Turn right at India

Bon Voyage

2009-11-10T20:10:00.001-08:00

So off to the vehicle compliance centre,another vehicle was hired,this time a trailer all at an extra cost still i could not drive the MG on the Newzealand roads...my bank manager must be having nightmares by now...i sat up front in the lorry watching the MG bounce about as we drove to the vehicle compliance centre....we arrived early(me and Kevin the lorry driver)...the car was put up on the ramp and inspected while i went out for some fresh air and a bag of chips...I returned 3 hours later to find that the car had failed its test...it was in need of some brake repairs,some rust treatment to the chassis(minor),a suspension grease up and a stop tail light.....all at an unbelievable price of $1290....I had no choice but to get the work done this was no ordinary test..it was an imported vehicle test and quite a sustantial one at that,the seats were removed and the seat belts....all the wheels and various removable panels.
another night was spent at the hostel and i returned to the train station the next day to catch the train back to Otahuhu to collect the car and get its new plates for NEWzealand....it was afternoon by the time i took delivery of the MG and it now had the black and white Newzealand plates on.It felt strange driving away from the compliance centre back to the hostel for yet another night in Auckland...It took 40 minutes to get back and i had difficulty finding a parking space near where i was staying.I hadnt driven the MG on the open road for 2 months and it felt good to be back in the driving seat.
I organised a last minute party with some friends at the hostel,Lloyd,Christian,Johnno,marcus,fabriggio...a few beers some food and off to bed,I would drive to lake taupo in the morning.....
The morning came around fast,I packed my back pack and departed before the warden could give me a ticket...It was raining heavily and the car kept steaming up but i got away from the city and onto the open road...steadily i made my way throught the beautiful countryside,winter and spring mixed,,,rain,but some growing shoots of life for the next season.The heater was working well and i felt nice and warm,its not often that my cars have heaters that actually work so this was luxury...
I found a youth hostile near the lake,booked a room and took a nap before heading downstairs to the undergroung carpark to wash and wax the car....2 hours later the MG was absolutely gleaming...this would be my last chance to make the car shine before i arrived in wellington.....I decided to crack open the whiskey ,a Talisker from scotland and a fine malt too.And would you belive it there were 5 scots in the youth hostile of varying ages from 23 to 72...the evening began well,the malt flowed,stories were told and memories of adventures felt....The quests were talented cooks and food followed as we drank till midnight....
the next day i awoke slightly dazed but eager to go and see a German ex flatmate of mine who lived just 1 hour outside of wellington...i would spend the night there and not have such a long drive to the party the next day,that way i could stay fresh for the excitement and savour the moment of return.....The MG had other ideas and 1 hour into the journey decided to stop on the desert road...it was freezing up there near the lake but i had to get out of the car and take a look at what was causing the trouble...it looked like fuel starvation again....i shook up the fuel line to try and clear any sediment in the fuel line leading to the carbhureter...and amazingly it started again ....i had to use the starting handle again,the battery was nearly dead....hopefully it would get me home...
I arrived at 5.30pm and Alex and Jessica greeted me and offered me food and some fine beers from Belgium which they got especially for me,and we caught up on news.I even managed to go and see some other friends around the corner in Paraparaumu,Sue and Anton.....they fed me too....i must be thinner it would seem...
THE SATURDAY came around and i set off for the big return,a 1 hour slow drive through Wellington to the regional wines and spirits liquer store,MY FAVOURITE...a sense of triumph returned...and in that hour i thought of all the wonderful people i had met who made the journey possible.....I took the last turn into the carpark of the liquer store,and there were all my friends,they had come out to greet me and i felt very lucky.I took a minute or so to exit the car,listening to the engine whurr for the last time on its long trip.I switched of the engine disembarked the MG,and stood there wearing my gold and cream paisley tuxedo that i got from Bangkok and the warmest of welcomes embraced me....I had returned safely,i had brought the car over from england against all the odds, dealt with the beaurocracy and had lived an amazing 6 months on the road.....and my friends were there to share the moment with me......
until next time
Bon voyage.....

Leaving Auckland

2009-10-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Its been a difficult and tiring 13 days..Firstly the car being late didnt help matters, then having to organise times and places for the vehicle to be taken from the port to a designated area so that bio security could check the MG for animal and plant life..also customs work independantly from that department so i had to coordinate that check too and that used up another day and i had already lost 8 days with the shipment being late and because it arrived late on friday it had to stay on the wharfe until monday.And all this time i am in a backpackers waiting..actually it became too expensive so i moved to another place around the corner..then i moved from that one because it was full of drunks and Methamphetamine addicts...NICE...the place i have now is much better and a lot cheaper,which is marginally good news because of the way all the various shipping and customs and MAF and vehicle compliance and reregistering agencys keep charging me huge sums of money to get this car through the system.....anyhow i went to try and get some part time work in some bars and restaurants,but no-one was hiring...either that or the fact that I now look like a "bum' off the streets..my clothes havent fared so well...actually i shall need a new wardrobe after i get back....But today is the last of the checks ,and fingers crossed i get a warrant for the car..then i shall start my last leg of the trip back to wellington...and with NZ number plates...seems hard to believe that that 1967 MG Magnette built at the famous longbridge plant in Coventry England,where so many famous British cars were built...including the Austin Mini,should end its day on the other side of the world after a 6 month jaunt over land and sea.....
In the last 2 weeks i have approached TVNZ so that they might do a story on this journey and also contacted a well known advertising agency,their mission statement being"Nothing is impossible"...safe to say that apparantly picking up the phone to reply to me is actually "impossible",because i havent heard from them...it would be nice to gain an advertising deal so i can get my new wardrobe.......
Safe to say that after recieving the car and setting off for wellington,that if I should get pulled over by the Police they will instantly arrest me for stealing my own car looking like a homeless person...

