Last stop ın Europe

In around 48 hours time I will be at Ataturk international airport awaiting my flight out of Europe and into New Delhi, India. To get the ribs out of the way first then! they still hurt a bit but they are getting there and I do not think they will be an obsticle to my progess. That little incident aside I have enjoyed my 2 and a half months easing into the trip, visiting places I have never been before and meeting great people along the way. Istanbul is in many ways a terrible choice for my last stop as there is simply too much to do here! It really is quite a place, smokey streetside kebab stalls, crazy carpet salesmen, amazing architecture and some 14 million people make for a pretty electric atmosphere and it has reignighted my passion to travel at just the right tıme. My last few days in Bulgaria were spent in the town of Plovdiv which is a bit more westernised than the capital Sofia. It also has an attractive old town and a small Roman Ampitheatre and was a nice place to finish that part of the trip with. I bid fairwell to Max and Maria after insisting on buying them dinner for all their help. It was the least I could do really as I may have had to go home without their help. A few boring statisics for you then, so far I have been to 7 countries, travelled for 74 days and stayed at 31 hostels/hotels a fair old start I thınk. I have to say I am a bıt nervous going into India but also massively excited. I have always wanted to go there and I know there is going to be a massive culture shock but I will deal with it and adjust as I always do. There is a lot more I want to write but this keyboard is beyond confusing and it has taken me almost an hour just to write this! Signing out for Europe then, India, baby, I will be seeing you real soon. Chris

Show must go on

I am going to assume that pretty much everyone reading now knows what happened to me almost a week ago. If you don't then please ask someone else. The reason is I am sick of talking about, sick of thinking about it and sick of it hanging over my trip like the horrible grey cloud that it is. Yes I am still recovering physically and mentally but I am getting there and I am now beginning to feel that leaving Europe and getting to India will almost start things afresh and I can go on from there. I am trying to look for the positives in what was a horrible situation and I think firstly the fact that something awful has happened to me and I have not ran home at the first opportunity is massive and does give me confidence for the months ahead. I did always wonder if I could cope with something really bad happening and now I know that I can and that makes me feel proud and eager to continue with things. I have had a bit of help with my backpack from the lovely Max and Maria from France who are pretty much driving me around Bulgaria, I cannot thank them enough and they have even altered their route slightly to help me, proof indeed that there are decent people still out there to counter the arseholes that exist in this society. It was always going to be a struggle for me to like Bulgaria after what happened, I still find the people cold and unfriendly in general and it is a struggle to get anywhere if you do read Cyrillic, I have slowly been taking in the alphabet to try and get into it. The two things I really have liked so far are the 2 hostels I've stayed at, first in Veliko Tarnovo and now here in Sofia. Both are part of chain called Hostel Mostel and really well run establishments aimed at backpackers with a range of services such as day trips to nearby attractions and walking tours of the cities. The other thing is the Bulgarian love of putting cheese on pretty much everything which suits me right down to the ground and after a couple of months of being relatively watchful of what I am eating I felt I deserved to pig out a little for a change. My route from now until India is fairly simple, I am in Sofia for tonight and tomorrow then 2 nights in the town of Plovdiv further south. After that I am Istanbul for 4 nights and then it is on to Delhi in India for a completely new chapter and new experiences in a place that will undoubtedly be like nowhere I have every been before and hopefully I will almost be back to 100% by then. To be honest I cannot be bothered to write much more, this is simply updating to let people know I am okay and still very much enjoying this trip for the most part. I will probably do one last update from Istanbul and that will wrap it up for Europe. Thanks for all the messages of support from friends and family, you've all helped me get through this. Chris xxxx

Halloween in Transylvania

As a child and as an adult I've never really cared for Halloween, I like horror films don't get me wrong but the dressing up and everything that goes with it has always just seemed like a waste of time. I still kind of feel that way but at least I can say that being in Romania for Halloween this year has been an enjoyable experience. I have traveled a fair bit of Romania since my last update, from Cluj-Napoca I headed east to Sighisoara, a great little Saxon town which was the birthplace of Vlad Tepes. It's sights can be seen in a few hours and seeing I was with a Canadian I actually bothered to go in the museums for a change! the best of the 3 was the history museum which was set inside a tower. It had exhibits on each level all leading to a cracking 360 degree view of the town and surrounding mountains. In all honesty I could have done the town in a day trip but the 2 nights I spent there were well worth it for the people I met in the evenings. I went to the same local restaurant both evenings and then to the one bar that seemed to have any signs of life after 10pm, first with Florain from France and then Alexis from Australia the second night which ended up with a lot of beer being consumed and discussing the history of Romanian football for 4 local guys we met. The next day I stumbled out of my hostel, leaving my towel behind which annoyingly I've been unable to replace since. I went to Brasov which is meant to be the number 1 destination in Romania for tourists. The hostel I had booked had given my bed away to a large group of Serbians who were there for Halloween, which was rather annoying. They did direct me to another hostel nearby which was pretty cool, so I stayed there the 3 nights instead. The actual center of Brasov did not really overwhelm me. There were the usual pedestrian shopping streets, souvenir shops and overpriced restaurants and besides the excellent main square it didn't offer a lot. Brasov is known for excellent local hiking but I was feeling fairly rubbish and not really in the mood, so for the first time in the trip, I had a day off and didn't really do anything but watch TV in the hostel with Hannah from Australia who had the flu and no real other option and Judy the hostel cat! I got my act together the next day and visited Bran castle which is known as Dracula's castle even though Vlad Tepes only briefly stayed here. The first sight of it is pretty ominous and in my opinion the best thing about it, inside was quite touristy but still I'm glad I went and saw it. I did do a short hike when I arrived in Brasov, up to the Hollywood style Brasov sign in the surrounding hills. I left Brasov yesterday for Sibiu which is the third of the Saxon towns and my last stop in Romania. I have actually yet to visit the town and feel fairly lazy today. I have noticed that these days are creeping in a bit more now, which was always going to happen, in travelling as with anything in life, you need to take the odd day for yourself here and there. Last night was good though, I went out for dinner with 2 Australian girls and another from New Zealand. They all had a lot more travel experience than I did and were all travelling alone so it was interesting to hear their stories. We bought massive 2.5 litre bottles of local beer for the equivalent of just over a pound and this may explain my slight reluctance to shift my arse at all today, though the center isn't meant to be big and the sights can be done in a couple of hours. Last night I had these cabbage rolls filled with meat and rice for dinner and I've actually got slightly addicted to these since arriving in Romaina, they are cheap, filling and amazing. I have had a tricky week mentally, I won't go into detail on here but I feel as though I have been tested and come through the other side of it with the same massive appetite to carry on with this trip as I've ever had, I mean I'll be in India in just over 2 weeks for goodness sake and that is really exciting. This is my last night in Romania and I'd rank it second behind Croatia so far, the people are incredible, so warm and hospitable for people who have so little compared with Western Europe. The towns are stunning generally and the surrounding countryside on the train journeys has been among the best I've seen. Add to that great food, cheap beer, quality hostels and the awesome fellow travelers I've met and it has all been a wonderful experience. Tomorrow I get the train to Bucharest and then immediately get another train to Ruse on the Bulgarian side, arriving at around 2am. I have booked a private room in a bed and breakfast as I feel I need a couple of days to properly regroup otherwise there is a chance Bulgaria will be wasted in my hurry to get to India. That's about all I have for now, hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Romania impresses

