Unexpected kindness
Jul 19th, 2004, 06:42 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Unexpected kindness
Hi,
Have you ever had someone from your travels do something nice AFTER the trip was over? We did. I'd love to hear if others have had a similiar experience.
Last month, my new husband and I were riding the train from Florence to Venice. We struck up a conversation with a a fun, retired couple from near Perth...somewhere along the line, I mentioned how I love Tim Tams. Fran, our trainmate, asked for our address and promised to send some to us in the States. I gave it to her but really never expected her to follow through. On Saturday, a package arrived! Tim Tams!! What a lovely, lovely surprise! I must say the kindness means so much. I'm going to put together a care package for her and ship it out this week. Not sure what to include--maybe some Oreos and other American stuff!
Fran, if by chance you check this website and recognize this story, here's an early thank you! You made our day!!
Debbie and Howie
Have you ever had someone from your travels do something nice AFTER the trip was over? We did. I'd love to hear if others have had a similiar experience.
Last month, my new husband and I were riding the train from Florence to Venice. We struck up a conversation with a a fun, retired couple from near Perth...somewhere along the line, I mentioned how I love Tim Tams. Fran, our trainmate, asked for our address and promised to send some to us in the States. I gave it to her but really never expected her to follow through. On Saturday, a package arrived! Tim Tams!! What a lovely, lovely surprise! I must say the kindness means so much. I'm going to put together a care package for her and ship it out this week. Not sure what to include--maybe some Oreos and other American stuff!
Fran, if by chance you check this website and recognize this story, here's an early thank you! You made our day!!
Debbie and Howie
Jul 19th, 2004, 08:45 AM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 834
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yeah...I have heard that big red is a big thing! My friend says it's not the same in Oz...something about an ingredient being illegal. They were all over it when they were here!
That is quite cool Debbie.
That is quite cool Debbie.
Jul 19th, 2004, 09:31 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Our trip wasn't quite over but I think this will qualify...
We were staying in Cairns and took a day tour up to Daintree & Cape Trib. My teenage daughter is quite the environmentalist and chatted with our guide (David) the entire day.
Turns out that David has a B.A. in Horticulture. Since there were only 6 of us on the tour, he was able to spend a lot of time with my daughter, showing her the different types of plants and telling her what they could be used for. She loved every minute of the trip.
David had brought along some books on Aussie flora & fauna for us to read while we were driving from one stop to the next. My daughter went through each one of them and was pestering David with question after question. He patiently answered each one in terms that she could understand.
The day came to an end and he dropped us off at our hotel. We went off to dinner and upon our return, the front desk notified us that we had a package.
David had left two of the books for Tara, with a note telling her that he enjoyed their conversation and encouraging her to continue her studies of the environment!
That was the highlight of our entire trip!
We were staying in Cairns and took a day tour up to Daintree & Cape Trib. My teenage daughter is quite the environmentalist and chatted with our guide (David) the entire day.
Turns out that David has a B.A. in Horticulture. Since there were only 6 of us on the tour, he was able to spend a lot of time with my daughter, showing her the different types of plants and telling her what they could be used for. She loved every minute of the trip.
David had brought along some books on Aussie flora & fauna for us to read while we were driving from one stop to the next. My daughter went through each one of them and was pestering David with question after question. He patiently answered each one in terms that she could understand.
The day came to an end and he dropped us off at our hotel. We went off to dinner and upon our return, the front desk notified us that we had a package.
David had left two of the books for Tara, with a note telling her that he enjoyed their conversation and encouraging her to continue her studies of the environment!
That was the highlight of our entire trip!
Jul 19th, 2004, 01:01 PM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I qualify BIG TIME! I have recently returned from Argentina where I had a problem with the hotel I had booked trying to charge me twice the quoted amount when I was checking out, a situation that saw me hurtling down the street at 4AM in Buenos Aires with my luggage in tow having refused to pay the bill unless it was the amount that I had on my print-out of the quote.
I ended up writing a scathing post on the Latin American Fodors board with a copy and heading to the Buenos Aires Herald, which is written in English, as a letter to the Editor.
