Florida Delegation Journal
Day 7, January 2, 2007

Vienna, Austria
By: Kirsten & Nikki, Orlando, FL and Natasha, Ponte Vedra, FL

Team Florida in Vienna

It was a VERY early bus ride from Maribor, Slovenia, and Natasha still hadn’t returned her snowboard. So she had to run a mile and a half down a steep mountain of snow, just to return and pay for the snowboard she didn’t use. Then when she hiked the mile and a half back she had to pee, and the bus was getting ready to leave. So she had to hold it, and we had to stop on the road so she could pee in the bushes. The ride was about 2 to 3 hours, and Kirsten was going insane, I don’t know how she was going to make it on the 7-hour ride.

Ariel with SmartCar Vienna

“The Longest Bus Ride”
By: Kamryn, Ponte Vedra, FL and Jennifer, Jacksonville, FL
           
After spending a day shopping in Vienna, Austria, it was time to load the bus once again to get to Prague, Czech Republic. 

Team Jax Jr in Vienna

The first hour we borrowed Tasha’s I pod and watched “The Longest Yard”.  To our dismay the last 10 minutes of the movie were cut off.  We were not allowed to sleep, but many still drifted off during the 6 hours on the road.  The bus driver, by law, is supposed to stop every 2 hours for 20 minute breaks.  This made the bus ride seem like days and days.  We stopped at various toll booths, and at one an officer boarded the bus to check our passports, to make sure we were who we said we were. 

With still four hours to go, everyone began to get restless.  Soon, hunger struck and panic spread across the bus!  How much longer? When would we eat? Would we ever eat?  As seat-mates grew fond of each other, and scraped together the last crumbs of Toblerone and paprika chips (very tasty), delirium came fast.  As the giggles became contagious among teens, the parents grew irritated.  I, Kamryn, was sitting on the floor between the seats, licking wrappers, hoping to get every morsel of deliciousness.  We were going crazy and talk of cannibalism spread like a wild fire. It was only when Meghan Sherman mentioned that the Sherman family owned a cannibal fork that sanity took its place once more. 

With the bus calm, the hotel came into sight.  Finally there, we piled off the bus, got our luggage and went in search of food.  Jirka, our Czech tour guide, greeted us with a smile and menus.  Our long trip was finally over.  Victory was ours, as we left the dining hall with fat stomachs and needing Pepto-Bismol.  Lights and teams were out by midnight, ready for our new adventures in Prague.

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