old tiger's Blog

SO..let's pick up again..middle march 1970..
hitch hiked to Ostend..ferry to Dover..didn't get seasick
Dover was busy..as always,I guess...got a ride quick enough..
all the way to London..big city for me..I was really impressed..
slept in Youth Hostel..I believe Holland House(Kensington)
just lazied around in Hyde Park..some crazy dude was telling
the world was coming to an end soon..2 days London..
was enough for me...big place to get out..tube towards outskirts..
hitch hiking was a piece of cake..never stood long..these good old
British,you know..i remember Coventry..Leicester..Derby..
Stoke on Trent..Leeds..York..and Newcastle upon Twyne...
what happened inbetween..sorry..don't remember..but it was O.K..
I clearly remember one ride with some monks towards Alnwick...
they wanted to convert me,I believe..they took me to the monastery..
got food for free..after that...Edinburgh(Scotland)didn't stay long..
slept in the outskirts...some young kids were wondering..
what I was doing there in my sleeping bag??I always carried a small
camping gas with me..loveley to make my own coffee in the morning..
hitched towards Stirling..and all the way into the Scottisch Highlands
towards Fort William,Inverness...didn't see the Loch Ness monster
did not hitch higher up...stayed in Glen Nevis youth hostel one day..
nice place Scotland..loveley scenery..hitching slower then U.K.though..
went to Oban..down to Campbeltown..ferry to Ireland..don't recall from
where..hitched to Dublin..nice country Ireland...very friendly people..
funny accent..they roll their R's..slept in a park in Dublin(Trinity?)
good Guiness in these Irish pubs..they like to get drunk..and sing..
no wonder Ireland won several times Eurovision contest
back to U.K..I think it was Holyhead..these damn ferry's cost money
back down towards London again...Dover..back to Ostend(Belgium)
If you ask me..the U.K.was O.K..hitching alright..always got away..
very good sense of humor as well...so..back home in may 1970..
I left 3 weeks later towards North Cape(Norway)
tell you later about that...one of my most beautiful trips in Europe..

P.S..link for Scotland http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/index.html


Tiger

O.K..I'll do that..I'll start with my first trip..
1969..I guess it was in july..i got sick of my Dad's alcoholism
packed a rucksack..and hitched to Amsterdam..no problem..
Woodstock mentality..at least 1500 hippies sleeping outside
in Vondelpark..there was a place called Paradiso..where gigs
were held almost every day..saw a rockband there called Brainbox..
still remember it..Amsterdam was great..the love inns..sit inns..
my first joint..met a Dutch Indonesian chick who lived on a
houseboat on Brouwersgracht..no electricity on that boat..candles..
after 2 weeks Amsterdam..my gypsie blood took me back home..
I worked a bit in the black(painting some house)and left for Italy..
end target was Venice..but i ended up in Dubrovnik(Yougoslavia)
Hitch hiking in Germany was easy..Austria as well..Italy O.K..
Yougoslavia..well..some Germans took me from Gorizia(Trieste)
towards Zadar..loveley coastline..and dirt cheap food..
it was still great Yougoslavia under Tito..I usually slept rough..
I recall Dubrovnik as a very clean city..went back up via Beograd..
autoput(highway) to Zagreb..and back home via Austria-Germany
it was 1970..and I planned a trip to the U.K..Scotland-Ireland..
I'll tell you all tomorrow about that adventure

P.S..Paradiso Amsterdam still exists..it's on Weteringschans..
http://www.paradiso.nl/index2.php

www.visitamsterdam.nl

http://www.dubrovnik-online.com/english/english.php

Tiger

I've always been an eccentric fellow..
in 1966 i got my degree in chemistry(laborant)
in these days..flower power was in full swing..
the music was great..I lived in a village of 13000 inhabitants..
northeastern corner of Belgium..in 1966..I grew my hair long..
ditto beard..I became the first hippie/beatnik of this place..
had to swallow lots of shit..long hair,clothes..well..you know..
used to hang out in the local pubs/discos with my friends..
my Dad was an alcoholic..I got a key from our house..
and whether i came in at 4 in the morning..or did not come in..
at all..nobody bothered..total freedom..
we had great times..boozing..laughing our asses off in the pub..
i used to go out barefoot sometimes..they declared me nuts..
my Dad had to swallow lots of shit because of me..
local villagers pointed me out..what a scumbag...
later on..in 1974..these same people..shook my hands..
after some articles were published in a local newspaper..
about my overland trips to India etc..
telling...well..tiger..you may be strange..
but you have seen something of the world..
I shook their hands..but..I thought..fuck you,mates..
i don't like double standards in life..
i made a fist in my pocket...

I hitchhiked between 1969 to 1976..
twice overland to India..whole of Europe..
and finally West Africa...they told me to write a book..
but I was too lazy..shame on me
Tiger

So..in this journal...you will all be able to travell with me...
my mood,happy thoughts,unhappy moments..
everything will be related..hope you all enjoy..