JT - IT GROWS BUT DOES NOT AGE

Here we go again.....

Me and shaun have just experienced the obligatory pre-tour bbq and a couple of beers and are well ready for the cab at 3:30am.

The packings done, the hostels are booked....only one question remains....where are we going.....All will be revealed tomorrow morning, 530am, north terminal gatwick.

5 days, 4 nights. Its gonna get messy...... and historical.

EAst

And so it begins...

3am start and a sprint to Gatwick...  Jimbo had his passport (after 3 double checks), Johnny had his jacket (that he may as well have left behind), Shauny G had his Jaga flip flops (purchase of 2011) & Danny had what was left of his innocence (they'll be none left when this tour is over!).

Passports handed over, posh coffee in hand... Jimbo hands out the boarding passes... Sofia - Bulgaria is the latest destination on the JT rollercoaster! 

New city... new country... the dream rolls on....

Touch down in Sofia and we make a b-line for the hostel via a ropey minibus... First impressions of Sofia on the ride?  Ropey rundown buildings, stray dogs and plenty of casinos!  So imagine our concern when our hostel seems located through a random metal door in the middle of a terraced street!

Reality... A travellers paradise! Comfortable, friendly and quirky!  After an elongated intro to the hostel staff we settle in and head out to see what Bulgarias captial has to offer...  A busy city in the heart of Eastern Europe doesn't disappoint!  The streets are mental, the roads are worse and it looks kickin'!  We have a good wander a bite to eat and head back to wash up and get ready for a walking tour and the obligatory first night session!

Quick wash and on to the walking tour (Shauny G was not up for it at all...) we saw plenty of what the city's history had to offer along with a tight Cezch fella, a couple of overly cocky Yanks and a pair of female Spainairds.  Jimbo won the quiz (standard!), Shauny G paid little to no attention (other than to the local talent) and we tipped our guide more than the Yanks!

On to a recommended local meat fest restaurant which didnt disappoint and off to to hit the Jaga train!  We found ourselves a boozer where you pour your own pints (not the first time on JT) and steamed in!  Then on to a Rock club which John & Shauny G had to bribe the bouncers to let them in due to no ID - mugged off!  Hit the drinking games with the assistance of the worst under 17 football game in history - Shauny G worst off via 6 Jagas...

Back to the hostel for an early start to climb Sofias mountains... Decent start and ready to go mad tomorrow...

Here's to Jimbotours... in the words of the Capital:

"IT GROWS BUT DOES NOT AGE"

Shauny G

Ooooosh!

wowo what a day!!!

What a city!!

today started with getting the no.5 tram to the mountain and then a short walk apperently to the path....3 hours later we were in the middle of a forest and completely knackered. we met a local guy half way who said he'd bring us to a nice place 1km away.......1.5hrs later we were cooked and he was still saying it was a km away - bastatrd!!.

got to the botttom after a lot of pain - shaunie g was not happy!!.

To pick ourselves up we went for a meal and then to the casiono - danny boy was well up. he's gone now so maybe he's gone to find that hooker from last night.

3 hours sleep then we get a flight to the coast. we're bang up for it!!!!!

east

So hear we are now in Varna a resort on the black sea.

The weather has been blinding so after we checked into the hostel it was straight to the beach to get the aches and pains out of our legs after the exsertions in Sofia.

After a big blow down the beach we headed for Golden sands which is a resort up the coast. To describe it is basically blackpool in the sun for german and scandinavian people. Horrible!!

We had a few games or shauns new drinking game / brilliant and we were joined by our surprise guest / G Budd *more from him later.

Too many drinks were consumed and John and Danny decided to go swimming at 3 in the morning at a swimming pool in a bar / pictures and video evidence available / nuff said. Shaun and Jimbo went to the obligatory casino and left it behind before getting to bed at 5am.

very messy / very smelly room!!!

more later

East

Following on from Jimbos blog....  We get to bed at 5am....

