From Tony George
How the heck are you cobber?
Response: Back in Brum unfortunately! Will send you an e-mail
From Janet
Welcome back Frank, hope it hasn't been too much of a let-down. I have really enjoyed reading your blog and seeing the photos, the kids have been interested in where Frankieboy is at any given time. Can't wait until you clear off again (in the nicest possible way). Let us know if you are coming over this way at all to meet up with anyone.
Response: Thanks very much Janet. It's absolutely horrendous to be back for numerous reasons, one of which is going for an interview for a minimum wage job tomorrow!!!! Don't they know who I am???!!! Me? With my reputation?! How the mighty have fallen...
Being back in Brum has proved that I'd rather be down under if at all possible.Get me on that plane!
I have no wheels so a rendezvouz is a logistical nightmare! But it would be good to see the prison crew ;-)
From Fran
Hello Mr Wood,
Must confess to having been entertained by your blog, despite the unbelievably annoying "emoticon" things that you're apparently unable to complete a paragraph without ;-)
Will be nice to have you back safely - chances of that are much improved if you refrain from hailing taxis in the street, or so I'm told. Apparently lots of kidnappers use taxis (www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/kidnapping-i
n-latin-america-the-basics-131528.html ), although the cost of feeding you would probably massively outweigh any ransom they might hope to get, so you're probably safe...
Take care and get home in one piece!
Fran XXX
Charming to the last... ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) (just to annoy you)
Don't spend too much on my coming home present...
From Carl
Frankus,
Glad to hear that you didn't go with those overland monkeys and sorry to hear that an otherwise fantastic holiday/travelling adventure has been slightly marred by this experience.
Hope you have a fabulous last few days before you come back to blighty.
It may be cold and wet back there but you should look forward to the things that youve missed over the last year; a damn good Indian curry, proper cold, tasty beer, a bed without a hint of Kraut fleas, and family and friends to captivate with tales of your adventures!
Looking forward to seeing you for some much needed dad dancing, Star Wars quotes (of which Jol has taken upon himself to unceremoniously murder) and misery!
Well maybe not so much of the latter :)
ML
Carl
Response: Carl, can't wait to see you in the Sundarbon my friend!
It will be good to see everyone again (I do hope the welcome home party preparations are going well...;-) ) and remind everyone how the legendary Frank leg dance is properly carried out.
As for the misery I'm afraid that is almost guaranteed - coming home to cold, wet Brum having no house, no car and no job (and no bird but then that's hardly out of the ordinary) However I will be my usual stoic self and you will not hear a word of complaint (much)
From Jezza
Frank. The email from the arsehole was a lie - they didn't meet up. He is trying to fool you in not trying to get your money back - don't be fooled again. Either way, I entirely agree with how you handled it, and it sounds like you are having a far better time than being starved in an armoured personnel carrier (which would get incredibly hot inside - no air con) waiting to fall of a cliff. Look forward to having a few beers. Orly's stag is now all organised and looks like it will be great fun. See you soon. J.
Response: Actually he sent me an e-mail today trying to persuade me to change my mind! Can you believe it?! The man needs a good birching at the very minimum.
See you soon...
From Janet
From reading some of the reports about this Overland Club outfit I think you may have had a lucky escape - it seems that the trucks were unroadworthy to say the least (tyres from scrapyards) and that many people had gone hungry because the food kitty money had been used for repairs or to buy alcohol for the drivers. I think it's only a matter of time before someone is injured on one of their trips. You will always read a few odd negative comments on internet forum sites posted by complete nitpickers for most service companies or travel operators however, this lot have an absolute avalanche of bad reports and even specific websites set up by aggrieved customers and former staff warning potential customers off. The moral of the story - Research! "Don't ask God ask Google" (paraphrasing Roy from the I.T. Crowd)
Response: Yep. Lucky escape I think.
From Jezza
Afterthought. Not sure when you booked it, but if you get on the phone quickly to your credit card company perhaps can they do something. Protection via the 'Consumer Credit Act' or something similar / didn't get the goods / services purchased. Maybe something Big D. can work on the case while you sun it up (if you ask nicely). J.
