The Idea

---

---

FRIENDS! FAMILY! ESTEEMED RAGAMUFFINS!



On the 2nd October, I will be heading back home. After a year of living and working in Hong Kong, I am looking forward to cold weather, dandelion and burdock, and people whose madness I understand.

There are, of course, several flights every day from Hong Kong to UK, but I have decided against this. I don't want to get a flight; they are boring. Instead of sitting for 24 hours with crying children, ear-popping, bad food, and a functioning entertainment system a mile up in the air, I am instead going to be travelling overland for weeks.... with crying children, a stiff back, weird food, and no entertainment system (beyond the company of strangers).

My journey (a mixture of train, car, bus, etc.) will take me from the south of China to the north, across the Gobi desert and Steppe, through taiga, forests and mountains, passing north of the Caucasus and into Europe until I finally cross over the North Sea and make my way across the Pennines.

With less than a month to go, I am starting to feel excited. I have the major train tickets already, the first couple of hostels booked and some of the visas I need. I Expect to feel more apprehensive about a week before I go, and then been terrified for the first few days... after that I should be fine 😊

And so, this will be the main form of keeping in touch and letting all of you back home know how it's going. Leave a message, give me a challenge, or be constructively critical of my literary style and I will get back to you as soon as I can!



Yours,

Heather

---

Comments

[Charlotte]

Crazy Lady...
Heather... I do feel that by the end of this trip your hair may possibly be out on end, and there is a very high chance that you will get off the ferry at the end laughing and mumbling to yourself. However, as much as this thought does amuse me, I wish you all the luck and safety in the world and as much as you are a HUGE pain in my ass, winding me up and pushing my buttons. Work really really wont be the same without you, and your not a mushy feelings person but here it is- I.Will.Miss.You. Now, enough with the 'gay' emotions. I'll be watching this blog with a close eye. o_0 Toodles.

[scenicroute]

you and your emotions! I do like that you seem to think I have some semblance of sanity now! Toodlepip... yeah,... I'll see you tomorrow...

[Stephen]

This madness I understand...
About three times a year I brave the mysteries of Face-ache. Today I learned that my sister-in-law has become an Australian and that your literary style makes entertaining reading. And that you're embarking on a barking journey. This madness I understand and envy. Stephen

[scenicroute]

Hello Stephen!
I'm not sure I should say that I'm happy I made your face-ache... but, yeah :D and I am almost ready to embark on my barking journey (I really enjoy that phrase!). One more visa to go, a few more days to work, and I am out of here!

[Thomas Fuery]

This almost makes me dislike you
I would love to have the opportunity to do something like this, an internet friend once attempted to do almost the reverse and cross Eurasia by car, it ended up with them stranded in the middle of Kazakhstan and with two months of train travel to reach the travel hubs of eastern Russia. Hopefully Russian rail engineering will hold up better than the pick of the used car markets of Kent.

[scenicroute]

Hi, thanks Tom, little worried now... Maybe i should make a backup plan! How did your friend escape Kazakhstan?!