Alright I've moved the event now to July 21 11AM meeting at the penguin enclosure (the roofed thingy) @lintworm would you mind changing the title for once and for all? <3
After checking ZTL I tought in go to the Burguers meeting... but really, I can't travel to another country in a weekend. Not enough time for see the whole zoo and other nearby facilities... So I must wait until I can come on holidays!
Dear zoochatters, I have infinite questions for this meeting. If I manage to get holidays for the weeks around the meeting, I will try to go. I had many doubts because I hate to travel alone by plane, as it's so complicated for my simple mind, but my first zoochatter meeting+my first visit to Holland+the lot of new species that I hope to get photographed, will worth the effort (Burgers will be 10 new mammals and 15 new birds for me). But now the questions... -How many of us will be here? -Somebody can visit the nearby collections with me? Burgers is of course included and Apenheul I think that many members of the meeting will go here too, but how about dolfinarium Harderwijk? (not many exciting species but PORPOISES... at 44,79 km of Arnherm). It Beesd worth the effort? The only super-exciting species is the Lesser Grison, and it's 49,58 km to Arnherm. The only good natural history museum in the zone I think that is Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Leiden), but is more far (97,31 km to Arnherm). There are more interesting natural history museum in the zone or closer? Any good collection in the zone not depicted in Zootierliste (including private collections, pet shops, temporary exhibitions/fairs....) With "good" I mean with interesting rare species. Anybody will try to go a more wide tour with all these collections, or nobody will try more than Burgers and Apenheul? -The thing that stop me more is the amount of money that I will spend. My salary is tiny and with no much time for booking plane tickets it can cost me a lot. I will be very interested in save money, so I ask, some zoochatter here could host me during the days of my visit (around the meeting day)? I don't ask much, just a place to sleep and a plug to charge batteries. -Also, maybe somebody can be so kind to bring me to the places to visit and visit them with me, or at least give me very detailed instructions (for go to the airport to the zoo, to the hosting house if I get one, to the other zoos/museum, back to the airport when travel is finished, etc). I must tell that I don't drive, and that if my writen English is bad, my speaked one is absolutely terrible so I will get lost very easily (and I don't know nothing about Dutch language). A friend for stay with and for go with him to the various places would definitely be the thing that makes me to do the visit! If somebody can reply positivelty to these questions, then please tell me what days are better for him/her (21th forwards?), and then I will try to ask my boss for holidays in these days, after that I will try to get the plane tickets. It looks complicated but not impossible! Thanks!
To start of question time: i. I guess we will be 3 of us only for the moment. ii. I would be happy to accompany you on the weekend (July 20-21) as I have no prior obligations for now. But the week prior or after is an impossible as I am not stretched for spare time myself and staff availability at the office means I cannot take that much time off (a day probably yes, but not much more ...). iii. I suggest you stick to collections around the Arnhem area, like Apenheul, Dierenpark Amersfoort or even Ouwehand's Dierenpark in Rhenen. The Natural History Museum would be a possible and would be a definite highlight for an afficionado, but be aware that the major part of the museum is currently closed for renovations, expanding and building new facilities for a revised Natural History Museum. But there are some other nice alternatives around (Haarlem - Teylers ..., really old school, but very cool!) and well if botanical gardens takes your fancy (???) quite a few destinations near to Arnhem-Utrecht area. Some minor ohter things ...., to consider! Accomodation: I am in the clear as to you wishing to save money in any way and depending on when, where and how ...... I could offer a place to stay (please note: it is north of Amsterdam and you would need to travel some way to get to Arnhem ... and further). Alternatively, you could consider sharing a room with us around the Arnhem area for the weekend. Travel: I myself do not own a car and do all transport would be by public services for me, I am afraid. I have a free annual travel card by courtesy of my employer, not sure on what possibilities they allow me to share on the card (to bring down travel costs to / fro). Personal situation: Two big questions!!! A) What do you mean with simple mind ..., state of mind or other ...? For example, booking tickets and that ....? Or do you mean language barrier(s) ... or both? Please elaborate / explain. BTW: Yo habla espagnol poco mas .... B) How and by which means would you travel from Zaragoza?
I think you should be able to take up to 3 (?) other passengers with 40% discount with you in the NS trains. This is the case with all other NS cards. @Kakapo, Easyjet, Vueling and Transavia often offer relatively cheap tickets from Spain to Amsterdam (or alternatively try Ryanair to Eindhoven), skyscanner should give you the cheapest options.
