Rules of Engagement

I have had it mentioned that this trip to Bogota so far has not been the most successful or action packed of adventures, and while this will have pleased mum and a few others back home who still call me crazy for coming here in the first place, its with equal doses of a few emotions that I agree.

The things that I generally do on holiday are not every ones cup of tea, and if everyone thought the same way then life would be boring, but to me they often bring a little form and structure to judge between places.

Firstly when I visit a place I want to know someone there, so that we can go around and do the local scene and not just the tourist areas. Having been given warnings of "don't stray from the hotel" being issued for just about every city outside of the Medway towns that I visit, its harder to do this and get the full measure of a place.

Likewise everywhere has its own charms, its own kinks and comparing two places often seems like comparing a fruit to a vegetable - similar but just not on the same level. So whenever I go anywhere I try to do lots of stuff, see many of the sights, meet the people, but also to do a few things the same everywhere and thus have a yard stick of comparison.

Thimbles, keyrings, postcards, McDonald's, hand fan, Internet cafes, litter, architecture, hotel room information leaflets, traffic, language - a whole host of seemingly random things but in my mind they help put things in perspective and its why I shy away from the "all-inclusive" deals that seem so sterile of originality that they may as well be in another town in the UK - just a bit hotter, or nearer to a beach of whatever.

I think this was one of my long ago ex's fault, as even after we parted company and stayed friends she encouraged me to just go to somewhere that you have never been to before and just see what happens.

Now as Ive done that a few times and been bored shit-less, these days I do try and fill my time a little better, plan it more, have a few backups in case my plan A goes awry { and for some strange reason don't they always!! }, and even then I'm not immune to a few last minute hiccups.