More Than Meets the Eye

I have just realised that I didn’t post any pics of my holiday in Egypt. I don’t mean ones of the beach or our lovely hotel, oh no. I mean the pics of the towel animals left for us daily on our return to the room. How could I forget? So here they are. You’re welcome.

The first of them, quite innocent and very thoughtful, a swan in a heart with rose petals. Awww.

But the next day we came back to this…the Man/Rabbit. I appreciate the time taken to draw the face on toilet paper, but it could be seen as bit threatening, like a horse head in your bed. Were we not tipping enough?

After the man/rabbit, this is my favourite. A swan (with arms) relaxes in bed with something to read, the TV remote next to it in case it needs something else to entertain it. The telly was on when we got back to the room…

Yoga swan?

The rest were more variations of swan/flower petals. None of them were repeated during our stay, so I wonder how many they are taught before you get one you’ve seen already. And how long does it take to perfect them? I loved them anyway. I am disappointed that there are no towel animals awaiting me when I come home from work.

Walk Like an Egyptian*

Yo, I am in Egypt! It is very lovely. I do not want to come home. But I will, at some point. But not today! Today has been much like the day before and the day before that, either sitting around the pool or on the beach, reading my book or playing Angry Birds on Max’s itouch. We know how to live it large.

We landed on Saturday night, quite late, and didn’t escape the airport until almost 1 am, because some poor chaps were kept in immigration for about an hour. They don’t like Chinese here? Eventually they were freed and we were all allowed to leave and head for the hotel. But the long wait did give me the opportunity to prove Max wrong, something I always relish. He had mocked me somewhat when I asked before we left England if he wanted to get snacks for the plane. Nah, he’d be fine, what you want snacks for? Hah! Who wanted snacks when we were trapped on a coach for ages hmm? Who wanted my pringles and chocolate digestives then?

We managed to be the first ones off the coach when we got to the hotel and so the first to check in and get to our lovely air conditioned room and crash out for the night. We made it in time for breakfast the next morning although felt like death, then sat by the pool a bit before a meeting with our holiday rep to tell us all about the place and trips we could go on. There is not much to do in Taba itself, it is basically lots of posh hotels next to beaches to bring in tourism, and therefore jobs, so people will move out of the overpopulated cities and come here. We are right on the border of Israel. I think I can see it from the hotel room. I could happily wander across it and through security, though I would have to pay to get back in. We were warned if going to maybe not get the stamp in our passport, as it can cause problems in other countries. I would quite like an Israel stamp, if I were going, and frankly, what are the chances of me going to Iraq? Oh and in Taba you can see three countries from one spot. There’s Israel, Jordan…and another one. Brain freeze. I am also a bit miffed since I was excited to come to Egypt as I hadn’t been to Africa before, new continent and all that. Yeah, I still haven’t been to Africa as I am in the part of Egypt that’s in Asia. Grumble.

There are lots of tours that we could do, including Jerusalem and Cairo, but they all involve getting up at the crack of dawn and sitting on a coach for hours (5 there and back for Cairo) which does not sound very relaxing to me. Plus, if I wanted to see Cairo I would do it properly.

Some other highlights include:

- Wondering every day what animal-shaped towel will await us in our room. Day one was a lovely swan/heart combo with rose petals. Day two was a rather terrifying man/rabbit, with a toiletpaper face. I will post a picture when I am home. Today’s was a duck/swan, sitting up in bed reading, with the remote next to him and the telly on. I think he’d been having a lovely time before we got there.

- Trying to figure out what the godawful cover songs are that play on loop in the hotel. We’ve had Nirvana’s Come as You Are, something I think was originally by Kim Wilde, Moloko Sing it Back, all done in weird soft tempo elevator music style.

- It took me longer than it should have to realise no women work here, when you’d think I’d have twigged earlier. Also, there seems to be some sort of attractiveness scale when hiring, either that or all Egyptian men are hot, because I have yet to see an unattractive one.