From Zaragoza you would probably take a plane flight from Madrid, ... right? BTW: The bus ride from Zaragoza to Madrid is 1,5 hours. I got a first quote for travel from Zaragoza (either bus or train) with flights Madrid-Amsterdam return EUR 320.00 (week round trip) with IBERIA (with CHEAPTICKETS.NL)! LINK: (Zoekresultaten | CheapTickets.nl) However, there are many more pricing options much cheaper to be had: EUR 120,00 return (with local air company IBERIA EXPRESS or KLM direct)! LINK: Goedkope vluchten van Madrid naar Amsterdam op Skyscanner
Also as to accomodation or transport: quite possibly lintworm or Timmiegun might be more flexible during the week!
Oh, what a shame. I expected a big reunion of zoochatters! Anyway, 3 of us (plus me if I finally can do the trip) will enjoy the zoo visit more than each one alone! Thanks! The problem is that if the time is limited to a weekend, we only can visit two collections (then they will be of course Burguers and Apenheul, I think). I would be very interested in know what are the visit plans for the other 2 assistants of the meeting! I did (usin Zoo radius search in ZTL). But Ouwehand's is pretty prescindible for me. It have no exciting species except the spotted cuscus and gambian giant pouch rat. Burgers have much more interesting species than Ouwehand's! Exactly the same thing happen with Amersfoort, well it have giant malagasy jumping rats and feathertail glider, but nothing more exciting species for me. In both cases, only the rats will be new for my photo collection, for the marsupials will be only for substitute the taxidermy specimen photos by alive animal photos... Oh, that is a sad new! I counted with a complete visit to natural history museum that is where I can get much more new species than in a zoo... That thing alone is enough for made me rethink in the worth of the travel Good! Are these places enough close to Arnherm to travel? Have they enough good public-displayed collection? Maybe you can tell me about some highligt species on each? I love old school! I also love botanical gardens and my passion for plants can be sometimes as big as for animals. Just we must accomodate to the time limit - we can't visit many places in just two days! That's very kind! Many thanks! Of course that I don't mind sharing a room with you, if the hosting option is not available! Then it will be much cheaper than each one in a room. Shame about the car, but maybe the other 2 assistants will have a car? If not, we can travel together by public transport (I hope is not too much expensive!) Sorry! Probably are precisely the language barrier what made me tell this thing in a too unprecise way! I mean that find very complicated to manage travels alone, overall in a different country. In my zootravels I always stayed with my mother or with a resident friend, that guided me someway. I guess that for me is somewhat easier to get lost in the airport, or not find the correct bus or the correct stop, or not reach to the zoo at time because I make a mess with the transports... Last year, my mother and I even ended in a zoo when we was trying to find an art museum for her (very far from this zoo). Maybe this is related with my slight Asperger syndrom. Don't worry about language. My english is horrible but enough to survive outside (even if I must repeat things for my spelling or ask others to repeat for understanding better). About the traveling is something I must think of. Probably is better to go to Madrid or Barcelona first and from there taking a plane. Direct flights to Amsterdam from Saragossa also is a possibility, if they are some. But before thinking in that I must obtain holiday permission from my boss, and before ask my boss I must know if some of the meeting assistants can host me/guide me and visit the other zoos with me (in ideal situation, with the whole group of zoochatters, but that depends on the plans of each one) in a slighly more long period that just the weekend... Thanks for both tips. The public transport discount is something great to know! I will chek tickets once I have the holiday permission (if I finally have).
I don't have a place for someone to sleep as I still live with the parents. Arnhem is very accessable with train as its a direct train to Utrecht and Amsterdam. I can take 3 people with me for 40% discount on the costs I believe if my student public transport subscription is still active that week. @vogelcommando mentioned he was coming aswell so maybe he has some better idea for you @Kakapo Best zoo's in the country are: Burgers' Zoo, Apenheul, Amersfoort, and Blijdorp. The others are not that interesting to me.
Well, we will wait for @vogelcommando opinion! Yes, Blijdorp is a very interesting place with a succulent and loooong species list! But is not even in the list of the zoo radius search inside of the 100 km nearest to Arnhem So I guess is too far for a visit...
Ah, another more issue! I forgot that during these days my parents are traveling so nobody can feed my fishes So I can't go this time! Maybe it's possible to prepare a second Burger's zoo meeting in September? This way, we can be much more people as we can prepair with more anticipation, the Naturalis maybe will have ended their renovations (I hope!), and the most important. on 22th September will be the Zwolle bird market. For people that visit zoo by their enclosures, buildings or history, this market is nothing, but for a species-collector is a dream, as it will have many birds that are rare or inexistent in zoos! And Zwolle is 66,7 km to Arnhem so is doable. What is your opinion about a second meeting in September? Then I would go to this meeting instead the July one...
Thanks! I can support these almost two hours for such a magnific and speciose collection, hehe. Then, how must be the July outcome for allow a second meeting in September that includes the Zwolle bird market, and if possible a bigger tour with various zoos in the space of a week more or less? (Ah, an additional advantage is that in September maybe @lintworm will be living in Netherlands?)