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Sweetie pie
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18-01-2018, 04:35 PM
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Stories of your leisurely travels

A thread for the stories of your travels. I love stories, most especially ones about peoples experiences.
I must ask Gumbud to post first about Hong Kong, a place I think I would love. I will post my stories.
Gumbud where are you?
Uncle Joe you too.
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18-01-2018, 04:44 PM
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Re: Stories of your leisurely travels

We had just arrived on Meeru Island in the Maldives to a fantastic wooden villa, half on the sand and half in the Indian Ocean. Despite being very tired after travelling most of the night by plane then transferring to a small speed boat, I couldn't resist getting straight into the water along with my fins, snorkel and goggles.

I had only been snorkelling for a few minutes when I happened to look behind me and see a 'huge' shark. Ok, it probably wasn't that big but looked bigger under water, it was also a reef shark which are harmless.

The question was, do I run for it, or stay still? I stayed still and after it had checked me out, it went on it's way.

I saw many more sharks after that and became quite used to them swimming along side me but that first encounter will always stay in my mind.
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18-01-2018, 04:47 PM
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Re: Stories of your leisurely travels

Originally Posted by Longdogs ->
We had just arrived on Meeru Island in the Maldives to a fantastic wooden villa, half on the sand and half in the Indian Ocean. Despite being very tired after travelling most of the night by plane then transferring to a small speed boat, I couldn't resist getting straight into the water along with my fins, snorkel and goggles.

I had only been snorkelling for a few minutes when I happened to look behind me and see a 'huge' shark. Ok, it probably wasn't that big but looked bigger under water, it was also a reef shark which are harmless.

The question was, do I run for it, or stay still? I stayed still and after it had checked me out, it went on it's way.

I saw many more sharks after that and became quite used to them swimming along side me but that first encounter will always stay in my mind.
and your trunks I would imagine!!
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18-01-2018, 04:51 PM
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Re: Stories of your leisurely travels

Originally Posted by gumbud ->
and your trunks I would imagine!!
Ha ha, Yes had my trunks on luckily otherwise the shark might have thought I was baiting it.
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18-01-2018, 04:54 PM
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Re: Stories of your leisurely travels

I arrived in HK in september '77 with what I thought was a visa for myself and family ; wife and two kids for a 2 year contract only to be told at arrival immigration that I was OK but my wife and kids only had a 3mth visa - in those days I was a more brash character and just refused to be invited into the then still British Colony until they had sorted out the mess. A senior immigration officer was summoned and the green light given - phew that was close!

We were met at the airport by the Principal of the school I would be working in who transported us to an already booked hotel in the heart of the tourist district tsim sha tsui - we felt secure in the hotel but once on the streets in search of food quiet intimidated by the noise; crowds and crazy taxis - later of course I grew to love this all and wandered about at leisure sometimes at 2am after a boozy night out!
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18-01-2018, 04:56 PM
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Re: Stories of your leisurely travels

That's the way to do it - Thank-you Longlegs
Come along Gumbud, Hong Kong pleeeez with a big squeeeeeez
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18-01-2018, 04:58 PM
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Re: Stories of your leisurely travels

Originally Posted by gumbud ->
I arrived in HK in september '77 with what I thought was a visa for myself and family ; wife and two kids for a 2 year contract only to be told at arrival immigration that I was OK but my wife and kids only had a 3mth visa - in those days I was a more brash character and just refused to be invited into the then still British Colony until they had sorted out the mess. A senior immigration officer was summoned and the green light given - phew that was close!

We were met at the airport by the Principal of the school I would be working in who transported us to an already booked hotel in the heart of the tourist district tsim sha tsui - we felt secure in the hotel but once on the streets in search of food quiet intimidated by the noise; crowds and crazy taxis - later of course I grew to love this all and wandered about at leisure sometimes at 2am after a boozy night out!
Apologies we posted at the same time.
What a start eh Gumbud.
What did you drink in HK?
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18-01-2018, 05:00 PM
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Re: Stories of your leisurely travels

Originally Posted by gumbud ->
I arrived in HK in september '77 with what I thought was a visa for myself and family ; wife and two kids for a 2 year contract only to be told at arrival immigration that I was OK but my wife and kids only had a 3mth visa - in those days I was a more brash character and just refused to be invited into the then still British Colony until they had sorted out the mess. A senior immigration officer was summoned and the green light given - phew that was close!

We were met at the airport by the Principal of the school I would be working in who transported us to an already booked hotel in the heart of the tourist district tsim sha tsui - we felt secure in the hotel but once on the streets in search of food quiet intimidated by the noise; crowds and crazy taxis - later of course I grew to love this all and wandered about at leisure sometimes at 2am after a boozy night out!
The noise and traffic in some countries can be intimidating at first but as you say, it can be overcome after a while.

In Egypt, we wanted to go out to eat so we turned left outside the hotel , then left again and found a Hard Rock Café (their version of it). It was full of English tourists who were too scared to cross the road.
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18-01-2018, 05:07 PM
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Re: Stories of your leisurely travels

Alright, I'll go first.

After I left the Merchant Service I worked for British Rail. After a couple of years I earned my 'continental free passes' which allowed me free or 'privileged' travel on other railways across europe. In 1968, I boared a train at Brighton up to Victoria and caught the boat train down to Dover. Belgian Marine transported me to Ostend where I boarded another train. This took me to Bruxelles, Aachen, Koln, Helmstedt and Berlin. Breakfasted on the train as it transported me over the top of the 'wall'. and into East Germany and on into Poland. Had lunch as the train took me towards Warsaw. Countryside was flat and uninteresting as much of it was collective farms and miles and miles of ploughed fields. Arrived at the eastern border of Poland at Brest-Litovsk in the early hours of the morning and had to get off there as the Russian railways have a different (larger) track size. When the Russian train turned up some 10 - 15 minutes later I piled into my sleeping compartment and was very soon asleep. We travelled through Minsk and Smolensk and arrived in Moscow late in the afternoon. The Intourist rep met me at the station and conducted me to my hotel where he left me.


Dinner that night was something else!!! - the hotel restaurant consisted of two large wings which were joined in the middle by a large fountain and pool. The pool was stuffed with frest trout and I took the waiter over to the pool, picked out my trout and the waiter hooked it out, took into the kitchen and it was cooked and back on my plate within 35 minutes.

......To be continued.
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18-01-2018, 05:09 PM
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Re: Stories of your leisurely travels

Originally Posted by Sweetie pie ->
Apologies we posted at the same time.
What a start eh Gumbud.
What did you drink in HK?
well we were told in our briefing at HK house in London that the tap water was cleaner than London tap water - well it certainly was just as good - all the usual soft drink were available but with chinese names ! - I drank San Miguel beer as we had a plant in the hinterland of the mainland - and a full range of beers etc. I remember a lot of the older british staff [usually female] leaving with a few years of us arriving which was rather sad but they gave us all their pot plants and half bottles of spirits sherries - I would sometimes stagger out of the kitchen in the evening shouting 'darling I made a pink one for you this time' - in those days HK was cheap and if you had a good salary it was fun
 
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