I sometimes have a quiet moment or two to recall some of my more memorable travel experiences and on the eve of this New Year, always entered with much optimism I'd like to share a couple with you. So when the glass is empty, hopefully the hang over cure worked and you to have a quiet moment I hope you'll enjoy my ramblings
Just the other day I was looking at the rough seas and it reminded me of a time in Bombay when a “test” hovercraft service ran from Juhu to Downtown Bombay, sorry Mumbai. The journey of 23 klms could take nearly three hours by car yet only 20 mins via this new service so the choice was, as they say, a no brainer except on the day I decided to try it on for size.
I was entertaining the wife of a visiting HO manager who was staying at the Holiday Inn Juhu, the departure point I suggested we visit downtown in this speedy manner. Outward journey was great, we were the only two passengers, sea was like a mill pond 20 mins later we were having tea in the Taj Hotel, return journey was slightly different however. The wind had gathered pace during the day, the ocean was getting rather lively, white caps I think they're called. We arrive at the terminal “Not sure we are sailing, will know in 30 mins” A three hour taxi journey was looking very attractive at this point bear in mind I'm hugely claustrophobic and terrified of the water, well not the water just drowning. We're called to board, the tin can is full, I mean India transport conditions FULL, and is being thrown around in the water like a plastic bag (many of those in Indian waters) I look for an escape portholes were welded shut makes sense I suppose more water proof! Life jackets? I count six there has to be 30 people in this tomb.
The engine sputters and cuts out, two “engineers” arrive and remove the engine and fuel tank cover which is in the cabin, one has a lighted cigarette in his mouth I'm silently screaming “Let me out of here!” with a few whacks of a hammer the engine restarts I'm trying to keep cool, I'm the bosses wife after all. We head out to the open water … very rough open water … so the tossing, pitching, rolling starts still we keep going, my companion says “Don't worry I swim lakes” that was supposed to improve my comfort level? 15 mins from shore the “Captain” shouts “Everyone move over to the left, we need to turn round and head back!” Maneuver success fully accomplished, more by luck than judgment we get back to shore with legs like jelly I got the heck out of that tomb as soon as it “hit” the beach I've never been so glad to spend three hours in a hot, smelly and sweaty taxi …. the service was abandoned soon after ….
We live in an age of instant imaging, photos are posted on line faster than they appear on television or in print what always amazes me is in a moment of extreme emotion whether happy, sad or terrifying how do some manage to instantly reach for their phones, camera's, tablets etc to record sometimes very disturbing images. Fast forward to Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12.51 p.m. John and I were sitting in our motel room in Christchurch NZ when the devastating earthquake hit, in 10 seconds our room was destroyed not structurally, thank goodness. The after shock was even worse, we were incredibly lucky that day I believe someone was watching over us. So why am I writing about and remembering this now? We recently watched a television programme “River Deep Mountain High” presented by James Nesbitt he's just spent 2 years in NZ filming the Hobbit and made this travelogue about his journey across this beautiful country what shocked John and I were the pictures of Christchurch with most of the damaged building demolished the devastation which claimed 185 lives was all too apparent, more sobering was we were out of harms way because we changed our plans at the last minute, our original plan was to be in the city centre, was that fate or luck? Who knows all I know is taking photographs was the very last thing on our mind, we don't have a single image of what we experienced what we do have are memories of the terror that will last longer than any digital record.
There's been many VERY close calls during my life so it's with gratitude that we've got this far, Happy New Year from all of us here in Benalmandena we're having a great time enjoying our very special Spanish House Sit ..... we're off out to celebrate, last year at this time we were in Las Vegas Nevada on another fabulous house and pet sit getting ready to celebrate with our daughter Nicky and her other half Richard it was a brilliant New Years Eve/Day Nicky turned into Darcy Bussell, she's a judge on UK's Strictly Come Dancing ... you have to have seen her to know the significance Nicky had a great night!!