Johnnie, the Walker

2009-10-07T22:23:00.000-07:00

It was last night in Thailand and the aircraft beckoned for me to be flown back for the last leg of the road trip from Auckland to Wellington...What mysterys with the shipping agents and customs awaited me there I wonder?.....It was nearly midnight and I was having a last tincture in a bar off a pleasantly busy and bustling side street. I felt philosophical....I have had many experiences on this trip...a rollercoaster of a ride...and thats just my driving...I had several adventures in one really ...the road trip through Europe to the gateway of the middle east...the shipping (a feat in itself) of the MG Magnette which would ensure the survival of 1 very rare British Classic and reunite me with my Grandfathers legacy...the trip to Thailand and Bangkok and the beautiful trip down to Ko Tao.....and the final run in New Zealand down to Wellington.
I had been fortunate to meet many people from all over Europe and indeed other travellers from around the world, all with the same things in common.To see as much of the world as possible...It would be another 14 hours before I had to depart for the airport, hopefully with at least one decent item of clothing to return with...the rest of my clothes were now in tatters ...
The next day I awoke by 9am and packed my things for the trip back to Auckland. I set off for the taylors and there was a my suit, they must have been up all night tayloring away. I paid my bill and set off for my last Thai meal, a local Thai restaurant where no travellers, other than myself went. The food was truly tasty but quite hot. I wondered after if this was such a good idea after for a longhaul flight, it was too late by now....
I picked up my backpack and set off for the airport....4 hours before the flight was due, the traffic being so hectic in Bangkok....
On arrival I found the duty free shop and found that I could not take liquids over 100 mil into New Zealand so no malt whiskey for me....oh joy...I found a nice place to watch the world go by and spent my last few thousand baht on some over priced beer at the airport....before I knew it time had flown by and it was time to board, I would have to go via Sydney which would make the journey unecessarilly long, such was the case when I booked the ticket at the last minute. I could only hope that there wasnt a screaming child next to me on the plane....
I boarded the plane and sat down next to a screaming child...ahhhhh....what gives?..the mini bar would take care of that, I ordered a whiskey for me and the child and he got steadily mellow(only kidding)..actually I started screaming at that point...no malt whiskey...only bloody Johnnie Walker?!
The flight was pleasant enough and eventually I arrived in Auckland....took the airport taxi to the centre and found a backpackers...it felt like prison after my beach hut...I would rather have my lizard and rat back thank you please.....then decided to contact shipping to find out where the car was...it was to be 1 week late and I would have to wait in auckland. I thought I would spend the time wisely so contacted MAF and Customs...I would have to be at their office in the morning and then go to see shipping then see another agency to get the vehicle to and from the point of inspection and then take it to the Land transport agency for a rigourous vehicle test and only then could I get the MG reregistered...assuming it didnt need any work done to it? And after taking the shipping container back to the wharfe...I got all the info...and the expense projection and took a look at how long and how much my accomodation was going to be while I was here.....this wasnt going to be easy!!!

Tuk Tuk

2009-10-05T01:26:00.000-07:00

After having a grand old time on the islands of Ko Tao and Ko pangjang I had to depart for the return trip to Bangkok...
I had really got used to island life, spending lazy days on the beach, hanging out in restaurants dining with strangers on local thai menus...enjoying the underwater adventures of Scuba diving at some of the worlds top dive sites. My total number of dives reached 50 and I celebrated with a large cocktail of Long island iced tea the night before the boat left for the mainland at Chumphon in the morning....2 hours on the fast catamaran and then onto the bus for the 7 and half hour road journey back to the centre of Bangkok to the famous Khosan Road....the bus finally pulled into town at 8.30pm in the middle of a monsoon drenching and I had to find accomodation fast, not wanting to stay out in the rough...I headed off to a place I found just before I left for the islands, but it was full...sooo off I set to find plan B. Sweet Thai guest house was the biggest flea pit I have seen but it was cheap and I was desperate so I paid my 180 baht and went to put my luggage into the room I had chosen...the larger of the 2 I was offered...the 1st one was without windows and I had to jump into the bed to get into the room and shut the door....this room was slightly bigger and had a window, but the fan was perilously loose on its fittings on the ceiling and looked as if it may come away and decapitate me at any minute.....I would find a better place to stay in the morning...
suprisingly I slept Ok, but found a better place to stay as soon as I awoke, moved in and enquired as to where I could get a taylor made suit for myself... the owner immediately dispatched a member of his staff to go get a Tuk Tuk and drive me 5 minutes to the taylors...this actually involved over an hours driving through town to see several "friends of his" to get a commision for the suit....but not after having to endure the suicide driving of my Tuk Tuk driver...only on 2 occasions were there all 3 wheels of his contraption on the road at any one time and narrowly avoiding cars buses pedestrians and head on collisions driving down the wrong side of the road did I struck up a rapport with my captureer, I mean driver...well after several near death experiences it was inevitable...I thought it best to keep the conversation down to a minimum because he would turn his around 180 degrees to chat leaving no-one seeing what the next potential accident may bring....after several tours of taylors...and on the last occasion when getting back into the back of the vehicle I noticed that not all the whell nuts were on ...only 3 when there was quite clearly another wheel bolt for another nut to go onto....by now I had decided to ask him to return to the Khosan road where I also knew of a taylor and I couldnt handle anymore of Bangkoks traffic pollution, in 1 hour it felt as if I had smoked 40 cigarettes and had 5 Cuban Cohibas.
I found my taylor and a deal was struck then I decided to steady myself after such a hairaising experience...5 locally produced Chang beers did the trick then I had another one and started to get unsteady again, where the whole unsteadyness started all over again....still unsteady I wandered off to look around town knowing that I had to be back for 7pm to get my second fitting for my suit at the taylors...

Let there be a show

2009-09-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

I awoke 2 minutes before the alarm clock - 6 o'clock. Tiny shards of light broke through the wooden shutters and across my mattress - the alarm clock sounded - I stabbed it out immediately and lay in the humid beach hut despite the efforts of a fan on 3-speed.
A 3 minute shower got me ready for departure...A dive to "Champhon", with the promise of a whale shark. Excitedly I threw on some shorts and a faded T-shirt and off I set...it was a 15 minute walk from the hut, through the palm trees. A new dawn fades - the memories of the night before... Down across the lush grass still walking through the mountain mist - the early light cascading across welcome palms. Dogs still coiled up for warmth throughout the night didn't stir, save for the odd nightmare still deeply sleeping. I walked past the restaurants and bars, the sounds still echoing from the last nights revellry.
It didnt take long for me to arrive at the dive shop which lay right on the beach. I could see the boat bobbing up and down that was going to take us to the dive site. I got my bouyancy device, wetsuit, flippers and a mask - my weight belt and regulator were already on the boat. We had a 5 minute briefing and off we set across the sand towards the "longtail" boat that was to take us to the bigger vessel. Most of us got a soaking as 20 of us crammed into the large rowing boat that had a 4 cylinder engine and a 3 meter propeller shaft attatched to it. The exhaust bellowed out black smoke and within 5 more minutes we boarded the bigger vessel, a wooden ex fishing boat, the rusty nail marks dripped down the sides of the hull over old and flacky paint.
The sun rose higher and higher as we headed out to the "Champhon Pinnacle" and we organised our rigs for our 2 dives. The air was checked and our BCD loaded over the air cylinder, air attached to the regulator and our safety checks done. We finned up and stepped into the sea. Down we all descended by the bouy line and into the big blue and the unknown. We levelled off and took in the beauty of all the shimmering coral, deep greens and purples, sea anenomes sheilding orange spotted and beige clown fish. Enormous bat fish came into view and sea slugs moved slowly across the sand bars on the ocean floor. Rabbit fish glided by and seargent fish with their large eyes and red and black markings hid behind large volcano sponges. 3 eels half hidden under a ledge vied for position while awaiting their next prey. And 2 Titan trigger fish came into view darting in and out, their 40kg mass a constant threat to other fish and the dive team. Taking care to keep one eye on the trigger fish we followed the reef taking in the sights of this watery playground. A group of Angel fish well over one and half feet in size swam past in the opposite direction as did a shoal of juvenile Barracuda, smattered with with tiny damsel fish.
Before I knew it the time had come to do a 5 minute safety stop and re surface. Air was low and we had been down for over an hour.
The days diving couldn't have been better and I returned to the dive shop with the team to fill out the log book then got some lunch from my favourite Thai restaurant. I strolled up the beach and found "The Sairee Cottage" and ordered a mouthwatering Red Thai curry. The tasty sauce and aromatic infusions soaked into the rice and I cooled my mouth on an ice cold glass of mango and coconut lassie.....
I felt a little sleepy after my diving and lunch so decided to take a nap under a palm tree overlooking the pier. The afternoon turned into early evening and I returned to my beach hut whilst the spectacular sun set over the golden sand of Ko Tao beach.
This evening a show was to be put on by a dance chorus of ladyboys, and I was eager to see it after several recommendations by the locals and the crew of the dive shop.
I arrived at the venue with half hour before the show and ordered a "Cosmopolitan" with enough alcohol to sedate an army and before long the spectacular show began. The lights dimmed and the music started, an operatic piece from "Carmen" and then slowly the "girls" came on stage one by one, their faces made up and wearing the most outrageous costumes. The crowd was loving it, and so was I. I ordered another "Cosmopolitan" and sat back and listened to 15 song and dance routines. At the end of the show the leading ladyboy introduced everyone of the chorus by name and hat' came around...Everyone was pleased to contribute to a first rate show.
It had been a busy day and was late now and I still had another 2 dives set up for the morning, so set off once again for my beach hut under the light of the moon.....the lizard would be waiting stuck to the ceiling...but I would tackle him when I got back...

