Please refrain from Praying at this time....SIRRR

WE ARE IN BANGKOOKKKKK. So much has happened so far however we must start from the beginning. Etihad turned out to be a HUGE success. It was quite the experience to be a minority for once: two blond girls among  500 Middle Easterns. A little awk at first, but then we got used to it.  We got VIP seats at the back of the plane (ballin) which was a sweet two- seater when every other isle was a squishy three-seater. Our seats came with three pillows, a blanket each, headphones, and a little kit with an eye patch, toothbrush, earplugs and SOXXX (which I personally loveeddddddd). Air Canada suckssss shittt!!!! We are both quite pleased with Etihad at this point.. and THEN we proceeded to get 30 meals, 2 deserts, a sandwich, oh yah and FREEEE ALCOHOLLLL. Red red wineeeeeeeeee. Oh and 50 movies to choose from. I was pleasantly surprised with Clash of the Titans and Leigh enjoyed Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. The flight got a bit shaky - at which point the captain came on the speaker in order to inform us of upcoming turbulence. Once the turbulence started, the captain then came on the intercom and said, "Please refrain from using the bathroom at this time". Five seconds later he followed with "please refrain from praying at this time" hahaha. Glancing around curiously, we see a man praying in the middle of the isle in the middle of turbulence. "Sir in the white...we see you". It was quite the show.   To all you haters out there, ETIHAD is the way to go, ETIHAD FO liiifeee.

We arrive in Dubai safely and wander around the airport for a bit. They are playing a really interesting song which is like a deep, creepy voice uttering Middle Eastern language. We see this one woman with something on her face that looks like a goofy fake nose and moustache...it is not.  It’s a metal guard-like thing over her face in addition to her gown and hijab. We were staring, they were staring... Do you think they look down at us or are jealous of us? We found it so bizarre. Women’s roles do not appear to be as equal as I had previously thought.

Here are a few photos of our Etihad journey... Bangkok coming soon...

VIP service from Etihad: Menu for our 30 meals

Hotties in Abu Dhabi Airport

Prayer Room ...that way

I misss you REneeeeeeeeeeeee

Love Chloe and Leigh

One Day Left. Here Goes!

ONE DAY TO GO! To be honest, I never thought this day would actually come. We are at the bitter-sweet end of homecooked meals and familiar faces as our departure into the great unknown slowly approaches. Hey, I know it sounds a bit heavy, but for us 20-somethings it is a big deal. This 9-month-or-longer trip marks the beginning of a new chapter in our lives...and I'd say this chapter is called 'Independence'. I mean, in all seriousness, the return of this trip marks reality for most of us..which is the actual scary part of it all. We return to career choices and new apartments..But also, there is the idea of this..will we actually return home? What if we catch the travel bug and remain adventurous backpackers for the rest of our lives, always wandering the world looking for the next best thing? Who knows really..I have seen it happen before in others, and I can't say I'm not curious..but I guess we shall see...


Juust kidding - obviously I will come back home, since it is where my family and friends are and always will be..buutt it's always an interesting thought, no? (See photo below of Chloe and I with our friends from our going-away party..how could we not come back?)


Anyways, a few things to know before a trip like this begins. Hopefully this information will help others like myself out before your big departure:


1) Let your parents know you are not leaving them forever and that you will not go off and elope and have children and never come home again. Guaranteed this is what is going on in their heads (my Mom has already cried about 4-5 times (in this past week alone) thinking I will never return home). Please give your parents a break - tell them you love them and that you will keep in contact with them...but be realistic - you will not be writing them every second of every day about the last detail of your trip. This is why a) you are going on this trip, and b) why I started this blog haha. So, they can log on and read it and be comforted that I am not stranded on a deserted Thai island with sketchy Thai rebels held at gun point.


