Romantic holiday with Sue
Our agent had a driver onboard and he drove me to a hotel in Hamburg. The agent had made a reservation for me on Reichshof hotel close to the central station. Down town Hamburg.
We arrived to the hotel at 9 o'clock. It was a big hotel and when I stepped out of the elevator
Hotel Reichshof in Hamburg
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on floor 5 it was like a maze. I was running around looking for room 557. Finally I found it after a glance on the emergency map on the wall. Now I needed some money so I went down and asked for a ATM.
- Out of the door to the right and then right again and there is a bank.
I found the ATM but after 2 attempt to get the right PIN code I ejected the card. Hmmm, not again, I thought. It happened to me a few times before that I had entered the wrong PIN code and thus lost my card. I was really trying to remember the darn PIN code and tried again. I had the right PIN code and ipsi wipsi wu I had some money in my hand. Off I went for a few beers. But I'm getting old and after 3 beers I went back to the hotel for a nap.
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Friday 14th of March 2003 and I was lucky that I had returned to my hotel after just 3 beers yesterday evening. I had time for a quick breakfast before the driver picked me up at 0630.
2nd Officer in security check at
Hamburg airport.
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2nd Officer was in the taxi, the driver had picked him up at the ship at 6 o'clock and they stopped at my hotel on the way to the airport. I was flying from Hamburg via Frankfurt to Gothenburg with Lufthansa.
I was in a hurry to get home to arrange all my bills that haven't been paid due to the company's failure to pay my salary. I had left the lorry in Hamburg because of this. Well, Lufthansa. All flights was delayed and finally when I arrive to Gothenburg hours late my bags was still in Germany.
I spent the day on the phone and I got everything back in order and I got a flight to Funky Town Saturday 15th of March in the afternoon (not with Lufthansa). I will arrive to FUNKY TOWN Sunday lunch and I will meet Sue again.
My bags arrived later on in the afternoon and they delivered my bags to the restaurant where I was eating pizza with my friend. Yes, I was lucky that I had my 2 best Porters with me eating pizza. We brought my luggage to my friend's apartment around the corner and he drove me to my hotel.
I was dead tired and I felt asleep immediately.
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Saturday 15th of March 2003 and woke up 7 o'clock in the morning. Giving me plenty time to take care of my last things before leaving for the airport. I took a taxi to my friend's apartment where I lived back then. I stayed at hotel over weekends when his son was living with him. I wanted to have a pizza so I called him.
- When are you coming home? I have a surprise for you.
I know that he liked surprises. He told me that he would be home around 1 o'clock so I waited in the apartment while packing my stuff. At 1430 he had not come so I called a taxi and I was ready to leave for the airport when he came home. Just when I hang up he came with his son.
- What's the surprise?
- I was going to treat you on pizza but now it's too late, I just called a cab.
It's never too late for a pizza so I called the cab and changed the pickup time. And pick up place, I asked them to pick me up outside the pizza at 15:15
We just finished our pizza when they called from the taxi. I was lucky that I had my 2 best porters with me. They carried my bags out on the street and off I went to my flight and Sue. It will be nice to meet her again after 6 weeks.
I arrived to the airport and I picked up my ticket at Scandinavian Limousine Service.
My flight left Gothenburg airport 1615 and we arrived to Amsterdam about 17:30. I went to the business class lounge and I plugged my computer to 220 and I could update my web page.
Sue will be able follow me step by step and there was time to send e-mail as well while relaxing in the lounge. No " riff raff " running around.
I had about 1,5 hours before I had to proceed to my gate for the flight to Funky Town so there was even time for a snack and a diet drink before it was time to leave.
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Sunday 16th of March 2003 and we arrived to Funky Town mid day and I took a taxi to my apartment. Disappointment, it looked pretty much as when I left 6 weeks ago. So I was pissed off.
I had to sack the owner of the company redecorating my condo and I found a new company to redecorate my condo. Endless problem and my short holiday were ruined. But Sue saved what could be saved off my holiday. We had a few days when I was not in a bad mood because of the condo, but seriously, I was pissed off most of the time. I saw everything I bought turned in to shit.
