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world
traveler: taking the piss out of traveling
By
Deon
World Traveler
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| World
Traveler Issue I |
| World Traveler II |
| World
Traveler III: Red Bull and Globalization |
| World
Traveler IV: Foreign Hospitals and Weight Loss |
| World
Traveler V: Three Bald Men and Monkey Love |
| World
Traveler VI: Crooked Cops, Car Chases and Cock Fighting |
| World
Traveler VII: Aussie Fashion, Adrenaline Rushes and Language
Barriers |
| World
Traveler VIII: ToiletTalk, Crazy Characters and Coincidences
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| World
Traveler IX: Country Music, Shower Massages and Crappy Car Rentals
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January
24th 2002
World Traveler Issue I
It's
Been seven days since I landed in Thailand. I
had been awake for over 50 hours and was a bit beat.
The real trip started in Koh Samui, when I landed at
their airport... more like a landing strip with a
Grass-hut next to it.. I walked into hut and looked
up.. there were 2 signs.. The first was terminal 1 and
the other was baggage terminal... "Terminal?" It
was
a grass hut with a wooden floor... I realized from
that moment on.. things were going to be a bit
different than the norm.
The
place I am staying is is right out of the movie
the Beach... The Sanctuary. An Amazing place, but
for a guy just came from Tokyo and San Fran, it
looking pretty boring... There are only around 50
people on that part of the island. Very Mellow.
The first 2 days were really nice, but I was getting
very anxious because there was nothing to do there..
or so I thought... From Day one... I decided to give
up meat and hard liquor.. Stick with the native
delights.. Fish is awesome anyway.. and the best Vodka
they have here is Finlandia... so there is not much
temptation...
We
are over 30 mins via boat to the inhabited part of
the island... No roads. the Boats look like gondolas
with car engines with a long 20' propeller... Long
tails they call them.. You can also walk the jungle
trek, which is approx. 4 km.. which I did.. huffing
and puffing... The second time is not so bad...
We
only have electricity 5 hours per day. No phones,
email cars, roads, news, tv, murders, War, nightclubs,
smog, stress, traffic, people working, or any of the
other delights that the States has to offer. At
first, I thought I would miss some of it... but I
don't.
I
asked an America girl who lives here... what do you
do all day long... She simply replied.. "Nothing.
Nothing that you don't want to do..."
I soon found out that she was right... We have many
lazy days here on the beaches of Hat Tien..
The Weather has been awesome for the most part...
80-95 every day.. Raining a bit...
Talking the longtails when they have 10' swells is
more fun than the log ride at Disneyland... I love it
when the land disappears behind the waves.. then it
too rough to land, so you have to swim the last 300
feet, with your backpack... It's all part of the
adventure...
I
have lost around 5 pounds already... I didn't
realize that there was still a small six pack under
this pony keg that i have been carrying... I have met
some really great people so far, almost none of them
from the states.... Everyone is German, Aussie, or
English.. with a few other European in the mix... I
was kinda of sad to see my friends Franziska and
Matthias leave... They are a German couple that I
have been hanging out with since day one... I will
probably stay with them in Berlin and Hamburg (sp?)
I just don't know.... I am running out of days... I
only have 200 left... But I'll make the best of
them... I have an appointment with the hammock on the
beach at 1 pm and a massage at 4....
Until
My next post...
Deon Antone Abruzzo World Traveler OUT!
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January
26 2002
World Traveler II
After about the fourth day cringing from the ice cold
shower. Once the stress wears away, you are happy to
be under that fresh cold water every day or night..
And another thing, for those of you that have never
been to Thailand... they have showers in all of the
bathrooms... and some how all of the toilets have been
smashed into the ground so that there is on a hole and
grips for feet...
I don't really know where I am going with this...
Then
there are your little friends... ants mosquitos
and flies... If you can get over that hump... the
snakes, spiders, geckos, and cockroaches are
nothing...
With
all of it's third world quirks Thailand is a
pretty nice place. I found the world's best Masseuse.
His name is Simba from Japan. Only 300 Baht (7.25
USD) for 1.5 hours. 120 different techniques. He
removed knots that I have had for years. You can find
him at the Golden View restaurant on the Hill between
Hat Tien and Hat Yuan. Appointments in person only.
No Phone, No Email, & No Fax. He books up days in
advance, so get there soon. I have a two hour
appointment every day for the next week.
The
Full moon is coming in 2 days. The population for
of the island just jumped from 500 to 10,000... but
not where I live... It's just a quiet lazy day on the
beaches of Hat Tien... and then in 4 days... the
population will be back to 500...
I am still up in the air with where I will be going
after the Full Moon. Will it be:
A)
Stay Here and Fast for seven days with Coffee
Colonics
B) Head to the Island of Koh Tao to get re-certified
for Scuba Diving
C) Trekking in Chiang Mai with the Hill Tribes
or
D) Come home.
Vote
now!
Oh
no it's raining.. the wave are gunna be big in the
Longtails. Thanks again for the emails...
I only had 63 today..
You guys can do better than that....
Also, If you like, you can live vicariously through me
by sending me to places that you have been to, eaten
at or say hello to old friends... If you have friends
in Bali, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey or any of the
other 10 places that I am off to.. let me know...
that was a run on sentence...
I miss many of you... for the rest, it will take a few
more weeks.... but you know who you are.. haha
Until next time, Deon Antone Abruzzo, World Traveler OUT!
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February
6, 2002
World Traveler III Red Bull and Globalization
Before I left on this journey, a very dear friend of
mine had been educating me on how Capitalism,
Westernization and Globalization are
ruining the the third world. Let's build a quick case
study to prove or disprove that theory. She told me
to stick to local merchants, not big businesses.
