After hitching from San Francisco to New York. Then flying to Europe via Iceland then hitching through France and Germany, then down to Greece via train and over to Turkey, I had run out of money in Istanbul. So I went to the US embassy to see what they could do for me. I was told that they would send a telegram to my parents (collect) requesting funds for me and that they would lend me 10 whole US dollars to tied me over until an answer came back. Of course, I would have to pay them $11 back and if the answer came back “No” then tough shit, you're on your own. Luckily my folks sent me enough money to get back home.
I took the Orient Express to France then hitched to Luxembourg to get the $99 flight on Icelandic Air to NYC. The flight was 12 hours of cramped uncomfortable hell but it was cheap and you didn't need a reservation, just show up on the day you wanted to leave. At the airport I met another American freek named Dale who was being deported from Deutschland for 6 months because of a hash violation. As we talked he told me that he had some hash and a few Mandrax on him and did I think it would be okay for him to take them though US customs. I told him that I wouldn't do it. He said he'd think it over.
Since we were both freeks we thought we'd sit together. After a couple hours of flying he told me that after thinking it over he'd decided to get rid of the dope before entering the US and asked if I’d like half.
I said "Why sure. Always willing to help out a fellow traveler."
He split the dope and I took my half. He took part of his saying he'd take the rest later. The flight was boring except for the two hour stopover in Rikavik.
As we got airborne again Dale took the other half of his stash. I slept most of the way, stoned, and by the time we reached New York I was straight enough to motivate. Dale on the other hand was still so wasted that I couldn't wake him up. As the rest of the passengers de-planed I shook him, yelled at him, even punched him a few times, telling him to wake up. By the time I got him roused enough to stand we were the only people left on board. I got him to his feet and as we started walking forward the plane started moving.
When we got to the forward section a stewardess saw us, and said, "What are you two still doing on the plane?"
I told her that we'd been asleep and had just woken up.
She said, "Well, we're on our way back to Iceland, and unless we can get you off right away you'll be going back with us." She told us to wait right there while she went to inform the captain. All this time the plane is still moving.
Finally the plane stops and the stew came back to tell us that even though we were already on the runway and were cleared for take off, that we would pull off to the side and a car would come out and get us. About 10 minutes later a station wagon with a ladder on top pulled along side of the plane, the door was opened and the ladder was placed against the side so we could climb down. The stew waved bye- bye to us as we entered the car and drove away.
The driver asked us what happened and when we told him he laughed and said, "Too bad you woke up. If you'd stayed on the plane Icelandic would have had to pay for your entire stay in Iceland and given you a free flight home. You guys could've had a free vacation."
Oh well. He dropped us at the customs entrance and I asked Dale if he was straight enough to make it on his own. He assured me that he was now fine so we said good bye and got into one of the many long lines.
Even though almost every country in the entire world had Green Channels by that time, the US wouldn't have them for another 20 years. They search everybody, which takes hours. It was worst than going into the most authoritarian communist country. After clearing customs I took a bus into New York City then a train to somewhere in Pennsylvania where I slept in the snow. Next morning I started hitching toward sunnier climbs. A week later I was back in San Francisco where I had started out three months earlier. All in all quite a tripp.