Rat

2009-09-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

I boarded the bus at 7pm 3rd september, I was the last on and got the broken chair with no arm rest sitting in the isle......when I finally fell asleep I lost my balance and nearly fell on to floor which was then occupied by another passenger attempting to sleep...fortunately I stayed in my seat... The bus pulled into a truck stop at 2 am and we all piled off only to be shouted at by the bus driver to be back on board in 30 minutes...the passegers headed for the shack they called the restaurant an ordered warm beer.....I gave it a miss, instead opting for a dry biscuit....mmmhhhh.
No-one was left behind and we finally made it to the southern gulf of Thailand, where we had to wait in the restroom for 3 more hours until the sun came up to get the boat...what a beautiful sunrise as the waves lapped the small wooden craft filled with backpackers....
On disembarkation I was gathered up by a local Thai and taken to a beach hut a price agreed and then I caught up on some well earned rest after such a long trip across the country, only to be rudely awoken by my hidden flat mate...some kind of a lizard. Bloody hell they can make a racket cant they...on closer inspection I found the cheeky chap in the bathroom stuck to the wall..if he carrys on I thought he will be stuck to my foot....
I got up in the afternoon and decided to smarten myself up a bit so showered and headed off to get my haircut at a barbers I saw on the way through. I entered the shop and local Thai Girl asked what cut I wanted and sat me down and got to work...She put the nylon cloak over me and started cutting away and when she came around the left side of me...because my elbows were hanging over the arms of the barbers chair (enjoying the sheer luxury after the bus ride) the girl brushed against me, I thought it strange to be wearing a money belt when there was a perfectly good cash registar in operation. I then looked down and realised there was no money belt and my hairdresser had enormous hands and an Adams apple...is there nowhere I can go without being harrassed!? Hahaha, anyway at least I didnt get chased by her? Him? Like the wild dogs in Turkey...
The following days I explored the island on foot...only a few motorbikes touring aroung the exceptionally hilly terrain, but otherwise great views and lots of tranquility......the sea was a perfect turqoise and super clear...
I returned after some swimming and a lovely fresh thai cooked meal of "Pad Thai"
The bars are packed to the rafters of an evening and happy hour seems to last until the early hours...I found a quieter hut on my second day to avoid all the drunken teenagers, but I now have a new lizard even bigger than the last one and a rat that woke me up at 2am trying to eat my morning croissant that I left next to my wardrobe russtling the packet....
I picked up the lizard and threw him at the rat...no problem now...(only kidding Brett and Jaro)...

Thai soup

2009-09-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

After returning to istanbul I new it was going to be a mission to organise the MG shipping...
I spent 3 days in all returning to the port with the car...first the car had to be completely cleaned throughout and I had to drive to the special cleaning works for this...inside the engine compartment ,under the bonnet,inside the boot everything had to be removed then washed with high pressure steam and a strange chemical they use for cleaning...then it had to be heat treated and signed off by a customs officer...
the petrol tank had to be emptied of fuel for the journey,which was a complete fiasco as the guys doing this task didn't have a syphon so decided to try and suck the petrol out..1 poor fella must have drank half a litre of the fuel(must have thought it was Rakki) they got most of the fuel out eventually and I reversed the MG into the container that was up over a ramp that was next to the lorry...8 Turkish chaps then had the task of choking up the wheels and lashing the car to the inside of the container with carriage belts..
the MG would have to be transported to the port of Haydapasa and I would have to spend more time with the customs officers in 2 buildings across town 1 mile apart to and throw..I must have been to several different offices in these 2 buildings collecting paperwork and signing documentation......finally I had all the documents and proved the vehicle was mine etc and filled out customs declarations....all I had to do was take all this paperwork to another officer to prove that the car was indeed leaving the country and that I could be allowed to organise a flight out of Turkey...It is illegal to leave without proof that I have not imported the vehicle.....
By the end of the week I said farewell to the MG and with my paperwork all in order I went to look for a flight ........But I have to be back in Auckland by 3rd october at the latest to recieve the car and finally import the vehicle, get it road legal and drive to Wellington.
I find myself in Thailand in Bangkok. Its a crazy place, hawker stands selling their wares, fruit I have never seen before octopus kebabs for sale on the side streets.
The golden temples are simply wonderful to look at, I had to go get the battery charged again for my camera. The streets smell of fish most of the time mixed with the fumes of the cars, vans and tuk tuks....it would seem that anything can be purchased here, I dont wear branded clothes anyway but if I did they would all be fake although I couldnt tell...
There is usually a downpoor of rain everyday, so far I have missed getting a drenching...
I will be heading down south to Ko Tao an island near Ko Samui...I have to book the overnight bus today and head to Chumphon to catch the speed boat to get there.....it is a 12 hour journey all in 452kms...hopefully I will be doing some scuba diving and get to see a whale shark...NICE.

