Favorite Places around world

Mark Buskell

Member
Join Date
Sep 2003
Location
Florida
Posts
892
I know this is a little off topic but I thought it might be interesting to share travel stories. In our profession we travel a lot, some good places and some bad, some good startups and some startups from hell. We get to meet people from all over the world, make new friends and learn about other cultures and sometimes even get a couple of days of sightseeing.

I just got back from a 3 week startup in Victoria, Austrialia. I found the people there very friendly. I got to see the 12 Apostles as well as kangoroos, koloas and the beautiful countryside.

One morning around 6, I got out and started walking. The woods were alive with the sounds of the birds. The fog was starting to lift and out in the distance through the trees, I saw two young kangaroos boxing each other. The boxing only lasted a minute or so but it was one of those memories that I will always treasure.

It's these kind of expierences that makes me glad of my job.

woodssmall.jpg
 
You have a good eye Mark, that is a very nice picture!!!! And I think it is a great idea to share these' high points' of our work...it is one of the reasons that I do 'road work!!!!
David
 
I think the startup I remember most is the one I did in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The guy I was supposed to meet had to take an unexpected trip to the states, so he left me with his electrician. Unfortunately my Spanish is abysmal, it consists mainly of the three necessities of life, Beer, Bathroom, and Food. Of course the guy that left spoke English and the guy that I was with spoke only Spanish. Needless to say, the technical conversations were fraught with a lot of diagraming and stick drawings to get the point across.

All in all it was a great trip. The island weather was perfect, I walked the beach, went up to the old fort ruins, sampled the local food, and generally had a great time. One of these days I hope to go back and take a real vacation there.
 
From all my trips over the world I had some good bad.
The most I remember is to Belarus.
I supposed to travel there because they claim that the machine we made is sometime work sometime is not.
I have not clue what the problem so I took with me every thing it possible.VFDs PLC Relays ect..
When I arrived to the airport I found my tickt is for week not for one or two days.I got mad what I should do overthere for a week.
When we land I had to fill customs form. every thing include my laptop was around $3000,
So they say that I have to pay tax for that. I explained I going to take it back with me in few days,so they say that is temporary tex.
So I asked if I going to get my money back ,they said no.All of this discussion was in broken English.
I said OK I took the form and changed the amount to $900.From this amount threr is no tax.
I had to pay $60 for visa and $5 for insurance.
When we arrived to Minsk they put me in kind of "motel" no one speek English no restroom or shower in the room.The time was almost midnight
so I went to sleep.
In the morning I brok my tee to explain that I want cup of hot watter
(I carry my coffee with me).
Later they pick me up to the plant in front of the plant was big mass
Then they told me that this is the sity jail and they have problems there.
the next building was the plant.When we suppose to came.
It took me 5 minuts to understand the problem they have 176V insted 240V so the air valve sometime worked and sometime not.
I had to move the valves to another power supply switchabel and that solve the problem.
When I left the building they search in my stuff and my body,I asked what the problem(I thought on the next building the sity jail)they said they printing the local money in that place and want to make sure I didnot took something with me.
Now I had to find the fastest way to leave. I went to travel agency to buy tikct to no matter where just not to stay there.
Then I found out they do not accsept credit cards.
I had to go to the main office of the local airline.my lucky, they have flight to Israel tomorrow.They charge me $500 for the one way ticket.
On my way back to the "Motel" I been stoped by the police my lucky the guy who was with me told them I stay in his place,he told me before you go to hotel you must register in the police station pay them something and get stemp in your passport,otherwise you are not allowed to get room at any hotel.
The airport lock like something which pass from this world maney years ago.
The airplan was dirty and smele like a $hit then I realized they carrey their pets to the plan without cage or so. all what the pets do is on the plan floor.
I dont talk about movie or music duriing the flight.
It was obviously that the plan saw better days before.
The flight was scary I afraid that the plan will take aparts during the flight or somebady will lunch missile,like the Ukraines did few week before.
then the land in Tel-Aviv.....

No place like home
 
Just to cause everyone "envy"....attached is my latest escapade. One afternoon I helped the crew shift about 7 tonne of lead ballast to stiffen the trim and then the skipper took this 600 tonne boat for "wheelies" in the Sound. Now picture me on the bridge with my little laptop and large green mountains rotating around as I was trying to get some alarming code right. Very cool experience. Doubtful Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand.

doubtful_overnight_nav11.jpg
 
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Arik,

Years ago my mother made a visit to Moscow. Shortly after her arrival at the hotel she notice what appeared to be a pin-hole camera lens in the light fixture haning from the ceiling. So she gets on a chair, and puts a bandaid over it. Then she goes a takes a shower. After a while she emerges from the bath room and takes a second look at the light fixutre....NO BANDAID!! She looks around and there it is in the trash basket....
 
easy answer for me as well,,my bedroom,,,not near as pretty as some of the pics displayed,,but......im sure you can figure out why

Fred Raud
 
Hollyday Inn Express,
Midnight
I find they have Wireless
...and a Chinese delivry that is opened.
In room fridge
Cold MGD
Hot shower.

Well! I'm a simple man.

My real favorite is standing in front of my 3 sons rooms when I come home late at night from a red eye flight.

Wondering which one has just made that funny sound.

The wife says hlaf asleep"Is that you honey?" And I say as always, "SHUT Its Bob!"

(y) to you Fred Raud
 
Mark glad you enjoyed your stay is Australia where abouts were you? Just curious you don't have to say what company but im entrigued on what area.

Just a general note to the forum If your ever down under (in Victoria)drop me a line and Ill do my best to give the grand tour... Melbourne is a wonderful place I think its been voted the world's most livable city, has the largest number of restrants and nite clubs per capita some of them the best in the world.
 
I would have to say that it is a toss up betwen Yosemite(offseason) and the view from on top of Mt Fuji Japan. That was one good thing about being in the Marines, got to visit some beautiful places. I was at Mt Fuji for several months and loved to just get on a train and visit some Japanese town for the weekend. Then agian, Joshua Tree sunsets were awesome also.

dale

p.s. Croakus, how was Jacksonville, NC? lol
 
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Geelong

corkers,

The startup I did was for a company in Geelong called Godfrey-Hirst.
They manufacture carpet. Thanks for the invite, don't know when we might get back there but if we do I will attempt in touch with you.
Go Geelong Cats.
 
United Arab Emirates

Yes, the middle east.

I was there last year, for a service call to a cement plant,
about this time, and found it to be
one of the most interesting places and countries I have
visited in my travel lifetime (44 countries, round-the-world)

Not at all what I expected, but some surprises as well. I
needed some #18AWG blue wire, and that took two days, because
they sent 'a guy' to Dubai, and he stayed there, waiting, for
the wire supplier to 'find' him some.

Dubai is a beautiful city, and the Burj el Arab is a sight to
see, if only from 1 km away.
 
One place stands out for me.

1. Waidhofen an der Ybbs in Austria. Not sure of its exact history but very much like some of the other midevil towns I've seen in euope but without near as much tourist cheap schmaltz.

Took a side trip up a narrow gage train into the mountains to a lake resort town. Beautiful (sorry don't have pictures... no digital cameras back then). Also, the people in Waidhofen were about the most hospitable I have ever found.
 

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