Let’s have a drink!

Despite what everybody thinks we did not make this journey just by ourselves. We were fortunate enough to have long distance support when we needed it. First of all, there’s Bien en Sip, who took care of all we left behind, that is, lots of paperwork, tax related issues and bankaccounts. At times it seemed they were busier keeping this whole enterprise on track than we were. Then there is Loes’ parents whose moral and at times generous support is much cherished. A warm welcome in Perth was the icing on the cake. Herb’s parents, who in the last year probably burnt more candles than you can fit in St. Peter’s, in the meantime moved from Belgium to Amsterdam, we think in an attempt to make up for all this time we’ve been away. Paul and Silke regularly sent us crucial items such as inflatable pillows and toothpaste. Sjoerd looked after our appartment and Sven helped us out with our weblog when our computerskills fell short, or when Chinese National Interest deemed it too dangerous for us to enter our blog ourselves. Frederique from A la Carte organised and sent us the maps we needed to find our way and Jan-Willem from Fietsplezier and the guys at Santos Bikes were there when we needed them, just once, in Uzbekistan. Tamar, Renee and Boudewijn, Wilma and Rik made sure we were provided with all these things you start craving when away from home for a long time, liquorice and the Viva, to name but a few. And of course there was our friend Elroy, who only started reading our story just now, from finish to start, so he knows it has a happy ending.

And then there is you, the people who read this and have followed our whereabouts over the last year. Your interest, at times underlined by a message left on our blog, has been a great support and surely motivated us to keep up both pace and blog.

We are looking forward to seeing you all again, tell you all we didn’t put on our blog and hear about the beautifully white winter in Holland. Since we arrive on Schiphol at the unholy hour of 6.05 in the morning on feb. 20th we suggest you sleep in. But do join us the day after. We’ll be having a drink on sunday the 21st from about 4.00 in the afternoon at our much loved and much missed Wynand Fockink in the Pijlsteeg just off Dam square. And you are most invited.