Saturday, Aug 31, 2013 at 11:41
John, we've just come back from an overseas jaunt that we mostly organised ourselves. 2 weeks in Bali, 3 days in Istanbul and 4 weeks touring around the Greek Islands (Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Kos, Samos and then Athens).
We spent over $15,000 in the 6 and a half weeks we were away. Around $330 a day, that covered everything - airlines, tours, ferries, 2 weeks car hire, petrol, accommodation, and all food.
It's certainly interesting seeing how the other half live. I can tell you this much - most Australians don't know how good we've got it - and I came
home with a greater appreciation of our fine CLEAN beaches, our UNCROWDED country - and our CHEAP fuel!
Petrol in Greece is $2.70-$3.00 a litre - and yes, they usually have less distance to drive. However, Crete is 247 kms long and a drivers and 4WD'ers delight. You just have to watch out for those mad Cretan farmers!
They love their Jap 4WD utes (Hiluxes, Nissans and Mitsubishi's) and they put huge offset wheels on them so they stick outside the bodywork about 100mm - and then they drive like Finnish rally drivers!
After experiencing Greek roads and Greek drivers, I will never complain about idiot Aussie drivers again!
In Greece, you never drive in your allotted lane - you drive half in the emergency lane at all times.
Why? Because you'll come to a sharp curve with a permanent double white line, and as you enter the blind curve, you'll meet a tourist coach doing 90kmh - a bloke in a car doing 110kmh, overtaking the coach - and a Greek taxi overtaking the bloke doing the overtaking!!
The overtakers will be on your side of the road of course, ignoring the double white lines! Double white lines mean nothing to Greeks!
We were climbing a mountain pass once and came across a bloke whizzing down the length of the mountain, in the uphill passing lane, over the continuous double white line!!
I got my "return" on the amount I've paid for fuel over the years, by flying cut-price on Qatar Airways!
It must be great having 500 billion Petro dollars, so you can buy and fly a fleet of new aircraft around the world, that are never full!
We flew Cairo to Doha 1st class and Doha to
Perth business class, for a cut-price $2000! There were NINE people on the entire Airbus from Cairo to Doha - and even from Doha to
Perth, the Boeing 777 was barely 2/3rds full. In business class, there were 40 available seats, but only 7 passengers!
I can tell you this much, flying business class on Qatar beats a swag in the bush in Winter, any day! LOL
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