Money!

I know departure is getting close when I shift money from my ING Vacation account into my regular account.  I also checked the exchange rates today: $1 = 30 Thai baht, 4200 Cambodian Riels, or 8000 Laos Lak. 

2 weeks to day we're off!  Getting up this morning in the coolish house, looking at the grey skies, assuming there would be rain, preparing for work, all I look forward to is getting up in the SE Asian warmth, NOT getting ready for work, and having breakfast made for me.  Oh ya, Traci does that for me here.  OK, I bet Traci is looking forward to a reprieve from morning coffee and porridge making :-)

Another breathlessly exciting installment

Anyone following along with keen delight might like to know Traci has discovered that one of the side effects of Imodium is, right there in black and white, "mild diarrhea."  We hope not to prove the veracity of this caution...  Other exciting tidbits are that she, the increasingly giddy-with-anticipation-Traci, now has a lovely red "Genuine Leather" passport holder and her first, very own travel towel.  We have also discovered people must be making huge coin selling various potions, lotions, pastes, gels, etc in bottles of 100ml or less.

This is also the part of the trip (which in my mind mind has all but started) when, at 3:19am, I begin to think of all the things that could horribly wrong from being bit by a spider which causes one's blood to coagulate into sponge toffee consistency to seeing my passport fall accidentally into some unspeakable, unendingly deep boghole.

The days go by...

and we're at less than 4 weeks before departure (for, eventually, above).  Bought a couple of guide books on the weekend, one for Bangkok proper and one for Cambodia/Laos.  I have mainly used Bangkok as an entry/exit place in the past and it will be much the same this trip but certainly want to explore more this time around. I'd like to get across the river to Chinatown and also hire a boat to take us upriver for the day, the suggestions are that taking the time for longer tours is the better value.  Still getting the last few details organised: tried to get Traci a  travel towel and passport folder at Europe Bound but their service sucked so we left it all on the counter; Traci still needs her Hep booster; and we're still not sure what's to happend with the house - looking for a renter but may have to settle for a house-sitter.

Oh ya, less than 2 weeks til 50...

4 weeks from this moment...

we will be enjoying our first evening in Bangkok.  We're into that lovely period of time where there is less time before departure than we will be away.  This also means we're finalising and confirming reservations (see link: http://www.phu-chaisai.com/), realising we don't need to go to Costco anymore, going through lists of final things to do: $US, Travelers Cheques, buying a guide book (our neighbour loaned us a book from an excellent series called "Travelers Histories, not guide books but pithy, condensed histories of many countries and regions) appointments for final vaccinations, smugly enjoying the cooler, rainier weather, etc.  Being neurotic I had to go through all the ticket printouts this morning to reconfirm departure times (245AM) and dates (Oct.9).   If you're interested its 13.5 hr flight to Hong Kong,  a 2 hr layover then 2h40m to Bangkok.

For me its 2 solid weeks of work, then a 4 day weekend which includes my 50th birthday party, then two shorter work weeks and we're off!  Traci will work energetically and continuously as usual but we both have the Friday off before we go.  Did I really have to write that?  I mean that 50th thing... happy I'm off an another mad adventure shortly thereafter :-)

Traci very much enjoying her new iPad and looks as though it will be helpful and entertaining for our journey.

Ciao!

Kerry&Traci

Preparations thus far

Off we go to SE Asia! Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos departing Vancouver Oct. 9, 2010 returning Nov. 13.  For those of you who know me you will know I have been a few times before, most recently in 2007.  This will be Traci's first Asian adventure and first major overseas trip.  This will also be our first major trip together - so far our few days camping and traveling here and there have gone very well and we have no reason to think otherwise for Asia.

Planning going well so far: tickets bought and a guesthouse reserved for our Bangkok arrival and we've also decided to pamper ourselves at a spa/resort near Chiang Rai (northern Thailand) toward the end of our journey.  Vaccinations are well underway, backpacks (carry on!) bought as well as headlamps, bug dope, a  cool hat for Traci, and flip flops all ready to go.  Oh ya, mustn't forget the iPad Traci bought just yesterday :-)