Six weeks seemed like a long time. Working out flights and itineraries has reminded me that it's not. Particularly when travelling by rail and ferry, time gets eaten up quickly. I like to spend a few days in a place and then wander on to the next spot, with an eventual destination in mind. Even that is a concession, since there is usually a plane to catch or some event to attend eventually.
My choice of places to visit has changed dramatically since I began planning, and I still don't even know what countries I will end up in. That's as I prefer, however, so I'm not complaining. Some may like a vacation where they know exactly where they are going and what they will do when they get there. I am not one of those people! For me, that would remove both the relaxation and the adventure of the trip. My preferred modus operandi is to arrive and find a nice place to stay, perhaps rent a bicycle, and then go exploring. Each day I get up and decide if it's a rest day, involving casual wandering with no planning; a serious site-seeing day; or if it's time to move on. Moving on simply involves walking to the train station and seeing where the next trains are headed. Whichever one is soon and going somewhere that seems interesting is the one I buy a ticket for.
This trip will be a little different, as I actually have flights to three countries and cities in the first few days, and have even booked places to stay. Not how I like to do things, but necessary due to all the air travel. Once I am in Cairo on the 7th of April, the real journey will begin.
