METEORA

Meteora was absolutely amazing. The scenery was truly one of a kind. The hills were dappled with ancient monasteries and the cliff walls had holes in them from previous monks who resided in them.

There wasn't much to do here but it was still worth the visit. The scenery was great and the monestaries themselves were pretty cool.

Michelle & I opted for the scenic route down the mountain and walked instead of taking the bus. Great exercise.

That night we got a little bit drunk by the pool (the accommodation was also impressive here) and headed into town. I got bored pretty quickly and ventured off back home only an hr or so before the fight broke out.

Basically the locals crashed into one or two of our guys and then basically there was squealing, fighting and our small group fleeing back towards home lol. (Talk about my good timing).

The next morning, Matt was sporting an impressive black eye  :)

ATHENS

Desperately needed some sleep but only managed 1.5hrs  :(

It was sad to leave Mykonos behind as it was one of the most relaxing places we'd be venturing to on our trip.

Once in Athens we ventured to the Acropolis and used the metro as a means of transportation.
Again I had an early night as I was utterly exhausted from the ferry and hot day in the sun.

MYKONOS

The campsite at Mykonos is dodgy as hell. It didn’t rain but it poured the entire day/night. The rooms are basically tents with steel frames that sometimes leak. The paths/roads are pure dirt/mud and I had fun digging a path with the wheels of my suitcase. About half of the group checked themselves into the hotel down the beach or the one just opposite us, but I thought the act was unappreciative and that they were all pansies. What’s a little rain and mud? If you were by yourself or a romantic couple I can understand, but I enjoyed and wanted to embrace my more-wilderness side lol.

Mykonos reminds me a lot of Star Wars. The landscape is rocky and a little deserty looking. Everything is fenced off by small, wonky, stone walls; including the roads which can only accommodate one car at a time. This means the driving here is a little scary. The houses are all white with curved corners like they’ve been modelled out of a ice-cube tray. The window sills and most doors are of course the predicted bright blue.

Because the storm made everything so dark and there was nothing else to do, naturally, we all got drunk.

I made a deal stating that the guys could throw me in the pool if I took my jacket off (had money and someone's camera in the pockets). So naturally a few hours pass and with a squeal and no jacket, I was thrown into the pool - clothes and all.
With Matt and Ben dared to jump naked into the pool (& did so successfully) I hastened out of there pretty quickly.
Exhausted, cold, wet, sore, and developing a cough, I was in bed at 8.30pm.

Also nearly drowned a few times as I was drunk and couldn’t touch the bottom. I was drunk by 

Stayed up most the night laughing my head off at Oliver who I somehow managed to get trapped inside his cocoon blanket (it was a sheet stitched up like a sleeping bag but with no zip).

Also had some bizarre Russian guys in tents next door who were casting creepy shadows on the walls of our own little hut thing.

The only thing I dislike and can’t get used to in Greece is the: ‘no toilet paper policy’. Basically you can’t flush your toilet paper down the loo. Which I think is silly (but won’t discuss my reasoning here). Old habits die hard and I sure as hell aren’t opting to fish out my used toilet paper. You are supposed to throw your used toilet paper in open lidded trash bins, which means all their toilets reek!

The next day was sunny for the most part but with dark storm clouds in the distance. The place is gorgeous in the sun and I went for a wander to take some photos before doing a short workout.

I’ve got so unfit and pudgy it’s not funny. I originally lost 5kgs from all the walking I’ve been doing but now I blame the alcohol for making me put it all back on...
There was also an insane amount of naked people on the small beaches... not pretty...

Only just found the Europe attachment on my universal adapter so am kicking myself for not finding it sooner (I’ve been stealing other people’s this whole time). Thanks Ollie!

Ministry of Sound had a session down the beach that night with a 14 Euro entry. Was great fun :) Got lost on the way back and wandered into a random field.

The next day I slept for a few hours in the sun by the pool. I went for a short workout/run before preparing for a night out at Ministry of Sound.

