Lina Ko January 29th, 2009
For boomers who want to remain active and still learn something new, educational travel is an increasingly popular option. According to Canadian Press, one organization specializing in this kind of travel is Elderhostel which is dedicated to providing exceptional learning opportunities to adults at a remarkable value. With the recent economic downturn, this sounds like music to boomers’ ears when they still want to travel to exotic places without breaking the bank.
A two-week tour of travel to Israel or floating on the tributaries of the Amazon River in Peru? The attractions of this type of travel include package price without hidden costs; enrichment lectures by experts to allow you to learn more; and travel with others within the same age group.
What seems to be appealing about Elderhostel is the choice between high-end travel such as a 24-night study cruise of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and a nearby island called South Georgia for around $14,000 per person; or programs for less than $600. You can study “The Cajun Experience” in Louisiana for $547 including meals, five nights of hotel lodging and expert-led sessions ranging from how to dance the Cajun waltz to the history of Acadian migration from Nova Scotia to south Louisiana.
Research by this not-for-profit organization found that boomers will want educational travel in retirement, but they have more financial concerns than their parents did, and many plan to do at least some work in retirement. The study said travel programs should be shorter in order to fit busy schedules and keep prices affordable. It said boomers want to travel in small groups, with a mix of free time, hands-on learning, and behind-the-scenes activities rather than ordinary tourist fare. Also meals and lodging designed to fit the theme of a given trip. Elderhostel, therefore, offers a program called the Road Scholar for boomers offering south-western cooking in Santa Fe, New Mexico; exploring the Silk Road and Central Asia; or the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama.
Lina Ko January 12th, 2009
I spent about two weeks of my Holidays cruising down South America – Brazil, Uruguay and Buenos Aires – with four friends who went to university with me. Similar to the cruise last summer, it’s a small, luxury cruise line with about 300 people on board.
South America is exotic and adventurous, but not safe at all. Eveywhere we went, we were warned to take off our watches, watch our purses and not wear any jewelry. We went through Rio De Janeiro, Parati, Santos, Sao Paulo, Itajai, Punta Del Este, Montevideo and Buenos Aires with no qualms and no incidents. But maybe my expectations were too high, so what I saw and experienced were kind of disappointing. The scenery in Brazil – the beaches, Christ the Redeemer statue, and Sugar Loaf – were all more magnificent in that one CSI Miami episode with Horatio chasing down a criminal in Brazil. Even the much-acclaimed Iguazu Falls between Brazil and Argentina were more impressive in the latest Indiana Jones movie than in reality.
On top of that, the renowned beef of Argentina was also a big disappointment – they were mostly presented in over-size portions and overdone in cooking. Call me parochial, but I think the Albertan and North American beef are way better. There are only three things worth buying in Brazil and Argentina – the natural Brazilian stones (preferably with an Italian design in jewelry) as in the famous jewlerer, H. Stern; Brazilian bikinis; and the Argentinian Malbec wine. Forget what people told you about the hand-made shoes or any fine leather.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the predominant boomers, rather than seniors on board our cruise ship. On the two formal evenings, the dinners were glamorous events and the women all decked out in designer evening gowns. The food on board the ship, however, was at best mediocre. At the end, we had to conclude it’s the company I shared that counted most and should be cherished.
Lina Ko January 5th, 2009
Another new year and another new beginning! We baby boomers have been living through many of such new beginnings. But as the priest in my Roman Catholic parish preached at New Year’s Day Mass, “Let’s try to make this new year meaningful to us and others – not just another year to go by!”
The priest also said amidst all the bad news about the economy and the war in Gaza, we should keep proclaiming good news to one another as children of God. God is showing us the gift of light and life, and we should help others do the same. While boomers around the world are reflecting what we’ve achieved or not done in the past year, I thought Father Paul’s words of wisdom should be shared with all:
“Cherish yesterday; live today well; and dream about tomorrow!”