Travel advice please

[pakodominguez]

I'm thinking about 100 recommendations for your trip, but mostly because you haven't told us where are you planning to go! that will help a lot -you won't need the raincoat in Mauritania...

[Polarbear]

Hi Pako,
well subject to three major issues going on at the moment, first, recovering from my Achilles tendon tear, second, dealiing with a claim for injury, and thirdly, house prices in the uk. It maybe that I have to wait upto a year now. I was planning to get away in April 2011. The timescale is between 18mths and 2 years travelling. I have to say that it does seem more sensible to go later. I will have to see.

It does not stop me planning the journey of course here is the current itienary. China onwards is not set hard and fast, quite yet, but the first half does have to becaus of tight visa times. Turkmenistan is particulaly interesting as you can only get a 15 day visa (max) and you have to be chapperoned by a guide everywhere except the capitol, Asghabat. I do want to go and see the Gas craters at Darvaza. All very desert.

Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbeckistan,Tajikistan,Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, China,Thailand, Malayasia, Singapore,Indonesia, Malayasia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Bangladesh, and finish in India.

Yes some will recognise the first part as being one of the many "Silk Routes" across the "stans" as the are affectionately called.

So from very hot and dry, to chilly, then humid, hot and monsoon, I think I will be covering every weather known to man!! We have tried to plan it so we don't hit to much horrible weather, but it is the less familiar parts of the World we are travelling and I am sure we will get all of them.

Oh and the only flights we aim to do are at the start to Turkey, and at the end from India-UK. The idea is to go as overland as much as possible, and it does help keep costs down once you leave Europe.

So recommend away, I am still open to good and practicle ideas on kit, and what kit. I have to say the A700 is becomng a strong contender having checked out the specs and found the sealbility of it.

[bakubo]

With that sort of trip to those places I can recommend a book I read last year. He traveled overland through many of those places.

Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux

I think you would really enjoy it. Be warned though that his writing style in this book (I don't know about his others) with his self-centeredness at times can be a bit offputting. Still, it is a great, enjoyable book to read and will make you want to get out there.

[Dr. Harout]

As always, Armenia is neglected from the silk route... somehow I'm not surprised

[Polarbear]

Hi Dr. Harout,

Actually we did look at going from Turkey to beautiful Armenia (apricot country!), Georgia and Azerbaijan.We know we can get the Iranian visa in Armenia, but it was all about timing. Plus the strange border restrictions between the three. And taking the cargo ship from Baku to Turkmenbashi, but being held upto 2-4 days would impact on our paid guide in Turkmenistan, as I said Visas have to be got in advance and are limited for time. The best we can afford for Turkmenistan is a 10 day visa, as it costs roughly $200 a day for a guide,(inc acc.) and they won't let you travel around the country without one. It is a very closed state, but very beautiful.

If we spent time in the three above mentioned countries, we would also be pushing it to get across the Karakorum Highway into Kashgar, China before it got too cold to go over the passes. We would then have to fly or train it down to Thailand(to avoid the bitter chinese winter) and go back on ourselves to China to do what we wanted to see! (if that makes sense?). Probably missing Mongolia out altogether.

I would love to visit Armenia, on a seperate journey, so I may spend as much time as I can to enjoy it. If you have any thoughts about how to better what our current plan is please do let me know...........

[Dr. Harout]

Hi Dr. Harout,

Actually we did look at going from Turkey to beautiful Armenia (apricot country!), Georgia and Azerbaijan.We know we can get the Iranian visa in Armenia, but it was all about timing. Plus the strange border restrictions between the three. And taking the cargo ship from Baku to Turkmenbashi, but being held upto 2-4 days would impact on our paid guide in Turkmenistan, as I said Visas have to be got in advance and are limited for time. The best we can afford for Turkmenistan is a 10 day visa, as it costs roughly $200 a day for a guide,(inc acc.) and they won't let you travel around the country without one. It is a very closed state, but very beautiful.

If we spent time in the three above mentioned countries, we would also be pushing it to get across the Karakorum Highway into Kashgar, China before it got too cold to go over the passes. We would then have to fly or train it down to Thailand(to avoid the bitter chinese winter) and go back on ourselves to China to do what we wanted to see! (if that makes sense?). Probably missing Mongolia out altogether.

I would love to visit Armenia, on a seperate journey, so I may spend as much time as I can to enjoy it. If you have any thoughts about how to better what our current plan is please do let me know...........

I wish you enjoy your trip. As for visiting Armenia, anytime between late spring till mid to late fall is excellent, unless you like winter sports. Alpha users here will be glad to be of assistance. BTW, visa is no problem here, you can get 21 days visa at any point of entry without prior formalities.

[Wes Gibbon]

Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbeckistan,Tajikistan,Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, China,Thailand, Malayasia, Singapore,Indonesia, Malayasia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Bangladesh, and finish in India.

An overused expression at the moment, but WOW!!

You might also consider setting up some kind of on-line backup, then whenever you can get internet access, you can save your work securely. Maybe just select your favourite images and save jpegs to reduce connection time & volume. If you are carrying all your backups with you and everything gets lost or stolen, you will still be able to recover the best of your precious images.

[Polarbear]

Hi Wes,

Good advice indeed, I have budgeted for a netbook which would allow me to upload pics, and update blog/web page/emails etc.

I am more interested in which are the better sites to save too? i.e. picasa, or dedicated web site etc. So many seem to give a little space for free and then charge silly money to expand your storage.

[pakodominguez]

Hi Wes,

Good advice indeed, I have budgeted for a netbook which would allow me to upload pics, and update blog/web page/emails etc.

I am more interested in which are the better sites to save too? i.e. picasa, or dedicated web site etc. So many seem to give a little space for free and then charge silly money to expand your storage.

Get your own Cloud: the more interesting thing I saw last week at the PhotoPlusExpo was the PogoPlug, a piece of hardware that you connect to your router on one side, and you can connect up to 4 external hard drives on the other side and you have access to them from everywhere via their web interface.
http://www.adorama.com/COCPOGOE02.html
in your case, you'll be selling your house and all that, but I'm sure you have a friend that can help you hosting your PogoPlug and a couple of terabyte hard drives...

[Simmondsphotography]

.............So recommend away, I am still open to good and practicle ideas on kit, and what kit. I have to say the A700 is becomng a strong contender having checked out the specs and found the sealbility of it.

The A700 would be an excellent choice. The seals should ensure a trouble free trip, camera wise.

Another often overlooked detail is the camera covering, as the cheaper models are not so well "upholstered" and the covering material starts to bubble away from the metal body. This is exacerbated by being on and off air conditioned buses, trains etc into blistering heat and humidity. In my experience the more expensive "pro" type cameras are more likely to stand up to a sustained operation in these conditions. I have a Panasonic LC1 where this has happened and it is most disconcerting when the covering starts to lift.....especially around the card access hatch, causing an error message " memory card door is open" to pop up and disallow any shooting! The more expensive Leica D2 version is just fine! A bit scratched but otherwise in perfect working order. My A900 had accompanied me around the world twice and is still in great shape. My A700 is a fairly recent aquisition but has already earned it's corn shooting wildlife in Africa, amongst the dust and sand of the Kalahari and the swamps and wetlands of the Okavango without missing a beat.

It sounds like a great trip with some potentially exciting images to shoot, so get the best gear that you can afford.