It was pretty good but crowded and confusing. It was only a small club but the people and layout to me were odd.

Last day in Mykonos, I went into town to get some piccys, food, and possibly a souvenir. Had a huge plate of gyros, which was amazing, and saw a giant pelican. Also noticed a lot of gay guys around?

Spent the next few hours just bobbing around in the pristine ocean waters and swimming out to a large rock and relaxing.

The days were getting busier so I had another early night ready for the ferry back to Athens.

Ferry to Mykonos

Spent the entire day bussing it to a ferry on the East coast of Italy. Watched movies on the bus and was socially dodgy as I grumpily trudged onto the ferry.

It was an overnight trip (12hrs) and Simone’s 27^th birthday. Only had 4 Euros so everyone was really nice and wanting to buy me food. Lauren gave me the last bit of her salad and Kate got seasick and I opted to finish her practically untouched plate of Cabonara.

Sam (good Sam) and Chez also joined me and Josh in the romantic part of the restaurant that Kate and Josh had started their date with (they’re a couple). Got a bit drunk and had so much fun talking to the guys (the girls have been driving me nuts!).

Sang happy birthday to Simone and went to bed before I got too drunk (or too late). Had fun shit-stirring Michelle who has gone psycho-stalker in love with Chez. We now flirt like nuts whenever she’s around (long gossipy story but funny)   ;)  I have also accumulated so many nicknames I’ve lost track. I am: Evil Sam (a sarcastic crack at my assumed innocence), Salmon (an adaptation of ‘Sam N’ in which was printed on the Topdeck shirts for some reason?), Little Sam (self-explanatory), and Pixie.

Arrived in Greece and was awoken by some random stranger in our room!? Wtf? As soon as he saw me wake up he left again? DODGY!

Did a drive by in Athens and the Greek coast (which is gorgeous). Didn’t take photos as it was only a drive by and we’ll return for an entire day after the Greek Islands (Mykonos). Met a few new people joining our tour - there is ‘another’ Sam now (got some competition). We gain 14 new people and lose 10 original people whilst in Greece :(

ROME

In Rome we were taken on a Vatican Tour which, despite my lack of enthusiasm on religion and history, was actually really good  :)

It was huge and took 3 or so hours & I still didn't see everything. There were also lots of 'shushy' guys when you got into in the actual Sistine Chapel.

Saw the pope (live) - he blessed me (& 5000 others). Also checked out St. Peter's Ballister (used in the ending of the Davinci Code movie). Also saw the Colloseum and a few other random stuff that I can't quite remember.

Surprisingly didn't get lost as me & Stacey made our way back home on public transport alone. also got off lucky as one girl's wallet got stolen and another girl flipped her lid when she caught some guy going through her bag.

Was locked out of room (didn't have the key) so decided to get drunk by the pool with Stacey and Ilks. Had quite the interesting site as some guy fondled himself across from us while on the phone??? Wtf?

Did a ton of laundry that night and had a few drinks in between.

PISA & FLORENCE

Spent all day driving before stopping off at Pisa (the smallest most insignificant town ever). I had assumed it would be like the Eiffel Tower in the middle of some huge touristy city, but no - Pisa was this tiny, in the middle of nowhere town.

Made it to Florence with a 3hr walking tour (talk about exhausting). Saw lots of cool statues with decapitated heads and naked men  ;) 

Was exhausted so had an early night.

The next day Oliver and Michael went to the domey-thing with me (Cupola del Brunelleschi). This was a huge old church thingy in the shape of a dome that had 434 steps. Loving a challenge, I  leaped at the opportunity to scurry up and around old, rustic, small stone steps. There were gruesome paintings upon the domed roofs as well. The higher you looked up the more angelic it became. Some gross stuff along the bottom of the paintings were people getting sodomized (mwahahaha - gross).

Views were stunning from the top and you could walk 360 degrees around the top as well.

