Well, its the final couple of days before Wal and I fly out for Paris and then make our way by train and bus to St Jean Peid de Port. The last week has been mildly frantic. At some stage on Friday yet another person came to me to do some little thing that wouldn't take long! I asked how he felt being the 56th person that day who thought he had a really good reason to stop me going on leave. Still didn't get away till after 5.30pm. Travel Bookings Stopped procrastinating and got the final bookings done for the train and bus from Paris to St Jean on the way in, and on Eurostar from London to Paris. Discovered that I can get from Gare Nord to where I am staying by bus without ... read more

Gerung Berembum One of the web pages I consulted lists the walks to Gerung Berembum as 'very tough' with steep sections. I had found the start of Walk#8 yesterday (25/2) and it didn't look too bad. But I had also forgotten yesterday's lesson that the early signs of hope were not always good indicators of what really lay ahead. It hadn't rained overnight, and the footpath in to Robinson Falls was quite a lot less slippery, although it was often easier to walk beside the path than on it. To make it attractive, the concrete slabs had been painted red and green with a product that has a quite gloss finish. No non-slip finishes here. Add the ocassional patch of slimy leaf litter and the path was quite a challange. Shortly after the start of the ... read more

Acclimatising Arrived in KL on 21st and had a smooth trip from the airport to KL Sentral. Avoided the taxi hawkers where the bus stopped and went upstairs, where we got a taxi voucher for our final destination. Staying at the Mandarin Oriental in KLCC - Kuala Lumpur City Centre, right next door to Suria KLCC - about five floors of shopping! I wonder why Elaine chose that spot. Its also next to the Petronas twin towers, which one can visit for free but need to queue up to get a ticket. Spectacular views, but not particularly clear photos in the morning. Looked better in the afternoon, but all the walkway windows were covered in raindrops. Not much better. 23/2 - Took a taxi to Chinatown. Arrived just before 10am, and traders still setting up. Wandered ... read more

Left Hand Drive Thank goodness for US drivers. I have just spent my first three hours driving a left hand drive vehicle on the right hand side of the road getting from the San Fernando Valley to San Diego. What an introduction! I have new found admiration for the patience and tolerance of the local drivers. Despite some quite awkward moments, we were not tail-gated, honked at or any of the other behaviours one can expect at home. ... read more

Full Fare - Go Anywhere I got out of Jo'burg by upgrading and paying a full fare. Elaine was not prepared for Singapore Airlines to continue us mucking around. Cathy Schroder at Jetset Travel in Southlands was a great help getting this organized, and Qantas were able to change my local flights so that I got back to Canberra early on 14/12. The trip was not without its minor hiccups, but nothing to compare to the previous couple of days. My luggage had gone ahead - don't ask me how. We were told that it was in Canberra, but it was still in Sydney, and I could have collected it the previous evening on my arrival there. Qantas got it to me later in the day. Its good to be home. PS - here is my ... read more