CherryPopper

As we headed for the camp the thunder storm rolled in with the first rain we had seen on the trip. It was very fitting given our first stop before munich was dachau, hitlers first concerntration camp.

As we walked through the grates the rain stopped but the thunder echoed around the grounds & the roll call bell was ringing as it would have when the camp was in use. For all of use it was spine tingling and no one uttered a word as we went round the plaques explaining the attrocities.

I've seen movies, read articles & books as well as all the stuff you learn in school but nothing can prepare you for the real thing. A lot of us had tears in our eyes & even i was struggling to keep them back looking at the conditions they were in, the mind games played & some of the most evil acts on another person. Way beyond just hate... but evil. As the monument in the grounds said... NEVER AGAIN.

It was a very somber & reflectful drive into munich

It was a short 3hr drive to the Czech Republic boarder where we got checked & stamped. We where soon on our way again as soon as the Czech police were done with their perv session of the girls on the bus.

The drive into prague was just amazing. It really does look picture perfect, i just could not get over the look & feel of Prague. From the moment you see the charles bridge & the palace on the hill your blown away by its beauty.

Once we settled into our old communist style hotel that was directly behind a very very very busy rail yard, had no air con on a 37 degree day, the smallest shower known to man but best of all it had a bowling alley in the basement. That night we hit Prague to see it in all its beauty.

Dean (tour manager) showed us around Prague & told us a heap about the history of the place. But once we hit the charles bridge my jaw dropped. None of my words or pics just wont do it justice, this is one place you have to see for yourself to experience its magic.

After the walk & a big one the night before in Berlin most of us wanted an easy night in & with those bowling alley's just calling our name it wasn't long till we had beers in hand and pins flying.

The aussies took over the naming of players on the scoreboard & aussiefied them to the total busement of the yanks & canidians. The bowling styles varied from the bazar to the insane. In my game, the last round was myself & john (our bus driver, from nz) with me needing a spare or better to deliver the glory for Australia after the constant bragging of the drubbing the aussies were given by nz in the recent tri-nation rugby match.

The sledging, mental intimidation & performance degrading drug use was rife but in the end my completely tin ass strike won me the gold & glory... so much for an easy night.

Got up only to find that the hot water had run out so it was a quick shower that really woke me up. Then it was on to prague for a close up look at the plaace & lunch on a boat cruse, which after 3hrs of walking in 38 degree heat was a very welcome change.

The view from the palace of prague was just as good as the view of the palace from the city. Terracotta roofs as far as the eye could see. It really is amazing the way this place looks, just so picture perfect.

After the relaxing boat cruse & a few beers we set forth to conquer Prague. We walked round Prague for a while shopping, eating & chilling in front of the jazz festival stage (great timing . It was a long hot day & since we were hitting the town later that night we headed into the hotel for a nanna nap and changed.

We grabbed some dinner in the hotel bar (which was just microwave pizza's) and while waiting for everyone stated playing some drining games. Needless to say we were all pretty merry by the time the cabs arrived.

The cab ride into Prague was something out of a movie. We had a convoy of 6 black merc's full of us flying into the city (the drivers only know flat out or stopped). All that was needed were black suits and some guns.

Our black convoy ended at the largest nightclub in eastern europe, 5 floors of czech republic beauties. In this place anything goes, getting hot on the dance floor? Just strip down to your g-string, or balls and all if you feel like it. Beer not enough kick for you? Grab some absinthe (hallucinogenic drink), its the worst tasting stuff ever. It was a crazy but awesomely fun night.

It was an early start next morning as we headed for munich & the home of beer. Still no hangovers.... i love this beer!!!!

We crossed into Germany with some ramstein - du hast pumping over the stereo, which was followed up by some painful david hasselhoff!!!

After stopping off at a few rest stops and us getting very conditioned to the “take a piss” song from the Brady Bunch we were in Berlin. Dean (tour manager) took us on a drive around Berlin and told us in great detail about the history of Berlin. Sooooo much has happened here with both world wars, Hitler's rein & the Berlin wall. Not to mention all the stuff that has happened after the fall of the wall.

We got to the hotel only to find out they had screwed up the booking & didn't have enough rooms for us!!! We made the most of the wait while the figured out what to do by cracking open a few bottles of wine the girls had. After some major bitch slapping of the hotel staff by Dean we had rooms but with a catch, not the normal 2 per room but... threesomes all round!!!

A group of us decided to hit the town after dinner and grab a few local beers. We found a big pub with a great beer garden in the middle of a square in east Berlin. (Quick side note... who the hell drinks crappy Fosters here in Germany where their beers rock!!!). In Germany there are laws about beer making and they can't put in preservatives or additives which is said to be the main reason why you get a hang over in the morning. So with that in mind we decided to test that out

After a few beers in the great weather the man we call “random” disappears, this in itself isn't odd since he is random, plus he was going to go visit some German sex show on something (all of us are to scared to ask what shows). All of a sudden half the pub erupts in cheers and we turn around to see why.... yep Random. He has gone and ordered the “world cup special”. This is a beer mug the shape & size of the world cup trophy!!!!. A massive 4L of beer in one glass. He then proceeds to drink it in the same time it took all of us to drink 1L of beer. Can a human stomach even hold 4L of liquid? After he finishes he runs off to his pick of the strip joints on his printed list!!!

