C6-Sunday News, April 27, 1980

After you've made one big
overseas trip, you won't have
any trouble planning the
next, but the first time can
be mind-boggling. For this
reason, many travellers
resort tO a packaged tour so
they can get the feel of
foreign travel without the
problem of baggage hapn-
dling, airport transfers and
strange languages. Un-
fortunately, many tours turn
into marathons where you
are hustled along from seven
in the morning until nine at
night.

After my first trip to
Europe (on a tour!) it’s a
wonder I ever left home
again. We arrived at London
(Gatwick) with no-one to
meet us. It was then that I
learned about the British
telephone “system”. Two
hours later, a  sheepish-
looking bus driver and a
giggly guide arrived and took
us to our hotel.

There we were met by the
managing director of the
tour company with the
happy news that our tour had
been cancelled but that they
had taken the liberty of
booking us on a similar one.
The only problem was that
the alternate tour had
departed YESTERDAY. All
was not lost, however. He
had personally arranged a
car and chauffeur to drive us
to a rendezvous with the bus.
We would depart at six the
next morning.

By 6:15 we were racketing
through downtown London
with a driver who had taken
his training in a demolition
derby. I clung to the strap,
reviewed a few prayers and
finally, after a near miss with
a lorry, begged him to slow
down.

“Sorry, Ma’am,” he in-
formed me. “If we're to
catch the bleedin’ bus we
gotta bloody well hurry!”

And “Bloody well hurry”
we did. Four hours later, we
screeched to a halt at the
rendezvous point and the
driver cracked a big grin.
But, the gmn soon faded
when he discovered that the
bus wasn't there.

By noon, and many frantic
phone calls, he located the

bus — an hour further
ahead. We rocketed on our
way.

As we reached the bus.

the rest of the travellers were
just boarding — and raving
about the marvellous lunch
they had just finished Our
stomachs were reminding us
of the breakfast we had
missed (the hotel restaurant
didn't open until seven) and
all we needed to hear was a
detailed descnption of a
twelve -foot buffet

And what a collection of
passengers! Three elderly
sisters were the first we met
One was a missionary. one
(the cldest) shncked at the
other two and the third was
constantly in need of a stuff

dnnk - rather difficult’ to
obtain under the watchful
eyes of two teetotalling
SIStCrs

The next two were young
girls an With cach
other One had wrists hke a
longshoreman and offered to

love

Passport

hotos

while you wait
North Shore Darkroom
1527 Lonsdaie 988-9813

remove the gizzard from the
bus driver when he got too
chummy with her friend.

The tour director was
charming — an ex-army
type. He had two slight
problems, though. This was
his first effort at tour guiding
and he knew slightly less

trayel-
wise

by Barbara
McCreadie

about where we were than
we did AND he had rather a
severe drinking problem. |
have never seen hangovers
like his in my life and his
only cure was to belt back
some of “the hair of the
dog”.

We arrived at hotels —
that weren't there,
restaurants — thal were
closed and tounst sights —
after dark.

The bus had flat tires, the
driver hit a parked car and
once drove away and forgot
where he left us.

One of our scheduled
shopping stops was in
Edinburgh. Nice choice. Pity
it was Sunday.

When I returned home, 1
wrote a gentle letter of
protest to “Mr. Managing
Director”. The only answer |
received was a copy of next
year’s brochure!

Fortunately, the company
quickly went out of business
and the ones that” are
operating today are in much
better shape than this one
You're apt to have a very
mice vacation ona tour if you
choose one that doesn't try
to cover too much territory
It also helps to book one thal
caters to people of
navhonalities rather
stmetly North
Often, you
much = from

many
than
American
can learn as
your fellow
travellers as you can from a
tour guide

Mint tours can be booked
in hotels everywhere and a

semes of these can be more

WAIKIKI *469

4 Days 7 Nagin As A totes

WAIKIKI *519

SS (avs 1 4 Magttts An & Peter:

LAS VEGAS °269

OB bdays Nahin: Ag AB ortirterns

LAS VEGAS °189

S Daya 4 Maytts Au & Pete:

