Eurotrip

2011-05-14T11:30:00.004+10:00

Going To Las Vegas? – Don’t Lose Your Shirt

If it hadn’t been for the casinos and gambling Las Vegas would probably still be a couple of farms in the middle of nowhere. Nowadays, of course, Las Vegas is almost a synonym for gambling. If you’re planning a visit there and you’ve never set foot inside a casino before, here are a few tips to help you keep your shirt firmly on your back.

Plan your visit

There’s something about human nature that makes us want to win all the time and when we lose we want to get back what we lost as quickly as possible. If you go into a casino with that sort of thinking then you’d better have a big wallet. Better to set aside a sum that you’re happy to lose and think of it as paying for your fun, just as you would pay for a meal. Then, when you lose, as you inevitably will, you haven’t lost at all; you’ve simply paid for your evening’s entertainment.

Don’t outstay your welcome

The tip here is similar to the one above. If you’re not having any luck at a game or table, move. Don’t just sit there expecting your luck to change. You’re there to have fun and you don’t have any fun if you’re losing all the time.

Keep away from the “sucker” bets

Now this tip can be a bit controversial. For example, betting on one of the numbers on roulette can be exciting but the chances of winning are 38 to 1 against you. You probably won’t win too often. Not only that, but if you win the casino will only pay you at 35 to 1, not the 38 to 1 that would be the true odds. In the long run you’re going to lose your shirt. You’ll have a lot more fun and lose your money a lot more slowly if you stick to betting on odd/even or red/black. At least on these you only lose if a zero pops up.

Some of the other casino games offer you a better run for your money. Blackjack, for instance, offer a real chance of coming out on top after a few hands if you know something of the game.

Practice

Before you leave home for Vegas, join up at one of the online casino websites. There you can have fun playing all the casino games using “play” money. This gives you the opportunity to get used to how the games work without losing any cash. And you won’t feel like such a raw beginner when you step into Caesar’s Palace for the first time.

Keep your head as well as your shirt

Be aware that the Las Vegas casinos can be very generous – not with the gaming odds but with plying their customers with free food and drink. They want you to relax of course, so that you abandon your usual caution and frugality. With a few glasses of wine or beer inside you, you’re the perfect customer. Seriously though, keeping a clear head is important if you want to stick to your plan and not lose more than you set out to. It’s amazing how a couple of drinks can loosen your inhibitions and make you think you’re James Bond, incapable of losing.

Best of luck!

I hope you find some useful advice in the paragraphs above which will ease your rites of passage into the world of Las Vegas gambling. Most of the tips I have given you have been discovered by me the hard way. Take it easy, enjoy the fun and even if you lose you’ll come out a winner!

Written by George Cuthbert, a travel writer for Low Cost USA, who specialise in holidays to the USA. No matter what type of holiday you are looking for, 5 stars or budget, we will help you get the most from your trip. You will be sure to find the ideal vacation for you among our range of Las Vegas holidays.

2011-02-13T15:24:00.002+10:00

First-time Visitor Guide to Tampa, FL

Tampa, Florida, is a favorite vacation spot for tourists from around the world because it offers a perfect combination of relaxing beaches, stimulating cultural attractions and vibrant nightlife. The city, with is situated on the Gulf of Mexico, is proximate to Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach and St. Pete Beach. Visitors favor the beaches near Tampa because they are known for having calmer water and whiter sand than the beaches on the Atlantic side of Florida.

Tampa has a long menu of theme parks for visitors to choose from, by my personal recommendation for first-time visitors is Busch Gardens. This classic American theme park brings together the best of two worlds: the zoo and the amusement park. Families and couples are both are guaranteed a good time because the park offers activities to suit every taste. Animal-lovers and thrill-seekers alike will be awed by the Serengeti Safari, which takes visitors on a 30-minute ride through a re-created African plain. Brave souls who exceed 54" in height won't want to miss the one-of-a-kind SheiKra roller coaster, and for visitors looking for a tamer experience, Busch Gardens features 4-D theater shows.

Animal attractions are definitely a recurring theme in Tampa. Other popular Tampa sightseeing destinations include the Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center, Big Cat Rescue, the Lowry Park Zoo and the Florida Aquarium, which is my personal favorite. This aquarium takes visitors "behind the glass" and allows them to actually interact with the animals. Sample experiences include a SCUBA reef adventure, a behind-the-scenes shark-feeding tour and even a "meet-the-penguins" tour.

