The United Arab Emirates - Fujairah and Dubai (and a little bit of Oman & Home)

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Hello all,

This is my LAST entry! Phew. It should be a spectacular one but unfortunately it's not. Sorry 😊 I have tried to make these updates interesting to anyone reading them, but as I also use them to record everything I want to remember it can get a bit boring, because not everything I want to remember is interesting to other people. Anyway.....

Wednesday 15th September - Bangkok, Thailand to Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates continued.........
Muscat (the capital of Oman) airport is quite small so there is no tunnel to walk from the plane into the airport terminal. You have to walk down steps and onto a bus that drops you off. It was hot Hot HOT on the tarmac! The airport was very well organised; the signs were mostly in Arabic but everyone spoke really good English and was happy to help you out, telling you where to go. I didn't have a transit ticket (I asked several times before my flight and again at Bangkok airport but was told it wasn't possible) so had to get a Visa to enter Oman, even though I was only going to be there for 5 hours, all of which would be spent in the airport waiting for my flight to Oman. It was all very efficient, I queued to change money and pay for my Visa and then went to immigration. They were very nice but I got a bit worried there as they asked me a lot of questions. They wanted to know what I was doing in Oman (Me: to get a flight to Dubai, then in a few days to fly home), how long I was staying (Me: 5 hours), where I was staying (Me: I wasn't staying anywhere, as was leaving in 5 hours), was I on business (Me: no, I was flying straight to Dubai) and then when they finally realised I was flying to Dubai that afternoon why wasn't I staying longer (Me: because I don't have longer, but of course I would have liked to stay longer in Oman and will be back to visit another time). They let me in and I went to collect my bags. Whilst waiting I got a text from the British Foreign Office telling me to check their website urgently as the travel advice had changed. They also told me to register with their Locate service. I panicked for a minute as thought some international crisis must have occurred but when I checked the website (I did it straight away) I couldn't find anything urgent. The most recent update was to tell me that Ramadan had started; I already knew that. And I knew it was now over. I went straight through Customs and then back into Departures to check in for my flight to Dubai. I was really early but they were very nice and let me check in. I felt a little bit self conscious around the check in area I was the only Western woman in sight a lot of the time and all the other women were fully covered, even their faces. I was wearing an ankle length skirt and a top wit a cardi over to cover my arms but as that was too hot I soon went to change into my baggyish T-shirt so I could take my cardi off. I went back through Security, where there were more Western girls. They were mostly from my previous flight, waiting for connecting flights, and some were dressed in hotpants! I know we were in the airport but it was still Oman! I got a coffee at Costa and read the Muscat Daily, which was in English and quite interesting - a mix of local and international news, and politics and celebrity stuff - and was tempted by a Subway but resisted. I'd been fed on the plane after all. I spent the rest of my time on the free Wifi replying to emails, which was time consuming as I was on my phone. My thumb got a good workout! I also changed some money and was impressed with the guy working at Travelex as he told off the people who were trying to push in front of me. It was eventually time for my flight to Dubai so it was back onto a bus to get onto the plane.
I was flying with Oman Air again. It was a small plane, but very nice. The stewardesses were very stern and a little bit scary. We had a problem before take off........the captain came on to tell us that we were ready to take off, then a minute later came back on to tell us that all the airports in the United Arab Emirates (the UAE) had been closed, he didn't know why. I was wondering why too......and where I was going to stay if I couldn't get there! But I didn't dwell on it too much (not point worrying for no reason, is part of my new mindset) and 5 minutes later the pilot came back on to tell us that they'd everything was back open. They'd just had a radar fault (that's ok then....!) I had a window seat which was nice as I could see a bit of Oman when we took off (I wish I'd had my camera handy as there was a mixer plant down below). Oman looked very dry and barren and dusty. I don't think it's all like that though. The flight only took 45 minutes, following the coast from Oman to the UAE. They did have entertainment, but it was a Charlie Chaplin and I'm not into that. They also served some very nice sandwiches with a Bounty bar! We landed at Dubai; I found that airport more confusion. There were lots of helpful signs telling you where to go but they were all wrong, so there were airport employees telling you where you actually had to go. The queue for immigration was a bit like a maze, loads of ropes in a big grid which meant all the ropes created an illusion of being joined up, so you couldn't see where there were open entrances! The queuing system didn't work very well, there was no order so people were not being seen in turn. I had a girl behind me who kept asking me if it was the Business Class queue, as they "usually get priority". I think she wanted me to let her in front of me but as far as I could see you queued the same no matter what class you'd travelled in. I was not letting her get ahead! A woman and her two children did push past me