We get woken up by a bunch of ignorant Finnish dudes at 8am.... Very messy, very smelly, very hungover, very GRUMPY room!

Tried to get a few extra hours kip, GBudd made his formal arrival to the hostel and we made a run for the beach.  The weather hasnt been what it was for the first 3 days although 30+ degree heat was starting to take it toll on Dannys sunburn and Jimbos bald patch.  As we made our way to sunbathe with the locals the heavens opened and things were looking a little grim especially after a random German on a solo walking tour tried to kidnap Danny and John.

We made our way to the beach and as we set up shop the sun came back.  Jimbo couldnt wait to get into the sea {also known as the JT communual urinal}, Johnny and Danny werent as keen... they were probably still tired from their 3am dip in the bar from the night before!  Queue a few hours of big blows, showing the locals how to play volleyball and several bags of sandy crisps and we headed back home for a wash and then out on the tiles.

The decision was made to skip the hostels BBQ {one we would later regret} in favor of attempting to seek out some local cuisine in Varna Town away from the Brits on the piss atmosphere in Golden Sands.  We made the poor call to eat at a local fish restaurant... long and short we got chips for starters, individual 1* meals walking out to us one at a time over the space of half an hour, greasy sauteed potatos for desert and this is all happening under the watchful stare of a one eyed cat.  Not great.

For a Saturday night there wasnt alot of action so we headed back up to the top of town to seek out a bar with a pitstop in a sports bar full of wierd over excited Russians {note the cameo reappearance from one of their gang shortly....}.  By the time we made it to the top of the strip Johnny was looking worse for wear and bowed out gracefully in traditional JT fashion.

We walked on through the town and due to thirst, the need of a bog and no other options we got beers in a local pizzeria along with 2 large Ouzos and finger spoof was away... Danny thankfully escaped the punishment he had on the previous night.  After deciding that the town was shut for the night as there is a public holiday on Sunday we grabbed beers and Mint Liquer from the Turk and brought party back to the hostel. 

En route to the taxi rank however about 100 mtrs in the distance we spot the crazy Russian dude running topless, with no shoes and bouncing into anything and everything.  GBudd thought it was all over as he passed us and thankfully carried on his imitation of Forest Gump.... 20 mtrs up the road we found his flipflops... JT fact - Russians are wierd and not to be messed with.

Back at the hostel Johnny got up for it and joined the party where we setup in the bar and attempted to find a light switch in the pitch dark.  Then from the back of the adjoining kitchen comes a creeking door followed by serious shouting and screaming in Bulgarian... Once again GBudd thought it was all over! From the darkness emerged the Hostel manager Chris - not the Bulgarian sodomisit we feared.  Chris grabbed a beer and went on to tell the tale of his evening which in shorrt included his jealous newly wed wife, a missing condom and in my opinion a young American girl {not confirmed!}.  Chris was in a bad way and sought sollace in the JT crowd whilst his wife stomped around the hostel slamming doors at a rate that Stevie B would have been proud of!  Some Scandies and a moody Aussie joined the party and finger spoof was a hit.

We headed for bed and Shauny G found an un wanted visitor in the form of a cat in his bunk so headed up top to GBudds bunk in search of flea free dwellings {G doesnt know this so once read Shauny G can expect a moody stare no doubt!}. 

Big blows this morning... Jim and G headed to the traditional baths, Johnnys reading, Shauny G slept and Danny is lost in the Jimbotour hangover woods...  Were getting ready to leave this very chilled out hostel, have our final supper and head to the airport with one question on everyones lips as we go into the final furlong.....

Who will be man of the tour????

Annual questionnaire will clear that up! 

First class tour...  Heres to next year 2012 and beyond...

Shauny G aka 2011 web editor signing out!

OOOOOUUUUUFFFFFF!!!

...is a good tour.

So the end of JT5 is complete. There were lots of laughs, drinks, meat, fit European women and soon-to-be divorced hostel managers.

