The Begining

Oceans and Seas
June 26th 2009

Published: June 26th 2009

As I just now begin to write my travel blog, I will give a brief overlook on my previous years of travels.

It all began with my fathers desire for me to become a captain on a huge cruise ship. He was living his dream true for me. As in the time of the soviet union, you could not so easily become a sailor, my father did not pass the test - my grandfather was fighting on the German side during WW2. That was not his choice. Soviets and Germans had a major battlefield on the territory of Latvia, and the country was separated in two parts. You were forced to join the army which occupied your area. So my Grandfather was legionnaire, and that caused his deportation to Siberia. That record meant my dad could not become a navigator - potential traitor of motherland. He managed to become a fisherman and grew up to boatswain. So when it was time for me to choose what to study, he lured me to maritime college. I was just 15 years old at that time and did not really understand what I was suppose to do in my life.

When I turned 18, I had a laser surgery to correct my vision and I said Hasta la vista to glasses, and from nerdy looking teenager, become a good looking young man. (how self loving :D). The 15th of September was the first time I boarded a ship. I met a guy - old trainee who was disembarking, I had his cabin from then on, and he showed me around, explained all the stuff I need to know. Ship unmoored on schedule, but an accident happened. Me and two more trainees were on a bow helping with a unmooring procedures. We trow the ropes on tug and started to tighten them up. Imagine - 40 000 tons are moved only by two ropes - huge pressure, but one of the ropes was not tightened enough yet, when trainee!!! on the tug gave command “full ahead” - officer on tug assumed that command is given by boatswain and starts to move! All 40 000 tons are held by one rope which possibly can not support such a weight, even if it is same diameter as average grown up mans arm. Rope rips and all the pressure is released. For those who do not know - there are blind or dead areas on mooring decks. There you are safe. Basically those areas are on the narrow angle side of rope! Whenever it breaks, rope flies away from pillars over which it is usually tighten. Everyone was on the safe area except one of trainees - the one which was working 3 months on ship before. He was lucky as lucky you can be in such situation, and rope chopped of just a leg, not a whole body (nothing stops it - it cuts bones, hardhats, armor), blood is everywhere, leg is like 10 meters away from the guy. Of course ship was stopped , ambulance arrived in 2 minutes - the guy had a shot of morphine. I managed to save the situation a bit, and when doctors were carrying the guy on the stretcher down the gangway, I saw one doctor got a small rope over his leg. One more move, and he would trip over and someone could have serious injuries. So I yell “stop”, and they thanked me for awareness. It took us exactly one month and five days to go from Klaipeda (LT) to Montreal and then to the Ventspils (LV). When we arrived to my home country count of injuries and accidents raised to more then 10, including major flood caused by pipes breakage in superstructure (house of ship). That vessel was build in 1971, so it was almost finishing it's time before scrap yard. One day before Ventspils was the last day when I could ask to relieve me from the duties, and let me go home. I went out to looked over the sea and waterway, turned around and on funnel I saw salt stain which formed a face - demonic face. Huge ventilation bars was right where eyes suppose to be, over there were horns and under eyes scary shaped mouth. That salt stain were so realistic, that I made up my mind straight away - it is time to go home! So I did. I supposed to stay on board 6 months, instead I did just 1. That was surprise for most of my friends, but parents were disappointed and called me deserter. I had many days arguing with my father about that - he kept saying that I am like a traitor - I kept on telling him - that is not army and I did not protected motherland on board. Anyway, that was unpleasant time for me. One month later I boarded another vessel, again like trainee, but this time instead of 150$ per month (ridiculous, is it not?) I got 400$, which basically was much better + overtime, with that money you could live descent at that time in Latvia. Boarding was held on 1st of December in Larnaca, Cyprus, to my surprise I was boarding a vessel together with the guy whose cabin I took over on first ship. As well there was two more trainees and Chief engineer. There we noticed one thing which we understood months later. Chief engineer looked scared at passport control, safety checks, boarding plane. I had a task - translate, translate and one more time translate. Sometimes I hated to be only one English speaking person among my companions. One week later we anchored by Sardinia - old captain was getting retired and he was flying home. As all post soviet seaman, he was proud of dedicating all his life to seafaring and especially - he was a captain. So he decided to leave ship with honor and effect - he did not expected to have effect he had. Sea was rough, and pick up boat's captain said that it is dangerous to use gangway, and the rope ladder must be used. Our captain could not take such a misery, and still gave order to lower gangway. As being old, he started to loose his reflections and speed. The pick up boat was raising and lowing down to altitude of one meter. So you basically must jump on board, or at least be very fast. Captain raised his leg when boat was on it highest point, and when he made step, boat went down. Captain step into nowhere and felt. He felt on boat, break his shoulder bone and slided into water. Motorboat could not stay there and save him - that would kill our captain. Boat was quiet big and it would just