Part 5 (Jan. 1 - Jan. 5)

January 1, 2007

We ended up going to bed around 2am but woke up at 6 am and left hotel by 6:30 to catch an early train to Bruxelles. It was here that we "officially" split up. Juan went ahead to Amsterdam whereas Melissa and I went to Baal, Belgium for a cyclo cross race adventure! Road bike + mountain bike skills = Cyclocross, just in case you were wondering. Basically the whole idea was to see Sven Nys who is quite possibly the best Cyclocrosser in the world. I found out that there was a race being held, the Grand Prix Sven Nys, in his home town on Jan. 1st so I told myself I must go to this race and meet Sven Nys! And so I did with no real plan of action except some random email which was a response to a comment I posted on someone's blog (big thanks goes out to Christophe Torfs!). A little something about Belgium first, French is a common language in Bruxelles, though it's not the official one. In some other regions they speak Flemish, or so I was told. The national language is Dutch but most people speak "a little" English, so you shouldn't have a big problem, though I felt like a jack ass asking people if they spoke English in English, so I looked it up and its, "Spreekt ge Engels?" ....don't ask me how to pronounce that though. While waiting for our train that took us to Aarschot, Melissa and I had some breakfast, and I had a waffle....a Belgium waffle? maybe, but I guess any waffle in Belgium could be considered a Belgium waffle, no? Anyways we finally arrived to Aarschot to rather dead looking town. One look outside of the train station and one car would pass by every twenty minutes and no one was walking on the street....like I said, dead. I called for a taxi and told him to take us to Baal. When I mentioned the cyclocross race, he gave an "ahh!" and knew exactly what I was talking about....Jackpot! We arrived at the race and was greeting by high winds, heavy rain, and a short but heavy hail storm....yes hail. Things were looking pretty bad until we met up with the US national junior cyclo-cross team. I spoke to this cool mofo named Jim Lennon and other members of the team briefly. They were getting ready for their race, literary warming up in their truck with the heater full blast so we didn't hang around much. Once inside the actual race area we realized how much cyclo-cross means to the Flemish. There were tents, food stands, police protecting the riders, speakers, a real stage, everything! We also realized how little we knew about cyclo-cross racing in general. EVERYONE had on galoshes and a raincoat/waterproof jacket... everyone. And it's no wonder why because every 20 minutes or so it would start to rain and the race course just kept on getting muddier and muddier. After watching the elite get on the course and practice, Melissa and I had some tomato soup and shared a bratwurst sub with some mustard and sauerkraut. We then watched the junior have a go at it, and man was it tough. It was cool though because one of the US team members placed third. Afterwards we walked over to Sven Nys' trailer and I took this great picture with him, he didn't smile though, but I didn't care because it was a Mission Accomplished! Then we spoke again with the US national team and congratulated their efforts and took some pictures. We went to the only house that looked like people lived in it and I ended up asking Sven Nys' father (no joke) to use his phone so that we could call a taxi, but I don't think he understood and told us to go watch the race first then come back....uh, sorry buddy, we're in a hurry. So instead I made Melissa ask some dude who was playing with his cell phone. After getting back to the station we took the first train to Antwerp where we then transfered to go to Amsterdam, but not before buying some Belgium chocolate of course! Once there we met up with Juan at the hotel he booked. We showered and took to the streets headed toward, what else? The red light district of course! We went in to this Sex show place where I was picked out to get on stage for one of the acts. Some Russian stripper danced all over me and then asked me to pull a 15 ft. nylon string out of a place that you could only imagine, very entertaining indeed. After that we continued our journey along the river for some window shopping. One lively German girl caught our attention and we paid her a couple of Euro so that Juan could get this great picture with her(pictured left). She, on the other hand, was way too expensive...oh well, better luck next time.

Red light district, never been?