We headed back to the train station we came in on only to be told “no trains” & we had to catch a bus. Which after our fun with buses in Amsterdam wasn't a good thing. We found the right bus with the help of a very nice German lady. While on the bus some goths got on & after hearing me and Kath (Aussie chick) talk for a while asks us where we are from as they had a bet. We started chatting to them and just before they got off the freaky goth with a cane, handed Kath a massive card with his name on it and a bunch of German text on it and said “call me”. When we got it translated later it said something about black magic... needless to say she didn't call him.

The next day a few of us missed the walking tour of Berlin (only by 2 mins and it wasn't my fault... ok it may have been but I'm still blaming the beer). We made our way into Berlin to catch up with the group for lunch. We visited a number of famous German sites like the Brandenburg Gate and a heap of other historical places. Berlin just oozzies history.

That night was the “Berlin lightlife tour”... aka Pub crawl. It was great fun and we all let our hair down after a busy day walking Berlin. We ended up at a nightclub where we danced the night away.

I must have been dead tired as i had the key to the room and went in an earlier cab than Cam (room mate) as i just got home and went to sleep. He came in soon after and almost kicked the door down trying to wake me to let him in. In the end he had to get the hotel staff to let him in.

After such a big night i was expecting to be dead... but no the Berlin beer myth of hangover-less beer is “Confirmed”. We woke up late & had 15 mins to get showered, dressed, packed & have breaky and catch the bus before it left without us.

We made it.... just & we are off to Prague.

I had 8 hours to kill on the bus ride to Berlin so i decided to go over a few things i hadn't had a chance to write about.

On the plane to London i met some guys from Adelaide who were doing another contiki tour so we all got lost in Heathrow together. We soon found the tube (undergroud train for those with no clue) and headed into London.

We got into Russel Square around 7pm but as we got out of the station there were flowers every where and a small memorial as it was the day after the London bombings anniversary. Which kinda put a damper on things until we got till the hotel.

After I checked in i went to the pub at the hotel & met 2 Canadian guys who were on my tour. We then hit the town in the search of some locals, only to find that all the bars are full of Aussies!!! even at the Canadian bar!!!

After a bit of bar hopping and getting the Canadians wasted (piss poor drinkers) we headed back to the hotel for a massive 4 hrs sleep before we started on our European Adventure.

The first night in Amsterdam was when we really got to meet the group. Its a good mix of nations, personalities & sex There is one standout that has been given the nickname of "Random" due to his complete and utter randomness. He really lacks social skills and will but into conversations with the most inappropriate comments or questions. Eg: Over breakfast a few of us were chatting about the number of push bikes in Amsterdam when he pipes up and says "so did anyone else use the hookers... i had 2 at the same time?" He's a really odd ball but harmless.

Our tour manager, Dean is a lot of fun (his an Aussie) and has really made the first 2 days an absolute blast. He is currently training us to go to the toilet when we hear the brady bunch song "go outside & play" as his own Pavlov's dog style experiment to ensure that the rest stops are as "effective" as possible. But we are all very concerned that when we get off this tour we wont be able to go without hearing it!!!

Oh my bunk buddie is a Doctor from Melbourne, Cam. His good value and puts out so it should be a great trip.

I'll write more soon... gotta run.

Amsterdam... OH MY GOD. This place is just a mind blowing expericence. From the red light district, to the drugs to the live sex shows... yes LIVE SEX SHOWS.

It was a massive first night out in Amsterdam, its quite the jekyll and hyde town. By day its a very pretty and laid back city, but by night the red light district comes alive with hookers in windows, ¨coffee¨ shops (code name for where you can get the ganja) and the dregs of scociety. We went out for dinner and a boat cruise on the cannels, then we hit the town and hit it HARD.

A few joints, few pots and a walk around the red light district it was quite the eye opener. It was great fun (from what i remember) but boy did the getting up early the next day for a bike ride almost kill me. Bikes are the main way to get around the city in Amersterdam and have the right of way for everything including people. They will and DO run you down if you get in their way. So after a nice ride around eden (as in where they make the cheese) with a very ¨out there¨ lady who was stoned and boy did she have us in stictches we were set loose on Amsterdam.

A group of us went to the Van Gogh museum and although i have no idea of art its was pretty cool. Next up was the heineken ¨experience¨ with such hightlights as the ¨what its like to be a bottle¨ ride and the free beer they give you. After an hour of tasting (hard job) we grabbed some dinner. Now we were told of a local place called FEBU. Now this is an odd idea, its a vending type setup for a deep fry everything shop. You put money in the machine for some deep fried goodness. They also do chips with yummy mayo... man that is a good combo i would never have thought of.

* This is the sealed section over 18 only *

Contiki had arranged a ¨cultural experience¨ aka live sex show!!!! This is just freaky. Basically you sit there while 2 people go at it on stage, to music and yes they do it to the beat. We got to see 3 couples and a few ¨dancers¨. There was this one couple where the guy was really playing it up for the crowd and gave us some massive laughs with the looks and 70s porno style cheesyness. The DJ was the funniest dude i´ve ever heard, his voice and the shit he was saying was piss funny. I won´t go into too much detail but bug me when i get back and i´ll fill you in on what actually happened.

Over all Amsterdam is a great city with some VERY odd things going for it. Very laid back like Australia but that´s where the similarities end. Loads of fun though.

Well i´ve got a killer 8 hr bus ride tomorrow morning to Berlin where we will be the day after the world cup final (glad france didn´t win).

Catch you all later