We later shopped for water paintings for Ollie's collection which was fun, and I down my 1st Calzone (yum).

Venice

We spent all day driving today (getting used to the long hauls).

Rained a bit and my hair looked surprisingly awesome with natural (rain-induced) curls. Saw the balcony of which Romeo and Juliet was inspired. There was a statue of Juliet with her left breast exposed – to touch it is good luck, so naturally we all queued up for a grope.

Had my first gelato: tiramisu and white chocolate (I naturally went for the 2 scoop option). We had an amazing dinner by the Topdeck site chefs (as we did in Switzerland). This was followed by a... TOGA PARTY!

By the end of the night I’d been dancing and prancing around so much that everyone now practically knows what my butt looks like – shame... lol. I didn’t ‘go commando’ like a few others did though. Luckily I still had a bit of class and extended a hand down to cover my bits whenever I a photo was taken lol.

2 tequila shots, 3 Bacardi breezers, half a bottle of wine and a few sips of other people’s drinks. We danced up on the bar and with other touring people (not with us). Was hit on in the first 5mins of entering the bar and met a few nice guys from the UK and Canada  ;)

Had to sleep in the garden for an hour because I didn't have the key but it was all good :)

Went into Venice today and had a gondola ride with a few of the girls. It was very relaxing and great for taking pics. It's uncontrollable that you 'will' get lost so apparently it's best to just let your feet do the wandering and just catch a boat back to the start.

We also saw a glassblowing demonstration which was AMAZING! This guy shaped a rearing horse out of glass in 5mins! He also made a small jug – handle and all. It sounds boring but it was really fascinating and worth watching. My expensive taste shone through as my favourite glass item in the shop was a striking black and gold vase, valued at 600 Euros.

We went to a lace-making shop which was actually quite interesting. There was, of course, your typical frilly napkins and doilies but I actually quite fancied a table cloth we were shown. I knew I’d never use it but I was tempted to buy it for mum. When the lady explained the price I quickly decided against it (800 Euros).

Had an expensive Italian lunch (that mum can make so much better). The service was also bad and the toilet is pretty close to that Singapore ‘squatting pan’ I saw.

Nice & Monacco

We arrived in the afternoon and by the time we wrangled our way upstairs (to the best accommodation we’ve had yet) we headed out for dinner. Dinner was awesome and at a restaurant ;)

Most people headed out to a bar afterward but I was determined to recover from the previous night (Barcelona).

Woke up the next morning feeling happier than I can remember (amazing what a good long sleep can do).

Nice is all beach - pebbled beach (very pretty with its aqua waters). Took it easy today. Had Chinese for lunch, went for a run and dipped my toes in the ICY waters. Pebble beach = pain (wear shoes!)

We all got dolled up tonight for a night in Monaco and its casinos. The views are stunning and are strictly for the rich and famous. It’s apparently $40,000 per square meter of land – yikes! Didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d thought. ‘Everyone’ pervs on you and there was a 12yr old (looking) girl with a baby and an old man for a husband.

I got ‘bustled’ by a group of hot young (but drunk and scary) French guys. Nothing dangerous they just group hugged me as I tried to walk past.

Went into the Grand Casino to use the loo and to say we’d been there but avoiding the entry fee. Got rained on, ruining our efforts to look hot.

We got kicked out of a bar restaurant because we’d already had dinner and just wanted a bottle of wine (some of the other girls had ordered food though). After closing his little black order book and saying: “No, sorry.” We get up to leave and he creates this scene saying: “So you don’t want the wine now?”

We left and with a snotty huff and flick of my hair I snatched up the complimentary piece of bread. After going to a free-entry casino, we had an expensive glass of wine and got ogled by all of the rich old men. We looked very ‘gold-digger’ ;)

In my attempt to snatch up anything free, I reached for what I ‘thought’ was a little cube lolly. Upon shoving the entire ‘lolly’ in my mouth and chewing, I discover that it is in fact – a cube of individually wrapped; raw sugar.

