So I have a small confession to make. I’m not travelling the whole time by myself – I’m doing a couple of group trips. I figured that it would be a good way to ease myself in to the travelling. I’m embarking on my small group trip to Cambodia and it was a 5.30 am start. The lie-ins are over! My nice 10.30 lie-in at my luxury hotel with dreamy bed and pillows seems like a distant memory. 

We had to meet at 6pm for our group meeting in a more basic hotel downtown. Me being the Chatty Cathy that I am, I made myself even later than my planned departure time chatting to a lovely couple from the Netherlands about the benefits of uber in Thailand and selling them a trip to Cabbages and Condoms (or you’d think I was based on how much I warbled on) and then quickly learned that I was trying to cross town in rush hour traffic. Real Smart. My uber was stuck in traffic so I hailed a taxi and agreed to a much higher fare out of desperation not to be late for the meeting. 

Travel Tip: Learn from my mistakes. Never try and cross bangkok in rush hour or allow plenty of time if you need to be somewhere for a certain time! Duh that’s just common sense right? 

Otherwise you will almost certainly fail your mission. Telling my driver I needed to be at the hotel by 6pm he pulled it out the bag and bezzed, (is that a word) it through the streets weaving in and out of lanes like a Thai Lewis Hamilton – what an upstanding guy. 

Whilst we are stuck in traffic I sit and ponder what my group is going to be like. The secret always tells you imagine what you want – not what you don’t want. so I imagine all the guys to be black basketballers in their mid thirties instead of worrying they are all going to be 18 year old, pasty, Tommy from Essex, whose mummy still does all his washing and this is the first time he’s gone on holiday alone. Girl, Please. You can throw in Idris Elba too for good luck.

Made it with half an hour to spare and checked in and met my roommate – who turned out to be from Leeds, so I immediately knew she was a top lass! What a coincidence. The group is a mixed bunch of nationalities and not a single Tommy from Essex in sight. We had started the meeting and in walks mysterious Phillip, 20 minutes late – there’s always one right. (I was just glad it wasn’t me 😏) 

After the meeting we went for a cheeky  Pad Thai as a group, and got to know each other a bit before splitting off into two groups, ours went to Kho San Rd (a backpacker must.) We sat next to these travellers who also appeared to be on something stronger than beer (I’ll have what they’re having) and absolutely loving their lives, getting up and dancing like maniacs at a rave.

Back at the hotel me and my roomie settled in for the night in our little twin room. The pillows were lumpy as fuck and my hacking cough, my nice departing gift from the UK, would not give up for about 3 whole hours. I tried to be quiet praying that I wouldn’t be murdered in my sleep by my fellow northerner. Bless her soul. I tried to get water out of the fridge in the dark and grabbed the nearest one that seemed to have ice in it and my stomach began to make these weird gurgles. Visions of me shitting myself on the bus the next day crossed my mind. That would not be ideal. I’m not sure that’s the best way to make new friends is it?