Our route in gmaps pedometer

The details are a little sketchy, particularly in SE Asia, where we really haven't made plans yet, but you can visit an interactive map of our route here. According to the pedometer, if I were to walk it, I'd burn 4,000,631 calories.

Testing out the e-mail setup

This is a test post using the Blackberry/Bluetooth keyboard setup. So far so good.

This weekend we're doing some last minute shopping errands, and pondering the guide books. We leave in 10 days. K is reading up on Singapore right now, and informs me that gum chewing is now legal. Whew!

Our excellent email setup

Here's what we're planning to do for email and blogging on the road. The Blackberry Pearl hitched to a slightly chintzy bluetooth keyboard. After a couple of initial hitches, I got it working tonight, so, assuming that we can actually get data service in those faraway lands (which is a pretty big if, mind you) we should be good to go, and waxing prosaic.

If you couldn't tell from the picture, yes, the keyboard is a wee bit cramped, but I expect we'll adjust.

T minus 3 weeks

Plans for NZ are slowly starting to gel. Glow-worms, zorbs, mountains, beaches. Should be fun.

We've also started to figure out what we'll pack. I have just ordered myself 3 pairs of dorky mildew proof nylon shorts. One of 'em even has the built in belt thingy and the elastic waist. No chance that I'll be getting confused with one of the natives...

T minus 4 weeks

Big changes afoot. K had her last day of work last week, and is smelling the freedom. My leave is officially approved through work, but of course, I will be working right up to the day before our departure.

In the past month we've gone to our respective doctors for immunizations (mmr, hep a and b, typhus, polio, tetanus, diptheria--fun!) K got an egg shaped lump in her arm, but somehow didn't contract polio.

The Indian visas and international drivers permits we sent in for all came back, miraculously, only a week later. No problems, so that was a big relief. The driver permits are not very official looking, though. Written out in ball point pen, with the photos stuck on, and an assortment of rubber stamps scattered over them. If we glue on some macaroni and glitter, they'll look a lot like someone's 1st grade art project.

We're starting to think about making some more concrete plans for Tahiti and New Zealand, figuring that we should get those legs of the trip mostly booked before we go. Tahiti will mostly be hanging out on a beach in a hut or something like that, with some diving in there for K, and some snorkeling & swimming and whatnot for me. New Zealand will be a bit more challenging--too many options for the 2 weeks that we'll have there. We're thinking we'll spend the bulk of the time on the south island, since that's where all of the wild terrain is (glaciers, mountains, etc.) We're also contemplating a camper-van rental for that leg of the trip. Seems kind of cool, and fairly reasonable. That's about as much as we've got. Lots of planing to do this month.