Before we go...

Christmas has come and gone (leaving copious amounts of chocolate and much expanded waistlines in its wake) and at last Emily and I have had the time to sit down and prepare for India. It's been somewhat challenging over that last 8 weeks since we decided to go. Back in November when we were thinking and praying about it we wondered whether 8 weeks was enough time to get everything done. After all we needed to quit our jobs, pack up our home and life in Southampton, move it all up to the Midlands, buy everything for Christmas and make all the necessary travel arrangements. Add to that a deep clean of the flat, phoning what seems like every company and bank under the sun to change our address and trying our best to say proper goodbyes, it's been something of a hectic 2 months!

That said we have come out the other end (mostly) unscathed and (only just) with the energy to prepare for our Indian adventure! It has to be said that Emily's family have been wonderful. Not just agreeing to house all our stuff (who knew you could accumulate so much junk!) but generally keeping our spirits up, shifting the odd carload of boxes up the A34 and helping us with advice and reminding us of all the small jobs that usually get forgotten in a house move. Also we could not have done it without Emily's organisational skills. I've often thought, with no small measure of gratitude, that Emily is the brain where I am the clueless brawn! Nonetheless, as a team effort we get the job done.

So now we look ahead to India! We fly out at 1pm UK time from Heathrow with 2 giant rucksacks and enough puzzle magazines to keep us entertained for two days. We land in Delhi at some ungodly hour of the morning and have to wait an equally ungodly amount of time for our connecting flight to Chennai (aka Madras). There we meet up with Sam and spend the day getting our first taste (hopefully literally!) of India. Then on Monday evening we are catching a sleeper train from Chennai to Coimbatore before waking up to catch the famous Nilgiri express steam train up the mountain to Coonoor (you have no idea how excited I am to write the words steam and train next to each other!) We arrive in Coonoor on Tuesday morning, no doubt in need of a good wash and sleep but hopefully in one piece...tell you what, we'll let you know how it goes next week shall we? See you then!