Vårens lurendrejeri

Jag är utan tvekan en dum sill. Så lurad jag blev. Och värst av allt var att den som fick mig att gå på årets aprilskämt var min 6-åriga dotter!

Så här var det. Jag hade precis kommit hem från en ny rekordlöpning (10 km på 56 min blankt) och kände mig ungefär som Sly Stallone i “Rocky” när han springer uppför trapporna till Philadelphia Museum of Art ackompanjerad av Bill Contis “Gonna Fly Now“. Ungefär.

Medan jag höll på att ta av mig inför en välförtjänt dusch sprang Elle fram till sin genomsvettiga pappa för att berätta att hon var så superduperjättelycklig! När jag frågade varför berättade dottern glatt att det var för att henes mormor och morfar skulle komma förbi för att äta lunch hos oss. Va???

Eftersom jag räknat med att få undan en del jobb som inte hunnits med under veckan, blev jag färstås inte riktigt så lycklig av det beskedet. Charlotte och Elle läste min reaktion blixtsnabbt och jag hann knappt öppna munnen förrän flickorna sjöng orden “april, april, din dumma sill”. Snacka om grundlurad.

Sandman cometh!

I’m confused. Why so many people still choose chartered and “all inclusive vacations” keeps me baffled. And what makes absolutely no sense at all is that I’ve never heard that anybody ever had a wonderful or exciting time while on such a vacation. And to add to my amazement, many return to the same place year after year after year.

Why on earth would anybody want to fly half way across the world, or less far, just to stay at a huge hotel, eat food prepared in a huge, factory like kitchen and each morning at about 6 am have to scramble for a beach or pool front sun chair? And check out this little feature. At “all inclusives”, you are forced to wear brightly coloured identity bracelets to let hotel staffers know you belong there. No. I just don’t get it.

I’ve stayed at a few mega hotels over the years and never enjoyed a single night at any of them. But sometimes, there just aren’t any options. The Beijing Hotel in Beijing is, for example, so big, that I got lost a couple of times on my way to the monstrous breakfast buffet and had to ask for directions to rejoin Elle and Charlotte. Even the luxurious Beverly Hills Peninsula Hotel, where Charlotte and I stayed in early 2003, is far too large for my taste. And I won’t even mention the appallingly detestable concrete Cancun Plaza in Mexico.

No siree, I prefer small, personable and preferably unusual hotels that offer a low scale yet grand experience. The big secret is that with these hotels, rates are usually much lower than what you otherwise pay at super-sized hotels.

Having a wife that dedicates a good part of her free time to locating and listing some of the best design, boutique and art hotels in the world, is, admittedly, helpful. And through her site ID Traveller, Charlotte’s helped thousands of folks enjoy a more enjoyable and memorable vacation. I know, because they write and thank her.

And now that Charlotte has launched Thailand Living, anybody that can read Swedish will be able to take advantage of all the great places to stay and things to do in beautiful Thailand. And they can do this without having to pay more or make any sacrifices on services or facilities.

After all, shouldn’t a vacation be both enjoyable and memorable? A unique part of a well-deserved break from ordinary, stressful life? An experience that adds inspiration by unearthing at least one or two unexpected experiences?

Why millions of vacationers still choose to spend tons of money on the mundane, predictable and forgettable holidays is beyond my comprehension. Have they not heard of Google, Yahoo or, eh, MSN?

I suppose the answer is a simple as it is sad. Most folks are just not secure enough to take charge of their travel destiny. That and the fact that they’re just plain ol’ lazy. Calling a huge travel agency and booking an all-inclusive resort is obviously a whole lot simpler than being your own travel agent. Even if it means sharing a conceptualised holiday experience with hoards of others. To each is own.