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AUGUST 2000 - PART 3

In Barcelona probably the oddest thing happened to us. We arrived just shortly before 11 p.m. and thought we'd take a night train to Geneve. The guys at the information desk didn't want to provide us any information and kept saying that it was closed. Everything is closed and no trains go anywhere. The station closes at midnight, we can't stay inside, all the hostels are full and there is a street party going on. Well, the only thing that came to my mind was: "Ask someone!" 

I asked a young couple because they were probably the only people who spoke English. They told me that the cheapest place in Barcelona is their flat. A couple of minutes later they said they meant it and if we wanted we could stay at their place. We started thinking about it and actually thought it'd be probably safer than staying outside the station when there was a streetparty going on. He phoned his cousin, called a taxi and wrote the address on a piece of paper. 

They said they'd come later as they wanted to check the party. I couldn't believe how kind those people were. He said: "You know I'm Argentinean and remember we're all very nice people." I do believe that!

The taxi driver tried to rip us off and instead of 1000 Pesetas he wanted 1500 Pesetas. We paid. But we realized it wasn't the street we wanted to go and he didn't read the note properly so he drove about 10 more minutes before we got there and it would have cost us much more than 1500 Pesetas. I rang the bell and a latino guy answer the door. He's prepared 2 mattresses and some sheets for us. As we all were very tired we just took a shower and went to sleep.

In the morning the first thing to do was going to the station as we hadn't got any clue when the trains to Geneve go. There was one @ 10.20 with changing in Cerbere. No problem. But it showed to be a big problem. The train arrived 5 minutes after the train we were supposed to change to left. No one could believe that. But what was even worse was that nobody from the French spoke English. Fortunatelly, there was a girl who spoke English and she told us how to get to Geneve. Anyway, we had to wait in Cerbere till midnight so we spent in on the beach. It wasn't bad at all. After we left Cerbere I found out I didn't have my wallet. I don't know how it could happen as I never used it. All my documents, money and cards were in my money belt so they stole just my driving license and about 20 Dollars in Czech Crowns.

The following morning we woke up in Geneve and a couple of hours later we met my friends in Luzern (Thomas and Caroline). Our stay there was really cool. Waterskiing, BBQ (Thomas isn't a typical Swiss and he loves beef and burgers), lots of fun and also solving my problem. I travelled with a girl I didn't know much and she was really different from me. I don't wanna write any details but we were lucky those guys helped us and advise us to split. I didn't want to let her go alone as I felt responsible for her but there was no other way and I'm glad we solved it. She left for Greece and I chose England.

Well, actually, I wanted to visit a couple of friends in Germany but I couldn't get to anyone. I met interesting people on the train for Hamburg and we talked, drank beer and had good time. There was a big house party in Hannover and they wanted me to go there but I didn't feel like staying in Germany and got off the train in Duisburg. There was a night train for Paris which I thought was the fastest way to England. I had a whole compartment for myself so I suppose it was the best sleep I've ever got on trains. As soon as I got to Paris I caught a train for Calais. I didn't think ferry tickets would be so expensive. As an interrail ticket holder I had a half price discount but still I had to pay 12 Pounds for return ticket on condition I return in 5 days. If not I'd have to pay double the price. Later on I found out that if I hitch-hiked a car, bus or truck I wouldn't pay anything at all as they pay just for car and it doesn't matter how many people are there. Mind you, Britons don't like hitch-hikers so I suppose it would have to be a foreigner who would give you a lift.

When I was in Germany I called John (the guy I lived at when I was in England) and he expected me in Maidstone. He picked me up from the trainstation and took me home. I met a friend of mine who was at his place at the moment and also Michal (who I travelled with last year) and his girlfriend. In the evening we all visited our favourite pub - Muggletton's, drank Guinness and felt like in heaven. The following day I wanted to go to either Ireland or Scotland. Ireland was my first choice. From the beginning the biggest problem was the officers at train stations. I could't believe it. Nobody knew anything and kept sending me from one station to another. Unfortunately, the worst answer was the correct one. To take a night train for Ireland cost 30 Pounds on supplements (I would have had to pay for a sleeper), 30 Pounds for a half price return ferry ticket (valid for 5 days) and probably 30 Pounds for a sleeper on the way back. No way, to fly from Prague to Dublin costs 100 Pounds and I'm not going to pay 100 Pounds just for supplements and ferry. 

