Two weeks to go

2 Feb
Warlords & Spies? Throw in the odd Tailor and you will pretty much have my perspective of the countries we are heading to - plus of course our visit to Kathryn and Regis and impending new baby girl (due to have arrived about the time we leave here!).

So, with 2 weeks to go - and having last night just completed the photo album from the last trip (phew!) - I have set myself the task of reading 2 books to provide some context to our travels.

On my i-pad is loaded Grahame Greene's Our Man in Havana: a classic Cuban spy story which pokes fun at the British MI6 intelligence service.

And I have ordered from the UK - free postage!! - (I wonder if it will arrive before I go?) Beyond Bogotá by Garry Leech which is meant to be an enthralling account of the time he spent in Colombia as a journalist witnessing at first hand the havoc caused by the cocaine trade.

I decided to eschew the go-to masterpiece: Gabriel Garcia Marquez' One Hundred Years of Solitude as being an unachievable read this short time out, and frankly, I thought it would be too complex an undertaking that would be a disservice to the book. Maybe on our return, this could be a story to tackle.

In the meantime, the usual frenetic schedule is before us right up until the day we leave; although, this time, I have thrown some things in a pile on the floor to demonstrate my commitment to not leave the packing to the night before. Of concern at this time is that we plan on taking backpacks only and the pile is already bigger than the pack - and doesn't include any clothes as yet ...

3 Feb
Last night I watched on Apple TV The Tailor of Panama by John le Carré and starring Pierce Brosnan, Jamie Lee Curtis & Geoffrey Rush. Interesting to see scenes from downtown Panama but the film was a 'mixed bag' - whilst there was some very good acting by the wonderful Mr Rush, it seemed somewhat earnest despite some great gag lines. 

Nevertheless, the film was of interest to me because it provided some historical context to the Canal in the post-Noriega era.

10 Feb
We are in Canberra celebrating My Friend's birthday and enjoying lunch after a bike ride around the lake. Our Dave is here at Residential School (CSU). Lovely day after some rain initially. Going out with the Klomps tonight. Caught up with Kevin Laws yesterday. We are relaxing before leaving next Wednesday for Colombia. Just got a call from Kat in Panama. Week 39.

13 Feb
Got a call from Regis at 20 past 8 tonight to say that he and Kat were at the hospital. Restless night until news came through close to 3 a.m. our time (still Friday 13th over there) to say that we are grandparents to Sophie Milliken Chapman. Very relieved I have to say to see photos and to know all was well. So lots of texts got sent out and I got many congrats on being a Nonna. I woke this morning & thought "Nonna Pam" would probably be better than just "Nonna".

My Friend is still working out who he is ... He doesn't like my suggestion of "Grandrew".

So - drug warlords, secret service agents, MI6 spies - and Baby Sophie here we come.