Today we have been listening to…

So there we were watching our Saturday Matinee DVD, which today was ‘Doctor Dolittle’ (1967) when this song came up and we thought it seemed quite appropriate:

‘Fabulous Places’ Rex Harrison and Samantha Eggars

But while searching Nick found this versions by Sammy Davis Jr with a slide show and sing-along words:

Sammy Davis Jr from his Greatest Hits

Which do you prefer?

Using Windows Live Writer

This is an experiment to see if Windows Live Writer is going to be useful to us as we travel. The idea is that you can write blog posts even while you’re off line, as you go, then, when you’re on-line, you can send all your posts; a bit like drafting e-mails off-line then sending them all when you connect.

In case the concept of being off-line is unfamiliar to you, it’s when you’re not connected to the internet. Yes, that can happen. Weird as it may seem to some of you, this used to happen to us all the time at Fellside, so we’re more than familiar with the concept.

Global Finance in Crisis

This is Juli on the phone - 7.15 am our time - to the really jolly, friendly, helpful Kellie in Rockampton, QLD, Australia, where it's 5.15 pm. She's been on the phone to Australia since 6.30-ish am trying to pay for our Greyhound Kilometre passes with a credit card, into which we have transfered the necessary funds, so there won't be any problems with credit limits, etc. Unfortunately, shortly after this picture was taken, our card was declined.

While Juli is still on the line to Australia, Nick (not shown for reasons of taste and decency) calls our bank to ask why. Apparently, the transaction has exceeded their 'spending' limit.

Bank agent:
"The transaction needs to be authorised by our card team."
Nick:
"But there's more than enough money on the card to cover the transaction without needing any actual credit."
Bank agent:
"Yes, I can see that."
Nick:
"So what's the problem?"
Bank agent:
"The transaction needs to be authorised by our card team."
Nick:
But the funds are available, you've got the card holder on the phone and I've answered all your security questions. I'm authorising the transaction.
Bank agent:
I'm sorry, but the transaction needs to be authorised by the card team, and they don't get in until 8.00 am.
Nick:
By 8.00 am [Kellie] in Australia will be home making her tea.
Bank agent:
Oh.

Anyway, it was all sorted out in the end: the lovely Kellie stayed late (until after 6.00 pm her time--how many travel and ticket sales agents have you come across that would have done that?) and the bank agent phoned back more or less when he said he would and, after asking some more security questions, put me through to someone on the card team, who was able to overide the limit. It would seem that our bank's anti-fraud systems are unable to tell the difference between what Greyhound Australia and a regular coach company do. I suppose six and a half thousand pounds would, on that basis, look like a suspiciously expensive bus ticket. Apparently it happens quite often when the bank's other customers book a week or two's full board and accommodation at Disneyland, which looks to the bank's computers like an ordinary theme park.

Technology, eh?

Netbook Experiment

Today's experiment involves using a netbook on a rather dodgy wireless connection in a not very receptive area to see how long it takes to make a post.  This may well be the conditions we find we have to deal with as we are going around, so it's good to experiment.

Interesting that these are the conditions that exist in the North East of England too, in a not that remote or rural spot.  Image what it would have been like with the satellite connection at Fellside.  Better probably!

If you see this post, send us a comment, so that we know you are out there.

Introducing Francis

[Francis Bacon, Pig Cam]

Google Maps

The big map at the top of every page on this blog is, you'll recognise, a Google map. It shows our planned route, and, if we can while we're away, we'll update it to show where we've been. (Hopefully, all those little white pins will change into little coloured pins as we visit places, in which way, along with our tweets and posts, you'll be able to see our progress.)

There are a lot of pins, and each one has something to say about the place - thank you Wikipedia - plus links to our posts and photos relating to the country concerned.

Hello, Marion.

All change

Well it's been a busy few weeks since our last post, especially for Juli, who, while recovering from her operation, has been slaving over a hot laptop trying to find ways to save money on our trip. First the bad news: We're not now going to Tasmania, nor to Cairns/Green Island, nor, sadly, New Zealand. You may remember we had a planned to tour both the North and South islands in a campervan following the 'Billy Connolly' route. Now we're not touring anywhere in a camper van; we just can't afford it. Instead we're buying Grehound Kilometer passes and exchanging them for various tours and excursions as well as regular bus journeys. We'll also be throwing ourselves more on the mercies of friends and family, who've been kind enough to agree to putting us up for a bit.

I hope they realise that, by the time we get to them, we'll be less 'repectable tourists' and rather more 'desperate backpackers'.

Lock up your toilet paper!