squeeze old man to hull of our tanker (BTW this tanker was 2 times smaller by capacity - only 20 000t). First thing to do - we threw the lifebuoy - rope got messed up, and lifebuoy hanged one meter over board, and nobody had a knife (on ship you always need to have knife with you). Boatswain gave order to lover gangway down to water, so captain could grab and hold on it. But suddenly we realized that there is no air pressure (on tankers there are used either hydraulic systems or air pressure systems, electricity is forbidden due to danger of spark, automatically that gives danger of explosion). Boatswain yells with a hardest language you can imagine - so rude words are used only by post soviet marines. Miracle is that completely everyone understands what does it mean. Every time! So the engine room trainee runs to control room, where he sees a chief engineer(3d most important person on board - captain is second and cook is first - always) and yells to him: “turn on air”. Chief engineer is pissed off by such attitude from young guy and he starts to jell back: “what do you allow to yourself? You can not speak to me like this”(he does not have any idea what is going on on deck, or over board is more precise definition), so young and strong trainee, takes old and weaker chief engineer on his shirt, raises up and says: “If you wont turn on air pressure NOW, I will kill you”. Papa (like Russian speaking crews calls chief engineer) literally speaking shits his pants and runes to pressure valve and opens it. Finally we are able to lower gangway to sea level and strongest seaman runs down the gangway, and helps captain to get on it. But cap is exhausted, and he can not walk up the gangway, as well he is fat and wet, so Mikhail can not carry him as well. So boatswain tries to raise a gangway, but it moves with speed of one inch per minute, as winch is old and pipes have air leakage, and gangway with two big man is to heavy. We got captain back on board just a 5 minutes before rescue helicopter with doctors arrived. Captain feel that he owes life to Mikhail and he calls him to his cabin, where he opens bottle of Johnny Walker blue or green label and says: “drink with me”. (maybe it is not his gratitude for saving his life, but principle - only alcoholics drink alone)As you never like to get pissed off captain more pissed off, Mikhail drinks, but he does not drink at all, so when medics goes into captains cabin, they find, wet, pissed off and angry old man, and completely drunk guy. And that is gap of five minutes. So we have something to talk about for next few weeks, and the gossiping finished with ten meters high waves, sharks, pirates, beaten up Papa (nobody likes this dude) and drunk Mikhail - that was only one unchanged part of story, because it was ridiculous enough.

Here is part which is bounded to present day and my location right now. On 21st of December we arrived to Valencia, Spain. As most of time when we have chance, we disembark ship and went to find some adventures and chicks. Chicks as most of time we did not find (try to find one which likes you enough and have sex in 4 hour period... in the day, night is different) So we had a shopping, where I bought a present for my best friend. I knew that I'll be home shortly before his birthday - 1st of April. I found this awesome dog doll, which you can strap over something (originally leg), and when you press it's ear, it starts to make sexual moves followed by more sexual sounds. Being happy I came back to vessel and we set sail next morning early. (Tankers are loaded and unloaded extremely fast, so you do not have a time to look around properly - fast beer, shag and that is all). I was standing on stern (back of ship) watching city disappear in morning mist, and I thought - I am leaving part of my soul here. I'll be back... after four and a half years, I did came back, but it another story for later. Next port was on 25th of December in Barcelona, Spain. As it was Christmas time, we had a bit more time to see around and drink - Spaniards do not like to work when they have chance to do not. So we hit La Rambla and famous nightlife of Barcelona. Many drinks, impressed bartenders and waitresses when we have a 100 - 150 ml shots of vodka (approx. 4 - 6 times more then standard measure in GB)in one swallow and no juice. Around midnight, I am off, black out. My comrades got me a taxi, and say to driver to get me to port - as I am only one good English speaking person, and I am out of service, driver does the most logical thing, and drives me not to cargo port but to ferry port. Not his fault - nobody said him where to drive me. Lucky me, somebody in ferry port got me another taxi to cargo port, when I was able to explain myself clear enough. Unfortunately, I do not remember who was a kind soul, and can not give my regards to the person. Taxi ride cost me around 80 Euro - I kept recites, so I know. Next day I stayed on board - felt so bad, did not like to see Barcelona. On 28th we set sail and our journey to Caribbean archipelago began. That took us 3 weeks of loneliness in Atlantic ocean. On New year day we passed Canaries islands and since that time, no land until Trinidad and Tobago. For new year captain gave us bottle of vine each and ordered to make huge meal. That caused harsh life afterwards. This shows how ridiculous is the life on board if you work for Latvian Shipping company full with capitalists and corruption. For new years meal, we did not had extra food issued by company, so afterwards cook was saving on everything - but it is not so bad as it turned after cooks changed. We start to know one each other better and it appeared that in our 24 people crew we have 3 crazy people. First was our stewardess - she was 50 years old - good looking for that age but still none was interested in her, but she still thought that everyone wish to rape her. She had two extra locks installed on her cabin doors (no one locks cabins usually) and when one seaman