I received a number of enquiries as to which hotel was to be avoided but a nice letter came to me last week offering me free accommodation in that person's holiday apartment in B.A should I go to Argentina again. Now that is what I call kindness which has restored my faith in the Argentinians again as they are a wonderful nation of people.
However I am told now that this problem is rife in a lot of places in the world now that there are many web sites offering cheap hotel accommodation. The hotels are not obliged to stick to the amount that you have been quoted. In my instance though the price and room had been accepted by the hotel when I checked in and therefore as far as I was concerned that was the end of it. It has all been sorted out now and the Hotel has billed me the amount quoted to me, so I am happy but this is just a little word of warning to others who may use a web hotel search site.
I ended up writing a scathing post on the Latin American Fodors board with a copy and heading to the Buenos Aires Herald, which is written in English, as a letter to the Editor.
I received a number of enquiries as to which hotel was to be avoided but a nice letter came to me last week offering me free accommodation in that person's holiday apartment in B.A should I go to Argentina again. Now that is what I call kindness which has restored my faith in the Argentinians again as they are a wonderful nation of people.
However I am told now that this problem is rife in a lot of places in the world now that there are many web sites offering cheap hotel accommodation. The hotels are not obliged to stick to the amount that you have been quoted. In my instance though the price and room had been accepted by the hotel when I checked in and therefore as far as I was concerned that was the end of it. It has all been sorted out now and the Hotel has billed me the amount quoted to me, so I am happy but this is just a little word of warning to others who may use a web hotel search site.
Jul 19th, 2004, 01:32 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Liz!
There must be something about being offered an apartment in BA because when I went last year, I stayed in one free of charge.
It's a crazy story. In posting questions, I 'met' an American through the LA board who had a vacant, furnished apartment in Buenos Aires. In the course of many emails I felt safe enough to take his generous offer--I'm not usually a risk taker but no warning bells went off in my head. I wanted to pay him something but all I was asked to do is tip the doorman and pay the maid for the week. It was FABULOUS. The unfortunate thing is that I have never been able to repay this gentleman for his kindness. He lives less than an hour away from me and I've wanted to at least treat him and his wife to dinner.
I guess my story doesn't quite fit the after part of my post but your story reminded me of another wonderful happening. Isn't travel grand?!
Debbie
Other than the hotel aggrevation, did you enjoy South America?
Tallylass, Mina--I bought Oreos,lots of Big Red, Tootsie Rolls, some pecans and peach candies today (Although I'm not Southern, I do live in Georgia!)Can you think of anything else??
John--Great story! Now why can't people be as nice close to home?
There must be something about being offered an apartment in BA because when I went last year, I stayed in one free of charge.
It's a crazy story. In posting questions, I 'met' an American through the LA board who had a vacant, furnished apartment in Buenos Aires. In the course of many emails I felt safe enough to take his generous offer--I'm not usually a risk taker but no warning bells went off in my head. I wanted to pay him something but all I was asked to do is tip the doorman and pay the maid for the week. It was FABULOUS. The unfortunate thing is that I have never been able to repay this gentleman for his kindness. He lives less than an hour away from me and I've wanted to at least treat him and his wife to dinner.
I guess my story doesn't quite fit the after part of my post but your story reminded me of another wonderful happening. Isn't travel grand?!
Debbie
Other than the hotel aggrevation, did you enjoy South America?
Tallylass, Mina--I bought Oreos,lots of Big Red, Tootsie Rolls, some pecans and peach candies today (Although I'm not Southern, I do live in Georgia!)Can you think of anything else??
John--Great story! Now why can't people be as nice close to home?
Jul 19th, 2004, 09:09 PM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Debbie
I have only been to Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia ( and then only La Paz ) but I do love South America, mostly because the people are so nice and now that I have "found" Bariloche I will have no need to go anywhere else again. It is soooo beautiful but best of all it is so cheap which makes the flight worth while taking for that reason alone. I had a hotel overlooking and right on the lake and it included breakfast for $43 Australian ( about $30US) a night, wine is about $3 a bottle and dinner about $10 at the most. It cost $15US to cross the Andes to Puerto Montt - BIG WOW factor there- crossing the Andes that is!!!!! and it cost $4 to go up to a beautiful little village on another lake for the day where the bus took the roads along side the lakes. Andes mountains all around and trout poking faces at us from the lake.
