India bound

Well it has been another quick turn around at home, this time four nights at home.  Managed to get a heap done, with some work around the house, planting of vegetables, five minute bird counts around Esk Hills, an evening talk at a local Rotary group, finishing off the trip report for the last 21-day tour, finalising end of year tax with the accountant, backed all the latest images up to my servers, completed a 'Security Awareness Training' course online, and even got a mountain bike ride in! Phew!  It is good to be busy, but this is pushing things a little.  I keep telling myself that next year will be different...and at this stage it is.  Not the monster 7.5 months overseas that this year has seen (plus local NZ away time like this last NZ tour), with some bigger gaps in between each trip.  At least that is what it looks like now...let's see if I can keep it that way.
So this evening I head for a country I have long dreamt about visiting, and can't actually believe I will be there in less than 24 hours!  I remember buying a book when I was about 14 on Bharatpur (apparently called Keoladeo National Park) in India...that had me hooked, a place I wanted to visit big time.  It is hard to believe that that was actually over quarter of a century ago!  Damn it, time flies!  Unfortunately, because of my schedule this year I haven't even been able to add some time on to either (or both!) ends of the trip, so it is straight in to Mumbai, onto the ship the following day, and then off the ship in Male, Maldives and home about two weeks later.  However, this trip with Zegrahm Expeditions - India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives - is going to be my first visit through each of these places.  I think I have everything packed...better get to the airport!