Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 2 - Preparing the trip

This blog continues the previous Part 1, 

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/07/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in.html

  

 'The biggest competition is myself, I am not looking to follow others or pull them down. I am planning to test my own boundaries.'

Rain, South Korean musician

   With all the small and big disasters created by the current president of the ‘big’ country United States came with me a change in mind. If you would countries like Russia and China their ‘pride’ and ignorance for world standards come, for me, from the simple fact of the size of their countries and the quantity of their citizens.

   China does copy illegal trademarks and designs; have their ‘own’ standards in human rights and working conditions, rigorously protect their own market etc. and still everyone runs and invests there because of the sheer size of the market. Russia votes in a not real democracy but still many international companies go there because of the huge size of the country which is simply too big to ignore. The current president of the US is ignorant about, for example, agreements and the history and reasons why they were made in the first place and this ignorance comes in part from, in my opinion, the big size of the American market.

   Smaller democratic countries like Taiwan, Switzerland and Belgium simply cannot afford and from their historical background do not have this ‘arrogance’ to treat their neighbors or break agreements with their partners. I cannot help but I prefer honest fighters over arrogant punchers; prefer hard workers over conceited managers, prefer open arguments over backstabbing. Therefore above mentioned ‘big’ countries make for me a much less preferred tourist or travel destination.

   To support and understand more about these small European countries was one of the reasons why I choose Belgium as a tourist destination this year (2018).

   In the digital age it is very different to buy a ticket. Until the development of the internet the customer had to visit a travel agency, they helped to chose the flight and made the reservations after the paying in cash. The traveler would receive a confirmation for each flight which has to be confirmed at least three days before the flight. When you did not confirm, your seat is gone…

   Buying my ticket was a very interesting experience. I’ve checked the airline’s homepage for flights and prices, went afterwards to a travel agency on a Sunday morning after my weekly worship. The lady named me a price of NT$23.000. I could not decide and would not like to pay immediately so she told me that she could not keep the seat. I went there again the following Wednesday and, to my surprise, the ticket was offered me NT$2.000 cheaper than three days ago. With the payment I had the reservation on the last day before the summer holiday prices would go up to around NT$35.000 for a return ticket to Brussels.
   The luggage allowance was 30 kgs. This would be enough to take a bike, my clothes and my camping gear with me but I decided against the bike. One reason was the return. I did not have any experience with Belgium and did not know if I could get a bike box to pack it. 
   So what luggage should I use? After some research I did not decide for a backpack which I had to carry permanently on my back. I did not want to take a traditional suitcase because I worried about the quality of the wheels. So I chose the Decathlon Away 65 liter wheeled sports bag – black/red (https://www.decathlon.tw/en/teamsports-c126108.html). The bag was roomy, great designed with a set of two great wheels similar to in-liners. They would be a great support over the very ‘rough’ cobbles permanently shown on the roads in Belgium.
   I will surely continue to use it over and over again. In part 4 I will write more about how I packed this bag.

(to be continued@ 

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/07/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_23.html)

Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome! If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel