Vacation follow-up

Last week I wrote about looking for a vacation. I'm still looking, and believe me: I have looked a lot (as far as 9 and 10 hour workdays and preparing for an exam allows time).

I had never guessed that finding a good vacation can be this difficult if I want to stay true to my values. Yes, naturism is one of them and there are lots of naturist locations for vacations, but that's not my only value.

Someone suggested going on a cruise like 'the big nude boat'. I'll never go on a cruise. This is why: cruise ships are enormous polluters. (Link 1, link 2.)

Loyal readers of this place may have noticed that I'm quite concerned with keeping this planet habitable. Knowing what a stinking mess a cruise ship makes of that is enough to keep me from even setting foot on one in a harbour.

Then there is the bus. Okay, most people call it a plane, aeroplane or airplane, but it's used as easily as a bus these days. Even in this small country people prefer travelling by air for 10 minutes than using the train for a few hours. These 'buses' are also not very environmentally friendly (link 1, link 2).

If I want to travel in a way that's sustainable for the planet (and that's not for the planet but for the humans on it that come after us), getting around is sort of limited to the car, a tour bus (a real one with wheels) or the train (which honestly isn't a brilliant way to get around internationally yet).

People I know tell me not to worry about that because the planes will fly and the boats will sail without me as well, so there's no real difference. No impact. Despite how much I'd like to think there is (if enough people do this too), I fear they're right.

Still, this will never get me on a cruise ship. They tend to be big and have many people on them. I don't do well in 'many people' groups. 2 or 3 people - the right ones - will work for me. Now a sailboat would be a different thing altogether but there are none of those in the Netherlands as far as I know.

I'll see how this ends. I also wonder if I'm the only one who does this kind of wondering and worrying. Drop a note if you feel like it.