though, they spotted a newly open desk before I did. I don't understand why queuing fairly is so hard for some nationalities! Whilst waiting the Call To Prayer was played out throughout the airport. I would have found it a bit scary if I hadn't known what it was. I expected the airport workers to stop what they were doing to pray as had heard that happened in some places, but not Dubai airport (think it's Soudi Arabia). I eventually got seen by an Emirati immigration girl, completely covered except for her face which was very elaborately made up. She was not friendly and didn't smile, and she stamped my passport over other stamps. Why don't immigration people stamp passports in a logical order?! Anyway, I am whinging. I got my bags quickly and headed out through Customs. I tried to get cash out from one ATM and my card wouldn't work! I thought Nationwide may have stopped my card as I was in the Middle East (it wasn't in my original plan to go there) but it turned out to that ATM as I tried another and it was OK. I got a taxi really easily, headed for the Union Street bus station. The taxi smelled nice and was driven by a really nice Egyptian guy. He's been in Dubai for 6 years but is planning on going back to Cairo next year. He had excellent English. He was the same age as me and we talked about our differing lives. I asked him if we were going to drive past the World's Tallest Building and he said we couldn't drive past it but could see it from the road we were on. He pointed in the direction of a lot of tall buildings, which were way off in the distance and covered in haze. I saw what I thought was it as it looked pretty tall and was a bit bigger than all the others. Then I realised that there was another shape to the left in the haze which was double the size! He dropped me off at the Union Street bus station so I could get the local bus to Fujairah, where my friend Kandy who I met on my trip between Bangkok and Hanoi lives. I saw the right bus and went to buy my ticket; they told me to run as it was just leaving so me and a local guy ran (easier said than done with all my bags!) to get the bus. We chased it round the car park and in the end the driver did stop but there was only one space so the other guy got on (he was there first). He did try to help me get on it as well but if there isn't a seat there isn't a seat. So I had to wait an hour. It was too hot to go anywhere so I just sat on the steps at the ticket kiosk; there were no actual seats. I was so so hot. A bus stopped in front of me for a while and I thought that was what was making it really hot, then 10 minutes later when the bus was gone I realised that it actually was that hot and what I thought was the heat of an engine was actually the heat bouncing off of the pavement! I got a lot of stares whilst waiting for that bus, had to keep my cardi on. The next bus arrived 45 minutes later and I happily got on and sat in the air conditioning. The front few rows are for women (they have women only taxis too), I got the front seat so had a good view. The driver was very nice and said he'd drop me off at Kandy's apartment building. We set off out of Dubai which looked interesting, there was a lot of building work going on......... The roads were big and wide and the driving a little bit crazy, as always! We pulled into another bus station and it made me happy (I know I'm daft) to see buses that were out of service with 'Break Time' on the front. I thought that was a nice way of putting it. As we moved out of Dubai we went through small neighbourhoods and past beautiful mosques, ending up on a 6 lane highway. The sunset was fascinating. The sun was obscured by haze which made it look different to how I've ever seen it before. It eventually turned deep red and made the sky go a really deep hazy orange colour. I tried to stay awake during the journey but when it got dark it was hard. A lot of people were asleep, but I needed to stay awake so I knew where to get off! I was the only Westerner on the bus. We passed through the Emirate of Sherjah, which I'd remembered reading earlier that alcohol was completely banned, you were not allowed to transport it through the Emirate and I had a can of Chang for Kandy and a bottle of Bacardi in my bags! We arrived in Fujairah two hours after leaving Dubai. I got off where Kandy lives with all my bags and started walking towards the building. A local guy slowed down coming past and put his window down so I could just see his eyes. I kept walking. He passed by again and I kept walking. And then on the third time I looked at him and he sort of nodded to me like it was a question so I ignored him. I actually felt like he thought I was a hooker! I luckily managed to cross the road and got on the opposide side to him before he came past the 4th time. When I told Kandy she said that there are Western hookers about so the guy could have got me confused! I was so excited to be seeing Kandy!!!!!! We'd had such a great time on her trip and I'd heard a lot about the apartment! I went round to the entrance of her building and she met me at the door so we had a hug with all my bags and then went up in the lift to the 31st floor. Kandy's apartment is really really lovely, it looks like it's out of a catalogue. I had my own room with a double bed AND a duvet AND my own bathroom with HOT water and a POWER shower! It was all so exciting! We had a quick catch up over a Club Soda (which I became a little bit addicted to whilst I was there) and then I had an amazing shower (it was the most powerful shower I'd had in months, and the first really hot shower since leaving Hannah and Anthony's in Brisbane) and then had a lovely Kandy made dinner of Tofu and roasted vegetables. We had a good chat and I had a look out at the cool view of Fujairah at night, then headed to bed at 10pm. I was so tired I just passed out.

