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To pass the time share your funny scary travel moments
Posted on 4/14/20 at 8:18 pm
Posted on 4/14/20 at 8:18 pm
While in college on a float trip my roommate and I paddled ahead because our friends were drinking straight liquor and jumped into a natural spring, this was in March so we knew the water was cold as hell. We paddled ahead so they wouldn't tip us over, along the way we interrupted a couple on the bank making friends like "doggy" friends. Well we kept going and managed to pass the pick up point, it got dark and we had to pull over on a sand bank, sun burnt to hell and we were both only wearing shorts so we turned the canoe over, packed sand around the rim of the downward side and sheltered under it. When the park rangers found us it was 35 degrees and 11 PM. When they got us back to camp the keg was drained and one guy was passed out half in and half out of our tent.
Posted on 4/14/20 at 8:42 pm to DoUrden
Got stuck in waist deep snow while snowboarding (out of bounds) by myself. It was the end of the day so the mountain was empty. Took me 30 minutes to dig myself out and by the time I got down I realized my friends had called the ski patrol to report me missing. Told the truth and had my ski pass pulled since they had sent a team to go look for me.
It was at the Back Bowls at Vail.
It’s funny now but wasn’t the least bit funny when it happened. I was young and broke, which is not a good thing when you’re waiting on your buddies to ski the 3 extra days.
It was at the Back Bowls at Vail.
It’s funny now but wasn’t the least bit funny when it happened. I was young and broke, which is not a good thing when you’re waiting on your buddies to ski the 3 extra days.
Posted on 4/14/20 at 9:01 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
At the hotel bar in Iceland there was a trust fund guy a local woman that worked in the restaurant and the bar tender. I dipped and asked the bar tender for something to spit in. The girl asked what I was doing and said she wanted to try it, so I let her and she then asked me to send her more when I got home.
Oh yeah, horse was on the menu!
Chew in her mouth.
Oh yeah, horse was on the menu!
Chew in her mouth.
This post was edited on 4/14/20 at 9:07 pm
Posted on 4/14/20 at 10:27 pm to DoUrden
My family and I were on vacation with my dad in Tennessee for his work trip. My mom, siblings, and I just got back to the condo from eating lunch. I felt awful so I went to sleep upstairs. I guess I had food poisoning because I shite myself while sleeping, like bad. I woke up, took off all sheets, and told my mom that I had been sleeping in dirty nasty sheets. My mom went to look and called the front desk raising hell and cursing. I ended up caving and telling my mom the truth after she just spent 15 minutes raising all levels of hell. I still get asked about that story to this day.
I was 11 or 12 I think,
I was 11 or 12 I think,
Posted on 4/14/20 at 10:55 pm to DoUrden
1) One evening in Tunis Tunisia I was wandering around the city and I see a guy like 200 feet away who is just standing there waving at me. I wave back and think nothing of it. I keep walking and crossed over a few blocks.
I then see him again similarly far away waving at me again and walking toward me from far away. I immediately spend the next 10 minutes going directly back to the main square and train station where there’s a lot of people.
That fricker followed me all the way to the train station with a weird smirk on his face for almost 10 blocks. At the train station itself I’m literally walking circles around a set of seats while he followed me in a circle. He wasn’t a physically imposing guy, but he weirded me out enough to make me feel threatened because nobody has ever done that to me.
I eventually got more angry than I was afraid and started to show aggressive body language and other people were starting to wonder wtf he was doing too. I then turned away from him for a minute to buy some stuff from a stand in the train station where there was another crowd, then after I bought my stuff and turned around he was gone.
2) Another is a flight I had to take from Kathmandu to Lukla to start the Everest Base Camp trek. The Lukla airport runway is on top of a fricking mountain and looks like this:
One end of the runway is a village, and the other end goes straight into a ravine. Only can take small prop aircraft. You get one shot to land at the runway or pretty much crash. After we landed and started the trek though, I was super pumped following the stress of the flight during the first two days of the hike. Taking off equally unnerving.
I then see him again similarly far away waving at me again and walking toward me from far away. I immediately spend the next 10 minutes going directly back to the main square and train station where there’s a lot of people.