January 2, 2007

The following morning Melissa and I ate breakfast at the hotel, which was great considering it was free, though nothing compared to that of Venezia. We walked around for a while and decided that we would go to the Heineken Beer factory and take their tour. What fun! the price for admission gets you 3 drinks and a cool bottle opener, not to mention priceless pictures. Afterward Juan and I were tipsy to say the least. We all knew something was wrong when I asked for my scully, thinking I had left it somewhere inside, when I was wearing it the entire time....Juan and I found that to be incredibly funny for some reason. Getting drunk in Amsterdam at 11am, never been? Walking around some more we decided that we would venture into a "coffee shop". In Amsterdam smoking marijuana is not illegal, but seeing as how I value my lungs more than that, I did not smoke a thing, instead though I ate a "space cake"....did someone say simple Dutch bakery? (lol...Eurotrip reference) It takes a while for that stuff to hit you, I think it took me almost 3 hours, but once it does....forget about it. We were on a train headed back to Bruxelles (so that we could catch the chunnel) when all of a sudden, Juan, who was sitting across from me, well, his face was funny to me. The more I stared the more hilarious it became. I laughed uncontrollably to the point of tears...great stuff. Thankfully no one else ate some because Melissa realized that we had missed our chunnel train by 2 hours. Juan was then on the phone with Euro Star and quickly changed the ticket for the following morning....I on the other hand was no help at all as you can clearly see.



Once we were back in Bruxelles we walked around looking for a hotel. We ended up staying at a hotel nearby the station who served breakfast starting at 6am, which was great because we had to be at the train station before 6:30am.

Goodnight!

January 3, 2007

The following morning went off without a hitch, we woke up, grabbed breakfast and caught the Chunnel. Now, for those of you who don't know, the chunnel is simply the nickname given to the train that crosses the English Channel via and underground tunnel, hence the chunnel. An hour and a half later we were in London Waterloo station, but not before eating a great breakfast provided by the excellent staff of Eurostar. We walked the streets of London seeing some of the things Melissa and I hadn't seen before, namely, the ministry of defense otherwise known as the MI6 building also known as the building featured in the James Bond 007 movies. Here is where things started to go bad, for all of us. Melissa became upset at a joke I told and told us to go off on our own and promptly sat down on a nearby bench. Juan and I went on ahead because, well, as James Bond fanatics, we HAD to see this building. Once we were there we asked the guard at the front gate if this indeed was the MI6 building. He told us no that it was a telecommunications building...yeah right you wanker. After having our fun, we went back to an empty bench, the place where Melissa was supposed to be. Since she had one of the hotel room keys we figured the only logical place she could be was the hotel, so we went there. In the meantime enjoy some pics of London.

Trafalgar Square

Horse Gaurd

Memorials

Parliament

London Eye

We arrived at the hotel to find her paying for another room. When we asked what she was doing she told us that we ditched her and started kicking and screaming to be left alone. We didn't do that because we cared for her, but she wouldn't listen. After about an hour of tense stand off-ish behavior she finally decided to go to bed. Long story short, Juan returned her room and we all eventually made up again. In a bizzare turn of events Juan got hit by a truck, to which he attributed God's punishment to his behavior as of late. I took the opportunity to make Dane Cook type jokes like, "Did you kick your shoes off in a fit of joy?"....funny stuff, but thankfully Juan was alright and amazingly did not get hurt. Take note fellow Americans, look down at the street to see where you need to be looking BEFORE crossing any street in London, or else you might suffer the same fate as my friend Juan.
January 4, 2007

The following day we all decided that we would go to see Stonehenge. Renting a car, which was our first thought was not an option because apparently they don't rent to anyone younger than 25. We then did took to the train there. The train leaves from Waterloo station....make sure you buy your ticket there and not at another train station. The train then arrives to Salisbury where you need to take a bus to Stonehenge. The bus was a double decker bus and although sitting on the second floor seemed like a novel idea, it made both Juan and I car sick. Stonehenge, well there isn't much to say about it, so here are some pictures.




