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So it is now a little over a week back at home, and it is a pretty weird place. For example, buying groceries for a whole week is just strange. How am I supposed to know what I will want to eat in 4 days time? I have also come home to the coldest week of winter; definitely not in the plan! Perhaps the oddest feeling is still waking up wondering where I am (and where the toilet is). One thing I am enjoying is simple food; fresh bread and butter, cheese on toast, etc.
I want to try and sum up my holiday, but I'm not sure where to start. Being a bloke, perhaps I can start with some lists:
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Stuff I carried with me, but never used:
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Emergency stuff such as Tiger Balm, Vaseline, Paracetamol, Laxatives, Iodine, String, Super-glue, Whistle, …
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Ear plugs - I tried them once, but never having tried them before they were just too strange.
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Stuff I acquired on the way round:
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Ethernet Patch Cable - an oversight that I should have carried with me from day 1;
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Bushman Insect Repellent - much stronger than the stuff we get here in the UK;
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A Mug - Doh!
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16GB USB Thumb Drive - bought in Singapore because it is so tiny and cute;
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A Multicoloured Turban - I'm sure it will fit in well in Surrey.
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Stuff I used (nearly) everyday of my travels:
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Teva Sandals - survived, but only just - wearing trainers and socks is fairly odd;
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Berghaus Travel Pack - did a fine job of keeping my kit together and survived baggage handling around the world;
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iPhone - I know that I am a technophile, but my iPhone provided Local Weather Forecasts, Sunrise and Sunset times, Email and SMS texts, Internet and Blog Access, Round the World Clock and Alarm Clock, Contact Details for the Hotels I stayed at, Games, Worldwide Navigation, Currency Exchange Rates and Conversions, Kindle Books (I got through 16 reading novels), over 24hrs of my music, Electronic copies of my travel documents, Tripcase database of my itinerary. Oh - and a phone. Obviously it is possible to do this travelling without such a phone, but it does make life so much easier. (It has suffer though, with a crack up the back, but it did survive.)
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Stuff I lost en-route:
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Swimming Goggles - left in a hotel in Melbourne;
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Body Wash - left in a hotel in New Zealand;
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Water Bottle - left when returning the hire car in Australia;
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Hard-copy of Rough Guide to India - I gave away to fellow travellers when leaving India;
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Leather Wallet - not so much lost as rotted away in my back pocket, and had to be replaced.
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Flights Taken: 15
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Inter-city Trains Taken: 4
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Ferries Taken: 9
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Cars Hired: 5
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Countries Visited: 9
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Total Cost: ~£31K (perhaps this is a bit gauche, but I suspect that many folk are interested but too polite to ask)
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Fun Had: Bucket loads!
The first question people seem to be asking is which country did I enjoy the most and which the least. The far too short answers are New Zealand and India respectively. New Zealand is a beautiful, beautiful place where I could happily spend much more time. I'd love to explore the North Island, the Franz Joseph Glacier, Milford Sound, hurling myself of a bridge tied on with a elastic band, … But also simply enjoying the space and time that is available in New Zealand. India has its beautiful places, such as the Taj Mahal and other monuments, but it is also full of sorrow with so many people living on the streets. The deep needs in India I found to be quite a challenge. Perhaps the most surprising places I visited were Las Vegas and Dubai, both of which I would highly recommend to anybody looking for a different holiday a bit further afield.
Now I need to get back to "normality", but I do I have one final thank-you and one request to go. I want to say thanks to my brother Ray and sister-in-law Ileane for keeping my few valuables, accepting my redirected snail-mail and checking up on the flat several times while I was away. It made travelling so much easier knowing that things were be looked after back here.
My request is to satisfy my curiosity. Not being a great journalist, writing this blog has been an interesting, though odd experience. I'm glad I did it, and in a couple of weeks time I will be getting a hard-copy; something permanent to remind me of this journey. In that sense, I did the blog for my own amusement and benefit. However, I have to confess to being curious about who else might be reading this. The request then is for you readers to add a comment to this entry to identify yourselves. The comment need only say "Fred wos here" or even "Harry wos here and it was rubbish". I'm just curious about who my shadow travel companions have been over the last 6 months. Or I could express this another way - If you add a comment to this entry, then I won't feel compelled to visit you with the 600+ slide-show (including maps and PowerPoint slides and droning commentary). I'll be able to see that you already have followed my holiday and need suffer no further. (Of course, I recognise that this represents a cruel and unusual punishment so will be setting up a Steve's World Tour support group. To pre-register, simple add a comment to this blog entry saying "I need help"...)
Regards,
Steve
- comments
Chris Clarke It has been great following your blog from our 'exile' in San Diego. We too crave a proper cheese sandwich on our return, om nom nom! I know what you mean about India - it is amazing and horrifying in equal measure. I came to appreciate it more over several visits but I remember my first reactions very clearly.
Kit Jordan Steve, I have enjoyed living through your travels vicariously. I enjoyed reading your observations and associated wit. Have you thought of becoming a travel author?
Brian & Shirley Driscoll (and Stella too) You are already aware that Shirley and I have been keen followers of your epic journey, but you may not know that Stella (No.1) expressed great interest too. and as a result I have been printing off hard copy for her as she has no computer. The three of us are at a stage in our lives when it is less likely that any of us will do much more overseas travel therefore you acted as our surrogate so that we could enjoy all your adventures at second hand. Please accept our thanks and congratulations on such a well produced blog. , We eagerly await your next trip! Shirley and Brian (and I am sure that we speak for Stella also)
Sian Haven't read all your blog but loved the bits I have read...you are crazy to come back if you ask me! :) x
Janice McCampbell Steve - can't believe you are back in the UK...that time definitely went by fast! I have enjoyed following your excursions and in particular the pictures. I would welcome seeing your slide show...OK maybe not 600 pictures but the highlights! Enjoy the winter weather...it's in the 80's here in NC and lots of green pollen abounds!