If you plan ahead, getting to Tampa can be just as relaxing as the vacation itself. Tourists who choose to drive enjoy the beautiful Florida scenery, but cheap flights to Tampa Bay on discount airlines are readily available. Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest and AirTran all offer reasonably-priced flights to Tampa Bay International Airport from major U.S. cities. If you're an international visitor, flights to Tampa are plentiful as well. British Airways offers flights to Tampa from London, with prices peaking during the popular summer travel month of July.

Once you're on the ground, you'll find myriad transportation options available. Lots of rental car services have desks at Tampa Bay International Airport, including Avis, Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Enterprise, National and Thrifty. If you're not planning to rent a car, though, SuperShuttle provides a convenient and affordable way to get to your hotel. If you're willing to wait a few minutes for the next bus to arrive, you'll save quite a bit over a taxi, and you can also book your return shuttle trip at the same time.

Many visitors stay in the Clearwater Beach area in order to be as close as possible to the ocean, but staying in downtown Tampa will place you closer to the city's sightseeing attractions. If you're looking for luxury, the Hyatt Regency, Sheraton, Marriott and The Westin all have locations in downtown Tampa. Wherever you call home, you're sure to have a great time in Tampa.

2010-12-08T22:15:00.004+10:00

Las Vegas Holidays!

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2010-11-16T19:47:00.008+10:00

Honeymoon Phuket - Thailand

We had an absolutely fantastic time in Thailand, we stayed at Marina Phuket Resort in Karon. It was about a 15 min drive from the airport, they picked us up for free. We travelled Air Asia and the trip was about $600 return each from the Gold Coast which is great value.

The hotel was one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of staying at. It was half price as well because it was the rainy season (not that we saw much rain). The hotel is located in an old coconut plantation which is now a lush rainforest backing onto the beach.

The hotel food was amazing, a free American breakfast with a staggering array of fresh fruit. There was also French pastry and Thai food each morning.

The local baby elephant visited every day and we enjoyed the $8 hour long massages available on the beach or the local parlor. The local food was also great value and really hit the spot. Local beers also went down a treat, Chang being my favourite. We also sampled cocktails down by the pool.

I'll be posting some more blogs of our day trips and adventures soon!

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2010-08-31T20:46:00.004+10:00

Great books while on the road

When travelling it's a fantastic time to get stuck into some great books. I have found audio books great on the train, plane or bus when relaxing and it might be difficult to read a physical copy.

For the last year I have been entering in what I have read on weRead and thought the blog would be a great place to share some of my favourites with you. Feel free to comment with any recommendations or reviews.

2010-08-29T17:12:00.008+10:00

Northern NSW

We recently holidayed in Yamba and visted Balina, Evans Heads and Lennox Head. We had a fantastic time and got to see a lot of beautiful places especially Angourie. We stayed at Yamba Waters caravan park and the rates were great and the staff very friendly. We will definitely be coming back.

We are heading to Thailand in a few weeks so come back soon for further updates!

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2009-07-26T12:23:00.009+10:00

Gold Coast War Museum

After visiting numerous military museums in Europe I wasn't expected much from this local one but I was very surprised with the quality and variety of the collection. There was vast amounts of memorabilia from past conflicts including vehicles, aircrafts, weapons, uniforms and equipment. There was plent of WW2 era memorabilia and a great collection of australian posters which I hadn't seen before, the "Avenge our Nurses" poster was very poignant.

I would definitely recommend checking it out. ou can view how to get there from here.

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2009-07-23T17:42:00.004+10:00

Tower Bridge - Eurotrip Mosaic Project

After arriving back from London I wanted to somehow get some more use out of the 30,000 photos we had taken over the last 3 years and I came up with the idea of a mosaic. I searched the net and found a fantastic program called Andrea Mosaic which made the whole process pretty simple.

You point the program to a directory or directories on your PC and then it scans them into its database. I used a collection of 30,000 photos from our trip, I then selected the main photo which was Tower Bridge. After that I decided to use 2,000 photos in the image and made a few changes to the lighting, rotation of photos etc. Then pressed the start button. The mosiac was finished within a few minutes, after looking at the photos close up to ensure there was nothing too dodgy I put it on a memory stick and took it to get printed and framed. It turned out fantastic and now we have a perfect way to remember our time in Europe.

2009-07-20T18:54:00.008+10:00

Goondiwindi Queensland

A few weeks ago I went to Goondiwindi with Brett's mum to visit his Grandmother. We took our time on the way up and back and did a few pit stops along the way in Milmerran and Warwick.

