Packing Out My Trash

Possessions

I've decided to store all of my worldly possessions at my parents while I travel. One of my bros (Alex) is at uni in Lincoln freeing up most of a room.. the task now is to once again move all my stuff from A to B and i have until mid January to do that! So the boxes are out and the sorting has begun! Constantly reminding me of the epic adventure and challenge that lies ahead.


Ever Closer

Now that Christmas has passed and I have time off from work to breathe its beginning to feel like a daunting countdown to a jump into the unknown world. Though I don't think thats what I find daunting, I think that feeling comes from the fact I'm doing it alone... leaving behind everyone and everything I've ever known. For a whole year. But this is whats behind the excitement too - that builds up inside. This is the price of freedom - in it's most extreme form!

Fifty-three days... less than two months!

I can't wait to sleep in random hostel rooms, savor the exotic foods, breathe in the humid sea breeze, try and snap dangerous wildlife, exchange perspectives and opinions on the world with locals and strangers, I can't wait to tell people about my home.


Countdown List

So For January I have an extensive list of things to do and buy...

- Visit family
- Complete paying for round the world trip at STA (£820 to go)
- Extra passport photos
- Open Nationwide account
- Finish transferring stuff to mp3/media player
- Buy accessories for mp3/media player
- Buy final pieces of kit
- Scan and email vital documents and information to self
- Buy some good reading material ( Sophie's world by Jostein Gaarder,
Chariots of the gods by erich von daniken)
- Buy Malaria drugs
- Hand in notice at work :c(
- Complete CV
- Move possessions
- Have medical check over
- Buy world sim card
- Write to student loans company
- Return library travel books... ehum..
- Learn some Spanish and Thai?
- Organise some form of leaving par-tay!


Medical

Due to an excessive amount of iodine tablets/droplets for christmas (used for water purification in sounth america and Thailand) I'm going to take back some of them to the Castle Mountain Moor hiking shop and exchange them for the neutralising tablets. I've also had to work out the amount of water, on average consumed by a human - to work out how many tablets are required!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

So, on average it'll be 2 to 3 litres a day... for 1 month in Thailand and 2 months in South America thats 90 days... about a max of 270 litres of water. So thats at least:

- 1x Iodine droplets, 1x Iodine tablets
- 4x Neatralising tablets
- 4x Chlorine tablets

http://www.cmmonline.co.uk/departments/default.asp?catL=3760&catH=3769

Suspected Hippie In Transit....

Medicals

All my jabs are complete! I'm immune to the evils of Hep B (booster required in a year), Yellowfever and Rabbies! Hardly any noticeable side effects, at least not on the 2nd and 3rd visits. All recorded in a small yellow book of 'International certificate of vaccinations or Prophylaxis'.

http://www.touchnottingham.com/business/list/bid/5726952 - Travel doc clinic
http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/tips.htm - Travel doc home page

Just the Malaria prophylaxis drugs to decide upon... The travel doc - Bobby recommended Doxycycline. Where as i was going to go for Mefloquine.

Also after great discussion over a drunken poker game i think a full medical check over at my NHS clinic is a good idea...


NZ Visa

Forms have been filled out for my 1 year NZ working visa and I'm still waiting o a response... Posted it about a week ago, special delivery. Tho i've just checked the status - using the online global visa tracking system - it shows the application has been 'completed'... !
:cD


Singapore

Lazy reading sessions in the festive Alley cafe with many a hot chocolate have revealed i maybe labeled a S.H.I.T. - Suspected Hippie In Transit... - upon entering Singapore. This is what has been printed in many male travellers passport pages... This is a country where freedom of speech and freedom of press are still tightly controlled. Better keep that hair trimmed...

