One of these little babies always accompanies me, too. I call it my ‘brains,’ and use a separate one for each trip. In front are the names of the places we will be staying, w/contact names, phone numbers and e-mails, plus voucher or confirmation numbers. Contact info for guides and restaurants are included, and because I am a tour leader, the names and insurance policy numbers of each member of my group are listed. Another page has the emergency numbers for credit and ATM cards, in case one is lost or stolen. And my card numbers are in there, too.
Trip expenses are recorded: a page each for Food, Gas, Transportation, etc. Essential info for the tour leader (not to mention IRS), but I’m sure most of you, too, would like to know where and how your money is being spent. Right?
Photographers can write down where each picture was taken, making the processing and sorting easier.
Having the notebook handy is especially helpful in non-English-speaking countries. For instance, since I travel to Italy at least once a year, I am learning a little Italian, but it is not always easy to come up with the correct words or, even if I know the words, my pronunciation isn’t always good enough yet to get my point across. So, when I buy train tickets, or need to make a purchase, I rip out a blank page from the notebook in advance and write out the key words. I first try to ask directly (it shows you are at least trying), but if it doesn’t look like I am being understood, I hand over the little piece of paper.
It is surprising how much one of these little memo books holds. I even keep a daily journal, starting on the back page and working backward, and so far this journal and the lists in the front have never met.
You techies out there are undoubtedly thinking a handheld device would be better, but one doesn’t need to keep a little memo book charged up, now, does one?
Find more tips, and great, reasonably priced tours, at www.driftersister.com.
Catch the wind…
Taste the rain…
And touch all of your tomorrows…
|