We got back to our hotel later that evening and ate at a great Indian buffet restuarant that was literary across the street from our hotel. We then went in search for some clubbing action, but before we did we popped open the bottle of absinthe, often referred to as la Fée Verte ('The Green Fairy') because of its coloring. This stuff is STRONG. Juan described as liquid death....lol..I on the other hand tasted liquorice. At anyrate drink very little or else it might make you sick. It is so potent that it will even light on fire!!! Crazy stuff. When we left the hotel we found out that since this was a Thursday, there wasn't much going on, and we left the hotel late thanks to Melissa who got upset at Juan again. Take note though, never, NEVER go to SOHO at night. We unknowingly walked right into that place and found ourselves in a very uncomfortable situation. Juan got offered drugs, girls and even boys...by the SAME GUY! We hailed a taxi and booked it.


January 5, 2007

The following morning was the end of our trip but it was not without incident. Our plane left at 1:40 pm whereas Juan's left at 7:45pm. Melissa and I were packed and were going to say our goodbyes when Juan asked us to wait for him because he wanted that we all go the airport together. First though he needed to drop off a package the US embassy. We waited outside until Juan finished doing his business, and waited, and waited some more until it became apparent that if we waited anymore we would miss our plane back home. So we took our luggage and his too (He had left it with us) and made our way to the Underground and after a transfer or two, were on the train that took us directly to London Heathrow. With that much luggage though, make sure you mind the gap on the Underground. We got off the train running, searching desperately for where to go.....Up the stairs, on the elevator, out the door, back inside, read the sign, turn left, no right....We made it to the check in and were greeted by friendly faces, "Miami?" they asked...."Yes.." we mumbled between breaths. I supposed they sensed Cuban time a mile away. We checked in then went through security, which isn't as bad as it is in Miami, the lady who had to empty out Melissa's bag was really kind, patient and helpful.

Once we were at the front of the line to hand in our boarding pass I asked the lady if she could somehow seat Melissa and I together. Since we were late, they couldn't seat us together, instead they seated us one behind the other. She typed something and told us to go with her. She walked us over to a customer service desk where she left us with a man of Indian descent but English. I thought to myself, oh ok, he can help us when his cell phone rang and he passed it to me. Bewildered I handled the phone cautiously, "Hello?" ...."Hey bro"

It was Juan on the other end. He told me he used his DIP status to pull some strings and get in contact with us. He told us that looked for us when he got out of the US embassy but realized we must have gone to the airport. He then took a taxi and again, using his DIP status told the taxi driver it was a matter of national security and that he needed to get to the airport, stat!! So after surviving a crazy taxi ride through the streets of London he made it to the British Airways check in desk about 10 minutes after we had gotten there.

I told him not to worry and that his luggage was on the plane and going with us, to which he was glad to hear and told us just to drop it off his mother's house back in Miami. We then said our informal goodbyes and that was that....or so I thought. My mistake was telling the guy whose cell phone I had just used that we were taking someone elses luggage on the plane and that was the reason why he called. "I wish you hadn't told me that...thats a matter of high security."

We then were told that our luggage was going to be taken off the plane, then we had to pick out our luggage, then Juan's luggage would be sent the next day after it was inspected and that it was our job to pick it up from MIA. I begged the cell phone guy to page Juan and alert him what was happening. I figured that Juan would find someway of getting back his stuff. We then met another man, who wasn't so kind. He told us the same thing the other guy said and when I asked if Juan and come and get his bags, he said no because it would take him all day to do that.....yeah whatever you tosser.



When it was time to select our luggage, the man walked us to the front of the boarding line and then told Melissa to stay put while I picked out the luggage outside, right next to where the throwers (baggage handlers...Fight Club reference) worked. It was pretty cool to see the plane up close like that. I selected our luggage and pointed out Juan's. I was even able to put my luggage back on the plane. I tried to take pictures of all this, but didn't want to be obvious about it, so I did it backhand and later realized I was filming instead of taking pictures, and it's horrible film at that too. Once back Melissa and I skipped everyone and made it back on the plane. For of you who were wondering Juan indeed got his luggage. 10 hours later Melissa and I were back on home soil and thus comes the conclusion of my Eurotrip story. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing about it, if you did, feel free to leave me a comment or two, or just email me at brunch43@hotmail.com.