The end of my first summer back in Australia was coming to an end. March was approaching and I had to get my ticket back to Europe sorted out. It would be cool to have travel partner too. Who would drop all they had to do to come on an adventure with me to various countries to have a wicked time as we travel to destinations unknown to us.
I had a job waiting for me on the island of Symi in Greece. It didn't start until some time in April so there was plenty of time to enjoy the fruits of travelling to countries that are always at our doorstep.
I asked a guy I had met at work who I got along with really well, his name is Darren, otherwise known as Red, if he was willing to head off to foreign lands. He seemed keen but close to going he dropped the idea. A hopeful came along by the name of Kim. He said he would go if he could sell his car and boat. He had no money but wanted to go.
Looks like I'm going by myself I thought.
About a week later Kim sold his car. By this time I had found a cool flight from Adelaide to Bangkok, then over to Amsterdam in Holland. I'd make my own way to England.
Now that Kim had sold his car he was on the cards to go. We bought our tickets. Kim still wanted to sell his boat so he could have plenty of spending money. Hmmmm ... money, I should save a bit too :)) I did have some but not a lot. I didn't need much because I would be working in Greece in a month or so. As long as I could survive until then ... yeah, no worries!? :))
The boat gets sold a week before we leave. Just before we pack to go, Kim and I bought a bottle or our favourite alcohol. Kim bought a 750ml bottle of Benedictine and I bought a bottle of champagne from a winery in a small town called Padthaway just outside where I grew up in South Australia. That stuff is dam tasty!! :))
We flew to Bangkok and caught a Tuk-Tuk to what we thought was the hotel we booked at the airport. This place certainly didn't look like the picture we saw! We stayed a night and the next day went to the one we wanted to go to from the beginning. Crikey!! What a difference! It was clean, great price, heated outdoor swimming pool that looked like it was in a jungle and breakfast was fantastic! We stayed there for the rest of our duration.
While in Bangkok, Pat Pong Road is a "must be visited" place for everyone. We ate there, shopped there, and at night, to relax and unwind, we drank there. We ended up at a bar called The Pink Panther. Within no time we were sharing our table with 6 very beautiful Thai chicks. As the night went on we got very drunk, as one does when drinking in a wild atmosphere. It's natural and happens in every country in the world! Our night was "happening" really well ... and I guess from this point on, the Thai part of the journey can be left to your imagination as to what happens at the Pink Panther :))
Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge, Spank spank
On to Amsterdam we travel. We are flying KLM and the price for this flight was a bargain. The service and food was great quality and always came with a smile. Amsterdam, if you have never been is .... interesting! It truly is a beautiful city despite the usual stories of drugs and prostitution. Yeah, you see that kind of thing but it's minor and good for a look but nobody is obliged to get involved.
We were there in early March. It was a tad cold, but still, after walking around it's possible to imagine the flowers everywhere and the tree lined canals in full bloom against the pastel colours of the Dutch architecture.
After breakfast in one of the famous cafes that are off the main streets, usually the alley ways, feeling on top of the world, we wonder around looking for a travel agent. We want to catch the bus over to England. It's still a little early to be in Greece so we'll spend some time with my family and cruise around Somerset for a while.
Suddenly, as we were coming out of an alley, a man wearing a long trench coat stops us. He's in his mid 20s and as he opens his coat he's got his sales pitch running at the same time. Hanging from pins are neatly stacked plastic bags with all kinds of tablets, white powder and bags of grass and hashish! It was the most amazing drug store I had ever seen! This guy had everything a drug taking person could hope to have, try or use! It was interesting to see but we politely declined his trench coat shop and went on our merry way.
After booking our seats to London there was time to look around.
No dramas on the trip to England and we were soon in London. We caught the Tube to about a 20 minute walk to the M4 Motorway which is our hitch hiking point to get down to Somerset.
By the end of the day we were a bit knackered but the beer from my mum and dad's pub, called The Forester's Arms, went down a treat!! :))
Cheers, good to see you again :))
Bro, u are the man!
ReplyDeleteSee ya in Izu.
Swifty