Ibiza!!! VIP girls weekend, boat parties and sun!

After the crazy morning of rushing to the airport, catching my plane and sleeping whenever I managed to get a chance, I arrive in Ibiza. I find my baggage on the correct carousel and head to customs. All of a sudden I pop out the other side and I am through - no customs apparently. Well that was easy! I join the line for the small cafe and get myself some pasta, a chocolate croissant and a bottle of coke. I then make myself comfortable at a table and wait for the girls, who are on a flight arriving in an hour. I entertain myself with eating and drafting up my next blog. Before I know it I see Kendyl and Claire arrive through the gates. After hugs, kisses and a quick catch-up we find a nearby taxi and head to our motel.

The girls have booked a to bedroom room so I wait outside while they go in and check our bags into the room. After about 20 minutes the girls re surface and we all head down to the small beach near our accommodation. A line of lunge chairs are set up a few metres back from the tiny crashing waves. Perfect! Bikinis are on and it is definitely nap time. After an hour or so of tanning and sleeping we decide to head back to the motel and go for a swim. The pool is crystal blue and very refreshing after such a big morning. After the nice cool dip we go back to the room to have another sleep before our huge night ahead. There are only two beds so I use the cushions to make a bed on the floor. after about 2 minutes I roll on my side, the cushions slide out from under me and I a greeted by the cool hard tiles of the floor. By this time I am so tired and the bed where I can top and tail seems so far away that laziness wins and I fall asleep.

I wake up around 9pm and I am starving!! I get up, have a shower to wash my hair and get changed. Kendyl is also awake so she comes down to the shops with me to grab some snacks, vodka and 5 litres of water for the night. We get back as Claire is waking up. We set out bowls of chips, cheese and crackers, croissants and of course fill our glasses with vodka and juice. Let the night begin!! We put on some music and begin to do our hair and make-up and decide on the nights outfits. By 12 our commotion has led to us meeting a few other people staying at motel and we all have a few drinks down by the pool.

We finish off our Vodka and as Kendyl and I always like to get places early, we drag Claire out and catch a taxi. Our driver lets us connect our iPhone up to the speakers and we crank up some good old Michael Jackson as we zoom along the streets of Ibiza. We get to Pacha and the line is quite small - perfect. We find out then it is because nothing really start until 2-3am!! we are there just after 1 haha, oops. We head to the front and as our names are on the list we avoid the 45euro cover charge and walk straight in.

The club is amazing, beautiful dancers adorn the large podiums, smoke machines go off every few moments bursting with smoke and confetti. We head upstairs to the balcony area. Two vodka red bulls and 36 euro later we run into a group who were on my flight over. Its almost like running into old friends - even though we never met. We join in with their group for a few drinks and then head downstairs to the dance floor. On the way we get invited into the VIP area - so as it would be rude not to, we happily oblige.

The VIP area is great, the view is of the entire club and its amazing. We enjoy the free drinks and dancing. The group is all Australian and its almost like being back home. After about half an hour I get a huge wave of dizziness overcome me and my stomach feels like it is on fire. I haven't eaten enough today. The bouncer rushes off and brings me back biscuits and crackers. After my small feast I am good to go again. We head down to the bottom floor and dance the night away. The music is great, the smoke and confetti machine showers us with paper and the night is a lot of fun.

We stagger outside at 7am. The sun is beaming down and everyone looks a little worse for wear. We hail a taxi and head to the nearest pizzeria. After a few nice big greasy slices of pizza we jump back in the cab to our motel, manage to scale the stairs and collapse in bed around 8am.

We are woken by Claire at 10am - "girls do we want to go out on a boat today?". Silly question. YES!!! So we have half an hour to get ready, eat, vomit and get to the marina. On two hour sleep . . . challenge accepted!! We manage to pull ourselves together, sunglasses are a must today, and get in a cab. We reach the marina, meet up with the group and head to the boat. Its a nice, big, wooden boat stocked with alcohol and chips. The sun is beaming down and we all head to the front to relax on the cushions and soak up the sun. About an hour in to the trip kendyl and I are not faring so well. The best solution we can handle is to go down the back of the boat into the shade and lie down. Any attempt to move is not a smart idea. So we spend our time embracing the floor. We reach the point to dock the boat and everyone jumps into the crystal clear ocean for a much needed swim. Kendyl and I manage to slide along the deck and splash into the water. The cool sensation washes over my body and helps ease the horrible feeling of being sea sick. But being swayed back and forth by the current doesn't help and soon I am back on the boat embracing the deck again.

