We're off again

A trip through the British Isles was always going to be on the cards. Leigh and I have spent quite a bit of time there in the past and have some old friends that we have to visit again. We were going to do this trip last year but family illnesses meant we couldn't leave before August and consequently we ended up going to Japan instead.

The first thing we did upon arrival back from south-east Asia last month was to get our visa applications submitted to the British High Commission in South Africa and we received our passports back yesterday. We quickly sprung into action, booking flights and the first few nights' accommodation in London as well as placing an order for a new tent (more of that later).

The broad plan is to fly in to Heathrow, cycle into London where we will spend three days and then head towards Kent to visit Leigh's cousin and partner, both of whom are seasoned cyclists and regular tourers. Then we make our way down to Land's End via the Isle of Wight before starting out journey northwards.

This is Stealth Orange, a real bargain at the equivalent of about $150, that sheltered us through South Africa, Japan, Korea, Chile, Argentina and Japan again and mostly kept us pretty warm and dry.

We've ordered a Hilleberg Staika, by all reports as robust a self-standing tent as one can buy. It's pretty heavy at almost 4 kilograms but we think it will match our requirements and hope to get some good years of use out of it. We've ordered it in green - old Stealth Orange was hard to hide when wild camping.

Apart from the tent we are going to be traveling with pretty much the same gear we have used for the past two years.

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