ASIANOVERLAND.NET RUSSIA SCANDINAVIA

DAY 29/253 1981 – KOLN, GERMANY TO LONDON (ENGLAND)

The last day of Top Deck trips always have sad moments when we realise we’ll probably never see each other again, even though we’ve been like a close family for the past 4 weeks (or 7 weeks, or 11 weeks for overland trips).

We partially compensate for this by arranging post-trip drinks, usually at the Fremantle Hotel in Earls Court, London. But many of us are a long way from London, so it’ll have to be Bendigo where our driver Mark Bannerman lives, or Jimmy Watsons Wine Bar, Carlton, in the hope we can get more catchups. Next Thursday, 19th August from 6pm – don’t be late (even though we’re already 40 years late ….)

Very special thanks to our courier, Carmel Smith (who is recovering from a hip replacement). Carmel was the best Top Deck courier I ever travelled with – courteous, rigorous, thoughtful, always in control. Everything ran like clockwork on Carmel’s Russia Scandi trip … apart from being arrested and having the bus/alcohol confiscated in Helsinki. But bootlegging was a risk everyone knowingly accepted.

My apologies to Carmel where my daily spiel hasn’t matched Carmel’s, as Carmel’s spiels were always spot on for the territory we were travelling through. Whereas my own spiels have been a bit like what I was told on my courier training trip with Sundowners (before being offered an overland courier job with Top Deck Travel):

“Europe is a cardboard cut-out - when you look out of your bus window you don’t see reality, but cardboard cut-outs made to look like Europe”.

Special thanks also to our driver Mark Bannerman. I had previously been a Top Deck courier on two overland trips from London to Kathmandu and back, quickly followed by a 7 week Grand European. But I had no idea that Top Deck buses could be operated without any visible mechanical problems.

If we had any mechanical problems, Mark didn’t let anyone know about them, a trait I found unique to Mark Bannerman among Top Deck drivers. Most Top Deck drivers would let everyone know about all of their bus’s mechanical problems.

Of course, most of the rest of us Top Deck crew couldn’t possibly hide our Deckers’ mechanical problems, as we had to use 4 wheel drive on a regular basis. Yet, on this 4 week Russia Scandi, none of the punters even knew that 4 wheel drive for a Top Deck bus involved all of the punters pushing the bus!!!

A special mention also to the punters on this trip, three of whom became close and lifelong friends – Colleen McGrath, Mick Cummins and John (Herbie ) Quirk. Mick had mentioned to Corrie and myself that he had a spare room at his house in Coburg, and we could house-share with him and Herbie. Little did he expect that, after finally traveling back from London to India to Perth, and hitchhiking from Perth to Melbourne, we would arrive back in Melbourne with $5 in total, and take him up on his generous group house offer. Best group house ever.

But the best special mention has to go to Corrie, who has been my best mate and best travelling companion for over 40 years. Corrie is a Trojan woman who NEVER complained about any part of any trip, even though there were, and always are, many things that could be complained about. If there was a funny or happy side to any event, Corrie always laughs and has fun with the occasion. Corrie can always see the silver lining behind every cloud, even when others can only see the clouds.

In other words, Corrie’s glass is always half full. Except for one occasion on our first Russian cabaret, theatre dinner night in Saint Petersburg. When we entered the dining room, Corrie saw jugs of water and empty water glasses on every table, and immediately filled a glass from the water jug to quench her thirst. Corrie sculled the entire glass before laughing and crying out ..…”VODKA!!!”

Welcome to Russia.

We all laughed at and with Corrie for sculling a full glass of vodka thinking it was water, before we all realised Corrie had already started the party and we’d better all join in. Which we happily did. And every night after that. Great trip.

↑ Day 252 ↓ Day 254