Weight Limit 10kg....Yeah right!

Well four days till the big trip, I have had the leaving party which was great, makes me realise what amazing friends I have! I have to admit though, I still feel like I'm not ready. I would say I am not excited, more apprehensive.....Is that normal?

I have tried packing my bag....Its sooo heavy and I have to sit on it to close it already! Some editing is required I think......The thing is I don't know what to take out! I'm thinking clothes.....but how many clothes do you actually need?
So far I have....

Waterproof trousers and jacket
Fleece x 1
Safari type shirts x 2
Vest top x 3
Trousers x 3
Shorts x 1
Bikini Bras x 3
Knickers x 7
Socks x 4
Cardigan x 1

Anyone any advice on what to take out?.....All suggestions welcome....

Also, I have had an unexpected bra issue....I know this is a girl thing, but how many bras do you take and what type? Sports, bikini, push up, wireless, under wired? My friend Alison laughed and said "Depends how sweaty your boobies get"......Classy! (Told you I would blog about it!)

Maybe....

Maybe, just maybe things are actually coming together. Admittedly, I seem to be spending more money than I realised, but maybe and its just a maybe.... I am more organised than I thought I was......

Packing has been a bit of an issue, I'm trying to (as my friend put it) "be brutal" I'm not usually a girl who knows how to "travel light!" Also, how cold does it get in Africa at night?? Warm you would think....Apparently not....

I'm in London at the moment on the hunt for a visa, its more difficult than you would think. Firstly, there was the postal strike...Very inconvenient! It has meant I have had to take a few traumatic car and train journeys lately.......I nearly cried when I missed the train and had to have words with myself to regain composure! Secondly, the opening hours of all the High Commission's are really annoying, 10-12 to drop off your application, that's if you find the embassy in the first place.....I seem to have a knack of getting lost (even without the aid of Becca) Thirdly, you have to wait three days for it to be processed and can only collect your passport again between 2-3pm. Hence I'm stuck here till Friday!

Moaning aside, it has been interesting... So far I have been mistaken for my little brother's cleaner, met the world's most irritatingly vocal cat and have been to see where my brother is working now.....In an office with the most impressive cityscape EVER, you can't complain when you can see St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster and Canary Wharf from your office window! I'm not jealous... Honest!


Roll on the weekend and my leaving party! ;-)

Hmm.....I just bought a pair of Gore Tex walking shoes! Oops!

The African Adventure

For all my friends who keep asking me where I will be around Christmas this year, here is my itinerary for the Africa section.

Day 1 Nairobi (21st November 2009)

Prepare for an epic adventure.

Day 2 Lake Nakuru

Pitch in at the Kariandusi School Community Project and explore flamingo-filled Lake Nakuru.

Days 3-4 Eldoret/ Kampala

Camp in Kenya's green highlands.

Days 5-6 Kibale Forest National Park

Look out for playful chimpanzees gorging on figs. Hike beneath trees and listen out for the sound of overhead monkeys.

Day 7 Queen Elizabeth National Park

Try and spot hippos and fish eagles while cruising the Kazinga Channel.

Day 8 Lake Bunyonyi

Swim in the glistening lake or explore the waters in a dugout canoe.

Days 9-11 Gorilla Trek

Spend a magical hour with wild mountain gorillas.

Day 12 Lake Mburo

Walk through secluded acacia woods to spy antelope, crocodiles and waterbirds.

Days 13-14 Jinja

Camp at an exclusive riverside retreat near Bujagali Falls.

Days 15-16 Eldoret/ Nairobi

Visit Kenya's cheese capital.

Days 17-18 Mto Wa Mbu/ Karatu

Tour a Tanzanian village for a glimpse of farming life.

Days 19-20 Serengeti National Park

These legendary grasslands are a haven for the Big Five.

Day 21 Ngorongoro Crater/ Karatu

Photograph a wealth of wildlife in Africa's 'Garden of Eden'.

Day 22 Marangu

Visit a home for street kids. Experience Chagga village life on Kilimanjaro's slopes.

Days 23-24 Usambara Mountains

Meet friendly villagers and wander pristine forests in the Usambara Mountains.

Day 25 Dar es Salaam

Welcome to Tanzania's tropical port city.

Days 26-28 Zanzibar

Be enticed by spice plantations, cobbled bazaars and palm-fringed beaches.

Day 29 Dar es Salaam

Return to an idyllic beachside camp.

