Now that I’m within a month of departure, it’s visa time! This trip doesn’t require anywhere near the same level of hoop-jumping as my Silk Road trip did last summer, thank goodness. But I still need to get my hands…
It’s been a long time coming
Wanna go to India? This trip came about when I was chatting with my friend Christiane in Germany, who I met in Morocco as part of Cous Cous Crew 2010. The conversation, as they so often do, turned to travel.…
Silk Road in review
“Sometimes a journey arises out of hope and instinct, the heady conviction, as your finger travels along the map: Yes, here and here … and here. These are the nerve-ends of the world…” ―Colin Thubron, Shadow of the Silk…
Take the long way home
Well, I’m home. And not a moment too soon, either. It took over 24 hours of travel, but I made it home in one piece. My bag, alas, did not, but with all the adventures in airlining, I didn’t really…
Ready, set…
Well, here we are. Less than 24 hours ’til departure. My flights are checked in. My bags are (mostly) packed, with a little help from Watarimono. My VPN is set up, my Yuan is purchased, I’ve made my lists and…
Meet Watarimono
I’ve long suspected that I secretly have travel ninja skills. That’s how I managed to end up with a personal patch of sunshine in New Zealand, for instance, or get free money from Air France, or find a flight home…
Visas, visas, visas
The biggest hurdle to planning and organizing a trip like this one is, inevitably, getting all those darn visas. Central Asia is known among travellers around the world for being a visa and paperwork nightmare. Each country has its own…
Trip planning Q&As
With just under a month to go until departure, I thought I’d answer a few questions I’ve been getting from some of you about my trip. How will you be getting around? It might be better to ask how I’m…
The original beaten path
Can you really call someplace “off the beaten path” when it spent over a thousand years being used as the ultimate beaten path? The Silk Road evokes a certain mystique even in its name. Not really a road at all,…
Return to winter
I’m home! Back in the cold and snow — erm, freezing rain. Anyone miss me? Free upgrades are awesome My trip home began yesterday evening in Cancun. I got to the airport just after 6, and checked in. When I…