Archive for January, 2005

SOME STATS ON THIS TRIP

Saturday, January 8th, 2005

63 – The number of countries I have now backpacked

23 – The total number of countries on this trip

20 – The new countries I saw

0 – Boring anecdotes from my life that the Runt hasn’t had to listen to at least once. The poor bastard has heard them all now.

22 – Flights, hard to believe eh?

0 – Serious injuries or illnesses gotten on the trip.

Loads – Great people met.

Not many – Sunny days. I am the rain bringer after all.

THOUGHTS ON THE TRIP IN GENERAL

23 countries in 127 day is quite a lot. I wouldn’t say it was to rushed but I would offer this piece of advice.

Don’t plan a trip like this with a fixed deadline, like a friends wedding. If you do try to find more flexible friends who are flexible on dates and last minute changes. While on the road you are bound to find things that you did not know in the planning stage that you will want to add on to the overall trip. Also despite how small things look on your map it will undoubtedly take much longer to get there once they have loaded all of the chicken coops on the bus.

Remember, people who try to tell you its a small world haven’t tried to photograph it.

COUNTRIES I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO GO BACK TO

All of them. But if I had to choose a list of countries that are definitely on the hit list for a return visit.India – It’s a huge country and I only got a taste for it.

USA – It’s a huge country and I only got a taste for it. In the next few years I hope to buy a camper van there and drive it with a few friends. Naturally you are all invited.

Croatia – to see what it is like in the summer.

Poland and Slovakia – to go hiking again.

Bulgaria – just because I liked it.

DAY 134 TO DAY 138 – LEAVING LAS VEGAS

Friday, January 7th, 2005

Drove back to Vegas and did lots of Vegas stuff for another few days.

Most impressed by the Star Trek ride at the Hilton. Was in a simulation Star Trek lift on the ride when one of the actors was outlining the plot that some Klingons had gone back in time and tried to kill on of Captain Picard’s distant relatives. Well he is bald and I am bald so it only took about two seconds for this large American girl to start screaming “I know who it is! I know who it is!” Very funny.
Flew back to London and finally the trip is all over.

BOMBERS HIT AGAIN

Wednesday, January 5th, 2005

Today at three the bombers hit London again. Thankfully these bombers seem to be about as competent as The Three Stooges and early reports suggest that no one was seriously hurt.

These are my options for my journey home.

My Journey home looks shiteI really can’t make up my mind between walk bus train walk bus walk or walk bus walk bus train walk bus walk or even walk bus walk bus train walk bus walk. On the face of things bus train walk bus walk looks like it might be the go but if everyone else thinks the same thing then it almost certainly won’t be. I have a suspicious feeling that I might end up taking the walk walk walk walk walk walk walk walk walk walk walk walk option.

DAY 133 – UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Sunday, January 2nd, 2005

Saw Universal Studios and as usual it pissed down. The Studios were most notable for the size of the servings in the restaurant. I ordered the large chili and Coops who wasn’t hungry ordered the chicken fingers for a starter. My chili came in a bloody bucket and Coop’s chicken starter was six whole chicken breasts – deep fried. Well they do say this is the fattest country in the world.

DAY 132 – LA

Saturday, January 1st, 2005

We drove to LA to catch up with some old London friends. Had a few drinks on Sunset Boulivard. Man we were so cool.