The adventure has begun:)

I have always been so unlucky whenever travelling before, but this trip so far has been one lucky break after another :=)

I got to Oslo Airport Gardemoen with flat battery on both my Pc and mobile, a backpack that weighed toooooooooooooo much for comfort.

I checked in, and the women at the check in desk weighed my bag, looked at me for a moment, and i assumed she was trying to find a nice way of telling me how much the extra kilo's were going to damage my future economy, but instead she winked at me and said it was ok:) I was so relevied, and off to a good start.

Once i had passed through security without the usual hitches, i was thinking it was too good to be true. Beeing the clever blond that i am, i charmed the staff at one of the gates to let me charge my mobile and pc there. So just as i am thinking that my luck is never ending on this trip, i hear over the speakers that my flight is delsyed.................. oh no i though! HERE WE GO AGAIN! So there i am sinking into my thoughts of negativity about Murphy's law being my most faithfull companion (Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible time), i fid out the delay is only 20 minutes, so i will not miss my other flight from Frankfurt.

Once safely on the plane seeing Norway's beutiful scenery below me for the last time in a long time, I had the luckbeeing seated next to another adventurer and a true gentleman, who was the perfect conversation partner for the duration of the flight. The flight had no sooner taken off before it landed again in Frankfurt, but due to good company and good advice hours felt like minutes :)

Arriving in Frankfurt is always confusing and dissorientating due to the lay out of the airport, but i had prepared myself and found out that the transfer counter was close by my arrival gate and i did not have to go through customs and passport control as all my luggage was checked through all the way. Well it came as no suprise to find the transfer counters all closed for the evening........ So i went through the passport control, and searched for flight information for my next flight, i couldn't even see my flight on there, and felt the panic strike me once again........ I started walking around to ask someone, and found a gate nearby with a man in uniform, but the gate was closed and empty. I asked if he could check my flight for me and which gate, and when i told him my destination, he smiled and said "you've come to the right place", they just hadn't opend yet:). I had walked straight to he gate for Santo Domingo, so my faith in destiny and miracles has returned.

Once on the flight i sat down and realised my jacket had been lost!!! I ran back to the gate, and thankfully found it there. Safely back in my seat, the man who was seated next to me arrived, and did not look happy! I asked him if i was sitting in his seat, but thankfully that was not the problem. We were seated on an emergency exit, with another one behind us, so we had no leg room, and could not ajust the seats at all. Just as i was thinkign just my luck, the man next to me called the flight attendant over and told her he had paid extra for an XL seat with extra leg space, and ajustable seat,and before i knew what had happend, i too had the XL seat :) She thought i was his partner and moved me too:) HOW LUCKY AM I ! He was a german living on and off in Santo domingo, so again i had a great trip with good conversation, plenty of laughs, good advice and a oh so very comfortable seat:) He helped me though immigation, helped me with my luggage, and accompanied me to the taxi stand. Another true gentleman!

I got into a cab, and beleive me when i say this, the quality of cars here is not like in Europe........... Most of the windows broken, parts of the car falling off, setas all broken, and not very clean, but yet charming. As i arrived at 4 in the morning it felt a little daunting driving around a dark city where they drive like madmen, with a man i didn't know. He suddenly pulled of the main road into an even darker area, and my heart started racing......... For a minute or two my imagination ran wild, and i could see myself kidnapped, killed and all sorts..... But we were only stopping for petrol. So he asked me to give him money. I thought to myself that if i gave him the oney then, he would have no motive to take me safely to my hostel, but he did, and he was a very nice man. He refused to leave before i was secure inside the hostel. It is not very safe in this city for a girl by herself in the middle of the night, so i am forever greatfull to him :)

Once safely inside the hostel premises, the nigh guard took my big bag and carried it on his shoulder all the way to the 4th floor for me, and opend my room. It was a large room, with a cumfy double bed, a desk, a huge wardrobe and a bathroom with whower and hot water. What more can a girl ask for. Once showered, "unpacked", and all my stuff locked awayinto the cupboard, i crawled into bed.

As i layed there in the dark trying to get used to the heat and high humidity, a big smile of contentment spread across my face, and i knew i had made the right choice of embarking on this adventure.

So far 5 lessons have been learnt;
1) Never fear the unknown
2) Never be afraid of asking
3) Never loose faith
4) Gentleman still exist
5) Life is what you make it

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