D-Day

2009-08-13T02:02:00.000-07:00

D-Day had arrived....I had waited the long wait, applied for that elusive iranian visa everyway I could. Right at the beggining in Wellington, New Zealand a Mr Abdul or whatever his name was, said there would be no problem as he handed me back my passport with only 2 days before my flight to london...and he had my passport for a whole month with promises of tommorrow tommorrow. I rang the London iranian embassy with no luck and employed 2 agencies to aquire that god forsaken visa, I even wrote a letter to the Iranian consulate in Turkey. This was a bitter pill to swallow.
I felt miserable about the whole thing. My venture wasnt stopped by a mechanical failure, illness, theft, injury, kidnapping - no a beurocrat with a ball point pen.
I conseled myself with the fact that across 10 countries I had driven the 1967 MG and the stories and journey itself would remain with me forever - dogs chasing me, paragliding, fresh fruit gathered in unknown ochards, bathing in hot natural spas, had met with Gertrund, Dagmar, Roger Michelle, Nasco, Justin, Tugba, Nuri, Pietro, Nenad, and many others, I had samples of a wide variety of local food and many other wondrous things....
I still had too many beers that night and what a hangover...I got up and sat down on the chair and hoped in hours I would be able to move to the other chair...the day after I was planning to stand up. It had been a dark 48hours, knowing that this was my last chance to make my time frame for the Pakistan and Indian visa requirements and that the was no real alternative across...(I had considered dispatching the car to another driver, but again the paperwork was not feasable...and I had heard of a Swiss guy trying to go across Turkmenistan. He lost the car and my contact in Pakistan found him and his wife riding into town on a donkey looking like Jesus and Mary, seriously)... I looked out at the Black sea, quite fittingly and wayed up my options...
It was time to make a new plan. I rang my contact at the port of Hydapaşa in Istanbul and explained that the car has now to be shipped back to New Zealand...Auckland... and arrangements were to be made. I was to drive back from the Black sea to Istanbul and rendezvous with Serhan from TENET LOGISTICS...there was a container loading warehouse that the car was to be prepared in for the journey by sea via Hong Kong reloaded to another ship and then sent to Auckland...the car would have to be washed, fumigated, customs checked, certified, chocked and lashed to the inside of a 20 foot container and a Kings Ransom paid to achieve all this....my bank account was to recieve a huge punishment thanks to the Ayotollah...(I am with Bush Now!)..and the process was likely to take 4 or 5 days of immense paperwork...
This would mean that for the most part the road trip was over until Auckland.
I would then find a cheap flight to somewhere in Asia while the MG took 6 weeks to arrive on New Zealand soil.
For me the journey would have to take a different route, one involving an aircraft.

Cooking is fun

2009-08-12T01:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to test out the car ready for the trip across to Iran, still hoping for the visa to come through... so off I set for Agva further along the way across the Black sea coast. The MG drove well and the petrol problem from before must have cleared itself... it was one of the most beautiful drives of the trip so far. A steady 60km hour cruising along with the soft spring of a 1967 classic car with the sun streaming through the trees that lined the road, the comfort of the leather upholstery bringing the luxury of sitting at a gentlemans club in a chesterfield suite, the only thing that was missing was a brandy glass filled with Henessy cognac.
I arrived to take in the beauty of this extraordinery coastline and stopped for a bite to eat...it was a day trip so I had packed only a few necessarys for the beach.
I returned late at the campsite and was ready to turn in for the night when I was asked to play the mandolin (a souvenir that I purchased in TAXIM)...well I couldnt say no but then I couldnt really play either, I cobbled together 3 chords and attempted to make it sound like 5, by the time I had finished I knew there would be no more dog attacks that evening for me...they had all left the building, so had the audience, but 1 came back and said for me to bring my mandolin with me...we jumped into his pickup truck (it was 1130pm by now) and off we set to lord only knows where in the pitch black and off onto a dirt track road...actually I had a vague idea that he knew someone who could play and was going to let me have a chance to hear how it was done. We arrived at a gypsy camp and after 5 minutes had assembled a band of dark skinned veterans...they jumped into the back of the van and got changed into traditional clothing, then off we set again into the wild. When we finally arrived at a house in the forest I didnt know what to think.
We all jumped out the pickup truck and Salim(the truck driver) woke the owner up... he looked the same as Peter Ustinov....exactly even the smile.....he was pleased to see us even though by now it was gone midnight and assembled glasses and Rakii and some beer for the Gypsies, a toast was made in this house decorated with old antique pictures and a singer sewing machine....windup record players and rifles on the wall...Ustinov and Salim were hunting partners from way back and the walls were covered in pelts and other such items in the wood and stone house.
A party was in the mix and when the Gypsies started playing their violins and drum and mandolin I wished I had brought along my video camera....but as the evening drew on, I was glad I hadn't because it would have intruded in a very special and intimate musical evening with some real characters... later we were joined by a military policeman and what I can only describe as some sort of mafia shipping specialist...although I can't be sure but he was well connected...this was truly local music, those guys could play alright...I was stunned by their brilliance...and we all danced!!!!!
It was a late night and a late morning for me and I had to cook moussaka for the friends I had made at the campsite...I would have to get some shopping in.....and I wanted to make a special thing of it after my gypsy evening...
Fortunately I was armed with a first class recipe from a greek cook I used to know...
the evening was fun 20 guests had turned up...and I did get complimented on my production of one of the local dishes (they say it's turkish the greeks say it's greek)...but hey I am an englishman living in New Zealand... isn't cookin fun!?

Turkey Again

2009-08-11T01:45:00.000-07:00

The days are at a so so tranquil pace, nights under the stars with Turkish holiday makers, some Russian too, laying on the beach watching the days go slowly but unexpected things happen.
One day in question I was asked to go for dinner at a place near the Istanbul Formula 1 turkish race track (I confess I didn't know they had one), but off we set into the back and beyond to get there, stopping along the way at one of the passengers melon farm ... he picked a nice and juicy one for the BBQ. We arrived early evening and 5 Turkish chaps started to build the big oil drum BBQ...They gathered the old wood from the surrounding farm land and some gauze(always handy for getting things going)...They threw on the shells from walnuts and hazelnuts to give that extra something and poured generous measures of Rakii(I learnt my lesson and stuck to a few beers and some water)...Then we all helped turn the homemade kebabs and marinated assortment of meats...tomatoes were also to appear with there soulmates green chillies whole roasted...and our bread was warmed next to the flame while we were witness to a glorious sunset over the hills surrounding Istanbul but in the countryside....
It was a truly wondrous evening, the conversations mostly in sign language...strange how we all seemed to know exactly what we were all saying in our native tongues after a few glasses of pop....
Somehow we all arrived back at the campsite in one piece way after midnight...
The following day a huge storm blew across our peaceful campsite....thunder, lightening and great bolts of electrical activity...
two huge trees felled by direct hits on the campsite I have never beenso close to this sort of thing ... the air was filled with static.
Then it was back to sunshine.

