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I had to get up early (5am) this morning to get to Stanstead so I could wait all day for connecting flight to Dusseldorf. This together with a packed Ryan Air flight, there random polyphonic jingles and the two large Irish girls discussing there sex lives next to me meant I had to make lists in my head instead of going to sleep as I usually do on planes.
I was remotely interested in there conversations, after it started to get saucy I checked them out and it rather took the edge off the imagery.
Normally I would have been more proactive and checked out the people sitting next to me as soon as I sat down or even based my seating on appropriate looking people. As I said it was early and no one is sexy in a ryan air sardine can with all that yellow and blue.

So lists that where bubbling in my head Top 10 for 2008, how on earth will I fit this year into 10 things?

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Tallinn in Estonia, finally and very briefly.
Submitted by laurence on Wed, 2008-09-10 15:21
I needed to step foot in Tallinn. 2 years ago while staying with Neil I booked a flight to Tallinn and even research a little bit about it. Then we were not able to get a return flight so I went to Budapest instead.
The fact that I had bought a ticket to Tallinn opened up that little part of my brain and when every I thought of any backpacking trip it was there.
I managed to spend a total of maybe 30 minutes in Tallinn, but I think this will be enough for now.

So I arrive on coach from Riga, changed my lats to Estonia kron? Then rushed to the taxi as that was the only way I could figure to get the 5km from bus station to the ferry. There must be a bus that does it but I was really pushed for time.
The taxi driver was the best I had ever had in any country. Initially he was a little reluctant with his english, then when I flashed him my cash and asked him if it was enough to get to the airport he was suddenly a lot more confident.

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Lunch in Riga, nice beer
Submitted by laurence on Thu, 2008-09-04 15:15
I arrived in Riga a little later than scheduled due to delays from Lithuania.
All I relay wanted was to get onto the next bus to Tallinn. This was not to be though as I was told the next bus was at 6 oclock in the afternoon, I then found a bus at 4 oclock felt little happier then tried to work out what to do for 4 hours.

As I had traveled for nearly 48 hours now without a wash or change of clothes I was feeling pretty rank.
I had to draw some cash from the ATM to use the bathroom. This is always a tricky operation for me. I still had my Złoty from Poland and would preferred to change them but being unable to find a Forex shop I used the ATM. The main thing that worried me about using the ATM, besides the fear of it swallowing my card for ever, is how much money to draw. At this stage I barely knew which country I was in let alone how the currency was doing with regard to the Euro.

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Vilnius, missed the bus
Submitted by laurence on Thu, 2008-09-04 15:08
In Warsaw I splashed out and got a taxi from the bus station where I collected my baggage. On the side of the taxis it said 2 zloty per a km which I reckon was rather cheap. So I got in the taxi pointed to where I wanted to go on the map then proceeded to get ripped of with a 80 zloty bill for a 5km journey. I have no idea how that worked or if I was ripped off.
I got to the bus station and then tried to book my ticket to Tallinn. To find out that they were all sold out. The best they could do was get me to Riga, a little later than i had planned to get there. This was ok, it was not like I had any other option and at least I was heading in the correct direction.

Waiting for the bus I bumped into a cute little Irish girl, small world hey? So we
chatted and watched the sun set as our bus headed toward Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. She was spending a couple of days in Vilnius and I had 2 minutes to get onto my connecting bus to Riga.

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Brno to Warsaw, whats up with Iron Maiden?
Submitted by laurence on Thu, 2008-09-04 15:00
Inspired by watching Michael Palin's mainly travels through Europe on trains and my last visit to Prague where I saw the old trains leaving the station I decided that on my next backpacking adventure I would skip the planes and travel over land.

This started off with my journey from Brno in Czech. My colleagues got me to the station and hooked up with a ticket on the over night train to Warsaw. I tried to book a sleeper, which the lady at the ticket office told me I could buy on the train.

Once on the train this did not seem possible and I was little to freaked out to even bother so ended up on a couchette. In each compartment there are 6 seats which slide out a little. I got into one of these with two other guys, pulled the seat out as much as possible and slept with feet on the opposite seat.