- Trying not to kneecap people who don’t know how to queue. How hard is it people? You just don’t butt in!!

- Swimming in the sea. We’ll probably go snorkelling at some point. The water is beautiful and clear. Also, the weather is not too hot. I mean, it is, but there’s also a lovely breeze so I am not dying.

- Being amused by Max’s one man mission not to burn. I had thought he was like me, very pale and needs to be careful, but he is so much worse. He only has to stick his nose out from the shade for two minutes and he starts going red, no matter what factor sun cream he has on. It’s his delicate Irish skin. I have the best photo of him sitting under the umbrella with his head wrapped in a scarf, but he won’t let me post it, on pain of death. Spoil sport. I won’t be coming home with a tan though, or any colour at all I imagine. I am in the shade most of the time.

Anyway, this has gone on far too long, so if you skipped all that just know I am having a very lovely time.

*Sorry but it had to be done

I Survived Dragon Con

I thought I should mention it, just in case there’s anyone out there who doesn’t think I’m enough of a geek already.

So yeah, I happened to find myself in Atlanta while Dragon Con was on, and with a bit of persuading got the family to go with me. Saturday morning we made our way into the city, and found parking and boggled at all the people dressed up. And then we went to get in line to buy our passes, which went down the side of one building…and around the other…and the other, and almost back on itself. Oh my god. We queued for two hours and I must say, everyone in line was very lovely and chatty and it didn’t seem so bad until we got inside, where it was hot and the poor people in the credit card line were sandwiched in like sardines. It looked unpleasant. I hate badly organised things! I think two guys were in charge of taking money and giving out passes. Two!! By the time we got there they were basically throwing the passes at people to get them out more quickly.

Anyway, that’s the bad stuff. The good stuff is the costumes, people really go to town. And the walk of fame. James Marsters! BSG peeps! Harry Potter fangirls killing themselves to get to Draco Malfoy. I did not, however, so much as glimpse William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy. I understand keeping them away from the main room, because they’d be mobbed constantly, but if you wanted to meet them and get a photo, you had to pay another $75. EACH!! Hell to the no. I am not playing that game.

Mary McDonnell spoke to me. She said ‘NO PICTURES!’ and looked cross while I slunk off totally embarrassed, but she spoke to me.

The best thing, the utter utter best thing, was meeting Michael Biehn. Yeah yeah ‘Who?’ but this guy is in two of my all time favourite films. It was a big deal. I broke my own rule of not talking to famous people and queued up for an hour to meet him, and forked over 20 bucks for a photo. It was worth it. He is lovely. And I sat next to him for my photo and he put his arm around me. KYLE REESE PUT HIS ARM AROUND ME!!!! Corporal Hicks put HIS ARM AROUND ME!!! I was a total dork, as usual. He was being so nice and talking to me and asking me stuff and I was like a zombie. He asked about London, as Sam said I was going back the next day, and he was talking about how he’d lived in Chelsea when they were filming Aliens. He asked if I was a student. ‘Er….no…no, I’m not…I’m…er….working.’ OH MY GOD! Say something interesting! Say something amusing! Say ANYTHING! Think of all the stuff I could have asked him about, and yet my mind was a total blank. There was nothing going on there, other than ‘Please let me get out of this without embarrassing myself too much. Please. Please!’ I did ok, and I got a photo, which I will kindly share with you even though I look awful:

That there is the face of a shell shocked Carrie. A shell shocked Carrie with humidity ravaged hair.

Anyway, those are the highlights. After the con we went to CNN for a behind the scenes tour, and I managed to stumble onto national tv. As you do. Jenny took us around her work, and then upstairs to the national bit, where some bloke was reading the news. As we were walking back, I forgot about the dude and strolled into his background shot, then realised I had done so and backed up, with a very surprised look on my face. Had I just kept walking I would have been fine, just some nerd in the newsroom. But no. Deer caught in headlights. Awesome. Jenny played it back for us and yep, there’s me, going live across the nation.

