Gaia Moves to Intrepid Asia

A Javanese volcano protrudes from the clouds on the return journey to Sydney

We completed the journey uneventfully in an airbus A380 which three weeks later blew an engine on the same run causing a major grounding and service replacement on a number of 380s. As of 2014, we are about to set off back to Asia which you can follow in our Intrepid Asia with Flashbacks blog.

Being the only 65 year old in the planet that did an overland through Latin America within a week of getting mugged and hit and run and having a broken hip paid off okay in medical terms as despite the rigours of the journey it had just healed enough by our return to be able to walk carefully unaided and four years in is causing no trouble at all. The broken leg is 6-8 mm shorter (it looks a bit shorter even from the post-operation x-ray although the implant does allow for further compaction to ensure the bones knit), and my shoe needs a rubber pad, but I was out of crutches from the day I returned and could do things like climbing on the roof to repair winter leaks. Had we flown back, we would have likely lost $10,000 US in air and other bookings and ended up doing nothing for three winter months. Continuing was difficult and risky, but it paid off in terms of a great experience and an exciting way to convalesce.