tried to make a sex oriented joke, she ran to captain and said that he tries to sexually abuse her. Captain asked us to not at any circumstances talk about sex in her presence. Second was my old pal Andris - another trainee whom I met on first ship. He did not wash up. Never! I know, cause my task was to issue every monday one peace of soap to everyone. I was going to every cabin except stewardess, officers and Papas cabins. He did not used any soap during all four months. He smelled like a crap, his cabin was even worse. His bed sheets were black of dirt, and stewardess claimed, that he never changed any. She refused to serve him at dinners until he do not wash his arms at least up to elbows, cause after him there were two black stripes on linens every time. So instead of washing up, he ate in special snack room, where we have fast brunch in work outfit. Once in a month we grabbed him in the night from his cabin and carried to swimming pool, throw him in and peace of soap, and until he did not finished that soap, we wont let him leave. Every time he fought us, but when third time we actually beat him up, he stop to fight, and on fourth month he just followed us to swimming pool as sheep to sacrificing altar. Once he accidentally poured out all fresh water from reservoirs, lucky us, that happened just 3 days from port and potable water of course is separated - but washing was taboo for 3 days. He got for that nice punch from chief officer. Third person was 4th engineer - he was basically crazy - after 2nd month he started to do stupid stuff - it took 1 month to realize who is guilty. He broke washing machine, he trowed eggs into microwaves, he swapped sugar with salt. As a legend says, he was once even thrown over board from fishing ship in north Atlantic. On fishing ships non of crazy stuff is tolerated, because they do not see shore for six months - just a mother vessel - refrigerator. Once he drunk started fight with one of the trainees - just like that - walked into cabin and started fight - trainee put him under table with one shot and beat him up badly. For that trainee had... nothing! He was only one officer which you could treat as you like. Captain would not pay attention.
3 days before arriving to Trinidad, we heard seagull - song for sailor crossing large mass of water like Atlantic. Some of guys along with me were standing on bow and listening to music of serenes promising us dry land and women. It is been more than one month of sailing and we arrived to Point Lisas, Tobago. Sun, morena chicks, cheap rum, awesome and cheap marijuana. Dream! For twenty bucks, guy was driving us around whole day. We attended public house, where I first time payed to get layed and that was dark skinned beautiful girl. Those who are judging me now - get on board of boat with 23 guys (girls would be happy ai?) and stay there for months - you need it! Especially when you are young. And exotics of course. But everything have it dark side - I got AIDS... just kidding! Our ship was assigned for one year contract with methanol factory. For those who does not know - Methanol aka Technical spirit, highly vaporous, and highly toxic. 15ml destroys your central nerve, makes you blind, 30ml kills you. That happens in minutes - anti venom is ethanol aka medical spirit, aka VODKA. Ship is built in 1986 - same age as me, but I do not have so much problems as our floating time bomb had. Completely same ship from same factory blow up already many years ago, but it was quiet a human error. Anyway, vapors are all the time over ship, if it is not windy, we are forbid to go out on deck. Captain issued each of us two bottles of vodka and drinking began. Every hour one shot - 50ml! That was an order. That is way of “safety first” slogan which is written on superstructure with a huge red letters. 3 months of Trinidad - Canada or USA. Boring ports. We visited Trinidad like 5 times. One day I got a bit too much drinks... actually too much, and still drunk I attended deck watch. I missed 3 of our guys coming back on board - I slept on pillar at gangway - they laughed at me, but one of them saw 2nd officer coming down to deck, ran over, woke me up, and said to hide - he attended duty. That was already after I got 2nd officer as my enemy. I would be thrown of the ship and buying ticket myself to home (and I definitely could not afford that) Thank you Phillip. In USA trainees were not issued visa - too expensive - Visa only for certified crew members. Captain called us to bridge(navigation bridge - it is where steering wheel of ship and all other cool stuff is located :D) and gave order - at any circumstances except danger of life, we are not allowed to step on quay. We can be on gangway, but not touching ground with any finger - security will arrest you straight away. So there I got my biggest enemy - even smelly guy did not hated me so much as 2nd officer. On his duty he ordered me to go on quay to fix mooring lines. I refused to do it - captain gave direct order - only he was the one who could order me opposite. 2nd Officer became furious. “I ma officer in charge, I am main guy here, do it you maggot”. That is how we wind up at captains cabin and 2nd officer had a nasty talk with Cap, I had a handshake of captain - “good stuff, if problems with 2nd officer, tell me” I never did, although I did had a problems, but I am not squealer if that is not concerning safety of me all other crew members. Captain was a cool guy - youngest captain in Latvian fleet, we played a ping pong with him - he loved that game, so it was not just me who played - everyone played with him. He preferred donkeyman (the guy who is in charge for pumps, cargo and slop tanks, water tanks is boatswains headache). Eventually our video player broke down, and captain asked company allowance to use 100$ to buy dvd and video player. Company send inspector!!! form Latvia to USA to check if video player is really broken. LUDACRISS! They spent thousands on that inspection!
