Travel essentials

Today I set about buying the essential travel necessities that I may need for Africa, I went and had a look at Some first aid kits thought about phoning up about travel insurance and bought a Digital Camera.

So you can expect me to start taking loads more pictures and posting them in the album section. Currently I have take a few of my office and nothing too exciting but I am going to a caelihi (please excuse the spelling) tonight so I should have some pictures from that.

Changes

Well I have my visa valid until end January 2005  and I have changed my flight details to return on the bank holiday Monday (30th Aug) so no lake district, have to be another time. It is just as well DB is paying for the flights as I keep changing them about all over the place.

I think I may have someone to rent my flat as well so it is all working out nicely.

I think I may make it my ambition to fill my passport with stamps, I have 20 pages left ( however 3 or 4 of them are marked in some way) and it is valid till June 2006. Visas and stamps from Africa should take care of 10 pages, if I make it to Australia, new Zealand that's another 4 (stamps from stop over as well) leaves me 6 pages therfore Japan,Cambodia, Vietnam, Fiji, Singapore and Malaysia, possible but deffinately a chalange.

feel free to leave comments on this page if you want.

More on India

Right I was reading my lonely planet India book today , and have bulked up on my plan for my trip. I have to be in Bangalore until the Friday the 20th after that I have until the 22 in the Oberoi. From there I want to go to Ooty for a couple of days 8 hour bus journey from bangalore Before flying to Delhi on the 24th or 25th.

 
Also I am going to extend my stay until the 30th Aug to give me an extra couple of days in Delhi, and hopfully avoid the strikes in London.

Bangalore?

Omens are not good for India I bought a Lonely Planet guide at the weekend and it took me about an Hour just to find the right page for Bangalore, if I can't even find information about Bangalore how am I going to manage to find the place itself, somewhere near the south pacific maybe?

Plan Of the day

On thing you may have noticed about me is that there is all ways another plan of action every day I come up with another mission. Sometimes there are re-occurring themes. Climbing, ambulance driving, the environment, and political lobbying seem to be the main themes.

so here is today's plan

come back from traveling at some point, and do a masters probably in some sort of managing environmental policy, I've had a look around and have found a funding agency (NERC) and a potential course MA Space Place and politics at aberystwyth, of course I would have to find some sort of part time job to pass the time but that shouldn't be too difficult.

well that's today's plan call back tomorrow for the next one.

Levellers

Went to see the Levellers yesterday, in Oxford town hall, went with my Brother(Mark), Bev (his misses) and his son Karl (5 years old). Strange as it may sound Karl is a big big fan of the levellers and really enjoyed him self, especially to 'Its a beautiful Day'.
I had a great time also and even thought it was an acoustic set they still managed to get enough energy in to quite a subdued crowd, there Irish sounding Folk rock, once again failed to disappoint and I keep to my claim that they are the best Live band I have ever seen.

India Baby

Well Just got my trip confirmed for India I fly out with work for two weeks and then have a week off to do as I want. I leave on the 7th  August to Bangalore then on to Delhi on the 24th before coming back on the 27th. Considering staying until the following Monday but I am supposed to be going to the lake district that weekend so I don't know if I should. I think I will see how long I have on my visa before confirming.

in Bangalore I am staying here,

 
flight details
Air   07AUG London Heathrow      Bombay                       1050  0015   BA0139 Business
Air   08AUG Bombay                       Bangalore Hindustan 0300  0520  9W2411 Economy
Air   24AUG Bangalore Hindustan Delhi Gandhi               1600  1840   9W0816 Business
Air   27AUG Delhi Gandhi                London Heathrow     0210  0705   BA0142  Business

The Route

As it stands the route will be

1. 8th November Fly in to Dar Es Sallem
2. Head down through Malawi
3. In to Mozembique
4. Down the cose through Drakensburg and in to Durban
5. Pop up to Jo'Burg Via Lestheto
6. and then make it to cape town for Christmas
7. Up along the cost of Namibia
8. across Botswana and the Kalahari
9. Vic Falls
10. Up in to Zambia
11. back in to Tanzania
12. then to Zanzibar By Febuary 12th
13. Josie and Mirium fly to Oz on the 19th March
14. I try and get up Kilimanjaro
15. then fly back to the UK on the 1st April

after this who knows probably Australia New Zealand and Tokyo Cambodia Singapore Russia, China, Napal, India, Kajistan,Brazil, Argentina, Chilie.

maybe I'm getting carried away

Cool Well i think thats the basic blog thing sorted want to get a section on links sorted out on th side though. Maby tommorrow

Round up

Going to be made redundant in November getting a pay off that covers by debt but not much more, just bought a flight To Dar Es Salem in Tanzania.  Now I have until November 8th to Do the following.

1. Find someone to rent my Flat
2. Get a visa for Tanzania
3. Find somewhere to store my stuff
4. find some money
5. get Travel insurance
6. decide what I'm taking.

Doesn't seem too bad really, but this is just the first pass and I am sure I have forgotten stuff. Also I have to get a three week trip to India with work in to that space somewhere.

I have lots more to write and I think that the first few entry's in this blog will be fairly hectic but hopfully when I've got you all up to speed I will become a bit more coherent.

Well that's the first post done and dusted, well not quite I was inspired to write blog this by the epic journal of Ben Turner which I recommend.