just a little bit closer
My favourite thing is to go where I've never been....Diane Arbus
I am still more excited about this Europe trip then I think I should be...current countdown is 274 days until I leave (don't worry I have an automatic counter set up).
I booked my tour last week, so unless something comes up it's definitely going ahead :D. I still can't seem to really focus on much else. I ended up getting an extra $300 off the tour price thanks to a promotion from my travel agent. It worked, I went with them over others...
I just finished reading a book recommended for anyone who is doing a Europe coach tour, Rule No. 5: No Sex on the Bus (Confessions of a Tour Leader) by Brian Thacker. Thacker is an ex-tour manager for an 18-30s company (no names mentioned) who has some very funny stories from the places he has taken tours. Varying between describing (in graphic detail) the 'culture' of Amsterdam, the antics of the tour mates while under the influence and some of the serious culture of Europe, I laughed my way through it and if I can bring back one story as funny (as one of Thacker's) from my trip I'll be happy.
Another book I read recommendations about on the net is Neither Here Nor There - Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson. I'm still working my way through that one, it has a more serious nature then Thacker's (though still funny at times). Bryson is middle aged (40-50 at the time of writing in 1991) and writes about his recent European travels while remembering his travels as a student in the 70's. The book is a good indication of what to expect as a backpacker with no definite plans, and interestingly Bryson doesn't speak any European language except English.
I've also been reading travelogues from previous Contikites and unsurpringly found most of their experiences to be very similar. Everyone is taken to the same places to see the same things with the same 'special shops'. But I expected that. What is good to read in these travelogues is the experiences the authors had with their tourmates and what they enjoyed about each place.
I am still more excited about this Europe trip then I think I should be...current countdown is 274 days until I leave (don't worry I have an automatic counter set up).
I booked my tour last week, so unless something comes up it's definitely going ahead :D. I still can't seem to really focus on much else. I ended up getting an extra $300 off the tour price thanks to a promotion from my travel agent. It worked, I went with them over others...
I just finished reading a book recommended for anyone who is doing a Europe coach tour, Rule No. 5: No Sex on the Bus (Confessions of a Tour Leader) by Brian Thacker. Thacker is an ex-tour manager for an 18-30s company (no names mentioned) who has some very funny stories from the places he has taken tours. Varying between describing (in graphic detail) the 'culture' of Amsterdam, the antics of the tour mates while under the influence and some of the serious culture of Europe, I laughed my way through it and if I can bring back one story as funny (as one of Thacker's) from my trip I'll be happy.
Another book I read recommendations about on the net is Neither Here Nor There - Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson. I'm still working my way through that one, it has a more serious nature then Thacker's (though still funny at times). Bryson is middle aged (40-50 at the time of writing in 1991) and writes about his recent European travels while remembering his travels as a student in the 70's. The book is a good indication of what to expect as a backpacker with no definite plans, and interestingly Bryson doesn't speak any European language except English.
I've also been reading travelogues from previous Contikites and unsurpringly found most of their experiences to be very similar. Everyone is taken to the same places to see the same things with the same 'special shops'. But I expected that. What is good to read in these travelogues is the experiences the authors had with their tourmates and what they enjoyed about each place.
Anyone interested can check out:
http://www.davechallenger.com/ - Dave is a Canadian who ventured on the Ultimate European trip in May 2006. The travelogue is an awesome read. Its very detailed and took me a while to get through (days actually) but it is definitely worth it. It has made me decide to do this trip in the distant future :)
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/europewebsite/index.html - Jacob is from New York and in May 2001, went on the European Adventurer. Again, his travelogue is very long, but I've come to the decision that all the good ones are. Jacob includes a lot of personal information in his travelogue and includes his 'almost' romance with a fellow tour mate (and his thoughts on his stupidity that it didn't happen).
In addition to those two, I have read a lot of smaller travelogues but they aren't as detailed and ultimately say the same thing.
So I think that's it for me today, I have research I should be doing...whether its on Europe or my literature review is the question...
http://www.davechallenger.com/ - Dave is a Canadian who ventured on the Ultimate European trip in May 2006. The travelogue is an awesome read. Its very detailed and took me a while to get through (days actually) but it is definitely worth it. It has made me decide to do this trip in the distant future :)
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/europewebsite/index.html - Jacob is from New York and in May 2001, went on the European Adventurer. Again, his travelogue is very long, but I've come to the decision that all the good ones are. Jacob includes a lot of personal information in his travelogue and includes his 'almost' romance with a fellow tour mate (and his thoughts on his stupidity that it didn't happen).
In addition to those two, I have read a lot of smaller travelogues but they aren't as detailed and ultimately say the same thing.
So I think that's it for me today, I have research I should be doing...whether its on Europe or my literature review is the question...
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