And the fact that a local cabbie was asking me for directions, made a mockery of the Bulgarian taxi drivers. Where's Sat Nav/Google Earth when you need it? 

So what did I learn about all the others?

James - is officially the best tour guide ever, bar none. He pops in a Jimbo Fact at just the right time and makes it manageable enough to understand. He will still around on Jimbo Tours 20 in Benidorm, telling everyone about the time he remembered it as an 18-30 piss up and not as a historical place of beauty.

John - gives everything last drop of energy he has, until the last night, by which he is then absolutely knackered and not up-for-it. Its called having the 'final nite blues'.

Shauny G - an absolute legend. Always up for a walk up a mountain in the first hour, then spends the rest of the Tour moaning about how his calves hurt and the fact that he hasn't read The Sun for at least 3 days, because these 'foreigners don't speak proper English'.

Danny - definitely Man of the Tour, but still learning the hard facts about Jimbo Tours. Loves a Pina Colada on a beach full of chavs, offering cheap booze and the odd bit of violence, if necessary. Get him drunk enough and he'll do anything as well (i.e a dip in a pool at 2am, in just his pants). The British version of Stevie B. 

An enjoyable break, who knows what Jimbo Tours 6 will be like?

And will Arnie be there?

yEAST infection

As is traditional we finish the tour with a questionnaire. Standard penalty shots on JT6 for late or missing answers (John). Feel free to add any questions at the end.

BEST DRINK

Jimbo - Zagorka - slipped down a right treat 

Shauny - Mint Liquer - The closest you get to brushing your teeth on JT

Johnny - Zagorka - only one I can remember

Danny -Jager - Couldnt get enough of it.

GBudd - Gotta be the Zagorka beer. I paid less than 1 Lev 20 (about 50p), in Bourgas, when I'd just got off the plane and tasted amazing

BEST MOMENT OF THE TOUR

Jimbo - Witnessing a Bulgarian divorce after 4 days of marriage in our hostel at midnight.

Shauny - Has to be listening to Chris the hostel owner explain how his 4 day old marriage was going East London sharpish whilst his missus was slamming doors and smashing things at a rate that even Stevie B could learn from

Johnny - Listening to Shaunie G persuading G Budd to swap beds after he found a flea ridden cat in his!

Danny -hmmm...My favourite hour was 35,000 feet above Bulgaria on a Bulgarian Air Flight to Varna. Some special memories.

GBudd - A toughie. I think Danny having a mini breakdown, bought on by 15 shots of the local Ouzo and doing a 2am dip in the pool before slipping into a drink induced coma, just about beats Chris, the hostel man's, 4-day-old-marriage breakdown 

WORST MOMENT OF THE TOUR

Jimbo - Walking up a mountain for 3 hours. Seeing a road sign and a man with a tash then turing around and walking down again.

Shauny - Being stranded on my own on that horrific rock in Sofia - forget worst moment of the tour.... that was the worst moment of my life

Johnny - It's got to be the mountain (could be best moment if you recall Shaun's face at the top - thought we were a man down after that!)

Danny -Awaking from my coma to discover i was sharing my tent with a psychotic cat who didnt fancy leaving.

GBudd - Not being able to find you guys in Varna and spending 4 hrs walking down the beach, after James told me 'we're lying on the beach'. It was a bloody big beach! (If it was Southend, I'd have found u lot in 20 mins!)

WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU?

Jimbo - Sun hat. Bald patch still hurts.

Shauny - Hiking boots

Johnny - Air freshener for the morning after everyone had maccie d's!

Danny -Sleeping bag and a pillow

GBudd - A marriage guidance counsellor!

WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU LEFT BEHIND?

Jimbo - My swimming shorts. they stunk. wish i left them in the sea in varna!

Shauny - Toothbrush - just buying Mint Liquer in 2012

Johnny - All my jumpers

Danny -My travel iron

GBudd - My Lithuanian hoodie. Not needed in the heeeeeeeat

FAVOURITE BOOZER Jimbo - Not a boozer. But sitting with a can on a beautiful night by the fountain after climbing up the mountain was sweet.