I'm currently in Cluj which is my second stop in Romania. I have to say that Romania has surprised me so far, the cities are more modern than I would have expected and the transport is pretty efficient, I've met some really nice people and the 2 hostels I have stayed at are amongst the best so far. Going back to Novi Sad in Serbia where I last updated, my only full day there was spent mainly in the fortress area of the town which is the other side of the bridge and overlooks the city. As I said I preferred it to Belgrade as it was far more manageable and a lot less traffic to negotiate. After finding a delicious local pasta restaurant I went out to a couple of bars with the owner of the hostel who was Serbian but had actually lived in Wales for a while and had some interesting stories to tell. That aside my opinion of the hostels in Serbia was fairly low, I barely ever saw a member of staff so was unable to really get any inside knowledge of what there is to see. I have found the hostels in Croatia and Italy useful for this, so with only 5 days in Serbia its a shame that this happened, still I did see a fair bit by myself and enjoyed my time in the country nonetheless. Onto Monday then which turned into a hellish waiting game in the Serbian border town of Vrsac. Having got up early to get there I had, not unreasonably, assumed that a town only 12km from the Romanian border would have decent bus and train connections but it didn't. There was just the one train and it left at 6:20pm which was around 8 hours to kill before I could leave. The town itself was not a bad place but due to the train station being so far out of town and having no left luggage so I could leave my backpack I was forced to spend my time at the train station and the area surrounding it due to spending the last of my Serbian money on the train ticket and a sandwich to keep me going. The long waits are part of the traveling game but they are not really something that I enjoy, I prefer long journeys, at least then I feel as though I'm making progress. Anyway the time did eventually pass and 2 hours later I was in Timisoara, my first stop in Romania. I slept like a log and awoke the next day to explore. I have to admit to a slight degree of nervousness mixed in with the excitement whenever I enter a new country, it is usually washed away pretty quickly though and again this proved to be the case. Timisoara is stunning, its the 4 biggest city in Romania, a student city and has some really beautiful pedestrian streets and squares. The main one has the city cathedral at the end and looks out of a fairytale as many buildings in Romania seem to. The history of the city is also pretty cool. It was the scene where the unpopular Romanian leader was overthrown during the 1989 revolution. I would recommend reading about it, its a fine story. The day after, yesterday, I had another tough day of travel. I had to wait another 4 hours at the train station for the train to Cluj. It is also the first day I have had proper cold weather during the entire trip and I not even noticed until then that I had not even noticed that I had not even packed a warm coat, scarf, gloves or hat! rather than look for any of these I dived into a smokey, local bar and warmed myself up with a couple of coffees. The 7 hour journey to Cluj turned into 8 hours because of a delay. I met a really nice Romanian girl called Spiri on the train which helped pass the time. I am finding the locals here pretty engaging and a lot more interested in travel than those in Serbia. I think Romania does have a pretty good travel network though. As I mentioned the hostels have been great here, the one I'm at now, Retro Hostel, is rated as one of Romania's best. They are brightly decorated and aimed at backpackers the way a hostel should be. Cluj is actually in Transylvania and is described by lonely planet as 'a real city' which usually means its fairly ugly but I think it has a lot going for it and whilst not as picturesque as Timisoara I am having a great time here so far. Next up I hit the Saxon triangle of Sighisoara, Brasov and Sibiu. Brasov is meant to be the highlight of any trip to Romania and I intend to do some hiking there as well as head out to Dracula's castle in nearby Bram, this will fall on the 30th October which is a day before Halloween and that is a complete coincidence! I have changed my itinerary in places, Sibiu has been added in as it is supposed to be amazing and I am nearby anyway, I've also added an extra day onto Brasov due to Bram castle being closed on Mondays. To balance this I've decided not to go to Bucharest, I've heard nothing but bad things about it and feel a big dirty capital is something I could do without. I will still have to go here as its the route to Bulgaria and may have to stay a night depending on trains and buses. I have also removed Constanta, on the black sea coast as its too far out the way and added Ruse, on the Bulgarian side of the border which fits in better and is near a good national park, though I've not booked accommodation there yet due to uncertainty about getting there. I do intend to put some photos on here soon, hope everyone is well back in the UK and wherever else you might be.

lessons learned

I think the two most important things I have learnt so far from Europe with regards to my upcoming travels are that location is everything and to wing it all the way to Rio from India onward! What I mean is that in terms of meeting people and seeing the destinations being in the center or as near to it as possible is massively important! my 3 days in Belgrade, whilst good, were a real struggle at times as I was in a fairly crap hostel with not a single other person and a good 45 minute walk from the center of the city and in terms of nightlife and the time it took me to get anywhere I do feel I have missed out a bit with this one. Whilst I have an itinerary for beyond Europe I do not really intend to stick to it religiously, once I get to India all that matters is that I am back in Delhi for my flight to Thailand in mid February and so on. I guess Europe kind of had to go that way, especially Italy, it is kind of essential to book even though it is approaching the end of the season, all I can do now is go to each place I have booked over the next month or so, enjoy them, remember why I wanted to go there and make the best of them. It kind of sounds like I am not having fun which could not be further from the truth, I have had some great times already and Europe is such a small part of this trip that it really has to be put into perspective. Sarajevo was great, my second night involved a night at a Latin club with Mexican Bryan and South African Chris. It was a very lively place and the sort of club where you can have a chat with people if you are not so into the dancing side of things. I met a fair few people who were doing similar routes to me in terms of heading to India after Europe which surprised me a little but I guess I am getting quite far east now so maybe will meet more travelers with this sort of trip in mind. The final day my awful navigation of the place continued and by the evening I had given up with the culture and had a MacDonalds and watched Taken at the cinema, I shouldn't have bothered as both were shit! I left Bosnia the following morning, grabbing a final burek along the way, this is one of the national favorites and is a thin pastry stuffed with one of meat, cheese or Nutella bizarrely. The train to Belgrade took almost 9 hours but was fairly comfortable as train travel often is, I have always enjoyed long distance travel providing there is some level of comfort involved. I have no doubt I will be kissing that goodbye in India! I actually crossed borders 3 times on the journey as the train went into Croatia for a small stretch of it. It left me with 4 unexpected stamps in my passport, my first of the trip and an exciting moment for us travelers! I arrived at the aforementioned rubbish hostel and made it to the center the following day. Belgrade is not a beautiful city by any means, its the biggest I have visited since Italy, though it does have its attractions such as the fortress which towers over most of the city center and the old town which is busy but easy enough to happily get lost in. Due to the vast distances between my hostel and the city center I was unable to sample the legendary nightlife which I was rather annoyed at but I am sure there will be many more nights out to come over the next couple of years. The following day I took a walk to a town a couple of hours away along a really nice path along the Danube river which runs through the city. It was a world away from the hustle of the big city and was a relaxing way to spend the day. The heat has emerged yet again although it surely cannot last much longer, it is 26 degrees today in Novi Sad, really cant believe it! The train here was a simple affair and I am now in Serbia's second city which is most famous for the Exit music festival which takes place in June each year and is rapidly becoming one of the biggest music festivals in Europe. I have sampled the atmosphere today and much prefer it to Belgrade, its a much more manageable size and not as noisy or daunting. I head to Romania on Monday which may prove to be an adventure in itself as I can only get a ticket from here as far as a town on the border and then have to figure it out from there, should be interesting! It will also be my 50th day of the trip so far and I think I am doing pretty damn well so far!

