Preparations for leg 2 have begun and we're currently trying to plan our route through South East Asia in a bit more detail. The idea thus far is to set off in January, fly into Bangok, cycle north through Thailand, head east across Laos and then south through Vietnam along the famed Highway 1. That's the rough plan anyway, although we still need to get our hands on some decent maps.

As well as organising a new passport for Linda, visas and the various vaccinations, etc., we also need to do a bit of work on the bikes and pick up more supplies and spares, as bike shops won't be as common or as well equipped, we suspect, as they were in our last leg.

We've decided not to bring our camping equipment with us; it seems to be as cheap and handy to stay in guesthouses or hotels as it would be to camp. This also lightens our loads considerably - no need for a tent, camping mats, sleeping bags, pillows, chairs, stove, pots, pans, utensils.... the list goes on. It also means that we'll be able to ditch the Y-Frame trailer that Linda towed and pack everything in panniers alone, which will make her bike that bit less cumbersome. Also helping to lighten the load is the fact that we'll be in for some hot weather over there, so no need to bring the winter woolies. It'll be something of a change from the snow we're currently enjoying at home in Dublin!