Best Travel Experience Stories

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kstubbe_ll — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:55:42 GMT

Cast your vote for the Best Travel Experience Story!

Czech meat!

thepiranha — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:30:35 GMT

In July of 1990, my wife, Michelle, and I flew from Los Angeles to Berliin to start a six month backpacking trip around the world. We chose to begin our journey in Berlin because Roger Waters, the esteemed bass player, singer and songwriter for Pink Floyd, was going to perform "The Wall" at the site where the Berlin Wall had previously stood. The Wall had just come down at the end of 1989 and people came from all over Europe to attend the one time concert.

Two days after the show, we boarded a train for Prague. Arriving at night with no place to stay, we attempted to use a pay phone at the train station to contact a youth hostel or inexpensive hotel. We had some Czech change that someone had given us on the train, but the instructions for the telephone were written in Czech and we had no idea where in Prague we were or how to use the phone. Fortunately, a very nice man approached us and asked if he could be of any help. His English was quite good and he understood our dilemma. He explained to us that it might be difficult for us to get a room at that late hour and that we were welcome to stay in his apartment for the night. He would find us lodging the following day. Michelle and I were hesitant to accept this stranger's offer, but because of our situation, we quickly decided that we should take the chance and follow him home.

On the way to his apartment, we learned that the man's name was Jozef and that his girlfriend and son were in the country visiting her parents. They would be gone for a few days and we could have a room all to ourselves. The apartment was several blocks from the train station and we learned in the brief time that it took to walk that distance that Jozef was a stoker in one of the government buildings. His job was to keep the fires burning during the winter so the building would stay warm.

The next morning, Michelle and I arose to the smell of warm bread. Jozef had gone to the bakery and purchased fresh bread and a tin of meat. We asked him what type of meat it was and he had no idea of what part of the animal nor what type of animal it was from. Although we are very adventurous eaters, the idea of eating mystery meat did not appeal to us.

After breakfast, Jozef insisted on showing us Prague as only a local can. We treated him to lunch and it dawned on us that we had better find lodging for that night. I asked Jozef if he could help us find a room for the night and he insisted that we could stay with him. Being a stoker, he was unemployed during the summer months, and with his girlfriend and son out of town, I think that he was lonely and appreciated the company.

The government owned apartment building where Jozef lived was dark and grey and units did not have their own bathrooms. We used the bathroom at the end of the long concrete hall. The window in the bathroom was broken and we could only imagine how cold it was in the winter. Lightbulbs were burned out and it would take months to replace them. We showered in the kitchen sink, the same place where we brushed our teeth and washed dishes.

Two or three days into our stay, Jozef announced that he would have to take the train to the country to get his girlfriend and son. He insisted that we stay in his apartment while he was gone and we could leave the key in a hidden place when we left.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Michelle and I sent a large box to Jozef and his family. We included travel books about America, sewing books for his girlfriend, and toys for his son. We never found out if they ever received the box, but we suspect that it was intercepted by Czech officials. Michelle and I still talk about our stay with Jozef and how someone with so little can be so kind and generous to strangers. While we enjoy seeing the cultural and historic sights when we travel, interactions with people of other cultures are what truly make traveling such a rich and rewarding experience. Just don't make me eat any mystery meat.

Message Edited by thepiranha on 03-13-2008 06:31 PM

Life in an Indian Prison, or . . . ?

thepiranha — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:27:58 GMT

"Someday we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny." Bruce Springsteen

Tracking Gerenuks...

omegaet — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:29:25 GMT

..special moments in journeys often create lasting memories!

A PENGUIN ADVENTURE!

jalanlowe — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:03:06 GMT

Our 14 day Norwegian Dream cruise from Santiago, Chile around Cape Horn and ending in Buenos Aires, Argentina was our penguin adventure! We saw three kinds of penguins, Gentoo, Magellanic or Jackass, and a single King penguin baby! The two most amazing encounters were in the Falkland Islands at Sparrow Cove and in the Punto Tombo reserve in Argentina.

In the Falklands twelve of us boarded two range rovers and for a half hour bounced and lunged over steep and rough terrain, no roads here! We were on a huge private property where the Gentoo penguin colony nested. The Gentoos were absolutely darling and so curious. We had brought a Trader Joes colorful bag which we set down and the little penguins waddled right over and pecked at it wondering what it was! That magical feeling of being among God's fearless creatures that we thought we had lost in the Galapagos islands was here! There we also saw a lone King penguin baby. His parents apparently were at sea fishing. This was no little baby, however, being about 3 feet tall!

