Finally, hello Caribbean and the €106 cab ride
Hi there, I’m in the Caribbean right now, in warm and beautiful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for work (the resort is lovely! see evidence below haha), until the weekend.
The onward travel was very eventful. Starting with the trams not working probably due to the freezing temperatures the tracks have iced, then realizing I could not take the bus because I do not have a strippenkaart and change money (in the trams I can pay by chipknip – I almost never carry cash!), then walked for half an hour in -8C with my luggage to Utrecht Centraal Station only to miss the train to the airport while the next train service in 13 minutes will be 15 minutes delayed as per advice (all trains to the airport were delayed), and it is already 10:10 on the watch and my flight is 11:30 and I am still in Utrecht 45 kilometers from the airport! Major, major S-T-R-E-S-S!!!
So not anymore taking chances with public transport (I just hate them really!!!), I took the €106 cab ride to Schiphol Amsterdam airport and got checked in at 11:00 (the check in ladies were waiting for me as my colleagues managed to arranged things), then rushed through passport control which was a loooong queue (please hurry!), then security and did a marathon sprint to the gate. I made it to the gate panting like a hyena just in time before the 5 minutes extension given to me was up. HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF. And my luggage made it to the plane as well!
During the 10-hour flight we had mild turbulence and shockingly someone was smoking inside the airplane? Twice! Naturally, the cabin crew went ballistic. The pilot finally got on the speaker phone, extremely mad perhaps his nostrils were flaring wild like the Olympic torch, stating that this very irresponsible behaviour will endanger the lives of everyone in the plane and a violation against airline safety codes and regulations. He added that the airline will report this said passenger to the local authorities and will be pressing charges upon reaching our destination. Ouch.
What a stupid bastard really. They say it was some French guy? Someone else said it was a Russian guy... so I guess, take your pick.
Travel Period: January 2009
Destination: Dominican Republic
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
The onward travel was very eventful. Starting with the trams not working probably due to the freezing temperatures the tracks have iced, then realizing I could not take the bus because I do not have a strippenkaart and change money (in the trams I can pay by chipknip – I almost never carry cash!), then walked for half an hour in -8C with my luggage to Utrecht Centraal Station only to miss the train to the airport while the next train service in 13 minutes will be 15 minutes delayed as per advice (all trains to the airport were delayed), and it is already 10:10 on the watch and my flight is 11:30 and I am still in Utrecht 45 kilometers from the airport! Major, major S-T-R-E-S-S!!!
So not anymore taking chances with public transport (I just hate them really!!!), I took the €106 cab ride to Schiphol Amsterdam airport and got checked in at 11:00 (the check in ladies were waiting for me as my colleagues managed to arranged things), then rushed through passport control which was a loooong queue (please hurry!), then security and did a marathon sprint to the gate. I made it to the gate panting like a hyena just in time before the 5 minutes extension given to me was up. HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF. And my luggage made it to the plane as well!
During the 10-hour flight we had mild turbulence and shockingly someone was smoking inside the airplane? Twice! Naturally, the cabin crew went ballistic. The pilot finally got on the speaker phone, extremely mad perhaps his nostrils were flaring wild like the Olympic torch, stating that this very irresponsible behaviour will endanger the lives of everyone in the plane and a violation against airline safety codes and regulations. He added that the airline will report this said passenger to the local authorities and will be pressing charges upon reaching our destination. Ouch.
What a stupid bastard really. They say it was some French guy? Someone else said it was a Russian guy... so I guess, take your pick.
Travel Period: January 2009
Destination: Dominican Republic
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
