One Year of Australia: Asylum Backpackers (AU 13)

Day 100 Fri 07/20/2012

Asylum Backpackers, Cairns

“Had some GOON (cheap box wine the Aboriginals, & backpackers, drink) at the hostel. There are loads of picnic tables out front of the hostel where all the rowdiness begins & ends. Stacked up empty cans & bottles on this one backpacker who was fast asleep.

Tonight when I went to go find my bed I see there is someone already in it. Some DUDE! Jennie’s bed is above mine. She was staying with her boyfriend, Sean who works at the hostel, so I jumped in her bed. Not before laying shit all over this guy in my bed. His name was James I find out later, & he’s a super nice guy.”

from Left Frank, Jed, Paul (P Diddy), Nick & Roel on the way into town

Day 101 Sat 07/21/2012

Lost Track, Asylum to Blame

“There are 2 bros that work here at the hostel, Sean & Joe! Awesome guys. Jeremy is another cat that works here as night manager. Very cool dude too. I think I will have to stop dating these days in my journal & do this…

ASYLUM BACKPACKERS

07/19 to 08/03 2012

One night as we sat at the picnic tables some angry Australian dude started chucking rocks in at us. We gave him one warning to leave. Minutes later another rock came flying in and hit one of my good mates from England, Jed, in the ankle. So we chased him down & I made him apologize. Then walked behind him, pulled his jeans down to his ankles & gave him a slight push. He was lucky none of us had anger problems because he should have had the shit beat out of him, but we were all happy to be in AU & didn’t want any hassle. He came back days later, like I knew he would, with his friends. Sam got sucker punched in the nose & they ran off. I saw none of this incident. Sorry Sam.

I did see Sam’s broken nose though. The pants around ankles push was pretty hilarious though. Jed & his mate Nick are two rowdy ass English fools. When I first met Jed & Nick they were wearing their Mad Monday shirts and written on them was Jed “The Mighty Jedi” and “Nick the Body”. I had to show them my other travel mate Han Solo since we were both Star Wars nerds. Jed and Nick were always down for a hellraiser of a night and the Essex accent is top notch. These two are good C’s. Hahaha!

English mates Nick & Jed "The Jedi"

“Jed & Nick! What a pair. SHIZZZAM! Awesome time with these fools. All nighters these two are. Jed “Jedi” Healy playing Black Keys all thru the night. He still loves Jackie, the German hottie at our hostel. ESSEX!”

Friendzone! Hahahaha sorry mate! “Pester them to death until they just give in,” was Jed’s teachings.

PESTER THEM JED and NICK!

Paul's Mad monday Asylum T

“Mad Mondays – EVERY Monday night the hostel sponsors a pub crawl. Everyone wears the same Asylum “Inmate” shirt & goes to a few bars. I did it once. FUN!”

Once was enough. That first Monday we were there we did the Mad Monday booze train. Sean or Joe would throw everyone a few markers and you were encouraged to decorate your shirt. I went crazy on everyone’s shirts. Most of my drawings were PG-13, however I drew whatever people wanted drawn most of the time. Frank, Roel & I had many Dutch words and our recently developed slang from out times together in Kal & across the Northern territory.

Jed & I

There was a super attractive German gal that had checked in over the weekend named Miriam. I had loaned her my GoPro camera for her reef trip. We were able to talk her into going on the crawl with us as well. Joe had handed us all our drink vouchers. We would eat the free meal at the Woolshed where we also got a free beer with the pub crawl. Then there was another free shot and beer at Pier Bar. Since Jasper was our seasoned veteran as we approached Pier bar he says, “Go get your free drinks quick and meet me back out here.” He walks over to a bush and pulls out a bottle of whiskey. Oh boi…

Jasper breaks out the whiskey

“Free shitty hostel meals at the Woolshed every night. Thursday is ladies night. Goon! $1.00 Casbar.”

Miriam (GER) & Jed (ENG)

Most hostel in town had a free hostel meal voucher for one of the local pubs. Our free meal deal was at the Woolshed. The line was out the door always for the free meal, but no one complained. This bar reminds me of Spring Break in Mexico where there are no rules as long as you have a drink in your hand. The crowd that the Woolshed brings is 90% backpacker, unless the dive staff from one of the boats comes in to brag about being a diving instructor. Cheap drinks, loud music, dancing, basic bar food, and hot as hewl bar tenders (also backpackers). The party started here with a free meal and no matter where we went in between the party would end here.

Goldfish racing, wet T-shirt contests, dancing contest, trivia, DJ’s, and dancing on the tables. The reviews of the Woolshed are hilarious. “Literally a DIVE BAR because the diving instructors go here after work usually.”