The second encounter was in Argentina at the penguin colony in Punto Tombo. This is the largest colony on mainland South America with a million penguins! They were everywhere and again without fear! Like in Galapagos you had to be careful where you walked to not step on them. After a lengthy walk to the end of the reserve was a spectacular sight, a beautiful long crescent beach crowded with hundreds of black and white Megellanic penguins, like penguin tourists at Waikiki! They were swimming, surfing, laying out, grooming their partners and walking to and fro but mostly just hanging out with their friends and family! What a scene! There was a second picturesque area, an exquisite little bay also a playground for the penguins. It was a noisy scene as well as they aren't called jackass penguins for nothing! They call to each other by putting their heads back and vigorously hee hawing just like a donkey! They were very curious as well, not for the Trader Joes bag as had the Gentoos but rather for my husband Jeff's camera! One came right up to Jeff and looked side to side at Jeff's camera and then came closer and closer. Jeff got a clip of it, with his penguin head getting larger and larger almost touching the lens! Alas, the last encounter was all too short as we were with the ship's group. We would have loved to stay much longer. Someday soon we hope to bring our children and grandchildren to this truly amazing place and hope you dear reader can join us!

Best Travel Experience Story

CMDAVILACLI — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:37:40 GMT

The Generosity of Strangers

Withdrawn

jsattapr2 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:34:08 GMT

Message Edited by jsattapr2 on 03-12-2008 12:09 PM

Adventures at the Coast of Maine

lhbrown — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:16:51 GMT

After biking from Inn-to-Inn in Germany and Austria, my husband and I were ready for a new adventure. We wanted to do some sea kayaking on the coast of Maine for a few days, preferably kayaking from Inn-to-Inn, but was there such a thing? I didn’t mind doing some of the hard work (the paddling), but I also wanted hot showers and a warm bed at night. I didn’t want to do all of it (the cooking, etc.)...

Vacationing in British Columbia

Syrene-1 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:51:30 GMT

My husband and I were traveling from New York to British Columbia in Sept. 2001. Our first stop was a very remote island in the far North of the region to see Grizzly Bears in the wild. We had a wonderful time but it was all very rustic and we were looking forward to staying in the luxury of the Aerie Lodge outside of Victoria. We rented a car and took the long drive there, arriving late on Sept. 10th.

We had prearranged for 2 massage therapists to come to our room for massages and after that and a quick room service dinner we fell into a restful sleep.

We awoke late the next day and had a leisurely breakfast overlooking the beautiful scenery. We could not have been feeling better.

As is his habit, my husband called his office after breakfast just to "check in" and the whole world changed.

He was on the patio yelling "WHAT?" over and over again, white as a sheet. When I walked outside he just yelled at me to turn on CNN.

They just kept showing those images over and over again. My first thought was for my sister - she was in securities at the time and could easily have been downtown. Then my thoughts turned to my aunt and cousins and friends.... I couldn't get through anyone on the phone for a heart stopping hour. Even then no one really knew how anyone else was doing. It was all so chaotic and unbelievable.

We eventually found out that our close friends and family were thankfully OK and ended up being "stuck" in Victoria for an additional week, as we were not able to arrange a flight home.

During that time we were "adopted" by almost everyone we met. The manager of the Aerie gave us the Presidential Suite at the same rate and arranged for us to attend long sold out events to keep our minds off of things. People in restaurants, shops and on the streets hugged us and cried with us and invited us into their homes.

I have never experienced such incredible warmth and generosity as I did during that horrible wonderful week. I will forever be grateful to the people of British Columbia, but I don't know if I could ever bring myself to go back.

Customs Conundrum

funtimes — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:49:50 GMT

Our last day in Paradise had painfully arrived - so sad to leave St John US Virgin Islands. We heard reports of bad weather off Miami. Hoping the reality for continued fun in the sun was destined, we continually called St Thomas with the strong desire that our flight would be cancelled. NO LUCK! Regretfully, we boarded the ferry to St Thomas and taxi to the airport only to be delayed. Had luck graced us? NO We boarded our flight to the US mainland and soon it was apparent that the weather was horrendous. Twilight Zone episodes come to mind! Our plane emergency landed in Nassau Bahamas. Yeah!!! Finally our chance for an extended stay in warm weather had arrived. After hours on the plane, with no word from crew, water or nothin' a group was forming a mutiny of sorts, demanding to disembark. Again no luck, a uniformed Bahamian boarded to tell us that customs would not allow it. Realising that this "customs" officer was dressed in the ol' red , white and blue, we quickly understood the ruse, and demanded more information. The pilot actually came out of the cockpit at this point to tell the "mutiniers" that an airline business decision actually was keeping us grounded and on board...seems our US carrier would be required to pay each passenger's Bahama customs fee. Hours passed, then ok'ed into Miami only to sleep in the airport. Alas no extended stay this trip, but a great deal of theatrics on the part of our airline - impersonating a customs agent ...amazing!

Giving Back in Cambodia

claassenam — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:34:59 GMT

A Most Rewarding Experience

Entrepreneurship In Istanbul

shirleyt — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:24:08 GMT

In April of 2005, my husband and I spent a wonderful week in Istanbul. We were enthralled with the mosques and bazaars and all the historic sights. We particularly enjoyed the very affable people we met there, and their easy sense of humor.

