We don't leave Brisbane for Istanbul until tonight, but so much effort goes into the preparation for a trip that it has to rate at least a mention in my journal. In fact, I estimate that each one day travelling takes 2 days preparation and 1 day afterwards sorting out the photos.
To plan or not to plan, that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to spend an outrageous fortune,
Or to make up plans against a (potential) sea of troubles,
And by preparing, avoid the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That travel is heir to; Ay, there's the rub.
Should holidays be planned out in fine detail or just be given a basic framework? I like holidays to be laid back, so having to decide what time of day to drop a car off two weeks in advance is a bit too much fine detail for me. Lets go with the flow, decide on the run, respond to the whim of the moment, take an opportunity to explore or to move on if we wish.
The disadvantage of this approach of course is that you just have to take what you can find when it comes to accomodation, and may miss out on connections or events.
When I work out what the holiday has cost, however, maybe it is actually a good idea financially to try to stretch out the experience. Some of the planning can be quite enjoyable. Had an online chat with the travel agent in central Turkey - turns out she hails from Toowoomba - turns out she went for a holiday and ended up staying for a year working there.
We're planning to drive down the west coast of Turkey. (Actually you can see our rough itinerary at http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103711771782004211713.0004353455a67572a6388&om=1&z=5
I've been warned. Driving in Turkey is apparently a bit like Russian roulette with a bullet in each chamber. Still, I've driven through Rome and it can't be much worse. Can it?
What I'm mostly looking forward to is flying business class to Istanbul. Perhaps I already mentioned to some of you that we are flying Business Class. This is a new experience for me, so despite my egalitarian roots, forgive my repetition of "and by the way, did I mention that we are going Business Class?". By way of moral justification, we are getting them on frequent flyer points.
Planning a trip requires trying to live the experience before you go. Our current dilemma is how to catch the 9am ferry from Marmaris to Rhodes when the car hire place doesn't open until 9am, so we can't drop off the car. Trouble is, I don't know much about Marmaris. Is it the sort of place I would like to spend a day. How will we feel about it when we get there? If we don't book the ferry, will we get there to find it fully booked? How do you balance the free spirit against the spirit left hanging around waiting for a free seat to become available on the ferry.
But there are two sides to every story. You will have to follow our blog to see how the dilemma unfolds for us.
Back to the planning.
Colin
PS Finished this off in the QANTAS Club lounge at Brisbane airport. Departing in 1 hour. Thanks for the well wishers - and no - we didn't forget anything this time (that I know of yet anyway).
