Final log…
14 December 2006
A little bit strange to be sitting around sweating while people put up Christmas decorations and plastic Santa's. Funny experience when a group of kids came by singing what could only be a Christmas carol, carrying a Mother Mary poster, and a twig wrapped in tinsel while 2 boys attempted a tap dance, I tried not to laugh, honest.
Tulum (East coast of Mexico) is a very nice place, not much to do in town, but daily trips down to the really long white sandy beach and the ruins there were worth it all. The ruins were quite nice although highly managed and full of huge groups of American tourists on day trip from Cancun, but the stand out factor was that they were fronted on to the cliff edge that led down to the beach which was quite cool. A group of Aussie guys moved into my dorm so we spent the next few days drinking excess rum and playing drinking games, painful. Me and team Holland took a bus to Coba to the ruins there which was a nice day out and a productive day sweating out the rum from the night before. I had some valuable Dutch lessons, but more swear words than anything useful.
Off to Playa Del Carmen, and although its very touristy, its quite a nice break point and lots of good places to go out in the evenings. Lots of travellers coming to the end of their trip, so its chaos and more drunken nights. Really funny as there are a lot of very nice looking Latinos with nice bodies out too and all try to make me twirl like an experienced salsa dancer, luckily they seem to count when building up to bending me backwards, so I have some warning!! The weather has been really up and down recently but still weird to be December and I’m sweating all day!
Really looking forward to going home now, especially seeing as my family (except my sister - who is collecting me from the airport) do not know that I arrive home on the 19th, they all think I’m back on the 23rd, so I cant wait to knock on their doors!!
I'm coming home! (A day more here then I fly to LA for 2 days before flying home, British Airways no less, I’ll be trying for an upgrade!)
I've had an absolute blast this year, most of you who can be bothered to keep in contact will know this.. (cheers to those who didn't!).
Many countries were visited: Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, West coast of North America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize.
Many sight seeing days, drunken nights and several brain cells killed. Highlights have to be the full moon party and scuba diving in Thailand, Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia, the crazy boat trip up the Mekong in Vietnam, Fraser Island in Australia, all of New Zealand (the extreme activities and the people), Mexican food, and Guatemala in general (great place)...so many highlights.
Low times would definitely be losing my camera on my 2nd day of travels on my birthday in Bangkok, eating too much happy pizza in Cambodia, getting robbed in Singapore, not sure whether my bungy jump in NZ was a highlight or low!? Plus various relatively minor travel and journey disasters, fires, missing baggage etc.
I've met some totally great people on the way too and will hopefully keep in contact with you all.
What I have missed:
My friends and family from home
Indian food (you can't get good Indian food outside England)
Home cooked food...and all other food
My bed and clothes in a wardrobe not a bag
What I have not missed:
The weather
Expensive nights out
Routine and having to work
Well, that's it folks, no more extremely lengthy emails, you'll have to take up Solitaire to fill dull moments at work from now on!
See you soon, Love Fi xx
