Future Travel Thoughts

I've been home for 48 hours now, and am over the jet lag finally...It's odd in that I virtually never suffer from it, but for some reason with this trip it did hit me. Perhaps it has something to do with the cold, and not being able to walk around but rather spending more time indoors than I normally would on a vacation. In any case, after one more good night's rest I should be entirely back on the right clock.

I've already started daydreaming about my next trip, though I am not sure where to go. I do have a few ideas, as well as a few things I want to remember the next time I plan a vacation, so more or less as a reminder to myself I am going to paste them below. The list is pretty much self-explanatory:

Places you have not been but would like to see:

• New York
• Greece
• Spain
• Middle East, say Israel?
• Egypt---especially Nile River cruise
• Antarctica combined with someplace in South America
• Ocean cruise

Places you have been and would like to see again:

• London
• Paris
• Monaco
• Italy

Things to look for in a Hotel:

• Check easyHotel
• Check Novotel
• Free internet
• Guest Laundry for longer trips

Remember:

• Take seasonal weather into account: Freezing is no fun, even if you get the trip at a bargain in a place you like. Same with too hot. It's easy to say cold is "no problem" when booking a vacation in July, but look at the actual temperature you will be facing and decide objectively if you want to take the risk. Upon arriving in Berlin, for example, it was literally -9C (about 16F) and snowing...if you decide to travel next December, Egypt or Australia probably should go towards the top of the list. BTW, a really cool place to check archived weather is: http://www.eurometeo.com/english/. You can search by city and by day/hour!
  
• I love cities which have ancient history, not large bedroom communities such as Munich or Berlin. Perhaps, as you get older, this is because you appreciate the importance of something which has permanence rather than fleeting in time. Whatever the reason, keep in mind that you want to see what mankind has brought forth in this world; sitting under a palm tree and sipping a beer would be fun for 15 minutes, but you would be going bonkers after that.
  
• Maybe it is time to try an escorted tour again rather than going solo. Escorted tours are hit or miss, depending on the tour guide and your fellow travelers, so consider it but do not decide right now.
  
• Check into Boingo for Internet access...I was amazed at how much I had to pay for access in the hotels, and Boingo seems to have fairly good coverage at a decent price. Short of that, consider leaving the netbook home and checking email, etc., in Internet cafes. Gotta think this one through, as the idea of being without a computer for a couple of weeks is a bit hard to imagine!
  
• Cut back on the drinks in hotel bars: Nurse one or two at most, or buy a bottle in a supermarket if you want more (or, even sneak it in to the bar and replenish the drink you ordered!). Drink prices, with a couple of snacks thrown in, can come close to doubling the hotel bill....ouch!