One day I went shopping in Had Rin, a small third
world town that caters to 1st world party go-ers for
the Full Moon parties. I was in search of a nail
clipper. Not a hard item to find or so I thought. I
went into the first Local General store. They said "
NO HAVE Go 7-11! After the same response from various
store owners, I took a venture to the Local 7-11.
Please let me a paint a picture for you. Dirty roads,
construction everywhere, chickens in the road, shanty
houses in the background and you come across this
shinny, new 7-11. The Air-conditioning was worth the
look. Inside is a sea of Nestle and Coca-cola
Products. Almost nothing native to Thailand. No nail
clippers either. I found them on the bottom shelf of
a local store. Globalization is in our faces. It has
taken over of traditional values and replaced it with
Nestle Ice Cream Bars or Double strength Red Bull that
comes in a medicine bottle, un-carbonated. By the
way,
the Red Bull Here will send you to the moon.
Since I have been here, i have been eating incredibly
well except for the occasional western snack... I have
eaten: 3 Snickers Bars, 4 Cokes, 1 Absolut Lt. (I
only helped), 9 Red Bulls, 1 Box of Pringles
Not bad, but remember, I have been on a deserted
Island.
The
Full Moon was nothing to write home about. Just
imagine 10,000 Israelis, Aussies, and Brits... getting
wasted out of their gourd, wrecking havoc on this
quiet little town. It was pretty much a huge rave
with no vibe. Our entire beach got stuck because of
bad weather, so will missed most of the party.
I
have finally moved on from Hat Tien. Haad Yao is my
new home for the next few days. I have been
traveling with six friends that I met over the last
month. After 3 weeks on this little island, I can
finally say that I am clearheaded and de-programmed
from the Western World. I feel like a renaissance
man. Instead of Working for someone else.. I am
working on myself. You know, "personal growth".
My
latest hobbies are fire-dancing, learning German, sand
castle building, food critic, hammocking, swimming,
volleyball, sunset watching,jungle trekking, shopping
at "local markets" and last but certainly not least,
scuba diving. Yes. I got my PADI. The visibility
was terrible in Koh Tao, so I took my course right on
the beach in Haad Yao and finished my open water dives
at Sail Rock, an amazing Lava tube covered in soft
coral. In one word, Breath taking. Eels, sea Urchins,
barracudas. All of the good stuff.
I
leaving in 3 days for Bangkok. Does anyone have a
good, Tailor there? Richard, Bill, Chris?
Then I am off to see everyone's favorite guy in the
East, Narc Reyes!
Until
then, this is Deon Abruzzo Signing out!
Chat
with Deon Tonight Thursday Fed 7th at 8:00 pm
Pac. Just Log on to AOL instant Messenger, send a
message to : swingtwins
I will then add you into the Chat.
If you don't have Lycos IM or AOL IM, get it here:
http://www.aim.com
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February
18, 2002
WorldTraveler
IV Foreign Hospitals and Weight Loss
World Traveler - Deon Abruzzo
You
never quite know what may happen when you embark
on a journey like this. Any number of thing could go wrong.
You could:
* Make a deposit to your hotel and they could forget
and rip you off
* Gag from the smell of dried squid and other sea
creatures at an outdoor market
* Eat honey glazed Grasshoppers
* Drink a few litters of polluted salt water while
scuba diving
* Get massages that make you cry like a school girl
* Be bitten by a foul smelling, flea infested dog in
Thailand
or even
* Have intense stomach pains on the lower Right side
and have to check in the a Foreign Hospital
Well
so far all of those things have happened to me...
HAHA, You just have to laugh. Well I do.
Yes
Mom, I got sick and had to got to a Hospital.
Luckily, it was the day after I arrived in Singapore
and not in some dirt floor, cut me up with a dirty
knife, with no anaesthesia Hospital in Thailand.
I had never stayed overnight in a Hospital.. But I
have been to the emergency room a couple of times...
Ma, do you remember that time I cut my leg open and
had to get 7 stitches and then there was that other
time.. Never-mind..
Well thankfully, I was released the next day. I am
not sure which was more painful, the stomach pains or
24 hours with only 2 English TV stations. I think I
can speak Chinese now...
Don't worry about me folks, I am still smiling. Those
of you that had to drag your butts into the office at
8:30 this morning are the ones that I am worried
about. And speaking of butts and offices... please
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So
I am now in Singapore visiting Narc Reyes. He used
to work for that kick ass Internet company, Terra
Lycos, with me in San Francisco. He had a baby.. I
mean his beautiful wife, Zan, had the baby and he just
helped name her, Sabrina. A man's work is never done.
She calls my "Uncle Deon". What a cutie-pie!
Now that I am all healed up, I am heading for Bali
Tomorrow. I know, Poor ME!
Before I leave you guys, I wanted to say one more
thing. After spending time with the people of
Thailand and then coming to Singapore for a bit of
contrast, I now understand what they Cane people in
this country. On the whole, in MY experiences with
the Sing People, they have tended to be colder than
the south pole and make New Yorkers seem polite. Keep
the caning coming! But that's just my opinion.
Deon
Abruzzo
World Traveler
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February
26, 2002
World
Traveler V: Three Bald Men and Monkey Love
I
know what you are thinking. This week's subject is quite bizarre,
but very much a part of my adventure. I arrived in Bali a
week ago, and it was nothing like I expected. One very fabulous
woman that I met on this trip reminded to not have expectations
and I won't be disspointed. Thank you Emilia. I need to keep
reminding myself that. Ok. Back to our story.
Lemme back up. I am finally leaving Singapore without caneing
anyone myself and with my internal organs intact. In the airport,
I stumble on the world's first and only Airport Game Show
"What's Your Range?".