That fricker followed me all the way to the train station with a weird smirk on his face for almost 10 blocks. At the train station itself I’m literally walking circles around a set of seats while he followed me in a circle. He wasn’t a physically imposing guy, but he weirded me out enough to make me feel threatened because nobody has ever done that to me.
I eventually got more angry than I was afraid and started to show aggressive body language and other people were starting to wonder wtf he was doing too. I then turned away from him for a minute to buy some stuff from a stand in the train station where there was another crowd, then after I bought my stuff and turned around he was gone.
2) Another is a flight I had to take from Kathmandu to Lukla to start the Everest Base Camp trek. The Lukla airport runway is on top of a fricking mountain and looks like this:
One end of the runway is a village, and the other end goes straight into a ravine. Only can take small prop aircraft. You get one shot to land at the runway or pretty much crash. After we landed and started the trek though, I was super pumped following the stress of the flight during the first two days of the hike. Taking off equally unnerving.
This post was edited on 4/14/20 at 11:16 pm
Posted on 4/14/20 at 11:10 pm to DoUrden
While in Bangkok, on the way to a snake farm, we stopped at a roadside cafe and had the best Tom Yum soup, but spicy as F. Once we arrive at the snake farm, approximately 30 minutes later, that spicy deliciousness had turned to demonic lava jackhammering my sphincter. In a quiet panic I speak to the gift shop clerk and manage to get directions to the bathroom. I threw open the bathroom door to find a dirt floor, with a hole in the back corner and a hose next to that hole. I ran back to the gift shop and frantically try to translate “toilet paper” to the clerk. In mid wipe-arse motion, my taxi driver walks up from the back and gets my drift. He grabs 3 packs of pocket Kleenex and puts them in my hand. I ran out of the gift shop without paying with the clerk yelling at me in Thai. I got back in that dirt room and went hole to hole and exorcised those internal Thai demons.
When I walked out I found that my taxi driver had paid for the Kleenex so I paid him back and added a tip obviously. I then sat outside in 95 degree 100% humidity weather with my a-hole still on fire and mudbutt that would’ve broken lesser men.
When I walked out I found that my taxi driver had paid for the Kleenex so I paid him back and added a tip obviously. I then sat outside in 95 degree 100% humidity weather with my a-hole still on fire and mudbutt that would’ve broken lesser men.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 1:27 am to DoUrden
Was out partying in Barcelona one night, this wild club on the beach called Opium. I remember they had a guy on the DJ booth playing the saxophone, tons of people, it was insane. We were there until dawn and I was shitfaced. Took a cab back to my Airbnb (was staying by myself and had freinds in another place across town who were leaving that morning), and I get out and realize I don't have the keys to the apartment, which was a penthouse with a terrace. I flag the driver back down and dig through the car, nothing. I tried the door to the building and calling the Airbnb host to let me in, but it was 7am in Spain on a Sunday and I might as well have been in Antarctica. The building directly next to mine was having renovations done and had a full scaffolding on the facade going all the way up to the top. I found an opening in the cloth covering of the scaffolding and hoisted myself up into it, convinced someone was going to see me and call the cops the whole time. Climbed 6 stories up to the top of the building and got onto its terrace and then hopped the 2-foot gap onto my terrace and went in through the door there. Woke up 2 hours later to check out. It was a day.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 7:39 am to weaveballs1
A couple small items...
1. Back in the 90s I was flying into the old Hong Kong airport and was asleep, when I woke up the plane was in the hard angle turn so I looked up I was leaning and I see water directly below me. I shake awake, reach back, etc and grab the passenger beside me. The guy started laughing, and he was said to me, mate, what a sh!t time to wake up.
2. Was flying from Anchorage to Seoul, and we had maybe been up in the air 30 minutes and I am looking at the window and see all this fuel being dumped or being lost. There had been no announcement, so I am constantly hitting the flight attendant to get there. Every minute seemed like an hour and I knew it was not normal and was starting to panic. But all of sudden, the pilot comes over the intercom and says that a lady had went into early labor and they were returning.