We had blue skies the whole time and it wasn't too cold. So in the morning's Brett's mum and I went for walks along the river and saw lots of native birds, from hundreds of Corellas to kookaburras, cockatoos and quite a few ducks. Brett's relatives own a farm out in Goondiwindi, and they still have a few head of sheep out there. So while we were there I was lucky enough to go and watch his uncle and cousin do some crutching (which is where they shave the wool from the sheeps' bums). Brett's mum and I fell in love with a little black lamb, whom we wanted to take home with us. The rest of the time was very relaxing, spent drinking endless amounts of tea and hearing family stories.

2009-07-19T16:14:00.006+10:00

Maleny Hideaway and Rainbow Beach - Sunshine Coast QLD

A little while ago we stayed at a place called the Maleny Hideaway up the Sunshine Coast. It was a fantastic place on 20 acres of the beautiful Blackall Range. On the way up we made a visit to the Ginger Factory which was a bit of fun. It was a very relaxing weekend and I recommend staying there, you can book it here.

The next day we travelled through the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and drove over to Rainbow Beach.

You can view the full album here

2008-11-09T20:24:00.014+10:00

Morocco

Melissa wanted to go somewhere different for our latest trip and Marrakesh Morocco in Northern Africa definitely was. The roads were crazy, there were donkeys, pedestrians, bikes, motorbikes, trucks, buses and cars all competing for space in what seems to be absolute chaos.

We stayed in a tradition Moroccan hotel, we also went on a road trip to Casablanca to see the Hassan II Mosque which is huge, its over 210 metres tall and is really awe inspiring.

Another trip we did was to the Atlas mountains, we did some climbing and visited a traditional Berber village. We met some great locals and made some new friends, it was a fantastic trip. One of the last before we finally head home to Australia after nearly three years in Europe.

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2008-10-27T03:19:00.008+10:00

Canterbury

We had heard that this city is great for a day trip from London, the Cathedral was amazing. Seeing the all the famous tombs was the best part.

2008-10-27T02:55:00.012+10:00

Budapest

We were off to a great start here with a free upgrade to a huge apartment. The place was a bit quieter then I expected but we did a bus tour saw the sites and found some cheap pubs, we also looked around some large markets. On the Saturday night we went out clubbing and went to a place called London Soho, wasnt too bad a night.

2008-10-27T02:42:00.006+10:00

Plymouth

We wanted to check out some more English cities while we were still over here. Plymouth has a lot of history, its where the pilgrims left for America from and there is still a huge Navy dock. There was plenty to do, a seafood festival and live bands were on as well. Overall a great time.

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2008-09-28T23:49:00.010+10:00

Tivoli Gardens - Copenhagen

Tivoli Gardens is a famous amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on August 15, 1843 and, except for Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg, it is the oldest amusement park which has survived intact to the present day.

We had a lot of fun, went on some crazy rides and played a lot of games.

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2008-09-28T23:32:00.013+10:00

Copenhagen

We made it over to Copenhagen to visit our Danish and English friends, Helenna and Rob. It was a great trip, a bit wet on the first day but that didnt stop us! We did the tourist thing on the Saturday and hit the clubs that night, we then went on a boat cruise on the Sunday.

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2008-09-28T23:22:00.004+10:00

Kingston - London

A day out shopping in Kingston and a visit to an Indian festival at Gunnersbury park.

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2008-07-22T07:19:00.014+10:00

Farnsborough Airshow

This was absolutly amazing, we had a great vantage point on the side of the runway. Some of the highlights were the A380 blowing grass back into our face, its slow pass and the Eurofighter nearly bursting my eardrum. The historic Vulcan was fantastic as well.

We bought a new camera last week as well so it was a great place to test it out!

2008-07-22T07:01:00.004+10:00

Epping Forest

A day out in the woods!

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2008-05-23T01:30:00.008+10:00

Paddy Wagon Tour, Dublin - Southern Ireland

We arrived in Dublin without a break from Greece and Leah was fantasic in letting us sleep at her place. We went out to an Aussie bar called the Woolshed and randomly caught up with some other friends from London and some crazy Aussie Miners.

The next morning we set off on our Paddy wagon tour for 3 days. It was fantasic, one of the best tours I have been on. The guide and bus driver was great and somehow go us home without killing us. He had some great Irish stories! We visited plenty of sites and did a lot of drinking! Bernie loved being able to see the real Ireland for the first time. We also kissd the Blarney stone!

You can access the full albums from below (opens in new window)

2008-05-23T01:16:00.005+10:00

Marmaris Turkey

We caught a hydro-foil ferry across from Rhodes to Marmaris, it has the second biggest Grand Bazaar in the country so the shopping was fantastic. We bought some handmade carpet, plenty of clothes and some souvenirs.