~Top things to do in Singapore:

- Visit orang-utans in Singapore zoo
- Watch an international film with crushing amounts of movie goers at a cinema
- Visit Asian civilizations museum
- Muscle my way to bargains through throngs of night shoppers in China towns market
- See a Chinese opera....
- And of course.... Have a Singapore slinger cocktail

3 Months to go

3 Months to go and I'm jabbed up to the eyeballs with vaccinations...!

Three jabs... left me feeling a bit groggy for a day or two, but nothing extreme. Think the sting to my bank account was more the thing that made me cringe.. what all the flyers and price sheets fail to inform you in the medical centres and doctors surgeries is that the prices listed are for each jab and not the whole course of three jabs (which is required in the cases for Hep B and Rabies).

You have been warned... and i have learnt!

Same time next Monday 24th and then Monday 1st Dec for the follow-up jabs to complete the courses.


Itinerary and NZ Visa

I have my forms for a NZ working visa which only takes a few weeks to sort and will be valid from the date i enter the country.

Altering of my Itinerary at STA went well, tho there was a £50 admin fee incurred for moving the choice of start date of the Latin America trip to the 20th Dec 09... Its all mounting up!


Chile Itinerary

Arrive at Santiago somewhere around the 1st of Dec 09 and the visit:

- Valparaiso / Vina del mar
- Chillan: market town
- Pucon: a few days here for a hike up volcan Villarrica
- Valdivia: for Spanish turrets and forts!
- Punta Natales: from here head for the local national park of Torres del Paine.. epic!
- Punta Arenas: final stop at the very southern tip of Chile to see the location referred to as 'The end of the world'!

Video Blog? Video of Itinerary!

Testing of Video Blog... V-Blog!

100 Days!

With 100 days to go! Ive quite a bit to sort and do...


Medical Issues

Yesterday i went to see the 'Traveldoc' on Regent street to consult him about the jabs I still require. This place offers a 10% discount as I've booked through STA and is reasonably cheaper than my local NHS nurses practice. Heres how the remaining medical costs are racking up:

• Hepatitis B jab - £37
• Rabies - £47
• Yellowfever - £47

Plus malaria prophylaxis drugs: Melfloquine - £48

Jabs appointment for Monday 17th Nov...


Traveling Money

After considering several credit cards and Mastercard alternatives I'm looking at a STA travel Mastercard cash card, which is accepted around the world, has excellent security features and is designed for travelers. This should be a suitable alternative to an actual credit card, which I've never been to comfortable with the idea of...


Visas

I've also been looking at several sources of acquiring a NZ working visa. After scouring several websites and phoning for a couple of price quotes I've once again decided that STA's is economically the best choice, undercutting other prices by at least £20. A holiday visa is also needed for OZ at a small cost of £20.


Itinerary

Once again I'm considering adjusting my itinerary... this time to make it a little more flexible in places and allowing myself more freedom for traveling about, namely in New Zealand, allowing the possibility for me to visit west OZ and maybe Indonesia. After all, isn't that what travelings about? ~Being free!~ The adjustments would also make the South American part of the trip fit into the summer season better, tho i'm not quite sure where I'd end up around Christmas or new years... lol I may also end up in Rio in Feb 2010 for the greatest carnival on Earth ...

The alterations would be simple at this stage, with no loss of any deposits and the moving of a few flight dates. The inspiration for the changes came from several sources; an indepth conversation with Ben from the alley about traveling, discussion about how i like things to work and how I am as a person with John from Bistro and my own thoughts considering the whole point of me traveling and why I want to do this. The last sentiment may hold the answer to the big looming question about what I want to do after I've traveled...

South East Asian Jaunt

So, the Thailand trip has been paid for in full and my place confirmed! This cost me about £450, which is £50 more than i budgeted, but Stewart the guy sorting all my stuff at STA managed to get with a few bits of discounts et c. So thats sweet! Included for the price is Hill tribe treks, elephant rides, tours, accommodation blah blah blah..

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/TRM


Also a £100 deposit has been put down on the Latin American cross continent adventure trip... I have a balance of over £1500 to pay before the end of January tho... Ouch! looks amazing tho and includes lots of touristy passes, tours on top of cooks and porters, meals accommodation. The price keeps rising aswell.... week by week. I reckon the best decision was to put the deposit down asap and get it at that selling price.

http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/SXMR

Need to learn some Spanish and get vaccinations done....


