Visa Application

Applying for visas to go on this trip is proving to be a little more complex than we first imagined and have required us to geekily devise complex flow diagrams and mathematical computations in order to arrange our passport's movements (currently our most precious assets) from embassy to embassy. Suitable contingency plans have also been factored in in case someone doesn't like the look of one of our passport mug shots and we are rejected along the way.

Most visas have a 3 month expiry date after they are issued, so firstly we can't apply for the visas too early (China, Iran). At the same time, however, we can't leave the application process too late because this will mean we need to apply for visas once we are on the road which could throw out our fairly strict itinerary such that the validity of pre-acquired visas could expire.

Some Visas are just your easy, chilled out, low-maintenence variety as they can be applied for at last minute, upon arriving at the border, with minimal expenditure and hassle (we love you Turkey and Laos). Others have slightly greater expectations and want you to work a bit harder to win their affections because although they can be applied for at anytime, they request you to specify precise arrival and departure dates which may not be changed (your alright Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan). Then at the other end of the scale you have your prima-donna, princess variety of Visas which expect you to woo, serenade, wine and dine them just to get the application process rolling and for all this effort, the visa may not even be granted.

For instance for the Subclass 676 Australian Tourist Visa (No I am not kidding, Aussies love labelling Visas with Mission Impossible/Bomb diffusing-esque titles), Col has to undergo a full medical and chest x-ray at his own expense, from a specified doctor in Birmingham, to check he hasn't got TB and won't infect the Aussie population unknowingly, the latter, who mind you are exempt from such checks (grrr). Turkmenistan requires us to book an entire tour and compulsory guide and plan our every pit-stop in their country prior to applying for a visa. Finally, Iran must first grant you a Visa Authorisation Number prior to granting you a Visa, which is basically code, for delaying the visa application process such that they will have ample time to google your name and check you are not affiliated with any do-gooding organisations and/or movements which plan to topple their country. When applying for visas we also have to be mindful of any impending public holidays which may delay visa processing. For instance Turkmenistan's Drop of Water is a Rain of Gold Public Holiday apparently brings all pubic services including important tourist visa processing arrangements to a stand still.

At the moment we have successfully acquired our first visa to Kyrgyzstan, the only country, which thanks to recent events, concerned family and friends wish we had never acquired a visa for. As for our passports - who recently seem to have a better social life than we do - they are currently being processed at the Kazakhstan embassy, hopefully by capable non-Borak-esque hands. In the meantime we eagerly await the results of each step in the visa processing equation like Trekkies awaiting the release of a new Star Trek sequel. To be continued...

Chrissy

GPS, Mapping & Navigation Training

Last night we had a guest appearance by the one and only Ben-Gmunt, T-bone Matthews and Heather who joined us for chick pea curry. As many of you know Ben was the navigator on our Driving Home expedition. He now lives and works in Hereford as an outdoor pursuit lecturer and as a result his work revolves heavily around navigation. After supper Ben led Chrissy and I through a fresher course on using a GPS and mapping in remote regions.

We are using the same Garmin GPS V (acquired from Ebay) that we used on the expedition but we still need to source our maps, so we used our old maps from Africa to practice with. Ben was very thorough as always and Chrissy and I came away feeling confident that we will be able to navigate easily during our journey. Having said that we still have to practice what we learnt last night before we hit the open road.

Colin

Introduction to Driving Chrissy Home

To explore and discover has to be one of the most unique experiences know to the human race. It’s inherent in some people more than others and I suppose it can be described in most basic terms as an urge to experience either new sights; new sounds; new cultures or a combination of all three.

I have been very lucky. I have had the privilege of safariing in Kenya, Tanzania and Alaska as a boy, which only fuelled the desire to continue to explore. At the age of nineteen I circumnavigated Australia in a van – a distance of 27,000 km. And on the return journey to the UK I climbed Mt Kinabalu in Borneo.

In 2000 a misjudged dive off a harbour wall transformed the way I would live for the rest of my life and I questioned whether I could ever explore again. A change of attitude and a determined decision to try, even if it was one small step a time, lead to me completing my childhood dream of driving home to Kenya and onto Cape Town - the final destination on the classic cross-continental drive.

Following that epic journey with my determined team in 2005/06 it took almost one year to return to the same state of health that I had been before we’d left. Despite this, the urge to explore remained. In the following four years Chrissy and I embarked on several other driving adventures. We meandered up and down roads that hugged the steep sides of fjords in Norway after a mammoth drive just to reach the country; in Thailand whilst driving from the humid capital city of Bangkok to the far south of the country we witnessed where WW2 prisoners of war had built the death railway; we indulged in tapas after crossing over the majestic Pyrenees Mountains to explore Spain and finally we drove through vast scrubland of Tsavo National Park in Kenya and saw how a country; it’s people and it’s wildlife can be released from the grip of drought by El Nino - an unusual weather pattern.

Our next challenge of driving from England to Australia may well be the most demanding so far. For Chrissy and I it is a unique and fantastic opportunity which may never present itself again. It is an opportunity to travel to countries that very few people will ever the chance to go to, let alone contemplate going to. It’s a opportunity to learn first hand from individuals, communities and cultures that you normally only read about in books and newspapers. And it is this knowledge of how lucky we are that makes us determined to appreciate every opportunity despite the challenge.

We know from our previous experience that it won’t be easy! That is why we are working hard now to cover any eventuality that may happen en route. Stoke Mandeville National Spinal Injury Centre has shown their support again by setting up a telemedicine system and Dr Rajan has agreed to meet us en-route to top up my Baclofen pump. The van which we intend on taking has been kitted out with an overhead hoist, water purifier, bed, storage and cooking equipment and the engine will be mechanically overhauled by Frogsisland 4x4 – an expedition vehicle preparation specialist. As I will be driving from my wheelchairs we hope to be more independent; cut down on transfers; allow me to enter/exit the vehicle easily and most importantly I'll be sitting in the best position to prevent pressure sores.

Finally, Chrissy and I have organised to have refresher courses in navigation, first aid and awareness training and we intend on taking out membership with International SOS again - the world’s leading provider of medical assistance, international healthcare, security services and outsourced customer care. And as always I motto will be ‘Safety never takes a day off’.

We hope to share with you what we discover en route, so let the exploration begin.