Thursday 16th September - Fujairah
I was up at 9am and had the apartment to myself as Kandy was at work. I really didn't do much. I spent most of the day looking out of the window as I found the view fascinating. You could see the Indian Ocean in the distance and some mountains and I was very excited to see mixer trucks moving around the city. I also spent some time on the internet, reading, on the balcony (whilst I was out there the Call To Prayer started, it echoed around the city below, was really nice) and visited the shopping centre at the bottom of the tower. Kandy got home at half five so we had a good chat and an Indian takeaway (which was really nice and not like the takeaways we have at home) and watched Bricklane which is a very interesting film. Kandy has lived in Saudi Arabia and the UAE so we talked about what that was like, I found it really interesting. I went to bed at 11pm, I was still so tired!

Friday 17th September - Fujairah and Dubai
Friday is the Muslim Holy Day so Kandy had the day off and very kindly took me into Dubai to have a look around. We got the bus at midday from Fujairah and whilst waiting for it to set off had an interesting chap with an Egyptian guy who was at the bus stop. He was looking for a Western wife (we were both conveniently engaged) and wanted us to take his phone number as he thought we could help him. But, he already had a wife in Egypt (under Islamic law Muslim men are allowed more than one wife) and children. He told us that most important to him was looks, then body, then a good heart. It was interesting listening to his views. He wasn't a bad guy but I think he's going to have trouble finding a Western wife willing to share him with another wife! The journey into Dubai was nice, there isn't much scenery but what there is is interesting. There are lots of rocks, and lots of sand......... Kandy said there are a lot of camels (I saw some on another day's journey into Dubai) and the big high fences at the side of the road are to keep them off the road. Dubai is very different to Fujairah, a lot more built up and seemingly more modern. We got off at Deira and went to a Mall whilst waiting for the Metro to start up for the day (2pm on a Friday). The Mall was really nice and I got a nice dress from Banana Republic that Kandy spotted for me (by the end of the day I'd decided I should take her shopping with me more often, as she picked out some good stuff). We then headed out of the city centre on the Metro. The Dubai Metro is really new and looks it. The stations and trains are spotless. They are also very on time (as is everything in Dubai). We got some good views of the city, the views are mainly different types of buildings and lots of cranes (apparently Dubai has the most cranes in the world), as most of the buildings are not finished. The housing developments seemed to be placed in random places, just odd pockets of them. We went past the Burj Khalifa, the Worlds Tallest Building and I couldn't see the top from the Metro! We stopped at the Ibn Battuta Mall and had a look around there. The architecture was really interesting. Ibn Battuta was an Arabic explorer and the design of different parts of the Mall are based on the different places he went, for example there is a Chinese quarter and an Indian quarter. There was also the biggest New Look I have ever seen! It seemed a bit more expensive to shop there than it would in the UK when you converted the currency. There was also a big Debenhams! We headed