Getting ready to go

I'm going to meet my daughter-in-law and my two granddaughters in Delhi and then travel to Dili, East Timor via Bali. Kate has a new job in East Timor, and I am her travelling companion between Delhi, Denpasar and Dili, to help with the babies (Zaria, aged two and three quarters and Freya, nearly three months).

My son, Chidi, Kate and the children have already arrived in Delhi travelling from Khorog in the Pamirs up to Dusanbe in Tajikistan, and from thence via Kabul to Delhi. On Friday later this week, Chidi goes back to Tajikistan for a few more months to complete his job with Focus, and I take over from him as Kate's "deputy" at some yet to be defined moment at Wongdhgen House in the Tibetan Colony in Delhi which is where we make our rendezvous on Thursday night.

Someone at work today described this as an "exotic" holiday. Right now I'm in that pre-travel state of wondering if I'll ever complete my packing (which is complex) including a 3-6 months wardrobe of clothes for Freya, plus all sorts of garments deemed appropriate for East Timor, which is almost the complete opposite of the Pamirs climatically. Moreover we have been warned by resident experts that the children must be covered from head to foot all day whatever the temperature, for fear of being bitten by Dengue fever carrying mozzies. My luggage seems to contain enough expert mosquito repellent suitable for children to last a decade.

Tomorrow morning I leave the house at 06:30 and travel to London, where I will do a little work in the office there, meet up with Paulita to collect a "package" for Kate, and spend a happy family evening with the rest of my immediate family celebrating a 30th birthday.

Now I'd better get packing.