Travel Experiences-part 1
November 12th 2006 06:22
Travel Experiences- part 1.
When we make the decision to travel, there are often incidents that occur that add to life’s experiences- here are some of mine.
GIANT CENTIPEDE BITES;
While enjoying a holiday in the Seychelles, I threw my towel over a beach chair and ‘plopped’ down on it. Immediately I felt a sharp pain in my thigh and jumped up.
I saw an inordinately large multlilegged insect scuttle into the undergrowth and looked down to see a huge red swelling appear. Not having any anti-insect ointment I went into the hotel to ask at reception. Immediately there was panic- a phone call urgently placed through to the management office and a suited gentlemen suddenly appeared. It was the Manager.
I was escorted into his office and asked a number of questions including ‘was I allergic to anything’, ‘Was I on medication’; ‘Did I have health insurance?’ etc.etc. The hotel doctor arrived, took my temperature and wrapped up my leg like a Christmas stocking. I was told to report daily for the next week.
Apparently a similar incident had occurred and the guest had a bad allergic reaction that resulted in a long stay in hospital. The hotel had gone into ‘damage control’ while I, not realising the possibility of a more serious problem had found it all quite amusing yet concerned that I might have to give up my daily cocktails because of the medication.
The moral?….look before you flop into beach chairs and frighten the native insects!
***
A BOUGHT TOILET VISIT:
Travelling around Turkey we found ourselves in a little village where we stopped to have a meal. Before leaving we decided on a toilet visit. The owner of the Taverna refused to let us use their convenience and led us outside where he spoke to a gentleman passing by. It seemed we were to be shown to the village conveniences that were ‘better’. Entry was a couple of coins and our guide insisted on ‘treating’ us a visit each! Not wishing to offend,
we graciously accepted his goodwill.
*****
A SURPRISING LUNCH;
We had met up with friends in France for luncheon and they insisted we try a restaurant famous for its kitchen. Keen to show off his newly learnt French, our companion decided to order on our behalf. When we asked what we were having, we were told that it was one of his ‘favourites’. Imagine our surprise (and my disappointment) when we were all served a plate on which was a fat raw gelatinous sea slug! I almost choked at the thought of eating it, and it was also obvious our companion had thought the dish he ordered was to have been something completely different!
The moral: never let anyone order for you!
****
DON’T SUNBAKE ON CEMENT:
My first visit to southern Spain and dying for a tan after a dull, bleak winter- I decided to go overboard and find the hottest place to sunbathe- it was a concrete platform.
After a time I nodded off and was nudged by a travelling companion. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was bright red light. Thinking I had ‘gone blind’ I began to cry. It was only a few minutes till normal sight resumed, but for those anxious moments I realised
what a foolish thing I had done.
*****
DON’T GO DANCING IN UNFAMILIAR PLACES:
After just a few days in Rome, I was invited to go dancing with a fellow guest in a small pensione. We had barely said ‘hello’ in the corridor. All I knew was we were going to the country and I knew no one else in Rome. We set out in the car until about half an hour later we arrived at our destination. Just on the outskirts of a village there was a tent. Table and chairs surrounded a little stage in the middle where musicians were settlng up. On one side was a trestle table with drinks and a large tub of ice.
People were going from table to table greeting friends or having a dance. After a few hours had passed, I could not see my travel companion. The tables were being packed up, the tent being put down. Seeing me alone looking worried, some people came over and ascertained my dilemma. I will always be grateful that they decided to drive me safely back to Rome that evening.
***
ALWAYS PACK SUNBLOCK:
I was going to a wedding on an island in Malaysia, part of the way we would travel by boat.
The journey was long following an equally long coach trip that was broken by stops to the driver’s friend’s shops so that he could collect his ‘commission’.
Before leaving I decided to invest in two tubes of sun block- "30’ and ‘50’ as my skin hadn’t seen the sun for some time. Seating was perfunctory. I climbed up onto the roof of the cabin facing away from the diesel smoke (I was glad as a former ‘pretend yachty’ that I knew what diesel fumes would be like after a few hours!). The optimistic were spread out catching the sun. It became apparent that the sun was hotter than most imagined and as I gazed out from my covered arms, and head with a sarong around my legs, I could see many turning a bright shade of red. I soon had some climbing up to me for some sun block. Not having even arrived at my destination I felt like ‘someone with the fishes’ as I tried to ration my supplies, treating only the ones with the worst sunburn.
******
UNUSUAL COMBINATION:
A national dish of Turkey and chocolate sauce.
A YUCKY NATIONAL DISH:
Curried Flying Fox- of the Seychelles.
A TRULY SAD ATTEMPT1:
In Asia it is believed that eating animal sex organs cooked in soup, stewed etc. will make a man virile.
>Someone should tell the perpetrators (both suppliers and diners) to wake up to themselves.
A TRULY SAD ATTEMPT 2:
There is always a place (you know where) where there is an attempt to provide something
expensive just for the sake of it- example: drops of gold leaf in tea, or drops of gold leaf on meals or confectionery and charge a fortune, serve anything live or dangerous and charge a fortune> not only cruel to creatures, but ignorant.
WHY DOESN’T SOMEONE INVENT:
* Dehydrated water to carry in your bag, a neck pillow that actually supports your neck, a bum bag big enough to hold essentials, REALLY waterproof gym shoes, a waterproof memo pad and ditto pen attachment, sunproof UV hats and caps (there used to be some),
a jumper with thicker sleeves to wear with sleeveless jackets, cotton windbreaker tops (like the sailors use) for normal folk, a rain jacket that actually breathes, wellingtons that don’t slip, a decent short flight airline snack that isn’t mostly bread or sugar etc etc.
