A friend’s husband is currently camping in the Wadi Rum desert as part of his lustremreis. A lustrumreis, or anniversary trip, is a Dutch tradition – fraternity and sorority groups go on holiday every five years. It’s a chance to strengthen the bonds between old friends and it also offers the possibility for friends to go somewhere and do something that they wouldn’t usually do with their partners and families.
‘That was my favourite part of my holiday in Jordan,’ I told my friend. ‘I had the best night’s sleep.’ I’m sure the clean air and stillness had something to do with it, but the Wadi Rum campsites are also well equipped for tourists (including families and kids) – think sturdy beds and clean bathrooms rather than sleeping bags and portaloos.
When some of us go on spa weekends or mountaineering with our boyfriend (the former for me), what is really off-limits to do with your man these days? Here are my favourite boys-are-banned things to do:
- Book swap/booze club. Unless you have a naked butler in attendance, of course.
- Clothes shopping. Otherwise it’s all about buying high heels that Hot Danish likes when I actually need to buy jumpers. Unless HD is buying.
- Sports. There’s only really one kind of exercise he actually wants to do with you.
- Walk in the countryside. See number 3.
- Have the bathroom in the mornings. Fortunately HD waits until I’m about to leave for work before getting out of bed. However, my friend Monique once insisted her boyfriend book two hotel rooms for their holiday so she could have her own bathroom.