*299

RENO

A tlaya Nazis An & ft tiotes

DISNEYLAND ‘189

(CENTA tours

1666 Robson Street
10507 K Geo. Hwy Surrey

689-7117

Reg Travel Agent No. 157 3

How to handle a travel tour

enjoyable than one long
marathon. If you don't feel
up to scratch for a couple of
days, you can take a break.
Clothes-conscious people
often worry about their
wardrobes for tours. Since
you remain with the same
group of people for a long
period of time, it’s difficult
to dazzle them with new
outfits out of one suitcase.
Also, with a series of one-
night stops, it’s awkward
getting laundry done. Stick
to light fabrics — “wash-and-
wear” variety, and medium-
dark colors. Prints don’t
show spots as readily as solid
colors. Black picks up dust
and lint. Remember, you
can't enjoy a holiday very
much if all you do is worry
about your appearance.

DEAR BARBARA: My
husband, self and daughter
10 wish to see Vancouver
Island. We have been here
almost three years from
England. We don't drive.

We would like to spend
one or two weeks in a hotel,
mot too expensive but
respectable.

We intend to take a train
ride and my daughter wants
to see the miniature village
she has heard about.

Can you suggest suitable
accommodation and sights
to see?

ANSWER: The B.C.
Government puts out an
excellent free package that
includes a complete  ac-
commodation guide, road
maps and a calendar of
events for the entire
province. They can also
include a schedule for the
Esquimalt-Nanaimo Railway
if you requestit.

BRITISH COLUMBIA
TRAVEL

800 Robson Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 2C6
(Tel: 604-668-2300)

Inter-Island bus schedules
are available from:
Vancouver Island Transit
Ltd.

650 Garbally Road
Victona, B.C.
(Tel: 604-386-8457)

The miniature village your
daughter is anxious to see 1s
located in the Empress Hotel
in Victomna A visit to the
“Mimature World” might be
leamed-up with afternoon
tea at this elegant old hotel

Since you don't drive. a
sensible program might be to

take the bus and BC Ferry

alu MA,

fhe aad
—y
The truly
inciusive holiday!!!
TENNIS - included
ARCHERY - inctuded
VOLLEYBALL - Included
SWIMMING - included
YOGA - included
SCUBA - included
FOOD - included

There are Clubs as close as
Mexico, as tar away as
Seychelle Isiands

No tipping, piease!'

Call now for 1980 rates and
brochure

P LAWSON TRAVEL

ew lar pee

Park Royal - North Mall
922-4131

from Vancouver to Victoria
and stay there a couple of
days sightseeing. Then you
can take the railroad to
Nanaimo, choose one of the
lovely resorts in that area
and stay for the remainder of
your holiday. Take the
return ferry from Nanaimo
to Horseshoe Bay.

One full-day excursion
that sounds delightful is the
ferry boat from Port Alberni
to Ucluelet and Tofino on
the west coast, the M.V.
Mary Rose. All day cruises
are $15.

Write:

Alberni Marine
Transportation
P.O. Box 188

Port Alberni, B.C.

They have special rates for
children.

Make sure you have
confirmed reservatidns for
your accommodation § as
without a car it’s too difficult
to hunt around. | just don’t
dare recommend any
specific places as there are
sO many good ones and I'd
probably be lynched by
operators I did ‘t mention.
Also, some ‘res Dve

fa
mentioned recently have

been so mobbed that the
owners wished ['d kept my
mouth shut!

The B.C. guide is very
comprehensive.

Dundarave

pect

In addition to the usual gas station
services | will be oftering complete
mechancal service and repairs For
Customers convemence, all mayor
Dank and ot! Company credit cards
will be accepted

Its a new and better location with
the same high quality automotive
semice Drop in and see me

2196 Marine Drive West Vancouver

922-6624.

Aintree Carriage

buys a delicious
Main Course meal with
Pudding or Jelly Tea or Coffee

(Monday through Friday
tam to2pm)

Terry Higgins

“1 ook for me
at Pacific 66...’’

...at 22nd and Marine Drive in West Vancouver

ve purchased the Pacific 66 station at 2196 Manne Drive and on the 1 5th of
Apni Vit be moving there trom the Chevron station at 25th and Marine Orive in

My new station is a big bight. eastly accessibie location that will teature the
same Courteous and rehable service that all my customers have learned to ex

&

at Pacific 66