RTW People

Some may think my traveling around the world is a crazy idea, but in fact, outside the USA, it's pretty normal. Everytime I've gone away before, I've always run into a Brit, Aussie, Canadian, or Kiwi that was on sabbatical for a year, touring the world. They all thought I was crazy at the time for only going away for "two weeks."

I'm not the only American that I know from around here that's going around the world for a year or more. Last night, I went to a farewell dinner for my friend Claudia, who is leaving to go RTW for a year, beginning this Sunday, 8/3.

If you can't wait to live vicariously through my blog, you can live through hers:

http://blogs.bootsnall.com/claudia

61 Days To Go...

Well, according to my countdown on www.theglobaltrip.com/2004 , I leave in 61 days from the writing of this entry. Am I excited? Still, the answer is no. In all the trips I've taken so far, it never really phases me that I'm going on a trip until 2 or 3 days of actually being in the destination already. I don't even get too excited at the airport because they're all generic.

This past week, the balls are still in motion. I received my passport back from the passport office. I had them put in more visa pages into the booklet since I'm pretty much full from before. Now I have 24 blank pages for 46 entries, which is perfect since my country count for TGT2 could be 34 or higher. (Not that I'm one of those "country counters" you may have heard about. No, I actually like to experience things and never count a layover in an airport.)

Also, MY TICKETS ARRIVED!!! (Okay, there's some sort of excitement.) I'm booked for my flights up to Cairo on various airlines. First up, an e-ticket on Continental from NYC to Quito via Bogota. Its weird because my flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Capetown, South Africa is on...Malaysian Airways. Go figure.

Two months to go, and I have many projects to finish up before I leave. Plus I gotta start planning my huge bon voyage party!

The Human Pin Cushion

A couple of weeks ago, I called up my travel medicine doctor for an appointment for any immunizations I would need on my big trip. The conversation went something like this:

RECEPTIONIST: So how's August 26th at 4pm?
ERIK: That sounds good.
RECEPTIONIST: Just tell me what countries you're going to now, so I can look them up before you come.
ERIK: Sure. Um, you gotta pen?

So yesterday I had my appointment. In my patient file was a massive printout from a medical website outlining all the recommendations and requirements for my 34 upcoming countries. My doctor's jawed dropped when he came in the room and opened my folder.

Dr. Bellomo is a specialist in infectious disease and really knows his stuff. (In fact, he was rated as one of metro New York's top infectious disease specialists by New York magazine.) He knew which recommendations were bogus, which vaccines worked, which didn't. I had already had immunizations for Typhoid, Yellow Fever, and Hepetitis A from previous trips, and I just needed the "leftovers."

DR. BELLOMO: You might want to consider Hepatitis B. It's only transmitted through bodily fluids, but sixteen months is a LONG time and you'll probably get horny.

Using the philosophy that I never want to be abroad and say, "Damn, if I had just gotten that shot back then...", I bit the bullet and just gave the go ahead to all recommended vaccines, although some weren't necessary.

So, the dreaded needles were pulled out and inserted into my arms. Tetanus and Polio went in my left, Hep B and Meningitis in my right. Then I got a recommended HIV test for the record, in which another two holes were poked into me. (The first hole didn't bleed.)

Then I drank a glass or water and it all leaked out my arms. ;)