Sydney Airport, via the Qantas First Class Lounge, to Heathrow, UK

I'm on the way to Sydney Airport, by train. I find it easier just to get the train, that way I don't have to put in anyone out to drive me to the airport, or pay for a taxi. It's usually cheaper to catch the train to and from airports, although sometimes the pricing varies considerably. For some reason it costs me $17.30.

Although, I now consider myself a backpacker, I have not completely abandoned my hedonistic lifestyle, and am writing this entry from the Qantas First Class Lounge, which I can confirm is everything you have heard about, and more. I've just enjoyed prosciutto wrapped chicken on polenta with fresh greens. I topped that off with some exquisite Pistachio and white chocolate gelato, whilst enjoying the ambience of classical music. It is all very civilised, and a taste of how 'the other half live'.

Unfortunately, we have not managed an upgrade to a First Class seat, but the Economy seat on a A380 is better than on the smaller jets in my opinion; the seats are padded with neck rests, and just slightly bigger that seems to make all the difference. I was lucky enough to receive some Bose earphones that cancel a substantial amount of  the cabin noise, and improves the audio quality out of sight for the movies. They are definitely worth the investment.

Qantas have partnered with Emirates, so we stop in Dubai now, which opens many more connections into Europe. It was around 13 hour flight there, but with the next leg substantially shorter at around six to seven hours to London. Many passengers did a Stop Over in Dubai, which is a good way to break up the long fight, and a chance to see a country that may be unfamiliar to many Australians.

Most passengers, including myself, went to sleep just after Take Off from Dubai, and woke up for breakfast over Europe, and then it was about time for descent into the United Kingdom. What you are trying to do of course is to try and adjust the body to the new time zone, by sleeping when you would be sleeping in the new time zone. You are trying to fight the Jet Lag, and it does seem to work, because you are not a total wreck for that first day.

We arrived in London right on time at 6.40am London time to a warm English welcome of grey skies and drizzling cold rain.

Packing for Europe

Tomorrow I'm off to Europe with Qantas on the new A380 jet, so today was packing. I hate packing, because I always forget something, so this time I have already prepared a list as an Excel document, which I check off as I go. Even so, I nearly forgot the power point adaptors.

Because, I carry so many electronic items, I need two power adaptors for the UK and another two for Europe. This time I'm bringing a digital HD video camera, so I'm going to try and post some videos to the blog. Then there is the digital SLR camera, the Netbook, the IPOD, the Kindle, and the mobile phone, which all need charging at various times. These I normally pack in the day pack to carry onto the plane. However, this time instead of my main luggage being wheeled it's the Golite Jam 70 Litre backpack, so I'm going to have to carry two packs, probably backpacker style, like a pregnant turtle, with the day pack to the front, atleast to my accomodation.

Speaking of accomodation the itinery so far is three nights in London and seven nights in Barcelona. I'm not so sure what happens after that, but it would probably be Madrid, Brussels, then Amsterdam. I'm pretty flexible now after my lifestyle change, and what I've learnt so  far is that you have to adapt to any situation.

Well, tomorrow we go, so sleep tight, and enjoy the ride.

Travelex Multi-Currency Cash Passport

I'm bringing something new on this trip; a Travelex Multi-Currency Cash Passport, which is a Prepaid Currency Card.

"The Travelex Multi-currency Cash PassportTM Card gives you access to your money at millions of ATMs and retail stores worldwide where MasterCard® is accepted. You can load up to 9 currencies on the card.The Travelex Multi-currency Cash Passport card is available for purchase and reload online and at your local Travelex store."

I ordered this card online at the Travelex website and loaded it up with Euros and UK Pounds for the trip to Europe. There is no charge for buying the card. I picked it up at my local Travelex card where I received a PIN and a secondary, back up card with a different PIN but linked to same account. They are both CHIP protected to stop Card Skimming. Added advantages of using a Prepaid Travel Card are that you can use it as a credit card or to withdraw money from an ATM. So, you don't have to carry all that Foreign Currency on you all the time, and you can lock in the rate if you think your own currency might drop before you take your next overseas trip. It seems fairly easy to reload online, and you can withdraw the money from a local ATM if you have unspent funds when you return home.

Of course there are a number of Financial Institutions that offer Prepaid Currency Cards now, and I didn't do alot of research to see which offers the best deal. However, these cards are just another tool you can use when you are on the road. I like the idea of having a back up card perhaps back in the hotel safe in case you lose your wallet for some reason.

