FOOTLOOSE
Travels with wilderbuggy
KALYANI CANDADE
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Twelve golden road rules for travelling with toddlers.
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It’s a tangle of legs and sleepy heads and shaggy dog in the rear of the jeep and I stretch my legs luxuriously into the space that all these years held the magical food basket that was a sure-fire source of inspiration. “We’ve come a long way, baby”, I whisper softly to the buggy as she purrs happily, eating up the miles effortlessly as the landscape flies past.
“Remember that first trip to the jungle, open top and all?”
Stories and lessons
Fifteen years of the outdoor life with two toddlers who have practically grown up in the buggy has left us with plenty of stories to tell. And some golden rules that we discovered along the way that took the wear and tear out of travel and kept the smiles on for a large part…
Rule 1: Always keep the food basket filled and handy and in your control!
I will never once regret that I didn’t have enough legroom in the growing up years — the returns on the food basket were well worth the trouble. Packed with high energy snacks to stave off hunger if we couldn’t stop in time for a meal, to end an argument over who gets the favourite window, to ease boredom on bad stretches…
Rule 2: Always carry enough for an extra meal. You never know when you will be delayed — and where — and the worst thing when you’re stranded on the road is to have two kids crying because it’s past mealtime. A loaf of bread, some buns, cheese spread, jam, and maybe pickle, and you have a meal in a basket. Over the years, I’ve also become expert at making sandwiches at 90 km an hour, so we don’t lose time halting for a meal.
Rule 3: Forget cloth upholstery and go for good old synthetic. The last thing you need to worry about when travelling is about crumbs on the seat.
I can never forget our first car in the new blush of marriage – a romantic powder blue Fiat that needed re-upholstering just about the time our first-born came along, together with plans for a dog. “Stay away from cloth,” I reminded my husband as he left after detailed discussions about colour and texture. “Stick with baby-proof.” Two hours later, he was back, grinning sheepishly. “I couldn’t resist… there was this beautiful silver grey… velvet!” It’s a sign of my great love for him that I never said ‘I told you so’ every time we scrubbed down the seats and brushed them down…
Rule 4: Always keep water accessible. Driving long-distance can be dehydrating whether your vehicle is air-conditioned or open. Avoid mineral water bottles, especially if you’re travelling in the interior, as disposal would be difficult and not very eco-friendly.
Rule 5: Fill up the space between the seats, so your toddlers have a nice, wide, cushioned bed with no danger of rolling onto the floor.
This is really worth taking some time over, especially if you’re going to be travelling through the day. The padding also ensured that the children came to no harm even if the jeep swerved at high speed, they just rolled over and bounced back!
Rule 6: Start well before daybreak, so you can enjoy the sunrise while your toddlers sleep! Apart from the obvious benefit of getting out ahead of the morning rush, it allows you to experience the magic, the peace and tranquillity of the countryside in the dawn…
Rule 7: Try to avoid travel after sunset. In fact, travel after dark only if you must. It’s not very happy for the kids, since there is not much to see in the dark, and not very pleasant for the person at the wheel as well.
Arriving late in the night at a new place can also be unnecessarily hassling, and can leave you with no options. Rather, time your travel so you aim to reach night halt by at least 4.30 p.m.
Rule 8: If you are travelling at night and need to halt, stop only where there is a light, or where there are people. This is a rule you should not take lightly. If it is a real emergency and you have to stop, then keep all your wits about you, and your engine running.
Rule 9: Carry plenty of safety pins. You never know when and how they’ll come in handy. One nappy pin of my daughter’s actually replaced the clutch pin for about 120 km — and for two days after we reached home!!
Think twice
Rule 10: Never accept a room on the fifth floor if you’re travelling with a pup. My husband spent half the night carrying him down and up the stairs… while the hotel staff wondered at the bulge beneath his shirt! It’s simpler to carry him out to pee if you’re on the ground floor!
Rule 11: Forget breaking speed records and make time for unscheduled, fun stops. Remember you’re on the road because you enjoy it, and keep time for spontaneous breaks — for that great photo, or because the water body is so beautiful, or for a closer look at that colourful bird… or to just stretch your limbs, or your mind…
Rule 12: Most important of all, carry a large dose of optimism and use it liberally when the unexpected happens… a breakdown, a wrong turn, a thunderstorm…
The beauty of being on the road is that you never know what’s round the corner, so snap on your seat belts, hang on in there, and roll! Ready to take what comes…
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