Found myself looking at Real Estate and that is a worry! I wish we had some of the architechs and builders from that part of the world as I loved the style of the wooden houses (mansions). Fortunately for me I go over there for work and so I get to have a wonderful holiday if time allows.
I am sure that you will have a chance to "thank" the person who let you stay in his place but I am sure too that he would have only been too happy to have someone there for a change.
I have only been to Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia ( and then only La Paz ) but I do love South America, mostly because the people are so nice and now that I have "found" Bariloche I will have no need to go anywhere else again. It is soooo beautiful but best of all it is so cheap which makes the flight worth while taking for that reason alone. I had a hotel overlooking and right on the lake and it included breakfast for $43 Australian ( about $30US) a night, wine is about $3 a bottle and dinner about $10 at the most. It cost $15US to cross the Andes to Puerto Montt - BIG WOW factor there- crossing the Andes that is!!!!! and it cost $4 to go up to a beautiful little village on another lake for the day where the bus took the roads along side the lakes. Andes mountains all around and trout poking faces at us from the lake.
Found myself looking at Real Estate and that is a worry! I wish we had some of the architechs and builders from that part of the world as I loved the style of the wooden houses (mansions). Fortunately for me I go over there for work and so I get to have a wonderful holiday if time allows.
I am sure that you will have a chance to "thank" the person who let you stay in his place but I am sure too that he would have only been too happy to have someone there for a change.
Jul 20th, 2004, 05:56 AM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi again Liz,
Am glad you liked SA. I've only been to Brazil and Buenos Aires but at some point need to rectify that. Did you ski in Bariloche? If so, how was it? I've skied but would not consider myself a skier, maybe more of a snowplower...I'm the girl with snow on her bootie from falling...
Deb
Do you still have my email? When we got a new computer, I lost a bunch of data, addresses and other stuff...
Am glad you liked SA. I've only been to Brazil and Buenos Aires but at some point need to rectify that. Did you ski in Bariloche? If so, how was it? I've skied but would not consider myself a skier, maybe more of a snowplower...I'm the girl with snow on her bootie from falling...
Deb
Do you still have my email? When we got a new computer, I lost a bunch of data, addresses and other stuff...
Jul 20th, 2004, 01:33 PM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think you would call what I do skiing, more like " bum-boarding" or in American "Butt- boarding.
The skiing there is terrific - not that I am any expert though but the advantage is that its only 15 klms out of town and you get a 360 deg view of the Andes and the lakes from the top of the mountain. Plus it does not cost an arm and a leg in $ for staying there.
It certainly ranks highly with say, Telluride and Durango in Colorado and around Banff and Lake Louise in the Rockies in Canada. Blows Whistler away in comparison though.
If you don't eat anything else when you go do have a Patagonian BBQ because I have never had meat, chicken or beef that tasted that good. I am now a vegetarian till I go back! Enjoy it if you can get there, its a special part of the world.
The skiing there is terrific - not that I am any expert though but the advantage is that its only 15 klms out of town and you get a 360 deg view of the Andes and the lakes from the top of the mountain. Plus it does not cost an arm and a leg in $ for staying there.
It certainly ranks highly with say, Telluride and Durango in Colorado and around Banff and Lake Louise in the Rockies in Canada. Blows Whistler away in comparison though.
If you don't eat anything else when you go do have a Patagonian BBQ because I have never had meat, chicken or beef that tasted that good. I am now a vegetarian till I go back! Enjoy it if you can get there, its a special part of the world.
Jul 21st, 2004, 01:14 AM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Liz,
Funny that we've been talking about Bariloche.
Last night I was watching a TV show called the Amazing Race and the were in Bariloche! It just makes me want to throw some clothes in a bag and jump on a plane. oooooh....
Do they import that show to you in Oz? It feeds my travel addiction as I watch the contestants go around the world in search of clues.
Debbie
Funny that we've been talking about Bariloche.
Last night I was watching a TV show called the Amazing Race and the were in Bariloche! It just makes me want to throw some clothes in a bag and jump on a plane. oooooh....
Do they import that show to you in Oz? It feeds my travel addiction as I watch the contestants go around the world in search of clues.
