Saturday, July 9, 2011

Wanderlust strikes again...

I am toying with another trip in early November.  I'm afraid I've got more than a bit of the travel bug.  There are just too many places to go and only so much time to see it all.  So, do I check out another country on my list of possible future homes?  Go back to Belize for a closer inspection?  Or just head somewhere that I might not get to later in life? 

I've always wanted to check out Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan; that would make a nice trip but I only have ten days and it would be at least a day and a half each way.  The same is true for returning to Burma or trekking through India.  No, those trips and anywhere else in Asia will have to wait.  But there are plenty of places within a half day's journey that I have not yet seen and could fit nicely into a ten day trip.

As I think about going to Uruguay, Columbia, Ecuador or anywhere in Central America, it really strikes me that I should have seriously been studying Spanish all along.  I got the first three levels of Rosetta Stone last week and I will learn enough so that I won't totally embarrass myself… eventually.  I just wish I knew more right now.  I am planning on taking  two weeks off next year to attend a school somewhere in Central or South America so that I can immerse myself in study once I already know a bit, but that's next year.  So for now, I will get more for my money by going someplace where I feel comfortable or at least confident that I can get by.  That probably narrows it down to Belize, Panama, Mexico, or Costa Rica.

I have points with AmEx,  Delta and American Airlines.  I checked all three and the best options keep coming up as American Airlines.  Round-trip to Belize is around $700.00 or 30,000 frequent flier points; to Panama is about $550.00 or 30,000 miles; Cancun is between $400.00 and $500.00 or 60,000 miles; and to San Jose is around $400.00 or 45,000 miles.  Looks like the two best choices s as of today are Panama or Belize, but airline prices change constantly so I will do a bit of thinking about all four options.

No comments:

Post a Comment