We Have Sun!!

I have to say, with all my moaning about the heat the other day, Atlanta was being lame with the weather. Just rain rain rain. But now we have sun! I guess the weather gods heard me. I can now fully enjoy the sunshine, from my fully airconditioned vantage point of course.

I am in love with Olive Garden. That is total Carrie food heaven right there. They keep bringing you free stuff! How do they make any money?! I have three words for you: Neverending Pasta Bowl. Whoa. And you can just bring another serving home with you. It blows my mind, honestly. I need one in London asap! And an Old Navy too, since I just spent a good chunk of money there this afternoon.

Then I went off to the aquarium and I spent a couple of hours in there. Sam doesn’t like fish so didn’t come with. It’s an impressive place, and really quiet since it was a week day. I liked the Beluga Whales best. Nico the male needs to impregnate the ladies. He was proper showing off to us all. They look like they’re smiling. And there’s the HUGE tank with the Whale Sharks and massive rays and the Jaws 3D-esque underwater tunnel. I was very happy wandering round. Oh and they force you to have your photo taken as you go in, and if I could be bothered I’d post it here. As usual I look dorky.

Ooh! And I found my fave Pepperidge Farm cookies. Today was a very good day.

I am sitting on a book review, and I really should write it up, seeing as the longer I go the more I forget, but I’m on holiday, I don’t want to!!

Paddle Faster, I Hear Banjos

Today I have been in the deep dark depths of Atlanta’s back country. Well, probably not really, but it felt like it. The title of this post is from t shirts you can buy, so at least they poke fun at themselves. I woke up at 9 this morning, (after a kick ass Terminator dream) much more civilised, and we headed out in the rain. Yesterday the storms here were amazing. I sat outside on the deck and drank tea while rain poured down around me and thunder shook the ground.

We went to Dahlonega and got there about midday. We had lunch first at the Picnic Cafe. What do they put in the food here? It was so tasty. I had egg salad, and they put apple in it! Which I would never do in a million years but it was grand. And also some sort of tomato bisque/soup thing that rocked my world. We then walked around the square for a bit and went in the shops looking at mad things for sale. What the hell is apple butter? And why can’t they just sell jam? Why must it be jam and jelly and preserves? Pick one! Dahlonega is where gold was first discovered in the US, but alas, the gold museum was not open. Puh. After I’d bought fudge and Sam had tormented the chocolate making lady we left and headed to Amicalola Falls and onto roads where no man has gone before. So it seemed. There was nohing on the sat nav even. I asked Sam ‘There aren’t bears in Georgia, are there?’ ‘Yeah’. ‘Huh.’ We tried to decide, should the car break down, just which house we’d like to go to for help. Not that you see many houses, jut mail boxes with very long drives leading into the woods. I didn’t see bears, but I did see an eagle sitting on a fence post. Probably waiting for roadkill, of which there is lots.

We made it to the falls and a nice man told us which trail to take. We didn’t walk, puh, no way, we drove up. Although first I visited the porta loo and jumped back with a shriek when I opened the door to find the world’s largest spider hanging in its web, chillin. You know, the kind that bites you and your arm swells up and drops off. Yeesh.

The falls were very picturesque, but I don’t like at all the spiderwebs wrapped around tree branches. That’s just not right.

Hmm, what else? Last night we watched P.S I Love You, and even though I’d read the book and thought it was utter shite, and I’d heard terrible things about the film, it wasn’t actually that bad. Mainly because Jeffrey Dean Morgan is in it I think, though not for long enough. Also, I do hate Gerard Butler, so it was hard to care that he died of a brain tumour. And his Irish accent was TERRIBLE! When it first started I thought maybe he was being American, but no. Awful. Oh, and this morning I watched more Cribs and can tell you 50 Cent’s house is also disgusting. It has about 30 bedrooms and 40 bathrooms and looks like a hotel. Hardly any furniture and not homely at all. Yuck.

