Did You Pack This Bag Yourself?

This is Margriet - interrupting Kees' regular blogs from the Camino. I am now 'on my way' to join him there. But first I have to do workshops at an international school in Venezuela. I've never been to South America. Costa Rica was the closest. So I am looking forward to arriving there soon.
I left home yesterday for 2 months... (Nico put his arms around my neck, at the float plane dock and said "I like it better when you are home." THAT did not make leaving any easier...)
After Venezuela I will join Kees to hike the final week of the Camino. Then I'm happy to be speaking at a conference for international school librarians.
Then we'll fly to Amsterdam and from there to Zambia. I've never been to Africa either, so that's two check marks on the bucket list.
In Zambia it's volunteer work with the book bus and at an elephant orphanage.
So... what do you pack for 2 months, in which you need to have some dressy clothes, some old clothes, mostly hot but also cold (the last week of October in the Netherlands).... I need to carry my Camino pack for a week. AND I do not want to check luggage on any flight... So what do you do?

First of all, I found the perfect luggage. One small wheelie suitcase was already living in my basement. It's small enough to be cabin luggage. I'm allowed a second piece so a small pack. I still have a small purse around my neck. If anyone argues that this is a third piece, I can pack it inside the large pack.

For the pack I decided on 40L as the ideal size. It needs to hold everything for a week including a sleeping bag. And it's not as huge as the pack I'm wearing in the photo above. Carrying that on our last 2 hikes was too heavy.

So what's inside?
Most people tend to take their best things. I take clothes I'm ready to part with. Sometimes I even buy something specific at the second hand store so that I can leave it behind when I don't need it anymore. I packed one very thin, very light silk jacket that makes anything look dressy. One lightweight dress and a blouse I can wear as a jacket on it. 2 pairs of capri's, both of which I can leave in Africa. A pair of long pants for the last week. A fleecy, some tank tops. A nightshirt. One pair of flip flops that will stay in Africa, one pair of sandals and one pair of sturdy hiking shoes. Not boots but shoes - much easier to pack.
A large scarf - which I've already used as blanket in the plane.
Books - yes, I can't travel without books. But I selected titles I can part with as I go. A toothbrush that folds up. 2 small tubes of toothpaste. One cream that is also medicinal - for chapped lips, disinfectant, etc. All in one.
I also have a fair supply of pencils and bookmarks for kids in Africa. And a small photo album to show them my home town and grandchildren.

So.. we're off. Stayed tuned for Kees' next report from the Camino and mine from Venezuela!

No Jet Lag? No Kidding!

Have you ever had jet lag? A week or more of not sleeping through the night, or falling asleep during the day after a long flight?
I was very skeptical when my son gave me a package of these No-Jet-Lag pills. But they are homeopathic... so I figured if it doesn't help, it won't hurt.

When I flew to Israel, I took them.
No jetlag at all. But then, I do all the right things when I travel: set my watch for the time at destination, as soon as we depart so I have several hours to tell myself it will be morning, or evening, or whatever. I mentally 'condense' the day or that night.
I close my eyes and relax, even sleep - if I arrive in the morning and should sleep during the flight.
Or I fight sleep, by watching a movie or reading - if I arrive late in the day and should go to sleep shortly after arriving.
I don't drink caffeine or alcohol during flying.

But still...
I took the tiny little pills when I returned from Amsterdam to Canada's west coast. No jet lag at all.
I was still skeptical. It could be coincidence.
But a friend, who had terrible jet lag last year, took them going home to England and she was fine, too.

Then I had to fly to China. I arrived on Sunday afternoon, having taken the no-jet-lag pills as prescribed: one on take-off, one on landing and one ever two hours in between. I slept through the night, got up on Monday morning and was fit enough to speak to 500 children.
Same story coming home: no jetlag.
So.. by now I do believe these homeopathic pills are making a difference. That, and all the right moves when you travel.
I hope they will help you, too, on your next trip. I know I will keep using them.

http://www.nojetlag.com