ON every trip so far we have packed too much. No matter how hard we attempt to cut back, we always carry items that never get used.
Even after two years on the road, we are still learning and now we are on a strict mission to be more minimalist. Ahead of our journey to Asia, we deliberated whether to continue travelling with large suitcases or explore alternatives. We decided on the latter.
Suitcases are big and often cumbersome, especially if your final destination is in the sticks and/or involves carting your luggage across rugged terrain (as has happened with us several times). And often, because of the shape and size of a suitcase, passenger and bag frequently get separated.
So, following a little research, we opted for a large duffel bag (on wheels) and a big, rugged rucksack that we had purchased some years earlier for a visit to Costa Rica. That would be our checked luggage and each of us would have a small rucksack.
Jamie is the master-packer in our family. A few days ahead of our departure for India, we laid out what we wanted to take with us and then tried to see how much space it would use up.
There are pros and cons with duffel bags and suitcases, of course. Suitcases are more durable and secure. And when we travelled with suitcases, we often packed our clothes in vacuum-seal bags, which protected the clothing, enabled you to utilise space better and made it easier to find your items. With rucksacks and duffel bags, rooting through to find your clothes is harder and messier.
Flying with Emirates Airlines (via Dubai), we were each allowed 30kgs of checked luggage. Jamie felt quite proud that our load was 15.5kgs and 18.5kgs - well under the limit.
And we managed just fine. Jamie, carrying Kobra in a sling, wheeled the large duffel bag and carried a rucksack, Zenchai pulled his own bag and I took the rest - my rucksack (with computer etc), carry-on food items and the big rucksack.
Getting all the bags in a car was much easier than with suitcases. Often on previous journeys we would have one suitcase in the boot (trunk for American readers) and one inside or, as I recall on one taxi adventure in Ecuador, our second suitcase hanging precariously out of an open boot.
The journey to India, with children in tow and given the time of our arrival and layover, was potentially awkward, but we handled it rather well. Leaving London at 1.30pm, we arrived in Dubai at midnight and had four hours to kill before going onwards to Trivandrum in India.
None of us (except for Kobra) slept until our final flight - and only after about an hour into it. And when we did, we crashed out, only to be woken a few hours later by the landing on Indian soil.
Immediately upon disembarking we felt the heat…and then the commotion. We were handed landing papers at the airport that took a while to complete, by when the queue had grown to almost ridiculous proportions.
We waited in line patiently and all tired, wondering if there were any special privileges for families with young children. And after lining up for, say, 20 minutes, someone finally took us out of the line and to the front.
All in all, it was a fairly painless experience. Emirates is an excellent airline with comfortable seats (for economy), friendly and helpful staff and a first class entertainment system. Dubai airport is almost like a Las Vegas casino - vast and full of lights and shops. I felt quite proud to have not been tempted to spend a penny.
As for India, it is still early days. Although there is the lingering smell of spices in the air and the noise is constant (in towns), the people are unbelievably friendly and welcoming (though many, I suspect, in order to get your business). And where we are, in the south in rather touristic Varkala Beach, it's so nice to be back in the sun and by the sea again, where the kids can be outside playing so freely.
Great Claude! Nice to hear how your journey was there. Love, Liz
Posted by: liz | 30 January 2012 at 07:16 PM