Day 42: The Costa Fortuna

11.02.09: Got on the Internet as soon as I could and there it was - a message from Lorna, my guardian angel, bearing the heading ‘Costa cruise sorted for today'. I was sorted on a CRUISE SHIP to the Dominican Republic. A cruise ship!! Leaving that day. Oh. Hell YEAH! The Costa Fortuna. I had just hitched a ride on a Cruise Ship! A wonderful guy named Donald Ferguson, a representative for Rooster PR had gone out of his way to sort it out. What a legend. THANK YOU Donald! Excited, I headed down to the port to meet the very lovely Roberta and Rosa, who added me to the passenger list and gave me my Costa Card. I was in! I'd be in the Dominican Republic in the morning. I returned to Bytes, Beans and Websites to pick up my stuff and say goodbye to…

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Day 41: Herman Toothrot

10.02.09: A heavy dew had formed on me and my bags in the night. I prised myself up off the sun lounger and headed for a nice hot cup of tea. The Beans, Bytes and Websites café was just what I needed - Internet access and hot drinks. I may have missed the boat and the full moon party, but I was getting off this island today! Or so I had convinced myself. But as the day wore on, it became more and more obvious that I was to spend a second night in the US Virgin Islands. They're not even a proper nation, for heaven's sake! Over 40 days in and I was still trying to get on a boat to travel all of 60 miles or so. Luckily for me, the staff of the Beans, Bytes and Websites café took me in. Monique and…

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Day 40: Down And Out In Paradise

09.02.09: What a day. We arrived in Tortola, the main British Virgin Island, nice and early, and before long I was on a ferry (YES, A FERRY!!) heading over to St. Thomas, which is in the US Virgin Islands. On the way over, I got chatting with a British guy named Oliver. He was heading over to St. Thomas so he could renew his entry stamp to the British Virgin Islands, the joke being that as a Brit, he can only stay in the BVIs for one month, but he can stay in the USVIs for three! Tonight on Tortola is the full moon party at Bomba's Hut on the beach. Everyone gets wrecked on (legal) mushroom tea and then all the girls take their clothes off. At least that's what it said in the Lonely Planet. It sounded great! Oliver said I could crash at…

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