There are certain things that suck when you are away. Things like loosing your cash card (twice), getting on the wrong bus, sleeping on the floor of a packed train after 5 pints and having half of your tooth falling off!

Just 2 minutes ago I managed to complete the above list. Somehow a cheese and ham sandwich has destroyed my tooth! The worst thing is it’s my fault since my dentist told me I needed to have it repaired. She also told me it would be 150 pounds and quickly put me off the idea (being just before my holiday etc). And so, my false ecconomising has jumped up and bitten me in the tooth.

Besides my tooth falling off things are good. In fact, I have a confession to make – I’m back in Slovenia. Sat in Struga on the border with Albania I completely bottled-out of visiting the last country on my radar. The only bus I could take to Albania would drop me in Tirana at 4am on the side of the road. Depending on your sence of adventure this is either exciting or stupid. I decided it would be the latter and so, I did a large Macedonian U turn, hopped on a bus back to Skopje (3 hours) a night train to Belgrade (10 hours) and a day train to Ljubljana (9 hours) So, just a day later I arrived 4 countries north in my favourite corner of this continent. It rained.

While the journey up here was generally OK it was also mind-bendingly boring. For the 9 hours between Belgrade and Ljubljana I didnt take enough food, my MP3 player was dead and I had no book. This leaves very very few entertainment options bar headbutting the seat infront of you while dribbling into your lap. I was saved from total boredom during the last hour after striking up a conversation with a Serbian bank manager who had lived in Australia for the past 15 years. A nice guy who translated the various train shinanigans such as the Macedonian guy being grilled by the various border police.

Back in my favourite hostel Ive had some good company over the past week including a decent Canadian call Bart, 3 Calafornian girls, 5 Italians on a Stag party, a Polish-German, a couple from Brighton (on route to a festival in Cornwall) and a Girl From Basque county. I’ve also met up with some great HC’s, Peter who I met in Ukraine (and partied with in Budapest) and been given a place to stay by a great girl called Mia.

For Barts take on recent events check out his well written Blog at www.monsieurbart.blogspot.com. I’m the brit. Oh, and checkout the picture he took of the bull-fighter getting mauled – superb. Aparently the guy got completely trampled before being streacherd off.

Oh, I almost forgot to metion Dad. Yesterday he got a new hip. Incredible in itself he’s been told he can walk on it tomorrow! I don’t understand these things but its bloody impressive. Dad, you never told me if you kept the old one as a souvenir?

OK, so thats all from me for now. I’m off to formulate a plan.

Eddy

Posted from: www.bearder.com