One day, in famous Georges bank (huge fishing resource for USA) we hit a storm - awesome 10 balls by Richter scale storm. Everyone except me and captain were sick - I am proud of my ability to held rough sea, that helped me a lot on Stena line ferry aka like folks call it - vomit comet. I spent 7 shifts at helm - steering wheel of ship. Each shift is 4 hours. I was eating on the bridge together with captain, because food was not served to anyone - nobody ate. I was all the time hungry! Rough sea for me is a way how to gain weight. Even tired and sleepy I highly enjoyed riding waves, navigate all 20 000 tons from wave to wave, trying to keep vessel on a safe angles against sea. Note: Ship can break if it gets straight perpendicular on wave, or if it is straight perpendicular on top of two waves. As well you do not like waves hit you straight to board - over keel may happen.
The worse of all was our cook for 1 month - you can not call him cook! He could cook good - he did for officers, but rest of crew he fed as bad as it can possible - non of his dishes was eatable. One month our patience was tested by cookies and chocolate. Once - drunk I decided to have one of his dishes - salmon! Fridge in that lounge room where we had a brunch was full of food all the time - all uneaten food is putted there for hungry guys. So I had that salmon, and for some 3 days I was on WC not coming out even for work. When captain realized what is going on he did the most right thing of all! That was evening when everyone knew - cook is going to disappear tonight - and then captain announced general meeting. Cook were humiliated in front of all crew, released from his duties, and one of the ordinary seaman took over galley (aka kitchen). For 3 days we was just eating, eating and eating. After 3 days, new cook came in - and he was awesome - everyone loved him, helped out of work time with any task - clean potatoes, bring stuff from store room - that is why I say, 1st person on board is cook, if cook orders captain to change course, captain will do - without navigator, even the dumbest person ever could navigate ship to dry land - without cook, crew will starve, loose ability to work, die! And that is not all - that terrible cook for full complexity was gay and pedophile. There was no kids on board, but to have a nice wank in the night, he was waiting on sauna day trainees to go to sauna. He would open doors and watch until some of guys stands up and goes to punch him. In the end we was going to sauna with underwear, what is not acceptable in our culture - sauna means nude, including girls! ALWAYS. Do not be ashamed - nature gave you beauty - in sauna you can show it! :D propaganda :D I really do not know, why he was not killed. That guy deserves more than anyone I know to be dead. You ask - how he wind up on vessel then? Corruption and contacts - give me name of bastard who assigned him to our ship, and even after 4 years I am ready to cut his throat. Argh mate, pirate talk. But I am honest - try this way of life - you will be surprised how bloodthirsty you can get.