Switzerland!

Spent 2 nights in Switzerland. It’s absolutely stunning and exactly like those famous photographs. We stayed in a small town called Lauterbraunnen. As much as I wanted to, I ‘didn’t’ skydive like a fair few others did (and for good reason). Everyone complained of stiff/sore backs the day after. Had a quietish drunk night where I woke up freezing in a random cubbyhouse (which we couldn’t seem to find again the next morning). Played (poorly) fussball and a wierd hammer game where you have to one-by-one hit your nail into the wood stump (the hammer was hollow/missing the middle-bit).

The cabins were pitch-black so I woke up a few times and panicked because I couldn’t get out and had no idea where I was lol.

Spent half a day doing laundry seeing as it was cheap and I was already running low on clean clothes. Went on a ‘supposed’ ½ an hr walk to the Trummelbach Waterfall – which ended up being an ‘intentional’ (*cough*) 3hr scenic hike (the sign posts literally said we completed a marathon track).

Was super hot in the sun but was practically parker-worthy in the mornings and evenings. I didn’t go up the mountain (which I regret). It cost $150 to go up but it was apparently awesome: snow, scenery, ice sculptures, etc.

Overall it was excellent in terms of scenery and money (was nearly dollar for dollar in comparison to AUS). The village/town was extremely quiet though so it’s not exactly somewhere you would live. I don’t get bored easy but there is absolutely nothing to do. Would ‘defiantly’ go back but you wouldn’t need more than 5 days to do everything (explore, rest, laundry, drunken night/s, paragliding/skydiving, go up the mountain, etc).

P.S. Absolutely EVERYTHING is photo worthy so be prepared for a lot of snapping of cameras.

European Tour (FRANCE)

Where to start...

Day 1 was ok. Met a few people, felt a little out of place but everyone soon got talkin. Took the ferry from Dover to France and from there traveled the 8ish hrs to Paris. The countryside of France is absolutely stunning but, like most places, once you get to the cities the scenery isn't that appealing. It was absolutely INSANE in the way of driving. they literally have no lines on the roads in 'some' parts.

Didn't really even feel like I was in another country until we did a bus tour by night where we saw the Arc de Triumph (or whatever it's called) and the Eiffel tower lit up. The traffic was again MAD/INSANE (I would fit right in). Sparkle-thingys went off at 11pm? from the Eiffel tower so it was really awesum.

The people are as arrogant and scary as they're described. I was hit on (aggressively) and insulted by 4 different people in one day.

the streets are crawling with black-french sales guys calling out 'Bling-bling' and rattling gigantic key rings full of metal Eiffel tower souvenirs. There are also swarms of black 'string-men' in some dodgy areas that 'apparently' con you into being entertained by their 'string-trick' (which is ultimately them trapping your fingers so they can nick your wallet. didn't see anyone get their stuff stolen but we did get surrounded by them. One girl in our group got too close and when he approached her she squealed really loud and bolted away down the street.

Probably wouldn't go back but the countryside is definitely worth a look and the sightseeing is really captivating by night.

We went to a cabaret show full of French boobies. Michael (another guy on the tour) even got kissed by one of the cross-dresser waiters - was AWESUM!!! I got a little sloshed on the free wine and we had a crazy party on the bus ride back.

Also watched a French cartoon and drama series which were both funny, stupid and disturbing lol.

Hopefully will get another good stop with internet and free time to upload my photos.

Au Revoir!

Days 5-6

Had my 1st mini-meltdown yesterday as there was an unexplainable purchase on my credit card for $245!!! First of all I'm a tight-ass so I know 'exactly' where & when my $$$ is going. Secondly, I've been making sure to use my UK debit card for all purchases in case I don't have internet access & can't pay off the credit card.