I had nothing better to do for 3 hours, so I joined in. Basically,
it was a stupid game and I didn't want to win the $1000 SD
anyway! I met a guy named Tom and he was going my way so we
took off to Bali. He had been in Vietnam for the past 4 months.
He had just shaved his head. We got to the Island late night.
Security decided to search my bag, I was the last one to make
it through customs and the night drags on. We3 checked into
what looked to be a nice place, which we overpayed for at
10,000 RP ($10US). As my buddy Blocky from down under would
say "there were heaps of Mossies (Mosquitos)" in
our Hotel rooms. We were staying in the lovely town of Kuta.
Lovely my ass! What a pit! The greatest thing about Kuta is
that you get offered Herion every 20 feet.. If you like to
shoot up in foreign counrties... this is the place for you.
We couldn't 'cause we were fresh out of Clean Needles. Ah
shucks! We could find any good food at 11:00, so we broke
down and hit the local Micky D's. I had the Mc Spicy. It's
a spicy chichen sandwich. On the wrapper they guarantee 100%
Chicken Thigh. MMMMM. Thigh is my fav! And you know that they
don't eat musturd in S.E. Asia. Instead, they drown everything
in the chili sauce. It is tasty. Better than Euros marinating
everything in Mayo...
Checked out a few bars and decided that we had enough withy
the drunk, screaming, surfers. Woke up the next morning covered
in Mossies bites and a beach loaded with garbage. We bailed
and headed for Lovina Beach. It is supposed to be one of the
nicest on the Island. In our Shuttle bus, we met two fabulous
people, Will and Maria. Will is a set and prop designer. He
worked on Band of Brothers and many more. He is also a professional
Chronic Head Shaver. Lovina was dead. I mean no tourists.
To give you an idea, there are over 30 hotels in town and
there were less than 100 tourists. The beach was also dirty.
Will Shaved my head. But we did go up to Gitgit Waterfall
anmd the hotsprings. Or should I say warm springs? I got a
nipple ring. We also went dolphin watching, which was really
cool. They were jumping and playing. I like dolphins. Did
you know that they are the only other animals that has sex
for recreation? Playing and having sex for 20 hours a day.
Now that's what I call a superior creature to humans! For
2 days we were the Three Bald Men. All my friends bailed,
and I didn't want to be the only guy left in town, so I headed
for Ubud. My second mother, Sande, lives there. There were
no shuttle buses, so I hired a car. It cost me 3 times the
amount, but it was worth it. On the top of the mountain, I
stopped to film the monkeys. They were not afraid of me at
all. The babys were taking food right out of my hand. When
I approached the oldest, he growled at me the grabbed the
closest female, sniffed her butt, then before to "Make
Monkey Love" rioght in front of me. Don't get excited
girls. It was over in less than 2 seconds, about the same
as the average American Male.
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March
17, 2002
World Traveler VI
Crooked Cops, Car Chases and Cock Fighting
By
Deon Abruzzo World Traveler
BORN MARCH 27TH 1974 (HINT HINT HINT)
I
know, I know, I know it has been a while since my
last newsletter. I have received numerous death
threats from you people to write the next issue. Your
wish is granted!
Fasten
your seat-belts boys and girls this issue is
action packed! It all started one day in Ubud,
Bali...
(the Clouds part like the opening scene from the
Simpsons) Since we saw our Hero Last...
The first two weeks in Bali were a bit on the calm
side.. Dead calm. I had just finished heaps of work
that I have been doing on My aunt Sande's company,
EarthVillageArt.com (the site will be up soon, when
all of the sudden... I get an email from Caroline and
Angela Partridge. I met these two incredible sisters
in Koh Phangan, Thailand. They are on some of the
same route that I am, and we had such a blast on the
beaches of Haad Yao.. we decided to meet up again in
Bali. So I rented a car and the three of us began a
three week journey...
If you have never driven in a third world country, I
would recommend it only if you have had extensive
NASCAR racing experience. Now, I am a maniac on the
road anyway, so I fit right in. A friend, Andy, had
recommended the beaches of Amed, so that's where we
went. Driving on the left side of the road is down
right wrong. You Brits need to be sorted. Shifting
with your left hand is even worse... but you get the
hang of it. In Bali, there is only one road rule. The
bigger vehicle has the right of way, even when it's on
our your side of the road! Let me paint you a picture
of Bali roads. Just imagine....
A two lane road that is smaller than a single lane in
the states, 1000's and I mean 1000's! of
motor-scooters, chickens, pigs, cows, bicycles,
people, school children, Giant dump-trunks, traffic,
drainage ditches on both sides of the road, everyone
trying to pass everyone and my favorite, pot-holes
that you could fit the U.S. National Debt inside! Now
speed up to 75 MPH and you Might get the picture. We
get lost a few times, but my internal Male-GPS gets us
back on track. The Partridge Sisters gave me an
incredible compliment. They told me that I am the
only guy that they had ever known to stop and ask for
directions! The truth is, I was totally Lost! There
are no FREAKING street signs in this damn country!
With the help of the girls constantly telling me to
ask for directions we finally found our way.
We stopped for the "WORST CAESAR SALAD OF MY LIFE"
in
Lovely Candidasa and continued on... Tangent: Who the
hell puts Mayo and bacon on Lettuce and calls it a
Caesar salad.
We are then pulled over by a motorcycle cop. My heart
starts pounding after hearing some stories from other
travelers. I wasn't too worried since I had my Intl.
Drivers License and hadn't broken any laws. He
proceeds to tell me that he had been chasing me for 20
km because I went straight through an intersection
without putting on my Hazard Lights. That is a 400,000
RP Fine and we will have to go to jail if we didn't
pay. Now in Bali, that is 2 months wages and nobody
uses blinkers at all! We negotiated down to 150k and
he let us go. Legal extortion. Over the next 3 days
we were stopped twice more for, Now get this, "Using
the road". This is not a toll road like in the
states. It's a guy in a fake cop costume that has
spray painted a line across the street and stops only
tourists.