Soon I am scraped off the floor and put in the small tender to head to shore where we will be having lunch. Once on steady land i begin to feel much better. We go to possibly the worst restaurant in the world - and FINALLY get served. I order Prawn risotto and then the long gruelling wait begins. Finally our meals arrive and my risotto has the largest prawn I have ever seen! It looks like a lobster almost! I eat the rice - nice sturdy meal that I can stomach and then attempt to peel the prawn. Maxine, one of the Swedish girls is sitting next to me and offers to help. She rips the head off and a greyish brown goo seeps out - in the fragile state I am in this is the last thing I need to see. I manage to control my heaving stomach as she continues to peel the crustacean. The final deciding factor is when she tells me "I shall remove the poo vein for you". Again, only just managing to keep my food down I graciously offer her the prawn and let her eat the horrid thing.

After lunch, nice cold coke and a sea sick tablet I am feeling 100 times better as we head back to the boat. The tender picks us up and we re board the boat. I crack open a beer and my afternoon begins. The music is pumped up and everyone is back in party mood. The sun is beaming down, the wind blowing through our hair and the sun slowly creeping across the sky. Such a perfect afternoon now I am back to optimum health. We begin the journey back to land as the Swedish girls need to catch their plane home.

We reach the shore, dock the boat and the girls dash off to the airport. The rest of us head back to one of the apartments for a few drinks, chats, laughs and some bizarre bottle top lids used as eyes. By midnight we are exhausted, so we make the journey back to our place for much needed sleep. Tonight I decide to top and tail with Kendyl and the moment my head hits the pillow I am out like a light.

The next morning, moving in slow motion we re-pack our bags, tidy ourselves up and head down to check out. We catch a cab to the airport together but as we are on separate flights we say our goodbyes, hug and head our separate ways. As my flight is a little later it is not on the screen yet so I head to a small cafe and enjoy some lunch before locating my flight. Next stop . . . Madrid, for a relaxing time before I head to Portugal - well, that is the plan anyway.

5 days of London

After jumping the que in Venice and after yet another frisking, bomb and drug swabbing through security, We get through security and locate our gate on the big screen. After a lengthy line up of people pushing and shoving to the front, we all squeeze onto the two small buses to take us to the plane. Then the real fight begins for the 'best seats'. Its a free for all. I slip quielty onto the plane and into a nice little window seat - the joys of not pushing, rushing and stressing. I always love the window seat as the views are amazing. I manage to catchup on some much needed sleep on the journey before we begin our descent into London. I enjoy the beautiful views out my window as the plane cuts through the puffy marshmellow clouds. Soon, as we dip below the fine layer of smog the glimmering city below is revealed. Its always exciting when you catch the fist glimpses of the new city, ready for exploration.

After landing and locating the baggage, we head to the train station to catch the metro to my friends place. Thank goodness I am with locals otherwise I would be lost forever in the maze of underground trains. The trip goes quickly and as we hail a cab for the final leg of the journey I am delighted to be picked up by an old school london cab. Its funny to see them in real life, not just on tv! Before I know it we have arrived and after catching the elevator up to the appartment I am plonking myself down, the couch enveloping me in a warm embrace of cuchions and sunlight, a glass of red wine is swiftly placed in my open hand - perfect! I enjoy the time to relax and unwind a little as we discuss the nights plans. After about an hour it is shower and make up time, then we head downstairs to wait for our little old london cab to take us to Chelsea.

On the way we pass neat and tidy, compacted little homes. Clean, white doors with golden handles line the apparement blocks. There is a cute little English pub on the corner of two proper little streets and we go in for a drink. The guys are dressed like preppy college boys, their hair slicked to the side, their skinny jeans and checked shirts are adorned with their cardigans draped around their shoulders. The girls the matching equivalent.

I try a traditional girly English drink and once that is done we carry on to our next destination. One pub along the way catches my eye with its bright pink colours. We decide to go in and give it a go. The moment I cross the threshold it is apparent that this is some form of lesbian / feminist pub. All the clientele are females with the exception of one 'fabulous' acting guy. They all seem to sit in tables of two or three and I get the impression men aren't overly welcome here. The decor inside is hot pink and the walls are covered in photos, trinkets and memorabilia fro various events. We get a drink anyway and enjoy a small bowl of popcorn. One finished we carry on our way.

