London so far, as most of you know my initial impression was not very good. After many jokes from everyone I was travelling with through South America about being arrested here and the poms not letting me in, karma for some reason??? Had come back with a vengeance. I arrived into Heathrow airport and rocked up to the immigration area to show them my passport and go through, the girl bombed me with a million questions, why have you been travelling so long, why where you in central and south America, were you involved in illegal activities, where are you getting your money from how much do you have.

I answered all her questions satisfactorily but obviously it was the wrong time of the month for her or she was just pissed of at life for being so ugly (I hate this woman now) but she called over the officers and I was escorted away to a holding cell. I sat there for about 3 or 4 hrs before anyone even came and talked to me, they let me know that I was being held because I was a suspicious person and could post a security risk…..what the hell, im a backpacker!!! I had to sign a heap of papers and then they left again. 2hrs later they come back, finger prints, palm prints, thumb prints, digital photo face scan and once again sign a million papers and back to the holding cell. Let me paint you a picture of the holding cell, 1 single plastic chair, 2m x 2m room, freezing cold, white floor and walls, allowed 1 sandwich every 6hrs, sheet of plastic alfoil in case I get cold but no where to lie down except bare floor, 4 books all in foreign languages (and im in farkin England!!) - I was shitting myself. They escorted me to get my bag from unclaimed luggage and go through it, shaking everything out thoroughly and going through it looking for drugs and etc and then locked everything away in a room.

This went on for hrs and hrs with wave after wave of different people asking me same questions over and over comparing the answers and pulling me up on the smallest differences, to which I replied “ive been awake for over 48hrs your lucky im not seeing leprechauns”. Then a lady comes in with a tape recorder to record all my answers to the same questions. A few more hours go by and someone returns to inform me that im going to get deported back to Australia and im not allowed into the UK. I appealed the decision to the commissioner and had a hearing having to prove where I had been by using back records, contacting people id done tours with in South America, emails to my travel agent, photos from my laptop - the works. Finally I was granted entrance and given a special stamp in my passport to say I had been detained. I hate airports, they never bring me any good luck, and there I was in Greece thinking things may be turning around. I arrive at the hostel only to find that because I had missed the first night all my subsequent nights bookings had been cancelled and everything hostel was booked out due to all the arrivals for Oktoberfest going through London. Finally hrs later I find a place with vacant rooms, settle in and sleep my a*s off for a full day - I get the impression that London really sucks!!!

Tyson gets a meat pie, such small things that can bring so much joy - im happy again and happy that I can be pleased so easily. I get to sink a beer with Harry and Manda before hightailing it from the hostel to Nats place for a Mexico re-union party with a chicken. Nat and I get to create a new hairstyle and witness a 1000's strong precession of Harley Davidsons in memory of a Hells Angel assasinated while driving his car. We start drinking early before Mark and Katie turn up, Swoop joins the scene and we head for vietnamese chow and a car park rave party. Seeing as though im a backpacker time to start doing some backpacking type stuff and see the sights of London with a free walking tour of the city taking in the usual things such as London eye, tower bridge, mansion house, big ben, Leicester square, Buckingham palace, St Pauls cathedral, etc. The guide knew his sh*t and was funny as, myself and Kim the Canadian decide to continue our journey of English enlightenment and explore more of London managing to get our selves very lost and on the wrong side of London. We did find out however that Cornish pasties are great, 2 for 1 coronas are better, you can smuggle anything in a girls handbag and Canadians are no good at wrestling Aussies.

The 13 Joan St re-union was on!! Time to catch up with Feather and Lee along with their partners in crime Olivia and Belinda, its been many years since we were all sittin back in the Isa. Dinner and drinks was the order of the day, roadies for the tube on the way to “brick lane” to indulge in some of the tastiest Indian food ive had…..plus copious amount of beer and wine to seal the deal on a top night. Up early at 11am thanks to Lee to catch the Cowboys vs. Eagles game from half time at the pub before Feather retreats back to Oz for a wedding. Another big night would set upon us, starting off with drinks and cards then out with Lees’ mates to loose my Walkabout V plates and sink jug upon jug of snakebites. Redback bar was next where more and more jugs of snakebite would be consumed and worn, apparently a live band was there and the crew started to dwindle. Lee retired only to power chuck most of the way home, at the bus stop, at the house before passing out on the couch, myself ending up in a random house with some folks I met, walking from room to room trying to find the one we were in. The next day I find out there was about 7 rooms I walked into waking people up at 4am during my drunken stumbles, I start handing out the apologies, I never cease to amaze myself. We decide a night or two off would be great.

The bus up to Birmingham gives me my first glimpse of rural England, I was surprised at how much greenery this country actually has. Catching up with Amie and Steve from Whistler for a few big nights of setting the dance floor on fire was number one priority for Birmingham, actually I had no other reason what so ever to be there. The first few nights saw us getting so mashed at home that we didn’t actually manage to get to hit the town, Saturday rolls around, Amie and I cooked up a culinary delight which is now referred to as the “Masterpiece” to sooth our stomachs before hitting the town. I lost count of how many tequila shots we sank but the dance floor was definitely on fire as we ripped it up for the adoring fans. Birmingham also saw the flailing of my laptop and all my travel pictures, not good at all, did get them back though for the grand total of like 200pds, that’s how much I paid for it in the first place. It was so good to catch up with the old crew for a few days but was now time to return to London to see if anything else would go wrong for me.

Im only back in London long enough for big night out with Lee and the return of another Isa veteran, Jenno. The three of us hit the Slug and Lettuce for what can only be described as a fully random night, at last I get the ‘Flaming Dr Pepper’ id been after for so long, Jenno and I absolutely destroy some poor girls plate of food for her, we get promoted to flight captains and given personal radios to communicate in the bar while the bag of goodness poses for the camera, what a great impression we make for the first time out drinking with Lee’s co-workers from the hospital.

Next up we roll on to Exeter to see Sam and relive our college days at uni, Rob and I are there to represent the students of old. The part South America re-union goes well, Sam is a little worried that we are going to destroy the place and turn him into a uni outcast, starting the night with the disappointing Aust vs. England game, following up with the shocking NZ vs. Frogs game, rugby reached an all time low. So we drink to make things right and head to the Time Piece, Sam has a little wager on tonight and the Captain is out to prove him wrong. A colossal amount of beer and drinks are consumed and the dance floor starts to burn with all our sweet moves, Sam is in totally awe, feeling utterly defeated and outclassed, victory never tasted so sweet. A small problem of not being able to get into the building was solved by me ripping the thing right open and going drinking in random peoples room again, only to pass out and get drawn on with blue marker and covered in post it notes. Sam returned later to find a sticky note on his door saying ‘we have your drunk Aussie friend passed out down stairs’. I like Exeter, I had a great weekend.

On returning to London again Brad informs me that we have scored a house right in the centre of the city for as long as we want, 2 bedrooms, fully furnitured, everything free all we have to do is party every night and make heaps of noise to get the people next door to move out, Tyson can assist with this. Brad and I move in and as requested start to party every night, the place is in the best location, across from the tube, pizza hut, bottle shop, grocery store, internet, cinemas, bowling, could you ask for a better setup? Harry and Amanda arrived back from Oktoberfest to join the house and we have a rockin good time.