Chabenda wrote:
What is the freakiest or weirdest thing that has ever happened to you and your guitar? Jack Russel pee should be considered 'Normal'.
An odd case for sure. What's yours?
Classic....Only in Africa!
My story be well down on the scale, not nearly as bizarre (or amusing!) but I was soo thankful I had a guitar.
Travelling in Europe 2005, was visiting family and friends in Holland, England and Ireland on a SA passport. 6 week visa, tickets and invitations arranged. Things ran smoothly until week 5 when I decided to stay a few weeks extra - I checked with the Dutch imiigration that I could exit and re-enter Holland and have my visa automatically re-newed - no problem.
Ok great, back to Ireland for a week to drive my brothers sports car all around the countryside and then return back to A'dam for a week of
debauchery errr, fun- small problem, inbetween leaving and returning to Holland, there was that 'terror attack' on the busses in London - resulting in Europe locking down immigration.
Arriving back in Holland, presented my visa and was promptly told that whatever I was told prior to leaving (6 days earlier) was incorrect and that I was no longer welcome in Holland (despite that fact I used to work in Holland, had a dutch drivers licence, bank account and credit card). Ok, so now what? Stuck in the Dutch arrivals hall, I'd have to return to my country of departure (Ireland?) but my visa was not valid there either...So I'd have to return to SA at my own expense...but all flights were booked for the next 12 days...And I was not allowed to exit the arrivals hall - at all.
Yip, my life became the Terminal. Luckily, I had my travel guitar, so I reckoned I might as well do something useful...I busked everyday until authorities decided that this was not exactly what they had intended, so five days later they managed to get me onto a flight. I thought I was more entertaining than that, but everyone's a critic.... :?
I made a lot of friends, a lit' bit of $ (all spent on whisky in the Irish pub in arrivals) and a strong desire never to travel to Europe on a SA passport.