But as everyone who has been there knows, you can't walk more than a block or two without being pitched by a street vendor. Most often the attempted hustles are toward a carpet shop, but everything imaginable is being peddled everywhere.

Towards the end of the week, we began to tire of the sales pitches and tried to avoid eye contact when we saw them approaching. As we strolled near the Grand Bazaar, there was another of the many vendors we'd seen hawking knockoff perfumes. These fellows would have one arm extended, with maybe 15-20 boxes of the perfumes jammed between their hand and shoulder. As we politely declined, I noticed behind the vendor a stray cat that resembled our tabby back home. Looking around the vendor, I tried to approach the cat. The vendor noticed my attempt, bent his arm, and dumped his cache of perfumes on a bench. He picked up the cat and walked over to me. "So," he said, "You don't wanna buy my perfume; you wanna buy a cat?????"

All three of us burst out laughing. Only the terrified cat failed to see the humor in the encounter... one of our fond memories of Istanbul.

Aaah....Venice

jashermd — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:56:27 GMT

After many months of valiant resistance, I finally broke down under the constant advertisements for cheap flights flogged by the European budget airlines, and bought my girlfriend and myself a pair of £6 tickets to Venice (no, that's not a typo) on Ryanair. Of course, the flight did leave Stansted at 6 in the morning...

A Day Late or A Passport Short?

paularec — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 04:18:32 GMT

Bermuda, April 1971.............Spring break with my college girlfriends and I was certain I had died and gone to Heaven. So while there I made a promise to return on my honeymoon with the man I loved. Well, 3 (yep, count 'em 3!!) honeymoons later I, sadly, still had not returned. And then I discovered Luxury Link and an auction for Horizons & Cottages. One click and we were almost there! I could see the pink sand, feel it between my toes. Are we there yet? I was childlike with anticipation and glee! So much so that we arrived at the airport 3 hours early, presented boarding passes and passports and waited for seat assignments. The agent studied the screen for a VERY LONG time and then uttered the dreaded words: "It's coming up expired passport". With attitude I demanded: "Whose?" and she quietly said "Yours". Tears were instant. I HAD WAITED 36 YEARS!!! Please can't you just look the other way? We're nice, we're attractive, we're in love and I HAVE TO GET TO BERMUDA! It just wasn't going to work but Plan B was forming. Aren't we in Washington, DC? Can't I go to the Passport Office? Can't you put us on a later flight? And the answers were yes, yes and yes........ a day later. Horizons, Bermuda and the beatiful sand and surd were worth the 36 year and 24 hour wait. And so was the my husband who never said a reproaching word except to remind me to stop crying because they would be taking my picture at the Passport Office! paularec aka corgigirl

Naked Truth Trilogy

kyshel — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:56:01 GMT

Sorry, no photos...

Maybe the dingo ate your passport!

turtlemama — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:23:18 GMT

A night of panic...

Service above and beyond at the Arlberg Hospiz in Saint Christoph, Austria

lhbrown — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:57:18 GMT

Hi,

For one of our best hotel experiences, I would have to name the Hotel Arberg Hospiz in Saint-Christoph, Tirol, Austria because of its "above and beyond service".

Some years ago, we returned there on a Saturday evening for a week of skiing with both of our suite cases missing. I was coming from Germany, and the train baggage service had lost my suitcase. My husband was coming from the States, and his suitcase had not made it either.... We literally just had the clothes on our back. On Sunday morning, Mr. Adi Werner, the owner of the Hospiz, looked at us and then invited us up to his private quarters. He opened his wardrobe, took a ski suite of his wife, handing it to me along with a hat, gloves and gogles. Then he did the same for my husband, handing him one of his own ski suites, hat, gloves and gogles, and sent us out to enjoy the slopes. For days, he made all the phone calls to the airlines and train stations to find our suitcases but they never caught up with us. He organized a Toga Party in the tavern where he handed everybody sheets and safety pins to dress up for a Roman Feast. We were grateful for the change of clothes...and the party was a blast. Would it not have been for the generosity of Mr. Werner, this ski vacation could have been a real disaster, but he saved the day... This is service that went above and beyond....

It was quite exciting... at least for me!

Mattokun — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:59:04 GMT

My best travel experience may not be so exciting after all... my wife and I went to the home country of Bungee Jumping, New Zealand. Of course, I wanted to try out, but I'm not the yougest any more, and looking down that gorge nearly required the purchase of a new pair of pants. But hey, when does one get to go halfway around the world, and so chickening out was not an option. I got on the bridge, got the bungee tied to my legs, and crawled to the jumping ramp. I may have not jumped, but I have the feeling that the guy gave me a bit of a push... well, it was not as badd, since the whole thing is over before you can actually think about it. But still, thinking back about it, this was probably the most exciting thing I did on a trip so far!

The Adirondacks - where Nature Rules

lhbrown — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:17:50 GMT

In the Adirondacks great camps and cozy cabins dot a vast wilderness of magnificent mountains and lakes. Historic inns offer legendary hospitality and dining amid rustic elegance.