We're almost on our way!

The second post - unfortunately this isn't being posted from a Moroccon internet cafe, but from the comfort of an Irish broadband connection! Yes, the worst weather to have hit Irish shores in 30 years has delayed our plans slightly. But, really, it's all part of the adventure, so we're not complaining. Funnily, we've spent months planning for the heat extremes of the Sahara (Factor 60 suncream, light coloured biking gear, open-face helmets), without once considering that we wouldn't be able to drive up our sloped driveway due to the sheets of ice covering it! So, two ferry postponements later, the new date of departure is Saturday 16th January. We've opted to take a ferry direct to Cherbourg in France and skip the UK leg, saving many miles, and the banality of the M4 - no offence to any of our UK friends!

Still finding plenty of jobs to do these past few months. We needed lots of passport photos for the many visas we need over the coming months. We found a professional photographer who did a really good deal for us.(Check out PJ at www.corbettphotography.ie). He's definitely a good photographer as we seem to look reasonably presentable in the finished photos. Unfortunately, our water pipes froze the morning we were getting the photos taken, so we arrived in a pretty dishevelled, unwashed and sleepy state! (Good practice for camping in the water-deprived desert perhaps?)

So, we're filling up on home-cooked meals, culling unnecessary items - how many Allen keys do we really need, 3 pairs of socks is surely a luxury?! I'm sure we'll forget something, but all the experts tell us there's nothing you "really" have to bring - besides the passports and carnet I think! A big thank you must go to Mike's dad for all his sound advice and help with the last-minute jobs. I think if it wasn't for him, it might be February before we leave! So, hopefully the next update will be from foreign shores! France, here we come! Now, where's that French phrasebook......