the pre-leaving to-do list..

1. Preliminaries: The Travel-Blog

I consider this quite a big 'check' on the ever-growing list of things to do before I leave.

Unsurprisingly, I am an awkward, not-at-all-natural blogger, and think that the challenge of periodically writing entertaining, wit-filled and non-itinerary-esq- posts every week or so, might actually be on par with translating Chinese, Mongolian and Russian train timetables - the English equivalent of which was beyond me only yesterday (see my sister's FB page for more details)

So, I am afraid that you're all going to have to stick with me and remember that you love me, even without the funny. I did Law - which sadly required a different kind of 'creative'. Not all that useful for this blogging lark. Damn.

2. The Plan (or lack there-of)

We are currently 10 days away from the great escape. I am flying out of Heathrow, 21:30 Saturday 7th. That's pretty soon.

For me, I have done a surprisingly negligible amount of planning. The more travel books, blogs, brochures etc I read, the more I get the impression that the unplanned and spontaneous journeys are the best. One of the best things about the build-up to leaving is the feeling that I don't have any agenda, that I not accountable to anyone (except texting dad every few days) and that I can go and be somewhere completely different and be open to everything new - and just take it from there.

I have, therefore, the following skeleton itinerary:

Weeks 1 - 5: Pagoda Orphanage in Hanoi, Vietnam.

more info: http://www.realgap.co.uk/Vietnam-Pagoda-Orphanage

For the first five weeks of my travels I am going to be working in an orphanage in a Pagoda (which is a Buddhist Temple) just outside of Hanoi in Northern Vietnam. Many of you will be aware of my, erm, 'aversion' (which I'm pretty sure is just ignorance of how to communicate) to children. I thought it was time to get over this, and a little challenge to myself was to go and work in an orphanage. Now, this might backfire!! I might have been right all along, and if they all cry when they see me or I try to make them laugh, then this is going to be a very long 5 weeks. Fingers crossed on that one.

The Pagoda is also a massively exciting part of the traveling! I am super-curious about everything at the moment, and just want to go and be exposed to the most different things I can (hence destinations) - I am hopeful that this new environment will be a contrast to everything I have ever been comfortable with.

Weeks 6 & 7 - Tourtastic.

more info: http://www.statravel.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/uk_division_web_live/hs.xsl/tour-detail.htm?provider=23&tourId=AVBV&backto=results&region=AS&duration=14-28&page=2

For the next fortnight I will be selling out. STA are going to take me up and around the North, mid-Coast and South of Vietnam. I am inclined to defend my tourist fortnight as I doubt it will be that 'authentic', but seeing how it is going to be me and a map (I'm sure you know how well that traditionally goes) for the remaining 2 months of the journey - I am going to really enjoy being carried from entertainment to pretty thing to ooh, more entertaining stuff. Two weeks and lots of exciting stuff to see.

Oh, I'll probably also make some friends.

Week 8: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

From here it is just me. I am going to hang out in Ho Chi Minh for a week, and probably go exploring in the Mekong Delta, which I am told is full of "uber-friendly locals" who will feed me fish. Failing that, and if I have enough factor 50+ left, another alternative is Phu Quoc Island, which is fames for white-sand beaches. Nice.

October: China & Mongolia

I have a month. I fly to Beijing on October 1st (must book hostel for arrival night) and then we'll see what happens. I reckon I will spend about a fortnight in Beijing and around - also Xi'an, and maybe Shanghai. Then I will hop a train to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia and spend a fortnight exploring Chinggis Khan country, and making friends with more friendly locals who might let me sleep in their Gers.

Sounds simple, right?

November: RUSSIA!!!!

Russia is the main reason I want to take this trip. Due to visa difficulties (which I am still not over, nor do I yet see the funny side of) I am spending longer in China and Mongolia and 30 days exactly in RUSSIA!!

The train (oh, I'm doing the Trans-Mongolian) will leave Ulaanbaatar and arrive at my first Russia stop, Ulan-Ude. This is in the south side of Lake Baikal. A few days there and then around to stop number 2: Irkutsk. More lake trekking and then on to Yekaterinburg. Stop 3 is a long way away from stop number 2, and so I think the in-between days will be the first proper Trans-Siberian sleeper experience. I am told that I require pot-noodles and a bottle of vodka. Stop 4 after Yekaterinburg is Nizhny Novgorod which will be my last stop before Moscow and then my 6th and final stop will be St Petersburg!! Ironically the Bolshoi Ballet is in London this December, so I will have to wait until I get home to see them, but I fully intend to binge on all the operatic and balletic treats St P will have to offer me for tourist-inflated prices.

I fly back into London November 30th. I haven't even thought about the January leg of my travels yet (I want to see Berlin), because in December I need to find a house. And go to the Bolshoi.

SO. A sweeping glimpse of what I have in store for the next few months, and that which you are hereby invited to join me on. You've got 10 days. Excited?