CAMP TAILS
1) I've got my tent up at Vlegenbos Campground in Amsterdam and since it’s early in the season it’s fairly empty. It's a nice but still chilly day around noon and I'm sitting outside my tent when I see three cute chicks in their early 20's walk into camp carrying their backpacks. They see me, come over and drop their packs. As soon as they speak I know they are Aussie babe's, the accent is unmistakable. One of the girls ask if it's alright to pitch their tent next to me and I assure her it is. So they all go about the business of setting up their tents and unpacking their gear.
When they're finished the one who first spoke to me comes over and asks me how to get into Amsterdam since we're a little out of the center of town. I tell her and she goes back to her friends. A few minutes later they're off to find some fun in the hippest city in the entire world.
They return at dusk, break out their camp stove and utensils and proceed to cook themselves supper. After they've finished dinner and are done cleaning up they come over by me. We all have a nice chat for a couple hours about all the usual Euro-travellers tales of where we're from, where we've been and where we'll be going next. It's getting late when Cynthia, the girl who first talked to me and the most vivacious of the three, put her hand on my thigh and says, “I'm getting bored. You know of anything exciting to do around here, Tai?”
Just for the hell of it I say, “Well, there's always sex.” and to my surprise she says that sounds good to her. So without another word I take her by the hand and into my tent we go where we spent a very pleasant and not boring at all hour or so.
After we've finished Cynthia tell me she rather sleep in her own sleeping bag in her own tent. That's okay with me so it's out of my tent she goes.
As I go to sleep I hear her friends teasing her about her impulsive decision and her low morals but she just laughs them off telling them it was better than doing nothing with them.
Next morning I get up and see the girls are already having their breakfast. I say good morning to them and all three if them just look over and smile at me then turn back to their food and drink. I thought,guess their not morning people. But I was wrong.
They stayed for another two days and even though I tried talking to them a few times not once did any of them ever acknowledge my existence again. Not a word, not even a glance, they totally ignored me.
So I just figured, what the hell, I got some pussy out of the deal. If they wanted to act all weird about it then that's okay with me.
2) I'm in the south of France and it's raining. In fact it's been raining for three days so I've been stuck at this hostel/campground the whole time. Not that being stuck here is a bad thing because there's still French food, French wine and French pastries. Even though the hostel is chucked full of Euro-tourist the campground has only my and two other tents in it. I just don't understand why some people would rather pay more and be more crowded together to stay in a hostel when you can have a whole tent to yourself. But I guess I'm just not as social as the Euro's because they seem to really like the company of each other.
Anyway, it's morning and because it's not raining at the moment I'm outside sitting at a pik-nik table by myself when a petite dark haired, olive skinned girl about 30 comes over to the table, sits down, looks at me and with an Italian accent says, “I'm Andrea and I've been seeing you around for the last few days. You're always by yourself so I thought I'd ask you why you don't come inside and mix with the rest of us?”
I tell her I'm in France to meet the natives and experience their culture and since it's just tourist form other countries in the hostel then what's the point. Also, I don't mind being alone because I'm comfortable with myself, I don't need other people to validate my existence.
She tells me that's a very unusual attitude and one she would like to talk about more. So what are my plans for the day because she would like to get to know me better.
I tell Andrea I was going to take a local bus around the countryside to check it out. It's fairly cheap, it'll take most of the day and it should be interesting if not fun. I ask her if she's like to join me and she says she would.
She asks when I'm leaving and I tell her whenever she's ready so she tells me to give her a half hour then it'll be off we go.
Half an hour later we are walking down the street toward the center of town and the bus stop. Our days adventure together begins. We spend the day riding the local buses, having a lunch of local cuisine and talking about our lives to each other. By the time we return to our original bus stop it's dusk so we decide to have supper before returning to the hostel. Over a bottle of wine she says, “What a perfect day. I'm glad I talked to you this morning.”
I smile at her and say, “You know it would be even more perfect if we spent the night together in my tent. What do you think, the perfect end to the perfect day?'
She smiles back saying, “Yes, I think that would be perfect too.” then, “But how will we do it? I don't have a sleeping bag since I'm staying in a room.”
I tell her by the time we get back it'll be dark and she can smuggle out the blankets on her bed. Then we'll lay on my bag and cover with her blankets.” Sounds like a plan to her and that's what we do then spending a “perfect” night together.
In the morning the sun is out and shining brightly. Andrea is heading home and I'm off on my next adventure. I walk her to the long distance bus stop. She gives me her address making me promise to write her then with a hug and a kiss she gets on a bus bound for Italy. I did write her once too but never got a reply.
