Time’s ticking and mine at home is surely at its end. After spending almost a month in Slovakia, pleasing my Mom, enjoying my family and downing pints with friends, hosting Lucy and Mito in Bardejov, drinking water from the tap, not throwing toilet paper into the basket neither caring about my drink if someone threw a pill there, or not, I am almost back on track and ready to move on.
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I’ll be packing my heavy duty bag tonight since tomorrow I am off to
Bratislava and the day after (Jan 24) I am flying in the early morning hours from Vienna to Hong Kong, where my 3 month 2011 Trip begins.
Unfortunately, Mito stays in Europe and on Feb 7 starts a new AV job which he is really happy about. He will live in London so will host you guys if needed.
Over the last 3-4 weeks I have been working hard to get some visas sorted in advance, for the countries which I am plannig to visit, just to make the transfers smoother and transits easier. It’s been unimaginable pain in the @ss with few of them especially after not being used to needing any visas at all in Latin America. Just for your imagination, this paper bureaucracy business has not eaten only my nerves and energy but over 300 euros and I still lack some stamps in my passport!
Briefly about 2011 Trip:
After seeing Hong Kong skyline at night which has been my dream since some teen age, I will be moving to Philippines which I skipped in 2003 when traveling in the SE Asia with Kapi. Plus I am happy to heat up my body after the European wet winter and before I come to Japanese and Korean mountains. Leaving the islands will bring me to Beijing from where I will be moving most of the time direction Europe.
I originally wanted to cross the whole Mongolia from Ulabaaar to the west before entering ‘jag she mash’ Kazakhstan. However, this plan will not work due to the poor infrastructure in Mongolia and having expected -10 to -20 degrees C below zero during March, when I will be there. Nonetheless I will get to Kazakhstan somehow either by returning to China or via Russia. The last country of this trip shall be Iran which is considered a must-see destination of the whole Middle East. Unfortunately I don’t have the visas there yet (they were promised to be issued to me 3 days ago but were not even yesterday).
I am expecting this trip to be a full-on adrenaline adventure, much harder than all the previous ones, less organised, with no soft shells around and with lots of tourist unspoilt lands and people especially in the depths of the Central Asia.
Not sure what the internet connection and online availabilities will be like as I move on deeper into the continent, but everytime I find a chance to drop a line, I will greet you from this blog and try to keep it as much up-to-date as possible.
Before the new chapter starts I will definitely close the first one by adding some of Befores and Afters from the 2010 Trip. See below.
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At Ivan’s place while packing – Feb 9, 2010
Leaving UK
Start of Latin America Trip – entering Brazil
Leaving Latin America – Cancun, Mexico (20.12.2010)
Still looking for a reason ‘Why to Travel’ ?
Before
After
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