Due to a few problems with an Air France strike (during the World Cup no less), your friendly tour operator was forced to land in Holland the same day as most of the troops. This meant that the van pickup and lodging for the first day would be difficult- well actually impossible since the newly booked United flight was 3 hours late. This took some tricky last minute logistics, but a plan was hatched and the 1998 Spring Tour was under way- in a more chaotic fashion than ever.

The plan was delivered to the first six arrivals: Mike Hamm (University of Winnipeg, Canada '98), Gavin Cooke (UH '98), Aaron Wilton (UH '97), Devin Poolman (Stanford '98), Ian Crosno (UOP '98), and Nisse Huttunen (Loimu, Finland) with skeptical responses. Ian, a tour virgin like 12 of the 14 participants, will get us started on this issue of your Bring It Tours journal.

*****

After the travel weary arrived and congregated, throwing some McDonalds down our throats was the first mission before heading out to the foreign land of Holland. We were fully loaded and ready to find the first available train to take us to the town of Dordrecht. Lacking any knowledge and leadership and feeling a bit jet lagged, the group successfully navigated the rail, bus and special taxi system to finally arrive at a comfortable place to rest and relax before heading out to the tour's first match. The special taxi system apparently was a separate system for unexpecting-expecting suckers like ourselves that the local Dordrechtians could extort as much money from, before realizing that the hostel was only 500 yards away and we needed no taxi.

The first match began well for a group who had never played together and most of us running on no sleep for what seemed like a couple of weeks. We of course rolled over the Dordrecht team and began to celebrate back at the hostel with a bartender who was drunk with a little help from the tour members. After partying with the locals until the early morning hours and seeing members of the tour begin to show signs of delirium, we headed for bed. As the first night drew to a close we knew this was going to be a great group and a heck of a good tour.

Day 2 - Wednesday, June 17

This tour marks the first trip that we are not the only "foreigners" in the game. We decided to bring a Canadian and a Finn. Enter Nisse Huttunen- a 24 year old Nummela native with 25+ international matches for the Finnish National Team and a recent player on Raisio Loimu (Finnish Champions). Nisse is one of many Finnish players that are looking for jobs in other EC countries after a recent lowering of their national transfer fees structure and I guess he wanted to get an American perspective on the opportunities out there. I'm sure he'll go home with a few new perspectives of some sort...

*****

I woke up in a Dutch hostel in Dordrecht with three Americans. I was saying to myself "what the ---- you are doing here?" The answer came pretty soon. These guys speak the same language: VOLLEYLANGUAGE. They foolround, talk some shit, but when the game starts they are on fire. So back to the morning. We went to a breakfast which didn't turn out to be a success. Some bread, coffee and one egg!!!! After filling our bellies we played some pool and cards. Then we got in the van which turned out the be a"Monday-model". (editor: this must be a Finnish translation of something.) We drove to Appeldorn where our Hotel de Paris showed her face. There was only three rooms for 14 people so the atmosphere was cosy. Then we went to Zwolle to play the second match against the local team. We lost the match but only because our videocamera wasn't in the gym and because the jetlag was hammering us. After the match we went back to the hotel and looked the city over and had a few "sportsdrinks". A few of our guys were so tired that they had to go to the coffee shop to take some coffee to fresh up a little bit, but eventually we all made it back to our cramped quarters for bed.

Day 3 - Thursday, June 18

Today can only be paraphrased by our hero, Matt Hyden (San Diego State '98). Matt could only find a flight to Europe that dropped him off in Amsterdam 3 days before the rest of the tour. This enabled him to acquaint himself with the Dutch culture and get his clock set to European standards. I think it also got him so screwed up that he was the only one up at 7am when we needed someone to save the tour...

