American Tourist sentenced to 15 years..

[Rotobeast]

(03-16-2016, 03:55 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I am used to lefties.   I love them and their crazy ideals lol.

Maybe he wasn't talking about those kind of "lefties" ?
*puff,puff,pass*

[Mike M (the other one)]

(03-16-2016, 03:12 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: There are a handful (well, more than a handful) of countries in the world which I would not visit as a tourist. North Korea is very near the top of the list (very near Eastern Syria/Western Iraq).

X2
I would feel more comfortable in Russia than in NK or any Middle Eastern/Northern Africa country.

(03-16-2016, 03:34 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Come on over you filthy animals lol

Make sure you spray everyone off first.

[Bengalzona]

(03-16-2016, 04:26 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Russia is great man.   Worth a trip to Moscow for the history alone.    Fly Aeroflot and enjoy the top shelf vodka on the long flight from Florida to Moscow.

Best two flights I've had:

1) LAN Airlines active throughout South America. The most comfortable way to get from L.A. to Peru.

2) TAROM, the Romanian airlines. Good service.

[StLucieBengal]

(03-16-2016, 04:32 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: Maybe he wasn't talking about those kind of "lefties" ?
*puff,puff,pass*

Lol obviously I am not a drug user

[Belsnickel]

(03-16-2016, 04:29 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I would not go anywhere in the Middle East other than Israel.

Before my last trip I would have said the same for turkey but Istanbul was pretty cool. I would go back.

I just don't plan on going anywhere that is closer to the equator than where I am right now, unless it is in the U.S. 38 degrees of latitude, I'll go -38 and lower, but not in between.

[Bengalzona]

(03-16-2016, 04:29 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I would not go anywhere in the Middle East other than Israel.  

Before my last trip I would have said the same for turkey but Istanbul was pretty cool.  I would go back.

So you did choose to go through Turkey, eh. They are sort of European....ish.

Long layover in Istanbul?

[StLucieBengal]

(03-16-2016, 04:33 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: Best two flights I've had:

1) LAN Airlines active throughout South America. The most comfortable way to get from L.A. to Peru.

2) TAROM, the Romanian airlines. Good service.

Good stuff.

Aeroflot and Turkish airlines have been good to me. Turkish can beat any rates to Europe by 400-500 bucks. The service is amazing. If they used Russian vodka they would have my business for life.

[Rotobeast]

(03-16-2016, 04:33 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Lol obviously I am not a drug user

I only take my prescribed pharmaceuticals, caffeine, and OTC pain medicine.
I'm not bothered by those who do though.

On topic..... What is NK's stance on marijuana ?
  

[StLucieBengal]

(03-16-2016, 04:35 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: So you did choose to go through Turkey, eh. They are sort of European....ish.

Long layover in Istanbul?

Yeah from Istanbul to Minsk there is only 1 flight a day.   And it leaves a few hours before  the flight from Miami lands.      So it's a 20 hour layover to Minsk and an 18 hour layover on the way home.  

But that's only to Minsk.   Each route is different.   Not sure how many go to Romania.

Edit: the reason we chose turkey was I didn't have to get a transit visa like I would have had to do in Russia.

[StLucieBengal]

(03-16-2016, 04:36 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: I only take my prescribed pharmaceuticals, caffeine, and OTC pain medicine.
I'm not bothered by those who do though.

On topic..... What is NK's stance on marijuana ?
  

Not sure on NK. But there is no way I would even try to take that to Belarus. It's not a friendly place in the territory of checkpoint for Americans.

[Bengalzona]

(03-16-2016, 04:34 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I just don't plan on going anywhere that is closer to the equator than where I am right now, unless it is in the U.S. 38 degrees of latitude, I'll go -38 and lower, but not in between.

Airlines in the U.S. really stink right now unless you upgrade. Personally, I like to fly cheap when I can. But don't go on the cheap on a continental flight, unless you like being herded like cattle, shouted at, stuffed into uncomfortable seating arrangements and forced to check your carry-ons (sort of defeats the purpose of calling them carry-ons, doesn't it). I have horror stories... but I'll save them.

[Rotobeast]

(03-16-2016, 04:39 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Not sure on NK.   But there is no way I would even try to take that to Belarus.   It's not a friendly place in the territory of checkpoint for Americans.

Was the layover to recover from the body-cavity search ?

[StLucieBengal]

(03-16-2016, 04:41 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: Was the layover to recover from the body-cavity search ?

Lol they didn't touch me. But they didn't let me wander around either.

[Bengalzona]

(03-16-2016, 04:35 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Good stuff.    

Aeroflot and Turkish airlines have been good to me.   Turkish can beat any rates to Europe by 400-500 bucks.    The service is amazing.    If they used Russian vodka they would have my business for life.

I've been told that the Arab airlines are nice (Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait, etc.).

I've also heard horror stories about those flights where people who have never used toilets before get exposed to them for the first time.... unsuccessfully!

(03-16-2016, 04:37 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Yeah from Istanbul to Minsk there is only 1 flight a day.   And it leaves a few hours before  the flight from Miami lands.      So it's a 20 hour layover to Minsk and an 18 hour layover on the way home.  

But that's only to Minsk.   Each route is different.   Not sure how many go to Romania.

Edit:  the reason we chose turkey was I didn't have to get a transit visa like I would have had to do in Russia.