You can access the full album here

Album 1

2008-05-23T00:59:00.007+10:00

Rhodes and Lindos- Greek Islands

My sister Bernadette arrived early in the week and we couldn't wait to head off on a week long holiday to the Greek Islands and Turkey. We arrived early in the morning to a fantastic sunset. We visited the old city in Rhodes and the town of Lindos which was just amazing. An American Carrier also pulled into port and we made some great friends. We also headed to an Aussie bar called the Boomerang bar and had plenty of drinks shouted for us, I dont think they get many real aussies in there. We have so many photos so it was hard to choose, below are some of the best.

You can access the full albums from below (opens in new window)

2008-04-21T23:24:00.005+10:00

Rugby Museum, Rugby

Last week I went to the town of Rugby in Warwickshire for work, at lunch I had a quick tour of the town and visited the Rugby Museum, the William Web Ellis statue and the field where the game was invented.

The museum is housed in the building where the shoe and boot maker James Gilbert, nephew of William Gilbert, made the first rugby ball in 1842.

The museum was packed with heaps of rugby memorabilia, including the original Richard Lindon (inventor of the "oval" rugby ball, rubber bladder and brass hand pump) . Traditional handmade rugby balls are still made at the museum.

2008-04-11T20:24:00.007+10:00

Vigeland Sculpture Park - Oslo

Vigeland Sculpture Park is a part of Frogner Park, located in Oslo, Norway. The park features 212 bronze and granite sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland. Vigeland personally sculpted every figure out of clay and individual craftsmen were contracted to fabricate the pieces into what they are today. These works of art reside along an 850 meter-long axis divided into six sections: The Main Gate, The Bridge, The Children’s Playground, The Fountain, The Monolith Plateau and the Wheel of Life.

We noticed that some American tourists were offended by some of the nudes and their actions but I thought it was great, one of the best parks I have ever been to and it has some of the best and orginal art I have ever seen.

2008-04-11T20:14:00.005+10:00

Oslo - Norway - Day One

We had a great time here, it really lived up to the high expectations and the people were really friendly. We got into Oslo pretty late on the first night but made it to our hostel easily. We got up early the next morning and walked to the new Opera House which is opening very soon. After that we headed over past the towns fort and got on a Fjords cruise which was fantastic, there was a lot of sites to see including all the summer houses on the small islands. After that we walked around the town, to the Palace and to some fantastic parks.

2008-04-03T23:13:00.004+10:00

The Red Arrows and Typhoon flyover - RAF’s 90th anniversary

With smoke trails of red, white and blue, the formation of Red Arrows and Typhoon jets flew over London for the RAF’s 90th anniversary. We had a great view since our office is just near Tower Bridge, they flew directly overhead at 1pm, its days like these that make living in London worthwhile.

2008-03-28T02:26:00.005+10:00

Wales Wicked Van Tour Day 3

We headed up through Snowdonia towards Holyhead and took in the great views. Our Bed and Breakfast wasn’t as good as the night before but they made up for it with their friendly service. Mel and me went for lunch and had some great fish and chips then climbed up a place called the Stack. It took a couple of hours to make it to the top and you could just about see Ireland across the sea. We took plenty of great photos and it was the best part of the trip. We were very lucky with the weather we didn’t have hardly any rain and no snow unlike everyone else stuck back in London. The trip was fantastic and I would recommend it to everyone. The Wicked Camper van was great and really easy to drive, they made the whole process very easy. I will definitely be using them again and maybe take a trip down to Newquay and Cornwall in the summer. I’m already looking forward to that.

2008-03-28T02:12:00.006+10:00

Wales Wicked Van Tour Day 2

We jumped in the van for another great day of scenic driving around the coast and traveled through a few amazing little towns. We arrived at Aberystwyth in the afternoon and the hotel we were staying at was great, it had views overlooking the ocean and the pier. It is a university town so we were hoping for some exciting nightlife.. this time and it didn’t disappoint. The first bar we went to was a real sausage fest with about ten guys to one girl but at least the prices where cheap. After that we headed down to the pier which had a lot more atmosphere and was a great night we didn’t get home till the early hours. Lucky for us the included breakfast was huge. We then headed off towards Holyhead.

2008-03-28T02:03:00.006+10:00

Wales Wicked Van Tour Day 1

We set off nice and early to beat the London traffic which we where told was going to be horrible. It wasn't so bad and we made it to Cardiff in a few hours, we stopped just near Millennium Stadium for a look around Cardiff Castle and the surrounding areas. After that we set off for Tenby along the coast, the Satnav took us along some very scenic routes and laneways that only one car at a time could travel down. Lucky since its an obvious tourist car everyone we came across coming the other direction reversed and let us through.

