The Plan

The trip.

When we travel on our own, there is usually a plan. Do we go around on our own or do we sign up for a tour. But where the UK is concerned it is never dad's cup of tea to be tied to a travel agency. He will drive around the countryside and savor in the beauty of local scenes and rolling meadows. So this trip to the UK saw us again signing up for a local car to take us around the few days we were there.

Being a short trip and wanting the best of it, dad plotted a plan that included a visit to his old pal's home, some countryside B & B adventures, a London splendor and a pop-over to my childhood friend's home.

The list seemed long but it was done.

 Flying across the continents, I was most amazed at the arid and desert-like landscape over the Arabic lands as we witnessed features often spoken of and taught during Geography lessons in class; wadis, yardangs and zeugens. Geography is real-life stories. Dad could not resist but took shots of them. I have to admit though that I am not an ardent fan of window seats. I like seats along the aisle much to the  chagrin of Sara. We fought tooth and nail for that seat.

 Arriving at Heathrow's terminal 4, we immediately made our way outside the terminal to board a carriage to ferry us to the terminal where we had booked a car earlier on through the internet. If you intend to drive and rent a car, the earlier you book, the cheaper the rate it will be.

The van was parked just outside the terminal and served us well as it took us a good 10 minutes to arrive at the Europcar depot.

Many European made cars were parked neatly ready for rent.

Dad booked this make and it was comfortable enough for the 3 of us. An automatic car will cost 20 pounds more each day when compared to a manual one. Not very sure of the routes and the highways, dad opted for the automatic one. This time he had no one to help him in the drive. The last trip the older girls were with us and they supported dad fully in the maneuvering and chauffeuring of the vehicle. He cannot depend on me and Sara for that ! This was how much we wished the other girls were with us. But they had plans of their own. Or rather, no more time for us.

Necessity is always the mother of invention. When the older sisters are not around, the youngest one has to rise up to the occasion. She could not leave daddy on the lurch , thus she had to learn to read the map despite the great reluctance. Not only had she to read, she had to lead dad. No GPS...

The first evening was wet and cold. I immediately missed sunny Malaysia !But drive we had to. We needed to scour through all the places that we had sketched and planned.

Sara and dad worked hand in hand though she had to go through much stress. We made some mistakes here and there but the UK maps are superb as every detail is mapped and this made traveling easier. Getting into the main highways was important as it meant leading us to the many counties accurately. If you have children and especially boys, this mode of travel is the best.

So, equipped with a map, a car and instructions, we drove through highways and byways, hills and valleys and reached our destinations safely and in good timing. We prayed for journey mercies and guidance.

 

After we have seen and scoured through the countryside, we had the huge responsibility of returning the vehicle to the company in London City. In the city we don't drive; not advisable. There are too many rules and regulations and you will somehow break one of them. So to return the vehicle in its good state and making sure the fuel tank is full is a chore. Looking for a petrol kiosk is a challenge in the city and yet is had to be done. We filled it up the last time before returning. Otherwise they will top up at a different fuel price. We made a huge blunder this time though. Sara kept reminding dad that he had signed up for a plan which he need not fill up. He did not believe her and ended up doing the extra bit with a cost. He was not to fill up indeed ! So now he had to cal the company to get his fund back ! Surely a lesson learnt. Sara chided us for not considering her. I forgot she had an eye for details.

When the trip was done around the countryside, we were glad the burden of looking after the car was over. Now it was the oyster card and underground tubes. London is equated with tubes.

So,ends the story of the rented vehicle.

 We missed the older girls' company and noise.