1. Back in the 90s I was flying into the old Hong Kong airport and was asleep, when I woke up the plane was in the hard angle turn so I looked up I was leaning and I see water directly below me. I shake awake, reach back, etc and grab the passenger beside me. The guy started laughing, and he was said to me, mate, what a sh!t time to wake up.
2. Was flying from Anchorage to Seoul, and we had maybe been up in the air 30 minutes and I am looking at the window and see all this fuel being dumped or being lost. There had been no announcement, so I am constantly hitting the flight attendant to get there. Every minute seemed like an hour and I knew it was not normal and was starting to panic. But all of sudden, the pilot comes over the intercom and says that a lady had went into early labor and they were returning.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 8:30 am to HollierThanThou
I've got a poop story, too.
It's dusk at Fushimi-Inari in Kyoto. It's the best time to go because it's way less crowded and all the tori gates are glowing bright orange from the sunset. Before we start our trek up the hill, we grab some crab sticks or something like that from a street vendor. Wasn't even that good, to be honest.
About halfway up the trail there is a sign saying you are entering in to sacred land and there are no restrooms. I should have listened to the gods. Well, we hike up another 45 minutes or so and get to maybe 2/3 to the top and my stomach starts to bubble. Uh oh.
I know my body well, and I know that feeling means the clock is ticking. I remember that there is a bathroom just past the sacred land demarcation. I look to my wife, hand her the backpack, and say, "I'll meet you at the base," and take off running.
It's a race, man. The trail is about 90% stairs, and I'm skipping three or four steps at a time and coming down hard. Sweat is starting to form, my legs are getting weak, and with each hard impact my sphincter is losing it's grip. There are a few forks in the road and I'm only hoping I'm making the right turn. I round the final corner and pass out of the sacred land and into the mortal world where the bathhouse is located.
The damn door is locked. It's after dark and it's closed. frick me.
I quickly debate going behind the building and squatting, but I'm having a good trip and don't want to anger any demigods by blowing arse right next to their land. That shite will come back on you. If there's one thing I learned in Asia, it's that karma is a vengeful bitch.
If I was running before, I was sprinting now. Or at least as fast as you can sprint while holding your arse cheeks together. The tori gates are blurring like the stars in Star Wars when they jump to light speed. I know there are bathrooms at the main gate. It takes me another agonizing seven minutes of jumping down stairs to get there. Any misstep spells immediate, explosive disaster.
A lot of things are going through my head. One is that Japan is so clean and polite. I'd hate to have to get back on the subway covered in shite and ruin the peace that is a Japanese subway. I don't want to be that guy.
I make it to the base after what feels like an entire lifetime. I run in the bathroom and do my thing as tears of joy and pain trickle down my face. I get ready to finish up and realize there is no TP and my wife has our backpack with spare TP. She's probably 30 mintues behind me, plus the pocket wifi is in the backpack and I have no way of calling her. Needless to say, I lost a pair of underwear that night, which sucked because they were an expensive backpacking underwear.
One of these days I'll get back to Kyoto and make it to the top of that mountain.
It's dusk at Fushimi-Inari in Kyoto. It's the best time to go because it's way less crowded and all the tori gates are glowing bright orange from the sunset. Before we start our trek up the hill, we grab some crab sticks or something like that from a street vendor. Wasn't even that good, to be honest.
About halfway up the trail there is a sign saying you are entering in to sacred land and there are no restrooms. I should have listened to the gods. Well, we hike up another 45 minutes or so and get to maybe 2/3 to the top and my stomach starts to bubble. Uh oh.
I know my body well, and I know that feeling means the clock is ticking. I remember that there is a bathroom just past the sacred land demarcation. I look to my wife, hand her the backpack, and say, "I'll meet you at the base," and take off running.
It's a race, man. The trail is about 90% stairs, and I'm skipping three or four steps at a time and coming down hard. Sweat is starting to form, my legs are getting weak, and with each hard impact my sphincter is losing it's grip. There are a few forks in the road and I'm only hoping I'm making the right turn. I round the final corner and pass out of the sacred land and into the mortal world where the bathhouse is located.
The damn door is locked. It's after dark and it's closed. frick me.