Black Sea

2009-07-28T02:37:00.000-07:00

The evening before I had met a lovely Danish couple, Nicholas was a freelance journalist and his partner Olivia a theatre actress. They were the 1st english speaking people I had met in well over 2 weeks, so I decided to invite them around for a spot of lunch the following day.
I awoke from my tent and wrote a small shopping list for the food I would require and set off for the centre of town to get the provisions. I managed to get most of the ingredients straight from the shelf or when necessary a 25 minute theatrical performance usually pretending to be a chicken in the case of trying to procure an egg from the shop owner, and after various failed attempts to get my message over, where the shop assistant brought forward a loaf of bread and a packet of Marlboros cigarettes (how silly of me bread comes from chain smoking chickens with a taste for american cigarettes in particular) - I had finally all the ingredients I needed for my lunch guests...I SWEAR THEY KNEW ALL ALONG WHAT I NEEDED AND SPOKE THE QUEENS ENGLISH, PROBABLY HAD A DEGREE FROM CAMBRIDGE OR HARVARD...
On my way home I came past some locals selling their wares.....the tables were laid out in the open or on the floor and the items seemed to be a broken display of everything that you would never need - 1 shoe...strap broken, bits of tap, bent pipe, clothes bleached from the sun etc. I returned to the campsite...
My guests arrived and we spent an enjoyable afternoon on the campsite in glorious sunshine, surrounded by trees and flowers on a lush green field - I even put a table cloth over the campsite table.
My guests returned to their sunbathing and swimming activities while I went for a cup of tea (Cay) with the campsite owner. And it was at this point that I noticed he was trying to fix a broken chair. More colleagues of his then came to assist. At 1 point there was 3 grown Turkish men trying unsuccessfully to fix this broken wooden chair, with a broken hammer, rusty nails and 2 pieces of rotten wood. I had one of my laughing attacks, which saw the older of the 3 master craftsmen shoot a look in my direction, waving a broken hammer around as if to say any more laughing from me and I would be beaten about the head and hands. I couldnt help but to continue to laugh thinking if he doesnt put that hammer down hes going to hurt himself...more laughing...It was a wonder no-one got killed or aimed. And to think these chaps were descendents of Alexander the great from the Ottoman empire. I thought I had found the missing link - until, that was on my return from my evening run - I must have been a mere 50 metres from the campsite when my left pocket from my shorts - which must have been turned inside out and hanging like an ear outside of my shorts, got caught onto a piece of railing as I came jogging over the bridge. It spun me 180 degrees around and ripped half my shorts down the upper leg. It all happened so fast and there I was standing in the street half naked with only the right bottom covered. I managed to pull the 2 torn sides of my shorts together and leaning over to the left to keep the shorts together I stooped back to the campsite like the hunchback of Notre Damme to spend the rest of the evening stiching together my 50 pence shorts. By the time I had finished sewing the left leg back onto the right leg and put them on to test out my repair, it looked like I had both legs in one leg of the shorts.

İstanbul to Şile

2009-07-21T05:17:00.000-07:00

I had found a scorpion in the bathroom this morning ...an OMEN you may think....it was covered up with a box until I finished the shower and then I found a safe place to put it...........
I had a late start which was not normal for me when I hit the road. I had to pick up the car from the underground car park, except that it had to be moved a few days earlier and had been sitting outside in the baking sun. I had put the cover over it to give it some protection, but after I had my breakfast and went to collect the MG for the day driving, found the car to be red hot still.
I carefully negotiated my way out of the big busy city and on to the highway...the sort of driving that tests your skills I can tell you, and your patience. I had only just gone up a steep ramp when the car spluttered to a halt. I had heard the petrol pump continually clicking and knew that wasn't normal...the float chamber should stop the fuel when it has been charged....
I was on the hard shoulder(if you could call it that) and lorries and cars were wizzing past me....I opened the boot where the petrol pump lives and examined the situation...there was a breakdown truck nearby too which I thought would be lucky if I couldnt get it started....I tapped at the pump to maybe loosen the diaphragm and wondered that in the heat the pump had got some sort of vapour lock...a condition that can occur when the pump has only the gas of the petrol and therefore has nothing to pump...but on closer inspection of the filter I noticed that there was rust in the fuel or at least some dirt...eventually I tied a wet rag around the pump to cool it down and knocked the rust free. The car started up...but only for another 15 miles when the same happened again....again I cooled off the pump and tapped the rust free..this happened 4 more times, each time I was very exposed on the crazy highway. Eventually I rolled into town and found the 1st campsite set up my tent and decided to take a closer look at the situation in the morning....it was late now and I had taken 3 and half hours to travel 70km to the black sea.....I was hungry, thirsty and covered in petrol that I had spilt trying to negotiate topping up the tank from my jerry can on the side of the road to disturb any rust that maybe sitting at the bottom of the tank....
I cleaned up and got the stove started made some curry while a crowd gathered around me at the campsite curious as to what I was doing....I think I looked like desperate Dan to them. It's fair to say I was at that point, a long way from anywhere with a mechanical problem.
But the curry tasted good.....secret ingredient 95 octane....

Ignorance is Strength

2009-07-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

I have had my hands full recently with beurocracy....I spent a whole day dealing with the Iran consulate after hearing I could have a visa in 2 days...unbelievable...sadly it was...I got up at 4.50am to get the first boat to the mainland so I could be 1st in the queue for passport process....8.30am the doors opened after I eventually found the consulate up the top of a hill no less....by 8.40 AM a most unhelpful counter assistant had put paid to the prospect saying I was incorrectly informed by the man on the phone(who was the most senior but was not on duty)...I made phonecalls, returned to the consulate 2 more times but had no luck in procurring the all important visa....and after checking my emails found out the same day that the visa request had been officially turned down from the ministry of foreign affairs....

I gave the problem some thought over the next 2 days and have to admit is has got me stumped...
I have written a personal letter to the consulate and also organised another agency to aquire an invitation from iran
the staans route leads me to Afganistan and through Turkmenistan (more visa difficulties I am told) ...now I am used to taking a few risks....I mean crossing the road to the internet cafe to write this update I was stepping out into the crazy traffic, blindfolded and wearing a T.Shirt saying 'Galatasaray play like girls'.....
but AFGANİSTAN....really!!!!.????????
Soo...I have researched the shipping of the vehicle and got some prices....A kings ransom no less.....but at least I have options....
I could have the vehicle trailered across Iran but that was just short of the same price as shipping....too many zeros in the final cost and the risk that it would get stolen or impounded by all accounts...
Now I know the facts of the situation all I can do is wait some more....

