Contiki is the word – Brave or Stupid?

I have booked FOUR Contiki tours for my trip next year. May – to end of June 2011.

When I tell people I am doing a Contiki tour – those who know my ‘actual’ age are the first ones to pipe up ‘Aren’t you too old for them now’!  But I think I am in that age group where I still consider myself to fit into the ‘younger’ ( albeit on the upper scale ) category but consider myself too young for the ‘older’ coach style tours.  I just cannot picture myself on and Insight tour with 40 of my closest blue rinses hooning around Europe at the pace of a snail ( sorry to all the oldies that don’t fall into the blue rinse category – I know how you feel !!)

I did have to get approval for my bookings ( due to my age ) and I am unable to share with a young whipper snapper also because of the age ‘thing’.  I am also forced to pay a single supplement – as who in their right mind would want to share with an OLDIE like me!!!!  Even after all this, I still think it is worth it and needless to say my application was approved – with no cajoling or bribes needed.  

The tours all run consecutively, so it will be a 55 day long party with Generation Y.  In my defence I am on the cusp of Gen Y and Gen X so I should be able to keep up with all of my 192 potential new friends that I will make, give or take a bad egg or 2, which just comes with any group touring, no matter what the age demographic.

In my research there is also a new Generation called the Z Generation – where to from here? What will the next Gen be called as there is not much room to move from Z.

So what is the difference between the generations?

Generation X is the generation generally defined as those born after the baby boom ended, and hence sometimes referred to as Baby Busters, with earliest birth dates seen used by researchers ranging from 1961 to the latest 1981 at its greatest extent.

Generation Y is also known as Millennial Generation, Generation Next, or Echo Boomers. The earliest suggested birth dates ranging from mid to late 1970s to the latest in the early 2000s.

Generation Z, also known as Generation I or Internet Generation, and dubbed the "Digital Natives," is the following generation. The earliest birth is generally dated in the early 1990s.

So based on the above – I could technically also be travelling with Gen Z aswell.

Okay so I could handle one generational gap, but 2 – maybe I’m biting off more than I can chew – YEAH RIGHT!!!!!  I’ll show those ankle bitters a thing or two.

How to consume $700.00 of alcohol in a week. 

How to back up after a BIG night of drinking.

How to NOT lose a camera while drunk ( okay so maybe I can’t help with that )

How to take great drunk photos and have them loaded and tagged the next day on Facebook

I think I would be an asset to the Gen Y coach tour and really am looking forward to meeting some new friends along the way.  I am a big Contiki fan and have travelled with the company twice.  Four weeks Europe and 3 weeks Scandinavia.

Needless to say that at the end of the day my new found ‘younger’ friends will not know the true age of the ‘travelling granny’ and am thinking I will aim for the grand ol’ age of 29!  I think I may pass – mention 30 to them and they’ll think I am a 100.  Oh to be in my 20’s again.

Wish me luck on my quest to keep up for 55 days on the party trail of Europe, Ireland, Spain ( with a stop in Ibiza ) and of course the beautiful Greek Islands of Mykonos, Ios and Santorini.

I have already apologised to my liver in advance for the hammering it will get.

Top 10 Useless Travel Gadgets

According to Travel NineMSN.................

 

When it comes to travel, the number-one rule of packing is: less is definitely more. So you certainly don't want to weigh yourself down with a bunch of unnecessary gadgets. While some travel gadgets, like money belts and ear plugs, are very useful, there are those that are more trouble than they're worth. Here are some best left off your packing list.

The StashCard

This travel gadget comes from the "seems like a good a good idea at the time" file. Designed to look like a memory card, the StashCard allows you to hide your valuables, like money or keys, in the unused PC card slots on your laptop. The problem is that your laptop will be the first thing a thief will target. So you'll not only lose your computer, but all your money, too. Why not slip your credit card into your iPod case while you're at it?

The chamois towel

Whatever you do, don't even think about buying one of these synthetic towels. First launched as a swimming towel, this glorified car chamois must be kept moist to work which means you'll be left feeling wet and clammy no matter how much you pat yourself down. I can tell you from experience that it won't dry your hair, it won't cover your modesty, and, if you're in a cold climate, you'll freeze before you dry!

