This is the end...

...of 2009. I am sitting here in Wagga Wagga (a dump) after driving today through the deserted Australian landscape. Desolation is the only word I can use to describe it.





There is no party, no fireworks, no nothing here tonight. Well, there is a swing dance party in my hotel, but I think I will opt out. One funny fact: even though you are driving through a very flat riverless plane, you will find these signs everywhere. The warn you how high the water can rise in case of rain...



I hope you all have a wonderful new year's eve. I think I will turn in early.

The problems with Australia

Don't get me wrong: I love the place. There is just one thing I would change immediately. That spot on my face is not the first stage of skin cancer. It is a fly. You have millions of them here and they are like flying pitbulls. They go for the eyes and the nose. Any ideas how to eliminate them?



The other problem is that all real men seem to live here. Every man is athletic and is doing some kind of dangerous extreme sport. How can I compete?



The last problem I solved. Due to the vastness of the country it is hard to get a good radio station when driving. That is why I bought a device that turns your iPod into a personal transmitter. If you pull up next to a black Holden Commodore, tune to 88,1 Mhz!

How Healthy is Traveling?

Every day I wonder whether to go out and have a proper meal or to cuddle up with a good book (or a movie) and pizza...

And the winner is:



Feeling more healthy than ever though. Must be the sunshine and the daily change of scene.

That's how I like it...

Et tu Obama?

"President Barack Obama, who is on vacation in Hawaii, conferred by telephone with national security and counter- terrorism officials on the investigation and “heightened air travel safety measures,” according to a statement from White House spokesman Bill Burton.
“The president will continue to actively monitor the situation,” Burton said."

It had high hopes for this Obama dude. It seemed he would be the voice of reason. I was wrong. Some deranged individual very unsuccessfully tries to blow up an airplane and his administration goes completely George W. on our ass.

Passengers need to remain seated for the last hour of the flight...

Really? That will help? These kind of knee-jerk reactions I would have expected from GW, but not from this administration.

Time to leave Sydney

It is time to leave Sydney. I a moment I will pick up my rental car and drive to Narooma. I hope the weather is nicer. I will be back here in around 8 days. I am looking out over the harbor and I am sure. I like this town!

Restraint

Today I went shopping for the one thing I forgot to bring. Normally when I go shopping for something I come home with a zillion things I do not need. Today it sank in that not only would I need to carry anything I buy around with me for 5 months but I also need to watch my budget. I showed restraint (before now an unfamiliar concept) and bought only what I needed.

You can stop being jealous!

It going to be like this for at least 3 more days. I just hope it is sunnier down south....

Sunburn

I suppose it is better than frostbite but did you know your armpits can get severely sunburned? This happens most often when you fall asleep on your beach lounger with your arms folded behind your neck. Surprising...



Luckily the Chardonnay they keep pouring out here in the club is helping!

Merry x-mass, you annoying little brats!

For the third day in a row a family with in total six young children is ruining the lounge experience for everyone in the hotel I am staying at in Sydney. Can it be that affluent parents are no longer able to deal with their own children because the nanny is doing the actual raising? It is always the 'Gucci Trophy Wifes' who look completely helpless and - dare I say it - even uninterested at their child's behavior. The women in this little clan are actively discussing how cute their little brats look in their new outfits while they are running through the lounge screaming and ruining everybody's x-mass breakfast.

I must say, I don't find it particularly clever of the hotel to lay out x-mass crackers with whistles in them....

Please; if you do not raise your own children, take your nanny with you on holiday!

Not so Manly...

Finally a good excuse to do nothing. My foot doesn't even hurt that much anymore, but Manly beach is a perfect spot to be a wimp and watch time pass. On a side note: it is funny to see girls in bikini on the beach wearing Santa hats. Apparently it is a rage.

Ferry ride

For those of you who like to see what I am experiencing here down under I rented a helicopter to film my ferry ride from Circular Quay to  Manly Beach. Enjoy!
'

Sesamoiditis...

Yes. It is a word. It is used to describe either a broken or inflamed part of your body. No, nothing gross. Sesamoids are the two little bones between your big toe and your foot that are not connected to anything. It is where you put most of your weight when you walk. Apparently also when you sit, since after 27 hours of mostly sitting on airplanes it is back with a vengeance. Nothing to do but tape it in and take it easy. It should have come back on a beach destination, not Sydney.