But first a day in TAKSİM. Just to have a bit of fun.....one of the main centres for the lights and excitement of Istanbul....so much life, people buzzing around buying souvenirs, selling their wares, strange cooking pots and BBQ meat on skewers....tourists drinking outside in the summer air ...what a hullaballoo....but very engaging.....tiny cobbled back streets all on top of each other.I spent much of the afternoon sampling sweet delights at fancy pastry shops and having a few beers....and I got to see the Galata Koprusi a place where I am told the first flight took place(a man with wings jumped out of the upper terrace some 60 metres up....I think he lived too....
I decided to buy a mandolin ...(the instrument not the fruit!)....should come in handy at the campsite in 'Sile' up at the black sea my next stop.....A price was agreed and then the business of fixing the broken string...the owner knew of another shop owner who could get the string to fix it ,but in doing so broke another string so had to send for another string and then decided to tune it...which is why the other string broke(apparantly a tricky operation)..the whole process took an hour and 20 minutes while I waited outside the crowded shop...although it was next to a fresh juice shop...thirsty work this mandolin business dont you know....I finally had 5 minutes to make the ferryboat to get over the bridge to Bostanci....I had to leg it just to catch a taxi but made it with 2 seconds to spare
And I nearly got stopped by 2 police as I came around the corner to the ferryboat terminal holding the mandolin in its case...sweat pouring from my face and looking like AL PACİNO from Scarface...I was just about to say "welcome to my little friend " when I thought better of it.....

Kolkachec

2009-06-26T02:33:00.000-07:00

Well I am still waiting in Istanbul for news on that all important visa......
there is plenty to do around here and on the island of Buyakada .....
lots of local people on the island inviting me for some food or a beer...
in fact the other night I thought I would just nip out for a bite to eat in one of the local quick eateries while everyone was sitting watching the sun go down over the harbour....
the locals all said 'try Kolkachec'...I think thats how it's spelt...well I was keen to try it and asked what it was ...well it turns out to be this tasty little number made from lambs intestine.....mmmmhh...I thought...I had feasted on much offal...you know horse tails and deep fried toenails and other beauties such as ocelots nose and really felt like a run of the mill leg or shoulder cut...just for a change mind....anyway off I set and there was the sign kolcachec....soooo I gave in and got it...not too bad...a bit earthy but otherwise ok...probably not order it again, but the memory will stay with me for ever.....
SALAD TONIGHT!
Oh and got shat on by the biggest bloody seagull...although I did not get a good look at him...probably the size of a sparrow now....my goodness I was in such a mess I can tell you...I was on my way to see someone to the ferry boat back to the main centre when it happened and I was wearing my last clean clothes at the time....funny how everyone says 'lucky' after such an occurance and 'oh you should buy a lottery ticket..I bought some washing powder, thank you please. ...no more dog attacks though...just jelly fish twice...

Sultan

2009-06-24T01:38:00.000-07:00

I set off from the campsite to brave the Istanbul traffic conditions....the road was busy, the drivers impatient and the traffic stopped for enough time for me to be a bit concerned at the engine temperature...I set up the camera on a tripod in front of the dashboard to capture the MG cruising over the 'Fatıh sultanamet brıdge' which crosses the Bospherous..quite an unbelievable moment.
I eventually found the meeting point for my contact and we set off for the secure parking space underground carpark...
After such a busy morning I stopped for tea and something to eat and then headed off to the island of Bayukada...the biggest of the 5 islands off the mainland...half an hour later the ferryboat had brought me to an island where it was peace and quıet and the only traffic was eıther a bıcycle or a phaeton (horse drawn carriage)..it was a bit of a step back in time.
I cannot tell you what the scenery was like...but safe to say it was really someting else watching the sun go down from over the water where the main heart of istanbul is.
There is a church on the island and a very nice bar opposite selling the local beer 'Effes'...not a bad drop actually...
I found out this is where Leon Trotsky was put into voluntary exile by Stalin...
the buildings are magnificent...early 1900s...lots of wood decoration and french windows etc.
I had my first day out in the heart of Istanbul....a massive grand bizaar and I mean HUGE...Fez hats , sultans clothing (tempting), hubbly bubbly pipes, chess sets, pointy shoes and nearly everything you can imagine including a great line in carpets...
I went to see an underground water cistern all dark and myserious and with at least 100 tall stone columns holding the place together, 2 o which had the medusa carved on to them...
The blue mosque was simply magnificent and soo detailed....no shoes please...
and the Aya sophia church and later to become mosque was enjoying a major restoration...
There is so much to do here and the food is very tasty and very fresh...
Its a nice commute to the main part of Istanbul from the island and the locals are a very social bunch inviting me to dinner...lucky for me I can cook the odd meal and bring something along myself and they loved it...
Unfortunately the ferryboat to the east is not running at the moment so I will drive across in the MG
But...I still wait for my Iranian visa and it seems there might be a bit of a problem...relations from inside are a bit stormy and the issue of visas is all but stopped.
I spent a whole day trying to find out what is going on with my visa and the agency is not too confident, so I have been trying to work on another plan...which would mean either 4 extra countries north of the Caspian sea 'the Stans' where road conditions and visas can also be hard to come by
or a big boat trip to Singapore via the 'Suez Canal' in Egypt...
Tricky decisions as you can imagine...I have about 4 weeks to wait in Turkey and explore the place before I must make a decision, then my onward visas will expire or not leave me enought time to cover the distances...
In the meantime I will head up to the black sea coast but not too far from Istanbul just in case I have to get the cargo ship to Asia.

Trip progress

2009-06-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

For better orientation in current trip progress let me show you map with marked path travelled so far. Unfortunately, Google doesn't know how to search directions in Turkey for uknown reason which allows me to bring you only way to Bulgarian-Turkey border. Find the map here

Trip photos

2009-06-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Chris made a lot of photos which werent published here on blog, you can see them here. But wait, theres more over here as well.

Turkey - Erdierne to Silivri

2009-06-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

Well i got attacked again by wild dogs on the way to get bread late at night...but threw rocks at the main pack leader and they let me go free...its a bit of a problem here...I thought I would walk across some countryside instead of taking the car.....anyway I arrived in Silivri..no sign of a campsite but eventually I double backed and found one...nice too...its a very family orientated place...I have been here for 2 days and the locals watch the new boy but they have warmed to me despite a massive language barrier...everything takes ages to explain in both directions and I was washing my clothes in the crockery sink for 2 days before I was put on the right track...I waved encouragingly on many occasions before the truth was realised....how to operate the showers...the toilets....I think I am the campsite entertainment but actually I am trying to learn how to use everything properly...
Ii am 50km away from istanbul and will set off in 2 days to find my contact who happens to live on an island that does not allow cars so I have to find a secure place for the MG in the meantime in a busy busy city....
Then a possible change of plan...a big ferry trip by car across the black sea to Rize in the east of the country...this will save on very high petrol prices...but it may not start to ferry until july...I will keep you posted....
Igot a game of football organised with the local scouts team on the campsite in the morning...jumpers for goalposts......
anyway gootta run...they wait for me at the bar....RAKI is being served....

