Here we go...

Hello, Olá, Kamusta, Namasté!


We've been planning our trip for so long, it's impossible that we're leaving within the next few days. This time next week, we'll be fighting our way through India! And this time 3 months from now, we'll be preparing for the "Wedding of the Century" in Mactang, Philippines:)

It seems like just yesterday that I was standing on my mom’s island, Mactang, in the Philippines, looking out into the ocean, getting swept away in daydreams of my wedding that would someday take place here. It also seems like just yesterday that Sergio and I were sitting in a café on a Friday night, an empty bottle of wine between us, drawing a map of the world, and pointing out everywhere we would like to visit.

These were the first drafts of a couple of dreams, and now, the face of my groom has been filled in, wedding planners have been hired, backpacks been bought and plane tickets booked, and although the guest list of the wedding has increased greatly, and the destination list for our trip has been narrowed down significantly, the excitement and anticipation of both events has only increased infinitively. And now, six months, two full credit cards, one almost empty bank account, fifteen vaccinations, twenty anti-malaria pills, eight visas, one beautiful dress, and a whole lot of wedding planning later, we’re about to leave for the trip and the wedding!

Our trip planning has already hit some obstacles, but I’m hoping it goes along the same lines as “bad dress rehearsal, good opening night” sort of thing. Our biggest clue as to the confusion that India is going to present to us came from trying to obtain our tourist visas from the Embassy here in Portugal. We mailed our passports to the Embassy in Lisbon, only to have to mail three different money orders, all with separate amounts after we kept being told the wrong amount by different people, and a process that was promised to take only one week actually took three.

But this is a part of the travelling and in my experience, some of the best things happen when you’ve deviated off course, looking for your way back.

As for the wedding, I’ve never been the type to have my wedding planned out to the detail, collecting cut outs from magazines for years, so this whole wedding planning across the ocean thing hasn’t presented too much of a problem, especially with the help of my liaison between countries, my mom, but I do admit I will be a bit apprehensive when we first see the set up, if it has anything to do with what I have pictured in my head! But in reality, I’m so excited to go back to the Philippines, and to share our day with family and friends. (although, not as many as we would like!!)

A quick, general Itinerary:

Feb. 15-16: London
Feb. 17 to 15 March : India
Mar. 16-25 : Bhutan
Mar. 25-31: Nepal
April 01-07: India
Apr 08-18 : Myanmar
April 18 to 18 May: Philippines
May 19---THE BIG DAY!!
May 20 to 20 June: Philippines
Jun 20-30: Thailand
July 01-09: Laos
July 10-16: Cambodia
July 17-19: Singapore
July 20-23: Malaysia
July 24 to 15 August: Portugal
August 16... USA

Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystalandsergio/

Keep in touch!! Lots of love.
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Parecia ainda ontem que estava na ilha da minha mae, Mactang, nas Filipinas, a olhar para o mar, perdida em pensamentos sobre o meu casamento que um dia, quem sabe, aconteceria por ali.Tambem parecia ainda ontem quando o Sergio e eu estavamos sentados num café numa Sexta feira á noite, com uma garrafa de vinho vazia entre nos e a desenhar um mapa do mundo, a pensar em todos os sitios que gostariamos de visitar.

Era o nosso primeiro rascunho de um par de sonhos e agora, a cara do noivo tomou forma, os "wedding planners" estao contratados, as mochillas foram compradas e, os bilhetes de avião foram marcados! E, apesar de a lista de convidados ser muito maior do que inicialmente, e da lista de destinos ser muito mais pequena, o entusiasmo e a anticipacao destes dois acontecimentos e' enorme! E agora, depois de seis meses, dois cartões de crédito, uma conta bancaria quase vazia, quinze vaccinações, vinte comprimidos contra a malaria, oito vistos, um vestido de noiva maravilhoso, e muito mas muito planeamento de casamento, estamos prontos para partir!

O planeamento da viagem não foi nada facil, mas em inglês temos uma ditado: “mau ensaio, grande noite de estreia” e espero que isto se aplique 'as viagens também! Um bom exemplo sobre o desenrolar dos acontecimentos pelo Sudoeste Asiatico foi o processo de obtencao dos nossos vistos para a India atraves da Embaixada da India em Lisboa. Enviamos os nossos passaportes para a Embaixada com um vale postal relativo ao montante indicado, mas depois entre cancelamentos de vales postais e reenvios de novos vales postais acabamos por ter que mandar tres vales postais, cada um com um montante diferente do outro. Ou seja, um processo que deveria ter demorado uma semana, na realidade demorou tres semanas! Mas este é o aspecto inerente ao "viajar" de que eu mais gosto. As melhores coisas acontecem quando estas perdido, a procura do caminho certo.

Quanto ao casamento, eu nunca fui do tipo de pessoa para planear o meu casamento ate ao mais infimo detalhe nem guardar artigos de revista durante anos pelo que todo este planeamento alem mar nao se revelou tao problematico quanto seria de esperar, em grande parte devido ao meu contacto entre os dois paises, a minha mae, mas tenho que admitir que estarei algo apreensiva quando vislumbrar o "cenario" pela primeira vez e constatar se efectivamente condiz com aquilo que idealizei na minha cabeca! Mas a verdade 'e que estou mesmo excitada com o facto de voltar as Filipinas e partilhar "o nosso dia" com familia e amigos. (Embora nao tantos quanto desejavamos!!)


O Itenerario:

Feb. 15-16: London
Feb. 17 to 15 March : India
Mar. 16-25 : Bhutan
Mar. 25-31: Nepal
April 01-07: India
Apr 08-18 : Myanmar
April 18 to 18 May: Philippines
May 19---THE BIG DAY!!
May 20 to 20 June: Philippines
Jun 20-30: Thailand
July 01-09: Laos
July 10-16: Cambodia
July 17-19: Singapore
July 20-23: Malaysia
July 24 to 15 August: Portugal
August 16... USA

Fotos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystalandsergio/
Aguardamos noticias vossas!! Beijos e abraços....