Best Western Brighton Hotel

Two days left - still can't really believe we're going. Excited and also a bit nervous - how will we get from place to place especially around Cambodia and China?<br><br>Working our way through our final to-do list and just hoping not to have any last minute panics!!<br><br>Suppose it won't sink in until we're on the plane:)<br><br>Viv xx

Camping in Barnes Green was good fun. We set out for the night to test the new tent, awning and cooking gear. It was very cold and we eneded up caught in a thunder storm, but I'm glad to report the tent was suberb. It was dry inside and our sleeping bags also did the job. We were nice and snug inside and we had a big fry up for breakfast, so all in all a success! <br><br>We got our carnet yesterday, so we're pretty much ready to go! Roll on December 24th!

Well, what can we say! What a send off from the villagefolk at Lindfield. It was coincidentally Guy Fawkes night which is also a pretty big deal in England.<br>A grand parade of burning torches and witches led up to a bonfire and fireworks extrordinaire.<br>To top it off, a display of Morris dancing by the local chaps outside the White Lion. Wow, the locals really love us. Tomorrow we depart for Queensland.

... Seventeen flaming crosses bobbed above the crowd, solemnly making their annual pilgrimage in commemoration of the 17 Lewes men persecuted because of their religion. People sat in the glow of first floor windows overlooking the festivities. One woman was casually eating her dinner, looking down on the pyromania with something bordering on boredom.<br><br>As we shuffled our way through the dense crowds ("I hope you&#8217;re not planning on staying there, mate" x4) towards the war memorial ...

Worst gales for the season as we boarded the train once again, this time to Victoria Station, London. Just 45 minutes or so from Ann &amp; Rob's it is quite a contrast to the serenity of Sussex.<br>The Tate Modern Art Gallery was our first stop to check out some contemporary art, completely different from the old masters we saw in previous galleries. Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Mondrian, and at last a single Dali!.<br>Some of the art was a bit ...

... good, the supporting acoustic acts were really good too (Passenger and the other band i've forgotten. SORRY! ) A little hidden away bar called the Freebutt was the venue. Very low key and run down but had an essence of class at the same time? I may be talking ********, but that's the vibe I got anyway. A real indie venue ...

... was pretty in a dreary way as it was raining steadily. The smooth gentle roar of the train car was soothing enough to put one to sleep, though we didn't. Upon arriving in Brighton, we trudged through the wet and blustery seaside city with rain ponchos covering our backpacks. We found a place to stay fairly quickly--since we were given good motivation--and unloaded our packs before venturing out to brave the weather. Brighton pier is a series of carnival food ...

... your feet at every step. Pain. I eventually realised that I should stop with the whinging and just go with the flow, so got into the cider and relaxed. Got pretty trashed in the sun, so me and anya grabbed greasy fish and chips (fish and chips by the seaside, ooh!), and went home to get changed. She had to work and I met up with a group of Ben's mates at a local pub. Had a really great night and felt adopted by the group. Am just off to get a ...