by Bill & Charlie Burns » Sat May 01, 2010 7:58 am
So here we are back again.
We fell to sleep straight away until wakened by police at a border, its 04-30 and we think they speak Bulgarian, thats handy we say its on time to dock at 07-30 so all is going to plan, we have passports checked and back cat napping till around 06-00, then we get up to have quick wash and use the loo, Shock No 1 toilet is smaller than broom cupboard with pedal so once you have done whatever you push the pedal and trap door opens onto railway line, ( Dont leave flap open otherwise you get sucked down!!! i tell Charlie ) go into wash room and thats about the same size with wash bason about the size of a saucepan you boil 4 eggs in with no plug and only cold water, this is going to be some wash. You try standing on one leg doing 70mph and pumping a pedal to get water out of, anyway once we have done what we can Charlie comes back and says its really quite out there bill do you think we are running late. Hang on i will put my sat nav on and see how far to go. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it comes up with 1200kms WHATthats got to be wrong, so i go one way up train and charlie the other to ask someone, my way not a site of anyone but charlie comes back with the face of oops dreadful over site made here, the train is a 32 hr journey and not 8 as we were given to understand, so out comes the ticket and timetable and as sure as eggs are eggs it says 23-30 load and 07-30 unload, what it fails to say anywhere is 24hrs later.
Now we are -------ed clothes for one day, 1ltr water left and a small bar of chocolate, mobile phones have no battery and no way of informing those who are worried about 2 OAPs well nearly, travelling somewhere in darkest europe. What do we do laugh and say oh well we always want to see europe and its better than driving anyway.
by now people are getting up and the long line to the loo is something to be desired, 60 people per coach x 5 coaches and 3 loos in each coach imagine the smell and the railway track. When we booked they said there was no reastrant car so hence the turks bringing loads of food on, luckly for us there was a buffet car where they did snacks and drinks, rather expencive but at least we could eat and drink.
well the day went pretty fast considering, but some of the places we past through were less desirable and what ever you think of Uk it is alot better than what these poor people have, floods everywhere and towns under water, during the day we stop around 6 times either to change engines or for customs, but we managed to laugh the whole time, we had a few embarrasing moments but thats another story and only the nearest and dearest will be told!!
Hoorah we arrive in Turkey a little late but we are here, we are at the border and on come customs for passports etc, we need a stamp which cost 15 euros each off we get to the office and give the man our money and get the stamp, great we will be on our way now, nope 2 hrs later we leave, get to the siding where we are to be unloaded, every one running round like headless chickens going no-where , now we go to unload even in daylight it is inpossible to see in the carriages and peopl are falling down the gaps or banging there heads, engines reving and fumes filling up any space thats left, now weget off and join a endless line for customs for the car, leave car go get stamp return move car 2 mtr wait this goes on for about 3 hrs, we are now at the front of the line. OPen says this big official Turkish guy, oh shit no we are going to get done as everything is packed from pillar to post not even foom for news paper, he has made others empty there car and mine took us 3 days to pack. Beer !! No, Ciggarettes !! No then you go , wot is he being nice to me , get in car Charlie before this guy changes his mind, Unlucky for us satnav does not work in turkey and we have no maps either, but a turckish guy told us turn left find a big Mosque and turn right and carry on to border, so off we troat not having a clue where we are or going, we find the mosque and turn right staright into a accident and the road is blocked, Great evryone running around trying to be crime investecators with nowhere to go cant turn round and bos infront, off the bus gets for guys pull a post down a lets the bus and us through.
We arrive some one and half hours later at the turckish bierder with more stamps and questions, but the good thing is the computor is linked to the railway customs and after 1 hr we are stamped and through with no search.. now we arrive at BG border , oops everything on the forbidden list is in our car, now what. What have you in the car, Bedding , clothes cutlery ect,ect is it all new no i say 50-50, charlie says something then me and her are having heated disgustion ,Guy looks at us and thinks ---- this i dont want this on a sunday and says have a nice holiday and go PLEASE.
The journey to S/Beach went like a dream roads empty but loads of pot holes but all in all a good trip.
Now would we do it again, if we are here for more than 6 weeks yes, esp as we now know what not to do , would we load car up with everything again no you would never be as lucky as that again we think, well we would not be, price wise would think a little more than driving but less stessfull in the end. Well thats our trip any one want details of this route just email us, we are now here for a few months+ unwinding we hope before looking on how we will get back, have a great holiday to those of you coming out and at present weather is 100%
Cheers from him and cheers from Her. sorry if there are spelling mistakes but cannot be bothered to check them