Paul and Jess Go Global

It seems such a long time a go that we booked the tickets. We have been doing a fair bit of planning and shopping. We have bought our backpacks, walking shoes and heaps of other accessories. One of which I am particularly proud off…. We bought a Steripen – a what, you think? Its great, it is a UV pen that you can stir in up to a litre of water which means that we have clean drinking water wherever we go. I know the average backpacker might not take such a thing but I am a bit of a worry wart and I have been doing a lot of reading and quite a few people have been ill from drinking the water available on the Inca trail, so hopefully we can avoid the bugs.

I have been obsessed by illnesses, every travel thread I seem so read I end up migrating towards diseases and how to avoid them. Paul on the other hand is obsessed with train/bus times. It is so funny we will both be reading the Lonely Planet Guides and then I will shout “stop right there, what are you reading about” Trains times obviously!!! The first step is to recognize you have a problem, right? Well at least we have done our bit on trying to avoid getting ill and not missing the trains. We know nothing about the culture or the history of the countries we are going to! Only kidding, we are doing out bit there too.

We did a trial run on our backpacks the other week. I am not sure how I am going to survive?? Once I fit in all of my cosmetics there was no space for clothes! Tee hee hee, I really am kidding but truthfully, there is not much space and I will be taking one or two little luxuries, such as moisturiser! We walked around the park for a while to make sure they were comfy – not too bad but it was only a bit of a guestimate pack. We shall have to see how we go. Paul’s backpack looked hilarious, it came out from his back about half a metre, I am not sure what he had done but we had a bit of a giggle about that. We will be experts after the first week I am sure.

We have found the cats foster homes, finally!! It is such a relief. We are able to keep them together and Angie the girl that is looking after them usually saves cats from being put down when their owners move abroad so she is quite happy that we are taking them to the UK with us. She is really lovely. Its bloomin’ expensive getting them all prepared for travel though. They are getting their rabies vaccinations next week. It looks like the airline will only deal with an agent though so the actual getting them to the airport bit seems a bit Exy. What can you do? I am so glad that we are able to take them with us.

I have booked the removal and storage company and given my notice to the yoga studio’s. I will be advising the gyms next week.

Paul and I had our jabs on Friday. I now have two ouchies!! The nurse said that it would make our arms heavy – you’re not kidding!! Me teaching a yoga class on Friday evening was interesting to say the least. We have now had our Yellow Fever, Hep A, Typhoid, Tetanus (Diphtheria, Whooping cough & Polio). We have decided not to have the rabies shots. They are extravagantly expensive but the research I have read suggests only having it if you are working with bats, which thankfully we are not. We don’t plan to pet the dogs so hopefully the risk is very small. If we do get bitten we have 24 hrs to get the human imuniglobin and seeing as we are not going off the beaten track this should be possible. Eek!! So many nasty things but I have to stop freaking out now. As Paul would say “I am sure we will be fine”

So what’s next? We are working on the Visas as I just received my UK passport and Paul has 17 days until he hands in his notice!!! We have a bottle of Champagne chilling :0) Watch this space.