Further information: Travelex Multi-Currency Cash Passport

London's top ten attractions

In a couple of weeks I will be visiting London. Below are the top ten tourist attractions in London:

1. British Museum

2. National Gallery

3. Tate Modern

4. Natural History Museum

5. London Eye

6. Science Museum

7. Tower of London

8. Victoria and Albert Museum

9. Madame Tussaud's

10. Royal Museums Greenwich

I'll definitely be going to the Royal Museums at Greenwich, but for anyone visiting London then you have to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (see my last trip. Travel Tip - arrive early to get the best vantage point). The Tower of London is also a must see attraction.

Click here for more information on Top Ten attractions in London. A useful website for planning any trip to London with a map of where to find the attractions and ticket prices and purchasing information.  

Ultralight Backpacking - The Shelter System

A couple of blog posts ago I talked about Ultralight backpacking and the equipment I will be taking to Europe. (see Ultralight_backpacking). Ultralight backpacking is simply taking the lightest gear necessary to do the trip.

Above is a picture of what is called the Shelter System. From the left the long green item is actually a bivy sack, which covers the sleeping bag on the right to prevent rain and dew from getting the bag wet. Unlike a bivy such as a swag made out of canvas, this bivy is made by Backpacking Light and weighs 159 grams.If it's not raining, most hikers will just sleep in the bivy and not bother pitching a tent or a tarp.

Moving onto the grey item that is rolled up on the left. This is just a foam pad that lies under the torso area. Not as comfortable as an inflatable mattress, but adequate on soft ground, and weighs only 50 grams. You might like to invest in something more comfortable, and accept the added weight for a good night's sleep.

The long green  item on the right of the picture is a sleeping bag, or more correctly a sleeping bag quilt made again by Backpacking Light. It weighs only 678 grams and rolls up quite small. A good sleeping bag is probably going to be the most expensive item of your kit, and cost anywhere between $200 - $300.

The blue item on top is a silk liner from Khatmandu. I know it's a little luxurious, but there are practical reasons for choosing silk. Most people use a sleeping bag liner made out of sheet type material, and again that is a matter of personal choice.

The little item in the top right of the picture is a rolled up Poncho/Tarp that weighs 210 grams. Now the tarp is simply just like the fly part of a tent without the walls, and care needs to be taken on where to pitch it. Of course it's not as strong as a tent, so if I was going somewhere more extreme, or in winter, I would consider a lightweight tent.

Putting the whole Shelter System together with the backpack then we can see the advantages of going Ultralight:

Ultralight Golite Backpack (see below) -  880 grams
Sleeping bag -                                         640 grams
foam sleeping bag                                    50 grams
Bivy                                                        159 grams
Liner                                                       50 grams

Total:                                                      1.77 kg.

So, today we can bring our whole weight down for our main items to an incredible 1.77 kg, which was unheard of in the past. It's possible to go even lighter, but I hope this explains the system in action.

On the Camino, and in Europe most people sleep in Hostels or Hiking Huts, but if you take your hking gear you always have the option of camping, if for example the accomodation is not available, or simply to save money. It's good idea in life to always have the most options available, and carrying your hiking gear, particularly when it doesn't weigh all that much, gives you more options.

I'll talk about the other equipment at a later date, and have more information on my Europe trip.

Updated Itinery: 3 nights in London, then Barcelona and onto Madrid

Later in the month I will be heading to Europe for three nights in London and then onto Barcelona, Spain.

Having done most of the big tourist attractions in London I'm planning on visiting some of the lesser known sites. For my last trip to London you might like to check out my eventful UK trip in July/August, 2010 featuring the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Horse Guards, Trafalgar Square, Thames ferry trip, and much more.

On this trip to London I'm planning on venturing up north to Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill. As a military history buff I'll be visiting the National Army Museum, Firepower Museum, Woolwich, and the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. We will be staying in the East End of London, rather than the West End of London.

On the Road

On the Road, is a classic book, by Jack Kerouac, which was recently made into a film. (Click on film trailer)

I'll leave it up to you to decide, which is better. I love this quote from the book;

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”

Perhaps you have to be a little bit mad to travel, leave everything that is familiar, and go to foreign lands. However, it's the interesting people, perhaps mad people, that you meet along the way that makes it so rewarding. Too often we just move within our little box at home, and we miss out on what is going on in this big world. I believe that travel broadens the mind, opens up new possibilities, and stirs the imagination.   It's good to read travel books for inspiration, and a different angle on places that you have visited.

What's your favourite travel book?