Tuesday, October 26, 2010

My first stamp

The first day, the first flight. Nearly everything is new, check in is the same, that's where it stops. Had a bite to eat with mum before she left me. No tears, well done ma, seeing the youngest of the clan of to my first overseas trip. Thank you so much for helping me get this far. This is the journey that i've always talked about, but now i'm in a great place in my life to do so. I'm happy with work, my health and confident, what better time to travel. I have no doubts that this will be a great trip. It's my trip, doing some very cool stuff along the way. Doing some things I've always dreamt of. A brief idea of the stuff i'm planning to do:

See Manchester united play at old trafford. I've watched umpteen games of the greatest football club on tv, purchased numerous jerseys, jumpers and anything else Man U. And now i get a chance to watch them live, living out a dream in the theatre of dreams!

Watch my NFL (gridiron) team the San Francisco 49ers in London @ Wembley stadium play the Denver Broncos. Both teams lost this week, Denver got flogged and 49ers lost again in another close one! Can't wait to see Mike Singletary fly off the handle. There is a cool fan zone that will be set up in Trafalgar square on the Saturday, Rice is going to be there!

Ride in a proper 4-man bobsled in Hunderfossen, near Lillehammer. Ever since i first saw the bobsled in the winter olympics i've wanted to get in one, cool runnings just made me want to do it even more. 120 kph and pulling 5G! Only on big braking areas and massive corners do F1 cars pull that kind of G range. But i need to find someone to do it with me since it's it's a 4 man sled they need at least two people to have the sled balanced! If not i can do a Skeleton run, what's that you ask....... It's the luge.......head first! The best part of this venture is the people from the track have given me permission to use my go pro camera and attach it to their helmet!! As soon as i get near a wireless connection I'll upload the footage!

Head to the northern end of Norway to see one of my favorite animals, the killer whale (orcinus orca). Amazing animals, apex predators, intelligent and very curious. Very closely related to the dolphin, so unlike sharks they don't bite to test, they can echo locate and get a better picture of what the hell I am. There has been a lot of press about killer whales (in captivity) lately. So one day will be in the zodiac inflatable boat and the second day will give me the opportunity to get in the water and snorkel with them. "you're excited, feel these nipples." The other great part about the location is that is in the arctic circle, and tis the season for aurora borealis, the northern lights. Winds swept off the arctic to light up the sky. Let's hope for clear nights and plenty of orcas!

Scenic flight over some of the Swiss alps. In Zermatt there is a helicopter company that does scenic flights around the Matterhorn and a few other peaks and a glacier. Again this depends on whether there is other people on the day wanting to do a flight, need 4 people to take off......any takers!?!?

Drive the Nurburgring! I can't wait to drive this track, not only is it the track where Mark Webber won his first formula one race but it also branches off to the old F1 track, which is called the Nordschlieffe. I'll be renting a race car and you guessed it, the go pro is coming along for the ride! I'll even have a passenger, I hope Stephan has some brown underpants ;-)

So those are the highlights, some other cool stuff is a tour of Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius, Newschwanstein Castle and a tour of the concentration camp schachausen which was used in World War II. There is so much history and culture to take in, some beautiful places and some places drenched in tragedy and sadness.   
        
Ok so the first steps to my first overseas trip. Check in, security part 1, security part two, just incase they think their domestic security is shit. And no cavity searches!! Though i had been warned that someone was going to alert the airport that i have drugs in my bum. Then through customs, don't really know what they did besides collect a card i gave them. Then you walk straight into a duty free store, already got new cologne and don't drink or smoke, wasted. Should have got some more cologne, the deodorant i have is now failing, glad no one is sitting beside me! It's not too bad but i always like to smell good. I'm in the middle aisle, spare seats either side, feet up and let's watch some anchorman. As i write this i'm not over a sea yet, 3 hours in to an 8 hour flight apparently. I have some work friends on the flight who are on a journey to China from Malaysia. So it's good to have a familiar faces on board. Flight is very comfortable, I've had a nap, my meal....... I had the chicken! (that's for anyone who knows the movie flying high/airplane) cabin is a good temp, nice crew, no gay men? Just young asian women, though not many of them smile much, maybe that's cause I smell!!! Haha. Time for another sleep. 

So, i made it. First leg done. I've got my first stamp! I'm in the hotel, sitting in the lobby tapping away. I'm finally overseas, over awed, a little. There are a lot of malaysian people in Malaysia, who'd a thunk it? So much for the hotel being right next to the airport!!! So a stroll in the 31 degree heat and humidity for about an hour looking for it came to nothing, found the other place I was going to book. At this point, i'm thinking that i'm well out of my depth. I had no phone reception, and i had no idea what to do. Go back to the airport and find a way to get to a taxi, and my hotel. After you walk of the arrival area there are signs saying you can't go back in.... So where do i get a taksi from (that's how they spell it)? Went to a help desk, must be the same help desk for 3 mobile, said open but no one was there. Kinda like being on hold. Luckily i'm not someone who gets flustered or stressed out. 

So i had to get cash out, what the hell is the value of the ringit? Nearly x3 by the looks of it. Resisted maccas, and found that i could go back into the arrival area. Those big signs that say NO ENTRY generally put me off pissing the guard off. I just followed someone else through the no entry sign they got stopped i got through, into my taksi and off to my hotel. Wow, palm trees everywhere! Litter everywhere along the expressway. Cab driver wasn't a talker but he was bopping away to some western music, very thoughful to put it on an english radio station for me, he may have guessed i wasn't from around here!?!?! Was planning a trip to the city centre but my excursions this afternoon put that off. The hotel isn't near public transport, and when you ask a question they smile really big.........yep that's it. Nice smiles though! The place is nice, has a sepat takraw court (it's volleyball with your feet), gym, pool and a football pitch..... Have to get used to calling it that when i get to Europe. Only annoying part about the hotel is the shitty Kenny G crap they have playing!

I've showered, eaten and i'm ready to relax before leg II, KL - London. Maybe I'll put my bags somewhere and head into the city on the way back. 

I hope everyone is well x   

2 comments:

  1. Wow who would think there were so many Malaysian people! Sounds interesting and very hot temperatures!!! Hope u went for a swim or something... hopethe kl to London leg will go quickly!!!!

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  2. I wish you got notified that you get a comment.....grrr
    Thanks JP!

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