Shopping and Packing

 August 31. 

(I spent three paragraphs complaining about my new travel computer.  I deleted it all.  You're welcome!)

Shopping list: Keyboard for my tablet is number one.  It hasn't arrived yet.  New book called Sovietistan: A Journey through Turkmenistan, etc.  I found out about this book in an article my friend Greg sent me.  This article is about Turkmenistan opening up to tourists.  Which makes me even happier to be going when I am.  Book has arrived yesterday but I haven't started yet. 

(I have to complain a little bit, I am going through update #4 on my computer)

Back to shopping.  I bought a couple of merino wool t-shirts from Icebreaker.  I managed to hit the end of season sale which saved a bit. 

I think this is a good time to head to the pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions so I have enough for the trip.  

I'm back.  I wore my new (to me) Oboz hiking shoes.  I got them at Value Village super cheap ($6!!) because they are for 'kids' (they are also Women's size 6, $209 at full price!).  I'm not sure if they are going to make the cut though.  It's going to be the Oboz or my Hokas.

Packing.  I seem to be creating a travel wardrobe of blues and greens with some neutrals.  Different that my usual blue, green, red, purple, yellow and maybe orange with nary a neutral to be found wardrobe.   

September 1. 

I pre-packed over the weekend.  My bag is too full and too heavy and doesn't included everything yet.  Some un-packing to follow.

September 2. 

I like to buy one 'luxury item' for each trip that I know I will use for all future trips. I don't think I mentioned that I finally broke down and bought some walking poles at the Robinson's anniversary sale. 

I realized I really need them on that huge hike in Madagascar.  The downhill was brutal. 

They were expensive compared to other brands but cheap compared to a broken ankle in rural Turkmenistan.  I bought top of the line for two reasons.  1.  I need short poles and the cheaper brands don't usually come in 'wee'.  2. I need them to be lightweight and break down as small as possible.  The Black Diamond poles I got weigh nothing and collapse into four pieces so they will fit into my day pack for day hikes.  I know I won't take them if they aren't easy to carry. 

Tonight my friend Judy and I went to a travel presentation at Robinson's (always fun, you should sign up for their alerts) and had a quick chat with Erin the owner about the poles.  She recommend some inexpensive rubber tips and gave me a user-pro-tip to lengthen the poles on downhills. 

I have never used poles before.  I will report back. 

And bonus, on my Antarctic cruise, along with our 'free parkas' we also got 'free water bottles'.  That free water bottle came in a little cloth bag.  Which I came upon in my travel tote while I was packing this weekend.  The poles fit perfectly!!  

Wine bottle for scale, and maybe a sip

Collapsible!

full length (if one wants to call my length 'full' - 110 cm).

I started the Sovietistan book.  Much more entertaining that the History of Central Asia.

September 5.  

Busy, busy with Fall term start up.  I just realized that I have way over-scheduled my time in Istanbul.  When am I going to buy too much at the Grand Bazaar?  When am I going to eat too much in Taksim?  When am I going to drink too much coffee in the Beyoğlu district?

So I cancelled the two more interesting walking tours. 😞 The one about Spirituality and the one about Art.  Boo!  I may rebook when I get there and see the lay of the land. 

September 8. 

My family was staying with me on the weekend so I did not get my packing/unpacking done.  

I watched a couple of videos on how to use walking poles.  I am meeting my friend Carolyn tonight for a lesson.  It doesn't look like it should be complicated but everyone says it is harder than seems.  

I had a keyboard situation with my new travel computer.  I had bought one online.  It turns out there is a very big difference between the S10+ computer and the S10, which is the one I have.  So, I went to Best Buy to bestbuy the right size.  They don't have one in stock.  It is too late to order one.  Langford also does not have one.  Cowichan store has three.  Okey Dokey, road trip!  

I dropped my brother off at the airport and headed to Duncan.  I get to the store and the greeter tells me there online order system is down and I won't be able to pick up my item.  So, I picked up the greeter and shook him until a keyboard fell out.  No, I did not do that.   I said I will ask at the pick up counter. The poor manager who was barely 21, but still two years older than the rest of the staff, was very nice.  I told him my tale of woe about driving up island and going on vacation.  So, he found my item and handed it to me and made me promise not to cancel my order before they could process it.  I promised and came home.  

