Off again :¬)

So, after three and a half years of hard graft in the city (yes, it's a tough job attending work drinks every Friday), I'm hitting the road again!  My bosses have been good enough to give me a year's unpaid leave so I'm going to explore Central & South America.

As with the last few times I've been away, I thought I'd keep up the blogging.  Even though I have the literacy skills of a small child, I really enjoy jotting down my thoughts & pics - hopefully some of it is worth reading.  At the very least (if I have written something recently) you will know I haven't been kidnapped, contracted a ridiculous disease or fallen down a really big hole that someone has dug on the beach.

As you can see, I've started a new blog (the old one got a bit messed up when Google took over Blogger).  If you want to see what I got up to on my last trip you can find the old blog at http://www.si-flyin2.blogspot.com/.  Unfortunately some of the posts aren't showing up, so there might be a few gaps, and the pictures might be a bit messed up depending on which browser you use.

Not much to write so far, as I don't leave until Friday.  The current plan is to turn up to Heathrow in time to catch my flight to Santiago, Chile.  After that I'll play it by ear.

A potentially interesting fact is that I've almost spent/allocated all the money I've saved over the past 6 months.  By the start of 2012 I had managed to amass the princely sum of £3,500 (just shy of my £10,000 target).  I then bought:
 - a flight (-£750)
 - 6 months worth of contact lenses (-£300)
 - a new tooth (-£300, don't ask)
 - malaria stuff (-£100)
 - and got some jabs (-£125)

I've reserved about £800 for Spanish lessons and £500 to do the Inca Trail, leaving me with around £625 + £1,000 or so from this month's pay cheque.  This works out at almost £5 a day to live on.  Hello Hilton Hotel.

Anyway, I better sign out and continue trying to convince my mother that I don't need to spend £300 on travel insurance.  If you didn't read my last blog and want to know what I got up to, I have attempted to sum up the whole 2 years with a few pictures below.  I've also attached a video of me jumping into a canyon attached to a plastic garden chair - it's just another day in New Zealand....

Next post will be from warmer climates.  Until then, take it easy...