Disorientated in Sarajevo

I'm currently in my hostel in Bosnia's capital city, Sarajevo. Today I have tried to get around and see the sights but they have mainly either been closed or I have been unable to find them. It's a bit humbling in all honesty as I've pretty much breezed through things so far, so to not actually be able to find what I want brings me down to earth a little bit. I like Bosnia though, Sarajevo in particular, its a bit more spread out than say Zagreb but you can still walk most places and there is a vibrant feel to the place with outdoor cafes and bars still going, though it is cooling now and I feel the heatwave is finally over as Eastern Europe finally heads towards winter. That being said its still warm here, I'd be surprised if its much below 20 degrees which is the kind of weather I would have expected when I started in September in Rome rather than mid October in Bosnia! My first stop in Bosnia was Mostar and despite my previous entry I did end up getting to see a bit of the town on my first evening. I ended up watching the Bosnian national team survive a second half battering to get a creditable draw in Greece in a world cup qualifier. Its good to see football is as popular here as anywhere else, the locals were getting properly into it. The next day I had a look round the old town, the highlight of which is the stunning Stari Most which is the bridge reconstructed after the war in the 90's. It really does illustrate the true senselessness of the war that two cities as beautiful as Dubrovnik and Mostar were bombed the shit out of for no apparent reason. I saw further evidence of the war with the ruins of a hotel near my hostel, seeing modern ruins is fairly shocking if I'm being honest. Dinner was a dirt cheap chicken risotto in the old town and there was still time to see the sunset over the bridge before the end of the night. The hostel here in Sarajevo is very inexpensive and pretty full of travelers, my first evening was spent playing cards and getting to know people over some surprisingly good Bosnian wine. I'm about 45 days into my trip now and it is starting to feel like a way of life now, not to say every day isn't exciting but it doesn't feel like a holiday anymore its actually just what I do. I think one of my favorite parts is my arrival in a new city and going out to explore after I have dumped my bags at the hostel. The one thing I did achieve was booking my train ticket to Serbia, its a 9 hour trek on Wednesday and will actually represent the first time I have arrived anywhere at night, I have Novi Sad after that and then its onto Romania!

What a difference a day makes

24 hours ago I was sunbathing on a beach in Dubrovnik, now I have just had to delay my first experience of exploring Mostar, Bosnia due to torrential rain, it really is quite a change in my fortunes! It was sad to leave Croatia at all really, not just because of the weather either! I have had a great time there, the cities and towns are generally beautiful, the locals friendly and helpful and even though a lot of places were quite quiet I did meet some wonderful people and have some great nights out, particularly in Rijeka, Split, Trogir and Dubrovnik. The difference between Croatia and Bosnia is fairly noticeable. The landscape is different, the people look different. Bosnia is mainly a Muslim country and I have already noticed a lot of mosques and heard a lot of prayers in the short time I have been here in Mostar, which is pretty much Bosnia's second city. I had a pretty great final 5 days or so in Croatia, which is a little surprising considering I have hit with a particularly vicious bout of man flu in that time. I think the reason for this has been the fairly hectic pace of my travel so far. I have been going to a new destination every other day since Florence almost a month ago and I think that may have caught up with me. It did mean that my full day in Torgir wasn't a particularly great one, I had decided to go to nearby Sibernik on a day trip but had to call it quits halfway through due to feeling rubbish. Its bizarre having a cold in a really hot climate, I had probably made it worse drinking the night before with Mario who ran the hostel in Trogir and a German girl who was on holiday in the area for a bit. After this it was time to head to Dubrovnik which I do not need to describe to you as its pretty much world famous now. I had to get back to Split and then take a 5 hour bus journey to reach Dubrovnik, it was really scenic, going along a windy coastal road. The bus briefly passes through a tiny stretch of Bosnia for around 20 minutes which is a little odd. I had cancelled my initial hostel as I noticed it was way out of the center and had some pretty bad reviews. I decided to splash out a bit on the only hostel in the old town area, it proved a good decision as the place was packed with travelers. I ended up going out into town with 3 guys from San Francisco, an Irishman and a Korean dude who spoke no English. There were not a lot of places open but there were enough of us for this not to matter and we ended up in a dodgy Latin club called Fuego which was an experience to say the least. The next day I went with the American guys to a nearby island for some snorkeling, cliff diving and swimming. It was another day where I felt lucky to be doing this and pinching myself with disbelief that I was still in Europe and we were approaching mid October. I went out for a beer and pizza with Paul the Irish guy when we got back, he had traveled pretty extensively to India and various other places I am heading so it was useful to pick up some more information about this. We also discovered that everything is around half the price outside the city walls which was good because Dubrovnik old town is by far the most expensive place I have been to so far and that includes Italy! The evening was along the same lines as the night before only this time we avoided the nightclub! Interesting story for those of you who follow the TV show Game of Thrones, they were filming in Dubrovnik whilst I was there, although I think they were just finishing it off when I arrived as we were denied access to a bar due to the closing which was going on. Anyway the little guy on the show ended up partying at the hostel we were staying at and one of the guys who worked there had a picture of him passed out on the hostels couch! My final day in Dubrovnik ended up being seeing the sights of the place such as the city walls walk which was stunning. I spent the afternoon on the beach again surrounded by impossibly good looking Croatian women, yes life was good! I avoided going out that night as my bus here was early in the morning. I have pretty much passed out, exhausted when I arrived here and my attempts to see the city have been thwarted by the weather so I have to wait until tomorrow to really see what Bosnia has to offer. I have tomorrow here in Mostar and then I go to the capital, Sarajevo for 3 nights, after that it is Serbia and Belgrade which is supposed to be Europe's ultimate party night! hopefully this cold will be gone by then!