We flew straight from Paris to Bucharest. But then at Bucharest, we had to switch to a smaller and older, prop-driven Antolev to fly north into the Carpathians. It didn't look like much from the outside, but it flew pretty good.

I did some training at my Officer Advanced Course with a Turkish captain. He was a pretty cool dude.

[StLucieBengal]

(03-16-2016, 04:46 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: I've been told that the Arab airlines are nice (Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait, etc.).

I've also heard horror stories about those flights where people who have never used toilets before get exposed to them for the first time.... unsuccessfully!


We flew straight from Paris to Bucharest. But then at Bucharest, we had to switch to a smaller and older, prop-driven Antolev to fly north into the Carpathians. It didn't look like much from the outside, but it flew pretty good.

I did some training at my Officer Advanced Course with a Turkish captain. He was a pretty cool dude.

We sat with a bunch of Bulgarians on the way home to Miami .   They fly constantly and said Qatar airlines was really nice.    

They also said if you didn't mind dealing with the Muslims nonsense lol.   Which we all had a laugh.

They did say that the USA is rough on them in pasport control. Similar to how former soviet nations are with us. They brought up how both sides need to relax that stuff and profile the people who actually doing damage.

[Belsnickel]

(03-16-2016, 04:39 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: Airlines in the U.S. really stink right now unless you upgrade. Personally, I like to fly cheap when I can. But don't go on the cheap on a continental flight, unless you like being herded like cattle, shouted at, stuffed into uncomfortable seating arrangements and forced to check your carry-ons (sort of defeats the purpose of calling them carry-ons, doesn't it). I have horror stories... but I'll save them.

Oh, I am aware. I've only ever flown on regional jets, and as a fat man I can tell you it is no fun. My last trip, which was to Dallas last year, was okay but being stuffed into a tin can is no fun.

[StLucieBengal]

(03-16-2016, 04:52 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Oh, I am aware. I've only ever flown on regional jets, and as a fat man I can tell you it is no fun. My last trip, which was to Dallas last year, was okay but being stuffed into a tin can is no fun.

I am 6'5" I know exactly what you are taking about. Flying to Europe is a lot easier and roomy. I have had plenty of room.

[Bengalzona]

(03-16-2016, 04:52 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Oh, I am aware. I've only ever flown on regional jets, and as a fat man I can tell you it is no fun. My last trip, which was to Dallas last year, was okay but being stuffed into a tin can is no fun.

I had to take a flight from Dallas to Philly a few months back and had to sit next to one of the largest humans I've ever seen. It was pretty clear, by the hub-bub before the flight that other passengers had "made arrangements" not to sit next to this guy. But I was unsuspecting and unassuming, and therefore drew the short straw. This guy was so huge that his ass pushed the elbow rests out about 5 inches! Each way! He was by the window, I was in the center seat, and another guy was by the aisle. Me and the guy by the aisle had to sit tilted to the right about 30 degrees the whole freaking trip!

As for the big guy, he slept the whole way. Thank God he didn't have to get up and use the bathroom. I don't think he would have fit!

I felt bad for him, and for myself and the other guy. But, that's just how it goes. I certainly didn't blame him for anything.

[Belsnickel]

(03-16-2016, 05:01 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: I had to take a flight from Dallas to Philly a few months back and had to sit next to one of the largest humans I've ever seen. It was pretty clear, by the hub-bub before the flight that other passengers had "made arrangements" not to sit next to this guy. But I was unsuspecting and unassuming, and therefore drew the short straw. This guy was so huge that his ass pushed the elbow rests out about 5 inches! Each way! He was by the window, I was in the center seat, and another guy was by the aisle. Me and the guy by the aisle had to sit tilted to the right about 30 degrees the whole freaking trip!

As for the big guy, he slept the whole way. Thank God he didn't have to get up and use the bathroom. I don't think he would have fit!

I felt bad for him, and for myself and the other guy. But, that's just how it goes. I certainly didn't blame him for anything.

Thankfully, I am not that bad. I spill out a little, but not enough to really make a 'normal' sized person uncomfortable next to me. It's one of those things that as someone that has been overweight all my life I am hyper-aware of. Most people don't realize that a lot of us are constantly thinking about what we can do to make ourselves less, invasive seems the best word, on those around us.

I also make a point of getting an aisle seat when I fly or anything. Yeah, if someone is coming down the aisle I have to adjust, but the rest of the time I have a bit more room, which means those next to me do as well.

[Bengalzona]

A funny airline story (maybe I should start an airline thread, eh!).

I was flying Alitalia in Italy a few years back on a short hop from Napoli to Rome. This young Italian guy, maybe in his early twenties, dressed in a business suit had the seat next to me. I nodded at him. He turned his nose up and gave me a scowl. He proceeded to sit down very stiff-like, open his newspaper and knock my arm off the elbow rest with his own.

Now, at this part of the story, I should probably tell you that I had been in Italy for a week visiting my future wife, eating all the rich Italian food I could shovel in,.... and not daring to fart around her the whole time. Well, between the rich food, the week of fartlessness, the changing pressure in the plane, etc., something had to give. So I leaned my butt cheeks to my left towards the guy and unleashed the smelliest SBD I had ever let in my life. People two rows back were cursing in Italian.

I watched as the young Italian guy crinkled his nose with a look somewhere between disgust and horror. Then I leaned over and watched the Italian countryside fly by with a big content smile on my face.

(Maybe I should have put this in the gluten thread?)