The flight over from Bangkok took about 75 minutes and I was transported from an economically successful country to one of the world's poorest. It's where I will be for the next six months.

NOK is a smart new airline and the flight attendants wear bright yellow uniforms. I like the use of English on board, "Please do not use the lavatory during turbulence". For some reason, I find this very amusing and have a little chuckle to myself.

The arrivals through immigration and customs is efficient, friendly and welcoming and I am met by a taxi driver from the hotel where I will be staying for a week or so.

As I travel on the dark streets through this old Asian city, it all feels surreal. "That's Aung San Suu Tyi house over there" points out my driver to a dark compound close to the US embassy. I know I have arrived on an adventure which will be both scary and exciting.

Next morning, I meet up with a VSO contact Goon who takes me on the hour long journey to my workplace in Hlaing Tharyar township over the river in the west of the city. "This is your desk over there and you will find lots to read about us - welcome to Akhaya"

There are nine women in the very small office plus a male administrator and a fellow volunteer from Australia Anne who is here with her husband Paul. She shows me the ropes and I am grateful.
The afternoon brings the monsoon and it is very dark inside the building with a minor outage of power too.

This evening I join Anne and Paul at a very nearby restaurant in a big condominium block. When I leave them, I am completely disorientated and there is very little street lighting. I show my hotel card to a security guard and ask for directions - I know it can't be more than two in three minutes away.

Twenty minutes later, having consulted four other security guards and two other passers by, I am relieved to find my hotel. Tired and feeling a bit weird, I head straight to bed. This is sometimes what adventure is all about but for now, I crave a more conventional lifestyle!