Crazy heatwave continues

I had thought when I was in Zagreb that the great weather I've been blessed with during my trip so far was finally starting to fade, it had felt a bit cooler and I prepared myself for the cold weather to continue all the way to India. However as I've gone south the weather has gone crazy hot again. Zadar was 23 degrees, Split was 27! its actually getting hotter, even the Croatians think its crazy! The exodus of travelers has continued with the exception of Friday night in Split, here in Trogir it is just myself and one other guy staying. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, it is out of season and it may well be the case that this continues to a degree up until India. I have to admit this has not been easy to deal with and it even got to the point where the reception desk at Hartington looked far more appealing than it should have done. However, I've no intention of going through with that and have simply started to plan my days a little differently. I've been eating at the cheap local restaurants almost every evening recently, tasting the amazing seafood this part of Croatia has to offer. I've enjoyed grilled sea bass, shrimp risotto and even had Croatia's equivalent of a mixed grill the other evening which was pretty damn good! I've also been learning a bit of the language which needless to say has made interacting with the local people a lot easier. The route since the last entry then, from Zagreb I went south to Zadar where I wanted to do a tour to the Plitvice Lakes national park. Sadly the tour was cancelled at the last minute so I missed out on this, still Zadar is a cracking place and I spent the day sightseeing and relaxing on the harbour. Split was next and there were a hell of a lot of people about, after seeing the sights the first day I climbed the tower the second day (still loving those views!) and then walked 4 miles to the beach and chilled out again. The Friday night in Split was fun, having booked a dirt cheap guest house, I decided to gatecrash another hostel which looked to have a better atmosphere. I eventually got kicked out around midnight but by then I was drunk with a bunch of Italians and didn't really care. Today I came to tiny Trogir, only a 30 minute bus ride from Split. It's a really nice little town and yet again I have spent the afternoon at the beach! I have 2 nights here and then its Dubrovnik! after that I am off to Bosnia and further into the unknown. Hello to one and all, missing you all!

Tourist trail goes cold but big hitters still to come

Quite strangely since my last update I have barely met any other travelers. In little Samobor, a 20 minute bus ride from Zagreb I can understand but the Croatian capital itself? Whilst it has limited the evening activities for a bit (probably needed as it was getting out of hand) it has been a pretty cool experience being the only tourist in town, especially yesterday in Samobor where I pretty much had the hiking trails and a half a castle to myself! As usual I will try to put the events in order. My second day in Rijeka was fairly sedated after the drinking the night before, I did not make it to the castle and it ended up being a day of fairly mindless wandering. On the Saturday I had an early start as I had elected to get the train to Zagreb, I pretty much had the entire carriage to myself and watched the train go past one empty station after another, I began to wonder where I was and if we were even going to Zagreb at all, the eerie mist did not help the situation much either. When we got to the capital I liked it immediately, its manageable on foot and the cafes and bars on the streets everywhere sum up its laid back culture. When I checked into my hostel the girl said the best thing to do in Zagreb is sit in one of the parks and look at all the beautiful women we have! sounded like a good idea but I did have women of my own to meet up with, the German girls I'd met in Rijeka, Nina and Nici. Sadly they had an early start so there was no bar crawl this time but we did go to a cracking little market with a nice view of the city, then they went to Budapest and I headed back to my hostel to be greeted by my room mate, yes you guessed it, an Aussie. I should have declined his invitation to go and drink local brandy's at the hostel bar but I didn't. Luckily I dozed off in the room shortly before I was due to meet him and woke up halfway through the night wondering what had happened, I was glad for it when he staggered in at 9am the next morning looking like death! The next day feeling fresh I did all the sights I could in one day in Zagreb, I climbed the tower which offered another great view, went to the main market and botanical gardens in the morning. In the afternoon I went to the beautiful Maksimir Park and had a fairly long walk, then stumbled across a random zoo in the middle of it which I thought I should visit too. A lot of this is made possible by Zagreb's excellent tram system which takes you to pretty much anywhere in the city. The next day, yesterday, I took a day off from Zagreb and went to nearby Samobor where I'd heard there was great hiking, it was a hot day, the first we've had in a few days. I have no idea where I heard about the place as its not in my guidebook! but no matter, the center was small and attractive with lots of outdoor cafes like Zagreb has. I was convinced at the time I was the only person staying in my newly opened, bright looking hostel at the time. Anyway I dumped my stuff and hit the trails, it was fairly steep but before too long I came across some remains of a castle, I wandered around them for a bit and found part of it where I could sit and view the whole city. I was completely alone, in 23 degree heat with a view of a beautiful, random little town in the middle of Croatia, not another tourist or person in sight. This was the sort of experience I had come traveling for, it was a special moment. After this I hiked through the nearby woods, past abandoned churches and got back to the peaceful little town. Then I had a beer at one of the outdoor bars and watched the sunset, it had been a pretty great day. Back at the hostel I did meet 3 Aussie girls but all the bars were closing by then so there was not a lot we could do. I came back to Zagreb this morning and have just been using this day to catch up with all the boring bits and pieces. Tomorrow I have Zadar which is mainly an excuse to take an excursion to the Plitvice Lakes national park which is supposed to be fairly unmissable and it had better be for me to actually go ahead with an organised tour as I do my best to avoid them at all costs normally. In this case the buses between Zagreb, the lakes and Zadar are just too complicated to figure out. After that I have Split, Trogir and Dubrovnik so there are some big hitters to come and hopefully more opportunities to meet people. In terms of Croatia itself, I love it so far! its a beautiful country and the poeple are very friendly. I much prefer the hostels to the ones in Italy, the staff just seem far more genuine and happier to help you which is what everyone wants arriving in a place they do not know. The food here is also great, the bread is better than the stuff I had in Italy and its filling and cheap. I had best wrap this up as my fingers are going numb from typing. Hello to one and all. Chris

The cheaper the beer the more I shall drink!

