Ian and Manda on tour – Part One
Sep 21, 2003
Plans Are Afoot
Ian writes:
After thinking about it, thinking some more, and finally deciding to do it come what may, we've handed in our notice and are going to get a new outlook on life. I've been with my place of work for 13 years, Manda for 6 and a half, and it's not an easy thing to do, but if we don't do it now, we probably never will. What am I talking about? Well, buggering off for a year around the world.
On Saturday we got our flight tickets and the route is looking like this:
· London to San Francisco
· By bus to Los Angeles
· Los Angeles to Fiji
· Fiji to Cairns, Australia (via Auckland NZ)
· Months working our way around Australia
· Flight to New Zealand, North and South islands
· A jaunt (flight? Boat trip? Who knows …) to Tasmania and back
· Leave Australia from Perth, flying in to Chiang Mai, Thailand
· Work our way through Thailand overland and on through to Singapore
· Leave Singapore, back to London … then Swindon, Wiltshire and our old way of life but perhaps viewed from a different perspective
We leave on 8 December and will be spending Christmas Day in Fiji and New Year's Eve in Cairns. It'll be different, that's for sure - and I don't think we'll be getting a white Christmas, somehow.
So, there are a long list of things we both need to do before we go:
· Find a home for the dogs
· Sell our cars Make sure our respective houses are looked after (somebody to open the post, let us know of anything urgent)
· Get some insurance
And a tonne of other things that we'll find out along the way.
It's exciting and scary (if that's not too strong a word) at the same time. But hell, I'm looking forward to it! So, if you know me or Manda, and if we happen to be in your part of the world, drop us a line - we should meet up! And if you feel generous enough to put up a couple of unemployed (but very tidy, clean and respectful) travellers for a few nights we'd certainly appreciate it, as will the bank manager :)
Sep 26, 2003
Travel Update
Ian writes:
Well, there's been some progress on the travel plans. We haven't changed the route, but it looks like a bus ride from SanFran to LA will be long and tedious. Given that we are only spending a week in the US en route, a half (or almost whole) day is to much to take out so we'll probably end up flying - any suggestions for carriers? I though Southwest might be good.
Accommodation is already sorted for much of our early stints (US, Cairns done and dusted, looked into Fiji options but not yet booked) and there are some visas to arrange. So far I'm relaxed - we'll do most things in time. Or at least I sincerely hope we will!
I've decided that the best way to keep notes en route is to knock up a site in Dreamweaver (using it's fantastic templating facility) and do things manually. When we get a quiet stretch I'll update the site and then when we next get to an Internet Café I'll take those entries along on a USB key and keep my fingers crossed that I'm allowed to transfer to the PC so that I can upload to Blogger. Have not decided whether to post to this page or to post to a new dedicated 'on my travels' type page. What do you think?
Nov 30, 2003
Meet the New Family, Siewbak
Ian writes:
It's just one week (and a bit) before we leave for San Francisco and things are coming together now. For months we've been wondering about what to do with Siewbak, the chihuahua. Manda had not wanted him to just go to anyone, a complete stranger or to an old lady who might get too attached to hand him back after a year. The ideal solution would have been for him to go to Manda's mum (who owned him before Manda), but he couldn't because they now look after 2-year-old Chris who has an allergy to dog fur.
What to do with the little man?
With just two weeks left, I placed an advert at work on our intranet small ads system, not expecting anything to come of it, but we had an offer that sounded really promising. A family that already had three chihuahuas, all of them boys (important when you consider that he has sired at least three litters and all his bits are still working!) were happy to take him for the year.
Today we took Siewbak up to meet his new family - Rocky, Ozzie and Dukey - and they all seemed to get on. Well, apart from Dukey who opted to stay outside in the hallway instead of socialise (he is top dog in the house and obviously felt threatened by the appearance of this much bigger dog - not that Dukey has anything to worry about as Siewbak is not after his job!).