After a couple of hours we arrived at our hostel which for some reason didn’t open till 5pm! It was the perfect opportunity for us to take in the sites around the cliffs and walking trails. We sat around and had some beers then made our way into the hostel. We asked the guy behind the counter where the nearest pub was and it was about a 20 minute walk past the military artillery range. We headed over pretty much straight away since the hostel didn’t have a bar and the people staying were all families and not the partying type.

The pub was great and the people where really friendly, we stayed till close and made a couple of Welsh friends.

2008-03-14T02:44:00.005+10:00

28th Birthday Bash

The day didn't get off to the best start with a massive loss in Rugby but that was all soon forgotten. We had the pleasure of watching England lose against Scotland at the start of the night and then we got the drinking games started. After a fair few hours at the rugby club we headed off to the Chatsworth Pub, we stayed there till close and then all headed over to Jimmys and kept the party going till the early hours.

2008-03-06T02:24:00.003+10:00

London Maritime Museum and Cutty Sark

I decided to take a decent lunch hour since it was such a great day today and catch a train from London Bridge to the Maritime Museum which I have been meaning to visit for a while. It was a very rushed trip but I got to see most of the main attractions.

I also dropped by the famous tea clipper the Cutty Sark which is under cover after a fire did some major damage not so long ago.

2008-02-27T00:19:00.003+10:00

Melissa's 25th Birthday

Melissa had big plans for her birthday and the night didn't disappoint. We headed out to one of the most famous nightclubs in London called Mahiki. You might have already heard of the place and famous celebrities such as Price William, Harry, Kate Middleton, Tara Reid, Sarah Harding and Scarlett Johannson have been known to frequent the place. We didn't get to see any unfortunately but had a great time anyway, the prices were astronomical so we didn't stay all night. It was definitely something to cross off the list of things to do in London.

Afterwards we went to cheaper pub nearby until it closed. Felicity, Melissa and myself then had a crazy rickshaw ride across town to Charring Cross, Overall it was a night to remember.

2008-02-27T00:08:00.002+10:00

The Other Boleyn Girl - Premier

Mel, Felicity and Helena made it to Leicester Square last week to catch a glimpse of the stars including Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johannson and Eric Bana. I didnt bother going and from all reports it was a real mad crush trying to get up close for a decent photo. Anyway they got a few shots and were happy with the results. Melissa has read the book and is really excited about the movie which gets released on the 29th of February.

2008-02-12T01:25:00.000+10:00

Royal Tunbridge Wells

Felicity, Melissa and myself were keen on a cheap day trip from London and found out about this town which is just south of London.

Royal Tunbridge Wells lies at the heart of one of the most scenic stretches of countryside in England surrounded by the unspoilt beauty of the Weald. In Georgian times this popular spa town gained a reputation as the place to see and be seen amongst royalty and fashionable members of the aristocracy.

We had a great day, firstly we went for a walk through a large park, visited an old church and looked at the natural spring and some shops. We had lunch at a nice pub and then walked across town to another large park, the town is definitely worth a look and is really easy to get to from London.

2008-02-08T02:12:00.001+10:00

Planned Wales Easter Van Tour

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We are planning this van tour for Easter and we are really looking forward to it. So far its Mel, Felicity, Dean and myself. We will be using a van from Wicked Campers who are one of the best value van hire companies available in Europe.

2008-02-04T23:56:00.000+10:00

Australia Day 2008

We decided to head somewhere other then a walkabout this year and made our way to Peoples Republic in Clapham. It was a great day and we started early to make sure we got in. I had the weekend off rugby since I had injured my shoulder a few weeks ago. We partied hard all day/night and kept going back at Martins. Overall it was a great weekend but definitely not something you could do every weekend.

2008-01-07T21:35:00.001+10:00

Hampton Court Palace

Set in sixty acres of world famous gardens the Palace is a living tapestry of history from Henry VIII to George II. We had been planning to make a visit for a long time but finally got round to it. The place is huge and we wandered around the gardens for free since its in off season, we are going to have to come back in Summer so we can see the gardens at their best. It was a nice quiet relaxing Sunday, afterwards we went to Richmond for some wine and cheese in the park. We are going to have to be pretty quiet for the next few months so we can travel again once the summer arrives.