Hello people, the first thing I should say is that I am really starting to have a bloody good time on this trip!I shall attempt to tell the tale of what has occurred since last Saturday which will be a bit of a test for the memory. Saturday night defiantly deserves a mention, I met a crazy Dutch guy in the hostel and ended up going out in Bologna. I knew it would be good as it was a Saturday night in the biggest student populated city in Italy but it truly was awesome. There were 3am raves in the middle of the main square, outdoor bars, loads of people, it truly was memorable! on Sunday with no sleep and a hangover I headed to Venice, the first day was a non event as I was pretty wiped out from Saturday. I explored the city the second day but felt that the tourists spoilt it slightly for me. It is still a great city and so unique and different from anything I have ever seen before. In the evening I met with my Brazilian friends from Florence which was great and I shall probably see them one last time in Dubrovnik. The next day I left Italy after a great 3 and a half weeks, as I could not find any direct buses, thanks for that Lonely Planet, to Pula in Croatia I elected to get a 5am train to Trieste where I hoped to find buses to Croatia. By the way Anna if you are reading Trieste is where they make Illy coffee! After I had sorted this out I was in Croatia by teatime and self catered that evening where to my delight I found tuna in the supermarket and a massive bottle of beer for under a pound, good times! in my first full day in Croatia I explored Pula, it is supposedly a city but feels far more like a small town. Just outside of the town is the 1st century Roman Ampitheatre which was like a smaller and less busy version of the Colosseum in Rome, I sat there in the sun for a while and felt very relaxed! in the evening I went for dinner and beers with Amy from Oxford, had a pizza for 4 quid and a very enjoyable evening. I arrived here in Rijeka around mid afternoon yesterday. The city is a fairly busy port city with a modern centre and a few highlights such as the imposing castle I am going to hike this afternoon. Last night I had some traditional Istrian cuisine, Istria is the region I am currently in. i went with a Dutch guy who has cycled here from France and a lively Canadian guy who was a great storyteller. We joined a couple of German girls and a chap from Turkey at an Irish bar and more beer was consumed. I am meeting the German girls in Zagreb tomorrow for more of the same! so that is everything about up to date, I think things are picking up now as I am meeting more travelers rather than tourists and people on holiday. It is also remarkably cheap here compared to Italy and after initially worrying I am now confident that the money can stretch the 2 years. Next up I have Zagreb for 3 nights with a trip to nearby Samobor sandwiched in between. The adventure continues...

Getting closer to Croatia

My time in Italy has almost come to an end, I have tonight in Bologna and then 2 days in Venice before I cross the border on Tuesday, well actually 2 borders as I have to pass through Slovenia to get there. Since my last update the highlight has been the Cinque Terre hike/walk I did on Thursday. The evening before was pretty chilled out, managed to find the Chelsea/Juventus game on the tv at the hostel. It was the first football I've seen since leaving England so that was nice. The next day I got the hostel shuttle which they kindly include in the price of the booking to the park. It dropped us off in the first village, Riomaggiore and I set off from there. There are quite a few different trails you can take but the most commonly used one is the azzuro (blue) trail which links all 5 villages and is supposed to take upto 5 hours. Unfortunatly the path was closed between the second and third villages so I had to take the path aimed at experienced hikers which I am far from! this added an extra 2 hours onto my time and by the time I reached Corniglia the middle village I was fairly sure I wasn't going to manage the 3 and a half hours of hiking still ahead. Just to put it into perspective this is not the Tissington trail! there is a lot of uphill invloved and a hell of a lot of steps! also bare in mind the temperature was in the high 20's and you will see why someone like me, hardly at the brink of physical fitness was feeling the strain after some 4 hours of this! Anyway, after a sandwich and a litre of water I carried on to Vernazza which I completed in the hour and a half it was supposed to take. After a rest here the temperature was cooling and I found the last 2 hours to Monterosso easier than a lot of the rest had been. I celebrated with a pizza back at the hostel and felt quite proud to have completed the whole thing in one day and for the most part I enjoyed it. Yesterday I was aching, climbing any form of stairs with my backpack on was torture and when I arrived in Bologna via Parma, I wanted a simple stroll to my hostel. However the train station and surrounding area are probably the most chaotic I've come across so far and the hostels directions were fairly awful so I thought bugger it and allowed myself the luxury of a taxi. I was really not in the mood for Bologna yesterday, a big dirty city with noise and chaos was not something I was upto after the previous day so I had an early night and slept for 12 hours. Today I've found the centre and it is actually a pretty cool place, its another university city and they are obsessed with food! it is everywhere and it says something that the city's nickname is La Grassa which translates into 'the fat one!' speaking of food I'm off to sample some, if this proves to be my last entry from Italy then it has been great and one hell of a way to start the trip. I plan to do a personal guide to getting around Italy on a budget, trust me it can be done!

Pisa, Lucca and Genoa

Today I am in La Spieza which is a gateway town to the Cinque Terre. This basically translates into 5 towns and is meant to be some the best coastal views in the world and some great hiking, I will find out more tomorrow when I go there but it was always one of the things I was most looking forward to about the Italy part of the trip. The hostel is dead, its just me and 2 girls here it seems ;-) Anyway, since my last entry the pace of the trip has quickened and this is actually by 4th stop in 5 days so it is getting a bit more rushed now. I'm glad I had the slower start to ease me into things though. My last update was on Saturday night and I'd intended to pack my stuff for the following day and get an early night after that, however the 2 Brazilan girls who were in my room had other ideas and several bottles of wine later I was in a club in Florence and have most likely ended up with travelling companions as I will be meeting them in either Venice or Zagreb. They say the best nights are unplanned and when you are travelling every night is unplanned so I guess thats why I love to do it! The next day, hungover, I headed for Pisa and the leaning tower, except that is Pisa and I instantly thought why the hell have I booked 2 nights here? I let my sore head heal in the sun on the beautiful gardens by the tower and spent the evening wandering around the area by the Arno which was nice. I decided on a day trip to nearby Lucca the next day which is a small town still enclosed within city walls and about 700 meters each way. It's a cracking little place and filled with world heritage quality buildings and I strolled around aimlessly taking it all in and enjoying the sunshine. The beer was flowing again later as those Aussies emereged and multipled from nowhere again but there was no club this time which may have been for the best. I did quite like Pisa in a way, it was a lively student town again with some great universities I found out. The weird thing is I only went there in the first place to view an archiological project that went rather wrong, still it was fun. Yesterday and today has been mainly focusing on a rather roundabout way to get here which looking at it now could have been planned better. I spent a night in a hostel in Genoa, which was way out the way of the city so I was resticted to just being in the hostel with a load of erasmus students whatever they are! :-S Today after a variety of trains and buses I am here and looking forward to doing something interesting tomorrow after a few days of relativly little. Just to recap then I've 2 nights here, then its Bologna and then Venice after that we're onto Croatia. Hello to all xx

