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Originally Posted by MX6 Welcome back Deky. I love reading your logues as they are very very inspiring and bring about a great factor of adventure. Couple this with the way you write. You should seriously quit your current job and start writing thriller / adventure novels dude.
Hopefully, this ship doesn't burn. I was once stuck in a similar predicament. Coming back from US, without a DATV that allows one to pass through UK to the Indian subcontinent, my company still managed to book tickets through LHR. How I managed to reach Mumbai from New york with the ticket that takes me through London is another adventure. Your story poised at this point has refreshed those memories!
I still thank god and the kind check in counter person who helped me reach home safe without breaking any laws anywhere. May be that story will figure somewhere later. But want to hear about how you got off this fix dude.
Don't keep us waiting for long. |
Thanks MX6. Your story also sounds interesting. You should take out time and share it with us. And about my giving up my current profession, well I do not see that happening anytime soon, as frankly I love it more than anything else. Plus my profession is so flexible that it gives me time to do lots of other things that I enjoy doing. So anyways I am in a win win situation
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Originally Posted by pawan_pullarwar Story becoming very adventurous and interesting. Subscribed this thread to get update |
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Originally Posted by sachinj12 Deky, post quickly na!!
Its like reading an adventure novel, except that these are real life incidents!!Glued to this thread.
PS: My refresh button has conked, you are getting me a new key board |
Thank you, thank you. Next part coming up right after this
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Originally Posted by phamilyman Hey good stuff man. I like.
I once spent a similar adventurous night like you - penniless and broke, but with a SLR around my neck, in party clothes,in Rome. I walked the streets the full night. It was s*** scary then and I can only thank my lucky stars I wasn't robbed. But in just 7 years, I've forgotten many details. Unlike your photographic memory!
You sir, will make a fantastic grandfather Kudos.
Now get ON with it!! |
Wow, Streets of Rome are indeed scary. Whilst on the cruise we had specific instructions not to venture out alone in the evenings leave alone the night. So I can imagine.
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Originally Posted by khoj It is quarter to 4 in the morning and I am sitting here awaiting an update that might come in a few hours or few days. Whichever, I am now glued to the thread hook line and sinker. 5stars for you deky. |
Lol....what you doing up at 0345 hrs? Planning another meet I guess!!!
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Originally Posted by maddy42 Wow. Now i remember why indians love to carry cash!! Lots of it is better in such situations!! Scary tale.
You can keep people at their feet!! |
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Originally Posted by rrahul_2778 Dude, this is very interesting. I think you should really consider writing atleast as a part time. Subscribing to this thread, please don't make us wait too much |
Thank you very much for the valuable comments. Much appreciated.
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Originally Posted by J.Ravi I felt like reading a suspense-thriller only exception being we knew the happy-ending as you are now posting this from Jaipur! Keep writing, deky. |
Oh Ravi this was in the year 2002, after that I continued sailing on the ships for another 3 years. But stay tuned to know more.
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Originally Posted by ASHISHPALLOD @Dhiraj,
the travel story is really interesting,
waiting for next post. |
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Originally Posted by watashi75 Here comes another mouth watering travelogue! I am betting my 5 stars on it. |
Thank you once again.
Jaana Tha Japan Pahoonch Gaye Cheen---Contd
I must have slept for some time in the night, but I am sure the phone did not ring during the time I was asleep, I was snoozing on a bench right next to the phone. Infact even going to the loo did not seem like a good idea, what if the phone did ring while I was away? Anyway I was getting desperate to get out of the airport, I had decided even if that meant I had to spend my own money for a room I will do so and think about how to arrange more money later.
As I was engrossed with the thoughts of what should be my future course of action, the phone rang. It was my agent, he had finally succeeded to get a room for me. He gave me the name of the hotel and asked me to take a taxi to that place and a room had been booked for me in that hotel. He also instructed me that most probably I would have to go to the British Embassy later in the day and get a Visa stamped from there. And after the visa is stamped they will arrange an evening flight to England. For further instructions I had to wait in my room as that would be the only way they will be able to contact me. Well indeed things were looking a bit brighter today.
I had exhausted all the Pesetas in phone calls and snacks and now it was time to change the Pounds. I changed some pounds leaving the rest hoping that by the evening I would be in England. When changing UK Pounds to Pesetas you get a lot of them. But don’t be fooled, you spend also in big numbers.
Before I took the taxi to the hotel I had to do one more thing. And that was to give the airlines I was flying my Hotel’s name so that they would get in touch with me when they get my bag back from England.
Thankfully I was out of the airport and heading to the hotel. The journey was long and the taxi meter was ticking very fast. Ever happened to anyone that when you low on cash and you are in a taxi your eyes are always glued to the meter? Well that exactly was the case with me. Finally I did reach the hotel and bill was almost half of the pesetas I had got. But the brighter side was that atleast I had a room to stay, and money matters could have been sorted with a clearer head. And what a Hotel it was!!! I think it would have been the best and the most expensive Hotel in the town. Apparently the Captain of the Ship and the Crew Purser also came to know of my situation and directed the agent to find me a room at any cost. Bless Them!!
Usually such class hotels do not allow people to check in without any luggage. I did raise a few eyebrows but thank fully I was pre-booked and the room was at the company’s expense. I made sure at the time of check in that the company had also directed them that the food part of the expense will also be taken care of by the head office. Rooms as expected were nice, anyways after spending the night on a bench at the airport, this was nothing less than a palace. And the best part was that the toilets also had phones, so now I could freshen – up in peace without the fear of missing instructions from the agent/ head office. But the bad part was that I would have to stay inside the room so that no phone calls go unanswered.
It was almost noon and the agent never called. The only call I got was from the airlines informing me that they had located my bag and got it to Madrid airport. They told me to come to the airport identify myself and the bag and collect it. I was still hoping to be at the airport by the evening to catch the flight to London, so to save on money and avoid unnecessary expense on traveling I informed them that I will come in the evening to collect it, to which they agreed.
The agent finally called, it was not good news. The British Embassy had denied a Visa to me. (reasons I do not remember now). He said he will extend my booking at the hotel for another day and he would discuss the latest developments with the head office and give me a solution by tomorrow morning. The only silver lining to this phone call was thatno one would be calling me till tomorrow morning so now in the evening I could go to the airport and collect my luggage, afterall wearing same clothes for 2 days and staying in the most expensive hotel in the town is not nice.
Though the taxi to and fro from the airport costed me more money, but it was worth the effort. Fresh clothes make you feel fresh too with renewed energy I tried to make the most of my stay in Madrid by walking around the town. This also didn’t last for long, it was freezing cold and it started to rain. I could not afford my limited supply of clothes to get wet so I walked back as quickly to the hotel as I walked out of it. It was back to the room back to the 4 walls surrounding me and back to flicking channels on the TV showing only Spanish programs. Well for English program’s I had to pay and that I could not afford at the moment.
Not allowed to go to my destination, England, not allowed by the Captain to get back to the ship due to not having mandatory certificates, low on cash, I was stuck in Madrid not knowing what is instore for me …I had my meal and just slept hoping for a better tomorrow!!!!