back towards the city centre on the Metro, stopping at the Mall of the Emirates. They have an indoor ski slope in there (you can see the shape of it from outside); it's much bigger than the Milton Keynes one. It made me feel very wintry and Christmassy looking at it. The Mall of the Emirates is very different to the Ibn Battuta Mall, it's more spacious and brighter. I took a picture of a 'street' of designer shops. An Emirati couple were walking the 'street' and ended up in my picture. Kandy said that the guy could ask me to delete it. It's not illegal or anything but they don't like being in photos. I hadn't even realised they were in the photo, I don't like people I don't know being in my photos! We had lunch in the food court there; it was a nice big food court. There are restaurants at the bottom of the ski slope, one with a big curtain which non-Muslims go behind if they want alcohol. I saw an Oasis in the Mall, which I've not seen out of the UK before! After lunch we were back on the Metro, getting off at the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall. I don't think the Burj Khalifa is as structually stunning as the Petronas Towers but it is very impressive up close, because of it's height. It was originally going to be called the Burj Dubai, but because the Sheikh of Dubai ran out of funds the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi (who is the Sheikh of the whole of the UAE) had to help him out and renamed it the Burj Khalifa (the Abu Dhabi Sheikh is Sheikh Khalifa). We got on a bus to the Dubai Mall (it's a bit of a walk from the Metro station). I liked the Dubai Mall, it was very sparkly. We headed outside to see the fountain show, which was cool, and the Burj Khalifa all sparkly and lit up. Back in the Mall we went to see the Fountain which is pretty impressive when you consider that it's inside, and then to the indoor Ice Skating rink, which is also cool and then to the indoor Aquarium which has some BIG fish in it. And sharks. And what I think might have been a Manta Ray. And then a diver swam past! It was a bit surreal. I think that the Dubai Mall is my favourite. Kandy said that there isn't much for people who live in Dubai to do, other than go to the Malls. I don't think I'd like that, especially as I'm not a fan of shopping. Our last stop was Waitrose, the first Waitrose opened out of the UK, where Kandy stocked up on veg. There is a pork section in the Waitrose, with a sign saying non-Muslims only. I found that interesting, surely Muslims know they don't want to eat pork and therefore wouldn't buy it?! We got the bus back to the Metro and the Metro back to Union Street station to get the bus back to Fujairah. We were lucky as there was a bus there so we quickly got a ticket and got on. There were men in the ladies seats so the driver moved them back so we could sit down. But another two women moved forward to that seat. So the driver had to move another two men for Kandy and I to sit down. It's quite useful being a women in the UAE, you don't have to worry about where you are sitting on the bus! It took two hours to get back. Nothing eventful happened, other than the lady in front re-organising all her bags (all the rustling was a bit annoying) then getting told off for drinking a Pepsi on board (I felt for her then, there were no signs up). As soon as we got back I went straight to bed. I'm not sure I'd be able to live permanently on the 31st floor, I'd started having strange dreams about being so high up.

