Yen, Rand, Ruble, Lira,

or what about AmEx, MasterCard and Visa?

6. How to prepare?

Maps, GPS, Brochures,

Ask Siri, Travel agent, word of mouth,

Consult schedules, books, guides, search engines,

Research passports, visas, bookings, transfers.

7. What to take?

Layers—warm and cold, boots, sandals,

Backpack, suitcase, carry-on,

camera, selfie-stick, binoculars,

socks, shirts—long and short sleeve,

Pants—long, short and dress,

sweater, fleece, coat, ties, cuff links,

underwear, glasses, prescriptions,

medicines, walking stick, compass,

cell phone, maps, passport, visa…

And, oh…pack light!

8. What to dare?

Will I bungie, will I jump?

Will I scuba, will I ski?

Will I crawl through caves?

Will I climb the highest peak?

Dare I take the taxicab with the mad driver?

And just how safe is parasail?

Will my wings hold when I base jump?

When I climb free solo, will I fall?

9. What to avoid?

Mosquitos, Scorpions, too much sun,

Flesh eating spiders, poisonous frogs and snakes

Lost luggage, missed connections,

Delayed flights, mechanical breakdowns,

Bumped reservations, pickpockets, thieves,

Fleabag motels, typhoid, cholera and malaria.

10. What to share?

Not much…and certainly not pictures…you’ll lose friends fast.

After all, just thinking about all this has made me too tired to go at all!