Turns out the hotel I stayed at for the first 3 nights, has charged me twice. Once on my credit card (what I used to book the room), and the second time was when I payed with my UK Debit card.

In the process of ringing them back (I have to wait until specific times 'apparently'). Also (thanks to IT and overall guru 'Dad'), I now have unlocked my mobile for FREE (I'm starting to like this word more & more). Fiddly process with dodgy looking codes, but managed  :)

My UK number is now up & running.

Met a girl (Sandy) yesterday who took me down to the British Museum with her. I'm not big on history but the real corpses and skeletons were cool  ;) I also noticed that all the statues of naked guys had no peckers? Lol. I will post up the piccys sometime in the next wk (assuming I'll have time on my tour).

I was starving and she wanted Chinese food (which I'm always up for). I wasn't, however, up for the 2hr hike through the city lost & looking for China Town  :(  Cost us 18 pounds total for fried rice, a chicken dish and a extra vegetable side dish. (Which I 'think' is pretty good?)

Also met a Danish/Australian guy who was kind enough to give me heaps of tips for my tour. E.g. "Nightclubs" are stripclubs/prostitution houses, and "Danceclubs" are what we would call nightclubs.

Would make some joke about getting a job, but apparently the pay is shit - you get a "night" with the lady of your choice for literally the price of a $50 beer. You can actually buy them the beer as well - you don't actually have to give them the $50. (I don't even like beer) lol.

Having today off as I'm completely knackered and need to repack my bags so I don't have to leave stuff behind on my tour.

Chow darlings

xo

Days 3-5

So I’ve officially had my first bout of true English weather & surprisingly – I actually liked it. Australia has this nasty sting to the cold and by lunchtime you’re stripping off because it’s too hot. England is just this constant, but not unbearable, cold. I’m assuming I’ll change my mind once November swings around brr... lol.

Seeing as the train was out of service and I didn’t trust myself not to get lost jumping across transfers and buses, I went to Osterley Park. Basically it’s this huge chunk of land to explore.

I surprisingly had fun exploring the grounds with Nutsy & the duck poo – lots of duck poo.

I also got my first view of English towns/streets. It’s pretty much exactly like in the movies. Identical, charred brick houses lined nice and close together.

Food seems pretty expensive here. I exchanged $50 AUS for pounds & it seems I’ve blown half of it on breakfast & lunch (for 1 day)   :s

It seems I’m also hooked on Panini’s. Their cappuccinos are also huge. You have a choice between medium & large and the medium is big enough that I can’t even wrap my hands completely around it lol.

Got my UK mobile number only to find my phone isn’t unlocked & therefore useless. London was nice – kinda like any city but prettier. The buildings are older and more Victorian looking – all lined with vibrant purple flower window boxes.

The parks are the most noticeable thing of all (that and the weather). Their weeds are patches of small and bright white, yellow or purple flowers.

Went exploring/wandering (glad I’m in no hurry for the amount of times I’ve had to double back coz I was lost) lol. The streets are annoying. They don’t run in straight lines like in Aus. & the street signs aren’t on posts at the end of each corner, they’re these measly signs pinned to the sides of random buildings. I also found that the exact same/never changing street will have three names. The first unchanged 100m will be Pentonville, the next 200m Gray Inns Rd??? Wtf?

Getting very fit & thin very fast. I walk everywhere (including 2hrs of getting lost & retracing my steps), & I’m living off 2 meals a day. Thanks to the hostel I’m in at the moment – breakfast is free.

Went wandering down to Buckingham Palace & missed the ‘Changing of the Guards’ by only seconds, because (wait for it) – I was heading in the wrong DIRECTION! Took a few happy snaps around the area, including Big Ben & saw my first ever squirrel and goose?

Got up at 4am today (Tues), bounced down to my FREE breakfast and made friends with a few people getting ready to depart for their own Topdeck tours that morning.