So, keyboard situation solved.  Remember all of the updating I didn't tell you about at the top.  Now I can't remember my password.  I'll figure it out.  

September 9.

I had a lovely walk up Anderson Hill with Carolyn last night.  The poles are not hard.  Perhaps I am a pole savant?  What other types of poles should I employ?  Perhaps I'll try barbering?  Less core strength required than the other pole work I can think of. 

Anderson hill, just another reminder why I like to come home after traveling

I got my 'this is your last email' from G Adventures reminding me that I have a trip coming up.  In case I forgot, I guess. 

And that this is my last chance to book an airport transfer.  They are very polite about it but also a bit fear-inducing

What to do when you arrive

Arriving at an airport in a new country can be a frantic and daunting experience.

You still have an opportunity to request a G Adventures arrival transfer to make your arrival stress free. If you are committed to getting there on your own (way to embrace adventure!), please review the Joining Instructions in your trip details for information about about public transportation, taxi's or "other" modes of transportation to get to your start hotel.

I am not up for frantic or daunting at the moment so I took a minute at work to get them to book that transfer. I'm sure once my brain is less frazzled with work and trip planning, when I am standing in the Bishkek airport, I will think, I should have just done it myself.  But today, still full brain frazzle.  And I need one tiny 'unknown' moved to the 'known' column. Gives more space to the 'unknown' of how I am going to reduce my carrying load.  

I still can't decide which shoes to take.  

Later that same day...

Remember when I couldn't remember my password for my new travel computer and I said i would deal with it later.  Well, I sort of remembered my password so I tried it. Nope.  variation of it.  Nope.  Variation, other variation, etc. etc.  Nope, other nope, etc., nope nope nope.  Every time I tried a new password it would make me wait longer and longer to try again.  30 seconds to retry, 60 seconds to retry, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 10, 30, 60 until last night I was up to 2 hours of solitary confinement.  I went so far as to 'chat' with Samsung.  The nice not-bot told me I was basically screwed.  I could go back to a previous password.  I don't have a previous password.  In the end, when I asked her if I should just throw it in the garbage, she did finally tell me that I can hard reset it.  Excellent, great, how do I do that.  I wait for it to get to 0 power and then do some steps.  But I had just charged it. And it is good on energy saving.  It is now 24 hours later and it it still at 70%.  It was not going to die before I had to leave.

So, I gave it one more kick at the can tonight and hallelujah!!  I managed to drag my password out of whatever mental dungeon it was in.  So, I am currently writing this on my new travel computer.  

I am still not packed.  

September 10. 

Ok, one day to go.  Time to actually pack!  I am working from home and doing quick runs into the packing area between meetings/emails.  I don't know how this is happening but I have only ADDED things to the pile.  Wrong direction.  I am going to have to concentrate and not half-ass it like I am currently doing.  It's almost time for lunch.  That will give me a slightly longer block of time.  

Post-Lunch

Well, the best laid plans etc. etc.  I am also trying to organize a couple of projects to be done while I'm away so dealing with trades people (although I am loathe to call Chuck a trades person, more like a god-send) and the house sitter.  I spent lunch showing the garden guy what I want done.  Now I'm eating at my desk.  Not packing.  

Couple of hours later.  

I took a 15 minute break to be ruthless with my packing.  Out went the skirt, the cardigan, the capri pants, one pair of undies, one pair of socks and my sandals.  I replaced the sandals with a second pair of shoes.  I couldn't decide between walking shoes appropriate for city strolls or for country hiking.  Answer:  Both.  

I switched to my smaller backpack and now I have room left over.  Is my bigger backpack a lie?  I like the smaller one anyway so I'm going to take it.  The test of this whole pack situation is getting from home to the ferry to the skytrain to the airport. 

While I was throwing things onto the floor, my lovely friend Judy called to say goodbye.  I convinced her that she wants to drive me to the ferry tomorrow.  So, one leg of that 'test' taken care of.  

Look, a total corner worth of empty space!  

I'm going to post this now.  See you all from Istanbul!