Booked it...the Start of the End??

Ok, So this is it- a lifetime of wondering wishing waiting, and now I’m down to the final few weeks before my trip starts- and I’ve just –an I mean twenty minutes ago…. Called my mate.."Alright Dean i just Booked the first half of my ticket…. How do I feel… how d’ya think? I’m absolutely shitting myself!!"

For those of you who might read this who don’t know me… Allow me to introduce myself:

Dean, i just Booked the first half of my ticket…. How do I feel?… how d’ya think? I’m absolutely shi......

Luke 24, from sunny Birmingham in England.

I’m planning on going on a round the world trip with my incredibly good looking (hey get the brownie points where you can) Girlfriend Caroline; from Bristol: starting the 17^th January 2007 and returning I guess some time September.

For the past three months, I’ve had my nose buried in either my laptop, my computer at work or in a book at every available moment I’ve had – Reading, researching and GOOGLE-ing the Hell out of everything I can to plan this trip!!

Now I’m in the final stages of planning…

An its all got to change .. Couldn’t get tickets for the route I wanted and now I’ve got to factor in some LONG bus journeys –oh the joys of travel.. I'm knackered before I get there!

To be honest I started planning this trip way before that, I’ve always had an interest in Travel, and the place I can first attribute it to, is My Gran.

Some of my earliest memories of her (aside from the one of her losing her false teeth biting into a Crusty Cob at lunch, years ago with my great grandmother) is that of watching travel and nature documentaries whilst she was babysitting my bro, little sis and me.

Countless nights I remember sitting with her watching Sir David Attenborough trekking through some desert or Jungle looking for an elusive bird or insect. Or watching Alan Wicker battle his way though some Asian or Eastern country, Batting the Police and Customs aside with his British passport. Some how managing to keep immaculately clean and well groomed in some of the most extreme conditions you can imagine – a trick in which I am in no way adept.

Or watching the Slightly tamer, Wish You Were Here, gazing longingly at the Galapagos Islands or the Sun-drenched Beaches of the Maldives – Wishing, well wishing I was there! (P.S. – I have now been to the Maldives- joy!!)

One such of these programmes that sticks out the most in my mind, was hidden city way up in the mountains invisible from the rest of the world.

Surrounded by lush green mountainous peaks, I vaguely remember that it would take days to walk there on foot with Llamas carry your kit and locals guiding you…. or a few hours on the Train – it looked amazing – I instantly wanted to go. Trouble was until about four months ago I never knew what it was called or where the hell it was….

Ok I know I said id been interested in travel for a long time, but I’d never really researched it before –so shut up. Anyone reading this who is more educated than what I is…will know I’m talking about Machu Pichu in Peru – So this of course is going to be one of THE highlights of my trip.

I want to take this Opportunity to say that this Trip, this global adventure or more likely Global Mishap is dedicated to my Gran, Anne Myrtle Irenie Morgan Born 26^th November 1923, Passed Away 14^th December 1992 – A fantastic Person, A Mean Card Player and a Macaroni and Cheese connoisseur that has never been bested.

Of course it would not be fair to say that My Gran and these programmes were my ONLY inspiration for travel, more recently the exploits of Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman on THE LONG WAY ROUND have rekindled my interest (actually I was considering doing a similar trip – RTW on a bike using their route – why not? it looked good, that is until I realised,

I don’t have a bike

I can’t afford a bike

I don’t have a bike licence

I’ve never ridden anything more than a Moped

I haven’t got their financial backing

I wouldn’t have a crew of large vehicles behind me just in case

I can’t afford a sat phone….

And the list goes on, so apart from those Minor, barely significant problems. Decided that may not be the best option for me… yet -any one who like to give me loads of cash to help out with this..Please let me know

MICHAEL PALIN in my mind- and a lot of others I’m sure – one of the greatest travellers of all time, has also inspired me to travel. As Has Eric Trinidad and his blog THE GLOBAL TRIP 2004

An extremely Popular and funny blog – which I am yet to finish reading.. Though I will, Watch the inspirational video here…(The Global Trip Video) Also the Wickedly Original Where the hell is Matt?

And it is these things, places, websites and programmes that keep my sanity when I start to worry about the impending trip!

I’m not a totally inexperienced traveller, so far I’ve notched up, Nine Countries, (pictures are Currently in the my favourite pictures folder of the blog) including three months in Sri Lanka – (Sent over on a migration project through work) but this is my first long term, non supported trip and I’m jumping in at the deep end.

I will soon be adding a map of my route to the blog, and using my trusty PDA to write down my travel adventures and upload as I go- aiming for an entry at least every other day- if not everyday – but I’m pretty crap at sticking to these kind of things… and if there’s alcohol involved.... Chances are it will turn in to a weekly or even monthly thing!

For those interested, the countries and things I plan to do are set out below…. And I hope you enjoy reading this as I go along –If you have any questions / suggestions. Or Donations ;-) to make as I go – please let me know - and if you like this Blog – please let others know, so they too can come to love my typos, grammatical errors, and nonsensical waffle!!

Cheers

Kato

London-Auckland-Chile-Easter Island-Bolivia-Peru-Ecuador-Galapagos-Moscow-Mongolia-China-Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos-Thailand-London-My Bed!!