After breakfast (6am) I walked 2hrs down and around to Shakespeare’s Dome thingy? Was pretty nice. Because of the early time, I was the only one there (+ a security guard and a small performing arts group). Security cameras everywhere so I was too intimidated to do any crazy stunts/poses up on the stage lol. Got lost on the way back (how unusual) and my 2hr hike back turned into 3.

Unless I get super bored tomorrow, I think I’ll take it easy and just lie in all day. Gotta rest up for my Topdeck Tour Thurs!!!

London Tomorrow!

So I've decided to get off my lazy ass & finally go into the city. It didn't help that the tube & trains were undergoing maintenance the whole weekend so I'd have had to do so many transfers & buses I was sure to get lost.

But Mon I 'have' to go in. Not only for myself but for my interview. This is the interview where they'll help setup a bank account for me, give me my UK SIM mobile number, etc, etc.

This is in Piccadilly and only takes up 2hrs of my morning so I may as well make the most of it and go exploring. Have no real plan or idea of what I should prioritise to see.

So - any suggestions?

Note: Once I get a map I should have no probs lol

Tomorrow?

Ok so this weekend, the Tube doesn't run into London. It'll only go a few stops then I'll have to bus it 5 stops closer before I can get on again.

So I'm unsure about what to do?

Should I risk getting lost and wasting money on transport mistakes? Or should I stay in and eat, watch tv, and use the internet.

There isn't anything around except the airport, but should I just go for a wander around? See what's 2hrs down the rd other than the airport? Maybe I should do abit of both?

Let me know what you think?

:)

Flighty Friends

On the flight over I made friends with the girl next to me named Amber. After all this talk about ending up next to a fat, perverted guy, I ended up with her  J After talking for awhile, she explained that she was doing a long tour with the same touring company as me, in the same week! (What are the odds?) She was also staying at the same hostel as me in the lead up to her tour.

Her tour is tomorrow though and mine is on Thursday, meaning we probably won’t cross paths again, but the odds of ending up next to someone with such similar plans is amazing.

The guy sitting in front of us, Phil, was also really nice. He must’ve been the only person on the entire flight who bothered to turn around and ask me if it was alright to recline his seat back lol. He was from the UK (and you could tell by his accent), but he had impressively sounded Aussie in the start of his sentences.

At our Singapore stop over, where the penalty for drugs is DEATH, Amber had fun learning about the different types of toilets offered ===>

At our other stopover in Abu Dhabi, we all clambered onto the back of a random gold camel near our gate?

 

·         All pics are posted under ‘Arrival’ (Picasa)

Plane Trip

So Etihad was nice, pretty comfortable and didn’t play havoc with my claustrophobia. But I don’t think any plane in any class would be comfortable enough for the long distance haul I did. You get headaches, queues for toilets, too cold from air conditioning, defiantly need to use your neck pillow after 10hrs, & it doesn’t matter how far back you recline or how you snuggle down – it’s not comfortable.
I watched practically every movie they had, but my fatigue made it hard to focus. Everything sounds a little muffled from your ears constantly popping and towards the end I began to feel a little sick on the stomach.
Upon walking around and/or getting off of the plane, the ground seems to have a mind of its own and likes to sway beneath you – like still having your sea legs after getting off a boat.
 On a more positive note; I’m sure any other airline would’ve been far worse and they liked to feed you every 2hrs, which was great & the food was excellent as well  :)

ARRIVAL!

Ok so I arrived yesterday at 5am (2pm Aus. time). I was on the brink of total ‘real’ exhaustion. No sleep (except for 1 hour of broken sleep on the plane) since I left Brisbane. So basically no sleep for 30+hrs   :s

After getting out of Heathrow and onto the tube (surprisingly easy – just like when I had to train it to uni in Brisbane), I got off at Hatton Cross. From there, all I had to do was walk across the road and 2mins further down the street “straight ahead”. But instead of opening my exhausted eyes, I turned right and travelled, in my trendy boots and billions of kilos worth of luggage, 30 mins in the opposite direction. After a change of shoes (to runners), I decided to head back to the station from which I could see the hotel – was not impressed with my groggy directions.