4 months on board of “Kemeri” and last night before flight - there was non of sailor at any times, in any fleet of any nation, who could sleep on last night before going home. Ask on the day sailor leaves for home: “how was your sleep?” and you will get smile and answer: “shitty, thank you”. So no sleep for me - and we are on the way to home - four of us, trainees - me, smelly guy, guy who fought to 4th engineer and fat, big guy, who went... “WHAT A WOMAN” when he saw fat, big lady in hookers place. Smelly guy is in distance of us - he did finally washed himself, but he still had a marijuana after first visit of Trinidad. And we did not like to be checked if get caught with it. Since that day I start to hate flights. We check in and get to terminal - after one hour announcement says - flight to London delayed for 3 hours. 5 hours waiting - flight to USA 5 hours, from USA to London (we took extra passengers and fuel) 11 hours flight. In London 12 hours to next flight - to Riga. Until we got to Riga we got 3 times drunk. When we arrived to Riga, we realize that our bags did not arrived. One more hour in terminal! Completely exhausted we finally got to arrival terminal where all our families are waiting. And worst of all - time zones... arghh.. deadly! It took me 2 weeks to get acclimatized and lose my natural alarm clock for 3:30am (my shift was assigned 4-8am and 4-8pm). 27th of March, I am home, with awesome tan - all girls just kept on telling that I am freak of solarium (tan shop), but stories of Trinidad and Tobago were much more impresive. I met all my friends, and had a mucho fiestas, until my next job.
Almost after 2 months, on 10th of May (anniversary of my eyes), I embarked my next vessel - “Bergstraum”, Norwegian flagged 10 000 tons chemical tanker, 1996, not too old, not too new, multicultural crew (new ships have SO MUCH problems). Previous ships were Latvian/Russian crew under flags of Malta and Liberia. This Vessel was completely different. If on previous ships we either share cabin with someone either it is small and there is only bed, table, chair and small closet, then on “Bergstraum” there was loads of space, fridge, TV, video/DVD, even warm floor in bathroom and air conditioning. You can't imagine how I was missing air conditioning in Caribbean (there definitely was no cold air in cabins). 1100 Euro per month as a ordinary seaman (approx. 300 Euro more then OS gets in Latvian companies). Lunch usually had 3 - 4 courses (not one as on previous ships) choose what you like, sign up for special needs like veg or smth like that. In two words - awesome, but there is hook - work is much harder, less crew members, another duties. Here you could not ask someone to relieve you, cause everyone was working hard. After 3 months of not much adventures, except small fire, hard work and fear from one crew member (even captain was scared from him. There is legend that he beat up one captain in his cabin, and promised to kill him if he says about that to anyone), I finally had a sign from previous starvation month on “Kemeri” - Gastritis. I got relieved, sent home and they covered my rehab. I was boarding vessel in Rotterdam, Holland and my first impression of this country is a Marrakesh guy trying to sell me cocaine just outside of airport. I flew home from Amsterdam, and on plane met American dude, which was loads of fun and we had quiet crazy nights - parties and girls - then I learned - do not take your credit card when you go party - I spent approximately 700 Euro in one night! That is impossible amount. I should get my bank statement, but I did not thought about that at a time. Anyway, then I realize that working on ships is way much tougher, and with a time, with a career grow, it won't get much easier. Observing captains, I realize, that there is no way I am going to dedicate my life to something, which is going basically take my life. Family is not happiest one (wealthy tough), on ship it is no fun, huge responsibility, and I don't want to be responsible for actions of some preak, but captain automatically takes responsibility for everything what happens on board. So for huge disappointment of my father, I quit studies. I mean, I can not study something that is complete crap. When teacher makes us learn Giro compass from 1967 until last screw...screw that. That machine is 200kg heavy and it is huge. Giro compass today is small box which is forbidden to open - 15 000 USD cost of that small box! Or Navigation the way we learn it is not the way it used in real life - and I can not study unpractical things. I just can not force myself to do it, because I do not accept pointless waste of time and I do not believe in power of diplomas - I believe that you must be able to do something, not just learning how to do that. Certificate does not making you professional. Anyway, my seafaring days was over, at least with a merchant fleet, and my studies were disturbed by attack of smugglers, who broke my nose and caused brain shake, so doctors said, that I need to stay in bed for 2 weeks, and then I could not catch up with progress of my group (or I did not like to do it, can't really say) and in order to move on in my life, I went for what I missed - traveling. Seaman always desire for movement, same like truck drivers, pilots. It gets in your blood like virus. So I went to Ireland for Bar training, and a new chapter in my life began.