Compression bags

These are the travel equivalent of Space Bags, the huge vacuum-sealed bags on the infomercials. The idea is that you put all your clothes in them, zip them up then push all the air out through a special valve at the bottom. Then — hey presto — your clothes take up much less space. The problem is, when you pull your clothes out to wear them they'll be wrinkled beyond use. If you really want to save space, try rolling your clothes rather than folding them. It not only creates more room, but also helps minimise creases.

The Urinelle

For the uninitiated, the Urinelle is a disposable cone into which women can urinate without having to squat. Personally, I'd much rather squat behind a tree than try to aim into a paper cone while standing up. What if you miss? And what, pray tell, are you meant to do with a warm paper cone full of pee once you're done? Walk around like it's a cup of coffee until you find a rubbish bin?

Passport holder

While a passport holder might look stylish and may prevent your passport from getting damaged, they're really quite impractical. You'll invariably spend more time extracting your passport from and putting it in the holder at the check-in desk, security and the departure gate than it's worth. I find the best place to store my passport while going through airport formalities is in the front pocket of my cargo pants. Beyond that, your passport belongs in a money belt.

Disposable underwear

Underwear you can simply "wear and toss"? Talk about unnecessary and wasteful. Is it really that big of a deal to wash your underwear and bring it back with you? If it is, then why not just buy the cheapest underwear you can find and wear them until they need tossing? Or better still: go commando! Personally, I'd choose comfort any day over scratchy underwear you run the risk of getting a paper cut from

Wearable sleeping bag

Seriously, a sleeping bag you can walk around all day in? Who comes up with these ideas? Besides looking cumbersome and awkward, not to mention completely ridiculous — think Gumby meets the Michelin Man — what happens if you need go to the toilet in a hurry? Also, considering many hostels don't allow sleeping bags these days, you're likely to get thrown out before you even make it to bed.

Cotton shoe bags

These cute little bags are designed to put your dirty shoes in to protect your clothes. Besides the fact that they'll simply get dirty and require cleaning themselves, they're not waterproof so are completely useless if your shoes are muddy and wet. A plastic bag is far more effective and what's more they're usually free.

Travel humidifier

Now I'm not someone who relishes travelling in hot, dry climates — or hot, humid ones for that matter — but is a travel humidifier really necessary? My thoughts are if you can't survive a few weeks away without perfectly pleasant air humidity, you shouldn't have left home in the first place.

Garment steamer/travel iron

Any gadget designed to make you feel like a laundry slave while on holiday — that includes the portable washing machines — isn't recommended. Almost all hotels, and many hostels these days, have irons and laundry facilities available for guests. And really, you're travelling; so who cares if your clothes aren't pressed to perfection?

365 days - A Challenge Photo Shoot

"365 Days". A Challenge to Shoot a Self-Portrait every day for a year. To push myself to be creative. A reason to get the camera out of the bag every day. To document a year in my life"

Andrew G

Sometimes I can be creative - most times not. 

I saw on TV a few weeks ago Andrew Günsberg ( the guy with the locks from Australian Idol ).  He set himself a challenge to shoot a self-portrait every day for a year.  His reasoning was to push himslef to get creative and a reason to get the camera out of the bag every day. 

Well I certainly don't need help in the latter part of the statement - for those of you who know me - me and my camera are like x------x this close!  But I think the idea is a valid one and something I could look back on after I come home and for years to come.

I'm going to implement that on my 12 month journey - I really like the idea.

I am travelling for approximatley 404 days - so that's alot of Bernie camera time - but as Andrew mentioned it is an interesting way to document a year in your life - especially as I will be just about in a different place each night - I just need to channel my inner creativity.......

I am also going to select a photo of the day and pop that into a Facebook folder - I hate coming home after a 2 week trip to scour all my pictures to find 'that awesome' photo I took on 'what day' ????  I mean ALL my photo's are good ( of course ) - but there is always that WOW photo.

I generally have 2000-3000 photos from a 2 week trip.  Who wants to guess how many photos I'm going to come home to after 12 months.  I hate to imagine - but my motto has always been that you can never have too may pictures. 

Check-out Andrews photos at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewgunsberg/3708092010/in/set-72157619664755998/