Another solution - Edinburgh. I had to move from Kings Cross to Euston Station (maybe other way round I'm not sure) and when I got there the only thing I could see on the board was: Edinburgh - Cancelled! Blimey, what am I going to do? There was a problem on the line and it should be OK tomorrow morning. Alright I can get to York and carry on tomorrow. That would mean to find a hostel there. There was a Thomas Cook's Office so I went there. There was a really stupid guy who tried to rip me off. Although I told him to find me a hostel around 12 Pounds he started and how about 22 Pounds, 18, 15 and I started feeling sick of him so I decided to leave England. 

The same evening I went to Michal's house and stayed the night. The following day I packed my stuff and took a train to Dover. Those days I was really unlucky so I wasn't surprised it took 2 hours instead of 1 hour to get to Dover. The suttle service from the train station to the port didn't run every half an hour but every hour so no wonder I got there rather late. A lady at the information desk told me that I'd just missed the last ferry to catch the last train from Calais as they are 1 hour ahead. Well, the only solution I made up was to kill time in Dover until 2 a.m., then take a ferry and take a train to Lille at around 5 a.m. So went to a swimming pool, movies, restaurant and came to the port around midnight. In the morning the only thing I needed was some sleep. However, the train to Lille wasn't very comfortable and not safe so I thought the one for Amsterdam would be better. It was but I met some Spanish girls and we talked and talked... I got to Amsterdam in the morning. Obviously all the cheap hostels were full. Actually, there are no cheap hostels in Amsterdam. So, if you want to go there books a place to sleep. You can use my database. I've seen everything important there and started thinking about where to now. I didn't feel like sleeping in Amsterdam so I bought a ticket to Copenhagen. I wanted to carry on further to Sweden and visit Annika who is my schoolmate from England.

I could fall asleep on the train again. My compartment was full and I didn't feel really safe with 2 Arabs, black lady, freaky German and a Vietnamese. Second consecutive night without sleep. I couldn't bear it and after walk through Copenhagen I dropped off in a park for 2 hours. When I woke up I started feeling cold and as my warmest piece of clothes was a sweater I rejected Sweden, went to do some shopping in Copenhagen and left for Munich.

This was strange. A journey from Copenhagen to Munich lasts 12 hours and to get from Copenhagen to Berlin which is much closer takes 10 hours. Therefore I chose Munich. I planned to go to Krakow but it seemed to be impossible. It would have taken 2 days or something. A friend of mine lives in Munich so I thought I may come to see her. I don't have to tell you that I had problems to drift off on the train and I felt very sleepy when I got to her house. I must have looked scary I suppose. Therefore you can't see any pictures of me from Copenhagen onwards. ;-) I didn't want to stay at her house as there was her boyfriend there and I didn't want to bother them. I was about to leave for Budapest and Timisoara (Romania). I was at the train station talking to a Colombian football player who played in Romania and he kept telling me about awesome countryside in there and I wanted to go but when I found out I would have to spend 2 more sleepless nights on the train I took a first train for Prague. 

I thought everything will be fine but there were some problems. First after a couple of hours I found out I was in a wrong car. I was funny but at the same moment a Japanese girl found out the same and we both went to the right one. There were 2 people in our compartment. A guy from Jordan and a Czech. The Jordanian guy talked about Koran and stuff and when he finished the Czech started talking to me. I was happy to hear Czech after a couple of days again but I would have prefered going to sleep. The following day I helped the Japanese girl find accommodation, went to have a proper Czech meal and went home...

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