Arrived in Kochi yesterday evening. Was a good hour's drive from the airport. Crazy drive, gear crunching, creating a third lane out of a two lane road, tight overtaking of lorries and bikes with a lot of horn honking. Wasn't quite as scary my arrival into Vietnam the other year so not so bad in the scheme of things. Everyone that I've met so far seems very friendly and it seems to be a very relaxed place. One thing that has struck me is the number of goats the...

I thought I was doing pretty well at being a chilled traveller, arriving in Mumbai airport, finding a trolley and waiting ages for my bag… (no longer off first with a business class flight!) but I quickly became rattled and worried about making my connecting flight. No seemed able to direct me to departures, or specifically to domestic terminal departures and then when I had been up and down the small lift a few times with many people in all directions, it ...

It's official I have left the UK and started my trip! Thought it would feel more of an occasion but maybe it still hasn't actually sunk in still. Started to finally feel real as a repacked my bag a few times on Thursday morning and then had to stuff all my hand luggage into my little bag and run as the taxi arrived to take me to the station. As ever an extra hour would have been handy, or even really an extra day! Maybe my head is still full of the bits and bob...

D'oh, D'oh, D'oh!!!! I did the research, I got the collection of bank cards, I won't get charged for paying in a foreign currency!! Good work Dann!! Feeling smug. Now if I just knew the PINs, I might actually be able to get to that money that it won't cost me to withdraw!!!!! Numpty!!!