We finally reach Amed after a grueling 4 hour drive.
As we pull into the little town, the most incredible
red moon rises over the Island of Lombok. What a
sight! I took 80 photos... they will all be on the
net soon. Checked in, got dressed and hit the 10
building town. Only one restaurant served alcohol, so
we ate there. (But Deon, I thought you were on the
wagon? Sure I was, for about 3 weeks, then I fell off
and the wagon ran over me!)
The Manager told us to not continue down the coast
past 4 km. Some tourists were murdered by bandits
that pulled up side their car and claimed that there
was trouble with their tires. They pulled over and
were robbed. So what do we do? We get up the next
morning and drive 10km south...
It was sooo beautiful and I haaaad to take some
video..
Angela, who was in the back seat because she is a
backseat driver.. kept telling Cazzie and I to turn
around, turn around! The natives were giving us dirty
looks by this point, so I decided to flip a U turn.
We stopped quickly in a parking lot of an unfinished
hotel, grabbed some water and I took some photos with
my Shiny New $1200 camera. We got a very weird vibe
when a bunch of people were surrounding the car and
looking inside to see what we had....(scary music in
the background). I jumped in the car and drove off.
Not thinking too much of it, one guy followed us on
his motorbike. He trailed us for a while and pulled
upside the car and started yelling to us to pull over
because our tire was blown. I instantly rolled up the
window and took off like a bat out of hell. He closely
chases for 2 km, and I couldn't shake him. (Now
picture an extremely curvy 1 lane road that is 2 way.)
On the next strip of road, he pulls up next to me
again, pointing to my tire and still yelling. This
time he was using his bike to push us over. Since I
had watched quite a few car chases in my time, and I
do think in my distorted mind that I am now a James
Bond, I dropped the gear to second and slammed on the
brakes. He pulls ahead of me and I am chasing him.
It's always better to be the chaser than the chasee...
He tears up ahead and loses us. When we deemed it
safe, we pulled over and checked the tires. Nothing
wrong with them. I know what some of you are
thinking. I was in a 4 wheel drive and this guy was
on a motor-scooter... But it was sketchy. 20 mins
later, it happened again with a mean looking guy on a
Harley. We packed our bags and blew out of town.
What an adventure.
When we finally returned to Ubud, there was another
Hindu ceremony in Arys and Made's Neighborhood. My
Bali family dressed the three of us up in traditional
Hindu Ceremonial attire. Again. I will email the
photos when I get to Auz. I only have 2,500 so far,
but I will have more soon. As a part of the Ceremony,
the men gather for a day of cock fighting too. I know
what you are saying. "It's cruel!" and "How
can you
watch that??"... The way that I look at it, it's
their tradition, and it's like peering into the past.
Trust me when I say this.. "I will NEVER see it
again!"
Quick
Notes: I have a new job. I met a top DJ from
London, who is traveling on my same route. He plays
wicked funky house, house and trance. Nackered Nick
Madge. He has hired me as his manager. We are
booking gigs all over Auz. If you have an
connections... Star, Johnny or any one else, please
let me know.
THIS JUST IN: HAIR RAISING NEWS DEON IS NO LONGER
BALD!
I am Italian and my hair grows, much faster than your
Kevin! The first 3 days I looked like a walking
sperm. After a week, a giant fuzzy white peach. After
2 weeks, a reject from Army Bootcamp and after 4
weeks, I just look like a Brit. Back to my sexy self.
It was a good experience. I thought that I had "A Big
Head", but it was just my ego pushing up my hair.
In
other news: I went to the Gilli Islands near
Lombok. They were spectacular. White sands, tons of
fun. I went scuba diving with sea turtles, octopus,
giant squid, cuddle fish, sea snakes and reef sharks.
I thought that ridding in the back of tuk tuks in
Bangkok was exciting. Sharks are better.
I also learned that there is a tiny country in the
British Isles called the Isle of Man. Go figure? At
least the natives are nice folk.
What
else? What else? Well boys and girls I think
that's all for this weeks addition. I am in Brunei
right now, in transit to Auz. Heading for
Brisbane/Byron Bay, Darwin, Caines (Whit Sunday Island
Dive boat FOR MY BIRTHDAY on MARCH 27TH!! HINT HINT),
Fraser Island, Great Keppel Island and then off to New
Zealand... Gosh my life sucks....
I
am expecting an e-birthday card or a voice-mail from
all 534 of you!! AND THAT MEANS YOU.
Last
of all, I wanted to Congratulate My dear Friends
Iliana Martinez and John Grein, for their decision to
get married and travel around the world! I hope to
see you guys soon!
CORRECTION
FROM WOLRD TRAVELER V: Star is one of my
top emailers! and Mozzies is spelt with z's not s's.
Thanks Blocky!
This
is not good-bye, only until next time!
Deon Abruzzo World Traveler OUT!
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April
2, 2002
World Traveler VII: Aussie Fashion, Adrenaline Rushes
and Language Barriers
by Deon Abruzzo World Traveler
Hello
Blokes and Birds!
Yes i made it down-under unscathed... but I didn't
stay that way...
I haven't slept in bunk-beds since I was in summer
camp '86. What's really too it? You climb the ladder
crawl into bed and go to sleep. Sounds simple enough..
Unless you drink 3 pitchers of Victoria Bitter and in
the middle of the night you accidentally forget that
you are sleeping on the top bunk and you
reeeeeeeeeally "have to go". In a drunken stupor,
you
get out of bed and fall 5 feet to land on you face. It
took me 3 days to get the carpet fiber imprints off of
my face. Kids. Don't try this at home.