3) Later in the summer I'm back at Vlegenbos and what a difference! The place is packed. Tents are right up against each other with barely enough room to walk between them. Plus when I was here in May only one field was open, now there's two and they're both totally full. Before the field were covered in grass now it's just dirt full of beer bottle caps packed into the soil. Luckily I got there in the morning because now you have to get here early, wait until someone takes down their tent then quickly put your up in their place.
Anyway, one evening I'm sitting outside my tent eating a sandwich when this cute young dark haired chick comes up to me and asks in a German accent if I have a needle and thread because she's ripped her jeans. Of course I do.
She asks if she can borrow it.
Again, of course, after all I'm always ready to help out a fellow traveler, especially a babe-a-licious one. I enter my tent intending to get my sewing kit and lend it to her but instead of waiting outside she follows me in then sits down next to me on my sleeping bag. I find the sewing kit and hand it to her. Without hesitation she kicks off her shoes then whips off her jeans now sitting there in just her t-shirt and pink panties she finds the rip, threads the needle and starts sewing. I just admire the view while she tells me about herself while sewing.
Her name is Katrina, she a first year student at a University in a large town in northern Deutchland. She likes art and music but is not sure what she'll major in yet. She lives in a flat with roommates and is having a great time partying and will soon be going to school.
She asks me my story and I give he the usual rap about being a gen-u-wine San Francisco hippie here in Europe bicycling the continent to meet and greet the locals sampling their wares and generally having fun. Then tell her a few tales of were I've been and what I've done so far.
While she's sewing I'm trying to flirt with her but after a few tries to which I get no response I give up, sit back and just enjoy her company. So it surprises me that when she finishes and has pulled her jeans back on she asks me for a pencil and paper. She write something down then hands me the paper saying, “This is my address. If you're even in my town stop by and I'll put you up for the night.”
I assure her I will. With that she leaves my tent. I look for her the next day but it seems she left early in the a.m. because she's nowhere to be found.
A couple weeks later I riding through Germany when I notice on the map Katrins town is only 15 miles off the rod I'm traveling on. Do I still have her address? Yep. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. It is kind of early, only 8 a.m. but what the hey.
I pedal into town and see it's one of those mid-evil ones with the little twisty-turney streets the name changes every time they twist. I have to ask 4 different people before I find her place. By now it almost 10 so I figure if she's home then she's up.
I ring the doorbell and wait a few minutes. No sound coming from within. So I knock and wait a few more minutes. Again no sounds. Just as I'm about to turn away and leave I hear the door being unlocked then the knob turning. And there she is with rumpled hair and a sleepy looking face wearing a t-shirt and white panties looking at me like, who the hell are you?
I say, “Hi Katrina. Remember me, Tai. We met at Vlegenbos a few weeks ago and you gave me your address and said to stop by if I was in town.”
Recognition dawns on her face, she smiles and starts saying something in Deutsch but then changes to English, “Ja, Ja I remember.” then”What time is it?”
I tell her it's 10 a.m.
To which she reply’s, “Ack, it's too early. I was up most of the night with some friend and... It's too early to be speaking English too so come back to bed with me and we'll talk later.”
I follow her in thinking she must have gotten her translation wrong, come back to bed with her? But no, she meant what she said. We enter her room which looks just like any young students room, bed on the floor, table with a typewriter, chair and books, newspapers,and clothes strewn all over. She hops back into bed then pats the bed and says, “Well, what are you waiting for?
I don't have to be asked twice. I strip off all my clothes as fast as I can then slide into bed right next to her.
When I get next to her she says, “Ack, you're cold. Well I guess we'll have to do something about that.” and we do spending the next hour warming me up with her speaking German and me English and never having any communication problems. Then it's nap time.
Someone is shaking me telling me it's time to get up. Katrina's telling me it's almost noon and she has an appointment at 1 so I have to get up and get dressed which I do. We have a fast German breakfast of toast, marmalade and a soft boiled egg, it's time to go. On our way out the door she then tells me she'll be back by 5 if I want to come back then she'll show me around town and introduce me to her friends.
I tell her it's way too early for me not to bike on so I guess I'll just head down the road unless she really wants me to stay.
She smiles and tells me that we've had our fun so it's okay for me to go. Then she kisses me, turns and walks down the street. As I watch her go when she reaches the corner she looks back and give me a little wave then she's gone. I hop on my bike and ride away wondering what new adventure the day holds for me.