*****

The day started off pretty earlier for me, approximetely 6:30 in the morning. i was still suffering from jet lag so i decided to venture out and see what was in store, i ended up in the hotel lobby and ate breakfast. We stayed at a nice hotel by the name of Hotel de Paris in the city of Apeldoorn and from there we were to head to assen to play another gruling match of volleyball. As i sat in the restuarant of the hotel a message from a beautiful lady came to me and said that Tim was on the phone. That is where all hell broke loose. My objective for the next two hours was to move both the cars, one which was about to lose its engine, from a pay parking zone to a free parking zone. This task was given to me at 7:45 and the cars had to be moved by 8:00, try to figure the math on this one. So i am running my ass off in the pooring rain moving one car about a mile then heading back for the other one before the ticket man claimed another victim. It was Tim's car so i wasn't to worried. I did finally complete my task so i headed back to the hotel to recieve so more exciting news from our faithful leader, i have to go sit at the car while the mecnic tried to fix it. It wasn't to bad the guy spoke no english so no small talk there, but he did finish in about a half an hour. The morning pretty much sucked but that day we headed out into the town and experinced some new culture. After a long day we loaded up the cars and headed to Assen to play the team Sadosa. This match was pretty big one to the town, they had a camera crew in the gym filming us and catching Tim with his fly down. We crushed them that night i don't remember the exact details of the match but we did win. Later that night we had our first experiece in a luxory hotel, they put us up in the gym. It wasn't as bad as i thought it would be except for those little s*#!# that woke us up in the morning. But we had a fun night of a full contact soccer game in which we just crushed the other team compliments of our all star forward Mike Duckworth. Mike scored atleast ten goals if not more, the final score was like twenty eight to fifteen, or somewhere around there. That was pretty much it for that day of our journey. Good luck to everyone on the tour, and to any new members of the tour, don't drive with Greg Wakeham.

Day 4 - Friday, June 19

Today saw us on our way to our first international border crossing. I think the guys had seen enough of the mediocre Dutch league (even though we got crushed by Zwolle) and were excited to check out the Bratwurst and Hefeweizen of Holland's nieghbors. Our next stop was VC Bottrop and they are in desperate need of a setter. This tour boasts two excellent setters, but Curt Vaughn (UH '97, USA Team '98) recently signed a Belgian contract so Mike Hamm was in the hot seat...

*****

So I was in the hot seat and Tim let me know that early in the day so that I had plenty of time to sweat it out. We pulled ito Bottrop really early in the afternoon and so we had about five or six hours to kill. We went over to the town square and began our chilling. Well in the square Matt Hyden entertained us with a litttle jam session on a locals guitar. Following that Tim decided to lead us on a two hour walk to meet his girlfriend at the train station but we never ended up making it to the actual station so after about ten different sets of directions he decided to cab it and we headed for the gym. At the gym we met up with Tim's girlfriend who immediately put us to work on some kind of language survey. I don't know exactely what she was testing but overall I can't see this team scoring to high on the language scale.

Now it was game time. For the first time on the tour the team had a solid warm up and came out ready to play. It showed as we jumped out to an early 10-1 lead. Everything seemed to be going well and everyone was playing well. We ended up winning the first two games and in the mean time getting the decent sized crowd into the game. Mike "Gay boy" Duckworth was up to his usual antics and put on a good show for everyone in attendance. In the third game I switched teams and set for the German team. That went pretty well as we played a close game with the German team losing a close one again. The game was made more interesting when gay boy and Brian "bow wow" Bowers got up in the stands early and got the crowd going. So it turned out to be a very successful night for the tour boys as we won three straight and got things going as a team.

After the game Wolfgang, the president of the team, took us out for a fat meal. After spending a couple days in Holland the sight of a man sized beer was a pleasant surprise. For the meal we got tomato soup and individual pizzas which were great and then a shot of Zambuca to finish things off. From here we went off to the friendley confines of the gymnasium and passed out.

Note: One week later I ended up signing a contract to play in Bottrop. My wife to be told me Germany was the least favorite of here choices to live but overall I was impressed with the town, the gym and the team so this is where I will be next year. Things look good for me, ad so I hope other guys can get some hook ups as well.

Day 5 - Saturday, June 20

Another day, another border crossing- why stay in one country too long? Today we would see how Curt Vaughn's contract looked and how his new team looked with him at the helm. We were off to Antwerpen, Belgium for an afternoon match on a day that their team was playing in the World Cup. We knew there would be plenty of partying for the soccer game that afternoon but could we get a party going on the court? We might as well have Curt tell us how it looked from the other side of the net...

