Life begins...

I can't take credit for this, blatantly stolen from a friend via Facebook.

As starts to the day go

As starts to the day go, getting written confirmation of my booking of The Trip and sorting out visiting Toronto to see a friend I've not seen in far too long is a pretty damn good one.

I'm going to have my cake and eat it

Despite my previous post about the choice and how I waved goodbye to Central Asia it appears I get to have my cake and eat it...

Thanks to Gil there is a way of me doing both the Central Asia trip I want *and* spend time travelling with her in South America.  Gil is one of my closest friends, so being able to do both makes me deeply happy.

Today I booked myself on an Istanbul to Ulaanbaatar overland trip with Dragoman, spending four months touring the heart of Central Asia, China and into Mongolia.
Afterwards comes South America (something along the lines of Peru, bits of Ecuador and maybe the Galapagos), South East Asia (mostly Indochina, hopefully more) and, if I'm lucky, bits of Africa (Namibia down towards South Africa) - but the details there are all still in a (mostly) non-existent state, but should be reasonably sorted by the end of November.


I have waited and worked towards this day for a very very long time - it really doesn't seem real; it will be very real on the morning of the 25th April 2013 when I set out on to day 1 of my round-the-world trip.  Think of me.


Dreams do come true.

Decisions decisions

In the end the decision, the choice, is actually a fairly easy one.  My options:

• Go to Central Asia, where the only way I can find to make this work is skip South America
• Go to South America and travel with a friend, making the visas practically impossible.

Sorry Asia - you'll still be there in a few years time.  Yes I'd like to go now and yes if I can do both I will, but realistically I can't.

So hello South America.  Hello to travelling with Gil, the pair of us getting to share part of each others big trips - the thing we've been talking about for literally as long as we've known each other.  Central Asia and the wilds will be there in a few years time; the chance to travel at this point, with this person, will not.

So long Central Asia, see you in a few.

Dear Central Asia (part 2)

Dear Central Asia,

I really want to visit you - I really do.  The total remote and wilds of you, the land less trodden, the chances to go places and do thing which are far removed from the beaten-track or even the beaten-backpacking-track (which, honestly, often isn't too far from the track - we just got there a different way and stay in far cheaper sleeping establishments).  The experience far removed from the norm.  The centrepiece of my long-held dream.

Alas.

China isn't (currently) allowing British passport holders through and even if they changed their mind who says they wouldn't change it back; getting visas sorted for the Stans is a PITA and the UKPA has confirmed that I can only have 2 passports for business reasons and that removes my last  "easy" choice.

I now face the decision - if I do Central Asia then I can't do South America in Feb-April and that means not travelling with a friend of mine - it also means the plans which work really nicely if I leave mid-Feb are broken as I need to hang around until mid-April.  As much as I want to do the Central Asia trip, I also want to travel with her. Essentially I have to choose.

Bugger.

Dear China

Dear China,

Please can you let me into Tibet, I'd really like to go.  I know you're not all that keen on British passport holders going there at the moment, but if you could let me (and a truck full of others) in, say, late May / early June next year that would be just lovely.

Thanks,
Me.

Dear Central Asia

Dear Central Asia,

Why do you have to be so tempting and yet such a pain in the ass to get visas for?

Love,
Me.