2008-01-03T01:21:00.001+10:00

New Years Eve - Roller Disco London

Mel wanted to do something different this year for NYE so we decided to head to Roller Disco which is something we had been wanted to do for a while. It was a great night out, and since we had been partying so hard in Bulgaria it was a nice change. There was two rinks, one playing soul and funk and the other more dance music. It was a great night and we only crashed once!

2008-01-03T01:02:00.000+10:00

Fun in the snow - Bulgaria

They apparently had over a metre of snow the day before we arrived so there was plenty to play around in. Mel hadn't really seen proper snow since she was five so we had plenty to make up for. We also did a lot of tobogganing in our spare time, my legs are still hurting from climbing up the ski slopes.

2008-01-03T00:47:00.000+10:00

Bulgarian Village and Night out

One of the best nights by far was the trip to the Bulgarian Village. We had a small group since we couldn't fit in the night before so it was a bit more personal which was great. The night started off by us getting dropped off at a locals house in the nearest village which was only 10 min's away. You were greeted with bread and spices at the door and then taken to your seat inside. There was an unlimited amount of hot brandy, home made wine, beer and food. The wine was easily the best I have tried in the country. There was also three courses of traditional meals, which included a lot of potato's, lamb and vegetables. The food was great and we got to listen to some local folk singing, watch some dancing and even get dressed up in drag. The whole night was only around £14 each and was well worth it.

After the village we were both pretty tanked and Mel had the great idea to go to the Karaoke bar where it was two for one cocktails. It didn't take Mel too much to convince me to get up on the stage and sing some Red Hot Chili Peppers Under the Bridge, since I knew I would never see these people again. Mel also did a great version of the time warp! As you could imagine another 10/10 hangover resulted. Lucky once you got out in the snow and sub zero temperatures it seemed to be bearable.

2008-01-03T00:19:00.000+10:00

Bulgarian Pubcrawl - Borovets Ski Resort

We started off the holiday with a massive night out with a pubcrawl organised by our tour group. It was a small group so we got to know everyone who were mostly Australian, Kiwi and a lone Danish guy. We had a free drink at each pub and the prices were great, only a pound or so for a beer and not much more for spirits. The night went on till late and lucky for us we weren't skiing like the others in the morning. The hangover rating was 10/10. BTW the black eye was still there from Rugby the week before not from that night!

2007-11-20T00:25:00.000+10:00

Old Actonians Fancy Dress - Armed Forces and Uniforms

It was Tim and Bills last weekend in London and lucky for them we had a big party planned. It was the girls from netball and the rugby teams joint fancy dress party. It started off very messy with some early drinking games and went from there.

2007-11-20T00:00:00.000+10:00

Crusty Demons

On the way to the pub at lunch to meet up with Tim and Bill we were lucky enough to catch the Crusty Demons doing some stunts in the shadow of Tower Bridge for some promo shots. Apparently they are doing a show in London soon. It was a great show which included backflips and superman stunts. They would really be worth seeing, these guys really do have balls.

2007-11-07T21:09:00.000+10:00

Frankfurt

We had an overnight stay in Frankfurt so that Tim and Bill could experiance some German food and of course beers. We headed into the town centre after a long bus ride from the airport, the place was a mix of old and new with massive skyscrapers as well as medieval looking houses and churches which had been rebuild after the war. We went to a couple of nice pubs and sampled some steins as well as having a huge pork knuckle for dinner. The pubs were pretty quiet for a Saturday night, nothing like the party central cities of Berlin or Hamburg.

2007-11-07T01:26:00.001+10:00

Porto

We flew into Porto from Madrid not really knowing what to expect. Our hotel was fantasic, we had the 20th floor with great views over the old town. You really felt like you went back in time walking around the old city centre with the old run down buildings, churches and relaxed atmosphere. On the second day we took a boat cruise down the river and a tour of one of the famous Port distilleries. The only problem with the place is that everything shuts down at 7pm, dont even think about getting something to eat!

2007-11-05T21:03:00.000+10:00

Madrid

We landed in Madrid after an early flight from Paris, the weather was fantastic at around 25 degrees compared to about 5 in Paris. On the first day we just had a rest, played some tennis and took advance of the cheap alcohol at the shops. One litre of beer was only just of a euro so we had a good time. The second day we checked out the city and had had a great lunch at a Tapas bar. Overall we had a fanatic relaxing time and I would recommend the city to anyone.

2007-11-05T20:47:00.000+10:00

Paris Rugby World Cup 2007

After touring the battlefields of Northern France we headed to Luxembourg for an overnight stay. After that we headed back to Paris for the final, we didn't have tickets for the game and were planning to just watch it on the big screen near the Eiffel Tower. We met up with Dean and Brendo and had a few beers and some wine. I didn't really care who won considering it was England Vs South Africa. In the end South Africa won and there were a lot of upset English supporters stumbling around the streets of Paris! Dean and Brendo slept in the park, lucky for us we had a hotel even if it was 77km outside of Paris!

