Our last few days in Amsterdam we spent busking, and this time we made a sign. 'Trying to Get Home' and it worked! We had managed to save 120 euroes for this journey back. It was a nice time we spent back in Amsterdam, the sun was shining, the busking was good, we ate our favourite salads and talked about what it would be like back in England. I warned Nizha that I would be different a bit. When you are back at home, you are in a different mentality. On the day we were leaving we set out to meet Paul who was driving.
He was with his friend and girlfriend, and they reminded me a bit of Delboy and Rodney. They were German, had bought a car that had broke down in London, so they found a replacement engine in Manchester, they were picking the engine up, then driving from there to London to fix it, and drive the car all the way back to Germany. You could just tell they loved being on the road, driving, fixing cars, filling the van with parts. They were a funny pair and I liked them right away. They said that it would be another 20 euroes for the room on the ferry, so 50e each. we said sure, and that left us enough to get something to eat for the journey. We spent a nice few hours in Amsterdam with eachother though, rolled and smoked a joint, talked, laughed and then set out for the ferry in Rotterdam.
Paul phoned ahead to the ferry, as he hadn't booked the seats yet, and since his girlfriend decided to come at the last minute, it meant he would need another room. He was starting to get nervous, he was speaking in German on the phone to her, and getting a bit worked up. They wont let 5 people stay in a 4 person room, and he hadnt even booked the room yet. He started to feel this might cost him big, and was asking us if we could find another car to just sneak past the entrance in. Once we got to Rotterdam and to the ferry terminal he pulled up at the booth and told them that he hadnt booked the room, and now has an extra person. She looked suprised that he hadn't booked the room before, but calculated his car and people, took our passports then handed him a bill for over 400 euroes! We were all gobsmacked! You could tell Paul was gutted, his bank card was not accepted, so he had to put it on his credit card. We felt a little bad that we only had 50 euroes each to give him, but he assured us it was OK, and if we just give what we can, it will be alright. It was just the fact that he needed an extra room which made it so expensive.
Then came the immigration check, this is what me and Nizha were worried about, she was a day over on her visa, and they were giving her trouble because she didn't get it stamped last time she left London. After a good talking to, they let us go through. Paul had let us have a room to ourselves, and it was gorgeous! Like a little hotel room, we had a shower beds, lamps. After a whole summer on those long Megabus rides, this was a luxury! As soon as we lay down with eachother we just slept in eachothers arms. We were supposed to be heading out to see the entertainment on the ferry, but we just couldn't wake up. We got there in the night though, just in time to catch Paul and the guys. We bid them goodnight and had a pint of stella in the Piano bar, then went for another sleep.
We awoke to the announcement that we were pulling in at Hull Ferry terminal. I could taste the English air again, and we met up with Paul at the car and drove through the long line of passport checks and immigration. They were looking at Nizhas passport and calling other people over, they asked to open the door so they could ask some questions. He seemed like a nice fellow, and I was talking that we are just busking and we will be gigging around Liverpool. He said 'Oh, are these paid gigs?' I immediately realised that on a tourist visa you cannot work, so I said no they are just for the fun. But I told him the romantic story of our journey, and he said'I am not legally allowed to let you into the country.....But go on then' we were so relieved, my honesty in telling him the story had nearly fucked everything up, but he was a nice guy and we sailed on through into Blighty.
It was when we were driving from Hull to Manchester, that Paul realised he wasnt even supposed to be going through Liverpool. He thought it was Leeds! But they took us anyway. It was a 2 hour drive, that made them be late for another car sharer, but they dropped us off in Old Swan. I can't truly express our thanks in enough words for all they did, but I felt it was something in the universe that made it all happen. There we were in Amsterdam with no way to get to England, then all of a sudden this one appeared, took us to England in comfort, and though it was not even supposed to be going to Liverpool, it did anyway. It had cost him double what he thought and took him well away from his planned route. Paul, with all my heart I thank you and your friend and your girlfriend for all you did. We were in Liverpool!
We had no English money, and when a bus came I just asked if we could jump on for free as we have had a massive journey. He said he couldn't incase the ticket guy got on, but I said we will take the blame if he does, so he let us on for free and we took the bus to the city of Liverpool, amazed at how we got there............
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A wonderful read
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