So it is now a little over a week back at home, and it is a pretty weird place. For example, buying groceries for a whole week is just strange. How am I supposed to know what I will want to eat in 4 days time? I have also come home to the coldest week of winter; definitely not in the plan! Perhaps the oddest feeling is still waking up wondering where I am (and where the toilet is). One thing I am enjoying is simple food; fresh bread and butter, cheese on toas...

Back home - thought it does feel a bit wierd. I've been dry for a week in Dubai, and Brian has just dropped off a very nice looking bottle of red so that's this evening sorted out. I wonder what happens tomorrow? I'll post some final thoughts on my holiday soon before I close the blog down.

So I've now been "resting" for 6 months, and its just 3 weeks till I take off for New York. I made a list of the bits and pieces that I still need to do before I go, and it now has about 20 items on it. However, there is no big stuff left on the list. The biggest item that I've recently ticked-off is selling my car and am now driving a small hire care which I will drop off at the airport on my way out. Most of the stuff left on the list is to do with getting ...

Just a quick update on my holiday planning... I've finally got the Indian Rail Trip sorted with the help of Shankar Dandapani of SD Enterprises (http://www.indiarail.co.uk/). I am booked on the Indian Maharaja train (http://www.theindianmaharaja.com/home.html) for 25th January. The train winds down from Dehli to Mumbai via the Taj Mahal, taking in several palaces and holy caves and a Tiger reserve. I've got all the Visas/Entry Authorities that I need before s...

The itinerary is now set, flights and US car hire bought, thanks to the help of Ben Charalambous at Round the World Experts (http://www.roundtheworldexperts.co.uk/). The plan is: 18 Aug 2011 - 4 Days in New York before picking up a hire car 17 Days to drive across the US, hopefully visiting some friends along the way, before leaving from Los Angeles 4 Weeks in Fiji 3 Weeks in Christchurch, New Zealand (just in time for the knock-out stages of the 2011 Rugb...