2007-11-01T21:39:00.000+10:00

Great War Battle Fields and Memorials - Northern France

After we arrived in Beauvais which is an hours north of Paris after leaving Glasgow, we picked up our hire car and headed off north to the old battlefields of the Great War to pay our respects to the Australian and Commonwealth soldiers who gave their lives there over ninty years ago.

The feeling was of great respect and admiration to these mostly young men who gave their lives for the motherland which was in those days so far away from the isolated island of Australia. The maginificant monuments standing tall on the fields where some of the most devastating battles of human history were fought remind us of the strength of Australian spirit and mateship. The war graves stretched on into the distance with cemeteries littering the countryside. We visited one of the most intensely fought over towns in the war which changed hands many times in just a few days, the Australians ended up taking back the town but lost many men. The campaign on the Somme took many more Australian lives then in Galipolli which shows the devastating size of the loss to such a small country at the time. Lest we forget.

2007-10-31T02:34:00.000+10:00

Scotland - Edinburgh and Highlands Tour

Bill and Tim arrived in London on the Sunday and we were off on the first leg of our trip the next day. We flew into Edinburgh and made our way to our hotel, it was a massive room in an old converted house and the ceilings felt like they were 20 meters high. We walked around the town and checked out the fantastic views of the castle and surrounding buildings and monuments. The next day we made it to our bus just in time, we were off on a full 12 hour tour of the highlands. The views were amazing, massive mountain peaks and valleys as well as green hills and castles. We made it all the way to Loch Ness stopping at a few pubs on the way. It was a huge day and I was pretty tired by the time we made it back in town. It was a great start to the trip.

2007-09-28T20:45:00.000+10:00

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th century Bavarian castle. Located about two hours on the train from Munich, the castle was built by Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, as a retreat and as an homage to Richard Wagner, the King's inspiring muse. Apparently its the most photographed building in Germany.

The castle's famous fairytale appearance lends itself to frequent use in popular culture including being the inspiration for Disneys castle which was why Mel was so keen on seeing it. It was a great day trip and was definetly worth the long train ride, it was also great having a day to recover from the two previous sessions in Munich.

2007-09-28T20:20:00.000+10:00

Day Two Oktoberfest 2007

After waking up with a slight headache we decided to head to the Hofbrau beer hall where my friend from work Leah had been really organised and got a table already. The Hofbrau beer hall is know to be the crazyiest of them all and of course has the most Kiwis and Aussies. There was no waiting for beers this time and within about 30 seconds we had our first steins. The table started to get out of control pretty quickly and before we knew it there was smash steins people dancing on tables and hugs and kisses from random stangers. It wasnt long before our first casulty when Leah fell on the table and split the top of her eye open with the top of a stein, after a bandade and a quick nap she was back in action. Her friend who's favourate saying of the day was "Get involved!" soon became the second with a gash on her hand from being too crazy with the prosting!

Before we knew what had happened we were outside again and this time wandering around Munich. I lost Mel when I went into a subway and since Mels phone was out of credit I couldnt call her. I managed to find my way to a subway and a helpful German pointed me out the right train and we chatted on the way to the campsite. Mel made it back a while later and we had another frozen night in the tent, we got woken at 3am when a drunk kiwi tried to get in our tent assuring us that it was his. After some forceful convincing me move to the front of the tent only to spew over Mels converse and on our front tarp! We somehow got back to sleep since we knew we had a big day visiting Neuschwanstein Castle in the morning.

2007-09-28T19:42:00.000+10:00

Opening Day Oktoberfest 2007

We got up at about 7am and had our free breakfast from PP Travel which consisted of some warm baked beans and some stale toast. After that we jumped on the first bus towards Oktoberfest. We arrived outside the Lowenbrau Beer Hall at about 8.30am and lined up outside waiting for the doors to open. At 9am on the dot the doors burst open and we rushed to get a table. If your not at a table then you dont get served! So we then had the three hour wait until the first drinks. We let three Italian guys sit with us then four other Aussie chicks and we were full.

The brass band started playing and then all hell broke loose at 12pm! The waitresses in traditional dress brought out steins 10 at a time and dropped them on the tables! It wasnt long before everyone was getting crazy, it only took the italians about 3 sips of beer. We partied hard there for a while then made our way to our friends table when the Italians started to get out of control and the girls became nervous. We then kept drinking hard into the afternoon until we couldnt drink anymore, we then went outside for a walk around, sample some food and Mel wanted to go on some rides. After a huge day we made it home to our freezing tent and rock hard and icy ground. Next time I will remember to bring a jumper and not just a beer coat.

