Beware of Extra Fees

Update: They got us again. See below for details. (2013-02-26)

We recently returned to Manila from a quick trip to Palawan, a Philippine island. We had talked ourselves into making the trip and are super glad we did. It was not an easy trip to coordinate and we felt like we were exceeding our budget we were therefore conscious of every expense.

Know Where You are Going

Since we've been in Asia I have learned a valuable life lesson: "Know where you are going."

Duffle Bags or Backpacks?

We followed a recommendation we read online to get duffle bags to cover our backpacks during air travel.  The intent of using a duffle bag is to protect the backpack and its straps from damage and to make the backpack and its contents less interesting to anyone who otherwise might be interested in our backpacks.  The duffle bags served their purposes perfectly.  The backpacks were undamaged and their contents safe.  However, and this is the lesson learned, duffle bags are not backpacks.

After we collected our bags from the luggage carousel there was a short walk to the rental car shuttle bus.  Once at the rental car facility there was a short walk to the rental car.  We estimated that it would take more energy and time to take the duffle bags off of the backpacks than it would save for the short walk.  We were wrong.  It was painful and difficult.

A loaded backpack is difficult to carry unless it is on your back, even for short distances.  From now on we will remove the duffle bags even for short distances.

Trial Runs Can Be Good

One fringe benefit of our year-long travel plan is that we had multiple "trial runs" built-in without knowing it.  Trial runs provide ways to evaluate preparation without the expense of the full experience.

For instance, after we got a new, highly recommended suitcase/bag I took it on a business trip to evaluate if a bag like that would work for each of us on our big trip.  It is a great bag and worked wonderfully for my business trip but it wasn't going to be just right for each of us on our trip.  Having a chance to try it out first taught us a couple things.  First, we learned that it is a great bag.  Second, we learned that it would not work for long-term travel and consequently that we would not need to purchase more of these bags for the family.  We'll keep the bag for future, shorter trips but for our big trip we'd need something else.  We ended up deciding on backpacking backpacks.  I'll write more about them later.

On our trial run in California

Our itinerary has always included Southern California.  My parents live there and it has been almost a year since our last visit.  Mom and dad have an extra covered parking spot and offered to garage our car while we are gone.  Besides the benefit of seeing family and being able to drop off our car, this trip to California gave us a chance to try out our new gear and travel routine--and here is the important part--in a familiar setting.  We've been to California to visit my parents many times.  We feel somewhat comfortable on the roads.  Everyone speaks English.  We know where the grocery store and church are.  But it isn't home.  We got a chance to get used to living with and working with backpacks in a familiar setting.  We got a chance to establish/maintain some family routines despite being in different (non-home) locations and circumstances.

Our next stop is the Washington DC area.  We've never been there as a family.  Elaine and I have been there but not together.  Getting there and living there will take us one more step into the full-blown travel routine.  We will be able to "practice" airline travel while still in the US with our full compliment of backpacks.  It is still the US and people still speak English but it is not as familiar for us as California.  If we discover some deficiency in our plans or equipment arrangements we will be able to take care of it relatively easily.

After Washington DC we travel to Europe where things will be more difficult but because of our "trial runs" in California and DC I am confident that we will be OK.  My business trip helped us prepare for California which helped prepare us for DC which will help prepare us for Europe which will help prepare us for Asia.  At least that is the plan.

Garbage bags rip

While cleaning and organizing for our trip one of the children had the assignment to help throw away a bunch of trash and then haul the garbage bag out to the garbage can.  He was tired and was resisting everything that morning.

Eventually the trash bag was full and he dragged it from the basement, up and out to the garbage can.  Elaine and I both mentioned separately that it would be better if he didn't drag the bag.  He resisted these suggestions and continued dragging the bag.

Later, I found a trail of trash going from the front door to the garbage can.  It puzzled me at first but then I remembered seeing the plastic trash bag being dragged across the tile and cement.  The trail of trash led to the torn garbage bag.

My son didn't deny that the bag had torn while he dragged it.  He and I worked together to re-bag the trash.  Some times when we resist doing what's right or in the right way we make a bigger mess.  I hope he learned that.