.. or an update on our travel preparations:
First definitive step: One random Tuesday, we received an e-mail alert about some Travelocity deals on flights. Pawel shifted around the dates for departure (flexibility, people!), and found better ones so we could save some major bucks. I used some credit cards points and, who knew, got a ticket halfway across the world for less than a domestic flight from Chicago to, say, Florida. Score. So, officially, we leave home on October 30, 2012, on a one way ticket, via Paris and Bahrain, for Nepal, Kathmandu. I think I gave my parents a collective heart attack with this one, since plans finally became real.
Health Chart: We conducted a brief search of the necessary vaccinations but still need to make an appointment with a travel clinic / doctor. We even got some names. :) We're still up in the air about taking meds for malaria. Different types of these can cause considerable headaches and complications, ranging from ineffectiveness due to strain resistance and cost to sun sensitivity (imagine that, in a tropical climate!) and hallucinations. On top of it, it seems that taking malaria medicine for such a long period of time may be more of a risk than not taking it at all. I suppose the doctor will help us sort that out.
Paperwork: All countries except for India and China provide visas at entrance. We are waiting with obtaining those two since the time limit on the Indian visa starts ticking the moment it's issued. Of course, much can change as we start our adventure and decide to travel to countries currently not on the target list. Ah yes, I forget to mention. At this time, we're looking at Nepal, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China and Indonesia. We'll see how it pans out in the end.
Gear: Now here we have made considerable progress. Taking advantage of Pawel's employee discounts at REI, we already bought most of the gear. In the interest of saving our postures for old age, we purchased items that, to me, the travel minimalist, are the epitome of leisure: silk liners, collapsible plates, a Deuter backpack, LED headlamps... Granted, the cost and weight of these items are perfectly justified by their benefits. Anything we're missing, we'll buy or rent (!) there. After all, who wants to drag around a heavy duty sleeping bag and a parka just for the trek in Nepal? (Did I mention we're doing a trek in Nepal? Yup, we're doing a trek in Nepal. The Annapurna Circuit. Look it up.)
State of mind: Pretty great, I must say. We have a summer ahead of us full of weddings and weekends away, which absorbs some of the immediate excitement for the BIG trip. But the date looms closer, and it's becoming next to impossible to ignore that we're leaving in 4 months, 30 days, 2 hours, 14 minutes, 5 seconds, no 4 seconds, no... Ahhh, freedom. I can almost taste it.
