Everywhere and Everywhere else Who says that the adventure stops once you have kids?

"No problem"

BOLIVIA | Thursday, 1 November 2007 | Views [518]

As it is typical to do when planning the perfect family vacation, I googled the security low-down on the place we are about to visit. (funny, I don’t remember doing this the last time we went to Disneyland….)

Mind you, the government websites I consulted are all written by diplomats. In regards to travel advice, they are not going to come right out and say “are you out of your mind?” otherwise they risk rowdy hordes clamoring in front of their embassies. At the same time, they have to give fair warning as it is their job to bail their nationals out of the messes they get themselves into. Therefore, their style is always very distant and clinical even if they are talking about scams and speed kidnappings.

If this were the movies … Scene one: Close up: a hand is persistently knocking on a door. Muffled voices can be heard within followed by a chair scraping across the floor. Medium shot: The door opens but remains chained. Close up: A man nervously peers out. Voice off screen: “do you recommend taking a four-year-old to Bolivia?.” Extreme close up: man mutters through clenched teeth “No-problem,” while wildly rolling his eyes toward something lurking behind him….

I did send an e-mail to our man in Bolivia to get his take on the situation. He wrote back that he has been living there for two years and not once has he been spit upon, swindled by false police or kidnapped. He did add that there are some places even in the SouthWest of France that are ill advised to wander into late at night.

‘Tis true.

Solution: I am no longer visiting those websites. Sometimes blinders are a necessity for one’s sanity.

Tags: the planning phase