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Published: January 16th 2009
23/12/08 = Is Christmas Ruined?
Had a great sleep and woke up nice and early ready to be naughty girls and escape without paying. Our v.last campsite experience and leaving it as fellons...well not fellons...just lowly travellers. Had shower, made some amazing egg 'n' soldiers for breakfast (I do make a mean dippy egg!), then left campsite, driving at a slow/quiet pace, with heads a little bowed. Hope they didn't get our license plate! Couldn't resist going to library first - is one of first places that camera has worked, so needed to take full advantage of it! Had an hour, but when came out was raining = plans for day ruined! Did our last bit of christmas shopping, then had to go back to van. Only spitting rain, but still no good for beach, so had a little read in van for a while. Also had a mince pie = lovely 😊 Really excited for christmas now and so excited to meet friends from home, Gem and Kirst. Sydney will be brilliant with all of us.
Only so long I can sit in van without feeling cooped up, so after an hour I went back to town for
a mooch around and to buy some last gifts and that's when christmas got ruined!...Just heading into a shop when friend Gemma texted from Sydney:
"Ladies...hostel is a joke...me and Kirst aint staying...leaving tomorro morn...gonna stay with Claire...when will you get here?"
Couldn't believe text. Sat down on a bench for a while, then had to break own rule and ring Gem from mobile. Was then that she proceeded to tell me about rubbish hostel = dirty/smelly/bed bugs and no way they were staying there even though they had paid and couldn't get money back. Oh no! Christmas ruined! Walked back to van contemplating options. We were so looking forward to staying in hostel, especially with friends. No way we could afford another hostel; had already cost us 600pounds and all other hostels full anyway. We stuck in dirty/smelly/bedbug hostel on our own 😞 Got back to van and told Deb. She gutted too. Packed up and decided to drive straight to Sydney to see how bad situation was.
Journey was awful. Both trying to think of options, but didn't have any, had to stay. Really upset that not staying with friends though...let alone bedbug situation! Paid through toll
Slap the Goon
This little elf got too excited...to get into Sydney and luckily found hostel straight away; even luckier that van shop on same road, so easy to return van tomorrow. Maybe our luck was changing? Texted Gem and K to tello them we had arrived, parked van behind van shop, then nervously waited outside hostel to meet Gem and K. Was so amazing when first saw them and so wierd. Wanted to laugh and cry, all in a good way though, just been so long since seen someone we know. Had a hug, quick chat, then prepared selves for worst as stepped into hostel.
Thank the lord that hostel no where near as bad as Gem said and definitely not the worst hostel we've stayed in - not as bad as Brisbane! Only had a quick glance, but all looked o.k., so headed onto roof terrace to have a chat and a catch up. They gave us mini run down of their trip down coast and we gave them mini run down of our trip too. Then got onto more important things: trying to convince them to stay in hostel with us! Had to go back to van to have that chat, because could only
An extra Elf
...Sent to us for christmas...Welcome Elf Hattie. park for an hour for free. Back at van we all sat and chatted for ages about what we had missed and what experienced. Felt just like being at home...apart from fact all 4 of us were squashed in a 2man van. Was really nice! After an hour, think had convinced them to stay and christmas was saved! YEH! ...and they say there is no such thing as christmas miracles!
Went back to hosel then. Gem and K showered, while me and Deb chilled and watched TV. Then had an even better treat and went out for some Thai food at a place next to hostel. Celebrations! Had a really good curry meal and got completely full ( & was cheapish). Didn't feel so good afterwards though - think Miss Piggy had overfaced herself! Haven't eaten as much lately though and Gem & K said look like lost some weight = good. Went back to hostel and all had nice cup of tea in the corridor, just chilling. Had to force a Tim Tam in too though because had already promised self would try them. Tim Tam = Australian version of a penguin biscuit, but much, much better. Did
the old Tim Tam Slam trick of using it as a straw to drink my tea and was beautiful. Pushed me over the edge though and into sickliness, but was beautiful!
