A week in Wellsford.

I am about to pack and drive to Wellsford a small rural town between Auckland and Whangarei. A friend of mine, Dave, has a small farm there and he and I will be looking after Daniel and his sister Laura for at least the next four days but it could quite possibly stretch into the rest of the week. I'll try to make some updates from live on the farm but as there are actually neither Internet nor cellphone connections out there it will probably be a haphazard affair.

Back home.

On Tuesday morning I started my long track back to NZ. First stop Kathmandu airport and while check-in when smooth enough the immigration queue didn't move along at all. So I wandered up to the front of the line and fair enough there was no one actually there to stamp the passports, apparently he had gone for a cup of tea. Ten minutes later a duly refreshed immigration officer showed up and started stamping passports. I decided I could do with a drink myself and headed for the coffee shop. These guys actually have proper equipment and extract a nice cup.
As a last wave to the chaos in Kathmandu the plane left an hour late which gave me all of twenty minutes to run from one side of Bangkok airport to the other to make my connection but I got there, and when I arrived in Auckland to my even greater supprise my luggage had made it to. My backpack was the first piece of luggage on the belt.
I was less amused when I had to wait five hours for my connecting flight North but thems the breaks.
Great to see my parents again at the end of a long journey.

First day flights

The day got off to an unexpected start when I got a call while still having breakfast to say my flight from Whangarei to Auckland got cancelled and I could I take the flight that was leaving in twenty minutes instead. So I grabbed my pack while Mum got the car out of the garage, kissed Dad goodbye and raced off to the airport. The flight itself went fine and an hour later I found myself checking in for the flight to Thailand unwashed and unshaven, never-mind I got there.
The flight from Auckland to Bangkok was long and boring as usual with as only interludes me tearing a hole in my shirt when I made an unusual move while shifting in my chair and the flight attendant spilling coffee over my trousers, oh and it looks as if another cold sore is making its way on my lip.
So feeling tired and disheveled I showed up at immigration in Thailand who didn't gave me a second glance, I guess they see my kind of vagabonds all day.
After that it was just the usual maniac taxi driver to contend with and an hour later I was in my room and ready for some sleep.

Watch this space!

I am currently waiting for my flight to Bankok where I expect to be for a few days to sort out a visa for China. Then it will be north to the ancient monuments of early Thailand, east to Laos then north again to China. After a loop through southern China I hope to return to Bangkok via Vietnam and Cambodia. This first part of my trip should take about three months.
After that I'll fly to Nepal for some trekking before heading back to New Zealand for some rest and relaxation and undoubtedly some work.