The weather was surprisingly pleasant. Blue skies with moderate clouding. It was supposedly 6˚ when I arrived but it wasn’t that cold – just... ‘crisp’. It could’ve been all that trekking around though that warmed me up. The wind was the only thing icy but it lacked the biting edge that the Australian winter wind has (which was nice). The sun also didn’t threaten to burn your face off like in Australia, even when not behind the clouds; the sun seemed a little – ‘dull’? (Again, this was quite pleasant).

Anyway after a shower and a quick (& slightly delirious call from the parents) I slept for 15hrs straight. I’ve noticed I’m extremely thirsty too? Six glasses of water per sitting & not having to rush to the toilet after? Talk about dehydration.

Today is all about setting myself up. I am setting up my Oyster card (tube card – like our ‘GO’ card), getting a map of London (& surrounding areas), exchanging money, and contacting people via internet (skype, email, etc). If I have the time (or energy) I will also venture to into London for some sightseeing. If this headache doesn’t go away though, I might save it for tomorrow.

Goodbye

Goodbye People!

My 16hr flight departs at 12.15pm TODAY & is with Etihad, who are apparently about to take over the world - in the airline industry. (Sorry Sarah, they do look good though... even if they're not Australian)
After my stop off in Dubai, is another 8hr flight to London  :s

If you don't hear from me in awhile, it's because I'm trekking somewhere with expensive or no internet access. So be patient & keep an eye on my blog as this will be my most consistent up-to-date form of keeping in touch.


Hope you all have a good yr in Australia - I know I'll have a GREAT/AWESOME time in Europe :)

Chow darlings... (heehee) xo

Last/Final Note

Depending on how busy I'll be, or the type of internet access I have, I'm planning to keep a twice weekly update on my/this blog. So keep checking for new stuff & feel free to keep the comments & poll voting coming.

If you're unsure on how to comment, there is a 'Commenting' post in the Blog Archive on the right (beneath the polls)  or under Labels =====>

You can use these (archive & label links) to find any posts you may have: missed, want to see again, or need information off of.

At the bottom of the page is also a 2010 calendar I have created which will enable you to see every scheduled event.

At the top of the page under the Title, is also a series of tabs so far labelled: Home; and Contact. Me. These will link you to separate 'pages'.

The main events however (including pics, polls & exciting stuff) will be posted on the main page 'home'.


PHOTOS:

I am using Picasa for my main photo storage. To stop any of the creepy stalkers stealing my piccys, I've protected them with a secret link. I will email you the link for each album (or post it on Facebook) & if I don't have your email, feel free to scab it off mum & dad  :)

*20!*

Woo! I am officially 20!

This means I am in the clear to drink alcoholics beverages in every country I visit lol.

??? the Koala?

My lil Aussie companion  ====>

I'd like introduce you to my new best friend  :)
He's cute, fluffy and sometimes seems like his got a hand stuck up him. But most importantly he's Aussie!
This lil guy is going to keep me company: sun-baking in the Greek Islands, recovering from jet-lag, & all my other adventures. (A way to take a little bit of everyone with me)
 

So my question to you guys is:

"What Should I Name My New Companion?"

Note: "Kenny the Koala" is not an option lol.

Pics

I've played around a bit with uploading pics and I decided Facebook sucks. It is sooooo much easier 'and' quicker if I upload to my Blog/Picasa.

I will of course post up upload a few favourite pics to Facebook.
However, I will mostly just be posting/providing the links to my albums on Picasa.
There is also loads more space for my photos if I do it this way  :)

The link to my albums is just under the slide-show of the piccys ====>

Update So Far... (if you don't already know)

Sooooo excited! Everything is fully booked and paid for (except for accommodation 'after' my trip).

