Tales and photos of my limited
WORLD TRAVEL
It was easy for me to get hooked on travel. Many people fear the thought of getting to a new far-away place, sleeping in a strange bed and eating different foods at unknown establishments (or from street vendors). I'm packed and ready!
Learn from other travelers at the DC Traveler's Circle.
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A list of countries and Which side they drive on
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Why did the Siamese twins move from America to London? |
......So the other one could drive. |
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A lesson in Time Zones: beep beep b' beep, beep beep b' beep: It's 8:00PM in California beep beep b' beep, beep beep b' beep: It's 11:00PM in New York beep beep b' beep, beep beep b' beep: It's 11:00AM tomorrow morning in Thailand What time is it in Kathmandu. Nepal? a) 10:00AM - b) 9:00AM - c) 8:45AM
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Telephones around the globe:
Most of the world has metered telephone calling (actually, a sobering fact is that half the population of the world doesn't have a telephone!
But let me start over...
In the USA we take our home phone pricing for granted. Most of the world does not know the concept of unlimited local calling. Almost everywhere in the USA, for a monthly fee our residential telephones can have no local limitations. Even our local calls from a pay phone are not timed.
Most of the world I have traveled to has metered telephone calling. Calls were pennies a minute but the meter was running in both directions for home phones and pay phones. The locals didn't know the concept of teenagers tying up the family phone all evening (or of getting their own).
Now, many places it seems like everybody has a cell phone. The reason is not affluence as much as the fact that there may be a long wait to get wires to your house, even in the city. Cell phones are available today.
In Thailand I (more than once) noticed a youth set up with a card table, cell phone and a sign reading "3 baht". Three baht a minute to anywhere in Thailand; pretty good. The creative explanation for some was a promotion from a phone company that offered one month free to try out the phone service. After the month they return the phone, and start another "trial month" in another name. A great project for the kids!
In Copenhagen, Denmark I found the pay phones at the train station had dial tones. I assumed a recording would tell me how much to coin to deposit (like home), but I dialed the number and my friend answered and we had five seconds before I was disconnected. I re-dialed (without paying) and they answered, "Wait right there, we're coming to pick you up!"
"But that allows people to call and holler out a quick message for free," I said in amazement later.
"Yeah.. I guess you're right."
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It's a big world out there. I feel strongly that people are the same, and then they grow up in different places. Same-same, but different. Different spices with similar ingredients. Different gods with similar tales. Vive la Difference.
Feel free to write me
