With our departure date looming ever closer most of my time since the New Year has been spent either planning our trip or sorting loose ends so I'm not missed.
Thanks to various blogs, friends who have been there before, Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet a vague itinerary has been agreed and key bookings made - the flight obviously, which leaves Manchester early on the 14th March and returns on 6th August. First month or so in Chile then by bus to Bolivia. Originally we intended to go via Argentina but as our border crossing will coincide with the Malvinas referendum so this may not wise. We will probably now go via the Atacama straight into Bolivia. Several weeks in Bolivia including visits to Florindas family and work with Jo in Cochabamba building compost toilets. By June we hope to be well acclimatised to the height as we then go into Peru and have booked onto a 4-day trek to Machu Picchu. Our first attempt got knocked back as we were considered too old but we found someone less fussy. 4 weeks in Peru brings us to Lima where we fly out to Atlanta on July 1st. Not sure how but from there we meander up to Canada, probably by train, before flying out of Toronto on 6th August.
I'll be continuing this blog if you want to follow our adventures and may even use Twitter and Facebook if I can get my head around either of them. Not to mention Skype. Details will follow before we go.
So, apart from learning to cope with social networking, other tasks include tidying up my 'office, winding up my Lifelong Learning, sorting York Greenways, helping Jim with his new house and letting out our house.
We thought we had a lodger through until September but this has hit complications so we may not get anyone at all. Jim will be staying here until his new house is ready - which may mean he is still here when we get back. We were planning to make a start on the alterations he wanted doing - new kitchen and bathroom etc. - but as completion was delayed the window for doing this has shrunk and we may just do the demolition and fly off leaving him to put it all back together.
As we were leaving half way through the term I didn't enrol in any new courses at the Uni but a few of the Philosophy group from last year are meeting once a week to discuss selected texts and I will go along to that until we leave. I also joined the local Humanist Reading Group . Their reading list looked just what mine would have been and I enjoyed the one meeting I have attended so far, discussing Primo Levi's "Is this a Man?". I read some years ago and it had left a strong impression. Next is Simon Baron Cohen's "Zero Degrees of Empathy". Not exactly a bundle of laughs but very interesting and they seem to be a good group. I might do worse than work my way back through the books they have read previously. For now I just need to finish Sven Lindquvist's "The Myth of Wu Tao-tzu" and then I'll get stuck into Spanish - movies, on-line courses and a book of Qechuan folktales.
Sunday, 3 March 2013
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
End of Year
New Year's Day and feeling half human again after a few days man-flu. No, couldn't be that as Margot had it too, not flu as I had my jab and not NORO virus as no projectile vomiting, so maybe just a cold. Strangest thing was not sleeping for two whole nights but got a good night in last night after seeing Jools Holland to bed.
Fortunately this only came on after Christmas as, in the absence of family (Jim working shifts and Matt and Sam in Norfolk) we had invited 4 Human Rights Defenders from the Centre for Applied Human Rights. Christmas meal followed by party games - twister, bagatelle, table football - went really well, a real old fashioned Christmas.
But back to November. As expected I wasn't up to Dalby Dash but the records will show me as achieving the fastest ever time for my age as I gave my number to Matt. On return we had lunch at the Fulford Arms - good food.
We then had Jo staying over from Bolivia for a couple of weeks. Fascinating stories about life in the community in Cochabamba. Hasn't put us off going but it's definitely going to be an interesting experience. My recent illness gave me the chance to start getting onto detail of the trip and we have begun to do the necessary booking. Flights are done and this coming week we have our jabs. It looks like we will wander into Cusco on the busiest weekend of the year so may need to review this but will depend on what we can get from the Trek company. Next to brush up my Spanish.
15th November was Jim's graduation day. Sad that Jonny couldn't come up due to the University changing the dates but it did mean I could go instead. Lovely building and Patrick Stewart was very good, obviously takes the job very seriously.
Monday 19th had an interesting talk at CAHR on Medecin sans Frontieres on the difference between Humanitarian and Human Rights responses - really difficult ethical dilemmas.
22nd November, Ken came over and we worked on the Greenways website and planned Facebook, not to mention Twitter. I was well out of my depth but happy to stay that way. Leave it to Ken. Later in the month we had a meeting with Joseph Rowntree and Sustrans about the Derwent Light Railway Path. We made our point about the need to have a sustainable management strategy in place but not sure what will be done about it. The refrain is always 'no money'.
Friday 23rd took us to Selby to see Ian McMillan and his Orchestra for their last ever concert together. He is achingly funny 'the verbal gymnastics of a north country Spike Milligan coupled with the comic timing of Eric Morecambe' and the Orchestra is terrific. Its a shame but it seems the orchestra want to concentrate more on their music and I am sure he will do something with someone else. He uses music so well .
More comedy next night at the Theatre Royal in York with Jeremy Hardy - as funny and biting as ever and then a week later back to Selby for Fred McAulay. A good stand-up but not as strong as our Jeremy. Both venues full of Radio 4 listeners.
Saturday 1st December had an Aids benefit at the Winning post. Mainly the usual suspects but a very good band whose name I forget but must look out for .