Days 30-31 Iringa/ Chitimba

Try to spot elephants, buffaloe and giraffes in Mikumi National Park's woodlands.

Days 32-33 Lake Malawi

Relax by this enormous, fish-filled lake.

Days 34-35 Luwawa Forest Lodge

(Christmas day)

Discover welcoming villages in the remote forests of Malawi's Viphya Mountains.

Days 36-37 Chipata/ Lusaka

Cross the Luanga River into Zambia.

Days 38-40 Livingstone/ Victoria Falls

Thrill to thunderous spray from one of the world's mightiest waterfalls.

Days 41-42 Chobe National Park

(New Years Eve)

Enjoy a rewarding Chobe River safari. Try to spot hippos, crocodiles and paddling elephants in the river's waters.

Days 43 Bagani Community Camp

Recharge in Namibia's peaceful Caprivi Strip.

Days 44-45 Okavango Delta

Ride a pole-propelled mokoro through lily-filled streams.

Days 46-48 San Bushmen Camp/ Gootfontein

Go tracking and gathering with the San Bushmen, who've lived in harmony with the desert for around 20,000 years.

Days 49-50 Etosha National Park

Nocturnal animals are easy to spot by the floodlit waterhole.

Days 51-52 Spitzkoppe

Experience awe among the beautiful rock formations decorated with ancient San paintings.

Days 53-54 Swakopmund

Admire olive-coloured Cape Cross seals. Get adventurous in an old German colonial town.

Days 55-56 Sesriem/ Sossusvlei

Scramble to the top of Namib Desert dunes. Soak up breathtaking sunrise views over a vast sandy sea.

Day 57 Fish River Canyon

Inspect iconic quiver trees and enjoy sunset panoramas over this enormous canyon.

Days 58-59 Orange River/ Western Cape

Relax by the Orange River's banks or choose a canoeing adventure downstream.

Day 60 Cape Town (19th January 2010)

This epic journey ends amid Cape Town's vineyards, townships and modern cityscape.

Next explore the Garden Route until the 3rd Feb, then Bangkok and Asia!

To the people I am yet to meet....

Remember in school when you had to stand up in class and say something about yourself in order to "break the ice" I am feeling that sense of dread now, that deep in the pit of your stomach dread that makes you feel nauseous, but I am also excited.........Are you?

I feel I should maybe introduce myself, I would really like us to be friends, to enjoy this trip of a lifetime together, even if we only spend two minutes together and never see each other again. I hope I leave a good impression.... My name is Dolly, I am a 28 (in October) year old Nurse from Manchester, England. Well, I say I am a nurse......I have given all that up recently because of the stress, observing the unhappiness of others I have worked with who have nursed for years, my own unhappiness and the lack of management support has driven me out. Therefore, I am returning to University in September to pursue another career but I don't know what that is yet. Maybe you will inspire me? Maybe I will inspire you? Who knows...

Maybe I am running away from something, maybe you are too? Maybe I will find what I need on this trip, maybe you will too?..... Yes, I am shy. Yes, I am reserved. Yes, I am a deep thinker. Yes, I am generally not a positive person. Yes, I have confidence issues.....but when I let my guard down, I am fun loving, caring, intelligent and funny ;-) Just a little warning though, I am the emotional type.....I cry at chick flicks, talk in my sleep, love a nice peaceful bath, I love my Friends and Family to bits and will probably miss them like crazy, so I will probably tell you that a bit to much.....I am way to honest about my feelings, maybe you're not?.....

I have never done things the right way round in my life, I stayed at home when everyone else went away to uni, when everyone else moved out, I stayed were I was waiting for something to happen. I got a job when everyone else went travelling, I remained single and planned to return to uni when everyone else was settling down......So this is the first time I have really been away from home.....

In my head I plan to be adventurous, outgoing and interesting... In reality I'm not sure this is the going to be the case.... I have travelled a bit, though I was 18 but I was so homesick and I couldn't wait to get home. I am the home comforts type, when we are going to be camping, I am unfit when we are going to be trekking....but I need I challenge, I am bored with the fact that I am standing still when everyone else is moving forward. I am wasting my life, when I want to live it to the full!....Maybe you can relate to that?

Apologies in advance for my short temper and obsessive cleanliness, but may I point out that I am also generous, a clear thinker, a peace maker, great in emergencies and your on hand medical professional ;-).....I really hope we become great friends and not just travel companions.....

