With touchdown in Copenhagen, the Capital of Denmark on Friday, I have officially been to 60 of this planet’s countries. My goal is 99! Countries by region: Asia: 13 countries Africa: 3 countries Central America/ Caribbean: 5 Europe: 21 Middle East: 7 North America: 3 Pacific: 6 South America: 2 My favourite countries are: Iceland New Zealand Australia Vietnam France Costa Rica Which are your favourite countries? NB: I use the UN membership list as my guide. I therefore count Puerto Rico as a US territory and not a separate country. While they are technically…
Where the world lives
This mind blowing map illustrates the stark truth that half of the world ‘s population live in just six countries. The other live in the remaining 190 countries…By area, China is the third biggest country by arae and the USA is the fourth. India is the seventh biggest and Indonesia sits at 15th. I have been to four of the six biggest countries by population (Brazil, India, Indonesia and USA)! Related Posts Visiting Myanmar Reflections and Advice My 58th country: Vietnam I visit my 57th country Beautiful Brazil- My 50th Country visited
Get to Know your currency
After being to 59 countries, I have now used 62 currencies (yes some countries have changed currencies). If I could have my way, the world would only have ten currencies (two per continent!). Easier to remember and less to carry! The reality is we have 180 currencies circulating amongst the 193 UN recognised nations from roubles, to lek to shekels, pesos and birr. On my next trip starting Thursday, I will be using: Malaysian Ringits Danish Krone British Pounds Euros Thai Baht Australian dollars They can all become confusing to people. Even with a currency…
I am walking Half a Million Steps this month- seriously!
In September, I am aiming to walk half a million steps. The average office worker takes just 3,000 steps a day so I am aiming to walk five times that! This is my contribution to the Steptember charity event which raises funds and awareness for Cerebral Palsy (CP). I will be walking those steps in seven countries: Australia, Denmark, England, Germany, Netherlands and Thailand. A chunk of my half a million steps will be achieved when I walk along Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England starting in just over a week’s time. This walk is one of my bucket…
I like the JAL 787 cabin re-design
A layout refresh which actually improves things in Coach? A rarity in these days where leg room continues to vanish and more seats are crammed down the back. On this refresh, which JAL are applying to all new Dreamliner 787s, they seem to have it right. All three classes are very appealing to me. The new “Sky Suite 8” (SS8) follows on from JAL’s 777 refresh (called Sky Suite 7) features: 38 fully-flat SkySuite 787 beds that are 25.5″ wide and 6 foot 6″ long in a 2/2/2 layout with 23″ TV screen. JAL’s Business class Skysuite won the Best Business Class…
90 yr old Flight Attendant Retired
A 90 year old flight attendant seems extraordinary considering we have only had a century of commercial flights! Bob Reardon started flying with Northwest Orient on 1st October 1951. The airline, in those days, flew DC-6s and Boeing 377 “Stratocruisers”. Northwest Orinet first flew to Japan in 1947 and for years was the largest foreign airline flying into Japan. Mr Reardon turned 90 in May, 2014. He set two Guinness World Records; one as the world’s oldest active flight attendant and the other for the longest career as a flight attendant (62 years). There is no upper limit on flight attendant ages in the USA whichI think…
Malaysia’s Marketing Fail
Poor Malaysia Airlines, they cannot put a foot right it seems. “We are committed to regaining the confidence of our customers and sending them on memorable holiday experiences as a trusted five-star carrier.” Lee Poh Kait, Malaysia Airlines regional senior vice president, Australia, New Zealand & South West Pacific. After a horror year, Malaysia Airlines have started to rebuild. Apart from lowering fares to ridiculous levels, its major shareholder has announced a complete transformation of the loss making carrier. In addition, the airline is looking for ways to market itself. Its latest campaign has been pulled,…
$25 for using Travelocity app
If you download and use the Travelocity app to book a hotel room of $US99 or more, they will give you $25 off the booking. I used it for a resort room in Thailand. The code one uses is MOBILE25. The deal is available until 30th november 2014. I checked with kayak.com which lists almost all possible rates one can get for a hotel. The Travelocity rate was a good one and the extra $25 was a bonus. I am an ingrate though. I am unlikely to use the app regularly. It does promise exclusive special prices. It will also keep all…
How I use plane safety briefings
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign. If you haven’t already done so, please stow your carry-on luggage underneath the seat in front of you or in an overhead bin. Please take your seat and fasten your seat belt. And also make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright position. For many passengers the start of the safety briefing is a sign they can start dozing, reading or texting. Are safety announcements an anachronism? Accounts of US Air Flight 1549‘s evacuation indicate that one of the key reasons many passengers were able to…
Knee Gadget Sales Rise
After “that incident” on United Airlines this week, the Knee Defender, a gadget that blocks airplane seats from reclining, has seen a boost in sales. It’s website crashed yesterday under the weight of orders for the $US21.95 Knee defender! The device consists of two clips that slip onto the seatback tray. The incident, occurred, on United Flight 1462 from Newark, New Jersey to Denver, Colorado. A male passenger (48 years old), seated in a middle seat of row 12 used the Knee Defender to stop the female passenger (also aged 48) in the seat in front of him…
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