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After my first few days in Rome I joined a Topdeck tour. I was a little cautious about joining a tour that had already been going for 2 weeks, expecting cliques of people and group drama! But can I tell you this group of people exceeded my expectations. There were no cliques and I felt welcomed straight away, having a cross dressing party that night at the campsite may have helped but I will come back to that.
I spent the morning doing washing, I had only been overseas for a few days but the heat meant all my clothes needed a wash, and avoiding this creepy man at the campsite who seemed to take a liking to my hair and wanted to keep having a conversation. At 2 o'clock I got to meet our tour leader and thankfully this meant I could pretend I was engrossed in conversation and didn't hear or see him waving at me from then on. This was also where the fun began, queue party music!
Now instead of listing everything here and giving 20 updates, one for just about everyday, I will instead list 101 things I learnt on my Topdeck trip. This will save my hands, your time and really I mentioned it in the name so I can't go back now.
Without further ado here it is, drumroll please, 101 Things I Learnt Whilst Camping Around Europe For 21 Days With Topdeck: (that was longer than I first hoped)
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If you have a lipstick you quite like, don't give it to guys to use when they are drunk and dressed up as girls at the crossdressing party on your first night. It will never retain it's shape again.
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Heed all warnings about the Topdeck plague, if you are lucky it may even hit you after being their only 1 night.
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Days is also an effective unit of measure similar to metres, for example: I TOLD YOU TO DROP ANCHOR DAYS AGO! TURN AROUND AND DO IT AGAIN
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When you see bottles of strongbow cider for only 1.50 euro at a service station you should take advantage of this
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Khe Sahn is a song only Australians know
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You can't go wrong with a 90's-00's singalong playlist
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21st birthdays just aren't good enough if they aren't spent drinking in boy's bathrooms at a campsite in Croatia to avoid security and rain.
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If you want to win flipcup you only need 5 ingredients: Mike, Elliot, Dylan, Tash and Myself.
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80% absinth has a correct way to drink it, over a sugar cube and diluted, AND a wrong way to drink it, SHOTS!
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Many campsites in Eastern Europe are not made for camping due to the ground being rock, rock and if you dig down a little bit, hey even more rock.
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Never leave your campsite without some form of protection from the rain
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Especially useful if it has been a lovely sunny day and the heavens want to give you a torrential downpour to keep you hydrated
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Also if Katie says it will rain listen to her, she knows her stuff
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Service station stops are for knowing exactly what you want and buying it quick smart
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Go to the toilet as soon as you get there, or you may get left behind
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If you do get left behind make sure your bus buddy mention you aren't there as we pull away
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Also make sure you are fit because the run from the service station to the bus before it hits the freeway again needs to be a fast one
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If you plan on getting drunk the night before a border crossing make sure you will be capable of looking after your luggage the next day
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Avoid kebab shops!
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Or maybe go to kebab shops but don't leave your suitcase behind there
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If Jess says check your passport when you get on the bus, check it. This way you may realise it is in your suitcase which is in the kebab shop and not on the bus
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If you are the token Mexican and can't go across a boarder because you left your passport behind in a kebab shop that is now 4 hours away you may become the punch line for a few jokes.
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Conjunctivitis is a very real, very annoying issue that can plague a whole campsite of people in days
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Gelato tastes good in almost all of these countries, yes it was my mission to eat gelato in every country I went to and it was a success.
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There is not one thing that Holly cooked that wasn't delicious
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Schnapps museums are great places for free shot tastings
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You can't send alcohol to Australia
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You can give people beer at some border crossing and they won't check your passports
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Unfortunately this won't coincide with times people actually misplace their passports
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Live sex shows are weird
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Audience participation in sex shows from within your tour group is absolutely hilarious and probably mentally scarring for those called up
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Vienna is beautiful and I could spend an entire day at the Summer palace
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The winter palace is hard to find but very interesting and worth the tour
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If your itinerary says sailing it means you and 4-5 others will sail your own boats.
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$5 inflatable pillows from Kmart bought just in case are a godsend
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So are small microfiber towels
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And a fleece Kmart sleeping bag in summer with suffice
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I love Kmart
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Rain can lead to ½ wet lilos, perfect for a great nights rest
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Once you find a lilo that doesn't deflate overnight you cover that lilo in duct tape and your name so no one else takes it
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P's and A's is a game everyone knows and will play at anytime
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Spoons is a very violent yet amusing game
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You can never buy too many keyrings, unless you are me
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Never take out too much money, left over coins are annoying
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Starbucks are EVERYWHERE
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As are Costacoffee
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Still doesn't mean they taste good
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Orchestras are actually quite entertaining
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As a over the top proposals that happen before hand
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To have a proposal before an orchestra you will need: a professional photographer, a cake with your faces in a love heart, parents of the lady you are proposing to, red roses presented by someone preprar3d to jump out of bushes, your initials in light bulbs, 10 minute firework displays. Ta-da
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Gothic and baroque buildings are beautiful
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Segway tour are the new it thing
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It is never too early to consume alcohol
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Berlin pub crawls are fun
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If you peak too early you may not make it to midnight and the club
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There is nothing quite like a topdeck birthday
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I do not like public transport here
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Cheese is good no matter where you eat it
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No one knows how to make a good iced coffee
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Dubrovnik is very beautiful
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Cobblestones look cool but are a pain for everyday walking around on
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A kayaking sunset tour may seem like a great idea, until your arms get tired
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Beaches don't have sand, they have stones. Sharp, pointing, extremely unpleasant to walk on stones
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Hotel upgrades are never taken for granted
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Even when 3 of you need to huddle into a corner to access the wifi
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Selfie sticks are annoying, but also quite useful to get group photos
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Cameras > phones, always take a camera.
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Preferably a Gopro, those things rock
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Phones don't enjoy swimming in Greece as much as people do
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Plitvice national parks is a gem and everyone needs to go there
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If you don't know how to drink, boy will you learn (still don't know what a hangover really is, wins for me :P)
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Chips with tomato sauce AND mayo is something worth trying
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Arguments can start between Aussies and Kiwis with the mention of one word: lamingtons
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Bonus points if Phar Lap makes an appearance in the conversation
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There is not much happening in Albania
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#3countries1day can be used on several days
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Sailing is all fun and games until your main sail rope snaps and your sail starts flailing in the wind
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He person commanding your fleet of sailboats will be a real sailor: always drunk and yelling.
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Greek time is a real thing
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Apparently toilet paper belongs in bins next to toilets not in the bowl itself. Sewage problems
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Children's pool floaties are actually for adults and oceans
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Remembering to slip slop slap is only effective if you reach all areas
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Sunburn still hurts as much in Greece as it does in Aus.
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Amsterdam bike tours are worth it
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Sleeping bus pics are always amusing
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Unless they are of you and then they are the devil
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Aviciis the nights is still listenable after listening to it every day for 21days…good choice
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I should have kept a diary
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Bus singalongs should never be taken for granted
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Yodelling flamingos make great mascots
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Sheryl is an appropriate name for said mascot
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Clogs are strangely comfortable
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Budapest markets are big and beautiful
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In some countries a wheel of camembert cheese is considered a meal
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I like these countries
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When given curry rankings for the currywurst, 4-6 is acceptable
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10 is asking for no more tastebud's ever…. Goodbye food
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Binge drinking has a whole knew meaning
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Aussies and Kiwis are a plague over Europe #sorrynotsorry
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If you get a seat alone you cherish that moment with all your heart
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I would recommend camping tours to everyone and everyone
Wow i didn't thibk it would all actually post but it did.
#dublinmykoalafications
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