Diplomacy World #103 - Fall 2008 Issue

was just so beautiful it made the trip worthwhile. Prague
was quite stunning... and one full day there was not
really enough. Budapest was most “strange” for me. A
city divided so clearly between Eastern European excommunist
poverty and a significant nouveau riche was
odd. St Stephen’s Basilica was stunning, while the
strange walk through main road shopping strips that
smelt of a cross between pre-mix concrete and cheap
shoes was stunning in a very different and not at all
comfortable way.
Salzburg was...um... very beautiful. I hesitate because it
was also totally touristy. It almost felt like the soul was
being sapped from it by vapid tourists buying anything
with Mozart on it. Innsbruck was far more impressive.
From here I climbed an alp. I am terrified of heights, so
even the “little” alp I scaled was a major psychological
feat, if not a physically challenging one. From the top,
you could see all the way to Italy down a long valley, and
in the other direction a large mountain in Germany – and
frankly it was the most stunning, jaw dropping thing I’ve
ever seen watching clouds rise up from the Inn valley
over a thousand metres to float up over the mountain
you are standing on.
I also had the best Indian meal I’ve ever had (Sahib
Restaurant) in Innsbruck (of all places) and saw a
moose! (There are NO Kangaroos in Austria!!!) All in all
Innsbruck was the unexpected highlight of the trip (and
not just because I stood on top of a mountain).
XVII. 30 Hours In An Unsafe Plane
Vienna to London to Hong Kong to Melbourne was
always going to be a fun way to finish my adventures. 28
hours in the air became thirty as turbulence over the
Himalayas woke everyone up at [I have no idea what
time it actually was]. Instead of simply going up to get
out of it, we turned south for an hour of bumps because
there was a Fin Air plane above us. You could actually
see it out the window! This would have been very cool
except for the vomiting elderly people, screaming
babies, and lack of sleep.
By the time I got home to Australia, I was ready for
sleep. I go through customs, and sit down to wait for my
Diplomacy World #103 - Page 42
bag. Forty five minutes later, myself and five others were
waiting when they stopped the carousel. All from Vienna.
QANTAS had lost my luggage. In fact, they’d put it back
on the same plane it started on and sent it back to
Vienna. This plane had then decided to blow an engine
mid-air and landed in Hamburg, making the news. 5
days later, my suitcase arrives, smashed to bits and with
most of the contents well and truly bruised. I hate
QANTAS, and highly recommend anyone travelling to
Australia pick any other travelling option that they can.
Patiently waiting at the airport were some family and
stray friends. While I didn’t want to end my adventure, I
was very, very glad to see smiling faces when I got to
the end of that trip.
XVIII. What The Future Holds From Here
I must admit, I have a taste for it all.
Europe was superb, more than my wildest hopes. I
certainly have the travelling bug again and may well
consider living over there. An eye-opening and highly
enjoyable experience which has made me think about
myself and the world in a new light.
The other thing I have a taste for is International
Tournament Diplomacy. We need to get an airline to
sponsor us! The quality of play was great and very
enjoyable. The diversity of people was excellent, and
above all the feeling of being part of a large tournament
is just brilliant. I will almost certainly be at next year’s
World DipCon, and will certainly go to the one in 2010 in
The Hague. I am hooked!
I met a lot of good people and if I can ever offer
hospitality to an Australian bound Diplomacy player I
know I wouldn’t hesitate! I’ve obviously only shared the
barest details (5,000 words is probably long enough) but
many of the memories from the trip will last forever, and
the little details and quirks of the Diplomacy players will
give me anecdotes to share for many World Dip Cons to
come!
Finally, a word of advice for those of you who are solely
internet players: Get out there... get to the tournaments! I
know it is a very different medium and it is hard work to
make the transition, but the payoff for actively
participating in the Face-To-Face hobby is worth it even
if you get beaten every time you show up. Whether it is a
3 board local tournament or a hundred-strong World Dip
Con, make it a point of getting along to the conventions
and I promise that the payoff is there in more than just
the glory of perhaps one day beating up on Toby Harris!
We should all be insanely jealous of Andrew and his
trip. Not so jealous that we hate him or
anything...but ALMOST that jealous.