rakish richard's rants...

Let's Talk Distances, Shall We?

We're stuck in Hue, not really excited by the prospect. Still, we're waiting for the evening bus out of town, and I thought I'd plug in and say hello.

Hello.

I was having a bit of a think about the trip to date, and started adding up some of the ground we've covered to date. We're about to board another overnight bus, and when we arrive in Hanoi tomorrow morning, we will have covered 1,143kms in 7 days. Not since Indonesia have we traversed the land at such a rate, and it got me thinking...

Ahead of us, we have at least a trip to Beijing - that's 2,325km on from Hanoi - before the train as far as Moscow - another 9,004kms. From Moscow, I'll bundle on towards London - chalking up another 2,500kms on the way.

Behind me - strictly in terms of overland travel - I've come from Medan in Sumatra (the last place we got off a plane, the now legendary 727 flight ...), through (very roughly mind you) Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, to Siem Reap and back to Phnom Penh again, before blasting out to Saigon - a total of about 4,000kms.

SO - here's the stats to date, sports fans;

Medan to Hanoi = 5,140km
Hanoi to Beijing = 2,325km
Beijing to Moscow = 9,004km, and
Moscow to London = 2,500km.

Once I check into the Casa Weight around Christmas time, Rakish Richard will have covered a grand total of 18,969kms.

Just for reference, that's the equivalent of just under half the circumference of the planet (40,075km), or driving between Auckland and Wellington 29 times...

With a little over a quarter of the total distance covered to date, I have another 14,000kms to cover in the next month, wish me luck.

So, loyal readers, that's the end of today's little rant, I'm off to get the bus. In my Big Ups section of the blog today, I'd like to congratulate Ben, a.k.a. Astronaut/Badger, whose debut (home recorded - is there any other way?) album is receiving airplay in sunny Minnesota (he's a pasty Pom, by the way, but he can can carve like Kelly Slater on a right hand break), so look him up, he's got some phat beats and dope samples.

On that note, I leave you,

Your man seeking sponsorship by the kilometre,

Arch :)

posted by Arch @ 4:41 PM