Since then, I have broken my big toe and middle toe
nails, banged my head 3 times, cut my foot open,
slipped down some stairs and bruised the bottom of my
foot.
That's nothing compared to my adrenaline fill addenda
over the next 4 weeks. Check it out:
3 day dive boat on the great barrier reef (10 dives)
5 bungee jumps and this death swing thing in 1 day
6 days of shark diving, incl. shark cage and open
water with 4 bull sharks during a feeding (25 dives)
3 days on a Racing Sailboat to the Whitsunday Islands
(5 dives)
Go-cart racing at 75 km/h. Done! Amazing!
4 days on Fraser island camping with man eating Dingos
(only man eating if you are stupid enough to pass out
drunk on the beach)
Sky-dive from 14,000 ft, 60 sec of free-fall
and much, much more...
You could say that I am having fun. Don't worry. I
have insurance. I wonder if I am covered under shark
feedings? Mom, could you check on that?
MAILBAG:
WHO WANTS A POST CARD????
Here is what you have to do. E-mail me your freaking
address by end of Day Friday. I am going to be on a
dive boat for 6 days and I will have nothing better to
do that write YOU a postcard! So start typing!
This
place is truly amazing. The sun is shinning at a
beautiful 95 degrees. Everyone is sooo friendly and
helpful. And all of the old people are still dressing
like the TV show Dallas, except they wear the Aussie
version of a cowboy hat. Think Crocodile Dundee. I had
to buy all new cloths, because I looked funny in my
baggy Thai Fisherman pants. So I set off to go
shopping and didn't find too much, except one real
treasure. In a small 2nd hand store I found... now are
you sitting down?... a powder-blue, 1960's polyester,
short-sleeved, Australian Tuxedo. It was 4 sizes too
big, so I paid more to have it altered than on the
tux. I wore it 3 times, but all I got were funny
looks. I have shipped it back home. You Californians
will appreciate it. All of the guys here in Cairns
only wear Billabong T-shirts. Nick, my Welsh buddy I
met in Bali, and I are really feeling out of style, so
we are going to buy matching ones. Turquoise I think.
Today
we are going to talk about foreign Language.
Ever since I left on this trip, the people I have the
most trouble communicating with are the English and
the Aussies. Yes, you would think that we all speak
the same tongue, but it's not true. I speak American,
the Brits speak English (though the Welsh speak
English with a god awful accent.. and by the way Never
under any circumstances call the Irish, Welsh or Scots
"English". They don't care for being called English.
Just a word of advice.) and the Aussies speak
Australian, just like the Fosters commercials.
I will be sitting there in a pub or a restaurant or
just asking directions and all I hear is blah blah
blah.
Here are a few vocabulary words that every traveler
should know. See if you can match the correct words
and phrases! (ANSWERS AT THE BOTTOM)
1)Take the piss
2)Toss-pot
3)Pissed
4)Wanker
5)Blokes
6)Shag
7)Choc-a-block
8)Glad rags
9)Sheila
10)Snog
11)Bird
12)a pot
13)Mate
A)Anyone
B)Guy
C)Girl (Eng)
D)Girl (Aus)
E)All Full
F)small glass of beer
G)to Kiss or a kiss
H)to have sex or the person you have sex with
I)to make fun of
J)someone that is a dick
K)dress cloths
L)drunk
M)someone that you don't like very much
1)I
, 2)M , 3)L , 4)J , 5)B , 6)H , 7)E , 8)K , 9)D ,
10)G , 11)C , 12)A
HOW
DID YOU DO?
Much better than I did at first. When I first heard
some bloke say "I was taking the piss out of this
Bird. I was bloody pissed, when all of the sudden we
were snogging. Then some wanker spilled a pot all over
my glad rags. We laughed it off and then I shagged her
rotten.
This
is an amazing country. It's the first place I
have ever been to that I could say "This is where I
want to live!" Well, I wish I could write more but I
have better things to do than entertain all of you
boring people that than sit on your asses at home. I
am out seeing the world here Matey!
If
you would like to sneak-peak what my world looks
like, you may be the first to view some of my photos
online. I have taken over 2,500 so far. I uploaded
them to ofoto.com. Please take a look.
All rights Reserved World Traveler Inc.
Earthvillageart.com
Artwork for sale (232 Photos)
Please buy a Buddha and feed My Bali family for a
month!
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=93752867303&n=1368702025
Lombok
& the Gilli Islands
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=72752867303&n=1649806338
Bali
Photos (110 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=34172867303&n=1379583908
Bali
Monkeys (100+)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=41752867303&n=422497211
Cockfighting
Watch at your Own Risk (44 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=41492867303&n=674807646
Deon
and Friends(25 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=22492867303&n=1483488537
Animals
of Bali(97 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=72492867303&n=1587439266
Flowers
of Bali(40 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=43492867303&n=901870794
Full
Moons over Bali and Lombok (111 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=14492867303&n=1712521402
Sunsets
over Bali (39 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=34492867303&n=90057843
Hindu
Ceremonies In Bali (328 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=35492867303&n=1233809054
Hindu
Ceremonies II (230 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=74492867303&n=2016827134
Narc's
Family in Singapore(23 photos)
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=94492867303&n=214193820
I
would also like to send a shout out to Kevin Blum,
Troy Henry, and Enrico Abruzzo for being the first
three people to join me in my travels. You should be
hearing good things from these boys.
Last of all I wanted to thank you all for the 37 B-day
Ecards I got! You guys are awesome. The other 472 of
you suck! hehehe
Until
Next Time,
Deon Abruzzo World Travel Out!
