Thanks a lot for all your regular visits to this website and especially for your feedback!

Some of you want more pictures, some want to read more up-to-date diary entries, and some of you think there's too much historic data or factual information and not enough about how I feel on the road. Well, apart from the fact that it is as good as impossible to create a site that suits everybody, I value all your comments and do my best to keep this site alive and interesting. While I am gone, my father tries to maintain it according to my instructions and you should hear some of our phone conversation or read some of my emails to my parents in which I instruct them about all sorts of changes, layout corrections, missing commas, etc.. Sometimes I wonder where my dad takes the patience from! Nevertheless, a lot of work piles up over time and I try to take care of it while I am at home. But as I mentioned already last summer: preparing images to put them online takes a lot of time and so does writing my diary. Luckily, I take a lot of notes while travelling, so nothing gets lost but then I need time to put everything in a publishable format.

With regards to cultural, historic or other "factual" data, I respect that some people are not particularly interested in that. Maybe you have to have seen a place in order to appreciate such details. Just keep in mind that I write this diary mainly for myself and that I include all sorts of information that I consider worth remembering. I do not expect everybody else to agree with my judgment but then just skip that part. Of course, I also write about my feelings and describe my impressions from a personal point of view but for those who think that my diary is not "intimate" enough, please keep in mind that literally anyone can read what is published here, so obviously I am keeping certain things for myself! If you don't find what you are looking for on this website, feel free to contact me and ask! Chances are, I am going to tell you a more personalised version than what you find here... Anyway, all this to say that this site is a lot of work and that I'm on it!

As far as my next (and last!) trip is concerned, I know that a lot of people are waiting for my itinerary. Well, so far this is how it looks like:

Departure on February 3rd: flight to Buenos Aires via London and Caracas

4 weeks overland travelling in Argentina, south towards Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego

beginning of March flight from Punta Arenas to Santiago de Chile, then overland to Bolivia

from Bolivia overland to Peru, arrival in Lima around March 17th

March 19th to April 8th: organised tour across Peru including Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and a visit to the Amazon Jungle

from Peru to Ecuador, exploring the country and Galapagos Islands until early May

beginning of May flight from Quito back to Santiago, a few more days in Chile

May 5th: departure to Australia, one week in Brisbane, then continue to Bangkok

from Thailand overland to Laos, exploring both countries until early June

beginning of June arrival in Vietnam to start another organised tour from Hanoi to Singapore: 43 days along the Vietnamese coast down to Saigon and the Mekong Delta, then across Cambodia back into Thailand, further south along the Gulf of Thailand and via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Singapore with planned arrival July 16th

a few days left in Singapore

Return flight to Germany via Bangkok with arrival in Hamburg on July 21st

Altogether 168 days across 12 countries and 3 continents!!!

This time I am going to use an "Around the World Ticket", so I have to ensure that I make good use of it! Unfortunately, I had to skip a lot of interesting places and countries I really want to see someday (Central America, Brazil, New Zealand, more of Australia, India, Japan etc.) but time constraints and especially my shrinking budget forced me to come up with quite a slimmed version of my ideal route. Well, at least I will have enough places left to see for the rest of my life!

Once again the invitation to anyone who feels like joining me no matter where or for how long - please feel free! There are enough reasons not to do it, I know, but remember: Looking back at your life one day, what do you think you will regret more: The things you've done or those you haven't? There is a whole world out there - go and explore it!!

Martina :o)

(still happy to hear from you once in a while!)