But we live on an island in the Pacific, and family members live overseas.
So we are off on a cruise soon. It's our family catch up. I've never been on a cruise before, not sure how I'm going to like it, but at the same time, determined to enjoy it.
To help give it more sense of purpose we have gathered a bagful of things to deliver to a contact in Vanuatu. Stepdaughter tells me this makes me sound like a spy. So I've gathered from friends a big bag of lightly used bras, as in Vanuatu buying a bra can cost a day's wages. There's also a bag of reusable nappies - Vanuatu having recently banned disposable nappies (good on them!). Then some small stuff - books, pens, flippers and masks.
It makes me feel slightly less of a tourist. However travel does broaden our horizons and helps us to view things from a different perspective.
I've also been doing a bit of research. The travel agents sell us things like "you must try the delicious coconut crabs"...but I've read that they take 12 years to get to eatable size and the numbers are dwindling...
We're not going to be wearing sun block when we swim - with the coral reefs in mind, even though I know there are supposedly reef-safe types.
One of the stops we are making in Fiji is to an island of only 400 inhabitants - with a shipload of 4,000 people! I'm kind of horrified, but I know that these people probably depend on the cruise ships to be able to exist there.
At least the cruise line that we are travelling with donates large amounts to nature conservation projects in the countries that they visit. In Northland of NZ they are generously supporting the kiwi conservation programme.
So many environmental/ ethical dilemmas.
How do you feel when you travel?
I do hope you enjoy your cruise. We have been on several to NZ and love the cruising and seeing some beautiful countryside. We have also been to Vanuatu on a cruise and by ourselves. It is a beautiful island and the people are lovely.Unfortunately cruises don't spend much time at each port and often the excursions are quite expensive. We have often hired a car and in Vila we hired a taxi which was very reasonable then (a few years ago). I like that you are taking things to give as they don't have a lot compared to us. My family put packs together for school children and gave them to a local school.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can suspend your guilt a bit and enjoy your trip. If we each do the best we can and if everyone did, I don’t believe the Earth would be in the dilemma it is.
ReplyDeleteI’ve never been on a cruise. Im looking forward to your report!
Thanks Cynthia. I'm not planning to report on the trip though. We enjoyed it as much as possible, but it's just not my style of travel, so there definitely won't be another. It was a wonderful way to catch up with my family though, as two family members are not fully fit and it was much easier for them.
DeleteWe have a beach holiday every year, Anne, visiting the same island we've been returning to for more than 20 years now. It's tradition! The island is just off the coast from where we live so the travel is minimal; an hour drive then we catch the car ferry across the bay and we are there. We park the car and that's it for two whole weeks. I collect plastics that wash up on the beaches while strolling along on walks there too. We are all immersed in the beauty of this island and treasure it. I think that fostering that love for nature in our children is so important and can come about through travelling and seeing places together.
ReplyDeleteMeg
Meg, that is the ideal way to travel. It's not far and it's meaningful.
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