Chatted in the corridor for a while. Not enough space in rooms, so corridor ideal. V.lively hostel and lots of people drinking ready for night out. Will be such a difference staying here - a massive contrast to the quiet of just 2 of us staying in a small van. Loved van, but really looking forward to staying in hostel too. Left hostel at 11 and decdied to get some good sleep in for last time; hostel doesn't look like kind of place can have an early night! Walk back to van was a little dodgy. Alley behind van shop looked alot different in dark and passed at least 1 prostitute on way! Definitely not best place we have parked...but welcome to Sydney ay! Got to sleep quite quickly, shattered from emotions of day. Really sad to be last night sleeping in van; night number 40, but also really excited about being in hostel with Gem and Kirst 😊
24/12/08 = An Eventful Christmas Eve
Woke
Coventry boys
Don't know how this one got here! up really early needing toilet, but completely stuck because needed to wait for Gem and Kirst to wake up so they could let me into hostel - definitely worst place ever parked! Counted seconds until 7:15 when Gem came to let me in. All went and did a run then. Headed up main road, ran round both Hyde Parks, then sprinted up hill back to van to meet Deb. Got showered in hostel really quickly, because needed to clear out van and return it. Deb had already started when I got back and didn't take too long to clean Chubb and take him back to way we had found him. Bless him! Headed for Autobarn shop, gave van a last bit of cleaning, then topped up petrol with jerry can of fuel had bought in outback and never used. Didn't quite fill it, so had to go to petrol station and fill it rest of way. Every last bit of driving like torture now and just wanted to give van back; just so scared of having a crash or damaging van somehow. Would be awful after have driven so far and made it so far.
Took van back and
lady checked it over. Were both really nervous in case she found something wrong, but was all o.k. Said goodbye to Chubby and was really sad to leave him. Been such a good van. Has took us for over 7000kms and not one problem - we love you Chubby! Walked back to hostel with remaining things and checked in. There were no sheets for us and didn't even have a bed for us = not a good start! People were still asleep in room we were staying in, so just had to dump our bags in space where bed should be, then go to Gem and Kirst's room to chill out. Not a v.nice day outside, so decided to go out early for our christmas drink. Went to the supermarket to get last bits for christmas day, then me and Kirst trekked around looking for a bottle shop to buy some goon. Goon = any wine that comes in a box. Is v.v.v. cheap at only $10 for 4 litres and v.v.v not nice because it only costs 5pounds. Found some, then went back to hostel.
Chilled out a little more, chatting and catching up, got showered, then had
Back of the T-shirt
Excellent...even better because it is homemade! some dinner. Me and Kirst had spaghetti on toast (always a winner) and spent most of time giggling through. We are a v.giggly combination - the kind of girls you would definitely seperate at school! Already the leaving at 4 o'clock plan was abondoned and started to have a drink. Hate wine and goon = worst kind. Although got to admit that fruity goon tastes o.k. with lemonade (just o.k.). Chatted to few people in hostel and got to know girl from our room a bit better = Hattie from Harrogate. Before knew it, 4 of us had drunk the 4litres of goon and so went to get ready. Even when ready, we didn't go out, chatted to more people from hostel, including guys from Coventry, and drunk yet more goon. After lots of time had passed and copious amounts of goon drunk, we finally headed out.
First bar (Scruffy Murphys), was really good and really felt like christmas. Lots of christmas music and everyone feeling really festive. Had some drinks and chatted to loads of people from our corridor. Was nice to be out in a big group. Did lots of dancing to the cheesy christmas songs, then
moved on to next bar. Guys couldn't get into next bar, so had to partner up. I partnered with a nice guy and we invented code names (Marissa and Troy) and a whole story about how we had been together for 5 years and where we first met. V.funny. Were both disappointed when bouncers didn't ask us anything or even seem interested when we tried to tell them our story. New bar was called Maddam Debiers and was also a good bar. Had a good laugh and a dance (rape alarm went off by accident...oops!) then were ready for home at midnight.
Didn't go as smoothly after that because Deb wanted to stay out. We didn't want to seperate, but Deb went a different way, so we had to go back to hostel without her and v.worried. Couldn't find her there so were prepared to go out looking for her again on streets (v.funny when Hattie came along with her 'survival kit' to help find her = a rucksack full of random items). Luckily, we checked all floors of hostel first and found her asleep on top floor. Carried her off to bed and thats how we saw the
christmas morning in. At least she was safe and no more worrying.
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