Backpacking it

When I went on the what-happens-on-contiki tour in late 06/early 07 I bought a medium sized suitcase with me. I pack relatively light and everyone else with a suitcase on tour packed all but the kitchen sink. One tourmate said that my suitcase could fit in his carry-on case. Others had hairdryers, kettles, clothes lines, tea/coffee and an assortment of prescribed drugs.

No drugs as of yet, only backpacks. I learnt my lesson, you can't depend on anyone to carry your bag. I wheeled that poor suitcase up stairs in NYC subway stations, across the dodgy district of San Francisco, up to hotel rooms on floors with no elevators all over Europe. When it got slashed apart in a hotel room burglary in Prague I think the suitcase breathed its last breath.

Both Wei and I invested in the very reasonably priced $125 EPE Alpha 65L backpacks from Wellington Army Surplus Store. Contrary to popular belief, there is no one-armed salesman behind the counter like in The Simpsons. The store is massive though and sells everything you would need to survive on a deserted island.



Now we just need to keep the weight down to 15kg, with 5 kg for shopping! That's about a third of my body weight on my back.

Meanwhile Wikitravel has been amusing me immensely during my trip preparations. Kawasaki anyone? We'd be missing the phallic festival though.

I do like the no bulls approach on wikitravel, the Kyoto page is incredibly helpful. Who needs a lonely planet guidebook that was outbid by another buyer on ebay?

27 sleeps to go!