I quickly debate going behind the building and squatting, but I'm having a good trip and don't want to anger any demigods by blowing arse right next to their land. That shite will come back on you. If there's one thing I learned in Asia, it's that karma is a vengeful bitch.
If I was running before, I was sprinting now. Or at least as fast as you can sprint while holding your arse cheeks together. The tori gates are blurring like the stars in Star Wars when they jump to light speed. I know there are bathrooms at the main gate. It takes me another agonizing seven minutes of jumping down stairs to get there. Any misstep spells immediate, explosive disaster.
A lot of things are going through my head. One is that Japan is so clean and polite. I'd hate to have to get back on the subway covered in shite and ruin the peace that is a Japanese subway. I don't want to be that guy.
I make it to the base after what feels like an entire lifetime. I run in the bathroom and do my thing as tears of joy and pain trickle down my face. I get ready to finish up and realize there is no TP and my wife has our backpack with spare TP. She's probably 30 mintues behind me, plus the pocket wifi is in the backpack and I have no way of calling her. Needless to say, I lost a pair of underwear that night, which sucked because they were an expensive backpacking underwear.
One of these days I'll get back to Kyoto and make it to the top of that mountain.
This post was edited on 4/15/20 at 8:31 am
Posted on 4/15/20 at 8:40 am to DoUrden
1. Snowmobiling in Colorado. One of those deals where they dropped us off and would pick us up in 5 hours. Rule one, if one person is late, you're all late. $100 each penalty. Rule 2, if one person gets stuck, you're all considered stuck, $100 penalty each.
About three hours in, we looked around and realized one of the group has disappeared. After about 45 minutes of searching, we see him walking down a trail out of the woods. It was a stressful 45 minutes looking. Turns out he tried to turn the snowmobile around on a dime on the trail like it was a jetski and had to bail when he sent the snowmobile off a ledge into a ravine.
We spent an hour trying to get it out, but couldn't. Went back late and had the operator come use a pulley system to get it out. Late and stuck. The college kids running the thing knew we were on the hook for $800 bucks and had our card info. $200 cash made the problem go away.
2. Flyfishing in Alaska. We were flying out to a spot and the pilot on one of those little float planes was letting the guide fly the plane to get some training time. My cousin and I were in the back seats.
We were going in to land and I noticed the pilot repeatedly saying something to the guide as we were landing. About ten feet above the water the pilot reached over, pulled back and took us back into the air quick. Never got an explanation, but it was certainly memorable.
About three hours in, we looked around and realized one of the group has disappeared. After about 45 minutes of searching, we see him walking down a trail out of the woods. It was a stressful 45 minutes looking. Turns out he tried to turn the snowmobile around on a dime on the trail like it was a jetski and had to bail when he sent the snowmobile off a ledge into a ravine.
We spent an hour trying to get it out, but couldn't. Went back late and had the operator come use a pulley system to get it out. Late and stuck. The college kids running the thing knew we were on the hook for $800 bucks and had our card info. $200 cash made the problem go away.
2. Flyfishing in Alaska. We were flying out to a spot and the pilot on one of those little float planes was letting the guide fly the plane to get some training time. My cousin and I were in the back seats.
We were going in to land and I noticed the pilot repeatedly saying something to the guide as we were landing. About ten feet above the water the pilot reached over, pulled back and took us back into the air quick. Never got an explanation, but it was certainly memorable.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 8:53 am to DoUrden
My scariest moment was walking through the city center of Lisbon, two guys asked me if I wanted to buy drugs. I politely said, "no thank you" and kept walking. Well they proceeded to follow and kept calling out, "we know Americans got money for drugs."
Now it was 2am local time and I was walking from the pub back to my Airbnb. These two are behind me about 6ft and kept commenting. Finally one walks across the street and keeps pace with me while the other is following. The one following tells me to stop and I start to speed up.
I finally saw a little wine bar still open and I ducked inside, ordered a glass of wine and requested an Uber for the last few blocks. Think I stayed inside 30 or so minutes as I told the bartender about it and he let me stay in until Uber arrived.
Now it was 2am local time and I was walking from the pub back to my Airbnb. These two are behind me about 6ft and kept commenting. Finally one walks across the street and keeps pace with me while the other is following. The one following tells me to stop and I start to speed up.
