Disorganised

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It's 9 days out from the trip and I am surprised at how disorganised I am. I have, it seems, had too much time to plan and have neglected some components that are possibly quite important.

For a start, I haven't booked the bus from Geelong to the airport - I may not even get to first base!; I haven't organised transport from Nanjing to Shanghai (to be at Pudong airport by 4.15 am) - Hmmm - do I do an all-nighter and catch a slow train to Shanghai and doss in teh airport?; do I leave Nanjing in the afternoon and catch a few hours shut-eye in a hotel in Shanghai before heading out to Pudong?; do I sleep in Nanjing and catch an early train (1am) straight to Shanghai? Not a nice collection of options but one of them will have to do!

I haven't organised accommodation for when I first arrive in Istanbul nor confirmed the Couchsurfing Host for the latter 3 days - he wants me to confirm 10 days before I arrive...

I haven't really organised any specific places to visit in Istanbul - 2 of the English language schools I want to see are in Kadikoy (suburb of Istanbul) so I'll pop out there for a day. I'd like to try a Hamam, visit the Rumeli fortress and the Basilica. I'll probably spend more time sitting in the Grand Bazaar having coffee and eating sweet cakes - absorbing the redolent smells and dynamic ambience.

I haven't organised the bus from Budapest to Krakow - nor have I really decided that that's what I want to do. But if I don't decide soon, I won't be able to book flights to Marseille.

I haven't finalised how I'll get off Corsica or where I'll stay in Aix (or even whether I will catch a ferry to Nice, Toulon or Marseille).

And then there's the small things like how I am going to charge my camera batteries whilst away from 240 volts, which International SIM card to buy; how to avoid carrying my clothes and belongings (that I've been using for 5 weeks) across Corsica on my back. Clearly I am thinking too much!

Some people would laugh at me for saying this is disorganised. They'd happily leave their hotel bookings and flights until the last minute; they'd be able to change their plans at the drop of a hat; they'd sleep in a park or scam their way into a hotel. Those are bygone days for me. I don't mind roughing it... but only on MY terms.

Let's see what happens...

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Photos

Packin' it.
All the righ gear for all the right places.