EMPTY AND FULL CAMPSITES AND THE DREADED AUSSIEBUS

This is the Aussie Bus or correctly titled the nOiZyBUS. We are sure that many people on this bus are considerate, reasonable people who are on the trip because they want to see the world on the way to Oz.
They need to learn that this is not how it is done.
This bus is Big Brother on Wheels and they must play the game properly. They must follow the leaders - that is those girls who screech loudly and often especially after 12 at night and the blokes with those monotonous hearty laughs who keep the noise levels up when the girls are drawing a breath. They must learn that it is necessary to frequently visit the toilet block while talking loudly after midnight and before 7am - that is only if you have trashed the loos, used all the loo paper and the hot water in half an hour and left your debris scattered about it first. Remember you are the only people on the campsite. Serious elderly campers doing culture, families with small children, and any other adventurer needing an early night before an early start simply do not count. Make sure you get on the campsite before other campers have the opportunity to make a laager with their camper vans to keep you out. Remember you are tough and your bus driver doesn't need the requisite hours of rest. Also you don't have to look at the cleaners swilling down your mess in the loos.
As reasonable people you may think you will enjoy the view from the bus but you must learn that window seats are for the nOiZiest people because they can't sleep on the aisle seats. Anyway some of those non-people campers have smeared the windows with soap and flour while you were having your party. Go to sleep. You are only there for the beer after all.


This is a photo of some pitches at Balatonfüred, on Lake Balaton in Hungary, which failed the John-and-Ruth-unanimous-choice test. The reason our van is not in the picture is that it was taking the photo.

FIXERS IN A FIX FIXING and GENDER ROLES FOR CAMPERS

Crocs (TM), Hand-knitted Estonian slippers (NTM), bucket and washing-up liquid - a composition


GENDER SURVEY ON CAMPSITES
Early on our trip, John and I made an unserious plan to conduct a survey of gender roles on campsites. I wanted to know if a change of lifestyle allowed retiring couples to adopt new and different roles with regard to housekeeping. We considered the idea because in the Wheely Cabin, I cook and John is washed up – no, washer-up!
Subsequent experience of the great variety of people and behaviour on campsites has blown any survey idea out of the dish water. It is too complex.
I think washing up is a horrible job on camp sites involving long walks, cold water, no sink plugs, dark areas, and knee high sinks, with drains full of food waste. Of course some kitchen areas are bright, clean, companionable, and have dreadful piped music . . . but all that is really John’s story. Apparently men often do the washing up on campsites. Nevertheless I am happy John does it but I worry that when he uses the ‘braai’/barbecue I may have to do the dishes.
By the way, D and H, those plastic buckets are fantastically useful!! Thank you so much!

Men it seems also are responsible for emptying the ‘shit’ cassettes though in Copenhagen I noticed that it was sometimes done by young women. . .
Handling (figuratively) that aspect of life is a gender issue.

I still clean the Wheely Cabin inside occasionally and I am responsible for how things are packed and stored. We are both responsible for its untidiness.
I stack the ‘hold’ however. I took over months ago when John’s back was bad and it appears that I get more things into it more efficiently more of the time. Perhaps though, you have noticed how inanimate objects can choose to alter their shape and volume from time to time so that THEY WILL NOT AND CANNOT BE MADE TO GO BACK WHERE THEY BELONG AND WHERE THEY FITTED YESTERDAY!