Saturday 18th September - Fujairah and Dubai
Saturday is the second day of the weekend in the UAE, so Kandy would normally be off, but she had to go into Dubai for a meeting and had already left when I woke up at 7.30am. I got straight out of bed, checked out some stuff online, showered and then headed out to the Fujairah bus station to get the bus into Dubai. I was quite proud of myself, flagging down a taxi to get there. I'd been feeling a bit uncomfortable in Dubai the day before, being so obviously dressed differently to (even though I was not dressed in a way they'd consider disrespectful to their culture, I hope) the Emirati women. That they were completely covered also unnerved me. I had a bit of a wait at the bus station, I was the only girl so got a few stares. And then an Emirati woman arrived with her husband. That was interesting as he seemed to beep and shout at her at one point for talking to some men. I think she was asking about tickets but her husband was waving madly at her to go to the ticket counter. I was at the front of the bus again, trying to do a bit of reading (I was reading Kandy's Eat, Pray, Love as I'd heard a lot about it, I found it hard going) but found it really difficult because the Emirati women behind was playing really loud Arabic music, it seemed to be prayer music. I don't get why people in Asian countries do that?! You'd never get away with playing your own music loud on a bus in the UK or Australia or New Zealand. I really wished I had my iPod with me that day. I think it was worse as I had a migraine niggling. I got into Dubai at 11am and was straight on the Metro at Union Street station headed for the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall stop. I'd decided I wanted to go up the Tallest Building In The World! As soon as I arrived at the Mall I headed to the 'At The Top' desks to get my ticket. I was hoping to pay the 100 Dirham (about £20) you could pay if you waited for a bit to get a time allocated ticket instead of the 400 Dirham you paid to go straight up and was in luck when they were doing a 'special promotion' where everyone could have the 100 Dirham ticket and go straight up (they'd been having problems with the lifts, i.e. people had got stuck, so I think it was an incentive to keep people going up). I had a bit of a problem with my card again, the chip didn't read and then when they tried again it declined as I expected (the same happened in South America, as soon as the chip fails and then it's swiped in another country it flags a fraud risk so can be stopped by the bank) so had to pay with cash. I rang Nationwide straight away and they told me they'd approved it twice, so had to go back and get all the receipts just in case I got charged twice (I haven't been, so far, modern technology!). I whizzed round the exhibition on the towers on the way to the lift......there were lots of interesting facts but uncharacteristically for me (and luckily for you!) I didn't write them all down. There were a lot of inspiring images of Dubai and the Sheikh accompanied by inspiring music (of the Planet Earth type) as you moved through the exhibition, designed to impress you I guess. I did get that there are 57 elevators, one of which I went up in. The observation deck is on the 124th floor and it took 1 minute to get there. The lift was very smart. As soon as I came out the lift I was directed out to the 'terrace', which goes around about a third of the observation deck. It feels like you're outside. I couldn't feel the building moving, like I could up the Empire State Building, but was aware that I was higher up in a building than I'd ever been. I thought you lost your perception of height at a certain point but I wasn't that high yet. There was a good view of Dubai, although it was very hazy, but if I'm honest I don't really think there is much to look at. It just looks like a big building site. I got a little bit excited when I saw an offshore development and even more excited when it turned out to be 'The World'. I spent about 10 minutes up there and then headed back down for something to eat. I had a nice fast food Mexican and then went in search of the beach. I'd asked a couple of the information people in the Dubai Mall how was best to get there and they told me (although I think now that I misheard them) that I should get the metro to the Mall of the Emirates and go from there. I did that and 15 minutes in and 40 Dirhams on a taxi later I was dropped at the Jumeirah Beach Park. You pay 5 Dirhams to access the public beach and park. The beach was nice, although seemed a bit fake. I think it was because it was SO bright. It reminded me of the beach and sea from The Truman Show (the film with Jim Carrey). I sat on the beach for a couple of hours, reading and watching the goings on. There were mostly Westerners in bikini's (you're allowed to wear a bikini on the public beach) although there were a couple of Muslim women completely covered. The Arabian sea was really warm, like hot bathwater. It was really windy and wavy. I left at about 5.30pm as I didn't want to be too late back to Kandy's. This time I got a taxi to the Dubai Mall metro which only took 5 minutes and cost 15 Dirham. I think the help people at the Dubai Mall were actually telling me to get a taxi from the Dubai Mall Metro station! Anyway, I got the Metro back to Union Street then had to wait for the bus back to Fujairah. I attracted an admirer there; a local man who kept moving around but all the time staring at me. When I got on the Fujairah bus he stood by the door staring, I was so glad he didn't get on. I slept on the journey back, because I had a really bad migraine. The lights from the streetlights and oncoming cars didn't help, nor did the perfume of the 3 girls sat near me. I was really puzzled as to where they were from. They all had exactly the same accents, they sounded French but they spoke English the whole time, very well and very quickly. So quickly that I couldn't make out what they were saying (I wasn't trying to listen, but they were really loud and I was so intrigued by where they were from). They were talking about their love lives which I found strange on an Emirati bus where everyone is very conservative (Kandy said I should have asked them, she thought they might be tourists staying in Fujairah). I felt so poorly when I got back to Fujairah that I went to get a Diet Coke (which helped a bit) and Kandy ordered me a Pizza Hut pizza (which also helped a bit). Kandy went to bed early and I tried to watch Bad Boys but felt so ill I had to go to bed. I passed out again.