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Thursday 20th of March 2003 and we could finally leave for Chiang Mai in the afternoon. We had planned to stay a few days in Chiang Mai but we got delayed because of the redecoration of my condo. Our flight left Bangkok for Chiang May around 1300. Last time I was in Chiang Mai I lived on Pornping Tower and I had made a reservation at the travel agency when I bought our tickets. So they would come from Pornping Tower to pick us up at the airport at arrival to Chiang Mai.
At arrival they picked us up at the airport and for transportation to the hotel. Sue arranged some tours with them while they drove us to the hotel. I don't know what happened, I had expected some relax time during the Thursday afternoon, but they picked us up after 1 hour again.
Luckily enough we had time to eat because I was hungry. I had been busy in my condo all the morning there had been no time for breakfast. We finished our tea and the tour agency picked us up and took us to a temple in the mountains.
It took us long time to go up on top of the mountain and when we were there we discovered a very beautiful view. Nice view or not, I
View over Chiang Mai from the temple.
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grew tired of the temple after a few minutes and we walked down what must have been 1 million steps. When they dropped us at the hotel they told us that they wanted to pick us up early next morning for the rest of the tours. What the
- Hold your horses!! I need some sleep, I said.
We agreed on 10 o'clock outside the hotel next morning.
In the evening Sue wanted to see the " Night bazaar ". So after a shower we
went to see the night bazaar. A lot of knick-knacks, yeah you know. It's the same all over the world. Just different names on the T-shirts and souvenirs. Well, all this running around made us hungry so we went to a German restaurant for dinner.
When my spaghetti Carbonara came on the table I found hair in the spaghetti. I send it back to the kitchen and they asked if I wanted something else.
- HEY ! I don't think so! What will I find next time?
So I was hungry when we left. I bought some M&M in a mini mart on the way back to the hotel. Yes, can it be healthier, a vitamin capsules and a few M&M;
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Friday 21st of March 2003 and we got up early morning on the Friday. We had breakfast and I asked Sue about today's program. It was umbrellas and I don't know everything. We saw the van from the tour agency arriving at 10 o'clock from the restaurant window and we went down and say hello.
We had a full day ahead of us. We started at an umbrella factory and then we went to something else. I don't remember what. I just asked them to take me to a furniture shop to look at teak furniture for my apartment. After that I told them that I wanted to see a remote village but they could not find any village for me. But they showed me a rice field.
In the afternoon we went to an orchid farm. Last visit for the afternoon. This was a nice place and we had lunch here when we had grown tired of looking at the orchids. Sue took plenty pictures of the flowers and you can see some of them below. Now you know what I had to go through. Enjoy!!
After this they took us back to the hotel. They should pick us up later in the evening for a
Traditional Thai food from the north.
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traditional dinner with Thai dance. YAWN!!
We had a few hours before pick up time so we went to a shopping mall and bought new shoes for me. Hmm, very small.
At 7 o'clock they picked us up again. We came to a cultural center where they served us dinner and had a show with traditional Thai dance. After the dinner and dance they had a show with hill tribe people. In the evening we went back to the hotel.
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Saturday 22nd of March 2003 and finally time to go back to FUNKY TOWN. My guess is that I had not been the best company in Chiang Mai, but I just had a feeling that something was wrong back at my condo in FUNKY TOWN.
Saturday was spent walking around looking at Chiang Mai. Sue should buy sweets for her sister and we went to the airport in the afternoon.
Arriving back to Funky Town Saturday night and I discovered that all my teak doors were gone. I just knew it, there were going to be problem leaving Funky Town.
My friend waited for me at my hotel and we went for a few beers. I got drunk and I called the pisshead from Finland in the morning, 3 o'clock.
He was sleeping and I asked where my teak door was.
Kitchen Studio had left my apartment with my 400 000 down payment. When I was in Funky Town in January I had spoken to a new company to do my apartment and they started to work just before I left for my ship. I bought a Canon digital camera for my friend and now he's in charge as Site Manager in my apartment. He will send me reports and pictures via e-mail. I felt good about the new company. Sue also told me that she thought this was a good company:
- You can hear that he knows what he's talking about, she told me.
They had to redo much of the things Kitchen Studio had done.
My advice if you redecorate a condo in Thailand:
STAY AWAY FROM FOREIGNERS!!! ESPECIALLY THE PATTAYA BEACHBOYS!!
Time to sign on next ship
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
So
Jiffy (also jiff)
noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
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I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one.
So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!
คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้
Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!
E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.
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