It’s been a tough week Or two, no work at the moment because the Stocktake Nazi’s at HO (that’s Head Office where they keep the D Heads) can’t organise stocktake sheets, it’s been f…..g cold so I’ve had to drink whisky, coffee and hot chocolates to keep warm, I’ve cleaned the house, sort of, done the washing and washing up (not to the Navigators standard but guess what, it’s all hers + the garden and pool) for the next 4 weeks, froze at the rugby on Saturday as well as gardening in the cold miserable weather. Did I hear you say “ Poor didums” ? I don’t care.

Oh, the other thing I did was another 2 culls of my travel gear, because I had time and could and should because I’m a bit like that. So what am I taking: 4 pairs of socks, 4 underdaks, 2 pairs of long pants, 2 pairs of shorts, 4 t shirts, 2 short sleeve shirts, 2 long sleeve shirts, a light polar fleece, a rain coat, a dilly bag, 2 cameras + gadget bits, mobile phone, charger pack with power pack, medicine pack for all or most occasions, masks, travel cards, Aussie dollars, US dollars, no Laos Kip as you can’t get it before you get to Laos, passport, travel insurance document with copies of International Vaccine Certificate, hat, all carried in 1 x 70 litre Kathmandu backpack with rollers, a Kathmandu Glue On day pack and a man bag. Weight, weight of the bag is about 9kg, but final weigh in is tomorrow before I put the locks on.

TMM (remember him, The Maintenance Man), well he arrives in town tomorrow afternoon with wife and daughter supervising his exit from Australia, ably supported by The Navigator who knows her way to the airport in order to get rid of me as soon as she can. Assuming the planes are flying and all goes well, we should be in Sydney tomorrow night and Bangkok by Friday afternoon.

A short poem I wrote yesterday while contemplating repack number 7;

Nothing Lasts Forever

Don’t waste time wondering is my little tip,
Nothing lasts forever so just appreciate the trip,
Get on the road or start whatever it is
That pushes your buttons and gets your brain to fizz.

Me, I like lots of things but to travel to places far away,
Gets me excited to leave home and my garden of clay,
Go to mountains in Laos land of the green paddy field
And to the hills of Italy where Tuscan secrets stay sealed.

Nothing lasts forever so I put my thinking hat on,
I need a coffee to stimulate to move the thoughts along
As I sit in the cafe sheltering from rain and frozen air
My thoughts drift to other places as I lean back on my chair,

To Switzerland, Scotland, England, Croatia, England and Wales,
Be a tourist, a traveller, soak culture, eat food drink their ales,
Talk to locals, smile with them, laugh at their jokes not so clever,
Do it now while you can because nothing lasts for ever.

And think about where we live, adventure home grown,
So much to see from beaches to deserts together or alone,
Pack the bags mortgage the house to finance the cost
Because nothing lasts forever there’s no time to be lost.

Paul Reid 14th July 2022

Next Post will be from Bangkok

Ciao Pauolo