Here is my contribution to today’s TTC from Pensitivity100
This week’s theme is HOLIDAYS
Your three words today are:
VACATION
ABROAD
ROAD TRIP
Being retired is like being on a permanent vacation. We even live in a holiday resort. From Monday to Thursday during the working week, it is a sleepy, quiet and peaceful place to be. Come Friday afternoon, the village becomes quite busy as the weekenders arrive for a break from city life. We try to avoid shopping on weekends as Hubby gets very upset if he can’t get his favourite parking spot outside our local supermarket. During school holidays Struisbaai becomes even busier and the vibe is completely different. But because we have such a lovely, long, white-sandy beach there is plenty of room for everybody. The harbour is also a popular destination with a lovely restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating where one can enjoy a meal, coffee or sundowner and watch the fishermen come in with their catch.
Even though we live in the most beautiful place in the world, we like to get away from time to time. In fact, when we tell our friends and family that we’re off to some far-flung place, they respond, “What, again? Do you never stay at home?”
Yes, again! We have a Gecko Off-road caravan and we love to hitch her up and head off on a Road Trip Sometimes this will be planned and sometimes it will be a spontaneous decision. Our favourite destination is The Kruger National Park and we like to go there at least once a year. The problem is that now that we are getting older, longer trips are becoming stressful. It is almost 2000km away, fuel is expensive and because of the increase of the number of huge trucks using the highways the roads are a nightmare. We take it slowly though, choosing the easiest routes rather than the shortest and making the trip part of the holiday. We won’t drive for more than five hours each day. This year we gave a long road trip a miss because of the huge increase in fuel prices. Camping is inexpensive but when you tow you use twice the amount of fuel than when you don’t. Next year, our long road trip will be to Kgalagadi National Park in the Northern Cape.
We have not been abroad since 2019 due to COVID restrictions. Now that they are lifted we are dreaming. After doing a month-long cruise from Mauritius to Venice in 2019 I have become very keen to do another cruise. It really is the most relaxing way to travel. Your floating hotel provides you with accommodation, food and entertainment and drops you off to explore a number of places along the way. The only deadline is to get back on board before the ship sails. All things considered, it is also less stressful and less expensive than booking a number of flights, hotels and meals. But still, it is expensive to travel abroad no matter how you do it. Our biggest expense would be the airfares to the starting port and back home again. Right now I’m dreaming of an Australia/New Zealand 30-day cruise. The trick is to think of some novel ways to earn some extra cash. Letting our home while we’re off caravanning is one way! If I can get somebody to rent for a year we could go on a year-long road trip caravanning vacation so we can afford to go abroad.
Adventuring into Retirement 
So true Helen. The older one gets the more difficult everything becomes. I’m so please we did so much travelling in our younger days. I do agree a ship holiday is the best I would love to do just one more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s just it, to do it when you can, Mary – So pleased we took every opportunity and will still if possible.
LikeLike
Lovely post Helen. We live in a holiday town too and the summer months are a nightmare. We gave up shopping locally then as the shelves were stripped by 9am by the holidaymakers. There are second homes, holiday homes/flats, camp sites, touring caravan sites, static sites and holiday parks. Visitors are usually rude, untidy, dirty and few clear up after their dogs.
It’s one of several reasons we miss the boating life. if we wanted a change of scenery, we just untied the ropes and puttered up river No packing.
Thanks for joining in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The boating life sounds amazing. My husband would love that. We have often thought of doing a river barging holiday may still.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a totally different world out on the river.
LikeLike