On 3rd of January, with enormous hangover, I board plane to Ireland with some 10 other people who got position in Failte Ireland Waterford training center. I attended bar course with another guy, while rest was for waiting training. 3 months long course was filled with different fun, pubs, sports. Some nasty parts of living together with people you do not really know! That got us into some arguing. Eventually, course was over and we start to look for work. I took first opening which was on Stena Line ferry - like I mentioned before, folks call it vomit comet. And that definitely have a reason. As the ferry travels with a speed of 70 - 75 km/h, smallest waves, makes it jump - and that where seasickness gets almost everyone. After one month of work, I decide to go for few days back home - visit my friends. That changed my life completely. First day I arrived I went for nightclub, and met a gorgeous girl, beautiful and smart, named Santa. She was very hard going, and I knew - there is no possibility for me in few days get close with her, so I thought next day, screw it - I went for party. Party to which I was invited by my best friend. When I arrived with a six pack of guiness stout, I realize, that I am where I should not be! Little history: My family moved to countryside in 2000, and I attended school for one year in village. In Latvia villages are mainly filled by uneducated or simply not interested in education people, or there is some smartbutts, who are thinking of themselves a lot. So by chance to live on outskirts of village, I could not communicate with those people - I was simply not interested in that. So with a time, youth of my village was concerned that I am proud, that I grew up in big city, and that I deserve to be beaten up - by luck and my diplomatic skills, never any fight started - I prevented it by any chance, as I hate violence. So I had only one friend - my neighbor, who was same like me living far from others, and we became eventually best friends! Butt since I started to work and travel abroad, he needed somebody with whom to party and have fun - and he choose the worse possible option - locals. They used him, so I do not have any issues to him now, I just ignore him. So when I arrived and still considering him my best friend, I attend this party, and it turn up to be a trap or set up for me, to finally somebody beats me up - it been years I haven't met anyone of them, and they still concerning me a enemy number one - maybe because of my life they are simply jealous, and here we are, on a sea side me alone and three farm guys - they are usually bigger and stronger than city people. My friend is in distance of something like 100 meters behind a bush. And those three guys starts to look for fight - conversation was more stupid then situation. They was telling, that I told about another person, that he is asshole. First - I did not, second - the guy is big enough to protect his honor himself, and third - I call my best friend and say to solve situation, he answers that he is on the way back home, can not come. One of the guys hits me, without warning, from the side, into eye - they know about surgery - and that I need to protect my eyes - that makes me mad. I hit back and all three are all over me. As being pacifist, I do not really know how to fight, so they eventually get me on a ground and start to kick me while I am lying there helpless. Then I just got like 2nd breath, grabbed a bottle of beer lying just beside me, jumped up, and smashed a bottle to one of the guys head. Another guy got a deep cut with a broken bottle. Third guy runs away, I call ambulance and police and head back to place where I left some of my staff, and what I see there - my best friend sitting with his ugly bitch... in his eyes I could read fear. I split on the ground take my staff and head back to wounded guys. Suddenly, somebody hits me - the father of the guy whom I cut. I managed to stop him by talking, and he claims - his son would never attack somebody! Talk is pointless and soon there is police and ambulance, and we are sorting out paperwork. Suddenly some minivan pulls over, and from that minivan comes out 5 -6 huge guys. They came directly to me and ask, am I that guy who cut they friend. I do accept a fact, and one of them telling me - you are dead. At that moment I could not take such a stupidity of people, and I start to laugh - loud and fearless. Guys are a bit surprised when I say them - what a hell then you waiting for - scared from policeman - sure - that is what you are, you are bundge of chickens, cowards - all what you can do is to come army of you to fight with one small guy. You guys are nothing, mud and rubbish - sewers of society! They are shocked by my answer and one of them notice that I have cut on my thumb, and he points it out to me. I take a look, take my cigarette and extinguish it on a wound. Since that moment, I never heard from those brave guys.

I can not go back to Ireland for work! All what I can do is to wait, until my eye gets back on-line. That gives me one month to date that girl I met in nightclub. But I am souled by the guy I fought and that cost me 7000 Euro. Surprised? I do not have eye witnesses, statement says, that they was sitting on a beach enjoining stars and moon, when suddenly, I jumped out of bush and start to jell “DIE BASTARDS”. As a system of justice is based on facts, then logical part of life is forgotten - then I started to hate, really hate democracy and ways of free life. I am one of thousands and thousands of people who have been punished for crime they haven't done or because of self protection. That is where democracy crosses border of anarchy. Anyway, I get more and more attached to that girl, and we decided to go to Italy by hitchhiking. I never before did hitchhiking outside of Latvia, though in Latvia I did it like a lot. But I need to go back to Ireland. So I fly there, work for 3 days, and leave a job. Get a quiet a much money as holiday fee, and with 35kg bags (all my stuff from my Irish home) I undertake a journey over all Europe. That takes me one week, and when I arrive home, I take Santa, and we go to Italy. This is were I understood how much fun it is, and that was my seed of traveling by thumbing. It eventually grew to addiction for roads.

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