Florence - Thumbs up

I am currently on my 3rd and final day in the fine city of Florence. I had thought the weather was cooling a bit but the temperature has shot back up again today, summer is very much still lingering about here in Italy. I had arrived here early on the Thursday from Perugia as my hostel bizarrely only checks people in from 9 in the morning till 1 in the afternoon, the staff even disappear completely after that so if you arrive after that you are pretty much screwed, its a strange system but it seems to somehow work and its a nice little hostel, very good value for money and the girl that runs it, Serena, is very friendly. My first day was a bit of a slow one, I realized from the map I was given that Florence isn't really that big and a simple case of wandering soon led to me to the massive dome which you can pretty much see from just about everywhere in the city in any case. I wandered a bit more and found a cheap Chinese restaurant for dinner and went back for an early night. The next morning was taken up with one of those things that travelers pretty much hate but has to be done, doing the laundry! luckily there was one right across the street from the hostel and an hour later that was all done with. I set off to the dome again accompanied by an Australian fashion designer who was staying at the hostel. This time we climbed the 450 odd stairs to the top (something I would have really struggled to do 2 weeks ago!) and the view of the city was pretty spectacular. Being an Aussie he was then gasping for a beer and I didn't take much persuading! we were joined by more Australians (I think they grow on trees where bars are concerned) and several beers and a pizza later email addresses and promises to meet again later that night were being exchanged, I have no idea what happened to them after that! My evening was spent watching the spectacular sunset over the Arno river and then an even more spectacular view from Piazzale Michelangelo from which you really can see just about everything in Florence, I'm going there in a bit to try and catch the sunset there this evening as its supposed to be one of the most spectacular sights in Europe. Today I've started self catering for the first time as eating at restaurants and cafes every day is starting to hit my budget, sadly the Bistecca alla Fiorentina will have to be missed. My main activity has been strolling around the Boboli gardens on the other side of the Arno river, they are basically the palace gardens and are really nice to wander around on a day like today. After the sunset I will most likely have a beer with yet more Aussies that I have met here and that will be all for Florence. I can see the city's appeal, it is very full of tourists and this can get quite tiresome at times, especially the big groups but I am not anticipating many other places to be like this with the exception of Venice really. So I'm almost 2 weeks in now and things are going pretty well. I defiantly feel a lot better physically due to the massive amount of walking I have been doing, not really feeling homesick though I do still miss a lot of people and two kittens a great deal. Next up is Pisa tomorrow and then Genoa and the amazing sounding Cinque Terre which I am very much looking forward to. Hope everyone is well. Chris x

Vesuvuis, Pompei and a day of trains

I'm currently in Perugia which is the largest down in region of Umbria. It's a nice little town which can be walked around in about half an hour and a lot more relaxed than Naples, I really like the place, apparently its set to be the European culture capital in 2019, I can believe it! A bit of a recap then since my last entry, Monday did indeed consist of Pompei and Vesuvius. Both were well worth it, like the Colosseum the history surrounding Pompei blew me away the pictures I've took could never do it justice and I'd recommend it to anyone, whether you're into history or not! The views from Vesuvius were incredible, you could literally see the whole of Naples and there really isn't anything like being near the top of a volcano that could blow at any moment! After all that I left Naples the next day to come here and it took forever, 3 trains and around 8 hours and all I did when I arrived was spent another 2 hours in this internet cafe getting the pictures of the trip so far on facebook. Today however has been a different matter, I had a proper look round the town and then discovered the mini metro which is a fantastic cable car/roller coaster which takes you from the centre of Perugia back to the train station, honestly I have never seen anything quite like it! I had decided to get a train to Lago Trasimeno nearby which was supposed to have some great hiking. Unfortunatly when I arrived all I could see was a dead end town on the edge of a lake, I wandered around and eventually found a ferry service to Isola Maggiore which I had never heard of but I had nothing else to do so I took it and it turned out to be a great little island with local restaurants, churches and some great walking trails, yet again a day that promised very little has delivered a lot. Tomorrow is Florence which I am very excited about, I have 3 nights there and then it's Pisa for the leaning tower and all that jazz. I'm starting to get fairly settled with the trip in general, I think the fact that I am taking my time and accepting that I cannot see everything is helping on a trip this length you probably do need to pace yourself! Also I'm really enjoying Italy so far, almost can't believe I've never made the effort to come here before! Missing everyone at home, hope you're keeping well Chris x

Italy or Mexico

I'm now at my second stop on my trip in Naples, in the south of Italy. The title refers to how the city reminds of those in northern Mexico, it really is incredible how vastly different it is from Rome. There is pollution, there is noise and it generally feels like chaos. It is also a city of great history and many fine churches and of course the best pizza in the world which I have sampled today and as someone who has had his fair share of pizza over the years this really does take some beating! The story of the last few days is as follows, my final day in Rome was fairly relaxed and I just chilled in the centre most of the day, wandering aimlessly around the animated streets going from piazza to piazza. I finished the day off by joining the free spaghetti dinner and drinks at Ivanhoe hostel which was a nice way to finish. Onto Saturday and my first train journey! it cost 10 euros for the 2 and a half hour journey to Naples which I thought was a good deal. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere a guy got on who could have been straight out of the mafia. He had it all, the dark glasses, smartly dressed, even a scar on his face! the confusion that followed with the metro and then finding my hostel in the heat of the afternoon hit me hard and I had to have a sleep when I arrived. Another free dinner at the hostel followed, pasta with a great deal of Sangria. It was probably the best evening I've had so far, I much prefer this hostel as its sociable but not over the top. Today I've been out with a couple of the guys from here on a 6 hour stomp around Naples, we've seen some really interesting stuff including the Spanish quarter which is the poorest area in Naples and pretty much a full on slum, I thought it may be intimidating to walk around but the people we met were very friendly. Several churches, piazzas and domes later we went down into the area most know for organised crime. It seemed chaotic and rather disorganised in my opinion, motorcycles everywhere and suicidal kids playing football in the middle of it all. Tomorrow is my last day in Naples but I'm unlikely to spend it here as I'm probably going to explore Pompei and Mount Versuvias. The weather is still around 30 degrees and looking ahead Italy and Croatia are set to continue in this vein for sometime yet!

Pizzas and Piazzas

I think in a nutshell the title does actually sum up my time in Rome very well. I have had pizza near enough everyday and have spent a fair bit of time relaxing in Rome's numerous piazzas. In between all of that I have seen pretty much everything I wanted to see here. I would still say the colosseum is my favourite although the Trevi Fountain, lit up at night was also pretty special. The weather turned hot yesterday, it has been pushing 30 degrees again today and looking ahead it is set to continue throughout Italy for at least the next couple of weeks :-) I feel I've spent pretty much the perfect amount of time in Rome, it's given me time to find my feet and not have to rush round the sights which has been good and the perfect start to the trip. This evening may be spent with a return trip to the Colosseum to see it at night, though to be honest I'm fairly knackered after 4 days of non stop walking around a big city, the last 2 of which in a 30 degree heat. I guess everyone from the hostel will know I wasn't exactly known for my productivity on days off work so they'll know how much of a life style change this is! So tomorrow is Naples, home of the best pizza in the world apparently so it would be rude not to try some! I'm also intending to sort out a day trip to Pompei, met an Aussie girl here who says it's very worthwhile. Lots of pictures to come though I'll need to locate an internet cafe first. Chris

The only idiot in Rome without an umbrella

I should have known that all those times I was smug about the 35 degrees it was in Rome that it would come back to haunt me.. Yesterday when I arrived it was a nice sunny evening but today I have been soaked, still everything has started well. I have done a fair bit of tourist stuff today, the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Trevi Fountain. My first thoughts of Rome are pretty good, it's very manageable for a big city and the pace of life seems a lot more relaxed than most capitals I've been to. In saying that it is a bit crowded with tour groups and I've a feeling that Naples, my next stop may suit me a lot more and give me a more realistic view of typical Italian life. I've had my first Italian pizza slice (within about an hour of getting here!) and am starting to get into the swing of things after being utterly disorientated when I arrived yesterday. Tomorrow's plans include seeing the Spanish steps and St Peter's square. Longer term I need to sort my Italian out as I can say about 10 words at present! The hostel is fairly good, free wi-fi and a great location, lots of friendly people staying here too so all is well. Just in case anyone wondered I'm in Rome untill Saturday morning and then in Naples for 3 nights after that. Hope everyone is well! Chris x

