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Hello everyone! I know I have been away for over a week and haven't added anything to this blog but I have been busy, busy, busy. Also, the internet is very slow and I have been having major problems getting photos uploaded on this site, but I will keep trying and if it doesn't work I will figure out another way for you all to see my pictures.Anyway.....I'll start with the day of my flight, Thursday 21st Feb. I stayed at Pip's house in London the night before and on Thursday morning I made my way to the Vietnamese Embassy to get my visa. Travelling on the tube with my huge rucksack was not my idea as fun. Got my visa no problem and went to Heathrow, waited for what seemed like hours before I could go through to departures. By this time I had spoken to lots of people on the phone to say good bye and I was getting a bit emotional. I thought I was doing well by not crying until I saw a girl boarding the same plane as me, she had just been speaking to her mum on the phone and there were tears on her face, I had to look away. I was given an aisle seat and when I got to my row found two guys were sat near me. Turns out they are gay and had done nearly the same route of travelling as me. So we sat there for ages swapping stories and they gave me loads of tips and advice. I'm glad they were there to keep me company and to keep me occupied.When we landed the boys stayed with me and helped me gat a taxi. This was the part I was most worried about because I had to do it by myself. The taxi driver had been told which hotel to take me to but after leaving the airport he pulled over and got his phone out saying he didn't know where it was. This did not make me feel any better. He handed me the phone and there was a recorded message saying that the number that had been dialled hadn't been recognised! How were we supposed to find it if the hotel phone number didn't work? So we drove into town and stopped three times to ask for directions. Eventually we found the hotel after about half an hour. I didn't really care that much because I just wanted to get to my room. And the taxi only cost about four pounds. That night I didn't dare to go out because I didn't want to get lost so I ate at the hotel and went back to my room to study my lonely planet guide.In the morning I got up early and decided to go to the Grand Palace and Wat Po. I thought I would walk there but I was soon wondering if I was going the right way. I saw a group of tourists ahead of me with a Thai guide so I decided to follow them, thinking that they must be going to the same place. I was right and managed to get to the Grand Palace. I spent a couple of hours there taking loads of pictures and generally wandering around. Everything was so shiny and gold, my kind of place. Next I went to Wat Po to see the massive golden reclining Buddha. I was completely amazed by it, so amazed that I had to go into the building again to look at it later.When I got back to the hotel I found two girls who are doing the same trip as me, Cat and Yvonne. We went out get some lunch and have a wander down Kao San Road (backpackers galore). At six we met up with our group. Our leader for the Cambodian part of our trip is called Haing, he is from Siam Riep. There are 16 in our group including one guy from Germany, two Canadian couples, two Irish girls and three Australian girls. All the rest of us are English girls. Now mum, if you are reading this, I know how jealous you are of me going on this trip and that you would have loved to have come with me. Well you could, because the two Canadian couples are older than you!!!! I was honestly expecting the group to be around my own age but the Canadians are quite fun and they have a slightly sobering affect on us all. Haing was quite surprised to see them too, he has done 17 trips and this is the first time he has had (ahem) 'older' people in his group. So if you were paying attention to my little description of the group you will have realised that there are only three men in the group and two of them are married, so that leaves one eligible guy. Not good. I was pleased to find out that I am not the only one travelling by myself. We spent that evening having something to eat and getting to know each other, swapping our travel tales and our future travelling plans, it turns out that quite a few of us are going to Oz at about the same time, so I think I have already found some travelling companions.
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