The next place is much classier lounge bar. The bar man greets us warmly and we are welcomes us into the dimly lit area with great music. We are seated at a nice little table down the back and order their signature watermelon cocktail. It is delicious! After a couple of deceptively alcoholic coctails we decide to call it a night and head home. The next morning is a much needed sleep in and a lot of relaxing couch time to recover.

The following day I am up early and ready to take on the day. My friend decides to show me around London and we throw on our running gear and head out for a running site seeing adventure. Along the way I am shown great sites of London. We stop at a small supermarket and get fruit and musli then run to the nearby park to sit in the sun and have breakfast. After this we continue on the journey. We are lucky enough to hit town when the horse guard change over takes place - a great little experience to have. After heading to the park to make our way to lunch, we can hear the royal band playing in the backgorund, signalling the changing of the guards! We turn around and sprint back to buckingham palace where the ceremony is beginning. As we burst out from the park the site of the palace is beautiful. After stopping for a quick picture I continue to sprint to the gates to see the event about to unfurl. Hundreds of people swarm around the gates. Police on horses guide and keep the crowd under control.  I jump on my friends 6ft2 shoulders and get a perfect birds eye view of the event.

After the music and the perfectly practised routine of the guards changing over position we leave Buckingham palace and head off for lunch. When lunch is finished we continue on the site seeing journey and finally make the way back home. A nice shower, a glass of wine and some Thai take away is the perfect way to end a huge day of exercise and photography.

The next day we head to the park, have a quick lunch on the park benches in the sun and then hire Mountain bikes for a day of exploring the park. My casual bike riding outfit  is quite ill planned, Little red floaty dress + mountain bikes, hills and rough terrain = a bit of a fail. But the passing cars seemed to enjoy it so at least I made someone happy. After a bit of a wobbly start and finally learning how to change gears after an incredibly difficult struggle up a hill, I am off - the wind whipping through my hair. There are groups of deer casually lying in the sun and we pull over to take photos and enjoy the view.

The path winds up hills, down hills, through quiet, relatively deserted paddocks and eventually to a clearing with an amazing view of London in the distance. The sun is beaming down and the breeze is warm. It is the perfect afternoon. After the photo opp the next clearing contains a group of fellow deer. I jump across the ditch and quietly make my way up to them to pose for a couple of pics. Then its back on the bike for the final leg back to drop the bikes off. So after another fun filled day of fresh air and exercise it is off to the pub for a decent over cooked steak, a couple of wines then home to bed.

In the morning I wake up, get ready and head to the train station to navigate my way along the train lines to Oxford Circus to get some much needed shopping done.I explore the shops along Oxford street and end up with a few arm fulls of shopping bags. I meet some friends for lunch and enjoy some amazing Vietnamese dishes and a glass of wine. After lunch I finish up shopping and head to the station to meet my friend from High School for an afternoon of catching up. We go to  a local pub for a couple of glasses of wine - which turns into a couple of bottles! We are just finishing up the last drops in our glass and preparing to leave when we are approached by a group of gentlemen and asked to join them.  Turns out to be a good idea as they end up being wonderful contacts for potential job opportunities for both of us! So after a successful afternoon at the pub we stagger down the road to the train station and make our separate ways back home.

The next morning the alarm wakes me at the ungodly hour of 4:30am. I stagger around the house, manage a quick shower and a splash of make-up. I throw the last necessary items into my carefully repacked bag and stumble downstairs to the car. The GPS is set and the journey to Gatwick airport begins. At this time of the morning the road is extremely quiet and we make great progress. A couple of fox sightings and we arrive at Gatwick. I run up the ramp to departures and am faced with the insanely long line of Easy Jet. I decide to go through speedy boarding to avoid the headache in front of me. There is no one in this line, I head to the front, throw my bag on the scales, the tag is placed on it and my boarding pass is issued - that was easy, I am enjoying my line cutting skills lately. I head through security and am out the other side in minutes. A croissant and a hot choc later and I find my boarding gate. Still 45 minutes to go so I lie down across a lonely bench, use my handbag as a pillow and grab half an hour of much needed sleep.



Im woken by the announcement of my flight boarding. I scrape myself off the bench and join the back of the line. After the scrambling of people to get their desired seats I drop down into one, click my seatbelt and am back off to sleep. When I wake I will be in for an exciting girls weekend in Ibiza!!! Time to get as much sleep as possible!