My Nan says "Strangers are Friends you don't yet know" Here's hoping she is right ;-)

I look forward to meeting you soon,

Dolly x

My Itinerary...

Guess what?? I have my final itinerary (at last) I'm getting excited now!


I fly from London - Kenya - Uganda - Rwanda - Tanzania - Malawi - Zambia - Namibia - Botswana - South Africa - Thailand - Laos - Vietnam - Cambodia - Oz - LA - London!

Its all so crazy but I'm hoping it will be everything I want it to be and more! Going Gorilla Trekking & Volunteering in a School! Roll on November!

Next finalise flights and get my Visas!! ;-)

Decisions, Decisions....

So I have three options to include in my impending travels and I can't decide which one I want to do the most......

See the Gorilla's in Uganda,


Volunteer teaching in Cape Town,


Or Visit Beijing and Shanghai.



Anyone any ideas??......

I dunno......

Today was the day! The day I was supposed to go off on my travels....I was on Flight BA269 leaving in ten minutes. Hmm....don't know how I feel about that.

Do I regret postponing my flights until November? Dunno. Did I postpone it out of fear of the unknown? Dunno. Will I be homesick and want to come home? Dunno. Will I run out of money? Dunno. Will I be too quiet and not make any friends? Dunno. Will I be safe? Dunno. Will it be the best decision I have ever made and change my outlook on life forever? Dunno.

All I know is roll on November! ;-).......

Travelling "to do" list!

So after reading all the travel books in the world, I thought I would write down all the things they tell me I need to do or buy and tick them off in an effort to be organised.......It turned out to be a very long list! Some editing required methinks!....

Ticket:

• Confirm Dates.
• Confirm flights.
• Photocopy ticket.

Passport:

• Get new passport.
• Get new pictures and extras for visas.
• Photocopy passport.
• Memorizing passport number.

Visa:

• Get working Visa for Oz
• Check whether you need visas for different African countries.
• Get visa for Vietnam

Money:

• Arrange standing order to pay off minimum amount on credit card.
• Arrange for mum to have access to bank account (signatory).
• Check card expiry dates.
• Get STA card.
• Get American express credit card/US dollars
• Sign up for a credit card projection plan (make sure it covers aboard)
• Get contact number in case card is lost.
• Ask about opening oz bank account.
• Get money in small notes/travellers checks.
• Cancel unnecessary bills/cancel phone on the before the 26/09/09 need pay as you go travel Sim Card/New phone.

Car:

• Put family on the insurance.
• Check tax is in date/ Get mot/Get international driving licence
• Get mum to pay for the finance agreement.
• Check existing medical conditions covered.

Health:

• Get jabs.
• Get vaccination certificates/Yellow Fever Certificate.
• Have insurance contact number.
• Doctors letter x 2 plus prescription.
• Medication.
• Blood group.
• Medical Kit (see page 56 of career break book)
• Doctors letter as to contents of medical kit.
• Visit the dentist.

Work:

• Register in oz
• Get a job with an agency
• Get references.
• Update and take CV.

Equipment:

• Backpack.
• Daypack.
• Pad locks.
• Net for backpack.
• Mosquito Net and Spray.
• First aid kit.
• Toilet paper
• Inflatable pillow
• Water purification tablets.
• Fleece top.
• Waterproof jacket.
• Towel /Swimwear.
• 4 t shirts.
• Poncho
• Ear Plugs.
• Sun Hat.
• Sleeping bag.
• Shorts.
• 2 long trousers.
• 1 pair of hiking pants.
• Hiking/walking boots.
• Sandals.
• Sun Cream.
• Sun Glasses.
• Alarm Clock
• Water bottle.
• Clothes line.
• Calculator.
• Pocket knife.
• Sewing kit
• Duch Tape.
• Safety pins
• Travel cutlery
• Torch/Head torch.
• Money Belt.
• Underwear and Socks.
• Toiletries./Hairbrush.
• Camera/Writing/Reading/Painting Material.
• Ipod
• Binoculars.

A new perspective.....

Isn't it funny how the most random of people can make you see something you have been thinking a lot about in a new way. Today I was chatting away to a patient of mine about my travel plans, I was telling him I about my nerves etc, etc......When he suddenly asked "Why are you so worried? Home is only about 15 hours away from anywhere now" I hadn't thought about it that way.....Well done that man!....

Nervous? Hell yeah!