Debbie
Jul 21st, 2004, 01:25 PM
#11
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I havn't watched TV in a couple of months so I am not sure if we have that channel or not. This last time I did not even take a camera as photos would not have done it justice at all. Its a wonderfully beautiful place and for that matter so is El Califate and its surrounds and Ushuia (sp? can never get it right. The latter has been on my wish list for years. El Califate area is so unspoiled because there were only about 800 people there about 10 years ago and it is the entrance to the Patagonian ice cap which is fantastic in itself. The Moreno glacier calves off several times per hour so you will get to see that and its about 60 mtrs tall which makes for a big WOW factor. Ushuia (sp?) and the setting there is breathtaking, flying into it was marvelous in itself but if you do get there and go to the three places then go on a do-it-youself trip and not one of the ready made ones as long as it's not peak season though because you will be able to get better accommodation for your money and also pick which tours to go on.
Anyway I know that this is the Aussie forum but perhaps you will get a chance to go down again to S.A. and its hard to get tips about it sometimes. So I hope this will help you a bit.
Another fantastic thing to do is go over the Andes to Puerto Montt and get the Navmag ship which is a freighter and floating hotel with goes down through all the fiords in the south of Chile and around Terra del Paine. Plenty of sealife and beautiful countryside to see. I don't know how many days the trip is but it costs between $200 and $400 US. Regarding the sealife, down in Terra del Fuego I went out to the sea-lion and seal colony and they came rushing over to the boat and did "show-off" things. We were not feeding them and they seem to delight in standing on their head and clapping hind flippers, lying on their back and waving etc etc.. what wonderful creatures!
Anyway I know that this is the Aussie forum but perhaps you will get a chance to go down again to S.A. and its hard to get tips about it sometimes. So I hope this will help you a bit.
Another fantastic thing to do is go over the Andes to Puerto Montt and get the Navmag ship which is a freighter and floating hotel with goes down through all the fiords in the south of Chile and around Terra del Paine. Plenty of sealife and beautiful countryside to see. I don't know how many days the trip is but it costs between $200 and $400 US. Regarding the sealife, down in Terra del Fuego I went out to the sea-lion and seal colony and they came rushing over to the boat and did "show-off" things. We were not feeding them and they seem to delight in standing on their head and clapping hind flippers, lying on their back and waving etc etc.. what wonderful creatures!
Jul 23rd, 2004, 08:02 PM
#12
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 1,649
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We had the front end loaded kindness. One of the faithful correrespondants on this Board offered us his apartment in Sydney, insisted on picking us up at 6:15 am at the airport so we didn't end up in Woop Woop ( a wine now available in fine US grocery stores), schlepped us about hither and yon sightseeing and hiking. Meeting him and his wife was definetly the highlight of our 5 weeks down under.
AndrewDavid
AndrewDavid
Jul 24th, 2004, 10:24 PM
#14
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,680
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A 70 year old lady Kiwi guest of mine is, as we speak, rescuing an Aussie male tourist, about 30 years younger than her. He locked his keys in his rental car in Kuranda - she has driven him down to Cairns to collect duplicate keys- then taken him back to Kuranda which means she'll have to negotiate a winding steep road which she's not familiar with (although after today she probably is) on her solo return to Cairns in the dark. Hope he buys her dinner!
Jul 24th, 2004, 11:21 PM
#15
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello Lindie, Oh lucky you but please be assurred to take some sea sickness pills with you on the navimag ship because although it does not get that rough everyone seems to get sick. Also another tip I heard was there if you can take some condiments i.e. sauces it makes the rather bland food taste better.
Now I am racking my brains to remember which hotel I stayed at was Santa.somethig 7.5 klms out of Bariloche along the lake road. However if there are not a lot of tourists I suggest that you just get a cab and find one that you like and knock on the door There is a long stretch along the lake, about 24 klms with hotels, cabins, guest houses, plenty of restaurants . I can't check either because my daughter is off to South America and I have given her all the information about hotels, hostels etc. Suffice it to say that hostels start at about $8 and go up. I do really mean that you can get a cab and check them out OR you can go into the tourist bureau and get a listing of the ones in your price bracket. It is a tourist town and therefore is not lacking in any sort of accommodation and there is not much reason to stay in town as the bus goes by every 10 minutes and costs one peso (30US cents). The tourist bureau is in the German looking medieval looking square over looking the lake ( well most places overlook the lake) run by a quite helpful, non English speaking Argentinian who will point you in the direction of someone who will translate.
