Typical isn’t it. As the formal travel itinerary starts to take shape, the world continues its descent to self-destruction
I’ve got one of those ‘morning after’ feelings where the toxins in the brain induce feelings of apprehension, suspicion and fear.
There I was, putting my wee yellow/pink/orange/green stickers on the map of Thailand when the background buzz from BBC News 24 reads my thoughts and says “Bangkok”!!
The Airports are barricaded, the troops are out, Government and opposing forces are staring each other down, and the Prime Minister has headed to the hills in the North!
“Never mind” says I, “after all I was in Nigeria during the ‘bloodless’ coup in the late 70s and early 80s; It’ll all have blown over soon enough.”.
I looked at my list of stickers and carried on with pressing them onto the big chart.
Disappointingly I didn’t have one for Mumbai!
The disappointment metamorphosed in one brief history of time into unrivalled elation and relief as the newsreader was suddenly interrupted by the breaking news that “man’s inhumanity to man” once more showed its ugly face and an al-Qaeda style attack had led to over a hundred deaths, hundreds more injuries, hostage taking of UK and American citizens (where is that bleedin’ Irish Passport), and the attempted razing of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
I looked on as the flames roared out of the windows, firemen on giant rotating ladders rescued the occupants of the top floors, and reporters recounted the bloody battle at the main station, the assault by the Indian army against the so called ‘Deccan Mujahedeen’ and the continually increasing casualty account.
“Still” I pondered “In 1992 our London flat had burnt down on Xmas morning, as we slept, and by a miracle we had got out with nothing worse than being wired for sound for a few days, two months of scorched coughing lungs erupting with ozone unfriendly burning carbon, and black speckled spit and phlegm tasting of an untended fire grate.”
But perhaps I would go to Bangalore instead!
I looked round at some of the other stickers.
Bogota in Columbia!
“What a great idea. Probably bump into the cartel brothers’!
Australia!
“That should be fun especially if the locusts have eaten half the greenery!”
California and Mexico City!
“Must be due for an earthquake or two”.
Baku! Khartoum! Dhaka!
“What could possibly go wrong”?
Anyway. As you can see from the picture above I have at the moment over forty locations well spread around the globe. There are however a number of gaps and I am attempting to fill them through celticbars.com and the various overseas CSAs.
In the meantime, I have also built a formal project plan and Mind-Map to try and keep everything under some semblance of control and to ensure that every step is taken with at least a passing reference to our wellbeing and continued symbiotic partnership of body and soul.
The major tasks over the next couple of weeks are identifying ‘income’ opportunities, sponsorship discussions, and contacting publishers. I’ll also be in touch again with everyone who has contacted me.
One thing I have promised myself is that I need to stop working on the plan with BBC News 24 on the background!
After all we really are looking forward to the trek from Baku down through Iran and over the Gulf to Dubai.
The Slabbery Wumin has been looking forward to the azure waters, golden sun and a wee bit of houghmagandy on the beach!
I repeated to myself "What could possibly go wrong?"
Hail Hail
Matt (Estadio)
I’ve got one of those ‘morning after’ feelings where the toxins in the brain induce feelings of apprehension, suspicion and fear.
There I was, putting my wee yellow/pink/orange/green stickers on the map of Thailand when the background buzz from BBC News 24 reads my thoughts and says “Bangkok”!!
The Airports are barricaded, the troops are out, Government and opposing forces are staring each other down, and the Prime Minister has headed to the hills in the North!
“Never mind” says I, “after all I was in Nigeria during the ‘bloodless’ coup in the late 70s and early 80s; It’ll all have blown over soon enough.”.
I looked at my list of stickers and carried on with pressing them onto the big chart.
Disappointingly I didn’t have one for Mumbai!
The disappointment metamorphosed in one brief history of time into unrivalled elation and relief as the newsreader was suddenly interrupted by the breaking news that “man’s inhumanity to man” once more showed its ugly face and an al-Qaeda style attack had led to over a hundred deaths, hundreds more injuries, hostage taking of UK and American citizens (where is that bleedin’ Irish Passport), and the attempted razing of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
I looked on as the flames roared out of the windows, firemen on giant rotating ladders rescued the occupants of the top floors, and reporters recounted the bloody battle at the main station, the assault by the Indian army against the so called ‘Deccan Mujahedeen’ and the continually increasing casualty account.
“Still” I pondered “In 1992 our London flat had burnt down on Xmas morning, as we slept, and by a miracle we had got out with nothing worse than being wired for sound for a few days, two months of scorched coughing lungs erupting with ozone unfriendly burning carbon, and black speckled spit and phlegm tasting of an untended fire grate.”
But perhaps I would go to Bangalore instead!
I looked round at some of the other stickers.
Bogota in Columbia!
“What a great idea. Probably bump into the cartel brothers’!
Australia!
“That should be fun especially if the locusts have eaten half the greenery!”
California and Mexico City!
“Must be due for an earthquake or two”.
Baku! Khartoum! Dhaka!
“What could possibly go wrong”?
Anyway. As you can see from the picture above I have at the moment over forty locations well spread around the globe. There are however a number of gaps and I am attempting to fill them through celticbars.com and the various overseas CSAs.
In the meantime, I have also built a formal project plan and Mind-Map to try and keep everything under some semblance of control and to ensure that every step is taken with at least a passing reference to our wellbeing and continued symbiotic partnership of body and soul.
The major tasks over the next couple of weeks are identifying ‘income’ opportunities, sponsorship discussions, and contacting publishers. I’ll also be in touch again with everyone who has contacted me.
One thing I have promised myself is that I need to stop working on the plan with BBC News 24 on the background!
After all we really are looking forward to the trek from Baku down through Iran and over the Gulf to Dubai.
The Slabbery Wumin has been looking forward to the azure waters, golden sun and a wee bit of houghmagandy on the beach!
I repeated to myself "What could possibly go wrong?"
Hail Hail
Matt (Estadio)
P.s. I know the picture isn't easy to read. I'll post the full list of potential destinations later.
5 comments:
matt
i`m looking forward to your tales as you travel around
good luck and god bless
Matt
There was a military coup in Thailand a few months before I was due to go! As you know well, my Kingdom is your kingdom. It would be my pleasure! I have a small bag for you to take with you on your travels.
pfayr
Survival is the name of the game!
Emu,
will be in contact.
Just off to the whistlin to forget about Tuesday!
Hail Hail
Matt
Estadio (Matt,
If you bump into Xennol on your travells, still looking for "The Sceptre of Fanseni", let him know I'm interested to hear how he got on.
Good luck on your travels, a mighty undetaking. I can't wait to here your tales
PF (Jim)
Or even hear!!!
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