Open Your Mind and Really Experience the World!

Breakfast in nomad tent in Iran - shared by 11 men and women!

Recently I was talking with friends about travelling - what else!? - it seems to be the most popular topic amongst baby boomers!

One friend insisted that she would only stay in 4 or 5 star hotels when travelling.

I thought about that and wondered what sort of travelling experience she wanted, and why did she travel anyway if her view of the world was only going to be from a generic luxury hotel. And a lot of the world doesn't have luxury hotels! What experiences she would miss out on!
 
I remembered the places where I have slept over the years - on a mat on stony ground in a nomad tent in Iran, in a nomad ger on the Mongolian steppe, in a hut made from reeds in Botswana....

I remember a cheap 2 to 3 star hotel in St Petersburg - we preferred to climb up 3 flights of stairs to our room because the lift was dodgy, but it was a minute walk to The Hermitage - how good is that? Worth more than a fancy hotel room further away!

Our reed hut in Botswana - the bathroom is behind the screen!

Plus I have slept in any number of train cabins across Russia, America, Canada, and South Africa.

Although there might not have been much sleep due to discomfort, these are the experiences we remember and laugh about.

Don't get me wrong - I don't mind a bit of luxury. After leaving Iran we booked into the Hyatt in Dubai just to enjoy first class facilities, and a decent shower! And an alcoholic drink after not being allowed to drink in Iran! And we have stayed in some wonderful lodges whilst "on safari" - very welcome after a dusty day game viewing.

But to limit yourself to visiting places with only luxury hotels seems to be a very narrow view.  Plus there are a lot of laughs missed and funny stories to be told!

Light travelling!

Marie

Nomad ger in Mongolia - note satellite dish and solar panel!

Buying platform food on the Trans Siberian

Deserts and Gardens

Melbourne has two great exhibitions on at the moment - "Mesopotamia" at Melbourne Museum and "Love and Devotion: Persia and beyond" at the State Library of Victoria.

Mesopotamia, the area around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, is known as the "cradle of civilisation". Here developed a type of writing (and record keeping) known as "cuneiform" - shapes pressed into a wet clay block with a reed. Astrology began here with stargazers naming the constellations that we know today as the Zodiac. And that most basic of units we use each day - the 60 second minute and 60 minute hour - come from Babylonians using 60 as their unit of measure (like we use 10 today).

Why did this culture not develop as in Europe? Possibly because of the harsh climate, there was no possibility of growing any crop in quantities large enough to trade - the available water used to merely exist. Herds of sheep and goats which provided daily needs, surviving on the desert grasses.

Iranian desert

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. No doubt famous for the ingenuity required to build them out of the surrounding desert, as well as the welcoming sight. One stone relief in the exhibition shows a garden with water channels running through the flowering shrubs and trees.

Some suggest that the gardens were a myth. For anyone who has visited northern Africa or Middle Eastern countries, it is easy to see how the gardens could have existed. Lack of surface water brings out invention.

In 2009 we visited Iran. Except for a small area in the north, the country is desert. But the major cities have beautiful gardens in abundance. Some are now a little worse for wear thanks to lack of government funding (or interest). Maybe gardens are seen by the government as a reminder of the ostentation in Iran under the Shah pre the 1979 revolution.

The "Love and Devotion" exhibition is of illustrated manuscripts - miniature painting is still an art in Iran today. Most manuscripts show figures (usually lovers) relaxing in lush gardens. Or beautiful gardens are visible through palace windows. The stories or poems are usually along the age-old theme of love and loss. Apparently Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is based on an ancient Persian story.

Bagh-e Eram gardens in Shiraz

But the question is, in such a harsh climate, how were gardens possible and how did they survive?


In Iran most water flows in underground rivers. For centuries, engineers have built "qanats" - water tunnels built underground from the rivers to towns. Houses "tapped" into the qanats like using a well.

We visited beautiful gardens in Shiraz and Isfahan. Shiraz is home to several tombs of famous poets such as Sa'di and Hafez. Iranians love their poets and the tombs and surrounding gardens are very popular with families.

Normal dress for young women in Iran

Iran is an easy place to travel light. Women need to cover up completely - no matter the weather! I found it quite liberating not having to worry about what I wore as long as it adhered to the dress code.

Most women on our tour had two outfits only and just alternated them.

The basic rules are loose pants, full length sleeves and headscarf. Look at the young women in the photo - that is how visitors are expected to dress. And look at the gardens! - these are in Isfahan.

One word of warning for women though - in Iran you are second class citizens. Men will ignore you and not speak to you even if you speak to them. (Excepting hotel staff etc)

Of all the places I have visited, Iran is the most fascinating. There is always something new and wonderful to see. The scenery is stunning - yes, even the desert! The people are the friendliest I have come across. And I always felt safe. More than you can say for a lot of western countries.


Light travelling!

Marie

The Original Light Traveller

Did you assume that travelling light was a fairly recent phenomenon?