Sunday 19th September - Fujairah
I was up at 9ish. I watched a very thought provoking film set in Iran and spent the rest of the day chilling out, a lot. I read a bit and went down to the shops and got a Greek Salad takeaway and read some more and packed (for the last time this trip!) and watched another thought provoking film set in South Africa called Skin. Kandy got home at 5.30pm and cooked us a nice dinner of pasta and roasted vegetables. We watched Pretty Woman and looked at the photos of Kandy's lovely house in the USA them chilled out some more. We read magazines with the TV on in the background. It was really nice. I got some nice photos of Fujairah at night. And then went to bed earlyish. I had to be up early for my journey home!

Monday 20th September - Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates to Oxford, the United Kingdon (aka home)
I was up at 5.30am, to get showered and get my stuff together and be downstairs for the taxi at 6.15am. I said bye to Kandy! I don't think I was with her long enough! I'd had a lovely relaxing, fun and interesting time with her in Fujairah. I will be back to visit Kandy, thank you 😊, you are a great host! Kandy's regular taxi driver took me to the airport, he was a nice man from Pakistan, had a wife and 3 children back there. I feel sorry for these families separated because the husband needs to leave home to find work. It took just over an hour to get to the airport. At check in I asked if they could issue me a boarding pass for my Muscat (I had to fly from Dubai back to Muscat to get my flight home) to London flight so I didn't have to go back through immigration and get another Oman Visa and they said they could which was good to hear. The lovely check in lady took ages to do it though, as the system was messed up because I'd changed the date of my Bangkok to Muscat flight. It felt really strange to be in possession of a boarding pass to London Heathrow, I felt a bit emotional. I got a few bits in the shops at Dubai, some chocolates to waste the money I had left over. There wasn't that much shopping in Terminal 1, I was surprised, I thought there'd be good shopping in Dubai airport. The flight from Dubai to Muscat was quick. It was a relief not to have to go and collect my bags in Oman and check in again. I had a 3 hour wait in Muscat airport. I was so tired and really wanted to sleep (had a migraine again) but didn't trust myself to wake up in time for my flight. So I spent time on the Wifi again replying to email, and spending a small fortune on magazines (apparently I had too little Omanian money to change into £s, so I thought I might as well spend it). We got onto the huge plane by bus, it's a climb up those stairs! I was sat next to a lovely young girl who was on her way to London to start University. She was Afghan and had been living in Oman for 5 years, having previously lived in the United Kingdom. We enjoyed the flight. We had the odd chat and a bit of film watching (The Rebound and Law Abiding Citizen for me) and a bit of TV watching (I watched the rest of Gavin & Stacey Season 1, I got my nice neighbour watching it too!). I was tired but couldn't sleep. I don't mind these long journeys now but this one seemed to take ages. Typically, as soon as we came over England it got cloudy! And we had to circle around Heathrow for ages. And then we came down over London and we landed and just under 9 months after I'd left I was back in the UK! I think London Heathrow is the worst airport I've ever flown into. You always have to circle before landing, the walk to get to immigration is ridiculous, it must be a couple of miles. The queue for immigration is ridiculous. The walk to the baggage hall is another trek. And you have to wait a long time for your bags (at least it's not as bad as Gatwick though, have waited 2 hours twice there). I guess it is up there with the busiest in the world though. My friend got her bags first, she was going to wait for me but I told her to go on ahead as a taxi was picking her up. Bless her, she was lovely, I wished her luck. As soon as I'd got my bags I headed on through Customs and out the gate to look for my Mum & Dad! I was so happy to spot them! They hadn't changed and were looking really good. I thought for a minute about crying then stopped myself, I've gotten good at controlling it. We headed out of the airport which was a mission; why they have lifts that only go up one floor at a time I don't know! As we walked back to the car my Mum told me about an incident they'd had with a pothole on the way to the airport, which had meant a flat tyre and wheel change. We checked the tyres before leaving and heading out of the airport.
But, all was not to go to plan. As we drove out of Heathrow and got on the feeder road for the M4 we felt the telltale bumping of a flat tyre and had to pull over on the hard shoulder. The back tyre was flat this time. I hate sitting on the hard shoulder on a motorway. I wanted to get out but there wasn't anywhere to get out too. I rang the breakdown people who were a bit funny at first as they said it was our responsibility to carry a spare wheel. I totally agree and explained that we did have a spare wheel but it was already on the car. We couldn't stop where we were so Dad put some air in the offending tyre and we moved off, onto the M4 coming straight off at Slough, intending to find somewhere to stop and tell the breakdown people to come to. It was a nightmare though. I think they must have decided to dig up every road in Slough that night! It took us 45 minutes to get through the town (Dad decided not to wait for the breakdown, was hoping we'd get home with a few stops to blow up the tyre) and it was a little bit stressful for my Dad. He was going 'spare'. LOL! I text Georgina that without realising until she pointed out the pun! He just wanted to get me home quickly. To be honest though, I didn't mind. I'd been in worse situations. It just shows the excitement doesn't end when you're back in the UK! We went the back way home and eventually got back after 3 1/2 hours. It should have taken 1 1/2 hours at most. It was really nice to be back, everything felt the same. I remembered how everything worked. I had a lovely shower and some cheese and biscuits and a glass of wine then went to bed. I was so tired and slept!



