My arms hurt!

I got my first injections today for the big trip. Typhoid, Hep A and the first of 3 Jananese Encephalitis treatments.
To say that I am sore is a bit of an understatement but, protection is better than nothing really. Chris still has to arrange his, but I'm getting there!

I was about to suggest that we skip out India, but after going through this discomfort and the cost of the vaccinations, no way!!!!! I suppose that costs would have been an internal flight or two weeks accommodation in Thailand!!!!

But... we're a step closer in the planning stage and now that our innoculations have started - it all seems to becoming more of a reality.

What a difference a week makes?!

Isn't it good to chat to people about travel plans and get an alternative outlook on what you are planning and where you want to go?
Going into one of the travel agencies, talking over places we wanted to visit has resulted in us being able to actually plan going round the world. We thought we would have only gone from one continent to another, but with the various plans and ticket types, we can actually fly via Austrailia and still have our trips in South America, South Africa and Easter Island etc.
It all seems to be finally coming together. We now just need to finalise dates and get the first half of our year out booked and then work on the next six months!!!
We're all watching this space - no one more than me!!!

Blue-Footed Booby (Sula nebouxii)

This must be the coolest bird I have ever seen - and will hopefully see when Chris and I get to the Galapagos Islands. Aren't they just great?!

Where will the wind blow us?

Oh where, oh where shall we go?
You'd think that trying to decide where to begin a year's travelling would be easy - believe me, when the world is your oyster, you can't think where to begin.
But, it looks like we may begin in Florida and work our way across the Southern States - or until Texas and then fly to Peru. I'd love to see the Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu, Easter Island and the Chilean Fjords and then possibly Rio. I would also like to cycle a section of the Great Wall of China and see the Taj Mahal. Oh there are just so many places and those are only mine! (Jude's)
A year seems like such a long time, but when you are trying to fit in all the places you wish to see, a year is not enough!!!
Back to the planning and inoculation board!

So... let's start at the very beginning.

Greetings.

Today saw us find out the result of the Bushmills Trek competition (bushmillstrek.com) and although we weren't successful, it means that we can now plan our trip around the world with no waiting for answers from work etal.
With this task in hand, we've been going for coffees, trying to plan our route, going for more coffee and then forgetting to bring any of our travel plans with us!!!

So... We have a list of everything we would like to do and who knows how long it's going to take!
We've finally received our permission from work to have a career break, so as of late September we'll be packing our bags and seeing where the wind blows us.

The Trans - Siberian is one train journey which is on our list. Others are the Trans-Canadian and also the West Coast trains of America, but not all our travels will involve train journeys. There's the Pioneer and Leader in Field Guide and Nature Training course which we would like to do in South Africa, the Great Wall of China to walk along, varying places in Tanzania, Nepal, India and other locations which we would like to leave our footprints in and take memories from.

So injections are to be organised
and bags to be packed,
but we'll be off on our rambles
and in a year, we'll be back!!!

xx