I boarded the train in Thailand to find a medium sized child (say 9 or 10 or 11) sitting in my seat. I smiled at the child, as his mother called him back to his rightful seat. I would have done the same at his age: wandering around the train carriage to get different views of the world from the train windows. Ah this picture of exotic travel, domestic bliss and happy reminiscing was shattered when I found “the monster” before vacating my seat had carefully left his freshly chewed gum carefully along the side…
Lessons from “The Embassy”
Almost a million Australians a year travel to Thailand. Many get into trouble and some of them are now captured for eternity in a fascinating new TV series “The Embassy“, set at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. It is compelling viewing. Trailer: The hour long episodes deal with everything that can go wrong on holidays in Thailand: ladyboys, love, lust, lost passports, lunatic drinking and lame behaviour. My favourite line comes from one of the Thai staff at the embassy: “low cost airfares meant the end of ‘the calm’ for consular offices.” The “observational documentary series”…
Drone’s eye view of an airport
Despite flying to or from 213 airports across the globe, Mexico City International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México).is not one of them. This amazing “bird’s eye” video is the closest I have got to that airport so far! I have really been enjoying the three and a bit minutes of stunning visual coverage of the airport, its runways and planes. We are assured that the “video was created with the permission and supervision of the Mexico City International Airport authorities”. They also state that the “drone operators were in close contact with…
Embarrassing or funny? TV Cluelessness over Euro vs Pound
In the fifty or so times, I have visited the USA, the question often comes up about how I as an Australian feel about the US dollar. Half of the questions will ask me how I deal with switching from the Euro. Inevitably, people look incredibly confused when I explain that Australia does not use the Euro. Apparently this confusion is quite universal as evidenced in this video from the TV show: Squawk Box. Scroll through to 6:55 minute mark and prepare to be amazed: The commentators show complete ignorance and then tell Martin Shanahan,…
How to say I love you in 50 Languages
This is serious. You never know when you might need this! Or impress your loved one on your next dinner date! Happy to take corrections and additions! Afrikaans – Ek het jou lief Albanian – Te dua. Arabic – Ana behibak (to male) Ana behibek (to female) Armenian – Yes kez sirumem. Catalan – T’estimo Chinese –Mandarin -Wo ai ni Creole – Mi aime jou Croatian – Volim te Czech – Miluji te Danish – Jeg Elsker Dig Dutch – Ik hou van jou. English – I love you. Ethiopian – Afgreki Farsi – Dooset daram. Finnish…
Peeve about Express Security Lines
Many airports have express lines for the security process. These lines are open to elite and/or frequent fliers. I rely on them to make my airport transits as short as possible. I have a few peeves about them. One being is there are not enough of them. Another is that when the “normal lines” are full, they redirect regular passengers to the express lines. I know I should not be selfish and share and slow down etc but it drives me crazy! At Sydney Airport, yesterday, this happened. Two young backpackers got moved into the…
Boeing delivers 200th 787
I have yet to ride in a 787 and there are now 200 flying! This week on 28th October, 2014., Boeing delivered the 200th 787 to Qatar airways. (Registration# A7-BCP) at Paine field airport, Everett. The 100th was delivered on 4th November 4th, 2013 to Japan Airlines. It seems that 21 airlines now fly the 787: Aeromexico (AM) Air Canada (AC) Air India (AI) Arkefly (OR) (Netherlands) All Nippon Airways British Airways (BA) China Southern (CZ) Ethiopian Airlines ( Hainan Airlines ( Japan Airlines (JL) Jetairfly (TB) (Belgium) Jetstar Airways (JQ) Kenya Airways (KQ) LAN Airlines (LA)…
Ryanair keeps O’Leary to 2019
My least favourite airline Ryanair last week signed a contract extension for its CEO Michael O’Leary that will keep him until September 2019. Ryanair plans to grow by 50percent over the period increasing passenger numbers from last year ‘s 81 million to 120 million people a year by the end of 2019. After signing the contract O’Leary predicted that SAS, Alitalia and Air Berlin would reduce short haul operations or go bust. Other competitors that O’Leary predicts will be “cutback and consolidated” include Olympic Airlines of Greece; TAP- Transportes Aereos Portugueses; Spain’s Iberia which is…
Lava claims Hawaiʻi Home, threatens more
On one of my trips to Hawaiʻi, I really enjoyed going to Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island (seen above on the far right of the Hawai’ian chain). Many think of Hawaiʻi only for its beaches and lush vegetation but this park really brought home to me, that this chain of islands was formed by volcanic activity. That brings risks for those who live on the Big Island where seismic activity continues. Lava from the most active volcano in Hawaiʻi, Kilauea began seeping out heading toward the ocean on 27 June. It paused its movement in…
All about #Bargaining /Haggling
I have bargained for Books in Bombay, Cards in Cambodia, Drivers in Delhi, Face-creams in Fiji, Household oddments in Hong Kong, Linen in Lebanon, Night time accommodation in Nicaragua, Sunglasses in Singapore, Trousers in Thailand, Zimbabwean stone carvings and more! Yup, I love bargaining (also known as haggling)! This shopping method for me is all part of the fun of travel. For other travellers, it feels annoying, confusing and frustrating and even terrifying. I have had friends insist I bargain for them. Others give up buying, lamenting “why can’t it be fixed price?” When I see people struggling with bargaining or when I am tired of the bargaining…
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