Shauny - Pizzeria in Varna - living proof that finger spoof can be played anywhere and everywhere

Johnny - It's got to be the pour your own one - if only for the birth of the new Jimbo tours drinking game Finger Spoof

Danny -Big fan of bars with swimming pools.

GBudd - Probably the German bar that me, James and Shauny ended up in, late on Friday nite. Standing on the tables, drinking a vodka and lemonade and doing Nazi salutes. If I'd found that place earlier Helmut Kohl, your boys would've took one hell of a beating!

WHERE DO THE FRUIT MARKETS COMPARE TO PREVIOUS JT YEARS

Jimbo - Sofia was ripe and tasty but that tasty tangerine we saw floating in the sea in varna looked good enough to each. Standard was high the whole tour.

Shauny - Its a very high standard of produce - not quite a tasty other locations but defo ripe

Johnny - It's no Prague but easily beat Budapest - a solid 7 for me

Danny -Amazing - In season and ready for picking

GBudd - I missed out on Sofia, but what I saw in Varna easily compares with previous tours. I reckon the further east you go into Europe, the fitter the birds become. Bring on the Russians! I mean Maria Sharapova ain't ugly is she?

BEST NIGHT OUT Jimbo - First night in Sofia. Ended up having to bribe our way into the club.

Shauny - Danny & Johnny in the pool... hands down!  Any bar that you can leave the best part of a 1er behind at the bar and still refuse you a free shot... dont they know who we are!

Johnny - Even though I'm against the resorts - it's got to be Friday in Varna with the pool party if me and Danny jumping in can be classed as a party

Danny -Varna first night. If im on a night out and im in my pants, its always a good night.

GBudd - Friday Night in Varna. I reckon I could have stayed up all nite, I felt well up for it

QUOTE OF THE TOUR

Jimbo - "Its only 1km to a nice view". An hour uphill later we knew not to trust a hairy Bulgarian with his shirt open.

Shauny - "Come on Shaun... Don't you want to see the beautiful view of Sofia from the top of that mountain???" - Gobshite.

Johnny - Russian guy repeatedly asking Shaun if we were Sea Mans (I reckon he's still laughing with his mates about how he mugged the stupid English Mans off!)

Danny -"Danny are you sure you want to climb the mountain in flip flops....."  Jimbo saving me from a fate worst than death.

GBudd - 'There were 2 condoms in the first aid box and now there's only one. And I'm getting the blame for it!' said Chris, in the hostel. Since when were Elastoplasts replaced by johnnies in a first aid box? Perhaps its a Bulgarian thing

WIERDEST PERSON WE MET

Jimbo - The girl in the resturant in varna who could only carry one plate at a time.

Shauny - The German dude that Jimbo was talking to pissed up in the hostel in Sofia - they were just grunting at eachother.  Although wierdest animal has to be the 1 eyed cat in the fish restaurant in Varna!

Johnny - The prick Dan in the hostel.  I'm a peaceful man but had the urge to trip him down the stairs (Ruby Tuesday wasn't far behind for ruining Chris' marriage)

Danny -American bird in Sofia hostel.

GBudd - The Russian and his weird mate on the last nite. When we spotted his weird mate, doing a Forrest Gump impression in the town centre (and smashing into everything and losing his flip flops), I really thought he was going to lump me round the head and then run off

FUNNIEST MOMENT

Jimbo -  John and Danny's midnight dip in the German Ibiza

Shauny - Danny trying to suss out how to light a cigar... it sounds simple enough but Danny made it looked surprisingly difficult.

Johnny - Shaunie threatening to swing for moustachio man after the promise of great views.  I don't think he could have lifted his arms never mind swung for him.  Danny's day in the tent makes me chuckle too

Danny -The anticipation and end result of watching Shaun climb the last slope on the mountain in Sofia to realise not only are we not at the top we were standing next to a VW Passat. However he didnt stay there for very long.