Planning....

Latin American Adventures

I've discovered that i can visit "The end of the world...."

Once Ive left New Zealand I hope to visit Chile in late September / early October for a couple of weeks, just before flying north from Santiago to Lima-Peru! on the agenda below it was listed as Argentina however, this will now be Chile,with a potential trip across the boarder into Argentina.

http://www.allsouthernchile.com/southamerica/punta-arenas-patagonia-chile/index.html

http://www.interpatagonia.com/paleontologia/museospaleo_i.html

http://www.interpatagonia.com/puntaarenas/hostels_i.html


In the southern regions of Chile (region XII) is Patagonia - Cape Horn. This area is the southern tip of American land, where the southernmost city of the world: Punta Arenas is located. The city has a longitude of 53°. The only thing south from here is Antarctica... So understandably this place is known as the end of the world...

Thailand trip to be paid for at the end of October, as well as the deposit for Latin America 'southern cross' trip.

Free talk at STA travel on November 3rd about Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand working visa to be sorted in November, along with medical jabs for:

• Hep B
• Rabies
• Yellow fever
• Jap Enceph

Lots of reading to be done!

4 months to go..

Finalised Itinirary

Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore
20/02/09 - Fly from London to Bangkok

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/TRM
-Overland to Singapore

Australia, New Zealand
25/03/09 - Fly from Singapore to Cairns
- Overland to Sydney
05/05/09 - Fly from Sydney to Christchurch
- Overland to Auckland

Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil
22/09/09 - Fly from Auckland to Santiago
13/10/09 - Fly from Santiago to Lima

http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/SXRM
- Over land to Rio De Janeiro
15/12/09 - Fly Home.

Countdown!

Today much kit was purchased from the Castle Mountain Moor camping shop for traveling! Including many vital items such as mosquito nets and insect repellent! :cD
These are Christmas pressies from the folks, which will be a big help! Just a few bits and pieces including; water purifying tablets, camera SD cards and walking sandals to be purchased now.

Dental check up went well and i shouldn't have to visit him again before i leave in Feb. nice to have something sorted and crossed off the list.

With Just under 164 days before i fly I finally have the funds to purchase my round the world ticket, along with travel insurance from STA travel!! :cO
This will happen tomorrow... can't believe this day has finally arrived. This brings me to my finalized flight itinerary that i want to book (In brief):

Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore
20/02/09 - Fly from London to Bangkok
- Overland to Singapore

Australia, New Zealand
25/03/09 - Fly from Singapore to Cairns
- Overland to Sydney
05/05/09 - Fly from Sydney to Christchurch
- Overland to Auckland

Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil
22/09/09 - Fly from Auckland to Buenos Aires
13/10/09 - Fly from Buenos Aires to Lima
- Over land to Rio De Janeiro
01/12/09 - Fly Home

Planning and preparation...

So I have updated my blog!

The original was created back in February, since then I have altered my itinerary, had a few of my booster jabs and have managed to purchase most of the kit required. The jabs Ive had done so far are the free ones:

1. Tetanus
   
2. Polio
3. Typhoid
4. Hepatitis A

However more jabs are required:

1. Yellow fever -3 month course of jabs
   
2. Rabies -5 month course of jabs
   
3. Jap Enceph - 1 Jab
4. Hepatitis B...?
   

These ones cost... probably going to have to shell out over £150 for vaccinations

Malaria drug prices -

• £24.79 Mefloquine or
• £20.00 Doxycycline
  

Not sure which to go for yet :cS

Dental checkup - 08 September 08 - 10:30

The itinerary has altered slightly which has cut down my ticket price by a few hundred squid: Instead of:
South Africa to start off with I am now doing Thailand!

I will be purchasing my flight ticket on the 9th of September! The price has risen due to four oil price rises over past few months. tut...