I also have my husband thinking hard about the hotel's name so if we think of it I will write again. Graciella who owns it and her daughter speak English well.
Get a bus to the "Omnibus Terminal" and take another bus to Angostina which is a little village about 80 klms along a scenic drive around the lakes. From there you can take a boat ride into an Antarctic rainforest further down the lake and also there is a fantastic restaurant in town with a large fire in the middle hams and the like are smoking above the fire and they have a wonderful menu with venison stew which was to die for. Not the cheapest restaurant but very nice.
Anyway enjoy Bariloche and I will delve into my info and see if I can come up with information for you and perhaps you can email Graciella first.
Now I am racking my brains to remember which hotel I stayed at was Santa.somethig 7.5 klms out of Bariloche along the lake road. However if there are not a lot of tourists I suggest that you just get a cab and find one that you like and knock on the door There is a long stretch along the lake, about 24 klms with hotels, cabins, guest houses, plenty of restaurants . I can't check either because my daughter is off to South America and I have given her all the information about hotels, hostels etc. Suffice it to say that hostels start at about $8 and go up. I do really mean that you can get a cab and check them out OR you can go into the tourist bureau and get a listing of the ones in your price bracket. It is a tourist town and therefore is not lacking in any sort of accommodation and there is not much reason to stay in town as the bus goes by every 10 minutes and costs one peso (30US cents). The tourist bureau is in the German looking medieval looking square over looking the lake ( well most places overlook the lake) run by a quite helpful, non English speaking Argentinian who will point you in the direction of someone who will translate.
I also have my husband thinking hard about the hotel's name so if we think of it I will write again. Graciella who owns it and her daughter speak English well.
Get a bus to the "Omnibus Terminal" and take another bus to Angostina which is a little village about 80 klms along a scenic drive around the lakes. From there you can take a boat ride into an Antarctic rainforest further down the lake and also there is a fantastic restaurant in town with a large fire in the middle hams and the like are smoking above the fire and they have a wonderful menu with venison stew which was to die for. Not the cheapest restaurant but very nice.
Anyway enjoy Bariloche and I will delve into my info and see if I can come up with information for you and perhaps you can email Graciella first.
Jul 24th, 2004, 11:59 PM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I found a card that I kept on the hotel in Bariloche.
Santa Rita hotel www.santarita.com.ar or email [email protected] - there are some lovely restaurants within 100 mtres of the place so it is not a problem choosing a different restaurant every night.
As for eating in El Calafate - everyone will tell you to go to 'Ricks ' which is an ' all you can eat ' place BUT although its cheap and you can eat all you want it does lack quality in terms of a Patagonian BBQ So ask around the place for more information. I had a lovely meal in a cafe there which did not look very interesting at all and it was the middle of the day when nothing else was open but it was lovely and cost about $8.
Hope this information helps. Santa Rita is a small private hotel but all the rooms overlook the lake and the heating is excellant! The dining room also overlooks the lake and it is quiet. Just a tad further up the road is a resort hotel with a lot more extras and costs about $75 Aust per night and I think the name was Hotel Lago but then you have more people and more noise but it depends on what you want from your hotel.
Santa Rita hotel www.santarita.com.ar or email [email protected] - there are some lovely restaurants within 100 mtres of the place so it is not a problem choosing a different restaurant every night.
As for eating in El Calafate - everyone will tell you to go to 'Ricks ' which is an ' all you can eat ' place BUT although its cheap and you can eat all you want it does lack quality in terms of a Patagonian BBQ So ask around the place for more information. I had a lovely meal in a cafe there which did not look very interesting at all and it was the middle of the day when nothing else was open but it was lovely and cost about $8.
Hope this information helps. Santa Rita is a small private hotel but all the rooms overlook the lake and the heating is excellant! The dining room also overlooks the lake and it is quiet. Just a tad further up the road is a resort hotel with a lot more extras and costs about $75 Aust per night and I think the name was Hotel Lago but then you have more people and more noise but it depends on what you want from your hotel.
