Swedish exPY Gustaf Rindler, SWY18, couldn’t wait more than seven months after disembarking Nippon Maru to see lovely participants from the ship again. In the beginning of november he started his 2,5 months trip in Tokyo, Japan, where he stayed with JPY:s from SWY18. After a couple of days in the metropol with Hiroyoku ‘Baru’ Tobaru he went up to Hokkaido to see Ai Kimoto, where he helped her out cooking whale. Just two days later Gustaf took the Shinkansen, thanks Japan for your outstanding rail network, down to Kyoto/Osaka, where he spent some wonderful days. Shrines, temples, asahi, and food in “eat-too-much-city” with Katsu and Jun. Before leaving Japan, Gustaf also went to see his host family in Fukuoka, Misa and Sawako in Hiroshima, the “alps”, and another reunion in Tokyo.
After a couple of weeks without SWY reunions in Fiji and New Zealand, Gustaf finally arrived in the wonderful pacific country Tonga, also participant in the 18th Ship for World Youth. He spent most of the time with the (Ebonie) Fifita family in the outskirts of, what a couple weeks before was, Nuku’alofa, the capital. During one afternoon in november pro-democratic youths burnt down 80% of the business district in Nuku’alofa, but still, Tonga was awesome. A group of Tongans, Swedes, Australians then flew up to Vava’u, the paradise. No need to say anything more than – go there! Best diving, snorkeling, kayaking. After celebrating christmas for the first time without snow, or, sometimes even in Sweden we have shitty christmas eves without snow, anyway, Gustaf went to Sydney, Australia to spend New Year’s and to hang around with aussie exPY:s.
Gustaf stayed a couple of days with dancing queen (go ABBA!) Susan and Doris, before heading up to the beaches ’round Brisbane, where the party king (not a song, as far as I know) Ben lives. Some wonderful days there with visits at the local art gallery and beaches. Then down to Melbourne, probably the nicest city in Australia, the last stop before going back to the Swedish winter. In Melbourne Gustaf really enjoyed the company of aussie exPY:s Mons and Rob, the Australian Open, the sun, and everything else.
After two and a half months of travelling a pretty exhausted tall blond Swede left 43 degrees celsius warm Australia to be welcomed back to -16 degrees Sweden. But he must have survived, since he’s writing this.
He (me) really wants to encourage other exPY:s to travel and visit other PY:s and therefore they (me and him) are inviting you all to the fabulous country in the north!