The Trekker Returns!

Amazing experience!

The 9 hour flight passed in a blur of red wine, films, food and general anticipation. It was finally happening. We had one small hiccup at Heathrow, one of our party, I won't mention names, but you know who you are Lee! was trying to get a largish knife through security in his hand luggage! Luckily, as you have to get to the airport so early, it gave the  airport security a good hour to check him out, bless him.

Talking of knives, it was suggested that we bring a knife, just incase we needed to hack away at the undergrowth, or cut some string for a washing line, or something of that ilk! Now, there was 35 people in the group, so thats 35 knives, minus Lee's, think they kept that one. Surely there could have been a 'group' knife? same as the handy little washing line? I certainly didn't do any washing, as I bought the suggested amount of clothing, plus knife, washing line, spare laces, swimming costume (yes I know, where are you going to find a swimming pool on the Great Wall) etc etc! Apparently, the suggested list was generic, it covered a multitude of sins/situations/places, so I could have left the cozzie at home instead of lugging it half way round the world. Could of told me before I left!

Have you been to Beijing Airport? its huge, you catch a nippy little train to take you to security etc, much nicer than the tramulators at terminal 5, and it was empty when we arrived, hardly a soul wandering around, bizarre, especially when we were told they were building a bigger one. 

And that's when I heard one of our party had lost her passport!! She had it to go through security, but had popped to the loo, as you do, and now couldn't find it. So lots of toing and froing, trying to locate the missing passport, which still had not appeared by the time we had to leave to make way to our hotel. 

We had a 3 hour journey to the capitol, with the suggestion to get some sleep, as it was 9.30 in the morning, and basically we had flown through the night, suffice to say I did not get any sleep for 24 hours!

To be continued.........

phew -19 days! ;0/

19 days, panic is starting to settle in!
I've solved the problem of what to do with the sleeping bag, poles and mat (when I eventually purchase it). I've been trying to harness them onto to the rather oversized backpack that Pete has loaned me, and it would be fine if I was just carrying it all on my back, but I had visions of poles going one way and sleeping bag t'ther, whilst being hurled onto moving carousels etc.. I'm going to get a special bag to shove it all in, which lets you padlock it (hope the nice blue pound shop padlocks hold up), so hopefully it all stays together on the aeroplane. result.
The boot sale was a bit of a washout, the rain came as soon as we had set up, my silly hat kept me dry and warm, as I had no coat, had to borrow one of the sale items! Matt very kindly let me off paying the £5 for the pitch, reckon it was the silly hat, he couldn't keep a straight face ;0) 
£26 raised for Marie Curie, slow but sure catchey monkey, so they tell me, which would be fine if I needed a monkey, but I don't!
Saga has come up trumps for the insurance, being over 50 has it's advantages.
Saga, don't it just make you think sag-e or gaga? does it mean anything? damn, another of life's little mysteries to ponder! Like the deja-vu I just experienced then, did you feel it? just felt like I'd written this before! spookey! 
Thought you'd like to see the silly hat ;0) you're smiling aren't you?!

 

Oh my days! 25 days to go, and still £1000 to raise!! 

Poppie puppy has taken to eating the post! 
Mr Postie left me a card to collect post, luckily there was enough left to see that I needed to sign for a package, whoopie, could that be my chinese Visa? 
 On opening, I had got my passport back, a receipt for £84 and a note saying if I go to China again, (emm!) it is quicker to send visa application to Edinburgh rather than London......where is the visa??
Poppie puppy is gonna eat it!!
After a couple of days of worrying, just as I was going to post, when does the Visa come through, a post appeared on our Marie Curie facebook page, its in your passport, clever that! it was too, phew, panic over. (and I saved face, as no-one knows what an idiot I was!) ;0)
I amaze myself sometimes.
Boot sales! where do I begin (breaks into song, as cracking up!) Car is not big enough, stuff is too much, what's trending at boot sales? puppies trying to trip me up, and the pasting tables in Shell's room, easy enough you'd think, but I've got to fend off a ferret, grrrr!!!!
Oh joy, just spied the pasting table! no taking on ferrets today.
into the fray I go, wish me luck..........

tsk! I was there all the time!! ;0)

