Vaccinations

Been looking at vaccinations today. When you realise how many you need it's quite scary really and makes me very thankful that I live somewhere where these kinds of problems are not something I have to face everyday. I can get some of them done free at the Drs and working in research I have my hep B already. I'm going to be going to India in March as my best friend is moving there for 6 months to work for the Wildlife Trust of India on their anti-poaching campaign so I'll need a few for there anyway so I'll be all up to date for my trip anyway. I got my rucksack the other week which was very exciting. Went for a Berghaus C7 60+10 and got a bargain at Cotswold Outdoor where it was reduced to £60 and the people were extremely helpful so I'd highly recommend them. Also got a Regatta jacket with a zip out fleece from Jackson's of Old Arley (near where my parents live) so I'm definitely getting there with the kit! Want to buy my sleeping bag now!!

Travel in New Zealand

Have been wondering what would be the best way for me to travel round New Zealand and had been thinking for a while I might do Kiwi Experience, but having thought about it I think that it's probably not for me - feel too old to do something like that now. Also, want to have a bit more control over the trip and was chatting to someone who did it and they said that if the tour is full and you've stopped off somewhere most people don't stop at then you can have a bit of trouble getting back on a bus. So I think the best thing for me to do is to get a flexi-pass. This allows you to buy travel hours on the intercity buses and I worked out last night that to do the places I want to go to I'll need about 75 hours of travel which would cost about £260 whereas the kiwi experience trip would be closer to £450. Means I get to do more whilst I'm there as well as I'll have more money to spend on activities.
Am down to the 20s now for weeks left at work! OK I know it's still 29 weeks and 5 days but it's still in the 20s! Hurrah!!

Good news for Africa!

The company who I'm planning to do the Africa tour with (www.kumuka.com) has had on their website that the trip that I want to do is changing in 2007 but they don't seem to be putting forward any new details so I contacted them and turns out that instead of doing Zambia, the tour will be going to Serengeti which will be fab. That was one place I was disappointed to not be going and now it looks like I'll be able to! How exciting! Will depend on cost of course as the trip is now going to be increasing to 35 days. However, they have a 35 day tour on their website that does what looks like might be the new trip in reverse and the basic cost is only about £80 more expensive and about another $100 local payment which is fine. Delays getting back and having to find a job as well!!