Australia’s west coast, Bali and Thailand
February to October ‘98
During my travels from February to October 1998, I choose not to keep the diary of ‘My Mad Life’. Partly because I was now becoming lazy and partly because I wasn’t doing things of interest on a daily basis, beside drunken gatherings. I now realise that this was a mistake. I have no accurate or detailed records of what I did or when. However the following is a brief recollection of my life for the 9 month period from February to October ‘98.
I flew directly from Heathrow to Cairns, Australia and spent 3 weeks partying at the ‘Woolshed’. Then went down to Mission Beach where I first met Justin, working at the hostel. This was the first of many world-wide meetings and the start of a life-long friendship. I then went down to Airlie Beach where I went sailing again, this time with Justin. Before traveling on to Dingo, Harvey Bay and Noosa.
The Palace Backpackers in Brisbane became my home for 6 months where I spent nearly every night ‘sinking jugs Bundy rum and coke’ with my many new friends, having a great time. I have recollections of a rugby match between England and Australia where everyone had their faces painted before getting beaten 76 to 0. I also recall a tour of the XXXX beer factory with a madcap hour after the tour to sample the product !.
My daily routine became sleeping all day, siting on balcony talking with Justin (the initial friendship foundation) while playing immature games with a laser pointer. Before watching The Simpson's and Sienfeld then going down to the basement ‘Down Under Bar’. We either took our own bottle of vodka down or I knew the manager who gave me cheap jugs of ‘Bundy' rum and coke’, which I drank through a straw from the jug. I would head back upstairs to bed where invariably I would throw up either beside my bed but rarely did I get to the bathroom. Sometimes I accidentally flipped my ‘wheels’ in the corridor before I got to the room where I would be found in my state as a drunken reck.
Dying my hair blond for the first time transformed my life, girls loved it and my kissing score went from a lifetime zero to 13 in one night, a phenomenon even I cannot believe. I also had my first and long awaited ‘experience’ with women. My first and, to this day, only experience with a western girl and a girl from Hong Kong who lived in Australia.
I had numerous trips to Surfers Paradise to consume more alcoholic beverages at the numerous night clubs. At Cocktails ‘n’ Dreams, 70’s night where I won a dance contest and Shooters where I was thrown out of, twice in one week. Also numerous trips to the hippy’fied Byron Bay.
Had my first experience of Asia, when I took a holiday from my holiday, I went to Bali for 2 weeks in August before returning to my life and friends Brisbane. I had my first experience of Asian prostitution - 4 girls on 4 consecutive nights.
Before returning to England, I spent a week in Thailand with Justin - which was the start of my love affair with Thai attitude, Thai lifestyle, Thai girls - everything Thai.