|PAUSE|

I recently touched down in the U.S. to plan and prepare for the next leg of my journey south of the border to Latin America. This brief pitt stop has enabled me to organize my documentation and take care of practical issues such as obtaining visas, purchasing airfare, etc. NIKOLE.ver[s].THE.PLACE and the corresponding Flickr entries are finally updated, so enjoy and stay tuned for more to come from Latin America!

Au Revoir New York

This was the view I had from the Newark airport while waiting to board my flight to Hong Kong. Notice the NYC Skyline in the distance...

Cómo se dice...

The other day I was killing some time at the St. Mark's Bookshop in the East Village while waiting to meet some friends for yakitori. I came across these adorable Lonely Planet Phrasebooks. Upon flipping through them I realized that they may be necessary in order for me to successfully navigate through foreign lands on my own! The books not only contain a basic dictionary, but also several categories of key phrases like:

HOW DO I GET TO THE TRAIN STATION?
WHERE IS THE NEAREST HOSPITAL?
HOW MUCH DOES THIS COST?
NO SEAFOOD PLEASE!

You get the idea! I've decided to purchase them through Amazon since their prices are a good $4.00+ cheaper than the St. Mark's Bookshop. On average they are running about $8.00 a piece - Maybe a bit overpriced, but hopefully well worth it!

Preparation

Lately I feel like all I have been doing is this: staring at the computer and swimming in piles of paper. I'm a real slave to the internet! Leaving for a year requires a lot of leg work! Some of the many issues the internet has enabled me to conquer are:

Purchase of Airfare
Visa Requirements
Vaccination Requirements
Change of Address Request
Student Loan Deferment Request
Organization of Bank and Credit Accounts
Purchase of Travel Necessities
Transportation and Accommodation
Research on Around the World Travel

Forecast

The following images are just a few examples of the people, places, and things that I hope to encounter during my time abroad in 2009. Stay tuned for many more original photographs to follow!


Viet Nam


Nepal


India


Japan


China


Egypt


Morocco


Portugal


Spain


France


Croatia


Turkey


Peru


Bolivia


Chile


Brazil


Mexico

Itinerary

The basic itinerary of my trip is:

01.06.2009 to 01.12.2009 (Hong Kong)
01.12.2009 to 02.03.2009 (Viet Nam)
02.03.2009 to 03.18.2009 (India)
03.18.2009 to 04.15.2009 (Japan)
04.15.2009 to 05.08.2009 (China)
05.08.2009 to 05.22.2009 (Egypt)
05.22.2009 to 06.06.2009 (Morocco)
06.06.2009 to 06.14.2009 (Spain)
06.14.2009 to 06.25.2009 (Portugal)
06.25.2009 to 07.13.2009 (Spain)
07.13.2009 to 07.19.2009 (France)
07.19.2009 to 07.23.2009 (Switzerland)
07.23.2009 to 07.28.2009 (Czech Republic)
07.28.2009 to 07.31.2009 (Slovenia)
08.01.2009 to 08.15.2009 (Croatia)
08.15.2009 to 08.30.2009 (Turkey)
08.30.2009 to 09.08.2009 (New York)
09.08.2009 to 09.22.2009 (Ecuador)
09.22.2009 to 10.10.2009 (Peru)
10.10.2009 to 10.24.2009 (Bolivia)
10.24.2009 to 11.07.2009 (Chile)
11.07.2009 to 11.21.2009 (Argentina)
11.21.2009 to 12.08.2009 (Brazil)
12.08.2009 to 12.29.2009 (New York)
12.29.2009 to 01.14.1010 (Mexico)

For a more specific itinerary within each country see the calendar below:

PS: Visitors are welcome to join me at any point(s)!

Packing List

GENERAL NECESSITIES
Nikon DSLR with 16 Gb memory card
CDs and External Hard Drive
Apple PowerBook G4 with sleeve
Money Belt
Packet of Toilet Paper
Sunglasses with case
Pack Towel
Spork
Collapsible bowl
Filter canteen
Metal pencil case with pencils and pens
3 Moleskine Sketchbooks
Glue Stick
Double Sided Tape
Pacsafe lock
Address and Contact Information

TOILETRIES
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Finger nail clippers
Extra razors
Electric Razor
Tweezers
Small scissors
2 Secret Deodorants
Anti-zit cream
Comb
Hair product
Shaving lotion
Shampoo
Conditioner
Soap case with soap
Ziplock full of Q-Tips
4 Kiehls Lip Balms
2 Kiehls Face Wash
2 Kiehls Face Moisturizer
2 Cetaphil Body Moisturizer
SPF 30 Sunblock
Feminine Products

MEDICINES
Cipro
Zyrtec
2 Epi-Pens
Malaria Pills
Ibuprofen
Gas-X
Sleep Aid
Several Emergen-C packets
Chlorine Dioxide
Immodium
Pepto-Bismol
Dramamine
Midol
Airborn
Sudafed

ODDS & ENDS
Vinyl repair tape
Anti-bacterial moist wipes
Insect repellant
Extra batteries
Roll of duct tape
Clothing dry line
Headlamp
Leatherman
Hand Sanitizer

CLOTHING
2 Khaki Slacks
2 Green Shorts
1 Bathing Suit
1 Jeans
1 dress
1 skirt
Rain jacket
Watch
1 pair Birkenstocks
5 pairs of underwear
5 pairs hiking/walking socks
5 T-shirts
1 long underwear shirt
1 fleece

PAPERWORK
Passport
Drivers License
Bank card
Credit card
Travelers checks
Emergency cash
Plane tickets