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Backpacking Swakopmund
Submitted by laurence on Thu, 2007-12-20 07:09
From Windhoek, Romy and I packed a backpack and head off on a 4 hour bus drive to Swakopmund. Ekonolux buses where the cheapest at $120 each one way, well actually the train was cheaper at $85, but would have taken 12 hours overnight and without beds. So we left the train for next time.
As our luck was going, the bus "broke" down within the first hour outside Windhoek. A dodgy fuel hoses was leaking diesel all over the trailer behind the bus, and giving us a nice diesel smell at the back of the bus.
Within an hour our handy driver emerged from the bowels of the bus and we where once again on our way. Mrs Romy G, who made it clear before heading to Windhoek that there was no way at all she could possibly sleep in a moving vehicle, car, bus or plane. Spread herself out put her head in my lap and went straight to sleep, as she had on the drive up from Cape Town.
I blasted my ipod with Plain White T's and watched the desert go by.
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Road Trip To Windhoek
Submitted by laurence on Thu, 2007-12-20 06:36
No year is complete with out a roadtrip (and my mind is firmly stuck on the top 10 for 2007). So with the offer of free accommodation and shared petrol we headed off in bubbles the white sentra to the great namib desert.
Pretty classic trip, the car did not fair well. When you are driving through the desert with the heater on, the windows open and the car is overheating. Its 10 oclock and getting hotter, you dont have any water left and your 70km from the next town, you really need to do some of that magic stuff out of the secret to keep you going.
When we pulled into the petrol station we just added oil and water no petrol. Now that is something you do not do everyday.
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Eastbourne with grandma
Submitted by laurence on Sun, 2004-06-20 16:20
Dont think I have ever sleeped so well! Good time to relax with my grandma. She spoilt me as you can see by the pile of stuff I bought. Nice library free internet what more could a boy want? English summer seems to be over all wind and grey with moist patches.
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Amsterdam
Submitted by laurence on Sat, 2004-06-19 13:59
More walking around amsterdam, a very shaky picture of a red light. Was the night before the eurocup soccer match so there were orange banners and stuff every where. In grown toenail is getting very dodgy and sore not much I can really do about it.
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First Day in Amsterdam
Submitted by laurence on Thu, 2004-06-17 05:30
Got lost again, arrive in the evening in amsterdam. Met up with Chris then went for a walk around ended up at the docks at about 1 oclcock in the morning, Got home about 3 did manage to find the redlight district though.

Next day went to the grasshopper (touristy coffee bar), 10 euro for a joint! Cheaper to smoke it here in SA.
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Prague
Submitted by laurence on Mon, 2004-06-14 19:27
Eazyjet to Prague very exciting, the start of real backpacking. So many things in the photos. My hostel, the buildings, supper at Bohemia Bagel. I had supper at ufleku, which turned out to be a little of a tourist spot, good though very rich German style food. The rest of the tourist spots.
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Tourist in London
Submitted by laurence on Fri, 2004-06-11 18:57
Walked from Nicoles flat up through blackheath down to the Thames. Walk down towards London through an industrial area it seems wasnt really sure were I was ended up at Canada Water Tube station really exhausted from walking with my pack for probably 5 hours. So got the tube to St James and had a little nap and some lunch in the park. Must have looked like a tramp sleeping in the park with my pack. Then walked down the mall and got the tube back to fleet just in time for rush hour, joy.
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Ready to leave, packing
Submitted by laurence on Sun, 2004-06-06 15:48
Im busy packing and getting organised for my europe backpacking holiday. My shoes started falling apart so I glued them back together, wonder how far they will get in the next couple of weeks, going to do alot of walking. Im going to try keep my site updated using internet cafes and my digital camera as I go along. That way I have backup copies of my pictures etc. Im very excited but have had a very large weekend, only gotr to bed after 4 on friday and saturday so the excitement wont keep me up.
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