*****

A strong sweat already dripping off every player from the 80 degree heat and 95% humidity coupled with an intense game of juggling the flat but, ever present soccer ball, drove us from the pleasant outside into the confines of my future home, the MIGHTY ZORGVLIET BOMSHELTER. The game wasn't great on either side of the net(yes even the side I was on with Zorgvleit) but it was better than previous game. No longer were the Bringit Boys unique and often unwarranted celebrations(advice from Tim to look American by celebrating like Americans) better than the actual volleyball. It looked as though the team was starting to come together and gel. The most impressive aspect of the ever improving Bringit Boys was the swarming defense. The swarming, overbearing tactic of defense is attributed to the practice the team has everynight when there is women present. Tonight was no exception. The group of twelve entered the bustling center of Antwerpen during the Belgium-Mexico game and was greeted by women, beer and a mob of soccer crazy Europeans whose idea of fun was to pack into the main plaza and kick to ball as high as possible or into an innocent bystander, whichever was easier. OK back to the swarming tactic, it was used with great efficiency as we fell upon two beautiful yet unsuspecting Belgian women. The onslaught was more than they could handle. They humored us for an hour or so with chair in hand to keep the drooling group at a safe distance. As usual the swarming tactic didn't work outside the confines of a volleyball court and the beautiful babies proceeded to meet up with a gay man and left us heartbroken but fancy free to practice the swarming attack on any other unsuspecting women. So if you are walking the streets of Europe and hear a loud buzzing noise of 12-14 love starved Americans hide the farm animals, get inside and bolt the doors. Until we meet in a dark alley, Bringit Boy numero uno,

-Curt

Day 6 - Sunday, June 21

Once again we were off to another country (or countries) for the day. Today would mark one of the biggest fiascos in tour history and we'll actually need to have a split journal enrty if that gives you a little preview as to how the day went. Actually, we all share the same day until around 5pm and then it splits drastically. Here to recount the evening for the "lucky" six is Brian Bowers (Rutgers '98)...

*****

I awoke a little disoriented in a miniaturized hotel room. Personally I was dripping sweat because the Formula F1 was pretty damn hot. I was still wondering what happened to the guys who stayed behind last night, but they made it back and we will hear about their adventures later. Our plan for today was to drive from Antwerpran, Belgium to Strasburg, France. It was going pretty well. We stopped in Luxembourg for lunch and admired many finally rounded female behinds. I wouldn't mind spending a few days here admiring the local scenery. Actually I wish we had. As we left Luxembourg we briefly stopped at an outdoor fountain so the boys could cool and bathe publicly.

With a little food in our stomachs we continued on our journeys. About an 100 miles down the road, the van seemed to be running a bit hot. Maybe it was the countless attempts to set a new land- speed record, 156 km/ hr, in the Turbo- D or maybe all the bad things people have ever said about Fiats are true . Either way we were stuck on the roadside for a few hours. So the three car caravan was momentarily stopped somewhere in France waiting for a tow. Some of the mosre creative guys passed the time playing with a lighter, trying to catch it on the back of their hands. A game of "bones" was underway on the roadside as well. Basically it was hot, there was nothing to do, and not one single french honey stopped to help us out. However stories about the night before finally surfaced. The two guys who stayed at the club were rumored to have discovered the red- light district but they kept pretty quiet about it. Somehow we managed to stay entertained. About an hour later, the tow truck showed up.

A few of the guys had traveled on towards Strasburg since we had a pre paid reservation while the rest of us were headed towards a small towin in France. The local mechanic could not fix the van so we were stuck here for a night. Four more guys left the sinking ship in the second car towards Strasburg so six of us were stuck in Phalsbourg. It turned out to be a pretty good move. At the hotel, they fed us well and we slept in comfort. The dinner there was the best meal I have had so far this trip. In the bathroom, the bideu caused some confusion, but the slower halves of our brains eventually wised up. France was like I had heard, an abundant suply of warm milk and smelly cheese. My two years of high school french class is starting to pay off, I actually understand a little bit. Today could be considered a minor setback, but I have no complaints. They really took care of us at the hotel and I think we all learned a lot about real French culture and hospitality.