,,,,catch you all again soon.
When we make the decision to travel, there are often incidents that occur that add to life’s experiences- here are some of mine.
GIANT CENTIPEDE BITES;
While enjoying a holiday in the Seychelles, I threw my towel over a beach chair and ‘plopped’ down on it. Immediately I felt a sharp pain in my thigh and jumped up.
I saw an inordinately large multlilegged insect scuttle into the undergrowth and looked down to see a huge red swelling appear. Not having any anti-insect ointment I went into the hotel to ask at reception. Immediately there was panic- a phone call urgently placed through to the management office and a suited gentlemen suddenly appeared. It was the Manager.
Apparently a similar incident had occurred and the guest had a bad allergic reaction that resulted in a long stay in hospital. The hotel had gone into ‘damage control’ while I, not realising the possibility of a more serious problem had found it all quite amusing yet concerned that I might have to give up my daily cocktails because of the medication.
The moral?….look before you flop into beach chairs and frighten the native insects!
***
A BOUGHT TOILET VISIT:
Travelling around Turkey we found ourselves in a little village where we stopped to have a meal. Before leaving we decided on a toilet visit. The owner of the Taverna refused to let us use their convenience and led us outside where he spoke to a gentleman passing by. It seemed we were to be shown to the village conveniences that were ‘better’. Entry was a couple of coins and our guide insisted on ‘treating’ us a visit each! Not wishing to offend,
*****
A SURPRISING LUNCH;
We had met up with friends in France for luncheon and they insisted we try a restaurant famous for its kitchen. Keen to show off his newly learnt French, our companion decided to order on our behalf. When we asked what we were having, we were told that it was one of his ‘favourites’. Imagine our surprise (and my disappointment) when we were all served a plate on which was a fat raw gelatinous sea slug! I almost choked at the thought of eating it, and it was also obvious our companion had thought the dish he ordered was to have been something completely different!
The moral: never let anyone order for you!
****
DON’T SUNBAKE ON CEMENT:
My first visit to southern Spain and dying for a tan after a dull, bleak winter- I decided to go overboard and find the hottest place to sunbathe- it was a concrete platform.
After a time I nodded off and was nudged by a travelling companion. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was bright red light. Thinking I had ‘gone blind’ I began to cry. It was only a few minutes till normal sight resumed, but for those anxious moments I realised
what a foolish thing I had done.
*****
DON’T GO DANCING IN UNFAMILIAR PLACES:
After just a few days in Rome, I was invited to go dancing with a fellow guest in a small pensione. We had barely said ‘hello’ in the corridor. All I knew was we were going to the country and I knew no one else in Rome. We set out in the car until about half an hour later we arrived at our destination. Just on the outskirts of a village there was a tent. Table and chairs surrounded a little stage in the middle where musicians were settlng up. On one side was a trestle table with drinks and a large tub of ice.
People were going from table to table greeting friends or having a dance. After a few hours had passed, I could not see my travel companion. The tables were being packed up, the tent being put down. Seeing me alone looking worried, some people came over and ascertained my dilemma. I will always be grateful that they decided to drive me safely back to Rome that evening.
***
ALWAYS PACK SUNBLOCK:
I was going to a wedding on an island in Malaysia, part of the way we would travel by boat.
The journey was long following an equally long coach trip that was broken by stops to the driver’s friend’s shops so that he could collect his ‘commission’.
Before leaving I decided to invest in two tubes of sun block- "30’ and ‘50’ as my skin hadn’t seen the sun for some time. Seating was perfunctory. I climbed up onto the roof of the cabin facing away from the diesel smoke (I was glad as a former ‘pretend yachty’ that I knew what diesel fumes would be like after a few hours!). The optimistic were spread out catching the sun. It became apparent that the sun was hotter than most imagined and as I gazed out from my covered arms, and head with a sarong around my legs, I could see many turning a bright shade of red. I soon had some climbing up to me for some sun block. Not having even arrived at my destination I felt like ‘someone with the fishes’ as I tried to ration my supplies, treating only the ones with the worst sunburn.
******
UNUSUAL COMBINATION:
A national dish of Turkey and chocolate sauce.
A YUCKY NATIONAL DISH:
Curried Flying Fox- of the Seychelles.
A TRULY SAD ATTEMPT1:
In Asia it is believed that eating animal sex organs cooked in soup, stewed etc. will make a man virile.
>Someone should tell the perpetrators (both suppliers and diners) to wake up to themselves.
A TRULY SAD ATTEMPT 2:
There is always a place (you know where) where there is an attempt to provide something
expensive just for the sake of it- example: drops of gold leaf in tea, or drops of gold leaf on meals or confectionery and charge a fortune, serve anything live or dangerous and charge a fortune> not only cruel to creatures, but ignorant.
WHY DOESN’T SOMEONE INVENT:
* Dehydrated water to carry in your bag, a neck pillow that actually supports your neck, a bum bag big enough to hold essentials, REALLY waterproof gym shoes, a waterproof memo pad and ditto pen attachment, sunproof UV hats and caps (there used to be some),
a jumper with thicker sleeves to wear with sleeveless jackets, cotton windbreaker tops (like the sailors use) for normal folk, a rain jacket that actually breathes, wellingtons that don’t slip, a decent short flight airline snack that isn’t mostly bread or sugar etc etc.
,,,,catch you all again soon.
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