Siewbak (right) meets Ozzie. Inset: Dukey
looking glum out in the hallway.
So, that's Siewbak homed. Scooby is off to Del's house on Thursday, and tomorrow I'm expecting people to come and take a look at my car, my temporary car (that's another story) and Manda's car also. Finally, it looks like we can tie up some of these loose ends in the last week.
Dec 08, 2003
Start Your Engines ...
Ian writes:
Those mountains sure look pretty down there. Yep, that must mean that after all the waiting we're on our way. Well on our way, as I write this, in fact - only two hours from setting down at San Francisco having spent most of the journey either over water (that'll be the Atlantic, folks) or ice/snow (Canada really looks like a large plain of nothingness from 37,000 feet up).
The last few days have been fairly eventful. Actually, scrub that - what I mean is busy. Very busy.
Friday was my last day at work, although in truth it ended at midday at which point the drinking began and continued for the next 13-14 hours. Just as I expected it to be the case. Actually, I was quite surprised that I was still able to function fully at 8pm - maybe others would argue otherwise - so I must have been reasonably successful at pacing myself! Then again, there was that incident with the doorman later on.
I had gone in to the pub with everyone else, then came outside to look for a couple of stragglers, turned around and walked back only to be stopped: "Sorry, no hooded tops, you're not coming in."
Well, the thing is, I already had been in and had in fact left all my friends and my coat, including wallet and iPod inside. I explained to the doorman that I had to go back in and after a while he at least said I could go back in to collect my stuff. "You've got four minutes [looks down at watch] ... three minutes. The clock is ticking." So I went in a did what any normal person would do - I removed the hooded top and tried to blend in. I was buggered if I was going to be coming back out again!
Several novelty vodka chasers later and nature called. Just as I was coming out of the WC I passed the aforementioned door monkey who unfortunately recognised me sans hooded top and told me that I was a good hour overdue and better be making tracks. I tried to look confused, like he'd got his wires crossed but probably just looked drunk and stupid for trying it on. That's what the sober part of my mind was telling me at that point at least. Then it added: "You're pushing it. He's clocked you. Walk before you get dragged out."
As we all walked out of the pub, boss man Brendan made a point of pulling his own hooded top over his head as he passed the doormen, while I kept on going back to the other doorman and telling him that he "was alright, it's just your mate that's a dick" and then getting promptly pulled away again by whoever still had a working braincell.
Saturday and Sunday became something of a blur of last-minute errands. This included shopping for odds and sods at the local Tesco, selling Manda's car, making sure everything around the house was cleaned up, switched off, packed away or thrown away, although it was broken up with a trip up to London and Chinatown on Sunday. It seemed strange to be walking about and seeing shops with names like Golden Gate Cake Shop knowing that only hours later we'd be seeing the real Golden Gate. And maybe some more cake shops too.
Only 1 hour and 30 to go now - yes, I am that nerdy one hunched over the laptop in the tiny space that is my economy seat (not that I'm complaining) but we're gonna have a lot to see and do and then write about, so it's not going to be the last time. But hey, you'd expect nothing else from me, right?
One final thought before shutting the laptop down. What is about airports that brings out the 'me me me' attitude in some people? As we were queueing up to get through the security check, Manda and I were behind an old lady with a walking stick that, judging by her very pronounced side-to-side swaggering limp, she needed very much. Behind us was Mr There's-Half-An-Inch-Space-In-Front-Of-Me- And-I'm-Gonna-Fill-It-Whatever ... While Manda and I were patiently waiting for the lady to make her way, this guy was bringing up the rear like his life depended on it. I immediately thought of the scene in Meet The Parents when Gaylord Fokker - yes, that was the character's name - was trying to stow his overhead baggage after what can only be described as a 'Bad Day'. As he does this, someone else is desparately trying to squeeze past to get his seat, and evidently pushes all the wrong buttons. "OK, where's the fire? Where's the fire?!" I didn't blurt that out, but I did say to Manda "You remember that scene from Meet the Parents?" and left it at that.
