So, this is the beginning of my journey...43 days, 30000 miles, 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide (sorry atmosphere!) and about 20 airplane meals. The thought of all that gives me a slight bout of cold feet, although this is more due to my fairly hefty boots (which wouldn't fit in my case) than any nerves. I'm looking forward to the trip very much.

Packing for such a trip isn't the easiest. At times it will be approaching 40C, other times below freezing. Sometimes monsoon rain, sometimes desert. So cramming clothes to cope withall this in addition to cures to various potential ailments has left my bag looking quite bloated.

Planning has not been without its hiccups, like the other day when I realised I would need a visa to enter Australia, as well as a last day panic as to whether my bag was large enough to carry my extended wardrobe.

My of my time at the airport is spent weighing up whether I'd rather use the 100 hours of air travel to read some classic books or just go for some light reading. In the end the weighing up becomes quite literal, so I avoid War and Peace and go for a couple of light satire books.

Have been reading a bit about the monsoon. Apparently they've had more than the usual average for the whole of June already. I'm not sure what to expect though I have some vision of that Kevin Costner movie in my mind.

Plane has the usual selection of inappropriate movies including "Pearl Harbour" featuring planes getting shot down, "Cloverfield" which induces motion sickness and "Charlie Wilson's War" about an American congressman selling anti-aircraft missiles to the Afghan militia...just as we fly over the region.

It is however a very relaxing plane journey. There is no one sitting either side of my so I have lots of room, and I drift off for a couple of hours toward the end of the flight