Day 7 - Monday, June 22

Half the team woke up in Phalsbourg, the other half in Strasbourg. The goal for the day was to reunite and get some vehicles to get us back on track for the Eastern leg of the tour. Today is another day that should probably have split entries, but weÕll go to Mike Duckworth (George Mason Ô98) from the half that had the most to do before the 3pm meeting at the Strasbourg central square. Would everything come together and the tour continue as planned...

*****

After a very nice breakfast in Phalsbourg at the hotel where the insurance company hooked us up, we decided to try to catch up with the other guys. The day started with a lovely taxi ride to the airport in( Strasbourg) to pick up the new rental cars. It was no regular taxi ride. Being from Washington D.C I have to say that I have experienced many different taxiÕs and I would like to add that I have never driven in a Mercedes (that was fun). My other experience on this particular day happened at the airport. Although I never been to Europe it was an extremely weird site to see the French army walking around the airport with machine guns loaded , and worse, their hands on the trigger. My other observation that I want to get off my chest is that the ketchup situation is totally bogus. IÕve never had to pay for ketchup in my life at a fast food establishment, but thatÕs OK since the scenery makes it all worth it. Back to the story, after arriving at the airport we picked up the new vans, mini bus, or what ever they are and headed for the church in Strasbourg. Once arriving in the centrum of Strasbourg we meet up with the guys and started getting mob by all the street peddlers. I was ready for the peddlers since I have had multiple encounters with them in Washington D.C. I felt bad for the poor men walking around selling junk so I ask to see what he had. My eye got caught on the Bob Marley necklace so before I knew it the man stuck the necklace in my hand and demanded a price. He gave me a ridiculous offer of 40 francs( $7.00 US). I laughed at him and told him I would give him 10 francs ($1.50) thatÕs it, no more. He said no and I said no problem and walked away. He came right back and wanted me to buy it again. So I pulled out a ten francs and held it my hand and told him take it or leave it. He took it . My first good bargain in Europe, and my Washington D.C. experience paid off. We left Strasbourg in search of what Tim calls a beautiful lake where we could possibly chill out and enjoy the beautiful scenery ,it was in Baden-Baden, France. After a couple of wrong turns we finally found the lake. It was a little under my and my teams expectations since their was a smell that was so nasty. I canÕt even explain the smell , although I will say you would have to pay me a lot of money to jump into that water. After the lake scene we went to Freiburg, Germany to relax and make some phone calls to set up more matches. We hung out for awhile and then headed for the Formula 1 in Mulhouse

Day 8 - Tuesday, June 23

We all woke up from a comfy nightÕs stay without knowing if we had a match or not. The van fiasco had kept tour management from securing a match, but Lieutenant Greg ÒSalaam-a-Ó Wakeham (German translator, Tour Super Veteran Summer Ô97, UOP Ô97, and already signed at Zwolle, Holland) and yours truly set off for a phone to see what we could do. The tour has never seen more than two days off in a row and we werenÕt about to let a little van failure ruin our chances of finding jobs...

*****

Mulhouse France was a wonderful place to wake up to - the birds, trees, and fresh cut grass. We set off and set up office in two adjacent phone booths next to a glorious symbolic foreshadowing church to once again shake the trees and wait for the succulent ripe fruit to drop out. That fruit materialized into an appointment with Val de Ruz for that night. We were to meet Serge at the Biel Hauptbahnhof (train station) for an escort to make the arrival a bit less confusing. Lucky of for us. So we gassed and headed for Biel. A quick money change & Lebensmittel (food) and the boys were ready for Switzerland. Bring on the Fondue. Serge was there early and 30 minutes later the 5 car caravan rolled smoothly into downtown ÒVal TownÓ as the locals call it. The game went off with out a snag. Although I normally never toot, in around 10 minutes of actual playing time, with the rest dedicated to dazzling the capacity crowdto high flying slamming and jamming, I showed how a true closer plays the game. I finished game two as a middle, and later on, yes fans, game 5 was mine as I silenced the critics, solved the mid life crisises and inspired the women, setting the match to a dominating DOUBLE U (W). But enough about my seemingly supernatural play and looks, we can get back to the night. After everyone had showered shaved and when my extra set of calistenics and rock-climbing excercises was complete, we all sat down as a group, a team, a family, 13 americans, a canuck, a finn, a tribe, band, family, multicultural family, every family has a few blacksheep, but still family, bounded by a common thread, tightly knit and finely managed, organized, drilled for many purposes, yet all with an underlying theme - LOVE, PEACE and SPORTSMANSHIP. I hate to use the tour journal as a vehicle to promote my own interest and personal life mission, but, and it is a healthy but, I am on a peace tour and as a mason uses all devices at his side to develop the best formula for his cement, I to must use this to promote, develop and continue on my lifeÕs challenge, ambition, calling. One brick at a time, this being one of the bricks, sharing the same purpose, pointing in the same direction, all going up to the sky until the main objective is achieved.

