Thursday 22 March 2007

Itinerary

Our adventure begins on 10th May 2007, and the rest goes like this:

  • China (10.05.07 - 04.06.07) Beijing to Hong Kong (via Xian, Chengdu, Chongquing, Yanghtze, Guongzhou, Guilin) travelling by all modes of transport except aeroplane, distance 4000 km
  • Hong Kong (04.06.07 - 06.06.07) We'll come back to HK later
  • Japan (06.06.07 - 27.06.07) Tokyo, Takayama, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Himeji, Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, Osaka, Fukuoka via bullet train
  • Hong Kong (27.06.07 - 03.07.07) Travel overland through China to Vietnam border
  • Vietnam (04.07.07 - 28.07.07) Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh. 2000km using all modes of transport except plane.
  • Cambodia (29.07.07 - 08.08.07) Travel overland from Vietnam, visiting Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Angkor Wat
  • Thailand (09.08.07 - 13.08.07) Travel overland from Angkor Wat to Bangkok
  • Australia (14.08.07 - 08.10.07) Flight from Bangkok to Sydney, overland travel through the East Coast (for 33 days) including Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Noosa, Rainbow Beach, Hervey Bay, Rockhampton, Airlie Beach, Townsville, Mission Bay, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Fly to Ayers Rock( Uluru), overland to Alice Springs (7 days), fly to Adelaide, overland to Melbourne, and back to Sydney (12 days)
  • New Zealand (08.10.07 - 04.11.07) Fly from Sydney to Auckland, 1500 km overland through Bay of Islands, Cambridge, Waitomo, Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown.
  • South America (05.11.07 - 21.02.08) 17 weeks
  • Chile (14 days) Fly from Santiago to Puerto Montt, 4 days by ferry to Punta Arenas towards Antarctica, Chilean Patagonia, overland to Argentina
  • Argentina (20 days) Overland through Patagonia, Valdez peninsula, Buenos Aires
  • Brazil (19 days) Overland through Iguaza falls, Rio de Janiero (Christmas), Sao Paulo
  • Peru (30 days) Fly from Sao Paulo to Lima, overland through Nazca, Arequipa (New Year), Colca Canyon, Puno, Lake Titicaca, La Paz (Bolivia), Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Amazon jungle, fly back to Lima
  • Equador (16 days) Fly from Lima to Piura, overland to Machala, Ceuna, Riobambe, Quito
  • Galapagos Islands (8 days) cruise
  • Central America (all journeys overland from Panama City to Mexico City)
  • Panama (21.02.08 - 27.02.08) Panama City
  • Costa Rica (27.02.08 - 18.03.08) San Jose
  • Nicaragua
  • El Salvador
  • San Salvador
  • Gautemala
  • Mexico (03.04.08 - 17.04.08)
  • USA (17.04.08 - 09.05.08) Fly from Mexico City to Dallas, visiting San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami

Then do we fly back home to Britain, or start afresh in Spain? You decide! Vote now!

Getting ready to go...

...What do you get if you mix two insane adults, one 7 year old, 365 days, 25 countries, a little money, a couple of backpacks stuffed with 12kgs of essentials each, a few Lonely Planet guides, bags of enthusiasm and a thirst for adventure? Us, of course!!

The seeds of this crazy adventure were sown three years ago via a text message ("Hey, let's go to NZ!") from Mr. Patel to (then) Miss. Maroo, who replied "What? Now?" Mr. Patel responded "Don't be silly, I've still got a divorce to go through! And Everest to climb!! Not to mention 3 MGS Tours and a Cricket World cup to watch in the West Indies!" Well, after 3 years, Everest, 3 MGS tours, a divorce, a wedding, and endless hours of research on the internet (by Pritti) and reading 25 Lonely Planet guides (by Dipak), we're finally here.

We're sitting here now, with our round the world tickets in hand (24 flights so far), visas for Australia and China (Vietnam visas to be obtained in Hong Kong) and being the privileged holders of British passports the other 22 countries will welcome us with open arms (we hope!), insurance documents sorted, arms like pincushions after every concievable vaccination imaginable, even for diseases we didn't know existed! Dipak thought Rubella was an exotic cocktail as he tried to suck the needle (and he calls himself a Pharmacist!) .