Sammie and Ryan farewells

Went into London today to spend some time with Sammie and Ryan before I head off at the weekend. We had a lovely meal in Covent Garden and Sammie demonstrated her napkin folding skills to make Ryan a lovely pair of rabbit ears!


We then did some window-shopping before heading off for a well-earned glass of champagne in Selfridges.
I wrote my blog and Ryan helped me to upload some photographs. I am going to have to get to grips with the technology as I make my way around the world. But I have to say I am hoping that there will be people around who will help me to upload my photographs.

Sammie and I then got the map of Australia out and decided where she was going to fly out to in March. It took me ages to explain that she could not just nip to places and things were much further apart in Australia than they may seem on the map.
She is going to fly into Melbourne and then we will travel up the coast to Sydney to see Carmie mustard then onto Brisbane via Byron Bay. Sammie will fly home from Brisbane and I will then head on up the coast to Cairns.
It is not easy leaving Sammie on this side of the world but I know she will be well looked after by Ryan and her father and Andrea.

ITINERARY

People have been messaging me wanting to know where I will be and when, so here is my main itinerary. I am booking internal flights seperately.

Sun Dec 2 dept Heathrow for Bangkok arrive Mon Dec 3 ..will be staying for three nights in the Holiday inn Silom Bangkok just to get my bearings.
I then plan to take three months to travel round Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Wed Feb 20 dept Bangkok arrive Sydney Thur Feb 21
I will take three months to travel around Australia.looking forward to catching up with Carmel. Hopefully Sammie will join me for a month in her Easter Holidays so we can travel around together.

Wed May 21 Sydney to Aukland..I will spend two months travelling around New Zealand

Thurs 31 July Aukland to Nadi in Fiji I plan to spend a month on Fiji and the Cook Islands chilling out!

Sun 31 August Fiji to Vancouver where I am really looking forward to spending time with Aunty Helen and Bronwen and catching up with Gareth and Bryn.

Sun 14th Sept Vancouver to Dallas to refuel, then onto Sao Paulo in Brazil to meet up with Maggie and Sinaid. We plan to travel for a month in South America before flying back to Heathrow on October 15th arriving thurs Oct 16th at 7.30 in the morning.

So this should help those of you who are hoping to meet up with me during my trip.

Two weeks to go

Well got up today and realised that in two weeks time I will be heading off to the other side of the world to start my adventure. My stomach is churning, partly with fear and partly with excitement. I have just got an email from my friend who is sailing around Malasia and she has told me that her banks have been playing up and stopping her from getting money out on her card. So first thing tomorrow morning I will be onto my bank so that they know exactly what parts of the world I will be in at any time. They will realise that I am the one spending on my card. It would be awful not to be able to get my money out.

I have to sort the flat out now because I only have one week before I have to move everything out. Luckily my friends Alison and Matt are buying a house and need funiture so they will use mine for the year. As well as storing lots more in their loft. I have been so lucky that lots of people have agreed to store things for me. So over the last few weeks everyone I have visited has been given a couple of big bags full of my possessions to store for me. I have written down who has what so that I will enjoy travelling round when I get home collecting all my things.

Fiona, my first ever landlady when I move to Tunbridge wells, has kindly agreed to put me up for the last week before I go, as she has now become a very dear friend to me.

Will have to sort the travel insurance and international driving licence tomorrow ,then I think things are pretty much sorted.

I will have most trouble trying to decide what to take in my rucksack...I know the Jimmy Choos will have to stay at home!!!

Hull and Leeds goodbyes

Have spent the last few days visiting friends and family in Hull and Leeds to say my goodbyes. There are lots of cautionary tales being exchanged. One even had me being eaten by a crocodile!! Going to Maggie's now to share a bottle of Champagne. Then the next time we will share one will be in Brazil next year when she comes to meet me for the final leg of my journey in South America.
Only just over two weeks to go before I head off to Bangkok!! feeling a bit nervous but hey ho!!

Test

Final countdown