Well, it seems not!

I have just been to the "Grace Kelly: Style Icon" exhibition from the Victoria & Albert Museum,  showing at the Bendigo Art Gallery.

One display showed an issue of the April 1955 Women's Home Companion (an American magazine). It was opened at an interview with Grace Kelly and she gives her tips on travelling light. She wears an ensemble of tweed travel coat over a worsted suit of jacket and straight skirt and blouse with a big bow at the neck.

 Her coat could be worn over anything in her wardrobe, except evening wear. Sounds familiar doesn't it? And still great advice today!

Her aim was to avoid going over the 66lb (30kg) luggage limit!

So many points jump out at me.

Firstly, she was a Hollywood star - why would she worry about paying for a bit of excess luggage? Secondly, the outfit, while very elegant, looks just so uncomfortable. A tight woollen skirt on a flight across the Atlantic? - Hmmm.

And how have luggage regulations changed? - 30kg? Well I guess she would have been travelling First Class.

It all harks back to different times.


One thing that did resonate with me though, was that she always made a list of what to pack. That is the best travel tip ever, whether it is the 1950's or 2012.

So when you are wearing your trackies across the Pacific or wherever, carrying just cabin baggage, think about Grace Kelly, style icon of the twentieth century.

Light travelling!

Marie

Children and Air Travel

Summer holidays have finished and children are back to school. This means a lot of children have been flying in the last 6 weeks and the issue of their behaviour whilst flying is in the news again.

Parents need to ensure that children observe a few general courtesy rules such as not kicking the seat in front. However it is not easy to keep young ones entertained on a long haul flight. Books and games can amuse for only so long. It would be nice if planes had a small area where children could quietly play instead of being restricted in a seat - maybe take out the last couple of rows. But I guess seats means dollars.

Last year an airline put a ban on children in First Class. This might be a great solution for passengers but why don't airlines look at the underlying issue - WHY do children become disruptive?

When I first started flying in the 1970's, the cabin did not have the "rules" that exist today. The routine now is, after take-off a meal is served then the cabin lights are turned off and blinds closed. This system is in place whether departure is in the day or night. In the last few years I have made several flights ex Australia departing around midday. Turning off the lights is not an issue for me because I can watch movies or read or sleep. A child is not ready for sleep mid-afternoon but is expected to be silent and stay still. Try explaining to a toddler that all of a sudden they have to sleep. No wonder they are not happy - it's still daytime!

Why do airlines insist on this routine? Why can't cabin lights stay on and blinds stay up until it is "night" for the passengers' bodies and they are ready for sleep? Is it to make less work for the cabin crew? If they make us sleep, they don't have to provide service? Strangely, most airlines provide eye masks but not the conditions to use them!

Last year I flew from London to Hong Kong. The flight departed Heathrow at midday. After lunch, lights were out and blinds down. Despite the best efforts of the parents, the children behind me were unsettled and crying until the lights came on for the last couple of hours - then they did not make a sound and were happy!

Don't blame the children. Blame the intransigent airline policies.


Light travelling!

Marie


 PS I prefer children over drunks talking loudly and constantly going to and from the toilets!

New rules for liquids in hand luggage

No doubt you will have seen the item in the newspaper last week about new rules for liquids carried in hand luggage. New scanning equipment can now detect minute traces of explosives in liquids.
My first thought was "great"!! but after reflection I'm not sure if there are many benefits.

The main one is that women will find it easier to carry a decent range of cosmetics and toiletries - no more adding them to a partner's bag!

If you can now carry liquids of more than 100ml I assume these will be scanned by the new equipment. Instead of speeding up check-in as claimed, I would have thought that it would do the opposite. With no more than 10 containers of less than 100ml in my bag, security was a doddle - no hold ups. But now I will need to have my duty free perfume or whisky scanned? Hmmmm...
The new rules will be in force in Australia in 2012 and in 2013 in Europe.

It will be interesting to see how it goes - fewer passengers fuming over their duty free purchases being confiscated maybe, but more scanning of bigger containers, which also takes time.

Also bigger containers means more weight!! Not ideal when travelling with only cabin baggage.
For me, I think I'll stick with the old system of smaller containers.



Light travelling!
Marie

The Ghan, Darwin and Kakadu

With Elizabeth and Jonathon at Adelaide

The last thing I thought of when we boarded The Ghan in Adelaide was being held up by bushfires! We left Adelaide at midday Wednesday for this iconic trip up through the "red heart" of Australia. On Thursday morning we awoke and found ourselves stopped in the middle of nowhere (actually the far north of South Australia) and with no reasons why from the crew. Eventually we were informed that because of bushfires near the track we needed to await permission to procede. So we continued through burnt-out country, stopping for hours, then moving forward  until the next stop. Apparently, we had to wait until trains ahead of us had completed a "section" before we could then enter it. There was a surprising amount of vegetation in the unburnt areas - not the red centre at all, more like the green! The consequence of all the rain since the breaking of the drought I suppose. In the meantime the staff were helpful and informative and the meals and wine excellent! Arriving at Alice Springs 6 hours late meant that we couldn't do the tours we had booked - we had planned to do a camel trek. Having already been to "The Alice", this was not a problem but for passengers who hadn't seen it, there was disappointment. We made up little time in Alice so, again, couldn't go on the tours arranged for Katherine - this time a canoeing trip up the Katherine Gorge. C'est la vie.