I finally saw a little wine bar still open and I ducked inside, ordered a glass of wine and requested an Uber for the last few blocks. Think I stayed inside 30 or so minutes as I told the bartender about it and he let me stay in until Uber arrived.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 9:43 am to tduecen
You're an American, you should have beaten the shite out of them and taken their drugs
Posted on 4/15/20 at 9:46 am to BottomlandBrew
quote:
I lost a pair of underwear that night
I had to sacrifice a pair of boxers at a Mega after authentic street tacos in Cancun
Posted on 4/15/20 at 10:49 am to HollierThanThou
I'm struck by the fact that people don't carry a pocketful of kleenex constantly whenever traveling. Seriously? Those pocket packs, or the slightly larger flatpacks, have saved me from countless indignities.
My story: back when I was young and dumb and traveling with a giant loaded suitcase that weighed nearly as much as me, I was waiting for a train at the Trastevere station in Rome, heading for the airport. Train pulls up, doors open, and it is completely packed....no way am I fitting into the car closest to me. So I run toward the rear of the train, and the next several cars are just as jammed...I'm now standing outside the last carriage's doors, thinking that I'm well on my way to missing my flight when the large Italians standing closest to the door realize my plight. The two guys push back the standers and bodily lift me and my suitcase onto the train. It was damn funny, and as the doors close behind me, I realize that both rugby-player looking guys were also headed to the airport w/wives & kids & luggage in tow, and one guy's wife had insisted that they help me squash onto the train. I thanked them, they pointed to her and said "she told us we had to help you." We had a good laugh all around.
Said experience cured me of my need to overpack, confirmed the pointlessness of huge luggage.
My story: back when I was young and dumb and traveling with a giant loaded suitcase that weighed nearly as much as me, I was waiting for a train at the Trastevere station in Rome, heading for the airport. Train pulls up, doors open, and it is completely packed....no way am I fitting into the car closest to me. So I run toward the rear of the train, and the next several cars are just as jammed...I'm now standing outside the last carriage's doors, thinking that I'm well on my way to missing my flight when the large Italians standing closest to the door realize my plight. The two guys push back the standers and bodily lift me and my suitcase onto the train. It was damn funny, and as the doors close behind me, I realize that both rugby-player looking guys were also headed to the airport w/wives & kids & luggage in tow, and one guy's wife had insisted that they help me squash onto the train. I thanked them, they pointed to her and said "she told us we had to help you." We had a good laugh all around.
Said experience cured me of my need to overpack, confirmed the pointlessness of huge luggage.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 12:07 pm to hungryone
quote:
pocketful of kleenex
This is a must in Singapore, it's how to save your seat at the dining halls and outdoor hawker carts.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 12:11 pm to DoUrden
Flying from Johannesburg to Nairobi on Kenya Airways. About 200 people waiting at the gate and no Kenya Airways staff show up. Finally about 45 minutes after the scheduled departure, the gate agents show up and we board.
After takeoff, the captain announces "Welcome aboard Kenya Airways Flight 207 direct to Mombasa." Flag down the stewardess and she tells us there were only 5 people going to Mombasa, so they combined the flight.
Mombasa airport was built by the brits around 1960. has not been upgraded. It's moldy and crumbling yet has a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean and palm trees. Felt like flying into Danang.
They run the passengers through "immigration" where we all pay $50 cash for a "visa." Then pick up our luggage to get reloaded on the plane and head for Nairobi.
We arrive at the International Arrival terminal in Nairobi about 5 hours late. Thing is, we are now a domestic flight so we can't go through the terminal. They lower the stairs and we walk out the back of the plane, then about half a mile along the apron dodging baggage carts, fuel bowsers and incoming jets. Finally all 200+ of us get to a door. We go in and we are in the main airport lobby by the street. They give us our luggage and we go off to find our driver.
My wife was so grateful she gave our driver $40 american for a tip since he had to wait so long. He was supposed to be our safari driver for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, he celebrated his good fortune and showed up knee walking drunk the next morning. Got into a fight (a real fight) with the guards where we were staying, so we had to get a new driver.
