Our final day...

Hello all

This is the penultimate post (will do a final one after arriving home tomorrow) as today is our last day.

Mumbai is great - so unlike the rest of India we've seen: relatively clean, few holy cows walking around, traffic generally sticks to the lanes, and people leave us alone more. We explored Colaba yesterday (following Lin's footsteps in Shantaram), and went to the lovely Chowpatty Beach, to watch kids selling balloons, men selling chai and to watch the sun set on the buildings and sea. Unfortunately the water is toxic so you cannot swim in it at all - very disappointing.

We're going to meander around the town today seeing famous landmarks, before a bit of last minute shopping (Haz suddenly realised this morning that I am, in fact, a shopoholic), before our flight tomorrow morning.

We're feeling such strange emotions. So happy to be seeing much loved family and friends, and to getting on with our lives/careers and even enjoying a routine. Yet the thought of applications and hopefully interviews is petrifying. So is the thought of facing routine everyday, and our loss of freedom. For the last year we've been doing exactly what we want, when we want to. Now we have to compromise.

Can't wait to leave India as it is filth, but I also love it. Haz and I were talking and discussing upcoming trips (when we have money) - places we desperately want to see
- Borneo to go diving - could do it in 2 weeks or more
- Galapagos Islands - again 2 weeks
- Brazil - 1-3 months
- Colombia - 1-2 months
- Red Sea to go diving - 1-2 weeks
- Indonesia - 1 month
- India - 2 months

So got things to plan (even if they don't happen for another 10 years!) and places we desperately want to see. There are so many places we would like to explore more, or come back again to (South America). We've definitely got the travelling bug, but in retrospect, a years trip was too long. We became tired and complacent and unmotivated in Asia - probably much to do with the heat, and it was just not as exciting as our previous travels in NZ and Oz and South America. It was a great place, but somewhere to come for a couple of months - it's very easy travelling. And you see far too many western tourists.

India gave us a well needed kick up the arse and demanded our complete attention from day 1. It is difficult sometimes travelling here and very dirty, smelly and frustrating, but also so friendly, colourful, and tolerant of so many incredible people. But next time I visit I'm going to stay in nice hotels instead.

So it's our last day. We're happy and sad, tired and energised, excited and dreading things. We are looking forward to being busy today and really looking forward to the flight - FREE food and WINE!!!! Must remember not to eat too much when I get back...

But wanted to say thank you too, to everyone who's supported us, to our families for helping us and putting up with us buggering off for a year, and friends who've kept in contact with us and kept us sane. Also a HUGE thank you to everyone we've met travelling - you have been so kind and so generous and really made our trip. We've laughed for hours, had a seance, learnt things I never knew were possible, and nothing now will be the same. Thank you. (If you ever come to the UK - those who live elsewhere - please look us up!)

So now, before I get too weepy, I'm going to go, but thanks again, and see you very soon in the UK!!!
With much love from us both,
Al xxxxx