One week to go

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This time next week I'll be on a plane heading (in a roundabout sort of way) to Nairobi to start my trip.

As so often, what you think is an age away has all of a sudden jumped up and said "right, we off then?". There are a list of jobs at work to complete, a list of things I still need to pack, a long list of documents I need to print, and somewhere or other I need to find where my good small camera has gone.

Fortunately, the big job is done - my rucksack is packed with the essentials, weighed and measured, and shouldn't cause any problems at check in. I have a long-standing habit of failing to pack lightly, so getting two and a half months worth of travelling kit into a bag and being under Qatar airlines ridiculously small economy baggage allowance has been a bit of a result!

Every step of my journey I can book in advance is done, all my currency is ready, I've had my jabs, my passport is valid, visas I get on arrival. Everything else will be part of the adventure of the trip 😊

Obviously I have concerns too - I'm transiting at an airport for the first time, normally I prefer to fly direct, so have never been through that process before. I'm going to a country where I need a visa, but don't have one - everywhere says you pay for your visa on arrival, but you never know. I'm going to be spending 8 weeks in a truck with strangers who will hopefully become friends - I've always been an independent type of traveller, and despite having introduced ourselves via Facebook that's just been a brief snapshot (fortunately those who started the trip before me with an extra loop for visiting the Gorillas seem to be having a good time by all accounts!). All little things like this, which I know won't be a problem, but similarly know could throw a massive spanner in the works.

Anyway, everything has to start somewhere, so for now this is that start. Next step will be finishing work at 5pm next Monday, then boarding the train to Heathrow, then once it's wheels up it's all go from there.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about it all 😊

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Photos

Route map
Route map from the Oasis Overground site