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With just over two weeks to go pre-travelling excitement (and nerves) are starting to set in. My immediate thoughts are currently focused on ensuring I have everything I need - which I hasten to add is rather more than I first thought I would need for just 80 days travel! My other concern is that the duration of the trip won't be long enough but in terms of seeing (and drinking) as much as possible, 11 weeks will be perfect in terms of my finances.
My expectations of the trip are as follows:
• Make many new friends and contacts from around the globe
• Return skinny and tanned
• Catch the 'travelling bug'
• Gain a new respect for British Public Transport (see pic above)
• Discover I can adapt to almost any circumstance or cultural 'difficulty'
As well as this online blog, I plan on keeping a written daily diary to hold a record of my thoughts. Was speaking to a friend about this recently who mentioned his mum kept a journal when driving cost-to-coast across America many years ago and is now going to publish them as a book. I don't know if anybody would actually buy this book but the sentimental value must be huge and important to preserve the memories.
I hate packing so that is that going to be the most challenging thing, already spent 10 minutes this past weekend trying to fold up a mosquito net! Cooking for myself will also be somewhat of an alien experience after acclimatising to over a years worth of dinners being prepared for me. However I would love to learn some new dishes along the way as my world-renowned Spaghetti Bolognese with Reggae Reggae Sauce isn't exactly unique.
Anyway enough chat for now, my next blog will be coming to you from the Big Apple where I will be letting you know how I have settled in my first few days of the journey.
Take care,
Phil
***UPDATE***
Well I have been home for a couple of days now which in hindsight is a miracle in itself due to the havoc snow has been causing to UK airports. My journey of 31 hours door-to-door including 1 hour and 8 hours delay at Bangkok and Doha airports respectively seems a smooth journey compared to some of the poor souls who look like they could be spending Xmas in the departure lounge!
I have chosen to update my first blog so I could see if my expectations were met during my trip and reading it for the first time in 3 months it seems that I came pretty damn to close to a 100% success rate! I definitely have made friends from all over the world including Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Holland and Brazil! As well as making lots more friends from all over the UK which is great knowing I have somebody I could visit in many places I haven't been before and also offer them a floor to crash if they were ever visiting my town/city.
I'm not sure about returning skinny but I have definitely got a healthy tan which I am concerned could quickly fade in this ridiculous cold, I am thinking of hibernating for the winter as it's quite a shock to the system going from 30 degrees to -20 degrees! I definitely have the travelling bug now as there is so much of the world that I haven't come close to seeing yet, my first thoughts are a short trip around Europe next summer with my next long trip planned for Brazil in 2014 to coincide with the football world cup and a great excuse to travel South America!
Generally the transport wasn't too bad wherever I went, the best was definitely Singapore as the trains there are so efficient. Subway in New York was cheap and easy to follow, buses in New Zealand and Australia are reliable but can be expensive if not planed properly. Buses in Malyasia and Thailand were suprisingly quite comfortable although you do have to be patient as they have the tendency to depart and arrive as they wish and have no regard for an 'official' timetable. I have actually missed the hussle and bussle of the London Underground at times which has suprised me.
Definitely had the odd 'difficulty' along the way such as losing my wallet with my all cash/cards in which was problematic, nearly running out of petrol in the middle of nowhere in Australia and getting lost at somepoint wherever I went!! But I came through it and feel proud that with my terrible sense of direction that I successfully navigated my way around the globe, and if I can do it then surely anybody can - right?
Goodbye for now and hopefully you have had as much fun reading my blogs as I have writing them.
Chapter 2 to come...
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