2007-09-28T18:43:00.000+10:00

Van Tour - 100 Club - Oktoberfest 2007

I had heard about the legendary Hundred Club for a few years now and finally got to check it out. It was exactly what I expected, gross, feral and appalling but above all entertaining. It takes place at a campsite in Munich every year on the Friday before Oktoberfest kicks off. We had a friend participating but he was in no state to answer his phone when I called, luckily we found out the closest underground station and made our way there.

If you’ve heard of the centurion drinking game where participants attempt to down 100 shots of beer in a hundred minutes then you’re halfway to understanding the 100 Club. But there’s more to it than that! Throw in a few evil judges, hundreds of spectators, pissing, puking, nakedness and some beer bongs packed with things like tuna, olives, vodka, and raw eggs and you’ve got the 100 Club!

My kiwi mate made it to number 37 which was a mammoth effort considering he is about 60 kg and the judges were picking on him. We hung out in the crowd just far enough away to avoid the splashbacks and chunks. There was even a German father with his 6 or 7 year old daughter on her shoulders, I guess he couldnt see what was actually happening himself, no wonder we have a bad reputation!

There was plenty of German Police at the entrance and outside the campsite but they seemed amused more then anything, however I did see a few people getting arrested outside the gates later in the day. After the 100 club finished we caught up with our mates on the Van Tour and had a few quiet drinks, my kiwi mate was passed out at this stage. After 5 or 6 hours we headed back to our campsite and tried to get to bed relatively early for opening day of Oktoberfest in the morning.

2007-09-17T19:04:00.000+10:00

Thames Festival

Melissa, Felicity and myself went to the Thames Festival on Sunday, it was a great day and night with plenty to see. I was a bit tired after our win against the London French the day before in rugby but managed to pull through. We also took a few photos of the Storm Troopers outside the Star Wars Expo near the London Eye. The fireworks at the end of the night was spectacular and worth the wait.

2007-09-03T21:32:00.000+10:00

We've Moved to Acton Town

We finally moved on the weekend to a new place just near Acton Town station which is a perfect location to travel from and is nice and close to the Rugby fields and clubhouse. We had a BBQ on Sunday and got to meet the new housemates who are all friendly and welcoming. Things are starting to look up again ;-) The room came with the added bonus of a beer fridge!

2007-08-13T23:25:00.000+10:00

Kew Gardens

On Saturday Melissa and myself visited Kew Gardens (extensive gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England). It was one of the best we have seen and it was a beautiful day. The red building in the photos was purchased by George III in 1781 as a nursery for the royal children.

2007-08-09T19:41:00.001+10:00

Regent Rinos - Twenty 20 Cricket - Regents Park

We had the last game of the season on Tuesday night and finished with a great win. I had the best games in the first and last games of the season so lets just forget about the middle. I made about 28 runs, a diving one hand catch, a run out and won the skulling competition in this match. Jeff also did every well with the ball and got a few wickets. After the match we had a few beers at a pub near Baker St. So now that cricket has finished rugby will be taking over.

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2007-08-09T18:17:00.000+10:00

Cambridge

On Saturday morning we got the train to Cambridge, we were staying at a nice B&B just out of the city centre. On the first day we walked around the historic centre and visited the markets. We also had a look at some of the colleges including the famous Kings College. We also had a few beers and cocktails overlooking the canals full of people on punts. After a days drinking and relaxing we went to the botanical gardens, it was one of the best we have seen. On the Sunday we did some more relaxing by the water watching the college kids diving into the filthy water from bridges and swing ropes.

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2007-07-30T19:26:00.000+10:00

Redbull Air Race: London

Jeff, Mel and myself made our way out to the track near the Millennium Dome, it was a bit of a struggle after Nicole's birthday drinks the night before but we made it on time. We had standing tickets but managed to score some really good seats anyway with a great view of the course. The planes were amazing flying in at around 400kmph and negotiating the course in about 1 and a half minutes. After flying through the chicanes one plane flew in too hot and looked like it was heading straight for us, luckily for us it managed to pull back towards the course. They also had a lynx helicopter that was breathtaking, it was doing loops and barrel rolls which just doesn't look right for a helicopter, a red bull one was also doing some acrobatics with the musical score from psycho playing over the loud speakers. Overall it was one of the best events I have been to so far in London.