Plot my escape
After a few days of sunshine, no loungers by the pool(German tour bus) and playing American Idiot full blast through the open doors to the balcony (American tour bus) I decided to escape. I said my goodbyes to Sotiris from my now local restaurant ( ARCHONTARIKI Riga Fereou Square Kalambaka 422 00 ) with the secrets of real Greek salad and the promise of sending the recipe for potato and soda bread to him.
I then faced the dilemma of having to leave some stuff behind because I had taken every extra off the bike including the exhaust and packed it into my roll bags. In the end the tarp, sleeping bag,tent pegs and some clothes were left behind.
Next stop to drop the hire car off in trikala and then to catch a bus for Thessaloniki for the flight home the next day. Four hours of stunning scenery which would have been great on a bike, FECK, and arrived at the hotel to see the second half of the FA cup.
Next day I arrived to catch the plane with a tank bag and helmet as hand luggage, a holdall and dry bag as hold luggage, the dry bag had a pair of boots taped to the outside. First hiccup, I had to empty the dry bag so the security could check that there was no petrol inside the exhaust?????????
Ah Ha I knew they would do this so I kept the black masking tape handy to tape it all back up.
However the conversation at the security for the hand luggage went something like this
security....did you pack the bags yourself and not left them unattended?
me .....yes
security....whats in your tank bag?
me......(thinks, lots of shit!) I don't know can you be more specific?
security....but you just said you pack...........
me.....I know I know but there's a lot of things in it
Security....(Then opens the bag like its going to explode and in a way that I cant see into it, in case I detonate it with my eyes) what is this?(pointing into the bag that I cant see into).
me.....(grabs the bag to take a look)
security ....(now calling for back up, me with my hands in the air,them shouting commands at me in Greek) what is it? what is it?
me....(losing it ) how the f**k do I know unless you f**kin show me what the f**k it is you want me to look at!
security....(very theatrically pulls out my can of Tyre weld)
me.....now laughing my ballox off, its Tyre weld you twats(OK I thought the twats bit)
As I had now aroused suspicion I was given the full works they managed to find
cable ties
black masking tape
pliers
knife/leatherman
all my tools
autocom wires and box
201ml of water (200 only allowed)
The more they told me I couldn't take them on the plane the more it made me laugh as I knew this, but had forgot they were in there.
keep it, and that, give it to yours kids as a present, no I don't what it back, I don't care keep the lot just get me onto the F**kin plane
Finally homeward bound, easyjet to gatwick never felt soooo good
The only other hiccup was the easyjet from gatwick to Belfast where they now insisted that the boots that were taped to the bag could now not be taped to the bag
Enduro boots jeans tee shirt who cares I'm nearly home, yeehaa
next would be to get another bike, fighting with insurance companies more fighting with insurance companies more fighting with insurance.....................
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