Typical tropical woodland vegetation

Spent the weekend in Darwin with my sister before hiring a 4WD Prado to take us out to Kakadu National Park.October is not the best time for Kakadu - it is beginning to steam up for the wet and the days are very muggy and hot. Of course I was travelling with just my cabin bag and I trialled my tennis tops in the humidity - what better place to test clothes for hot, humid conditions! They did really well, especially the Lululemon Athletica gear - a great fabric which did not get sweaty and felt cool. July is the peak time to visit. We visited most of the main sites - starting with the Mamukala wetlands on our way to our hotel. There is a bird hide where you can watch the birdlife such as magpie geese feeding on the lily roots dug from under the water.We stayed in Jabiru (saw several namesake birds) at the Gaguju Crocodile Holiday Inn - recommended and providing a great range of gluten-free meals!

At Twin Falls

Pool at foot of Jim Jim Falls

The following day we took a day trip to Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls (rental vehicles not allowed because of the sandy track). This tour takes about 10 hours and was quite exhausting. We went to Twin Falls first - walking for a short while on a bush track then a boat trip up the river, spotting barramundi in the clear water, then another walk to the falls. Not as much flow as in the wet but still spectacular. Swimming is not allowed here because of crocodiles. Apparently a huge croc was spotted several years ago and until it is caught, swimming is forbidden.

The "walk" to Jim Jim Falls

Next stop was Jim Jim Falls. Again a walk through bush, then climbing over boulders. We stopped for a delicious lunch prepared by our guide in a shady spot then made the last, hardest, push over the boulders to the falls. It is quite a difficult "walk" but can be done with care - a reasonable level of fitness is handy. The falls don't flow at this time of year but were quite spectacular - like a huge amphitheatre of rock with a beautiful swimming pool at the bottom. It is 150 metres across for the gamer ones but it is lovely lying on the boulders in the water at the edge, watching the black bream swimming around us. When we arrive back at the truck, Steve has frozen orange segments and face washers dipped in icy water to cool us down!

It's not easy to strip pandanus!

The next day we check out all the rock painting sites, firstly at Ubirr (used for the sunset scene in the first Crocodile Dundee film!). Here we also had a lesson in basket making with two aboriginal women - how to strip the pandanus leaves (really hard!), the dying process, then weaving bracelets. A lot of fun and a nice insight into aboriginal culture.

The Kakadu/Arnhem border is here - the East Alligator River - so went to spot crocodiles and were rewarded with sightings of three just lazing around in the water. Headed to Nourlangie to see more rock paintings - some terrific examples. And as all the paintings are on rock it means we have to climb up to them - tough going in the heat!

Art at Nourlangie

The Lost City, Litchfield NP

Our stay at Kakadu done, we drove to Adelaide River on the Stuart Highway before visiting Litchfield National Park. Adelaide River is the sort of town you would normally just drive through but has a couple of things of interest.There is a War Cemetery where servicemen killed in Darwin and surrounds were buried during the Second World War. Not only Australians but British and one lone Canadian. Part of the cemetery has civilian casualties. Anyone who has seen Baz Luhrmann's "Australia" would remember the scene of the bombing of  Darwin Post Office. The staff killed in that attack are buried here at Adelaide River. On a lighter note, in the Adelaide River Hotel bar is the stuffed buffalo "Charlie", hypnotized by Paul Hogan in "Crocodile Dundee"!
Litchfield is a lovely park - not huge so easy to get to all the sites - mainly waterfalls but very pretty. We drove out on a track to the "Lost City" - a area of rocks which did indeed resemble a city lost in the bush - worth the torturous drive. Then back to Darwin to catch our flight home very glad to have seen Kakadu and travelled on The Ghan.

Light travelling!
Marie

Mental Baggage

I love the letters in the Traveller lift-out of Saturday's The Age - there are often good tips. Lately however it seems to have become a whinging forum about seat backs being reclined to the annoyance of the person behind. Seat backs need to be upright during take-off, landing and meal service - with cabin crew advising people when appropriate. At other times it is the choice of the traveller, and everyone is free to recline their seat whenever they like. I have found that this does not stop me from watching the in-flight entertainment or reading or sleeping.
The letters made me wonder about not only the physical baggage we carry on a flight, but also the mental baggage. If such a trivial thing is so important, how do you cope when something serious goes wrong? - if this is the worst thing that happens on your trip, be thankful!
Lighten up!

Light travelling!
Marie