Despite my ever-tightening budget, it appears I have still held onto my 'expensive taste'... Although mixing it up & staying mostly in cheap hostels, it seems I have somehow managed to wrangle moderate & decent looking places.

Working for the minimum wage, it appears I still can't bring myself to simply grit my teeth & select the most basic & cheapest house on the block lol. I have managed to make the cheapest options somehow look good...?

Some links to the hotels I have reserved:

London:  

www.generatorhostels.com

www.clinkhostel.com 

www.juryinns.com 

Spain:

www.hesperia.com/hotels/Hesperia-Donosti/#

Hidden Item

Ok so a lot of people want a lot of different things hidden in the photos  :s

This means that my suitcase and spare time will probably be devoted to thinking of and carrying around these items...

Not exactly the fun idea I had in mind.

So, back to the drawing board...

I think that something everyone can agree on is the idea of something Australian (that way I'm representing you all and taking a bit of home with me).

'But'... what to take?

- A toy (kangaroo or other in which I can put in suspicious poses)...?

- A flag (can be used in the background, to tie on things, a clothing accessory, etc)...?

- Both &/or 'anything' Australian that I might stumble across or take with me (sometimes the toy/teddy, sometimes the flag &/or clothing item, & sometimes a completely random Australian thing...?

You decide  :)

============================>

Vote or leave a comment  :)

My Luggage...

Here is my brand new (as of New Years Stocktake Sales) suitcase!

It's a Samsonite Xion with '4' wheels - making it more likely that it'll roll off down a hill somewhere. Lol.

I got it from - Myers (of course). With 40% off + my 15% staff discount, it still cost over $200.

It's got lots of little hidey-holes and a cool combination lock for the main zips ======>

Very flash and with it's incredibly quiet and smooth gliding wheels, I recall dad playing with for ages - wheeling it around like a little boy at Christmas. Lol.

This suitcase is purely for my Topdeck Tour (they have specific dimensions and weights that your luggage has to be). Also it is officially my very own first suitcase.

I will most likely be borrowing one of mum and dads various other suitcases for my other travels (I'll need more than a 66cm suitcase for the entire 6 month trip).

Still waiting for my British Passport ('finally' got my application sent off - dodgy post office people). Should only be a few weeks or less now - assuming they've accepted it  :s

Other things I have got so far (via travel agent):

- International Student ID (gives me discounts on transport, entry fees, etc.)

- Travel Insurance

- Travelex Card (UK Debit Card). Basically the new traveller's cheque, and saves me using my Aussie accounts hence incurring fees from both ends 'and' currency conversion fees.

- UK Starter Package including: Sim card, UK bank account, Arrival info session, Recruitment directory, 5 pound international calling card, 1 free international money transfer, national insurance number (tax-file number), and my personal favourite - 5 day gym membership.

Hidden Tokens...

Ok so I'm liking the idea to incorporate everyone into this 'hidden token' thingy in my Topdeck Tour.

I'm thinking that in 'every' photo from my Topdeck tour, I will hide at least one persons token item.

Do you like this idea?

Now here comes the fun part... If you want to be part of this then leave me ideas of what you want to be hidden for you.

E.g. Emily = Tinkerbell, Gillian & Collin = something Scottish, jet skiing, WD40, or cats? (lol), Dad = photography, Sarah = something Aussie, etc, etc.

If for example Emily chooses Tinkerbell, within random photos posted up, there might be a Tinkerbell in it somewhere. E.g. a pendant, on clothing, on a poster in the background, the name of a store, a book, etc, etc. Some may be blatantly obvious like a shirt with Tinkerbell's huge head on it. Others might be a little more cryptic like a bell with 'tinker' engraved on it,  or there might even possibly be a chocolate or lolly named after it? Etc, etc.

So leave a comment or mention to me sometime of what you would like to have hidden to represent you over there with me  :)  To make it easier, you can pick a specific item (toy, etc.) instead of anything and everything that might represent the 'theme'.