Tuesday - It's five days to the minute before we board the aircraft to fly to Taiwan. This last week has been packed with things to do before leaving on this 66-day journey, for example, tomorrow is the morning tea put on by Probus members who will be wishing Janet, their President, a safe journey. Probus is an organisation very close to Janet's heart and the morning tea is an especially welcomed event.
Janet has already packed but it seems she's omitted language, guide and general reading books, duplicate travel documents, maps, camera equipment, alarm clock, warm clothes (it's winter in some places we travel to) and all the things I want her to carry. Half her suitcase is empty, so far. Asia Airlines only allow 15 kg of checked in luggage so sharing will be necessary.
Lots of arrangements have been done by now. Nearly all our accommodation has been booked (16 separate occasions, 5 times to Bangkok for example) and nearly all the flights. There's a train journey to Hua Hin in Thailand we have yet to arrange and visas to Cambodia and Vietnam.
It pays to make many of the arrangements ourselves and this can be done on the internet. Nok Airlines, for example, has a flight from Hanoi to Bangkok for only 9 cents a journey (plus $US45 tax and charges). You can compare that to Thai Airlines which charges the earth for the same trip. And it's fun to search on the Net for boutique hotels or lodgings, then correspond with the owners themselves who write back in English, surely one of the most complicated languages in the world. My usual hotel in Bangkok wrote back to say "Mr Richard, So happy to miss you..."
The many, many highlights should make this a journey to remember. Bangkok is always exciting; we will be going into the foothills nearer to Burma to see the elephants; Penang Island is a first for both of us; the orphanage in Phnom Penh (for which a lot of money was raised); Angkor Wat at Siem Reap, where we will be for Christmas; Hanoi and Halong Bay, where we may stay overnight on a junk in the South China Sea; Saigon and surrounding areas where the Viet Cong fought from tiny tunnels; Chiang Rai in the north of Thailand; Hua Hin on the coast and site of the King's summer palace, etc.
Of course, on this visit we will be celebrating with millions of Thais the 80th birthday of their King, a much respected and loved monarch. He is frail and it is to be hoped that on 5 December, he's still around to give his blessings on his people. Thailand will be alive and so festive for December and it's always a pleasure to be with these wonderful people.
However, much of the time we will be in Vietnam which resembles Thailand 15-20 years ago and still retains an old-fashioned charm (and price structure).
So, we are going to basically have a look at where we would like to teach and where we found we could live for months at a time. I don't believe we will do anything more than look around, talk to local schools, suss out the various places and do some sight-seeing. I hope to take movies with my new HD camcorder and basically put together my own small travelogue so we can re-live the atmosphere and times and try to decide where we felt most comfortable and useful.
We'll talk about the highlights when we arrive in each place and maybe tell you something that may persuade you to visit. But for now, that's it, and back to the packing.