Sooooooooooooo, that's it. I'm home! I'm not totally certain about how I'm feeling about it all so am not going to write too much about it but I am happy about it. I was craving a break from the constant moving around and was desperate to see my family and friends. I also knew though that I'd miss the freedom and spending so much time with lovely people like Lyndsey and Laura, who I am desperately missing. I have had an amazing 8 and a half months, seen so many fanstastic things and had so many life-changing experiences. And most important I've met a lot of amazing people, who have really made my trip. And some of who are now friends for life. I've changed whilst I've been away. I'm still me but happier. I feel different in a very good way. I just have to keep up with the positivity which might be a bit difficult when the cold and dark nights set in (why come back to the UK as we approach winter!), but I'll try!





I am currently thoroughly enjoying and getting excited about seeing everyone. I've missed my Mum and Dad very much and am looking forward to spending time with them. I'm so grateful for them for giving me the life skills to get out into the world and do something like this, and so proud of them for managing without me 😉 It's a shame Maff isn't here, but them I'm pleased he's continuing his trip with Em and it'll be a lovely Christmas present when they come home on Christmas Eve! And of course I'm seeing all my lovely friends. Gemma came round to see me the morning after I came back and we had a tearful reunion. It wasn't long enough though Gem so I'd best see you for longer soon so we can have a proper chat! And I had a quick visit with Jonny, Bear and Greg the next day which was nice. I'm looking forward to some trips to the pub with them. And my lovely Georgina the next evening which was so nice. Poor Georgina though; I don't stop talking when I'm with her. I'm very impressed with the progress her and Simon have made on the house. And then next day I went to visit my Drew, who is so so special to me and has been so good to me during my whole trip. You really can feel love and support from thousands of miles away. I'd craved a Drew dinner a lot of times (Drew can make anything taste amazing, even if he's only got a hostel kitchen and cheap food to work with) and he cooked me a lovely Mushroom Risotto. I told him I was a bit disappointed though, that he actually gave me ready made garlic bread! There was no need, Drew does a lovely garlic bread of his own. It was as bad as my Mum trying to palm off a Millet's made Cottage Pie on me!!! And I'm looking forward to seeing Vixy, Louli and Joanne very soon. And everyone else in the village. And my work friends. And so many other people. I'm very lucky to have so many nice friends. It's brilliant just being able to pick up the phone and ring and text people without thinking about time differences and the cost! So sorry y'all, you might get a lot of calls and texts over the next few weeks! I've now got the challenge though of keeping up with my friends in other countries........Skype at 1am with Laura in Sydney was really cool! I got almost as excited about her plans as I would have had they been mine! Anyway, I'm rambling again. I'm off now, until the next time..........

Thank you for reading 😊

Xx

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