Diary

Trip Preparation

Today we are sitting in our empty flat, contemplating how empty the flat actually is. There is a small pile of possessions in one corner, survivors of yesterday's ruthless spring clean, during which we disposed of anything without enough sentimental or actual value to keep it from the tip or the recycling unit. I'm worried we may have been a little too fearless though, and am not convinced I have enough clothes to see me through my last six days of work.

This takes us to a new level of readiness for our departure. All our preparations so far have fallen into four broad categories: visas, jabs, moving out of the flat, and everything else.

There was surprisingly little to do on the visas front. Of the 14 countries we plan to visit, only 5 require us to have a visa: India, Australia, Vietnam, Nepal and Cambodia. Nepal and Cambodia can be got on arrival. Australia takes 30 seconds online and it's too early for us to tackle India (it's valid for just 4 months from date of issue - we look forward to the challenge of getting it in Kathmandu!).

I thought I was in for a long, frustrating morning at the Vietnamese embassy, but it was actually extremely civilized. Once I'd worked out I had to ring the bell (the absence of a queue snaking its way round South Kensington threw me at first), it was plain sailing. I even picked up some useful tips from the 10 or so people queuing ahead of me. Vietnamese visas cost £38, are valid for up to 30 days between dates that you must specify, and you need to leave your passport with the embassy for 5 days. Don't forget to fill out all the forms in advance and don't queue when you go back to collect them, just go straight to window two!

The jabs, on the other hand, have been an entire project in themselves, ever since Dave persuaded Amy that they should get every possible vaccination available. Even the unlicensed ones. Even the ones derived from purified mouse brain. I have to say, having now read in our insurance documents that failure to have the recommended vaccinations means you're not covered if you actually get the disease, I'm inclined to agree. The needles themselves hurt a lot less than the price tag. Be prepared to spend around £350 per person, even if you're lucky enough to have an NHS doctor that will do the basics for free. We'd already had Diptheria, Polio, Hepatitis A and Tetanus for a trip to Peru two yeas ago. In the last few months, we've had: Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A (booster), Meningitis, Hepatitis B (three jabs), Rabies (three jabs), Cholera (two drinks) and Japanese Encephalitis (three jabs). We are sore and poor.

In the meantime, of course, we have jacked in our jobs, given notice on our flat, researched our itinerary, brushed up our Spanish, opened bank accounts, closed bank accounts, and various other bits of administration. Dave has declared open warefare against Orange. We've found it's best to think of things in chunks, as trying to grasp the whole project at once blows your mind and makes you cry.