This is to test out this new travel blog as I am about to embark on many weeks journey to the countries over the pacific. First on the schedule is Tokyo, arrival - Saturday, December 5th. I will be staying in a small hotel in Shabuya district. In 2.5 days, before my departure to Bangkok, Thailand, I am planning to get the most out of the city by foot or train, including the 5 am wake up call to go to the fish market for some freshly cut sushi.
In the last days of preparation, I am finalizing my situation with malaria drugs. Malarone happened to be too expensive, so had to beg the nurse to prescribe me doxy instead. My skin is sensitive to the sun and these meds need to be taken a week before going to malaria zones and a week after, with high skin sensitivity. Not too excited about it.
On the other hand, I am excited about the last arrangements I made to visit Hong Kong on the way back to US (traveling through Tokyo). It's also going be a chinese new years there, so I get to see festivities live. Still unsure about where exactly New Years will be spent, but not planning sometimes is the beauty of backpacking.
Backpacking is something I haven't done before. I am learning and reading how to get yourself organized enough. I am still trying to eliminate piles of clothes that I would usually throw into rolling suitcase. Here everything is going on my back (which often likes to show it's not so pleasant side on trips), and it's not very big. I think being a girl brings a new realm of challenge for a traveler, we just tend to need more things, from blow dryer to mascara:). I have also I think visited all the sports stores in the vicinity of Boston, from CitySports to REI. I've learned that they are by far not the cheapest place to shop. Finding a pair of hiking pants around this season turned out to be much more difficult than one would have thought. Everything is sold for the winter, so skiing pants are available in all colors possible, but not hiking pants ofcourse. Teva sandals is another story, I gave up and decided that maybe it's better to purchase that stuff in Thailand afterall.
These last fall days in Boston and it's raining out. I realize it's going snow when I am going return back. My car is going be covered in sticky ice. However, it's great to think about going away somewhere warm for now (not to think about the snow). The yellow leaves are almost all gone. Piles of them were blown away by the cleaning truck this morning. The hustle of daily routine life in this city will soon be replaced with racing from a place to a place with not concrete itenary (except Tokyo and Hong Kong)...
The last piece of equipment that I am waiting for is my replaced lense..Besides all the excitement of travel, I hope to share many fun and interesting pictures of city life and nature, like this one in Boston Garden:
Are we there yet?:)
