First trip to see SO - warning, a VERY long post ahead!

[Silviar]

You know you're when the right person when even the bad days are able to leave you with finding something positive, and when the good days just make your heart beat faster.

[Elissa]

Can't wait to see pictures!

[Heather]

Still waiting for Day 3....or have I missed it and just not paying attention? lol.

[BlackCherryJam]

We pretty much just rested and enjoyed each other's company and felt ridiculously happy - seriously, do you guys ever feel so happy you think it's not normal? So happy that you think your heart is going to explode and you're screaming inside? So happy that it can make you cry?

I felt like that every single day, I'm more certain than ever that this is the man I want to be with for the rest of my life.

So glad to read that! I'm so happy for you!! You guys are going to be so happy together. Thanks for sharing this

[Tanja]

Hi guys and sorry, I've been mentally busy with work! I WILL post Day 3 as soon as I'll have the time (my posts aren't the shortest ones when it comes to my visit)!

[__ms.jaye]

This is so amazing, it makes me anxious for my visit, glad you made it safe.

[Talent_2]

Love reading your story!!! Can't wait for more and I so can't wait to see the pics (hurry up andy hehe)

So glad you had a great time!!!

[nicole]

this is great! we've missed you guys! it's making me reallllly excited for new years now!!

[Tanja]

Day 3

OK here it is finally!

We woke up happy cause it was the Zoo day
Had some breakfast with mum and dad and checked last minute route instructions... I was in charge of the map (yeah, great idea, a Finnish blonde woman navigating in a country she's never ever been before and the traffic signs are all in Welsh :|). Oh well, after a few lucky turns and a few right ones we finally arrived!

On the way to the main entrance Andy took my hand and said "I brought my girl to the zoo innit", it made me laugh. Then he kissed me and said he loves me

We got our tickets (btw the till guy spoke so fast I didn't understand much after "Hello" ... ) and walked in. The first thing right in front of us are elephants! Massive, MASSIVE creatures! 6 of them and there was a little baby elephant too, only a few weeks old! His name is Raman and we got to see a video of his birth.. 6 minutes after he was born he's already standing, that's amazing.

Next thing we spot is the Monkey house! Oh yeah, let's go see what we've evolved from

There's so many different kinds there! Little black ones, gray ones, stripey ones... And they're all going mental and swinging in ropes and ladders, they're so agile and so fast! Hard to get a decent picture cause they won't stay still for more than 3 seconds.

We find a little puzzle that the zoo has created for the monkies, the object is to get a nut up to the top with just using your fingers that you push through little holes to move the nut.. Insanely hard and one of their monkies can do it in 15 seconds! There's a timer on the wall and we both try it and fail miserably. I took a video of Andy doing it so I'll post it on here when I get it - his internet has been really dodgy these last few days so he can't send me the pics yet .

After the monkeys we step on a wooden bridge that leads us to see a cheetah. It's raining though so he desides to walk away and hide just as I get my camera out - typical. There's a shelter and a bench on the bridge so we stop there to wait for the rain to go away and use the opportunity to cuddle and kiss a little (oh and I eat my Bounty chocolate bar he got me on the way here, he knows I love Bounties ) ?

I go grab a hot chocolate from a near-by restaurant and as we're walking along we spot a little tank... Penguines! Awwww they're the cutest things ever! There's a glass wall where you can see them swimming around so we just stop under a big tree to have some shelter from the rain and look at those lovely birds diving around the tank. It seems they're attracted to people since everytime anyone goes near the glass they come closer and swim in front of you... Which is great for taking pictures!

We open up a map cause we have no idea where we are - we had in mind we'd walk through everything in 2- 2,5 hours but we realise it's not going to happen, this place is HUGE! So we decide to postpone our shopping trip to the next day and just spend the day in the zoo and the night in a hotel.

We're getting a bit hungry now so we spot a bench and awwww, it's right in front of the toilets! What a romantic spot to stop and have a bite. We dig out our box of pasta sallad we made earlier and eat, people are giving us some odd looks but who cares. After eating and having a drink we decidewe wanna see some lions, grrrrrr!

Trying to navigate with the map and it seems pointless, no idea where we are... But it just so happens that the lions are right behind us! Lucky us

Time to dig out the cameras again and go picture hunting.... It's a bit disappointing that the lions just lie in one place without moving about much. Where's the roaring and playing you see in Discovery channel? Although they are cats therefore they're lazy. Lazy but pretty though.

Time to head to the Aquarium. Mostly cause it's inside and we're a bit chilly... There's so many beautiful fish in there! And one tank that's just full of fish! It's so pretty, I take loads of pics of it cause it will make a good desktop background
we spot Nemo as well - a clown fish. So tiny and so cute!

Oh! I forgot to mention the cutest little pigs I saw! They were so small and so fast, speeding around their fencing with incredible speed! They're from the Philippines btw Michelle

Another look at the map - not because of directions but to see what animals are there left. Orangutans! Oh yeah, definitely wanna see them! And the giraffes happen to be on the way there, fancy that.

Andy takes out his camera as we approach the giraffes... they look quite young and not as big as I'd thought they'd be... but wait, what's that around the corner? Only the biggest giraffe who's ever lived possibly. I mean this guy is HUGE! Nearly 5 meters tall and his hoofs are MASSIVE! They all walk inside a building and we're gutted cause we wanna see more! But then we notice a door and we can go inside too to watch them... Standing beside him, only a thin iron fence separating us.. it makes you feel small! Like small small. It actually hurts my neck to look up at his face. Just wow.

Ok time for the orange apes now - it stinks in there! But after a while you stop noticing the smell thank God.

There's a big glass window which opens a view to a big, high hall, there's dozens of ropes hanging from everywhere and there's the sadest orangutan alive sitting on top of a cliff. He's just staring at us with a small leaf in his mouth and he looks so unhappy, I start to cry when I see him. I even cried afterwards when I just looked at his picture lol.

I'm sorry I have to leave this here for now since I don't have time for more! But I'll come back soon, just be patient!

To be continued ....

[mllebamako]

it's like I'm there

[Yorkshire Girl]

Your descriptions are so thorough and awesome that it makes me feel like I was there too! Hehe.

[Zephii]

*Claps* *sits down and waits patiently for the next installment*

I swear you get more out of life and observe more than the average person. It's sweet.

[BlackCherryJam]

You're such a great writer! And in English!! So nice that you decided to share your trip with us

[holdinghands]

Can't wait for the rest! The way you remember all the little details is amazing :P

[Heather]

Yay! So excited to hear more.. can't wait. love it!