We also had Matt over with Bones for an acclimatisation before Matt and Sam went off to Cuba for a fortnight. We enjoyed having Bones although it did mean getting up every morning for an hour's walk regardless of the weather which started of sub-zero and then only warmed up enough to allow torrential rain with the Riverside walk being flooded. Apart from the walks he's a very low maintenance dog, certainly compared to Storm, and seemed to enjoy himself. As always we became temporary members of the dog owners social club but that's all gone now as no-one recognises you without your dog.
In between walks most of my time was spent on my Philosophy of Mind essay on Free Will which got handed in an hour before deadline. Available on demand or from good bookshops. Our last class had our tutor inviting us to bring wine and chocolates which led to a lively debate. Some of us may meet in the New Year in an informal reading group. I also met someone at the Amnesty Bookshop Christmas do who mentioned a Humanist Group in York that sounds interesting. . Its been a very well-run course with a good group of students and of course my mate Peter from Psychology is aways good for a debate.
The completion date for Jim's house came and went though it doesn't seem a serious problem. Trouble is the time left for us to get started on the renovation before Margot and I go away is getting a bit short so Jim will have to decide if he wants to go it alone or wait until we get back. He can always stay here but we need to get something sorted soon as some rental income while we are away would be good.
So, a busy New Year getting things sorted before we go away. Gradually dawning its quite an adventure we have signed up for
Fortunately this only came on after Christmas as, in the absence of family (Jim working shifts and Matt and Sam in Norfolk) we had invited 4 Human Rights Defenders from the Centre for Applied Human Rights. Christmas meal followed by party games - twister, bagatelle, table football - went really well, a real old fashioned Christmas.
But back to November. As expected I wasn't up to Dalby Dash but the records will show me as achieving the fastest ever time for my age as I gave my number to Matt. On return we had lunch at the Fulford Arms - good food.
We then had Jo staying over from Bolivia for a couple of weeks. Fascinating stories about life in the community in Cochabamba. Hasn't put us off going but it's definitely going to be an interesting experience. My recent illness gave me the chance to start getting onto detail of the trip and we have begun to do the necessary booking. Flights are done and this coming week we have our jabs. It looks like we will wander into Cusco on the busiest weekend of the year so may need to review this but will depend on what we can get from the Trek company. Next to brush up my Spanish.
15th November was Jim's graduation day. Sad that Jonny couldn't come up due to the University changing the dates but it did mean I could go instead. Lovely building and Patrick Stewart was very good, obviously takes the job very seriously.
Monday 19th had an interesting talk at CAHR on Medecin sans Frontieres on the difference between Humanitarian and Human Rights responses - really difficult ethical dilemmas.
22nd November, Ken came over and we worked on the Greenways website and planned Facebook, not to mention Twitter. I was well out of my depth but happy to stay that way. Leave it to Ken. Later in the month we had a meeting with Joseph Rowntree and Sustrans about the Derwent Light Railway Path. We made our point about the need to have a sustainable management strategy in place but not sure what will be done about it. The refrain is always 'no money'.
Friday 23rd took us to Selby to see Ian McMillan and his Orchestra for their last ever concert together. He is achingly funny 'the verbal gymnastics of a north country Spike Milligan coupled with the comic timing of Eric Morecambe' and the Orchestra is terrific. Its a shame but it seems the orchestra want to concentrate more on their music and I am sure he will do something with someone else. He uses music so well .
More comedy next night at the Theatre Royal in York with Jeremy Hardy - as funny and biting as ever and then a week later back to Selby for Fred McAulay. A good stand-up but not as strong as our Jeremy. Both venues full of Radio 4 listeners.
Saturday 1st December had an Aids benefit at the Winning post. Mainly the usual suspects but a very good band whose name I forget but must look out for .
We also had Matt over with Bones for an acclimatisation before Matt and Sam went off to Cuba for a fortnight. We enjoyed having Bones although it did mean getting up every morning for an hour's walk regardless of the weather which started of sub-zero and then only warmed up enough to allow torrential rain with the Riverside walk being flooded. Apart from the walks he's a very low maintenance dog, certainly compared to Storm, and seemed to enjoy himself. As always we became temporary members of the dog owners social club but that's all gone now as no-one recognises you without your dog.
In between walks most of my time was spent on my Philosophy of Mind essay on Free Will which got handed in an hour before deadline. Available on demand or from good bookshops. Our last class had our tutor inviting us to bring wine and chocolates which led to a lively debate. Some of us may meet in the New Year in an informal reading group. I also met someone at the Amnesty Bookshop Christmas do who mentioned a Humanist Group in York that sounds interesting. . Its been a very well-run course with a good group of students and of course my mate Peter from Psychology is aways good for a debate.
The completion date for Jim's house came and went though it doesn't seem a serious problem. Trouble is the time left for us to get started on the renovation before Margot and I go away is getting a bit short so Jim will have to decide if he wants to go it alone or wait until we get back. He can always stay here but we need to get something sorted soon as some rental income while we are away would be good.
So, a busy New Year getting things sorted before we go away. Gradually dawning its quite an adventure we have signed up for
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