Back in the early 1980s Waffler needed a holiday after nearly a year of hard work in Germany.
"Where will i go ",he thought to himself.Two drinking buddies that lived in a nearby apartment to Waffler were heading off to Thailand."Maybe I'll go with them",he thought.He headed over to the lads and asked them if they'd mind if he went with them."Yes we'd love you to come",said scouser Ray and his brother Bomber."Great",says Waffler.
The lads plans were to travel from Munich by train to Athens,which would take a couple of days and then by plane to Bangkok with a stopover in Cairo.Waffler was delighted to be going on this little adventure with the lads. They headed off from Munich train station(after saying a" tearful" goodbye to their girlfriends),on the first leg of their journey. The train was packed and they were lucky to get a seat together.
Ray(donkey) fancied himself as a bit of a ladies man ,and in fairness to him he didn't have to do much chasing when he was out clubbing,especially when he wore tight trousers as he was built like a donkey.His brother Bomber told Waffler that he wouldn't like to stand beside him on a nudist beach,his appendage was that big.
Bomber was the older brother and even though he was only a little fellow he was as tough as nails.
Waffler had seen evidence of this when there was a crowd of them out one night and a bouncer had upset Bomber. Before anyone could blink,Bomber had jumped up and loafed the guy in the face and busted his nose.
Bouncers came pouring out of the club and the lads were lucky to get away.
The lads weren't happy with Bomber afterwards as they just liked a night out without hassle.
On the train journey they would be passing through Austria and the former Yugoslavia.
After a good few hours on the train they stopped in Belgrade(,the capital of Yugoslavia back then.)
Bomber jumped off the train to buy some food and drink off one of the local vendors.
While he was waiting for his change the train started to move off.
Waffler and Donkey were at the train door shouting at Bomber to come on .
Bomber grabbed his goods and change and made a run for the train.
Waffler and Donkey were stitches at the sight of Bomber running along in his stocking feet ,white trousers with braces and a flowery shirt. Donkey and Waffler pulled Bomber onto the train just in time.
Finally they arrived in Athens where they would be staying for a couple of days.
They bought their ticket for the flight to Bangkok,Thailand.The cost of the ticket one way was 120 Irish pounds which in today' s money would be about four or five hundred euros.They done a bit of sight seeing in Athens ,taking in a visit to the Acropolis.
On the last night in Athens they were invited back to a party after a night club.
Waffler had clicked with a lovely Greek girl and was having a bit of fun back at the party with her,when there was banging at the front door.The guy who owned the apartment went down to see what was going on.
When he came back up he called Waffler over and told him that the girl's ex was at the door looking to see was she there and the guy told him no.The ex boyfriend was a U.S. marine and Waffler hoped that was the end of it.
Half an hour later there is more banging and shouting at the door. They look out the window and there is the ex with what looked like a baseball bat.
"Is there an other exit out of here?",said Waffler."Yes this way ",says the guy as he showed Waffler and the girl the other way out.Bomber and Donkey had left earlier to go back to the hostel.Next morning Waffler made his way back to the hostel where the 2 brothers were.They jumped on a bus to Athens Airport. They boarded the plane for Bangkok with great excitement.They then stopped for a night in Cairo ,Egypt.It was a very scary place at the time ,armed guards all around the city.Next they stopped in Bahrain to refuel. Finally they landed in Bangkok and the first thing to hit them was the intense heat and humidity.
Bangkok was unbelievably busy.Traffic all day and night.So many people.The hotel they stayed was in right in the centre of Bangkok and price wise was very reasonable.
The 3 of them were in the one room .Waffler claimed the single bed and the Brothers had to share the double bed.One night after they had a good feed of alcohol,Bomber and Waffler went back to the hotel to crash out.
Donkey stayed down in the bar to have a few more.
"Thump,Thump",was the noise Waffler woke up to after he was in bed for only an hour.
He looked across to the double bed and there was Donkey and a local Thai girl having a session.
Poor Bomber was lying on his side with his back to them and the bed creaking up and down.
"Thank god I took the single bed",he thought to himself.
It turned out to be a marathon session.
Next morning Waffler woke up and the girl was giving out to Donkey.
"You very Big boy,you make me very sore",she says to the Donkey.
The Donkey just smiles at her."I will have to rest for a few days,me never going with Big Boy anymore",she says.
Poor Bomber said he felt he was on a roller coaster all night.
After a few weeks in Bangkok they headed over to the east coast to a place called Hua Hin.
One day the lads were relaxing on the beach ,where the Bomber had saved a local from drowning a couple of hours earlier.A paper boy came over to sell them a paper.There was a picture of John Lennon on the front page.
The paper was in Thai so they asked the guy to read it for them .John Lennon was dead.It was December the eight 1980.The 2 brothers took it hard especially been from Liverpool themselves.Waffler was a big Beatles fan.
One of his favorite albums was Sgt Peppers lonely hearts club band.
After a month in Thailand Waffler was low on money ,so he had to ditch his plan to go on to Australia.
The 2 brothers were heading there so Waffler had to say goodbye to them.The plan was for Waffler to go back home to try and get money to follow them .
Waffler bought a plane ticket to London.
Next morning he boarded a plane in Bangkok.
He was seated in between 2 guys,a Frenchman and a German.
The seat in front of Waffler was empty ,on the outside seat was a pregnant English girl , and at the window this beautiful Thai girl.
The plane took off.
They all got talking and a bit of flirting went on when the Thai girl invited Waffler in to the seat beside her.
"Happy days",thought Waffler to himself.
After a while the girl took Waffler's hand and said,"You can feel my boobs".Waffler looked to his left and the English girl was asleep.The girl took Waffler's hand and placed it on her Breast.
"W.T.F.",thought Waffler.
They felt like concrete.Waffler was alarmed.
"She" showed him her passport.
The photo was of a guy.
"I don't believe this,she's a Lady-boy ",thought Waffler.
Waffler just wanted to get out of there but didn't want to make a scene so he had to wait till the plane made a stop in East Africa to refuel.He told the 2 guys,( who between them had not got much English), about the Lady boy.
They burst out laughing and spent the 2 hours looking over at the Lady boy .
The Lady boy had told Waffler when he was seating beside her that "she" was going to get the chop and "She" would no longer be a lady boy but a proper woman.He told the guys this and they were in convulsions.
When they got back on the plane Waffler got back in to his original seat and slept the rest of the way to London.
He then got a flight back to Dublin and was glad to be back in the Emerald Isle after been away for a year.
