Seattle…the land of Sun??? (12/13/05)
Hey everybody….we have made our way back to our hometown of Seattle. Chilly, but gorgeous sunny weather………Can’t say we miss the face-chapping, body-numbing Chicago wind off of Lake Michigan. We’ve just missed what appears to be a nasty snowstorm and very frigid temperatures in Chicago. Hope your wedding went well Tom and Dawn…Congratulations!!!
As you can imagine being home (especially for the holidays) is quite hectic. I think everyone has taken it as their personal mission to fatten us up before the big trip with meal after meal. Great food but ugggghh and it’s not even the holiday yet. We’ve had a great time Xmas shopping with Mom, seeing Russ and Jenni’s new potential home (cross your fingers!!), Becca exchanging gifts and visiting with the girls (nice ride EK!!!), and battling the long-forgotten, but not missed Seattle traffic. Man, you people drive a lot!
Sorry…back to the trip. Yesterday we received all of our actual tickets for our RTW flights. Yes….you actually receive physical tickets (some are e-ticket confirms) for quite a few airlines. Most of you who know us both can imagine who is responsible for holding onto these tickets……the name doesn’t start with a J. We have also visited REI to “edu-ma-cate” ourselves on traveling gear. Both Becca and Jeff have opted for travel packs versus backpacks. Since this is the only item we will have with us for eight months we both opted for a backpack that completely unzips opposed to a top-loading, regular old backpack. Each travel pack will accommodate about 20-30 lbs worth of everything we need for the trip. As you can imagine Becca’s full facial regime might have to stay home!! On a serious note, if you have packing or great advice we’d appreciate your thoughts.
Additionally, we have just received confirmation on our first hotel reservation at the Salisbury in Hong Kong. We will be staying there on 1/19 and then travelling to southern China (Guilin, Yangshou, etc) then back to HK for the Chinese New Year on 1/28 and 1/29. We will then leave southern China for Bangkok, Thailand and spend somewhere between 1.5 to 2 months in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Malaysia. Who knows how it will all shake out but those are the initial plans.
Let us know what your experiences have been in the previously-mentioned areas. We would love to share and learn. I will have a map up shortly with the countries we are proposing to visit. It will be quite a good time looking back at this list after we return and seeing where our adventures led us……..Please feel free to share if you have any insight, opinion, or recommendations.
Tags: Packing, Planning, Pre-Trip
Jeff and Becca
Great thinking on the travel pack – I loved my Osprey for 3 weeks in Europe, but that top-loading thing was certainly a drag.
Our friends Steph and Chris are about 6 months into a 2-year stint in Hong Kong (for work) and have recently visited both Thailand and Vietnam. I’ve attached their blog if you’re interested in seeing where they’ve been or hooking up with them.
http://thanschka.blogspot.com/
Can’t wait to read more about your adventures!!
Eleissa
Jeff and Becca,
Don’t forget David’s best friend Greg Meisenheimer lives in Hong Kong. Call David or email him for their phone number. I have none of their information over seas but I am sure Greg would love to show you the town or at least his wife Charlene if he is out of town.
Have a great time and Happy Holidays,
Susan
Becca and Jeff: I am so jealous of your trip. How awesome it will be and I look forward to hearing and reading the adventures.
I have some packing advice for you all. When I traveled through Europe a few years ago, backpacked across Belize, and most recently went to Australia, I used packing cubes. I purchased a set from Ebags.com (http://www.ebags.com/ebags/packing_cubes_3pc_set/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=13032) and then purchased three more medium and small size. They are fantastic. They helped me keep all of my things neatly packed and accessible without having to dig it all out and refold everything in the bag! I highly recommend them!!!
Good luck and take lots of photos! Travel safe and keep us all posted!
Cheers! JAM