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| May
1, 2002
World
Traveler VIII: ToiletTalk, Crazy Characters and
Coincidences
by Deon Abruzzo World Traveler
It
only took me three weeks to find the time to write
this edition of World Traveler. So much has happened
since we last met, that I don't know where to start.
I have all new sections and and HUGE Surprise for the
next edition.
I would also like to welcome the 67 new members since
our last edition! We are now up to 623 and growing!
Let
me give you a quick summary of who, what, where
and How the heck I have been traveling...
Since you saw our hero last he has...
Hand fed Kangaroos, Emus, Cassawary birds, lizards,
pet crocodiles, deadly snakes and a very hungry,
grouchy, group of drunken campers on Fraser Island
Bungee jumped 4 times: It took me 10 mins to jump. I
thought I was screaming the whole way down, but I
never let out a peep.. till the end, when I so
eloquently said "Ohhhhhhhh Fuuuuuuuuuckkkkkk"
Dove with over 30 sharks at a time, where I was
whacked in the head 3 times with a tail or fin..
Completed my 30th dive
Bared my ass mooning people 3 times
Pierced my tongue.. it's didn't hurt a bit.. until it
swelled up to the size of an Aussie steak for 5 days.
I am all better now though
Sailed the Whitsunday Islands on the Maxi racing
sailboat, The Hammer. Wicked Fun. Except for the fact
that the water is swarming with Stinging Jellies, so
everyone had to wear Lycra Star Trek uniforms when
ever in the water. If you get stung, it's like someone
putting out a cigarette on you skin for about a
minute. Me and a Texan Marine said fuck-it and went
with out.
Camped with Dingos on the World's largest Sand Island,
Fraser Island. It's the most beautiful place I have
ever been to. 4x4'n on a giant freaking Sand dune is
more fun than any guy can handle.
Ate kangaroo, crocodile and ostrich for my birthday
dinner.. Roo is better than Cow and they're much cuter
too..
Went to a "Foam Party", if your soul need cleansing,
check out one of these wild parties.. That's all I can
say. Ok I will say one more thing... My filthy soul
is squeaky clean and I didn't even need a priest!
Read 5 books, I highly recommend that everyone read
Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country" (in the US)
or
"Down under" everywhere else. He takes the piss
out
of the Aussies! Watch out.. he also has books about
the Yanks and the Brits. Thanks for the
recommendation Cazzie!
Learned to Surf Dude! On my first try, I got up for 1
second and Wiiiiippped OUUUUT, and nearly drowned in
the surf. Not bad for the first try.
and
now I am sitting hear in a little hippy beach town
called Byron Bay. I have a week to enjoy, before I
head to the very cold New Zealand..
Mailbag
(All NEW SECTION)
Last issue, I offered to send a postcard to anyone
that sent me their postal address. Holly cow! Tons
people responded! And you all are getting a card with
in the next 7 days.
These lucky people are getting one:
Franziska & Matthias, Marke Mark, Viper & Johnny,
Kevin K., Ms. Jillian Ponte, Lycos SF Reception ;O),
Ricky Cotton, Whitehouse, 1747 Greenwich crew, Church,
Mr. Parry, Mr. Eilers, Hambone, Freddy, Daddio, MaMa &
Gib, Sal & Neri, RAD, The MAd Hannan, Meg Moriarty,
Billy Sarah & Chris, Action Annie Jackson,
Meriweather, Babz and her Cabana Boy Scottie, The
Force, Mr. & Mrs. "Oh Great One", Row-Dog and
her
sidekick Bart, Starleight, Mr. Flynn, Sandee and my
Bali Family, Freea, Robert & Elisa, Blocky and Tan,
Senator Elam, Fiona, The Milligans, the Warrens, Mr.
Kevin Blum, Mr. & Mrs. Fox, Last and certainly not
least Ms. Meredith Medland.
Sorry Amy Fig, you still have not sent me one email!
!@#$%^&*.. hehe
If I missed you somehow or if YOU would like your
limited edition, personal World Traveler Postcard,
Send me an email with your address and watch your
mailbox!
Crazy
Characters (All NEW SECTION)
The Greatest part about traveling, is not the food
that you eat, places that you go, or even the
photographs you took of yourself in front of the giant
Pineapple. It's the people that you meet along the
way. When you are backpacking, staying in hostels,
riding 12 hour buses and yes, eating at Mc Donalds
everyone is equal. For the record, I have only eaten
at Mickey D's 5 times in the past 3 months. Top that
Ms. Bruce. People don't judge you by your house, car,
job or other material items that you have. You are
striped down to the true person that you are. Take me
for instance. I now know for sure who I am. I am a
Fucking Maniac, that derives his true enjoyment in
life from making people laugh.
I have met so many people out there that are not
afraid to let you know who they real are. In this
section, I will portray snapshots of Crazy Characters!
Dean
the Milkman from Melbourne
Were you born in Melbourne and look nothing like your
father? Well you probably have my friend, Dean the
Milkman, to thank. We all have heard the joke about
how "you look like the Milkman's Child".. Well this
guy may be your father! What a maniac! Speaking of
Maniacs... Let me tell you about the next guy.. a
Pommie from Essex. For those of you that are not "In
the Know", a Pommie is just another name for a Brit.
Sammy
from Essex
Samuel was on a road trip from Alice Springs (Ayer's
Rock) to Darwin with three girls in a camper-van. They
partied at Ayer's Rock for the night and in the
morning, they were still drunk and tired. One of the
girls decided to get up really early to take a few
photos of the Rock without telling anyone. Sammy and
one of the girls woke up and see girl #2 and another
lump under the covers. They take off and drive 500k
with out realizing that they left girl #3 at the rock
and had to drive straight back! Imagine you are in
the desert, with no water, in a skimpy tank-top and
shorts and you have to sit there and for 7 hours until
your friends pick you up.. if they ever do...