New driver was great. So, we head out through Nairobi off to the Samburu Game Lodge. On the way, we pass through a town called Isiolo. Driver warns us not to take any pictures because it is a Muslim Somali town and they will throw rocks at the van.
On the way out of Isiolo, red and orange lights start flashing on the dash. I ask the driver if everything is okay. He says fine, don't worry. Then white smoke starts pouring out of the front of the fan. I ask again. This time he agrees we might have a problem, so turns around and goes to a BP station in town (the gas stations seem to be the newest nicest buildings in Kenya).
So he parks and gets out to talk to the mechanic. Tells us to lock the doors, roll up the windows and don't talk to anyone.
A huge crowd gathers around the van. People trying to talk to us, sell us copper jewelry or fruit. They start rocking the van. All the women are freaked out and crying.
I start looking around. Town look familiar -- kinda like Mogadishu. I see three guys sitting on a low wall in Arab/Somali dress passing around these twigs and chewing on the leaves. I think, hey those guys are chewing chat. Just like in Blackhawk Down before they went to kill the Americans.
There's a bank next door. Two guys are standing outside holding AK-47's. Just like the ones in Blackhawk Down they used to kill the Americans.
Then I hear the muezzin call for prayer. I saw the mosque and all these men in robes and women in burkas walking towards it. Just like Blackhawk down!
Of course nothing happened. Mechanic repacked the wheel bearing and we were on our way.
It was quite an experience for a first day in central Africa. Funny thing is, after being there two more weeks, I got into that "no worries, it's Africa" state of mind where you just go with the flow. Had the Isiolo thing happened at the end of the trip, I would have gotten out of the van, chatted up the locals, bought some fruit and tried some chat.
After takeoff, the captain announces "Welcome aboard Kenya Airways Flight 207 direct to Mombasa." Flag down the stewardess and she tells us there were only 5 people going to Mombasa, so they combined the flight.
Mombasa airport was built by the brits around 1960. has not been upgraded. It's moldy and crumbling yet has a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean and palm trees. Felt like flying into Danang.
They run the passengers through "immigration" where we all pay $50 cash for a "visa." Then pick up our luggage to get reloaded on the plane and head for Nairobi.
We arrive at the International Arrival terminal in Nairobi about 5 hours late. Thing is, we are now a domestic flight so we can't go through the terminal. They lower the stairs and we walk out the back of the plane, then about half a mile along the apron dodging baggage carts, fuel bowsers and incoming jets. Finally all 200+ of us get to a door. We go in and we are in the main airport lobby by the street. They give us our luggage and we go off to find our driver.
My wife was so grateful she gave our driver $40 american for a tip since he had to wait so long. He was supposed to be our safari driver for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, he celebrated his good fortune and showed up knee walking drunk the next morning. Got into a fight (a real fight) with the guards where we were staying, so we had to get a new driver.
New driver was great. So, we head out through Nairobi off to the Samburu Game Lodge. On the way, we pass through a town called Isiolo. Driver warns us not to take any pictures because it is a Muslim Somali town and they will throw rocks at the van.
On the way out of Isiolo, red and orange lights start flashing on the dash. I ask the driver if everything is okay. He says fine, don't worry. Then white smoke starts pouring out of the front of the fan. I ask again. This time he agrees we might have a problem, so turns around and goes to a BP station in town (the gas stations seem to be the newest nicest buildings in Kenya).
So he parks and gets out to talk to the mechanic. Tells us to lock the doors, roll up the windows and don't talk to anyone.
A huge crowd gathers around the van. People trying to talk to us, sell us copper jewelry or fruit. They start rocking the van. All the women are freaked out and crying.
I start looking around. Town look familiar -- kinda like Mogadishu. I see three guys sitting on a low wall in Arab/Somali dress passing around these twigs and chewing on the leaves. I think, hey those guys are chewing chat. Just like in Blackhawk Down before they went to kill the Americans.
There's a bank next door. Two guys are standing outside holding AK-47's. Just like the ones in Blackhawk Down they used to kill the Americans.
