Quick hi

Hi everyone, me and Lauren will be updating our blog after the NEW YEAR. We are in Morocco at the moment busy riding camels in the desert and taking lots of photos. We wish everyone a happy holiday and a New Year. Trust me lots of interesting stories tell.

Here's a copy of an email I just sent to my mother....should sum things up nicely for you....

Hi Mama,

Not in the mood to write much, but wanted to keep you posted so you know I'm okay. This keyboard I'm typing on is retarded....I have to practically punch the bloody space bar to make spaces between my words (extra annoying). Trev and I have been holed up in our little freezing cold apartment in Lagos trying to get better (we're sick as dogs) and getting nowhere. Due to cabin fever we've ventured out today (and with only 4 tv channels, all in Portuguese, we've gotten extremely bored). You wouldn't believe what it took for us to get here....I think we were doomed from the start. The night before we had our 6:40am plane ride to Faro, we stayed with Franco. Mistake #1. Mistake #2 was listening to Franco when he suggested that because our flight was so early, that we go out drinking instead of going to bed early. It turns out we (drunk and all) missed our bus to take us to Victoria Station where the train would take us to Gatwick. Then, with backpacks on our back (and remember...drunk and now sleep deprived too), we hopped in a cab to take us to Victoria Station to take the train to the airport. Just as we pulled up outside the station, I realized that I'd forgotten to bring the Number 1 thing on every travellers list....you guessed it! My passport! By this time, Trev and I were at eachother's throats and this really didn't help matters much. So Trev told the driver to go back to where he picked us up (by this point the meter was at 17 pounds - $34). We phoned Franco on the way and told him to grab my passport, and our travel insurance forms (which we forgot in our drunken stupor as well) and to meet us outside with it. At this point Trev asked the cabbie how much it would cost to just take us to the airport and the cabbie said...in his British accent "well with all your mucking about...140 pounds!" So that was not an option....Finally we somehow made it to the airport and then came within 5-10 minutes of missing the plane. We were running to the gate while I was noticing that my pants fall down while I run, so I've got one hand holding my purse and the other holding my pants up, 'cause as funny as it would've been for everyone but me, I wasn't willing to give Trevor the satisfaction of telling everyone the story of the time I was running to the gate and by the time I got there my pants were around my ankles. So we eventually made it here. And it's friggin' cold and raining and that's how we have gotten sick. We're taking the bus to Seville, Spain on Friday and then we're there over the weekend. I'll write to you from Seville to let you know how things are....

I miss you much! And love you LOTS! And have to sarcastically "Thank You" for spoiling me with the Skylofts.....everywhere I stay now is that much more of a shithole because of it ;)
ah well...at least I have the smell of the lotion,shampoo and conditioner to get me through the dirty showers I'll be experiencing for the next while....

Please write soon,
Love,
Lauren

FINALLY! In London!!

I am SO long overdue for an update. Well we're finally here....at last.....seemed like a dream before but it's definitely real now. The reality of backpacking is that it's hard....and I possibly forgot how hard it is. But I remember it being worth it, so that's good. It took every ounce of energy in Trev and I this morning to find our way to our hostel. After a flight where we both got little sleep and ate crappy food, we were both in a bit of a state when we finally got to the airport baggage, only to realize that our backpacks are really heavy...especially in combination with our heavy carry-ons. Oh well, I remember feeling the same way when my best friend, Kara, and I arrived in Amsterdam to start our backpacking trip. After awhile you get used to carrying around the pack....I just don't remember how long it takes, but I hope it happens soon :).

So the flight was crap (but I guess you get what you pay for). Air Transat is just fine for short flights to the Caribbean, and for those of you that have flown them there, imagine flying the exact same way, double the time, to here...London. It was bad...very cramped and it takes really bad food for me to say it's crap. The flight attendants weren't especially nice either. If I could do it over, I'd probably spend a bit extra to feel a lot better than I did this morning when we got here. Then trying to find your way around the London transport system with all the luggage on no sleep was a mission in itself....but we friggin' did it! Thank God! The worst is over :)

The hostel is located by Swiss Cottage Station in London. It's a pretty big hostel with a cool bunk bed setup I haven't seen before (I'll take pics), but they nickel & dime you for everything in hostels this big (usually). But other than that, it's clean, which is numero uno on my watch. And we should be getting everything we need sorted out in the next couple of days before we go to PORTUGAL - YAY!!!

I'll keep you posted :)

Lolly