Crazy
Sammy, But what a guy! I spent 3 days in Fraser
with him and Dean the Milkman from Melbourne and had
the time of my life! You never know who you are going
to meet and run into on this tiny Planet. And that
brings us to our next topic...
Coincidences
This is a very small planet. Oh you don't think so?
So I am in The Gilli Islands near Bali. I meet a group
of 10 English girls (it could happen!) I knew 8 of
them pretty well after the 5 days there. Nothing out
of the ordinary. Everyone left in their separate
directions, including My buddy Nick and I splitting up
for 2 weeks and meeting back up in Cairns, Aus. Nick
gets to the extremely remote town of Darwin and walks
in to a Bar and there are two of the girls from the
Group, Susimoo & Candice. Wow! Slightly weird.. The
next night, I fly into Cairns and go have a drink with
a Yank that I met on the plane. Right before we walk
in, I get a weird feeling and I say to him "With in 20
minutes, I will see someone I know from a far off
place." He sez.. "Yeah right." Of course in
20 mins,
I look across the bar and there are the very same two
girls! Kinda spooky.. yes it does get better..
So a month later, I am on a boat in the middle of the
Whitsundays with 18 strangers. On the last night, I
am talking to two lovely Gals, Laura & Kate. Laura
had mentioned that she had just been to Thailand,
Singapore, Bali, then Aus. That's weird, I had the
same route. We realized that we were on Koh Phangan,
Thai at the same time and Bali too.. A few drinks
later, we realized that we both arrived in the Gillis
on 3/16. Her eyes lit up and she said "You're
George's Deon from Gilli" (George is a friend that I
met there.) "The one and only baby.." Laura and
Kate
were the 2 girls that I never really formally met.
The Night we all traveled back to Bali, met at at
Paddy's Bar and I posed for a photo with all ten
girls. They were in it.. It gets weirder. Last
night, I run into the same two girls from Cairns. So
we have a drink. While we are having a drink, we see
another one of the 10 girls randomly in the bar. Now
this has to be a weirdest coincidence or these
freaking 10 girls are following me. Probably the
later.
Let
move into something a bit lighter shall we.
ToiletTalk:
"Battle of the Bathrooms" Aus vs the World
Remember
back to World Traveler II, when I was talking
about about Thai Squat Toilets? Sure you do...
Well since then, I have not really been "moved"
in
regards to my favorite room in the house, The
Bathroom. Well I have had "movements".. Hell man!
It's been 2 months and that is not why my skin is soo
brown!
I have come to the belief that Aussies didn't invent
the Bathroom, but they have improved on it.
Three
Reasons why Aussies Own the Throne
1) Cleaner! With the exception of some hostel
bathrooms, They rule the clean Can! Singapore didn't
even place in this category. The Sing men have such a
problem keeping their urine off the floor, that they
put signs over every urinal and created a Law, (a
freaking law!) against pissing on the floor!
Now Aussies on the other-hand reinvented the Urinal.
They drink so much beer, that they had too! In every
bathroom, they pick the longest wall and install a
stainless-steal group urinal, that continues to the
floor and under your feet. You stand on a grate, so
that, (girls! skip to the next point),when You
"shake-it", piss goes down the drain and not on
the
floor. There is also a drain on every floor, so the
cleaner can just hose down the room!
2) Showers: You have not showered, till you have an
Aussie Shower. 3 points to make here. Water clean
enough to drink, pressure that will knock you down and
tear off a few layers of skin and they never run out
of hot water!!!!
3) Toilets: Oh yes, they look just like the American
Standard Brand Toilet (Mine and Al Bundy's personal
favorite), but they are smart toilets. In the states
we have smart bombs, smart drinks, we even have a few
smart people, but we have dumb toilets. In the
states, no matter what you "Do" in the can, you
flush
with the same amount of water. Sometimes 2 flushes,
Johnny. But the Aussie Toilet has two flushes. 1/2
flush for a #1 and a super-duper Full Flush for a #2.
The true Aussie Bathroom Motto, "Don't waste water,
Drink beer instead!".
SOMETHING
TO THINK ABOUT
In England, when telling time, instead of saying it's
10:30 or half past ten, they say it's half ten. HALF
TEN?? that would mean that it's only 5:00! Those
Pommies never cease to amaze me. And they tell ME
that I can't speak English
YOUR
HEARD IT HEAR Funny quotes from the road. (All
NEW SECTION)
Anonymous
Aussie
"We didn't steal this continent, we enhanced it!"
Israeli
traveler listen me talk to Dean the Milkman
"We haven't Milkmen in Israel."
Well
that's all for now. Can each of you 623 members
email My friend Viper and tell him to finish my new
website! His email is viper@wired.com
Until
Next Time this is...
Deon Abruzzo Professional World Traveler
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July
4th, 2002
World
Traveler IX: Country Music, Shower Massages and Crappy Car
Rentals
by Deon World Traveler
I'm
ALIVE!!! but barely since the arrival of my Twin Brother,
Enrico. Yes, my evil Twin brother decided to join me on my
journey around the planet. OK he is not "EEEEEEVIL",
more like Wild and Crazy. I was totally shocked when I got
to Auckland, NZ to meet him. Not because he surprised me or
anything... it's that he actually showed up EARLY!! WAY TO
GO BROTHER! Since the weather was wet & freezing, we decided
to cut our stay to only 16 days. That meant that we had quite
a territory to cover. First stop was Pahia ,in the Bay of
Islands (N. Island). It has always been my dream to Swim with
Dolphins. My mother did it in Elot, Israel, when I was a kid.
For the record, I am still a kid, just with a hairy chest...
We drove up 350km of New Zealand countryside. Truly Stunning.!