Then I hear the muezzin call for prayer. I saw the mosque and all these men in robes and women in burkas walking towards it. Just like Blackhawk down!
Of course nothing happened. Mechanic repacked the wheel bearing and we were on our way.
It was quite an experience for a first day in central Africa. Funny thing is, after being there two more weeks, I got into that "no worries, it's Africa" state of mind where you just go with the flow. Had the Isiolo thing happened at the end of the trip, I would have gotten out of the van, chatted up the locals, bought some fruit and tried some chat.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 1:12 pm to DoUrden
Hmmm..
Two things come to mind:
Went to a World Jamboree as a scout many years ago in Japan. Our base camp was at the foot of Mt. Fuji. A typhoon came through and we had to evacuate. Remember water running through our tent like a river. We waded out through knee deep black volcanic ash. Spent almost a week in a school sleeping on the gym floor.
The other was when I was in Belize. Stayed on a barrier island. Was big into diving back then. Our hut was right off a drop off that went down probably 2000 ft. I was just floating along the wall and noticed on my gauge I was at 185'. Not smart, could have gotten the bends, but at least back then we had steel tanks and you'd have run out of air before that happened. I quickly (and safely) returned to the surface.
Two things come to mind:
Went to a World Jamboree as a scout many years ago in Japan. Our base camp was at the foot of Mt. Fuji. A typhoon came through and we had to evacuate. Remember water running through our tent like a river. We waded out through knee deep black volcanic ash. Spent almost a week in a school sleeping on the gym floor.
The other was when I was in Belize. Stayed on a barrier island. Was big into diving back then. Our hut was right off a drop off that went down probably 2000 ft. I was just floating along the wall and noticed on my gauge I was at 185'. Not smart, could have gotten the bends, but at least back then we had steel tanks and you'd have run out of air before that happened. I quickly (and safely) returned to the surface.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 1:25 pm to hungryone
quote:
I'm struck by the fact that people don't carry a pocketful of kleenex constantly whenever traveling. Seriously? Those pocket packs, or the slightly larger flatpacks, have saved me from countless indignities.
I'm struck by the fact so many people have uncontrollable bowels.
Maybe eat foreign spicy food for dinner, not lunch.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 2:02 pm to DoUrden
Wife and I were in Tallin, Estonia in about 2001. Tallin was still trying to crawl out of the post soviet depression but had and still has the most beautiful old town I have seen. We were staying in a bedroom of a big house a late 20's guy named Evo rented out to travelers. On the second day he said he had a car and for 10 euro could take us to some nice spots outside Tallin so we took him up on it. He took us to some awesome white cliffs, a small village and a forest area. As we were driving along we passed a big abandoned industrial looking area surrounding by an 8' chainlink fence. Evo told us it was the former Soviet Submarine base and we stopped just to gaze at it for a minute. Then Evo spotted a hole in the fence and asked us if we wanted to go in. My wife was up for it so we went in and started poking around an old building. There were still old blueprint schematics scattered about with russian writing so I snagged one and still have it. We were upstairs when my wife wondered into another room and Evo said he had to go take a piss. I was standing at the top of the stairs looking around when I heard the click, click, click sound of what I assumed was a dog coming up the stairs and sure enough, a big rottweiler appears and stares at me. At the same time I hear a loud voice yelling in russian and a giant dude appears and starts barking at me in russian. I'm about to piss in my pants and call for Evo who comes rushing around the corner. Evo talks to the guy in russian for a minute and then turns to my wife and I and translates. We are trespassing and not allowed in there and we must leave immediately. I wave and say sure, no problem. Evo then tells us the guy, who is a security guard, has offered to give us a tour for 5 euro each. We laugh and agree and the guard takes us around a couple of building pointing out where the Admiral's office was, the KGB office, etc. He also takes us on the roof and points out in the distance where nuclear warheads were kept, where subs were moored and other cool stuff. I think you can take official tours of the base now but I'm so glad we got to see it in a raw condition. The entire experience is something I will never forget.
Posted on 4/15/20 at 2:37 pm to TeddyPadillac
You can't tell me you've never had a poop emergency hit at the wrong time. It's part of the human experience. Ethnicity or spice has nothing to do with.
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