Time to get going

3 and a half years of saving and it all starts tomorrow, well kind of, I'm actually flying Monday but I get to the travelodge tomorrow afternoon so in affect I am on my own from then on. There is no point rambling on about what I think or am looking forward to anymore, this is the last post I'll make from the UK. Hope you all enjoy reading about my adventures, I'll certainly be enjoying writing about them! Thanks Chris

Last week in the UK

All the talking is almost over with and the bright lights of Rome are now less than 1 week away! I am now back in Ipswich spending some time with my family and sorting out last minute bits and pieces before I head down to Gatwick travelodge on Sunday. Yes thats this Sunday, not this time next year, next month or even next week it is finally almost time for Rome to Rio to begin. And yet last week I cam so close to cancelling the whole damn thing. Leaving Hartington is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. I can't say I'm too bothered about the job finishing, I was at the end of my patience with it and if I ever do return there it would have to be in a different role but that is another story for another time. I knew leaving the friends I had made there was going to be difficult but thought my excitement over travelling would overide it. It did not. After my leaving party last Tuesday I have been through about a week of euphoria whenever I think about the next two years of my life quickly followed by misery when I think of those people who won't be in it. I am not over this by any means and miss the place and people terribly, I have pretty much lived, worked and socialised with these poeple for the last 3 and a half years of my life and not seeing them every day is going to take some getting used to. At the same time I am now 4 days away from starting my dream trip and that is massivly exciting, I really cannot wait to get to Rome and get going now, I've booked my flight from India to Thailand now, this will be in Februray next year when my India visa expires. Nepal is now not happening due to complications with transit visas and the cost of a flight out of the country. It is a shame but it does give me longer in India and South East Asia which is hardly a bad thing. I'm looking forward to putting some actual travel photos on this blog, after 2 years of counting down I am so close now

I fly like paper get high like planes

My Indian Visa came through yesterday, this represented the last major task prior to departure so now I can pretty much relax and look forward to the start of my epic adventure which is just over 2 weeks from beginning. Having India confirmed makes Nepal more than likely to happen now, to be that close to Everest and not actually see it would be a great shame so that is next on the list but it can wait for a bit. I'm down to 3 days left at work so that is almost over and done with. It has been a good four years and I'll reiterate that I'll miss the people greatly but to quote someone here the work is 'not for me' anymore. After I finish here I have a leaving party and then a meal with friends before heading back to Ipswich for a few days with family and then it is go time, I'm struggling to believe it's almost here but it is :-)

Last month in England

We're now into August and seeing as I'm only in England for the first 2 days of September I think it's fair to count this as my last month in the UK. In terms of the trip I'm almost there, the Indian visa has all been filled in and just needs to be posted off. All else that really remains is around 2 and a half weeks of work and then the inevitable goodbyes which are not going to be easy but I don't think leaving those you care about ever is. Pisa has now replaced Siena in the Italy route, it's cheaper and sounds more interesting anyway, other than that it's pretty much the same. It is getting to that stage where I need to be packing my backpack and seeing what's what. To be honest I can't believe how close it all is now, I don't think I can do any more preparing, I just want to be on that plane to Rome.

Flying solo once again

Sadly for me Luke has decided not to come travelling. There is no real reason to go into detail but I am travelling solo now as I initially intended to and have done before. I did like the idea of going round the world with my friend and he will be missed but there was never any doubt in my mind that I was still going ahead with the trip no matter what. I am still excited, still scared, still fascinated by what lies ahead, none of that has changed. I know first hand there are a lot of benefits to solo travel, it is much easier to meet people and the trip is now completely mine once again to do what I want with. I gave my notice in at work today and so have exactly a month to go, after that there will be a week of winding down and clearing out and then it's back to Ipswich to see the family and hopefully catch up with a few old friends. All I really have to sort out now is my visa for India and travel insurance, after that I'm good to go!

Thank you India!

Yesterday represented a major step in the preparations for Rome to Rio as we finally booked our flights from Istanbul to Delhi, our ticket out of the relative comfort of Europe and into the unknown. We should have sorted this ages ago really but due to a lot of messing around with banks and new cards needed for both of us it has taken a fair old while to sort but no matter it's done with now. The to do list is getting shorter the day count is getting less and the excitement continues to grow. I can't describe how ready I am to go now. I am SO ready!

A year older but none the wiser

I celebrated my 29th birthday last week, it was a good celebration, a party at the bungalow with pretty much everyone from work in attendance. I had hired a bouncy castle for a bit of fun, this was beginning to concern me days before as everyone had pretty much earmarked someone they wanted to rugby tackle off the thing, thankfully it rained and we all like each other really!

The party itself took place the day before my actual birthday so I spent the the first sober hours of being 29 in the usual flattering state of having my head over a toilet and in the dark no less as some idiot had broken our light the evening before.

We were discussing where we'll be next year for our birthdays. Luke's will hopefully be spent hiking up to an Everest base camp(this depends on getting into Nepal which depends on how flexible our India visa is on multiple entries). Mine will be spent in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam drinking snakes blood in a small, dingy, Vietnamese voodoo bar which lets face it is much cooler anyway.

I have my passport sorted at last, it took around a month but it is here, the next task is to go to the nurse to get my jabs done around the 25th of this month (payday) and around the same time head to Manchester to pick up a few bits and pieces, most importantly a backpack for Luke!

So there you have it we're still alive, still excited, still despising our jobs and under 150 days away from the Colosseum.

Things I'm enjoying this month include Mad Men, Fifa and Mountain Dew.

Peace

Progress report

A quick update as I've booked the last of the European hostels today. Romania, Bulgaria and Istanbul are all sorted. With imaginative names such as Hostel Costal(Timisoara) and Hostel Mostel (Veliko Tavarno and Sofia) I am beginning to wonder what I've let myself in for. I also started the application of applying for a new passport today so for me that classes as a productive day!

Why we travel and the value of smart phones abroad

The randomness of the title is quite apparent to me. I guess it is two subjects which require separate posts but both happen to be constantly on my mind right now. I always have to have something on mind it seems and with no real worries to speak of at present the focus seems to have moved towards areas of the trip which always tend to be left until the last minute, practicalities and the age old question, why am I going travelling?

