I’ve been browsing through forum posts by ‘pilgrims’, and the recurring topic (other than the matter of footwear) seems to be what to pack. The rule of thumb appears to be to carry 10% of what you weigh. That means my pack should essentially weigh less than 6kg.

Given that my backpack weighs in at just over 2 kg, that doesn’t give me much left over. 2 t-shirts, pants, socks, a jacket, poncho, sleeping bag, toiletries, torch, first aid bits and pieces, thongs, water, a knife, notebook, book and camera (phone)… Doesn’t sound like much, but they add up.

Training

I’ve also had a look at hiking routes in Hong Kong. Once I get there, and after I get the job issue sorted, I’m going to take my pack and walk, as practice. The last time I did any proper hiking/ camping was in the Blue Mountains, and even though the El Camino is, on the whole, less mountainous (except for the Pyrenees crossing on the first day), I’d still like to be able to complete it with minimal injuries.

EDIT (31 January): Moved to tumblr. Read about my Camino at http://bluedepths.tumblr.com/.

It’s January, and I’m on Heron Island , Queensland, on yet another research trip. Long hours spent alone on surface duty on a small boat in the Coral Sea give you lots of time to think. To think, and to read. Reading Gregory David Roberts’ Shantaram, that seed has begun to germinate.

My new goal for this year? To walk the 800 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain, along the Camino Frances.

Why?

Not for religious reasons. If anything, I’d say the primary reason is because it’s 2012, the year I turn 24, the year of the dragon – my year, so to speak. It’s not much of a reason, but there it is. Call it a test, a personal challenge, a quest to ‘find myself’ – the simple fact of it is that I simply want to do it.

Several months lie between now and July, when I aim to begin my Camino. (I might even set a goal of completing it on my birthday.) For now, I shall plan, and read, and prepare.

Stay tuned.

On another note, I’ve managed to ID all my species, thanks to Steve Smith’s help yesterday. I showed him the photos of my unidentified species; he took one look at them; and rattled off the names of each of them. Fantastic!

Dived North Solitary Island today – the site is one of my favourites from the summer trip, and it was good to revisit it and see how it’s changed. There seem to be fewer anemones than I remember (but the cover is still impressive), but the urchins are still there. The second dive was accompanied by whalesong – simply beautiful. To be in the ocean, listening to the music of the whales, feeling at one with the majestic creatures… The cold did spoil it, slightly.

This group of researchers is quite a good team to be working with. It’s different from the usual crowd I’m used to from my Lizard Island trips – this bunch is older, more experienced, more thoughtful and seemingly more concerned about the important issues rather than drinking and partying. Having gone through the pains of their PhD and logged a few years of experience, they are open to discussing ideas and aren’t as guarded and competitive about their work. There’s more collaboration, which is a great thing to see. And the camaraderie among this group is familiar and cosy. Dinner conversation is engaging and humorous, everyone’s happy to be here, and it shows.

The forecast for tomorrow is looking pretty bad, so there might not be any diving to be done. I must admit (taking a deep breath to tackle the onslaught of shocked exclamations) that I am half hoping that it will be a no-dive day, simply so that I can take some time to warm up. We’ll see.

I used to get all excited about my field trips. Now, having logged so many, they’ve become yet another thing that just has to be done. Especially when it’s cold both inwater and out – there just isn’t much motivation. The reefs aren’t getting any healthier, the outlook is getting grim, and the overall picture is a pretty bleak one. Am I too young to be so jaded?

Europe was fantastic. The cities we visited are so richly steeped in history and culture, you can’t help but gain a sense of it through the architecture, the roads, the languages, the food. The trains in Europe hold the standard to which Australian public transport system should aspire.

And the food? Zurich – chocolate. Munich – beer, cheese, and more beer… and sauerkraut. Prague – good food, but nothing exceptional (the beauty of the city is a whole other story though). Berlin – wurst and beer (not ideal for vegetarians). Paris – oh, the bakeries! Fresh baguettes and croissants every morning. England – bleh.

Few of the many highlights: fondue in Zurich; lunch and beer at Andechs (an old monastery-turned-brauhaus) near Munich; watching Tosca performed by the Prague State Opera; going to see the black light theatre, also in Prague; catching a glimpse of history at the East Side Gallery in Berlin; Paris; being charged by steers (“they are not cows!”) in England; having two wisdom teeth taken out in Singapore.