Turkey

2009-06-06T03:01:00.000-07:00

Set off early 8.30 and headed for the border..arrıved at 12 and took 2 hours to cross...many many forms and ınsurances and stamps and car searches....I pushed the car across the border after I decide to switch the engine off due to 30 degree heat....BUREAUCRACY EH!!!!
I managed to stay happy even though it was quite a test.....
I continued to Erdine and set up the tent...then whilst looking through my maps a friendly Scotsman arrived on his bike (a Big BMW) and bought me dinner....
HAPPY TIMES:::::
I cooked him porridge of all thıngs the next morning....stranger things have happened!!!!!

May 30th - June 5th

2009-06-05T02:56:00.000-07:00

I arrıved at an aırbase to meet my host... A MIG 21 fıghter pilot no less...
I was given instructions to find his wifes parents house some 30km away in town...so off I set even though it was getting dark...eventually I found it despite the road names being in some sort of dyslexic cyryrlic....mmmmhhhh...tricky indeed....The Parents were very hospitable...I mean very!!!!!...food was prepared and Rakia offered(we've been here before)
I slept well...
The next day İ met up wıth Nasco, my host, and taken to the vıllage....what can I say...simple pleasures....fresh cherries everyday from the orchard a 15 mınute cycle rıde away and a hot shower from the local sprıngs...of which there are many...and fresh, healing sprıng water...lovely...we went go-karting and I met a fellow Kıwı who is cycling to Indıa ...unbelievable....must have a backside made of Titanium...anyhow the days were filled wıth bike rides, fresh local food freshly prepared and natural spring water and good humour.
Then I was asked to go Paragliding.....
WHAT A MASSIVE THRILL OR WHAT PEOPLE...I FLEW LIKE A BIRD FOR AGES BEFORE FNALLY LANDING IN...guess what a cherry orchard...great to quench my thirst after the 20 mınute hike up the Rodoppi mountain with a 50 pound tandem paraglider on my back...
then we took some buggies out for a spin.....
Nice relaxing day after nearly suffering a wild dog attack (8 dogs) cycling through the forest the day before on the way to Banza' for a cup of tea and I fell off the bike over the handle bars (don't worry I am still in one piece folks)...applied the break too hard going down down hill through a big puddle...lucky the dogs were not there to greet me.....
My Hosts ...Nasco...Naska and Justin were fantastic and so welcoming...I had fresh honey from the grandfathers beehive in my freshly prepared local tea....mouthwatering....
I even had a send off the morning I left for Turkey by Neil and Nadia and given food for my days drive....

Photos

2009-06-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

Serbia - "Nic"

2009-05-28T01:36:00.000-07:00

I set off from Slovonski Brod, the MG seemed to respond well and the charge for the battery good...It took it slowly and drove non-stop for 5hours and covered 260 miles...the longest run so far....
The signs are now mostly in Ceryllic so as I arrived in Nic I was slightly at a loss as to know exactly where I was....
I headed for the centre of town and approached someone in a garage to make a call for me as I had a contact number....and....Nenad a local and well informed dynamic young chap came out almost immediately to greet me, I waited by the car. It was a 15 minute drive behind his Fiat Punto past all the other Yugos and Ladas to his flat on the top floor of a low rise building...We climbed the stairs to his flat and i took some clothes with me....then it was off to the centre of town for a tour of one of the oldest ruins in this part of the world..
I was surrounded by former soviet building blocks looking across the river at the "Hotel Ambassador" typical soviet style....although there was early roman ruins and also 100year old buidings too...
The night drew on and the feel of NIC was quite unusal....a very laid back feel to this place, people everywhere, playing tennis in the floodlit park at midnight, strong coffees being drunk, beers being served in the local bars and it was during the week...they were mostly"local tourists" just out strolling etc with there friends and families...there wer children driving up and down the park lanes late into the night in there electric toy cars almost like the under 5 formula 1....It had a kind of french riviera feel about it but eastern block style...quite difficult to put into words really...most of the elligble working age locals were unemployed which made it all the more odd to see everyone out being very relaxed and social.....it is actually a great place, a bit of a culture shock, things just seem different..or maybe not what i expected...
The following day I shot some film with Nenad and met some of his many friends around town all extremely friendly and very interested in someone from outta town...I dont think they get many tourists here?!..
We wandered around town,me finding everything interesting and stopping to take pictures,..the day drew on and I tried the local the local food....PLJESKAVICA...a sort of ground meat kebab in soft greasy bread with salad and yoghurt and a type of sour cheese...mmmmhhh tasty...It was suggested to go to a free concert of operatic students, so off we set and 12 unbelievably talented local singers with a pianist on a simple stage turned out the most beautiful Tchaikosfky and Mozart and Faust, your ears could ever imagine.....awesome..then off to a local bar for some RAKIA....it took my breath away....1 was more than enough...

Slovenski Brod...The loneranger rides again...II

2009-05-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

...awoke at 7.40am by knock on the door...it was "Ante"...quickly brushed my teeth and threw some clothes on and off to see what could be done with the MG...
2 hours later several bits of metal,welders and clips and brackets I had a very fine exhaust pipe that was like new...then off to see the electrical mechanic...things wern't so good here, the dynamo was at fault and the wiring was shorting out and the outside loom needed replacing...although a repair was made but no guarantees...the car charges at almost 30 now on the dial hopefully thats because the battery was flat and it will regulate itself to about 2...
anyway it seems the loneranger rides again..not sure for how long...I will try and make it down to Bulgaria. My host is a pilot and may know more about aquiring another dynamo....

Slovenski Brod...The loneranger rides again.....

2009-05-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a long long day, I was not really sure what was entirely wrong with the charging mechanism and the whole day to think about it while the MG stayed untouched 6km away,I knew not exactly where....
I decided to go for a 40 minute run along the river to take my mind off things...came back to the apartment room and got showered then went to look for some food...it was sunday and most things were closed exept for a fast food shop which opened at 5..it was cheap and might make up for my expensive breakfast expenditure...and I needed to keep some "Kuna" for the expenses that the MG would need on monday.....I found the fast food bar and had some sort of sandwich washed it down with some pepsi and reached for the "rennie".....went to a local bar had a beer and then went to bed...

Ptuj

2009-05-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

I slept well...and went into town found a money machine and managed to find the most expensive breakfast in town(not what I wanted)...it looked a bit posh when I got inside and the prices reflected that ...so standing with my shabby clothes and "Joy Division" tea shirt I had breakfast and then went to find an internet cafe...which is where I find myself now.....

