There is a whole industry for that.: Jan 13, 2012
When you are individual travelers, there is often down time. We have prided ourselves in this fact and that it is ok to travel to places and make it up as you go. We also take (or have) time. TIME, is the true precious commodity. Your can make money, you can not not make time in your life. The clock runs and then ... At some point... You are done.
Sooooo. There is a whole industry dedicated to serving the needs of the traveller who has a week and needs to make the most of it (1). As a traveller relying on this industry you must have some firm belief in what you want to do/see in an area or just put your faith in the firms experience in the region and trust that you will experience the prominent things the place has to offer. It is not a bad philosophy. Afterall, there are so many things to see and a finite time to experience them. Let's make the most of it and get 'er done.
Although not a bad philosophy, it is a faith that we DO NOT routinely employ (2). Daryl (and me at his good graces) have been fortunate to travel many thousands of miles on the "lets see what happens when we get there" principle. As an obsessive planner, it's taken a lot on my part to drop into the rhythm. I now find myself relying upon him to determine the direction and then (secretly) getting out the map to see - whats up with that! I sometimes struggle with the philosophy above (1) but am rarely disappointed.
Having said all that... we do sometimes get it wrong. There is only so much you can glean from the Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, and the Internet (trip advisor.com, hotels.com, world nomads, etc. etc.). The when we get it wrong it .. Well ... It Sucks....
Ya... It sucks... I'm currently in a cell of a hotel room (no view, no balcony), on the shores of the Indian Ocean, listening to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, drinking wine, blogging, after a short beach walk though the sunset as the fruit bats awaken and head for the trees and a night of chatter. Ya ... It sucks... (Good Grief - get over yourself!).
NOTE: it's REALLY important to know which philosophy you prescribe to and the philosophy of your traveling companion(s) before you go. This is truly a deal breaker. They do not exist together. My best friend subscribes to my alternate. We may be able to do portions of a trip but will still need our own time to feel good about ourselves in the end.