On my way...

Finally the time has come. After a grueling two hours spend on the tarmac of Heathrow airport after landing from AMS (and apparently going nowhere) I am now in the restaurant of the lounge at Terminal 3. Soon I will depart for Sydney. 21 hours of travel. The realization that I won't be returning for at least 5 months has not really sunk in. See you on the other side of the world!

Leaving the 21st instead

Looks like BA cabin crew have gone completely berserk as they announced a 12 day strike over what is in essence a dispute where no jobs are lost or wages are cut. Managed to get the last seat on a BA flight to Sydney on the 21st. Two extra days in the sun. I love industrial action...

Update: no industrial action after all, but still leaving on the 21st to spend x-mass in Sydney. If the snow at Heathrow doesn't throw a spanner in the works that is...

Will I get to Sydney?

The unions (gotta love them) are still threatening a strike at BA. Most likely dates seem to be December 21st, 22nd and 23rd. I will know December 15th. Hopefully it will all go as planned. I am no fan of industrial action, especially if the highest paid cabin crew in the world are striking over their workload...

3 more weeks

..and one of the persons in that exact spot will be me. Celebrating x-mass in style at the Sydney IC. No doubt I will in fact be lying in bed sleeping off my jet lag in my room alone, but a man can dream...

No more spas and expensive dinner parties

Alsways before an expensive trip something needs replacing. This time the TV. Although I have less money to waste I do now have a rather unique TV.

Simplicity

Life really becomes much simpler if it has to fit in a small suitcase for 5 months. Below is the carry-on that will contain all I need to live.


I wonder why I need all my 'stuff' here at home.

Rudolph and Prancer in Sydney

I decided to pre-pone my trip (as my Indian colleagues would say) and spend x-mass in Sydney.

Quite honestly, it was a bit of a stretch to drive 6 hours after a 24 hour trip from the Netherlands as per my original plans. Now I will have two days in the IC Sydney before I hit the road. The IC may be a bit lavish but you should never be cheap at x-mass. At least that is what I got out of starring as Ebenezer Scrooge in a play at my elementary school.

I wonder what it will be like to be in the Southern Hemisphere for the holiday season. Probably a bit strange. If you have any good suggestions for x-mass down under I be happy to hear them.

At least I will arrive in 2010 early!

Route and dates

For those very few who want to know my exact whereabouts, here are my flights:

#	Flight	Date	From	To	Dep Time
1	BA9	21DEC	LHR	SYD	935PM
2	BA10	20JAN	SYD	BKK	530PM
3	TG287	23JAN	BKK	USM	405PM
4	TG288	16FEB	USM	BKK	550PM
5	CX709	17FEB	BKK	BOM	105AM
6	IT512	17FEB	BOM	GOI	1250PM
7	IT132	26FEB	GOI	BOM	420PM
8	CX684	27FEB	BOM	HKG	350AM
9	CX785	28FEB	HKG	DPS	1005AM
10	JL716	25MAR	DPS	KIX	105AM
11	JO78	26MAR	KIX	HNL	925PM
12	YV1015	03APR	HNL	OGG	155PM
13	YV1003	10APR	OGG	HNL	1022AM
14	AA162	10APR	HNL	LAX	1250PM
15	AA2448	26APR	LAX	DFW	135PM
16	AA2181	01MAY	DFW	LIR	1030AM
17	AA2130	15MAY	LIR	MIA	250PM
18	BA206	19MAY	MIA	LHR	520PM
19	BA65	20MAY	LHR	NBO	1020AM
20	KQ116	21MAY	NBO	AMS	0840AM ARR 430PM

Here are the airport codes:

BKK - Bangkok
USM - Koh Samui
GOI - Goa
BOM - Mumbai
DPS - Bali
KIX - Osaka Japan
HNL - Honolulu
OGG - Maui, Hawaii
LAX - Los Angeles
DFW - Dallas
LIR - Liberia, Costa Rica
NBO - Nairobi
USM - Koh Samui
HKG - Hong Kong
SYD - Sydney
MIA - Miami
LHR - London
AMS - Amsterdam

Follow me here

My sabbactical will start on December 25th 2009. In 5 months I will travel to Australia, Thailand, India, Hong Kong, Bali, Osaka, Hawaii, USA and Costa Rica. I will post the most interesting stories (if any...) and pictures here. Enjoy!