It is different this time, packing, and feels all wrong. Normally when we go away we get the bikes out, fill the panniers and then either ride away on them or have them crated and join them a week later on some far flung continent.

Instead we found our selves presented with a pile of clothes and motorbike accessories on the lounge floor like this.

The clothes were easy, they fit into 2 small "canoe" bags each (the small green thing under the piano leg).

Jean went to work on her packing magic, we spent the best part of a day gathering items, rejecting items and shoving items into two rucksacks.

This is the nice neat end result.

Note how the piano also fitted.

A few minor items and necessities will be in the flight bag, with our helmets as carry on items. I checked the Air France website and we are allowed the bag plus "Accessories". These are listed as :- Handbags, Laptops, etc.

So, the helmets are etc. Or a hat.

The rucksacks weigh in at a mere 20kg each. So we will not have weight problem on the bike when we get there. Just an issue of how to get 2 x 65 litre bag contents into 2 x 35 litre panniers.

I can see a lot of re-packing and throwing away of stuff going in in Chile.

What feels wrong ? Not being able to put the things in a pannier and organise them. That and not taking any bike documents. It just feels wrong, wrong, wrong.

The last couple of days have been thumb twiddling. And trying to figure out what to do while hanging around Paris CDG airport for 5 hours on Wednesday.