We get there and only I sign up for the Swim, due to Enrico
still feeling a bit under the weather from his Flight. Of
course, I get up late the next morning. Enrico raced me there
with 5 minutes to spare! I grabbed my espresso, muffin and
an underwater camera. It was a mad dash for the dock. My dream
is about to come true! I get there and there's just a little
old lady with a bird on her shoulder, sitting patiently for
the same boat. (It has always been her dream too.) They ended
up canceling the trip, due to not enough ticket sales. "Sorry
Mate. Low season you know." in the most polite NZ Accent.
That meant that, we had driven 350km there and now back for
nothing... or did we? The previous evening, a lovely bartender
Babz, told us that there was the most wild public toilet just
south of here. We decide to include it into our route. We
took the Kawakawa turn off. To our surprise, we found ourselves
amidst a Country Western Hoe-Down. Since, neither of us had
"The Urge To Go", we checked out this Festival.
Very Strange is the best way to describe what we saw. Please
let me give you a visual. (dream sequence starts)....... a
one road town, 15 really horrible country bands, and the Dallas
Line Dancers, line-dancing down the middle of the road, in
front of the hardware store. What was so funny was that the
hardware store had just put out it's brand new display of
lawn mowers, which was in front of the band. Water, hay and
fire trucks are all driving down the street to blocking the
dancers... Not funny? I guess you just had to be there. The
photos are coming soon. There is a moral to this long-winded
pointless story, When chasing your dreams, Forget It! Instead,
drive down a random road looking for a public toilet. By the
way.. that public toilet was a Leader Amongst Loos', a Champion
John, a Peter of Pans. We gave it 5 FLUSHES! Check it out...
http://www.planetgogo.net/stories/kawakawa.htm
After that exciting display of art, music and dance,
we blew that cow town and headed south for Rotorua. This stinky
town was loaded with heaps Sulfur Pools. We were feeling a
bit run down so we wandered into the World Famous Polynesian
Spa for a soak in the hot pools. We signed up for a massage,
but it was more than what we expected. When we got there,
Ray, the host, a distinguished older gentleman, says to us
"The Girls are waiting for you, but leave on your swim
trunks!" I look over to Enrico, who is already staring
in my direction.. with a puzzled look. This was an Aix Massage.
Very weird. It's French. Our two masseuses were waiting for
us in their matching bathing suits. This was getting weirder
by the moment. I was taken into the room, which was just a
giant shower with a massage table. I laid down and she blasts
the shower, puts it over me and then precedes to give me a
massage. It was ok. But in the future, I prefer to keep my
showering and my massages separate. Just south of Rotorua,
is Waiotapu National Park, home of the NZ's Volcanic Sulfur
and mud pools. We had such a fun time soaking in the hot pools,
we decided to get down and dirty in the Mud Pools. This place
was unreal. It was like walking on the moon with gravity.
We finally got to the mud baths at Hell's Gate. After all
of this traveling, I really need to stop having expectations.
In my deranged head, I imagined these natural pools where
you get in and have a dirty 'ol time. Instead, it was a cement
bathtub filled with someone else's filthy mud! This goofy
couple had just emerged from their bath and the Bath-house
wanted me to jump right in behind them. Look. I can get down
and dirty like the rest of you, but bloody hell man! Get into
somebody else's filthy mud? I think not. We passed on the
mud baths. The rest of our New Zealand leg went pretty slow.
The first rental car we had, didn't have a radio. For the
second one, Enrico, acquired us a free relocation rental.
Cool Right! NOT! The guy, didn't tell us that it was out of
gas and had a flat tire. The Third car had no heat and it
was below zero outside. The fourth car tops them all! We drove
the next 1,500km with no heat, only an AM radio and we found
out that when you turned left hard, the car died. Did you
know that THEY DO NOT BROADCAST ON AM IN NZ? Have you ever
driving in the freezing cold for 2,000km with no radio, no
heat and a guy that you have spent the last 28 years talking
too ……? You should try it some time. It is quite enlightening.
There are speed camera signs on every major road in NZ. We
had to keep it at 100km per hour the whole way! Well, almost
the whole way. Enrico got stopped for going 120 km. The officer
preceded to tell him that, if he didn't pay this ticket, there
would be a warrant for his arrest upon his return to NZ. Ouch!
Arrested for a speeding ticket? Kiwis don't mess around, when
it comes to sheep or speeding! Well at least not with speeding.
We also went ab-sailing, caving, black water rafting (rafting
through caves), Climbing on Franz Joseph Glacier, and Louge
on pavement. We had a blast, but let me give you a small piece
of advice. DON'T GO IN MAY!!!! It is cold, wet and miserable.
There are almost no people there either. It was like "Night
of the Living Dead". Streets empty, no traffic,.. very
strange. Plus no snow. To give you a picture of what I am
talking about... just imagine.... It's the day after Star
Wars opens. We have nothing better to do, 'cause it's friggin'
cold! We figured that buying movie tickets 6 hours early was
a good idea. We get there 1.5 hours early. There is only one
kid named "Wally" in line. We come back an hour
before. No line. 30 mins. The same kid, still sitting eagerly.
15 mins before the movie, a mad rush of 20 people swarm the
theater. 20 people to the Star Wars the day after it opens?
All is calm in NZ. to be continued....... in Melbourne with
Dean, everybody's favorite Milkman! Right now, Enrico and
I are chilling in Thailand again. Yes, you guessed it, the
Sanctuary on Koh Phangan, The same place I was in January.
Unfortunately, I still didn't do the coffee colonics this
time. We are resting up for the Burningman in August. That
means that this long, but exciting journey of mine is fast
coming to a close. We will both be returning to San Francisco
around August 15. Until then... This is your Traveling Superhero
signing out!
Deon
World Traveler
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