The journal continues. We slept in the first of a couple Swiss bomb shelters. Where I had dreams of war and suffering in the Formula 1 hotel, I slept calm and comfortable knowing any form of nuclear fall out could pass and I would remain more or less intact. I felt sort of invincible, more so than usual.

Day 9 - Wednesday, June 24

Waking up in the bomb shelter high in the mountains of Val de Luz meant that we had to be careful to wake up at all. ItÕs as dark as can be buried under the earth like that and the phone wonÕt wake anyone up when the service microwaves canÕt find it. Fortunately nature called for enough of the group that someone commented when it was time to exit the premises and get on the road at our 11am designated departure time. We didnÕt have far to go, but as usual we had plenty to do. Next on our guest author list is Chris Fazio (Juniata Ô97)...

*****

Waking up in bomb shelter is certainly a new experience for me and probably for most of the team. I take comfort in knowing we were in the shelter for just one night and striclty for a free place to rest and not for its main purpose. After a sound nights sleep, we left the pristine countryside around eleven and headed in the direction of Neuchatel with are final destination being Bern. The drive is an easy one and I am lucky in the sense that I am not the most proficient when it comes to operating a standard transmission so I get to sit and enjoy all the natural beauty that Switzerland has to offer. I also do not have to deal with any erratic European drivers who are much more agressive than the average driver in the U.S. This country is very picturesque and is a photographers dream. I will definitely impress my friends and family with some of the photos I took.

We arrive in Bern early in the afternoon and found a large pool just a few minutes outside of the city. Most of us went to swim right away while four others went to a nearby grocery store to pick up some lunch. We could not have asked for a better day to lay out and work on desperately needed tans. Very sunny and at least eighty degrees. This was a great break we all needed from the hustle and bustle of the trip. The water was extremely cold and I was not brave enough to enter but a few of the guys did. We hung out for a couple of hours lazily lying around and constantly looking at and aggressively scrutinizing every eligible female that walked within fifty yards of us. A few girls caught our attention when they voluntarily removed their tops and gave us something to look at, although it was nothing to get excited over. After we exhausted the sun screen and everyone had enough of the rays we packed up and headed for the gym. From the start of warmups it was obvious that the afternoon took a toll on our energy levels. We probably got more of a workout during the hitting lines than during the course of the game. For the most part both teams played at a low level and were very mediocre. The game was back and forth but we no doubt were the stronger force and in the end dominated. It was as if the opposing team was just simply going through the motions and were reacting to us. After the showers and the ritual cleaning of the shirts, socks, and underwear, we headed for a bar/restaurant to eat. Spaghetti was for dinner and the service was very friendly towards a request of one of my fellow team members. Lets just say that the restaurant has a well assortment of varoius plants in the back room. I now wonder if the sauce on our pasta had real oregano in it or some other substitute? A twentysomething Swiss wondered into the restaurant and for some reason decided to single me out and buy me a litre of heineken. By all means I did not object in fear of insulting the young lad but all this took place with no real communication. I did not speak German and he did not speak English. I hope he was not looking for any extracaricular activities because he certainly had the wrong person. As with love, I guess beer is becoming an international language.

After we ate we went back to the sports center to sleep in yet another bomb shelter. From what I heard all buildings in Switzerland require the assembly of a bomb shelter. I do not know how legitimate this rumor is but if need be all the the people in Switzerland could be in a shelter within two hours if a situation arises. Hopefully, the citizens of Switzerland will never know what life is like for an extended period of time underground. This will be are last night in this rich country and are headed for the German city of Munich. The few days here have been very fullfilling and definitely helped make this trip all the more special.