Happy New Year to all our friends, clients, doggies, kitties, equines and all creatures great and small may 2014 be the best ever yet. Good luck, health and happiness always!
John Angela and Bruno xxxx
Just the other day I was looking at the rough seas and it reminded me of a time in Bombay when a “test” hovercraft service ran from Juhu to Downtown Bombay, sorry Mumbai. The journey of 23 klms could take nearly three hours by car yet only 20 mins via this new service so the choice was, as they say, a no brainer except on the day I decided to try it on for size.
I was entertaining the wife of a visiting HO manager who was staying at the Holiday Inn Juhu, the departure point I suggested we visit downtown in this speedy manner. Outward journey was great, we were the only two passengers, sea was like a mill pond 20 mins later we were having tea in the Taj Hotel, return journey was slightly different however. The wind had gathered pace during the day, the ocean was getting rather lively, white caps I think they're called. We arrive at the terminal “Not sure we are sailing, will know in 30 mins” A three hour taxi journey was looking very attractive at this point bear in mind I'm hugely claustrophobic and terrified of the water, well not the water just drowning. We're called to board, the tin can is full, I mean India transport conditions FULL, and is being thrown around in the water like a plastic bag (many of those in Indian waters) I look for an escape portholes were welded shut makes sense I suppose more water proof! Life jackets? I count six there has to be 30 people in this tomb.
The engine sputters and cuts out, two “engineers” arrive and remove the engine and fuel tank cover which is in the cabin, one has a lighted cigarette in his mouth I'm silently screaming “Let me out of here!” with a few whacks of a hammer the engine restarts I'm trying to keep cool, I'm the bosses wife after all. We head out to the open water … very rough open water … so the tossing, pitching, rolling starts still we keep going, my companion says “Don't worry I swim lakes” that was supposed to improve my comfort level? 15 mins from shore the “Captain” shouts “Everyone move over to the left, we need to turn round and head back!” Maneuver success fully accomplished, more by luck than judgment we get back to shore with legs like jelly I got the heck out of that tomb as soon as it “hit” the beach I've never been so glad to spend three hours in a hot, smelly and sweaty taxi …. the service was abandoned soon after ….
We live in an age of instant imaging, photos are posted on line faster than they appear on television or in print what always amazes me is in a moment of extreme emotion whether happy, sad or terrifying how do some manage to instantly reach for their phones, camera's, tablets etc to record sometimes very disturbing images. Fast forward to Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12.51 p.m. John and I were sitting in our motel room in Christchurch NZ when the devastating earthquake hit, in 10 seconds our room was destroyed not structurally, thank goodness. The after shock was even worse, we were incredibly lucky that day I believe someone was watching over us. So why am I writing about and remembering this now? We recently watched a television programme “River Deep Mountain High” presented by James Nesbitt he's just spent 2 years in NZ filming the Hobbit and made this travelogue about his journey across this beautiful country what shocked John and I were the pictures of Christchurch with most of the damaged building demolished the devastation which claimed 185 lives was all too apparent, more sobering was we were out of harms way because we changed our plans at the last minute, our original plan was to be in the city centre, was that fate or luck? Who knows all I know is taking photographs was the very last thing on our mind, we don't have a single image of what we experienced what we do have are memories of the terror that will last longer than any digital record.
There's been many VERY close calls during my life so it's with gratitude that we've got this far, Happy New Year from all of us here in Benalmandena we're having a great time enjoying our very special Spanish House Sit ..... we're off out to celebrate, last year at this time we were in Las Vegas Nevada on another fabulous house and pet sit getting ready to celebrate with our daughter Nicky and her other half Richard it was a brilliant New Years Eve/Day Nicky turned into Darcy Bussell, she's a judge on UK's Strictly Come Dancing ... you have to have seen her to know the significance Nicky had a great night!!
Happy New Year to all our friends, clients, doggies, kitties, equines and all creatures great and small may 2014 be the best ever yet. Good luck, health and happiness always!
John Angela and Bruno xxxx
