Packing

Have I packed too much? Have I forgotten something?  Only time will tell.

The bags are packed and I'm ready to go.  It feels good to pair down one's life to the essentials, and to assess the value of every possession by the standard "Is is so important that you are prepared to carry it up every hill you encounter for the next siz months?"   

The last day in Melbourne was also a test of the technology I'll be using to keep in touch with the world.  Unfortunately it also confirmed the wisdom of the late Douglas Adams who once said :It's called technology because it doesn't quite work properly",   It was all a bit frustrating, but I remembered his more famous advice and did not panic.

As part of my last day in Melbourne I took the bike for a test ride with full tour load and enjoyed lunch in the city.  As I ate I watched people walking by and do double takes as the passed the bike.  The solar panel on the back really turned heads.  There's something about the panel that inspires wild imaginings.  Whilst it is enjoyable to watch people try to figure it out, I suspect many conversations over the next six months will start with an explanation that the solar panel is only there to power my devices and that there's no hidden motor.  That could get frustrating.

It's getting real folks.  The big adventure is about to begin.