Finally! I've found myself ;0)
Don't ask me how I did it, coz I don't know, but I have managed to set up a new account on the way.
40 days and counting, Chi day is getting a lot closer now, managed to get in some training in Edinburgh, and had a practice flight!
Lets start with baggage allowance. Jacquie kindly lent me the correct sized case for hand luggage and scales, I duly started filling said case, weighing as I went along, inching forward to the number 10, took some bits out, as I wanted to take normal boots for sightseeing, weighed, put some bits in, weighed etc etc...
Now, why, if the allowance is 10kg would you also have lbs on there?! suffice to say I put a bit more in.
Took the car to Cowes, got the ferry, free bus, train to Southampton airport, got off the train, saw the sign for the airport, but the way didn't look right, so I queued at the ticket desk, and just as I started to ask, I caught sight of a plane taking off next to me! me: "guess thats the airport then". crossed the road and checked in.
Now, over the years I have nurtured a fear of flying, well, more the takeoff and landing, (so, no Dave, the fact it's only a short journey does not placate, just intensifies the ordeal!).
Sat in the terminal, I spied a plane with propellers and the Flybe logo and naturally assumed it was an old plane parked up on display, as we have jets now, don't we?. Guess who was sat near the wing both ways! Looking at mountains through a propeller makes you feel sick, trust me!
Can I just say thank you to the loverly man going, and the just as loverly lady on the way back, who went beyond the call of duty to take my mind off said takeoffs and landings and even congratulated me on getting through it! bless ;0).
I find asking people where I need to go next when I'm travelling to a new place works very well, even though you have travel information to check and direct you, like I asked the station man what train for the airport, and he said "this one, which is just about to go" and I said "I'd better get on it then"! and the lady I asked at the airport which bus I needed for Lothian Road, who told me it was near the famous concert hall, you know, UsherHall. (I do now). 
Did you know they have talking buses in Edinburgh? I asked the driver if he could tell me when to get off, and he said the bus will tell me! BUT, when I got off, and started to head left, I heard, " head right" it pays to talk!
To be continued...........

WEATHER STOPS LONDON TRIP

Was supposed to go to London today for a meeting with the China Wall trip organisers, but after last night with ferries being unable to dock at Portsmouth, and stranded in the Solent for 3 hours, I didn't fancy my chances!

Island trains cancelled due to flooding, I might of got off the Island, but who knows if I'd ever return!!!

But, thank goodness for Skype, managed to hook up with the Marie Curie group in London and saw nearly all of the presentation. Thanks Jennie.

I have a puppy, poppie, 10 weeks old now, Border Collie, she's an absolute delight. never had a dog from a puppy before, enjoying the chewing and popping, NOT!

Forgot that we couldn't go training together until she's had her jabs, two more weeks to go, then little walks. 

Only 13 weeks to go till China, so will have to carry on without her!

Just heard a Chinook has landed with supplies and troops for the Island! Lots of flooding has been going on and landslides, some poor people having to leave their homes, not good. Fingers crossed the weather will calm down now.

Stay safe everyone. ;0)

263 days to go - opps, when did that happen! 
Things are starting to hot up now, Dawn is having a coffee morning and tombola, (don't you just love that word?!), who is Tom Bola anyway? did he invent tombolas? or did he just want his name associated with them? emm, makes you think!!
Quiz date set for October, I need to get out and drum up raffle prizes and food for the night. David has kindly given me a quiz but he is unable to be the master, looks like I will have to be the mistress :0) work in progress on that one.
The Marie Curie team have organised a weekend trek in the Peaks in September, stroll in the park NOT!!! this will be the time I find out how unfit I am and what I've let myself in for....
I've got the boots

YAHOO,(is that advertising?) took me half an hour to get that pic up! thought I had to download, upload, unload, reload, then I find out I haven't got an android but might have an iphone, still not sure what I did but there you go. 
I've only got one pair of hiking socks, pink as you can see and I will need a jacket cum coat cum anorak thingey as I assume it rains in the Peaks in September, also I need to look the part so I blend in and don't get mistaken for someone who has no idea what they are doing or that they have never done this before, shiney new ja-co-an thingey may give it away, perhaps sleep in it for a couple nights, outside of course, take the shine off it!
I will be taking advantage of my time in the Peaks to go and visit my old mate Nicki in Nottingham, haven't seen her for 30 years! well looking forward to it, just hope the Vitara stands up to the challenge of the motorways and the distance, fingers crossed X.
Now to start on the quiz flyers ;0)
Janetx

I'm Back ;0)

Well it's been a while since I've updated this, major operation done and dusted!
Now back into training, well taking the dog for a walk is about my limits at the moment.
But for some unknown reason, I agreed to take on the challenge of the Great Delivery of Yellow Pages Mountain, and anyone who has delivered YPs will know, you might just as well be trekking on the Great Wall of China, with the added excitement of dodging killer dogs, and the idiots who think its funny to lay in wait and whip the YPs out of your hand on the other side of the letter box ha flippen ha! (you know who you are).
Need to get my thinking cap on for the next fund raiser, nothing too physical, so abseiling out for the moment!, maybe the supermarket bag packing, I have been told this is a good way to raise money, just need to get a few people involved. Any volunteers?? you get to dress up in yellow or blue, for those who get migraines looking at to much yellow and I have one silly hat we can share and wellie boots with daffs, anything for a laugh.
On the subject of abseiling, I contacted an agreeable looking fella on my internet dating site with the suggestion, that as he has been training to abseil perhaps he would like to do one for my charity, he's not got back to me! any suggestions as to where I'm going wrong?! ;0)
Janetx