30 Years Ago. Flying Marco Polo Class. Cathay Pacific. Carrying Bung Fodder. How many of you are old enough to have done this?

[herfiehandbag]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Flying in the 70s ( prior to that my international travel was on passenger liners traveling the way it should be done- leisurely and in style ) was often an adventure. On one charter flight from Singapore to the UK the elderly plane was so decrepit that it broke down over Turkey and we had a whole day to explore Istanbul. Great day I had too. Topkapi palace, lunch overlooking the Bosphorous, the Harem, the Sophia mosque etc.

When I finally got back to the hotel, no water in the shower- yuk.

 

While air travel is now more efficient and trouble free, it was much more enjoyable flying in the 70s, IMO.

Biman Bangladesh was still like that well into the 2000s!

 

Curries were ace though!

 

By the way - what is " bung fodder"?

Edited August 27, 2021 by herfiehandbag

[GammaGlobulin]

12 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Lamb vindaloo? You are a victim of your own fancy.  You may enjoy a mutton vindaloo, but regardless of the shortness of dressing or tightness of the vinyl in which you wrap it, that’s mutton.  

This is mutton.

 

 

And, this is lamb.

 

 

 

There is a difference.

 

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

And, since the glory days of Hong Kong are now pretty much over, then what is the point of living...almost.

to seek out well written paragraphs on this forum?

 

sort of like the old song - 'looking for love in all the wrong places' eh?

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Had I known how fantastic the next couple of years were to be I'd have been so happy I'd have wet myself.

a bit self destructive there? eh? 

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

I am not sure that the walled city was entirely harmonious - maybe many were not allowed to sing.

 

Glory days may be the best of times, or the worst of times, depending on whom you ask.

 

Better to make the best of the days that you have than to complain about the bad days and gloat about the good.  

Soooo, what if all my days are bad now and all my good days are in the past?

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Biman Bangladesh was still like that well into the 2000s!

 

Curries were ace though!

 

By the way - what is " bung fodder"?

You'll have to ask the OP about bung fodder. Nothing to do with me.

[KannikaP]

21 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

and we were down at Speke Airport

Now John Lennon Airport. Those were the days my friend.

[giddyup]

I remember flying from Bali to Kupang in Timor where a young French lady wanted to bring her pet monkey on board. They wouldn't allow it so she was in tears and refused to fly.

I can also remember travelling by P&O ship (the Arcadia) to the UK for the first time where lobsters were served with a huge buffet. You had to dress for dinner, no shorts and singlets in those days.

Edited August 28, 2021 by giddyup

[herfiehandbag]

43 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You'll have to ask the OP about bung fodder. Nothing to do with me.

I will try, next time Earth's orbit and his coincide!

[Andrew Dwyer]

This thread attracted my attention for 2 reasons:

 

1st

I first visited Thailand in 1991 for a 10 day work trip, Kevin was supposed to meet me at the airport but decided to stay in bed leaving me to fend for myself. A “ taxi “ driver offered his services for 600 baht, only having the factory details ( and not the hotel) I had no other option to accept, from Don Muang to Bangkadi Industrial Estate. It became clear he had no idea where to go but after several stops for directions we arrived. The factory manager was called from the gatehouse and enquired how much I had agreed to pay, on hearing 600 baht he recoiled and said “ No, no , 200 okay “.

The taxi driver immediately fell to his knees pleading for the money, I felt guilty and even more when the factory manager said “ that’s no taxi , give him nothing “ and called the guard who appeared with the oldest rifle I had ever seen and sent him on his way. I found out later a couple of Japanese visitors to the factory had been robbed and left naked in the rice paddies by a “ taxi “ driver.

The job went okay, Kevin ( feeling guilty no doubt ) took good care of me and many beers were downed and many eye opening scenes were witnessed !!

 

2nd

6 weeks later and back home in England I felt flu like symptoms after a couple of beers with a friend. An early night sleep seemed like a good idea but I awoke during the night “ burning up “ and had a cold bath to bring my temperature down. Next morning my wife was staring at me when I awoke, my face was yellow, even the whites of my eyes .

A visit to the hospital diagnosed Hepatitis A and my visit to Thailand 6 weeks earlier ( plus some dodgy seafood ) was deemed to be the cause.

7 weeks off work and 6 months without alcohol for my sins .

Back at work it was discovered I had never received the booster of one of my vaccinations from the factory nurse.

 

I can still remember now my boss shouting at the nurse and asking why I hadn’t had my second shot of …………… Gamma Globulin !!

[thaibeachlovers]

31 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I found out later a couple of Japanese visitors to the factory had been robbed and left naked in the rice paddies by a “ taxi “ driver.

Reminds me of the time I hired a Saudi taxi driver to take me from airport to accommodation. There was no bus service to Riyadh airport and I normally hired a limo driven by a Philippino but that was expensive. So one time I decided to try the cheaper taxis driven by Saudis. During the journey he was acting so suspiciously that I took fright and told him to take me to the hospital, as there were security guards at the gate that would have helped in in a dispute.

In the event nothing happened, but I never took a Saudi driven cab again.

 

Then there was the first time I hired a Tuk tuk in Bkk to take me to hotel. He didn't have a clue where to go so had to stop and ask directions multiple times. When we arrived he tried to make me pay more than agreed amount as it was "further than he thought it would be". The hotel security saw him on his way at the agreed price.

[Andrew Dwyer]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Reminds me of the time I hired a Saudi taxi driver to take me from airport to accommodation. 

First time I arrived in Jeddah at night with just the accommodation/compound name ( Conrep Villas ) , again no one to meet me . The taxi driver ( Indian I think ) was great, took me all over the place looking for the place and eventually back to the airport to check in  at the airport hotel.

 

The MultiNational company I was working for were far from professional ????

[ThaiFelix]

On 8/27/2021 at 10:24 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

Kind people.

Adequate infrastructure.

Good housing.

And, so much more.

You missed out courteous police force.

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

First time I arrived in Jeddah at night with just the accommodation/compound name ( Conrep Villas ) , again no one to meet me . The taxi driver ( Indian I think ) was great, took me all over the place looking for the place and eventually back to the airport to check in  at the airport hotel.

 

The MultiNational company I was working for were far from professional ????

Similar story. Arrived in Jeddah on a weekend holiday with someone that I worked with. Checked into the hotel after dark and we decided to go to a restaurant that he read about, and asked a taxi driver to take us there. After driving around for a while we gave up and went back to the hotel.

In the morning, the place we wanted to go to was clearly visible down the road as soon as we walked outside!

The joys of travel ????

Edited August 29, 2021 by thaibeachlovers