We've arrived:
Dec 09, 2003
Wintery Wonderland
Ian writes:
Our intention yesterday had been to get a little sleep in the afternoon then stay up until late to adjust to normal US Pacific time (-8 GMT) but in the end we were just too tired and the little sleep at 4pm ended up being the beginning of a very loooooong sleep. Waking up at 4am was perhaps understandable, but after a couple of Nytol's each we managed to convince our bodies that we needed the extra sleep and eventually rose at 7:30am.
Shortly before leaving on our extended trip I had sold my camcorder - a Sony model that was under 6 months old. Why did I do this? Because I needed DV-in on my camcorder, which would let me edit video footage on the laptop and then send it back to the camcorder with no loss of quality. The old (I use that word loosely) camcorder couldn't do this, so I had cut my losses, sold it and and decided to buy one at the earliest opportunity on the trip. And here I was - at 9am walking up Market Street looking for the nearest electronics or camera store. I had nipped out to get one while Manda stayed back at the hotel. The plan was to buy it quick get back and charge it up then head on out again. However, I had been told that most stores don't open until 9:30 or 10:00am, and walking down Market Street at this time in the morning meant that the only people I saw were homeless and scary looking. I decided to wait until later to start spending money and headed back to the hotel empty-handed.
Manda and I took the complimentary shuttle bus to Union Square and immediately jumped on to a cable car headed north to Fisherman's Wharf. The guy running the car was a real character. He had this real rasping voice that suggested he had been shouting out his lines for years including this gem: "Make sure the hand in your pocket is your own or a loved one's. They may not be after your money - this is San Francisco after all!"
For those who do not know, San Francisco has a very large gay population. The cable cars actually don't run from suspended cables - the cables are actually hidden under the streets, which makes the cars look more like trams, really.
We got off the cable car at the Powell Hyde cable car turnaround, then walked on down towards Fisherman's Wharf. Unlike yesterday's beautiful sunshine, today it was very overcast, miserable looking and cold. There were very few people around, and it definitely gave the area less of a vibe than it might otherwise have on a good day. I tried a couple of the camera shops for camcorder prices and got widely varying answers from $699 to $799 (on the same model of camera); the latter than dropped to $499 as I walked out of the door at his high prices. $499? He just dropped $300 like that? Even if it was a good price, I couldn't trust that the prices were the only things that got dropped in that shop.
Walking along past the Ripley's 'Believe It Or Not' Museum we spotted this commotion going on - people were shouting and running. It became clear that someone had stolen something - or done something else equally deserving of a slap - and was doing a runner. He went straight past me followed by a couple of fisherman still in their gloves and overalls, then next minute he was coming back again from the opposite direction. Still they shouted for people to help and I watched as everyone did nothing but watch, just as I was.
Then I had that moment, immediately after thinking what I'd feel like if someone had stolen my money and was let off Scot-free. In the same way that you say something you haven't really thought out, and hear the words tumbling out of your mouth, I found myself launching myself at this guy, rugby tackle-style. I grabbed his coat, latched on and spun him off balance, even then still thinking "would a well-placed trip be better than a solid nudge?". I then quickly let go and got myself some distance - mindful of the fact that while he looked like a chancer, a drunk, he might have something sharp and pointy to hand - whereupon he bounced against a wall and the other guys caught up with him. I waited to see what would happen next - perhaps a thank you for stopping the guy, but no such luck. The fisherman was too busy shouting at the runner telling him he was making a citizen's arrest and that he would be going to jail. Then he started punching him. At this point I noticed that some of the other people that were running after him were apparently running with him, and I wondeered how welcome my assistance would be with them. "They're just crazies, street people," offered one man standing nearby. "He was drunk when I saw him first thing this morning at 5am - he lives round here. They're all crazies ..." We did an about turn walked around the block and avoided the next two blocks, just in case we should run into these crazies again, then continued on to Pier 39.