Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future

Fly Like An Eagle. Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future!

Well – with 3 and a bit months to go I have made a last minute change to the route that I have had planned for the last 3 years.

After taking a long look at what I want to achieve the costs and time involved in travelling through Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China are a big overhead to the overall plan.

It feels like a bit of a compromise but after getting in touch with some other overland travelers who are planning similar adventures a route across Iran and into Pakistan seems a viable alternative. There appears to be some security issues in Pakistan, but then there are even bigger ones in northern Pakistan, so either way there are risks involved, but then if I was worried about that I would stay at home!

Anyway financial and time savings will help me push on to the rest of the adventure and the challenge of India will make up for the loss of crossing the Himalayas. Anyway my Doctor had already recommended I stay away from that 5km high route.. so for once I guess I will listen to advice.

So moving on , having made that (difficult) decision, I can put plans into action and start making it happen.
The bike is almost completely equipped. I still have a few maintenance tasks to undertake. My own kit is sorted. Paperwork still needs fully sorting out and the money needs gathering together from the disparate sources I have spread it across.

Keeping on keeping on – heading into the sunrise

January 2014: 
As we reach the year of departure, time is marching on! 


So this is an update after a rethink of the calendar.. Mostly after speaking to folks who have recently travelled across Kazakhstan. I realised I was probably allowing far too much time to travel that part of the journey.


I sat down with a calendar and worked my way back from my Christmas deadline in Melbourne to try to work out some more settled dates and came up with the following... Not sure how realistic it is and I have to accept that delays will happen or I might make up time in some areas that I don't expect, So this is a bit of finger in the air guess work. Bear with me ! Its how I live my life! 

... 
Setting off last weekend in April... Saturday 26th April

Heading for Holland and cross into Germany by Monday 28th.. 
Travel through Germany that week into Austria and head for the Stelvio pass by the weekend 4th May - Entering Italy on the Monday. 

I then will spend approx 3 weeks travelling through Italy to arrive at Brindisi on the south east coast for the weekend 31st May and cross to Greece. 

I intend to spend 2 weeks exploring Greece before entering Turkey around 21st June. 

I reckon a week along the black sea coast will see me into Georgia by the 25thd and Russia by the following week. 

2 weeks to travel up to Volgograd and down to the Kazakhstan border by the 19th July. (hot!)

A weeks to 10 days to get to Taraz on the Kyrgyzstan border by the 28th July 
That leaves me 5 days to cross Kyrgyzstan to get to the China border will make it the 1st August. 

now here's a tough one - I'm told 5 days to get to  Kashgar and across the Karakorum Highway would make it the 6th August to get to Pakistan.

2 weeks to get to Nepal and into Kathmandu - aiming to airfreight to Bangkok by the weekend of the 27th August to travel on be in Ho Chi Minh to meet my brother a week to 10 days later around the 6th September.

Weekend of the 15th September depart Ho Chi Minh and travel back through Cambodia and Thailand to reach Malaysia by the end of October - Taking in the Sepang Motogp rounnd, to aim to ship to Australia by the beginning of December giving me 3 weeks to travel the great ocean road to Melbourne by Christmas 

Pyrenees KLR650 2001 

Autumn Leaves

Bonfire, fireworks, autumn leaves. As 2013 becomes the dying embers of the raging fire that it was in July, my time until setting off draws closer. When the new year dawns the culmination of my plans will be in sight.

Its all becoming real. Yet there is still so much to do. I am gathering the bits I need, stashing away stuff that I think I will find useful..
There will come a time when I have to lay out all the kit and try to actually fit it onto or into the bike. There's a whole new challenge.

How do I plan for a year on the road and throw away stuff that I won't need, and carry the essential things I will need? what is essential and what is not? I guess I will find out!

This is a voyage of self discovery as much as a journey of exploration.

I am overcoming worrying thoughts about giving up on lifes little luxuries, my books and TV channels. My big stupid fantastic 4WD truck, my guitar, CD collection and memories in all my belongings around me. What is important I will store, what I can replace or live without will go. The most difficult possession to let go will be the Mitsubishi truck. But it will be replaced by freedom to embark on this adventure
  

In the end remembering the reasons behind my decision to embark on this course is what's important. The once in a lifetime chance to follow a dream and achieve an ambition. Everything else I can sort out later.

So onwards and upwards. keeping focussed on the target is what's important right now I think. In this little pool of calm before the real organisation starts. After Christmas I will have to kick it all into gear and get moving again. But until then its save what I can, spend as little as possible and work where ever possible.

can we have another log on the fire Mr Scrooge?

"Wake me up when September ends" as the song says.. Well here we are in October 2013.. Where am I in the plan? - well it all seems to be in a bit of a lull right now.
Loads still to do and I need to get things moving along.. I have made progress with the bike and am now the "proud" owner of a Kawasaki KLE650 versys that I am turning into an "adversys" to cope with the journey.

Money is still tight, my saving plans have not gone (Not surprisingly) very well over the past few months with money to spend on things I need to get sorted..

Anyway - I'm still on track
Now travelling alone, but will meet up with folks along the way. It will be an adventure !

Moving on !