Ho Ho Holy Crap is it Hot in Here

I made it to Atlanta safe and sound. It was 83 degrees here yesterday. I am sure that’s nothing for Atlanta, but for me it’s TOO HOT! Especially when I’m out in direct sunlight, (I’m a vampire) but I’ll get to that.

My flight was all right, although it felt way too long. Partly because we were held in a queue on the runway for over an hour. Well fed up. But I’d checked in online the day before, obsessively refreshing the page until it opened, and bagged a great seat at the front of economy, in an exit row. Ah leg room, I did not know you existed on planes. (Of course, if you get leg room the universe decides to hand you three screaming babies, so it all works out in the end.) I was a bit confused at first though. Where was my tv screen? Would it come down from above like they do sometimes? And how about my tray? How am I going to eat?! Oh my god. Huh yeah. The screen comes up from beneath your seat. Ooooh. And the tray is in a go-go-Gadget compartment. I was all happy with the on demand entertainment, until I realised it wasn’t working and they had to reset the system. I think every time I’ve flown BA they’ve had issues with their systems. So they did that and it still wasn’t working, you could watch films playing but you couldn’t choose when to watch it. So I was pissed off about missing the beinning of Star Trek, but just about over it when they turned the system off again for 20 minutes. Argh! It was sorted in the end and I got to watch the film from the beginning.

I then watched an episode of The Big Bang Theory and a Dara O’Briain comedy show. I laugh A LOT at that, so much that one of the kids sitting across the aisle from me was hanging over the edge of his seat watching me for the whole thing. I am fascinating. Also watched Monsters Vs Aliens which was ok, bu didn’t make me laugh that much. I considered 17 Again and Ghosts of Girlfriend’s Past but decided neither was that appealing so read my book instead.

I got through US Immigration way easier than usual, although I do tend to panic a bit at these things. I’m the most innocent person ever, but put me in front of someone with authority and I will sweat and stammer until they think I’m planning on blowing up the place. Plus when he asked where I was staying and I said with family he went ‘RED FLAG! RED FLAG!’ and I had to show him my return flight info. He let me in eventually though.

Yesterday I went with Mary to the Soap Box Derby in Atlanta. When we left there’d been rain and it was overcast, so I was wearing jeans and a t shirt. Turns out, that was too many damn clothes. Jesus, it was baking. And trying to find a good spot to watch the cars and be in the shade was almost impossible. Luckily I remembered my sunscreen, but my nose is still a bit pink. It was good fun at the derby but there were about 40 entries and when we got there they were on 12, so we watched some – I liked the Super Mario one best – but not the whole thing. I took three photos before my batteries ran out. Oops. I can’t tell you how nice it was to get on the MARTA (ah, lovely lovely air conditioned MARTA) when we left.

This morning I woke up at 5 after falling asleep at 9 the night before, stupid jet lag. I’ve mostly watched TV with Joe. MTV Cribs has taken some serious mocking from us. Sean Kingston’s house is U.G.L.Y. I have also learned that the FlirtyGirlFitness workout will give you an awesome booty, and that Kirk from Gilmore Girls is in an advert where he refers to breasts as melons and grapefruits. I guess someone thought that was a good idea. I also feel I am being slightly brainwashed by the adverts (oh my god, so many FRIGGING adverts!) telling me to get fit and lose weight with this thing and that thing, but then I am confused since they seem to want me to eat my body weight in cheese too.

Anyway, I am having lots of fun, and being here is lovely.

There’s a Place Up Ahead and I’m Goin’, Just as Fast as My Feet Can Fly

I’ve been pretty crap about updating about my life recently, although my book updates are going ok. I don’t have masses to say right now either, but I do have excellent news…I go on holiday tomorrow!!! God I cannot wait. I have done my online check in*, I’ve got my dollars, I did that pointless online visa thing, my passport is good (the photo is not). I’m not packed, since I’ve been very busy this week, but I should be fine, I don’t need that much stuff…right?

