hey brian,
its nice to know that you've heard of winnipeg, i always feel like i live in no man's land... the place other canucks fear to tread
anyway my name's nicole and im 21 (22 by the time the trip starts). ditto on graduation thing, my university grad will actually be happening around the same time that we will be in italy!
its a shame that you wont be able to stay longer, but i wont be arriving any earlier so it wont matter, i know how you feel about africa, i think that's the part im most excited about
its also nice to know that im not the only one freezing their butt off right now!!!!!

Hi Guys!

Im doing the 18th May tour with the Eygpt option. I travelling with a friend Kim. Would love to Chat.
Im from Melbourne Australia. Not sure if you have MSN if so pacrew@dodo.com.au? If not, have face book just look under Pennie Crew.

Hope to speak to you guys soon....I'm very excitied!

Hey guys,

It seems I will be joining you guys on this trip with the Egypt Option. Pennie I'm going to add you so we can chat and all that. Anyone else who want to chat please add me andrek07@hotmail.com.

So excited!!!

Hi everybody,

I'm 27 years old. Congratulations for those of you graduating before the trip. I'm starting grad school next year. Back to school again for me. I have MSN: suzannemarie16@hotmail.com. I also have myspace if anyone is interested in chatting on there. I don't have facebook yet. I'm so excited about this trip and to meet everybody!

Ok just bumping our thread so more people from our trip...

So yeah now talking with Pennie and Suzanne got me more excited for this trip... is it may yet???

Wow there hasn't been a lot of activity here... Christmas shopping must be driving everyone crazy.
So here is some information provided by SteveG. , some of you may have read his travelogue. Hope this helps in some stuff.

One of the biggest debates is if we should take our laptops, the reason for many of us would be updating our ipods with songs or uploading pictures.

- I really don't think it is necessary. One or two people from every tour brings a laptop. It is a lot to lug around Europe. It is very nice however to upload everyone else's photos from the tour. However, you can always exchange photos at home via email or post.

Also someone asked if we had to take a lot of sweaters

- for summer I'd take one thin sweater. and a light jacket.

being in the clothes topic where do you do laundry during the trip?

- Most simply do it in the sink with soap or shampoo in the hotel.

Also I have been reading about sleeping bags on the boards, should we take them in our trip?

- I didn't take one and never needed it. You'll be provided blankets, and sheets at almost every Hotel/Cabin/etc.

Finally on your checklist I read about bed sheets and towels... are they not included on the hotels.

- I took two pillow cases. 1 for a dirty laundry sack and 1 as a clean pillow case because at a few places they can be grungy.

Good luck and I'd appreciate you adding a link on your board to my website with the $100 deal.

http://www.eastboca.net/www.ultimate-european.com/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: andrek,

Also a little information from Dave Challenger about the planes of Egypt in case someone was wondering if they were falling into pieces.

About egypt - yes, I carried my passport everywhere with me. I don't remember the hotels having safes at the front desk that you could store it in, but they may have. When I had it on me it was always in my camera bag that strapped around my waist. I think other people just kept it in their money belts. I wouldn't recommend leaving it in the hotel rooms during the day. As for the Egypt Air jets - they were just normal Airbus/Boeing jets that you'd find anywhere else. Nothing dodgy about them - which I was very relieved to see too! The only dangerous thing about them is trying to stomach the halal food during the flight. Not so tasty.

Hello All. I am also coming on the 18th May Ultimate European with Egypt as well. Yippee! Am an 28 yr old Aussie chick from Sydney. Would love to get to know a few people before I go. sure beats getting there and going "What tha!" Just booked it in yesterday so am very excited. I tried to read Dave's travelogue but I figured if I did I would peak too soon!

hey nic welcome to the trip, nice to see another nic. whatever you do just make sure you read dave' travelog before you leave. its amazing!

I did really try to read Dave's travelogue... I really did. I got to about day 4 or 5 and thought that rather than reading someone else's experiences, I would much rather have my own and not compare them. Who knows, as it gets closer I will give in and definitely read it. I was just getting depressed that it was still ages away.

Hi Nic,

I'm Pennie! Yay another person are you going to Eygpt? Sorry to the guys i've been speaking to on msn (i can't remember my past word so i can't get back in.) will set a new one soon as i no longer have that email address.

Surely am going to egypt! wouldnt miss that country if my life depended on it. As tempting as it is relaxing on a greek island, I can do that laying on a beach stuff later, planning on jamming in as much stuff as possible while I am on the other side of the world. And am definitely doing that. Am exhausted just thinking about it all, but looking forward to it. Paid my deposit yesterday and counting down. I am also a solo traveller, it seems like a few of us are. May seems so far away..........

Two nics... that will make things interesting! Nic 1 and Nic 2 .... Big Nic and Little Nic ... ha ha ha, Any other suggestions?? Dont mind me at work a little bored, have to entertain myself somehow!

Yay someone else joined our travel group... welcome Nic! I'm so excited that little by little we are growing here but people where's the activity... maybe the closer it gets the wilder it will be here. So Nic have msn or any chatting program I like meeting my fellow travelers before.

Pennie I was wondering where you were since I had to tell you that got back home and found those travel books from my parents trips and so. And I haven't seen Suzanne online in a while.

Nick did you add me on msn? I accepted if it was you but never see you online.

anyone out there have AIM? my screen name is leeroifoltz.

Hey Brian my aim is andrek07 if you ever want to chat... just let me know if you added me.