GBudd - Danny trying to master 'finger spoof' and failing miserably. Saying there would be all 5 fingers left on the glass and then as he was saying it, taking his one off! Brilliant. Just proves what tricks the old booze can play on your mind

FAVOURITE HOSTEL

Jimbo - Both good standard. Gotta be X for the slow pace of life and lack of cleaning.

Shauny - X Hostel - no cleaning, guitars, 2 bars and an overweight bloke walking around half naked... sounds like my flat!

Johnny - All about X hostel but Hostel Mostel carried itself well

Danny -X although sometimes its nice to be indoors when theres a storm blowing in the night.

GBudd - Has to be X hostel. (The only one I stayed in). It was good anyway

BEST FOOD

Jimbo - Plate of meat before we got the bus to the airport

Shauny - Plate of before the plane... true Bulgarian cuisine.

Johnny - Mixed grill in Sofia with Grandma's fried potatoes

Danny -Mixed grill in Sofia - bootifull

GBudd - As James above. Beef shank, possibly the tenderiest, best piece of beef I've ever eaten

BIG QUESTION MAN OR BODY PART OF THE TOUR

Jimbo - Gotta be Danny - If it was a 5 day tour I think he would have lost it to Shaun.

Shauny - Danny has to take it down - he got the blend of JT style and Brits on the piss just right in my opinion ; )

Johnny - I'll go with Danny even though I've still got a bruise on my arm from him headbutting it everytime the cab turned a corner on the way back from golden sands whilst he was in his drink induced coma

Danny - Shaun for me. Casino losses, mountain hiking adventures and the bringer of finger spoof.

GBudd - 'Man of the Tour': Danny. No issue

*** NEW FOR 2011 *** PICK 1 JT STOP FOR 2012

Jimbo - Istanbul

Shauny - Belgrade

Johnny - Monaco

Danny -Siofok. Its the Golden Sands of Hungary

GBudd - Romania?

Stevie B - Athens, if they ever stop rioting!!

********************THE BIG ONE ********************************************

After JT5 list your top 3 cities visited and the worst city so far: 

CITIES:JT1: Munich; Prague; Krakow.             JT2: Bratislava; Vienna; Budapest; Berlin

JT3: Helsinki; Tahlinn; Vilnius; Riga               JT4: Ljubljana; Zagreb; Split; Ancona; Rome

JT5: Sofia; Varna.           

Jimbo -

1- Berlin - history on par with Rome but wins it on nightlife

2- Rome - amazing.

3- Prague. Just pipped Budapest.

Worst- Easy to say Ancona but for me it was Bratislava which didnt match up to the hype.

Shauny

1- Munich - best beer I've ever drunk and where it all began

2- Rome - most beautiful place I've ever been to

3- Split - the birth of JT visiting a beach and Jimboland aka my final resting place

Worst- Taking Ancona and Bratislava out of it as they are the easy options... I'd go Loseyabanna - no value in my opinion

Johnny - 

1- Munich - maybe as it was the birth of JT

2- Vienna - for the fan zones rather than the city.  Some naughty Germans though!

3- Prague - Beatiful place

Worst - Budapest - too moody for me even though we left the nightlife behind

Danny -Only been to 3 so....

1-Varna

2-Riga

3-Sofia

Worst-

 Sofia - I like sofia but Riga just pipped it for me due to it having a sweaty humpback man

GBudd -

1- Rome + Vatican City (easy choice - 9.5/10)

2- Vilnius (solo tour as well - tick)

3- Vienna (remember the great fan zone)

Worst- Ancona (Don't remember anything about it!)

Stevie B

1- Munich, possibly the most memorable of the cities we visited, mostly cause of the antics there than the sites we saw!

2- Rome

3- Vienna, again mostly due to other activities than site seeing, although they should ban those pesky Germans as they are a blight on the city, although the mad Croatians and Bruce helped make up for it

Worst- I'm afraid for me it has rto be Bratislava, was really disapointed with it!!