Oh yeah, where am I going? I’m going to Atlanta! I’m staying with family so it’s doubly nice. I get to spend time with them and relax. Awesome. Also, I maybe possibly be going to this, which is surely fated**, since I had no idea it was going on when I decided to go on my trip. Yeah yeah nerd. But Star Trek! William Shatner! Patrick Stewart! BSG!! It’s just too much.

It’s gonna be fabulous.

*I picked my seat, but doing that makes me nervous, because if we crash and I die or am horribly maimed, I’ve only myself to blame, whereas if I just show up at the airport and they give me a seat, I can blame fate. Much nicer.

**I don’t usually talk about fate this much I swear.

T Minus 240 Hours

In ten days time I will be setting off on my adventure. Eeek! Oh, I mean yay! I’m still swaying between the excited and nervous spectrum. But I think I’m pretty much set. I’ve got my insurance and my currency. I’ve got my malaria tablets which I start on Sunday. I’ve got my suncream and bug spray (heavy duty ‘no sucker is gonna get me’ bug spray). Got my sleeping bag and mosquito net. I have a few bits and bobs to pick up but other than that I’m done. Although now I am second guessing myself and thinking I must have forgotten to do something. Hmm.

Dave left last week and has already been to Nicaragua and is now heading to Honduras. His pictures are making me really want to go now. Although the spider monkey looked eeeevil!

The itinerary now stands at something like this:

9th August fly Heathrow to Atlanta, landing at 18.30. Stopover for the night. Decide whether to splash out on airport hotel or go the budget route. It could be my last night of comfort you know.

10th August Fly to Belize City, then on another plane to Placencia (which is freaking me out because it’s one of those teeny tiny planes that scare the crap out of me, where there are luggage limitations and all I can think of is Aaliyah and the day the music died). Stay the night at the Seaspray hotel. Lie on beach some. Ignore bugs.

Dave arrives in Placencia on the 11th and on the 12th we’re headed to San Ignacio, hopefully seeing some sights along the way. And from there we go to Tikal, which I am really excited about, mainly because it looks like this:

Although this may be where Dave is making me sleep outside in a hammock, and I worry muchly about needing to pee in the middle of the night and what I might encounter along the way.

Somewhere around the 15th we’re heading to Flores, and then on to Coban and Nebaj. Here Dave thinks we’re going on a countryside hike. Aha, yeah. That reminds me, must wear in my walking shoes.

Around the 18th it’s on to Antigua (not to be mistaken for the island that’s in the news at the moment, so don’t worry mum!). Then it’s a bus to Guatemala City and a quick exit to Santa Ana in El Salvador, and Dave has mentioned something about a volcano here which will be cool. Well, hot probably.

And on the 22nd August we hop on a flight back to glorious old England, getting there a day later, where I will have roughly three days to unpack, do washing and then pack a suitcase instead of a backpack in preparation for Italy. I sound like such a jet setter. An exhausted jet setter I’m sure, but also a very happy one.

Fun Fun Fun, in the Sun Sun Sun

Oh, where am I? Am I on a tropical island somewhere with goldfish shoals nibbling at my (weird) toes?

Sadly not. I was here, Weymouth, where the sun did in fact shine (though it may not look it)

Where we had delicious tea and scones served with a lovely tea cosy

From the T Shop. The scones were yummy, have to say

And we wondered about these famous Nannas, and also mocked that sign somewhat. Nanna’s what?

And I made sandcastles, because I am five you can’t go to the beach without making them, it’s the law.

It was a lovely weekend, and it didn’t rain once, which must be some sort of miracle, and some of us even came home with some colour (not this us). I ate fish and chips by the sea, and got me some home made fudge (also law) and molested a model historical figure (as you do). And I laughed quite a bit, slept not a lot, and got bitten on the foot by some cheeky creature. Possibly it was training me for my next trip.

I am however absolutely knackered and could do with another holiday to get over this one. I don’t think Guatemala will count.