2) Get your travel shots. First of all, you should know that shots are not covered by OHIP nor are they cheap or painless. 200 dollars on stupid shots would buy me at least a week in a 4-star Thai hotel. But, I mean you have to suck it up - health is number one my friends. You get sick, your trip is oover. Also, I should add that being stuck in the arm by 4 consecutive needles doesn't tickle - so it takes about 3-4 days for the arm aching to fade. Also, make sure you know some info about your trip (as in which countries you are going to), so the doc knows which shots to give you. Also - just so you know - your normal family doctor doesn't do travel shots - you must go to a travel clinic. Google travel clinic in your area and  voilà!


3) Book your first hotel so you aren't stranded and can crash somewhere upon arrival. We all know jet lag sucks, and who wants to be exhausted walking aimlessly around an unknown area trying to find a bed. Just do it. Nuff said. 


4) Packing. Now this is the hardest part. Especially for overpackers like myself - I mean a girls gotta have options, no? Yeaa, but for this kind of a trip, no one wants to be lugging around a massive suitcase full of clothes you won't even use. I've done it. It sucks, and you'll be miserable. Trust. Since I am a genious and have done my research, I have opted on the Mountain Equipment Co-op bag that is a rolly bag slash backpack all in one! So, if I get tired of lugging the bag around on my back, I can flip up the handles and roll away! Since I will need the backpack part for doing things like hiking & camping, I can use the rolly part any other time (airports, flat ground, etc.). What a great invention. I will let you know how it works out. 


5) Passport, money, etc.  Since I personally lose everything that I come into contact with, I have decided to take 2 photocopies of each important document : my passport, Visa, and debit card. I have a copy, and my Mom, who will be at home, has the other. So in any case if I lose my passport and am actually stranded, I will at least have a photocopy, or I can call my Mom (always a lifesaver), and she can send over the documentation. 


Anyways, I hope I have covered most of the basic need-to-know info, which I think will help anyone going on a similar trip...


So..if any of you are interested, Chloe and I leave tomorrow at 10:45 PM on Etihad airlines (sketchy?), bound to Abu Dhabi. There, we will have a 2.5 hour layover, until we leave for Bangkok and arrive at 7:00 AM.  Since we have already booked our first nights' stay at the D & D Inn in Bangkok, we will set-up shop and hook you up with a little flight-recap blog upon arrival. 


SEE YOU NEXT YEAR CANADA!!


 - Leigh

Needles.

I am not used to writing about my life but I guess I have to get used to it if we are going to have a super sick blog. I am in the getting ready stages of our trip. I have gone to shoppers to get 1000 wet naps and gone to Noah’s to get vegetables in a pill and tons of Vitamen C. I also took a little trip to the travel clinic to get my shats. NOT OK. The 100 year old doctor advised me to get three shots and take them all at the same time. He said that they have the formulas down to a science so I can take them all at once and not feel any side effects. So, I am holding this guys hand like a looser and he jabs me with one, then two then three needles. I am not feeling so hot. I can feel the stuff disperse in my arm and move into my body. He says that I can lie down if I feel sick. The next think I know an old man is slapping me on the face repeatedly, ON BOTH CHEEKS, shouting are you ok are you ok. I passed out. It was quite awkward and I was very disoriented. I was having the wildest dream that I was in Asia and the sky was purple and the grass was neon green. Anywho, I don’t know why that happened. The doc said that that never happens, and that there is a first time for everything. That made me feel a lot better, nat. That experience was pretty weird so I thought I would throw it on the blog. I am excited to post actual travel stories sooonnnnnn. Less than two weeks.

Ps going away party next week wooottt

Chloe

We are Dancing...

Parody of Jersey Shore..

We are so EXCITED!! Three weeks until departure!!

The countdown begins..until our epic journey of a lifetime!!
Who's jealous? YOU are. So, come traveling with us. We will not be leaving any adventure untold.

Join us in discovering Asia and Australia, and see it all through our eyes as we will be posting uncensored pictures, stories, & videos.. Can you say Ping-Pong show?

Get excited. Check ya laterr!

Leigh & Chloe