The last big sleep has been and gone, we are off to the airport for yet another flying marathon.
8 hours to Singapore, 2.5 hour stopover before we depart at 2.30 in the morning to arrive in Delhi at 5.55 am on a 5.5 hour flight...no, my maths is not that bad, allow for the multiple time zones and changes.
We have culled (or is it killed??) the amount of clothing we are taking in our back packs:while we are not really ageing hippies, carrying or pulling suitcases is hard work and a real pain-packs give us free hands. Seems ludicrous, but more of the weight of the bags consists of some books, Lonely Planet India and Sri lanka guides, power adaptors, mobile phones, camera, anti-bacterial gel and wipes, sunscreen, tropical strength insect repellant, anti-biotics, anti-diarrhoea and anti-vomiting medication...we reckon our bags weigh less than 10 kgs each, and we both still think we are carrying too much!
As we usually do, we will probably end up 'donating' any excess to fellow travellers on the road. For now, au revoir, auf wiedersehn, ciaio, hasta la vista, 再见，hoo roo
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Here today, gone tomorrow
I have not been hiding from the blog backlog, just been catching up with 'stuff'...you know what that is like! Time consuming is only part of it. Couple that with the number of phone calls we have been fielding regarding our upcoming trip to India and Sri Lanka and I am so far behind I'm in front! And my intentions about the packing updates have gone by the wayside also: am actually off to cull some of the gear right now.
If we had been on our original schedule, we would have been transiting via Mumbai on the first day of the terrorist action. As it is, we transit in about 8 days from now with hopefully everything more sorted than it is now. I am sure it will be much more security with each leg: I know that's a good thing, just means even more time at airports. I am taking bamboo circular needles and some wool to knit I-cord while I kill time
We fly to Delhi, visit the Taj Mahal (not the hotel), maybe Jaipur, but other than that, a few days in both Old and New Delhi before we head south to the cardamom (spice) hills and Cochin. All up about 2.5 weeks in India, then off to Sri Lanka. And, no, we will not be going up north where the Tamil Tiger action is.
I may just post occasionally while on the road so you can check up on our well being if you are so inclined.
For everyone (just in case my intentions are better than the reality), enjoy whatever end of year celebrations are appropriate to you. We will be back on home soil on December 30, just in time to sleep through all the New Year's Eve fireworks. Have a glass or 10 of bubbly for us
If we had been on our original schedule, we would have been transiting via Mumbai on the first day of the terrorist action. As it is, we transit in about 8 days from now with hopefully everything more sorted than it is now. I am sure it will be much more security with each leg: I know that's a good thing, just means even more time at airports. I am taking bamboo circular needles and some wool to knit I-cord while I kill time
We fly to Delhi, visit the Taj Mahal (not the hotel), maybe Jaipur, but other than that, a few days in both Old and New Delhi before we head south to the cardamom (spice) hills and Cochin. All up about 2.5 weeks in India, then off to Sri Lanka. And, no, we will not be going up north where the Tamil Tiger action is.
I may just post occasionally while on the road so you can check up on our well being if you are so inclined.
For everyone (just in case my intentions are better than the reality), enjoy whatever end of year celebrations are appropriate to you. We will be back on home soil on December 30, just in time to sleep through all the New Year's Eve fireworks. Have a glass or 10 of bubbly for us
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Has it really been THAT long....? Long
Where have I been hiding since the last blog?
Well, I got home and despite trying to keep sounding well in my blogs while on the road, I really was feeling v.v.v. sick, losing weight rapidly. I keep remembering Spike Milligan's headstone..." I told you I was sick!"....I really felt that I should be ordering some marble or sending the 'last post' to the blog: my poor daughter thought I was dying I looked so bad: not what any mother really wants to hear.
Numerous visits to doctors, tons of tests finally sent me packing off to hospital for emergency surgery.
I can't believe how much better I feel with some food and fluid back in my system and the problem repaired. Keyhole surgery has seen me get back to feeling well enough to travel. My hubby took a redundancy package after 26 years with the one company, and we had planned our trip as a "de-congest the brain" before he comes back and looks for another job...maybe a part-time one of about 40 hours per week this time!
The trip to India/Sri Lanka has been abbreviated and we are now leaving on November 30.
Since it has been such a tumultuous time, I have decided to take it easy all of December, and start posting regularly again in January 2009 with lots of new and exciting stuff happening.
I will be keeping you up to date with packing (and what I am discarding from the original packing effort) as I cannot carry too much weight or lift anything too heavy at the moment.
And I have to say, it is so sad that I cannot hang the washing out or do too much housework at the moment either.....oh, dear.
BTW, those of you who tried to download the free Ebooks can now do so...it is all up and running.
Well, I got home and despite trying to keep sounding well in my blogs while on the road, I really was feeling v.v.v. sick, losing weight rapidly. I keep remembering Spike Milligan's headstone..." I told you I was sick!"....I really felt that I should be ordering some marble or sending the 'last post' to the blog: my poor daughter thought I was dying I looked so bad: not what any mother really wants to hear.
Numerous visits to doctors, tons of tests finally sent me packing off to hospital for emergency surgery.