Day 10 - Thursday, June 25

Another day waking up in a bombshelter (Bern)....

drove to Munich...

got to gym, Tim aced Devin, prom going on, match, devin went off, team folded that night, nice dinner, team slept in gym while prom went on, some guys went to town.

Day 11 - Friday, June 26

Our first repeat writer will be the quick-witted but slow approaching middle blocker from UOP, Ian Crosno...

*****

I guess PE class starts at 8am in Munchen (Lohof) because the little kids got pretty giddy early in the mourning getting us up and out to McD's earlier than usual. The run for the Mcmaffins and orange juice was a great start to a day that would go on forever. We sadly had to say good-bye to the crazy Finn Nisse, who had to get back to his Finnish babes all of which missed his certain charm. The tour would never be the same again. The caravan headed for Salzburg and sure enough we got separated before even hitting the freeway. Two cars cut left as the main pack lead by our fearless leader T.K. pushed forward with a relentless pace. The confusion caused quite a stir among some of the more sensitive members of the tour, but we survived to laugh about later. We reunited with the group in Salzburg and beat the heat by taking advantage of a huge fountain located in the towns center. Back on the road to Vienna was another breath taking drive through some very steep mountain ranges and green meadows. Seeing Vienna for the first time from the van was an amazing sight. Coming over a small hill the city rests at the bottom stretching across the horizon. We were glad to find out that the team would be staying in a nice hotel conveniently located across the street from the arena. The thought of a real bed and a good shower was just what we needed after spending the last few days on various gym floors. We played a couple of games showing off our skillz before an audience of coach's. Apparently the coach's were very impressed with the stoic but grasshopper like Chris Fauzio who again was jumping high enough hit his head on the ceiling. After the match the team was looking to tear up the town and get some grub in our systems so we headed downtown via subway system. We arrived at a huge festival with plenty of things to keep even our restless bunch busy for a night. First, we checked out a gigantic tent that was full of beer guzzling locals, singing their beer guzzling songs. We stayed for a while enjoying a few bratwursts, beers and checking out the local scenery. I must say that Vienna does not disappoint when it comes to babes. Heading down to the walkway we saw a mosh pit raging with local hooligans. Before we turned the corner the Clown (Greg Wakeham) made a mad charge for the pit knocking hooligans on their ass every where. In his frenzy he made one fatal mistake and landed on his foot at an awkward angle causing him to withdraw from moshing and join the rest of us at the beer gardens. As the night came to an end and the team couldn't eat another Donair or drink another beer we headed back before the rains came. A terrific thunder storm had cruised in bringing lightning only seconds away from the hotel parking lot. A few of us who were a little restless stayed up to watch the storm pass. Overall a full day of culture, breathtaking scenery, and team commrodery thanks to another European city and country side on a tour that hopefully will never end. We were having the time of our lives.

Day 12 - Saturday, June 27

Free breakfast ended at 10:30 am and since the money is getting low I decided to make it a mandatory team function. We all went to bed around 1am except for the Hawaiians that went off on their own and returned at God only knows what time. We've got three of these guys (4 if you count a transfer) and I guess they needed a night alone. Our quicket middle, Gavin Cooke (UH '98), will tell you a little abou their night out and then fill you in on the days activities.

*****

On our big night out in Wien, that's Vienna to you non-euros, we opted to seperate from the group and meet up with Nick Berger.(Hawaii 93-95/Danaukraft) The choice was made on the pure fact that we have way to many good looking guys on the tour to spred around. With our new found freedom we (Aaron Wilton, Curt Vaghan, and Gavin Cook) enjoyed a deliciously authentic cheese pizza in Wien. We then moved on to this trendy bar known as the Moto. There were tremendous amounts of ladies, some were beutiful, but there were quite a few that had to be men. That night the rain came down, lightning and thunder surrounded us as we desperatly tried to hail a cab. This storm was a symbol, or maybe a pahtetic fallicy, of what lie ahead of us in the days to come.