Ok, just kidding about that last one. What a way to end a wonderful trip and celebrate my twenty-third. Not exactly my idea of fun, but at least it will be memorable.

I’m not entirely looking forward to the 13 hour flight ahead of me (3 hours to go!). I managed to get a seat without a seat in front of me (and didn’t even have to pay extra) so I get heaps of leg room (which I don’t really need, to be honest). I’m hoping the 3 seats next to me remain empty so I can stretch out for a sleep!

Going to be couch surfing in Zurich, which should be interesting. The only problem is I’ve been advised to avoid alcohol for the next 5 days, as I’ve been placed on a prescription of antibiotics (along with a terrible mouthwash and painkillers) on account of an infection around my lower right wisdom tooth. [Side note: I went to the dentist today and got my teeth x-rayed - my bottom wisdom teeth are growing, while there's no trace of my uppers.] No alcohol for 5 days! Call this a holiday!?

It’s been great seeing the family again, but I’m glad to be moving onwards! Next stop, Zurich.

Saturday – A swim in the infinity pool, then a huge buffet breakfast followed by a bit of lounging back in the executive suite (upgraded because the hotel didn’t have a standard room with a double bed). Packed up, took the train (specifically, 3 trains) to Little India, where we met up with Lyn for lunch (curry and dosa!). Back on the train to VivoCity for X-Men: First Class, which was excellent. Then it was time to head back to the airport for dinner and then to send the boyfriend off. Collected bags, headed back to Commonwealth with Lyn.

Oh, Singapore – how I haven’t missed you! Even though I’m not looking forward to the 12 hour flight on Tuesday (1am!!!) I’m definitely looking forward to Europe!

Amidst the growing excitement, there’s been a considerable amount of not-quite-frenzied preparation:

1. Flights: mainly the international legs of the trip – Brisbane-Singapore-Zurich, Manchester-Singapore-Brisbane. As I’m still awaiting payment from the university for research services rendered, I have yet to book my flights, although the dates and times have pretty much been decided upon.

2. Trains: this is the beauty of Europe. Trains are aplenty, and by far the best way to travel within Europe. Sure, it’s slower than flying, but you get a glimpse of the countryside. And it’s so much more comfortable than driving. I’m going to book a 5-country Eurail pass for the following countries: Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, France. The Eurail pass can only be used for adjacent countries, and my itinerary works out well in this aspect. A few sections of my journey will involve night trains, so I really have to make reservations for a sleeper car soon.

3. Accommodation: hotels in Europe are generally reasonably priced. The only exception is Switzerland, where everything seems so much more expensive than the other countries I’ll be visiting. (And they use their own currency, the Swiss franc… but that’s a story for another day.) To illustrate, a bed in a 6-person dormitory in a Swiss hostel costs about 50€, which works out to about AUD$68. For that amount of money you could get a private hotel room in Australia. For that reason, I’ve decided to do a bit of couch surfing. I’ve never tried it before, but it seems to be a popular thing and works well, from what I’ve seen. So I got myself a CS account and started trawling through the profiles of CS members in Zurich. I messaged a few and got several replies, most of which were friendly and welcoming. I’ll be hosted by one Mark Meyer, who’s given me directions to his place, offered to lend me his SIM card, and even suggested dinner on Uetliberg, one of the mountains near Zurich (he’s also agreed to teach me some Swiss-German – insofar as I can learn the language in 3 days). I’ve also received 3 offers of a couch (some have guest bedrooms specially allocated to surfers) in Vienna, so accommodation’s pretty much settled there, too (the gay couple, the vegetarian dancer, or the single dad?). The only places left are Berlin and Prague, where the boyfriend and I have decided to get a hotel in town. As for Paris, we’ve booked a little apartment in Le Marais, which is pretty much smack-bang in the middle of everything. Whee.

4. Communications: I thought it wouldn’t be difficult to find a SIM card that works across Europe, but apparently I was grossly mistaken. Eg. if I get a SIM card in Switzerland and use it in Germany, I have to pay roaming fees. And the charges! Fortunately this forces me to plan meetings/ get-togethers ahead of time, instead of waiting to text the other person an hour before we meet. So, as per a French friend’s advice, I’m just going to keep my Telstra SIM card and use it in emergencies, rather than buying a new SIM card in each country I land in.

I do love the mountains. The crisp air, the night sounds, waking to early morning birdsong.

And camping.

Beautiful weekend in beautiful company. Light rain on Saturday and a cold night on hard ground did nothing to spoil the experience.