Preparing for Take-Off
We were not really advertising, so this may be news to most... Anyway, me and my better and prettier half, Mariola, are preparing for take-off. We've both quit our comfortable, but somewhat mediocre life style. Including our jobs! The plan is to circle our sun once. Yes, we have circled this orbit thirty something times, but this time it suppose to be different. We're setting out east and will walk into the sunrise. Whether this will actually involve travelling around the world, only time will show...
Budget has been allocated, itinerary planned, vaccinations scheduled, visas applied, packing lists studied, date set...! For the past year this crazy idea circling in the back of my head has grown very real. To my big surprise, we did not chicken out! Hello world, ready or not, here we come!
Majka, as I call her when she's loving and caring, tells me that I'm running from something. After thinking about it for a while I must admit she may be right. But who wouldn't run from a dead-end 9-5 life? We're in the age that backpacking is already a huge challenge. But I don't feel elderly enough to take all inclusive cruise trips yet. That I'd like to leave for my sixties. Anyhow, I'm sure there will be plenty of 9-5 jobs in about a year time. There's always been for those willing to move their arse. Traveling has never been easier, nor cheaper. I've been reading about people going round the world for $8000. We're not that extreme, I've allocated (what I consider) a comfortable budget. A lot of money, I'm trying to convince myself that it will be worth it. We could be putting down a deposit on our first home. But that is where all dreams go to die. We would be stuck in our offices for 30 years to pay off the mortgage and then what? We can't take a house into the grave! Financially we may put ourselves on the line, but I'm optimistic and a believer, good things happen to good people.
First destination: Moscow. We will not be hanging around too long. Four days after arrival our train leaves for Mongolia. Scheduled stops in between are Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk. Once in Ulaanbaatar, we have a volunteer work lined up, for about 2 weeks we will be helping out a local lady with her travel agency and kids. Hoping that she can hook us up for a short trip to see the Mongolian nomads.
Next destination Beijing. Apart from the obvious Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors, China plans go a bit flakey. For now the plan is 'no plan'. We will be leaving China from Guangzhou heading to Hong Kong and then Hanoi. I'm really excited about this part of the world. Southeast Asia has a certain magic to it.
The rest I will keep for myself for now, as I'm already talking too much...