Its seems like everyone I meet lately is asking me the same question "When are you going on your travels" Now either they can't wait to get rid of me or they are excited for me......The thing is I have completely lost my nerve, so when people ask me about it, I don't come across as enthusiastic or excited, instead I am unsure and nervous.

Maybe it because I don't have my leaving date confirmed yet so I can't psych myself up. My travel agent seems to have forgotten I am alive, he had promised to "Get back to me" weeks ago but hasn't and everytime I ring he is "on a day off"....Do travel agents really have that many days off? Maybe I should be one?

Maybe I have lost my nerve because I feel so disorganised, I haven't sorted out my visas yet, I think I may end up spending the day in London queuing at the embassy doors! Oh no! I need a yellow fever certificate, all my vaccinations, a doctors letter, more money....loads more money, a backpack and all the stuff. I am still deciding about the lap top and phone, not sorted out any hostels yet, my mum is getting more stressed out by the day and it is getting ever nearer.....In short, I am Sh*tting myself!

Saying all that though I have moments of excitement, like when I saw my friends pictures of Zanzibar on facebook or when I saw a safari on the tv.....I have never been a "half full" kind of person, but I am trying to be......This trip is suppose to make me a better person, to allow me to see the world beyond Manchester, to become the free spirted, confident and outgoing person I have always wanted to be.

I have never done anything like this alone before, or been away from my family for so long, but even if I hate it and travelling isn't for me, I will not give in and come home. I am a strong person and I will experience it all.... The good and the bad. Here's hoping there is way, way more good than bad!

Why My Travel Agent Hates Me....

Remember me telling you about my love for my travel agent Rory??...When I first met him he commented on "What an easy customer I was"...... How wrong he was! I think I was probably agreeing to anything he said because of his smoldering good looks, but now I think I have turned into a nightmare.....You know the one..... The indecisive first time traveller with a stressed out mother! Oops! I feel the love affair could be over....

When I first went to STA Travel in February I had a female travel agent who was Japanese, a lovely lady but I couldn't understand her, so the second time I went in I took a friend and we saw "My Rory" He kept telling me the other travel agent "Would be free soon" but I asked if I could stay with him...He was a bit uncomfortable about stealing his work mates commission but eventually agreed.

At first I wanted to go to Oz, New Zealand, South America, and Africa. I had him on the phone to all these different overland tours and he happily booked me on them. The third time I went in I took my mother who was stressing out, seen as though she has never left the country and is convinced I am going to be murdered. She bombarded to poor guy with millions of questions...Eventually he explained what "local charges" were and it blew my budget so I had to cancel the South America section.....More messing for him, cancelling tours, working out new prices and changing my flight from Rio de Janerio to Auckland. (I was becoming a pain)

The fourth time I went in my mum had to come because she had a massive credit limit on her credit card and although I had the money in the bank I wanted security of payment on a credit card. Again she asked lots of questions.... all the while I kept elbowing her and muttering "Just give him the card!" Until eventually she handed it over......

Everyone was happy until I read in one of my hundreds of travel books under the heading "When not to go" and I quote "March: Rains soak your safari and make roads impassable" Not the best when you are in a truck on an overland tour! So yesterday I plucked up the courage to email him (because I was to chicken to speak to him directly) and told him that I wanted to change my tours, outbound dates and pretty much everything again! The poor guy... I'm sure he will end up putting me on that plane himself just to be sure that I have actually left the country!

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

Well its seems like it was only last week since it was the 2nd February....The day my friend and I braved the Manchester weather to go and book my around the world adventure! I'm sure it was the only day in the history of the city that it snowed! If I remember rightly I think Central London ground to a halt because there was a "bit of snow" on the tube tracks and my little brother spent the day making a “Snow Cock” outside his house in Birmingham, which was promptly stolen by some jealous/offended individuals!

Meanwhile my friend and I, hardened northerners as we are, were determined! Donning oversized coats, ugg boots and big red faces, we slid down Oxford Road together.....baby safely bundled under my friends arm.......(in case you were wondering, that’s the West Houghton way of child transportation!) Eventually we arrived at STA Travel, there I met my new love (for about half and hour) Rory the travel agent! Wooing me, with his words of far off lands, itineraries and travel insurance, I paid a disgusting amount of money (on my credit card) to live out a dream! Initially in my over excitement I planned to visit every country I could, until I realised I wasn't the money bags I thought I was and that “local payment” was in the very, very small print!

5 months on, with an ever changing itinerary and an endless list of “to do’s”. I begin my first blog! Behold!