I have neither the stereotypical answer 'to find myself' or a unique, deep answer which makes my adventure any more interesting than anybody else's. The truth is there is no sole reason that makes me want to travel, there are many. I do agree with what many have said regarding travelling being infectious, this will be my fourth major trip now, this one is actually set to be twice the length of the other three put together. Firstly I can at least console myself with the fact that I am not travelling to escape from anything, that may have been the case in the past but one does not normally spend three and a half years saving up consistently to run away from something, chances are you'd want to run a lot sooner if that was the case. I think the first reason is the genuine curiosity I have always had about other countries and cultures. I've had this since I was a child and studied South America in geography and watched the world cup in 1990 with nations I'd never even heard of. I also feel that I fit in with both the people and the lifestyle on the road. I love arriving in a new town by bus and rushing with 50 other travellers for the last 10 beds in a youth hostel, I also love getting to know the people staying in that hostel, exchanging stories from the road, sharing tips on where to go next. I have never felt more confident than those last few months in Central America in 2008/09 and I like that side of me, I never knew I had it until then. It is being in these bizarre surroundings with these crazy new friends that inspires me to do such random things as hitch hiking on the back of a truck in Belize, cave diving in Guatemala, climbing a volcano in Nicaragua, snorkelling in Costa Rica, the list goes on. I see glimpses of that person at times here in this tiny village in the Peak District but I almost feel as though people here know me too well and to start again and then again the next day where I can be myself or I can change who myself is on a daily basis if I want, it doesn't matter.

I suppose that is the main reason now I think about it, I'd say that's a damn good reason to look forward to this trip, there is also the small matter of getting pissed with my best mate around the world of course which is also a very good thing. Then looking beyond that there are the usual reasons like getting a tan, finding exotic women and eating something that isn't Maccy D's for under a fiver.

I would say at present I am looking forward to India the most, I feel going from Istanbul in Europe and landing in the utter chaos of Delhi is going to be the biggest culture shock we are likely to face though in all honesty it could very well be stepping out into the Eternal city of Rome and its millions and millions of people after 3 and a half years of living in a village of a couple of hundred. I think there are many things i'm looking forward to about each country and the trip as a whole as well as the many many many things I have yet to discover yet.

A small piece about smart phones then. I have never owned one until a couple of days ago. My friend had sold me one for £40 and I decided to get it working. I am admitidly late to the i-pad/android/i-phone craze and don't know that much about it. The phone I have the is far from one of the best on the market but it does have several features which make me think having one may now be essential for travelling. the apps for flights/hostels and city maps aside I feel that if I were to purchase one which has all this plus a decent camera, radio and keypad for the blog I may have many of the essentials in one fairly small phone which would leave me with valuable space for other things in my backpack and i'd also save considerably on costs for things like internet cafe's which can amount to a fair bit over a period of time.

I do have several concerns though, firstly the cost of something decent like an I-pad is considerably more than the modest android that I currently posess. To spend that amount of money I'd need to know that the thing would work pretty much everywhere and that I would be able to do this using wi-fi connections without being charged ridiculous amounts of money as I have read about in a BBC News article. I would also need to buy one outright and avoid any contract as I am only in the UK until September(that feels so good to say :-)). Then there is the risk factor, firstly the cost of replacing all the essential features would amount to a lot in the first place. There is also the risk that carrying such a device would make me/us more likely targets to thieves in the first place. This is the reason I've no plans to take a laptop or have resisted the temptation to buy a four figure priced camera but this seems like a risk that may well be worth taking, I just need to get the facts first.

If anybody knows anything about this please leave me a comment.

Thanks

Chris

Time for a recap

I've read a lot of travel blogs and books lately and I'm pretty sure mine is the only one that starts a good 2 years before the trip itself even begins! The trip is so huge that it has required so much more planning than most but I feel as though I'm just about there now and have control over the various bits and pieces still to do before we leave the UK in 208 short days time.

I think at this point it may be necessary to just go over the details of the trip again, as much for my own benefit as well as for those who may come across the blog and want to know more without having to go back to the first entry.

Having returned to Hartington Hall from a 4 month jaunt round Central America and parts of Europe in early 2009 the plan was always to travel again. South America was always on the cards and I feel I will right a fairly large wrong when I step off the plane at Bogota airport in around 18 months time due to my failure to get to South America at all during my last trip.

I have now been saving consistently for almost 3 years and feel I will be deserving of the big moment when it all begins on September 3rd this year. The other continents involved in the trip Europe and Asia have gradually fallen into the mix and whilst the actual itinerary was finished last year, I have known the country list since 2010 and that has not really altered as yet.

Early last year a couple of really positive things happened, I got promoted at work meaning a fairly small, but helpful, pay rise. Secondly my good friend Luke decided he would be joining me for the length of the trip as well as starting a second stint of working at Hartington Hall, which for anyone reading who doesn't know is the youth hostel in which we work. As I wrote at the time, Luke's decision to join me gave the trip a real jolt in the arm when it was probably most needed. It has been great having someone to talk to properly about it and who almost shares my excitement(pretty sure nobody can be more excited about this than me!)

The trip itself then, it is entitled Rome to Rio and will start in Rome on September 3rd 2012. From there we will spend some time in Italy before exploring the Balkans - Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia will all be visited before we go east to Romania and Bulgaria before finishing off the European leg in Istanbul. From there we fly to India where we will spend approximately 3-4 months and may pop into Bangladesh and/or Nepal, this is the only part of the trip I am leaving open due to possible transport delays in India. We then fly to Bangkok and do a loop round Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia before coming back through Thailand and down through Malaysia, Singapore before island hopping through Indonesia and ending up back in Malaysia. We then fly to L.A where the plan is to relax and refocus for South America. First stop is Bogota and then it'll be approximately 14 months of overland travel through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil.

Planning the itinerary has been tough, trying to ensure that we see as much as we can whilst making sure to mix things up in terms of beaches, activities, cities and most importantly plenty of rest stops!

So that's Rome to Rio in a nutshell, I'm a bit clearer on where we're going now so I guess that's the most important thing.

happy new year!

2012 the year it all begins for us is finally upon us and the year typically began with the expected new year hangover. I can't say it was epic or the best new year I've ever had but I guess it was important to see my last new year in the UK for sometime in with a beer in my hand, a Peroni no less which is interesting considering where the adventure will start. What followed were several more beers, the desire to consume even more until the reality set in that I had to be up for work in 3 hours time. I survived 2 hours of my shift before the hangover became too much and had to retire for a few hours but made it back for an uninspired afternoon and then came home when the hunger phase of the hangover set in. After this the dehydration set in and that's pretty much where we are now.

I had said to Luke that once our draining exclusive packages at work were out the way and 2012 began I'd feel a lot less distracted and work would just become day to day stuff again. I do feel pretty relaxed right now and have 2 weeks off work to recharge the batteries and refocus for what will be my last 7 months at Hartington Hall.

The flights to Rome were booked a few days ago meaning a lot of Europe has been sorted now. The next things to think about are probably sorting out a new passport for myself and booking the hostels for Romania, Bulgaria and Istanbul.

We are getting closer and closer and things are slowly beginning to fall nicely into place.

Happy new year to one and all!