Day 13, June 28

After another fulfilling breakfast provided by the Bonsae Hotel, we again jumped in the opel, fiesta, and two kangoos and began our journey to Praha. Upon entering the Czech Republic we quickly made a pit stop to make use of the favorable exchange rate tht was suddenly available to us. Pay attention, because this is when the shit hit the fan. As we drove out the ausfart, we stoped for reasons unknown to me. Somehow Aaron, driving the opel, decided to test the duribilty of the car by getting rearended. The damage was minimal and nobody was hurt so after waiting over a half an hour we decided to make our escape. We next made our way into the city of Praha. I was feeling generous so I decided to donate some of my already low cashflow to this lovely establishment. We were so moved by their service that we decided to leave a note the manager, I believe his name was Keith. It was time to get some fresh air and meet up with the rest of our posse. The city was amazing in the nighttime. There were women everywere, in fact many of them approached us and tried to strike up coversation. All in all the people were quite nice. In fact Jason Salmeri and Mike Duckworth got to know some of the locals on a more intimate basis and got a private tour of Praha's most famous water closets. After another fabulous night out we returned to find that all four of our cars had been booted. It cost us $140 to get them off. After realizing that the storm had followed us to Praha, we decided to make our way while we still could.

On to Dresden...

Day 13 - Sunday, June 28

Today was to be a bad one...we barely snuck out of the Czech Republic with our lives last night and we still had a long drive to Berlin for an early afternoon gym date. After the van breaking down twice, getting 4 boots in one night yesterday, and the other car craziness weÕve encountered, you wouldnÕt think it could get worse. Well, as Jason Salmeri (UH Ô98) can tell you, it could and it did...

*****

After about five hours of sleep last night we started for Berlin. Although the entire day before was hactic, and we didnÕt get much sleep, I was excited about our trip. Well, as excited as you can get after all we had been through. I was anxious to see a friend of mine who lives in Berlin. His name is Andre Bruer. He played with me in Hawaii, my senior year. He is a 6Õ9Ó middle blocker for the German national team. I wasnÕt quite sure wether or not he was going to show up, but I was hoping he would. Thank God he did! The trouble all started when we stopped for gas on the way to Berlin. It was my turn to pay for gas, and I was told to fill up the tank. I had just payed for gas two days earlier, but that was when I was riding in the Opal. I was clueless to the fact that the two vihicles used different gass, and, not having had much sleep, I wasnÕt even thinking. I put 3/4 of a tank of unleaded gas in a diesel truck. Half way to Berlin we noticed that the Kangoo was a little sluggish. Only when we got to Berlin, and the car totally died, did we realize what had happened. Mike Hamm made a comment about something being in the gass, and asked me what gass I put in. when I answered with, ÒI donÕt knowÓ, we all made an educated guess. Therefor, I was left in Berlin while everyone else went to play a volleyball match. I did not know where the hell to go, what the hell to do, and even if I did I couldnÕt have done it. You see. I donÕt speak any German. So, I walked for miles, not knowing were I was going. I made up little songs in my head to remember road names, and how to get back. When the other guys got back, after a volleyball match and a phat meal, I was pretty bumbed. I was wondering wether or not I ever should have come on this tour. It has drained my wallet, hardly anyone has signed a contract, and I have been left behind more times than I can count. The high point of the day came when my friend Andre showed up, and pretty much saved our asses. It was really cool to see him again, but he couldnÕt hang out at night. He was leaving for China in the morning. So, pretty much this tour was a bust for me. I have had two teams interested in me, but one isnÕt even a real team. I am just going to try to get out of europe, without losing to much more money. I am going to lift right now to get some frustration out. On the upside, a lot of guys are haveing a good time.

(editors note: The team wasnÕt very impressive in our intersquad match today: too much driving and touring I guess. It was almost embarassing. However, IÕm sure that our host understood the circumstances and will forgive us. We also got a great pasta meal and view of the Ô54 Olympic Stadium that made the day worthwhile.

Day 14 - Monday, June 29

Today was to be a bad one...

Day 15 - Tuesday, June 30

Today was to be a bad one...

Day 16 - Wednesday, July 1

3 of the guys woke up in Assen, Holland and the rest woke up all over the student town of Munster, Germany.....

(last match vs. D2 Schuttorf, great hotel, free beers, choked and won 4-1 - 15-2 spanking in the first, some scouts there... we had to pick up Devin and co. in Enschede...etc)

Day 17 - Thursday, July 2 until the end.....Sunday, July 5 for most

We woke up to a wonderful breakfast