Response: To be fair, I believe (judging from an e-mail from this arsehole) they did meet up later in the day - even though the meet was at 10am.
The point is though that even if I had have joined the group I would have had to hand over US $630 straight away which would not have lasted me a week then I would have been stuck in the middle of nowewhere at the mercy of a total wanker. Did you read that this Ron guy actually went out of his way to remove a guy from the group - not only that he tried his best to get him thrown out of the camp site purely out of spite - mercifully he was unscuccessful.
I'm down £900 granted. However anyone in their right mind knows that if you can't even organise a rendez-vouz at the beginning of a trip (why didn't people turn up 2 days before like I did - or carry mobile phones??) then the whole thing is a complete catastrophe in waiting.
On a more serious note, I think that the ramifications of a badly managed trip could have been very dangerous. We're not talking about getting stuck on the M25....
Bad mistake. I f--ked up. All you can do is move on.
What i am glad about is that I'm having a great time in Rio (longer than I was going to get) and I'll be home soon to see my family and friends. in the grand scheme of things it's no biggie!
See you soon for a bloody good drink I hope ;-)
From Jezza
Frankie - sorry sorry to hear the story. What a ******. You've done the right thing. Seriously, this is a case for Nicky Campell and 'Watchdog'. I look forward to seeing you making your first TV appearance infront of 6 million viewers! See you soon and take care. Jezza, Bex, Henry and Nelson
From Janet
Noooooooooo!!!! You can't come home yet - I won't have anything to read and my life will be as empty as when Big Brother comes to an end.
Did that sound as sad as it looks written down??
Why not fly up to Orlando, get a job in 'Ye Jollye Olde Englande' part of Epcot's World Showcase as 'English bloke' ? You could whinge about the weather, complain about the state of the pound/interest rates/NHS waiting lists/ Labour government/ Typical British summers/Leaves on the line/Bank holiday traffic etc. while all the time joining the back of the queue and putting your Union Jack towel down on the sunbeds before Gerry gets up. That place needs a bit of authenticity and you would be just the man for the job. You may need to get several tattoos though.
Are you planning on doing the USA at all next time or will you head back down under?
Response: I think I could do a good job of that. There's no bigger moaner/misery than me.
I'm sorry to come back. Believe me it was not my intention. Thought I could draw it out for another six weeks. I'll soon be home.
I'm hopefully going to Melbourne in May for 10 months, maybe for good - who knows? There will no doubt be a Frankieboy's Big Journey Pt 2 so don't get too despondent ;-)
From Tessa
Hi Frank,
Well, I decided to 'delurk' at long last and post a message! I've really enjoyed reading your blog for the last 10 months - in fact I don't know what I'll do for entertainment at work when you're back! Great photos too. I'm sorry things didn't work out with your tour, but you definitely did the right thing. Hope you enjoy your time in Rio - it looks amazing!
Response: Glad you've enjoyed reading it - I've enjoyed writing it and it's been great to get messages of support. Nice that one of the lurkers has come out of the closet - in fact now that the journey has nearly come to an end all the others should ;-)
Rio is absolutely superb - love it. Haven't been shot yet so that's an added bonus.
I may be doing another blog when I go back to Oz so that may be of interest!
From Jason
Hi Frank, this is unbelievable! I was genuinely winding you up when you sent me the link to this company. It seems however that they are a complete disgrace, you did the right thing. Not sure about the flying home bit though.
Response: Yes I hope I made the right decision.
Well I'm not flying home just yet. I've got 9 days to explore all that Rio has to offer! So far so good - incredible place.
From Bex
Hi Frank,
Just did my weekly catch up... Hope that the pick up issue is resolved! Loved the final stages of the NZ adventure. The Waitomo caves are truly excellent. Keep safe and to coin the NZ phrase " go hard" meaning... go for it (truly the the only way to go!) Love Bex & the boys xxx
Response: Go for it! I did. I got the next plane to Rio! See you very soon...
