Trick or Treat, Watch Out and Decide Wisely.
Trick or treat. It's Halloween, the time of year when varieties of sweet
candies fill up our cabinet space. And if you are in the US, I bet you won’t be
able to say no to seasonal specialities such as pumpkin spiced coffee, pumpkin
cake or pumpkin pie.
Oh, yummy! But, if you are still not convinced, how about a pumpkin
spiced chai latte, pumpkin beer or pumpkin ale? I must admit, before having
tasted some of these, the only other form of pumpkin I really enjoyed was the
sweet-and-spicy south Indian curried pumpkin.
Frankly speaking, Halloween is not a huge influence in the Asian part of
the world, where I am from, but the tricks and treats in all forms are.
You hear this all the time – Sale, sale, sale! Prices discounted by 70%!
Buy one, get two for free! Get a second at 90% discount! Hotels at slashed
prices! What a treat! How many times have you said that it must be your lucky
day to bump into such a blast?
But hang on – how many more times have you felt misled afterwards
…
I am a compulsive travel site surfer. That's a red flag. Before my café-hopping
days, I'd spend much of my free time searching for good travel bargains.
Statistically, I am a proud winner, but with a shamefully narrow margin.
Payment transfer records to Uncle AA and Uncle Malindo's websites for
unutilised bookings are evidence of my poor choices. My most recent purchase
was a one-year unlimited travel pass on a local carrier. My friend BE would be
chuckling when she reads this, because she hinted to me to be cautious back
then. Today, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I haven’t even considered using it –
not even once. So, watch out for the treats in disguise.
Early memories. It was always during the wee hours due to lack of sleep
when my mind would get hyper and go on a high. During one of those nights, I
stumbled upon a combined hotel and flight deal, which I was rather pleased
with. Did I wait? No. I mean, come on, it was a chance of a lifetime, right?
Did I discuss it with Doc? No, good deals get snapped up fast. So, ta-da – Hainan
here we come! I was super excited. This would be my first-ever trip to see the
Red Dragon.
Like an auto-replay of a YouTube clip, the hasty bookings repeated and
the list increased. In case you haven’t realised, I have a soft spot for
promotional travel brochures and offers in print. I'd buy the local paper just
for their advertisements. As Doc would bluntly put it, I was a dream come true
for the marketeers. 😉
"So, it's Hainan, you said, 5 days, 4 nights?"
"Yes?" I was exhilarated, I had a deal of the century up my sleeve.
"Where did you say we were staying?"
"Sanya. Check this out. The hotel has not one but two heated Roman
baths for their guests. According to guest reviews, the massage services
offered here is of exceptional quality!" Uh-oh! Wrong selling points for
Doc. He disliked both.
Doc scratched his head. “Come here.”
We both looked at our huge wall map. We would be flying into Haikou late
at night, and we’d paid for cheap but grand accommodation in Sanya, which is
300 km away. Our flight out was a darn early one, at 6 am. Keep in mind, we
always followed the be-at the airport-3-hours-prior-to-check-in rule.
With punctuality in mind, I did the hour-math, which I should really
have done before making this purchase. I realised it would take approximately
four hours to get to the airport. That would be seven hours in total. This
meant one thing. I had to forego two paid nights and two trips to the heated
Roman baths.
"Blimey Uma, how much coffee did you have when you made this
reservation?" Again!
It turned out that clicking the buy button was a hasty decision. After adding
the additional costs à travel visas,
accommodation in Haikou and round-trip taxi charges, the wisest next option
would be to say adios to this trip. Trick or treat – trick!
Next… Manila, Dumaguete and Boracay – the Malaysia Airlines deal of the
year. Tickets booked for Doc and me. But hey, Uma, did you tell your travel partner
about the plan? Ops, no – and another trip gone south. Trick! Trick! Trick!
Silly you, don't you ever learn?
I did learn. Although I didn't stop searching for deals, I got a lot
wiser at making decisions. Who would have thought a promotional offer to
Bandung would turn out to be such a humbling encounter with a breathing volcano?
Treat! I read once that everyone should see the grand Angkor at least once in
their lifetime, thanks to pressing the buzzer, I had one more. Treat x 2!
So, watch out! If you are a budget traveller like me, there is a
lot of pressure to ensure your plans turn out as treats, not tricks. Anyone can
buy a cheap ticket, but not everyone can put it to use. Talk to me, I will tell
you more. 😊 There are so many contributing factors, such as the ones I mentioned
earlier; time, distance, commitment, pet sitter, health, price, dietary options
– these are just a few of the deciding factors. Consider the tricks and treats carefully
before making those crucial decisions. Which would you find more pleasurable?
Trick or treat, you decide, but be cautious. While deciding, remember to
continue wearing a protective face mask, sanitising your hands frequently, and
practising safe social distancing wherever you go.
What I have learnt:
- No one forces me to choose
trick or treat. How I handle it is all within my control.
- When faced with a trick or
treat, to get the best treats, make objective decisions instead of
impulsive ones. If it still turns out to be a trick, then at least you
tried.
- Avoid impulsive decisions.
Wait a day or two. If you still feel the urge to grab that deal, then go
for it. If it’s still available, it's yours. Otherwise, know that there
will soon be another one. Don't panic.
- It’s handy to have a map close
by to see where your destination is, and how much time it will take to get
there.
- A calendar with time zones is
essential.
- Be punctual; get to the
airport early, or if you’re taking a bus, don’t be late. It's no treat to
keep others waiting – in fact, it's inconsiderate.
- Enjoy the seasonal
offerings, such as pumpkin-everything and Oktfest, because these are
available only for a limited time.
- Avoid stocking up the
cabinets with chocolates if you are not going to consume or give them
away. That's a form of hoarding disorder. Just get more next Halloween.
- Trick or treat – smile but
watch out!
Footnote:
Regardless of whether you are a business traveller or vacationer, a one-time or frequent traveller – if you travel, you are exposed to risks. It’s important to understand that some of us are easier targets than others.
Doc was a sensible traveller, while I, quite the opposite. Through Watch Out! Travel Mishaps from Reaching Delphi Travellers Alert series, I will share some of our travel misadventures with you. My aim is to create the awareness of such incidents and some useful suggestions to reduce the occurrence of unpleasant events.
