Preparations

I started the day with a list of about 30 things to do before leaving work today - knowing that I was also going to the inaugural ACER Alumni lunch in the city which would chop about 3 hours out of the day. Happy to report that completed all but one of the tasks I had set myself, as well as a few others that popped up along the way. Oh and haven't changed my voicemail message yet :(

The house looks like a bomb's hit it, but once we start actually packing, it will all fall into place. I'm trying something new this trip and trying to travel light. It's always tempting not to when you know you have 96kg luggage allowance, and as Michael is travelling with me, he does too!  But I keep thinking about trying to sling a 32kg bag on and off a bus and I figure that I will try and start light.

Plans - Monday fly to Dubai - three nights at the Palace Hotel in Dubai, then off to Jordan.

After baking in Dubai, we head off to Amman, Jordan. We have a total of 6 days in Jordan, travelling through the north, then down to Petra and the Dead Sea. Petra's been on my bucket list since I saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!

Next fly through Istanbul to Cappadocia, then three days one balloon flight later fly through to Antalya and then head off across the south coast of Turkey, finishing up in Gallipoli and then to Istanbul. We're staying there for a week at a rather gorgeous hotel: Ishak Pasa Konagi in Sultanahmet, right next to (actually joined to) Topkapi Palace.  And I have to go to the conference - chairing one session, discussant on a couple and my own presentation... :)  should be fun!