From pigeon
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
I don't want to add to your concerns, BUT do a quick google search and the first site you get is www.overlandwarning.com
The site has is a litany of people's terrible experiences. This includes terrible organisation, huge hidden costs, appalling safety, buses not turning up, 'groups' meaning 2 or 3 people. Many people appear to be pursuing legal action! There were concerns that they were no longer operating- given that they were not answering emails or phone calls.
To be fair, most of the flack is directed towards their Middle East and Africa trips- but It seems they are indeed a chimpanzee outfit. I strongly advise you think carefully before even getting on a bus if it even turns up.
Apart from that, good luck!
Response: I'm already in Copacabana Pidge! The only bad news is that I'm one flight away from home. See you very shortly indeed!
From doug
errm, discard last message, just seen your facebook status! maybe didnt work out ok?? hope you are alright doug
Response: Decided against it. I'm now in Rio!
From doug
hi frank
looks like an english truck looking at the numberplate! so if it can get from here to there i am sure it will get you around where you need to go. looks like a cool trip see you soon
From Maria
Hey Frankieboy! Gidday from WA. Glad to hear you have arrived in SA in one piece, after your NZ experience experience..what an amazing journey you have had, and I'm sure SA offers the same extreme thrills & spills... Perth is currently gripped in a heat wave..we have had temperatures of 30C for 2 weeks now..no sign of letting up...now that's extreme. Take care & hasta la vista (i think) Cheers!!
Response: Maria! Hi! Nice to hear from you. Bit apprehensive about 6 weeks of travelling across S. America in an armoured personnel carrier and camping in extreme conditions! Kind of wish I was on a plane home but I'm sure I will be glad to have done it...
it's pretty warm here too but nothing compared to Queensland.
Pass on my regards to everyone...
x
From Doug
Hi Frank,
Glad you got to S.America ok, prop a wise idea to get some spanish learnt quickly, Cerveza is a key word from memory! hope you have a good one speak soon. Doug
Response: I had to look up the word for "washing machine" earlier! It's getting embarrassing...Yes I know "cerveza"!
See you soon - not long now.
From Jeremy
Frankie - glad you and the boys have had a cracking holiday in NZ. Really pleased for you all. Enjoy the next stage of your adventure and see you on Orly's stag. Jezza
Response: Greetings from Santiago Jez. I think we did NZ justice! Hope I survive S. America and manage to bring my valuables home!
Indeed, look forward to the stag do.
As you were...
From pigeon
Happy New Year!
Nice to speak to you and Jol last night- hope you enjoyed the evening's celebrations!
Hopefully speak soon...
Pigeon and Anna
Response: Likewise Pidge. Say hi to Anna from me.
From Annabel and Cressida
Merry Christmas Jolyon! Have been looking at your photos here in Surbiton with your Mum and Dad! Amazing - guess you're having a fantastic time. We're sorry you're not here but expect you're not!! Looking forward to hearing more when you get back. Lots of love from your cousins and your parents too! xxx
Response: Will pass on the message!
From Janet
Happy Christmas Frank although yours is nearly over and I've only just had breakfast consisting of trifle, After Eights, peanuts and roast ham. Westlife concert on the telly and trying to wire up a Nintendo Wii.
Living the dream.
Still time to check ebay though ;-)
Seasons greetings xxx
Response: And to you Janet! Tis the season to be gluttonous....That sounds like a bloody good breakfast to me!
From doug
happy christmas Frank, say hi to Joel for me. i hope you are still living the dream!
good work on the skydrive, disappointed joel bottled it!
take care
Doug
Response: Cheers Dougyboy! Merry xmas to you and Jill.
From Dad
Gripping stuff, Frank. To be honest it's probably a better way to go than trapped under an inflatable... I'm sure it's a fantastic thrill and I'd do it myself if I had the nerve... X
Response: It was superb. Glad I did it!
From Bex
So sorry Francis, thought you were travelling as Mr & Mrs Hoare.. Enjoy Queenstown and Milford Sound. Glad you are having a ball. Have you thought of thermal underwear? More later...
Bex and the boys xxx
Response: Thermal underwear sounds eminently sensible - I might invest in some if this cold spell persists!