Cairo....here we come!!

So Jena and I are so far from being packed you could almost say our rooms look like we aren't going anywhere! Well, hers kinda does, mine just looks like the usual bomb site it always does, complete with a big sexy red couch planted in it!!

Jena and are I VERY excited and have spent the last two days printing itineraries, organising unnecessary passport photos, buying hand sanitiser and soap (cabin crew dearly love that dettol fresh smell!), borrowing backpacking backpacks and generally just trying to work out what to pack.

I've lovingly washed most of my clothes today, am preparing to say farewell for a fortnight to my computer, hair curler and dryer and straightener (which I may just sneak into the backpack!), my nail polish collection, my shoes, my dresses and all things feminine.

I'm about to become a dirty backpacker!

I don't know what horrifies me more: the fact that I can't wash and straighten my unruly crazy curly hair every day like I normally do or the fact that I'm quite excited about it! Not that I condone holiday snaps of people with bad hair IN ANY WAY, but I guess for this part of the world, it may be necessary.

Gone are the suites at the Hilton, the saunas at the Meridians and the pillow menus from the Sofitels....and hello to desert camping, stair-hiking and camel riding.

To be honest, I can't wait!!

However, I do fear for my tan. Recently diagnosed with some kind of dermatitis on my face because I naughtily used some cortisone cream for farrrrrr too long on my skin, I've been placed on anti-biotics for 8 weeks and have been told a common side effect is being photo-sensitive. I instantly wondered if this would make me look fabulous in photos, and must have looked rather hopeful and dreamy when the doctor interupted my reverie and informed me that I'll be SUN-sensitive more than normal and could be prone to burning or irregular tanning.

Great, just great! After having the world's worst day and getting a parking fine to visit this delightfully horrid doctor because I left my wallet at home and there was only paid parking, I wondered if this whole anti-biotic/bionic-tanning ordeal was even worth it. I have two weddings to go to next month and I've lovingly cultivated this tan of mine (if we'd even call it a tan!) to make sure I don't have tan marks for my pretty party dresses and NOW I plan a holiday in the Middle East at the end of summer - a holiday I'll have to spend in singlets getting and awesome singlet tan!!

Oh well, I'll be seeing a wonderful collection of old rocks and ruins and stuff for my trouble....!

In all seriousness, I did an ancient history class at school and LOVED every minute of it. It's always been a dream of mine to visit the pyramids and the sphinx and now that I'm finally going to do it, I don't care what kind of tan I come back with or if I've got so much sun that all my freckles have joined together!!

Catch you all after Egypt and Jordan! xoxo