To Croatia

2009-05-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

Set off at 11 am for Slavonski Brod...4 hours of driving...the scenery had changed now from the Austrian Alps and it was relatively flat, however 20 minutes into the drive I noticed that the AM-meter on the MG was reading minus...not good, especially as everyone seemed to have there lights on in the day...which maybe law in Croatia..I decided to continue and not put the lights on ..on I drove until I had hardly any fuel left...then I exited the motorway and put some fuel in from the jerry can I had in the boot of the car...I was very near Slavonski Brod...as expected the car would not start..the battery was flat..an electrical problem...I checked the engine and nothing obvious was wrong, no loose connections. So I got the starting handle and cranked the MG over...it started...so I could at least run the car during the day....
My next mission was to find a campsite, cook some dinner as I hadn't eaten all day and then try and find an electrical mechanic...I drove on and came to a guest house, no one spoke English and they didnt seem very helpful...so I thought I would have another look at the car....tryed a few things to see if I could get a charge...fan belt tight...so it could be the carbon brushes in the dynamo or the control box or a fuse....
Well things got from bad to worse....the engine vibrated on start up and the exhaust pipe came apart landing on the road...I crawled under the car to take a look...then went to see if I had any bits to make an emergency fix....so with some bits of bracket and string(like a good boy scout).I attempted a fix...not all that great and I didnt trust it to be honest...
I lay beside the car in the middle of nowhere, no hardcash(I had not found an ATM machine and the bank was closed in Slovenia before I left)...hardly any fuel for the car and nowhere to stay, not even a campsite and the car was not going anywhere....and even if I fixed the exhaust pipe I had no electric for night driving....
NOT GOOD.....
It was now 6.30 pm and I would have to make a decision very soon about finding somewhere to stay.....
As luck would have it...and lets face it I needed some...an english speaking Croatian girl named Elle stopped and I she said I could clean up if I wanted to after I had fixed the car and she looked at an address I had for an emergency "Pension apartment"...but it was in the centre of town 6km away....I did have a phone number and she rang it for me. Elle made some dinner for me and something to drink which was very much appreciated...40 minutes later "Ante" (please forgive me for the rough spelling of names here)...came to the house of Elle and I packed some clothes, locked the car and headed off to one of his apartments in Slavonski Brod..he said he would arranged for a mechanic for monday and dropped me off in town arranging to meet me in the morning...
The day had gone very quickly, time had raced by and there I was in Croatia in a small town across the border from Bosnia near the bridge with a broken car left by the side of the road 6km away in need of a mechanic....standing within 4 walls in the middle of nowhere...

Slovenia

2009-05-22T03:43:00.000-07:00

I headed for "Ptuj" in Slovenia..had to pay 35 euros to use the motorway even though I used the back roads to avoid the high price for only 200km of road...Then stopped near Ptuj in a bar with a scottish sign outside so as to find out where I was in relation to meeting up with Pietro(an Italian man living in Ptuj...pronounced patooey"...in case you didnt already know...)
Everyone was afraid there and I wondered why... Storm clouds were everywhere and last year there were hail stones the size of cricket balls and they destroyed lots of roofs, windows and cars...The reason is that they are very close to the Austrian Alps and the ice comes down when there is a sudden change of temperature...I was afraid too now!
The cars were all put under cover, under trees etc and I thought I would do likewise... I met with Pietro and the then rain started...we missed the hailstones, but the next village had the predicted hailstones...disaster was avoided....well for us in Ptuj anyhow.
We went for pizza and a beer and I saw the beautiful small town as the sun went down...
It was a quick visit as we both had to do things in the morning..Pietro was to drive to Italy to (weather permitting) do a sky dive and me to drive to Croatia...

Germany to Austria

2009-05-20T03:40:00.000-07:00

So I left Germany in Deggendorf and headed for Austria..the car ran well over the Austrian alps and I set up the "classic car cam" some nice film....on arriving in"Graz " Austria I stopped to find my bearings and had the map on the bonnet of the car...I looked lost and actually I was a bit..but an Austrian speaking native American from new york came to my rescue. Margerette was most helpful and took time out from her schedule to show me around the town and also point out places of interest and most importantly use her phone to make contact with "Dagmar", my host in Graz...
Contact was made and I finally met up with "Dagmar". A wonderfully friendly and informed Austrian originally from Linz...
I spent 2 days around the towm making the video and taking pictures,and going to see some famous clocks...

Brugge

2009-05-18T00:55:00.000-07:00

Well,
I took the boat from Dover to Brugge; decided to have a look around the town and get some beers for the campsite. It's all very exciting...I hope the car runs well throughout the whole journey!!!!!
Its a bit tricky writing on foreign p.c.s they dont have the letters in the right places and I didnt even get used to the English one yet.
Anyways I stayed overnight and headed for Liege where I had a couchsurfer to stay with. Roger and Michelle, his wife, were very good hosts and so knowledgeable too...I had a tour around the city and looked at the many beautiful churches, I walked along the cobbled streets and even took the 400 plus steps to see the Panarama, thats my firness for the day...not bad considering I had 13 Peket the night before with Roger only as a tate though...very nice they were too..
the house I stayed in was belonging to a famous painter Ernst Marneffe...and it looked like it too,I felt very at home there....
And so off to germany I went in the morning and stayed with some Kiwi friends...they made very nice food for me and were so welcoming,all the relatives gathered around for stories of the car trip and were really wonderful....
I went out with Nial and Sona for drinks and we had time catch up on our favourite land Newzealand...
The day after I headed to Iphofen and what a suprise to be staying in a very old fortress like building you had to be there to believe it...I had a tour around the town with my hosts mum Camdida and she told me all about the Jaconian monks, they made special wine and became quite affluent and had to build a bigger wall to keep the other monks away...the place looked like something from ;Hansel and Gretel;...I even wanted to eat the houses...Camdida gave me a home produced bottle of wine and I have it on chill as we speak...Getrund and Chris made a lovely dinner for me despite chriss efforts to burn the chinese pancakes...my fault really I destraced him...
Tonight I find myself on a campsite by the river Danube...its a warm evening and I am getting to know my neighbours...I cannot believe the huge River boats that pass my tent they are massive...there is also a train that is going passed too...I hope it doesnt wake me in the morning....especially as this morning in Iphofen I was only about 20metres from the beautiful monks church I saw last night on the tour...little did I know it would be the bell ringers making a lot of noise at 5am...

Blue Danube

2009-05-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

Oh well ,
I got soaked last night .The Austrian mountains are nearby and I think there is a strange weather pattern...It looked dry last night and had been sunny all day and its sunny again...I mean really hot now...which is just as well because I left my Yorkshire teabags out over night and I am drying them as we speak, I think I can save them....but my porridge may have to go...anyhow I am off to see some international paper art at the local museum..it sounds too interesting to miss...

Belgium - Liege

2009-04-04T00:47:00.001-07:00