I can't believe how much better I feel with some food and fluid back in my system and the problem repaired. Keyhole surgery has seen me get back to feeling well enough to travel. My hubby took a redundancy package after 26 years with the one company, and we had planned our trip as a "de-congest the brain" before he comes back and looks for another job...maybe a part-time one of about 40 hours per week this time!
The trip to India/Sri Lanka has been abbreviated and we are now leaving on November 30.
Since it has been such a tumultuous time, I have decided to take it easy all of December, and start posting regularly again in January 2009 with lots of new and exciting stuff happening.
I will be keeping you up to date with packing (and what I am discarding from the original packing effort) as I cannot carry too much weight or lift anything too heavy at the moment.
And I have to say, it is so sad that I cannot hang the washing out or do too much housework at the moment either.....oh, dear.
BTW, those of you who tried to download the free Ebooks can now do so...it is all up and running.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Missing in Action--longish
I arrived home after a visit to Birmingham (England, not Alabama), staying at the Barton's Arms, a great pub near Aston Villa. The Aussie couple who have been managing (my former next door neighbour's son/my children's occasional babysitter and his wife and 5 month old baby) are heading back home a week after me, so I was glad to get some time with the baby-Riley- before the Grannies were on the scene
On my way home I stopped in Singapore for 2 nights at a brand new hotel, Hotel Re, at the back of Chinatown. Fantastic hotel if a little away from lots of stuff, but taxis are really cheap and efficient.
I had a Javanese massage at the hotel to try and get some of the travelling kinks out of the way...I hurt as I was being massaged but felt great, went out to have a laksa and then slept like a top until 3 am...must have watched the BBC news talking about the economic meltdown until I fell asleep again until 11am which is when Singapore seems to wake up. Caught a glimpse of myself to realize I was wielding serious Javanese bruises!!!!!!!!!!!
Try explaining that to your hubby before you arrive home...forewarning +++.
Got back to the Blue Mountains and hit the decks, trying to hide from everyone and everything for a while as I tried to get over whatever it was I have had on the road: at this stage, I still do not know what made me so sick. I have lost over 10kg (22lb) at least and everyone has commented since my return: so many so that I started to worry that I must have lost more than I thought and had to advise that I do not have any sinister disease!
My husband is leaving work after 26 years and we are going to India and Sri Lanka for 6 weeks from mid November until the end of December (avoiding Christmas)...of course, he had not really done anything while I was away, so we have been frantically getting visas and some accommodation sorted...another reason I have been recalcitrant. And cranky with the S.O.
For those of you after the free pattern...give me a little time while I work out what is happening with the web gurus now that we are all on the same continent and accept my apologies in the meantime
On my way home I stopped in Singapore for 2 nights at a brand new hotel, Hotel Re, at the back of Chinatown. Fantastic hotel if a little away from lots of stuff, but taxis are really cheap and efficient.
I had a Javanese massage at the hotel to try and get some of the travelling kinks out of the way...I hurt as I was being massaged but felt great, went out to have a laksa and then slept like a top until 3 am...must have watched the BBC news talking about the economic meltdown until I fell asleep again until 11am which is when Singapore seems to wake up. Caught a glimpse of myself to realize I was wielding serious Javanese bruises!!!!!!!!!!!
Try explaining that to your hubby before you arrive home...forewarning +++.
Got back to the Blue Mountains and hit the decks, trying to hide from everyone and everything for a while as I tried to get over whatever it was I have had on the road: at this stage, I still do not know what made me so sick. I have lost over 10kg (22lb) at least and everyone has commented since my return: so many so that I started to worry that I must have lost more than I thought and had to advise that I do not have any sinister disease!
My husband is leaving work after 26 years and we are going to India and Sri Lanka for 6 weeks from mid November until the end of December (avoiding Christmas)...of course, he had not really done anything while I was away, so we have been frantically getting visas and some accommodation sorted...another reason I have been recalcitrant. And cranky with the S.O.
For those of you after the free pattern...give me a little time while I work out what is happening with the web gurus now that we are all on the same continent and accept my apologies in the meantime
Monday, October 6, 2008
Another day, another airport
So sorry not to be able to post between the US and Frankfurt airport where I am in transit to Singapore.
England was wonderful again, staying with friends in Birmingham at the "Bartons Arms", a turn of the century pub that has spectacular gas lights and amazing tiles as well as great Thai food and fabulous beer...too good to pass up.
Have been busy playing with my former neighbours new baby and investigating the jewellr yquarter as well as a great jewellry gallery with lots of artisans work ...brought a few "samples with me.
If my battery was not going to die soon, I would keep on talking, will chat again in sultry Singapore
England was wonderful again, staying with friends in Birmingham at the "Bartons Arms", a turn of the century pub that has spectacular gas lights and amazing tiles as well as great Thai food and fabulous beer...too good to pass up.
Have been busy playing with my former neighbours new baby and investigating the jewellr yquarter as well as a great jewellry gallery with lots of artisans work ...brought a few "samples with me.
If my battery was not going to die soon, I would keep on talking, will chat again in sultry Singapore
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