The insane itinerary!

[Tabouli]

Just back from the travel agency, and I now have the certifiable schedule resting on my very mouse pad.  Not that this is *final* or anything, no, no, just today's version!  May try to juggle a day here and there to reduce the insanity level, but I suspect it's a lost cause.  It's, er, three pages long, not including the pricing page.  My travel agent assured me that she's seen worse, (not much worse, but worse), but I think she was just being polite.

Depart Melbourne 4:15pm 11th June
Arrive London (Heathrow) 6:20am 12th June

(see Neil, David, Mary Ann, other London listmembers, penfriend, old school friend, Japanese friend now resident in Surrey.  Hopefully squeeze in some slaking of my Celtic craving, perhaps in Cornwall)

Depart Heathrow 18th June 6:35pm
Arrive Zurich 9:25pm

(visit the Goat)(may juggle this to the morning of the 19th instead)

Depart Zurich 20th June 7pm, change at London
Arrive Paris 11:05pm

(attend wedding)

Depart Paris 23rd June 12pm, change at NYC
Arrive Montreal 6:05pm

(organise conference presentation)

Bus to Ottawa, morning of the 27th June

(visit Sheryll)

Depart Ottawa 28th June 3:44pm, change at Chicago
Arrive St Louis, 7:43pm

(attend conference, meet Kimberly?)

Depart St Louis 2nd July 3:42pm
Arrive NYC La Guardia 7:21pm

(visit Jenny from Ravenclaw and other NYC listmembers)

Depart NYC 5th July 7:19am
Arrive Portland 1:04pm

(visit Elkins)

Overnight train down Pacific coast to Albion 8th Julyish (note to self: go online & check timetables)

(visit Catherine Keegan)

Continue down coast to San Francisco evening 9th Julyish

(visit friend from Adelaide now resident in Palo Alto)

Depart San Francisco 5:30pm 12th July
Arrive LA 6:56pm

(visit Pippin and Catlady)

Depart LA 15th July 1:20am (ouch) change at Taipei (wince), change at Hong Kong with 4 hr wait (cringe)
Arrive Bangkok 4pm

(visit old friend from Adelaide and wife)

Depart Bangkok 19th July 5:40pm change at Sydney
Arrive Adelaide 20th July 8:45am

(recuperate at parents' house, give Working with Asian names presentation morning of the 23rd)

Depart Adelaide 3:05pm 23rd July
Arrive Melbourne 4:45pm

(give Life in Australia presentation morning of the 24th, then crawl home to die).

Judy:
> Judy, who now wishes she hadn't posted here lately

O dear, I'm sorry... I do appreciate your efforts to help me cut costs!  (hey, if you think the itinerary is insane, you should see the pitiful amount of money I have to spend on this trip!).  Having seen the plan in all its gory glory, though, it's really not bad for US$1500, is it?  Everything included in the ticket price except the bus to Ottawa and the train down the Pacific coast.

Neil:
> Tooly!  I hope we'll be able to meet up when you're in London (or even in
the vicinity).  I owe you at least a day's steerage around the trendier
quarters of London town in return for the good time you showed me in
Melbourne.  Let's see: when my heart-shaped lollipop glows red, I'll know
your plane has touched down.<

(er, I ate my lollipop...)  Sounds great... what exactly are the trendier parts of London?  Not too sure what my movements will be in the UK, but I've been plotting with David to visit him in Surrey, and hope to nip west to see Mary Ann and perhaps go on to Cornwall to slake my Celtic craving.  (I am thirsting for stone circles and mossy ruins and I've had intriguing reports of the Minack theatre on the Cornish coast, which sounds worth a look...)  My immediate quest, judging by the unholy hour I'll be arriving in London after a 24 hour flight (and I can *never* sleep on aeroplanes) will be finding a quiet place to collapse, but no doubt I'll emerge eventually for some Londonian lolloping.  Oddly enough, on the other two occasions I've done the killer UK flight from Australia, I've arrived manic and hyperactive for another 24 hours, to the bewilderment of English friends who assumed I would be comatose.  Body clock on strike, perhaps?  Has anyone ever taken those melatonin tablets for resetting the ol' Circadian rhythms?

Abbie, who is too broke to travel, and plans to live vicariously 
thorugh Tabouli:
> Tabouli, after your globe-crossing expedition, you will put up 
pictures, right?  ::winks::  we'll have a virtual bon voyage party 
before you leave.<

In terms of scenic photos, sure, why not, if people are interested enough!  In terms of photos of me, I've been striving to maintain the mystery here, what with the pseudonym and no photo clause and all, but after visiting all these HPFGU types all over the world, I think the mystique will be beyond salvation.  On the subject of money, er, if you saw my budget, you might reconsider whether you're too broke to travel...  I've just spent nearly a year without a full-time job (living off profits from my business and a paltry business grant), and my but the coffers are gaping.  I prudently accepted a recent offer of a credit limit increase (banks!  Fools, fools) and fully expect to arrive home over the limit anyway, but never mind.  I control my unease by reminding myself that I'm arriving home in peak training season, and can probably get the debt down to a manageable level quickly enough.  And my grant will keep being paid in while I'm away.

Kimberly:
> May I just say that your itinerary sounds like you're about to embark 
on the Amazing Race?  Yes, I too have become hooked by a reality TV show.  <

Re the reality TV shows, yes, my shameless addiction to Big Brother continues (hides face).  On the subject of the itinerary, the madness of it is rather ironic.  As I've mentioned off-list to a few people, in years gone by I *sniffed* at the sort of jolly backpacker who claims to have Done Europe in two weeks. I snorted.  I even sneered.  How, I sniped, do they think they can get *any* sort of a feel for a country if they spend one day there seeing the tourist sites?  Ludicrous.  Foolish.  Contemptible.

Hmmmmmm.

If anyone needs me, I'll just be off scrubbing my black pots, reinforcing the walls of my glass house, and having the mote in my eye removed at the optometrists...

Tabouli.


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