Looks like all sorts of funny incidents happened in my life while I am travelling. I was going through my own posts this month and I can see most of these are my travel stories! LOL.
We were visiting Macau and Hong Kong sometime in the year 2008. We had to take a ferry to reach Macau from Honk Kong. This is one of a kind ferry though! We were asked by the local guide at Hong Kong to get down at the last stop and a driver would be waiting at the terminal for us with our name.
It’s actually difficult to follow the English that a Chinese origin person speaks. But we did catch the word ‘last stop’.
The ferry was supposed to stop at two terminals. We got down at the second one. It was sometime around 7 or 8 in the evening local time. By that time we had got a message from the driver that he was waiting outside for us. We came out and started searching for the placard with our name. Didn’t see any familiar name. Those days there weren’t Matrix cards (at least we were not carrying any!) My phone was on international roaming. But in the roaming things were also funny that time. I was using a pre-paid connection that time. I could send and receive SMS and ONLY receive calls and couldn’t do outgoing call. Thank god we have better options these days with WIFI available everywhere.
We spent over an hour looking for the driver. If you have visited this Macau you’ll know it’s a city of Casinos and tourists. Just outside the terminalwas the runway of the only airport there. While waiting for the driver we watched planes taxing in the tiny airport.
We sought the help of the tourist police there. He called up the driver and some words with him.
What he told next caught us in surprise.
“Your driver is waiting for you in Macau”
We were a little dumbfounded – where the hell were we if the driver was in Macau!!!
“Is this not Macau?” asked my dad now sounding worried.
Mom was tensed so was I – where the hell did we come?
“This is Taipa!” said the police
Taipa, now where was that?
The police explained Taipa is another island in Macau about 20 minutes away from the terminal where we landed up. This is the place you get down if you are visiting MGM or Venetian.
He asked us not to worry since he instructed the driver to pick us from our current position.
He asked us not to worry since he instructed the driver to pick us from our current position.
Thankfully, we didn’t land up in some weird place!
Have you ever been in such a situation? Reached somewhere else by mistake instead of your destination?
Meanwhile check out a quick salad
in my Food Blog
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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 13 Letter M. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!
8 comments
I don't travel much. My husband and I are bad at directions when we are vacationing in a new city though; so, we do get lost some. Thanks for stopping by today.
Oo-la-la! Chinese English is super difficult to follow. I had done a tour of Sing-Malaysia-BK in 2009 and I was giggling all the time the tour guide spoke! Good you didn't land up somewhere more unknown!
Ha ha! We just visited Macau from Hong Kong and I had read about that confusion. Not in Macau but we did lose our way in Hong Kong trying to figure out the Red Leaves Festival.
When you get time, read about my Macau trip here – http://wp.me/p6Oprp-KI
hahaha you got down at Taipa … we have a similar confusion while leaving Macau. Since we got down at Macau Ferry Terminal we just assumed that the return ferry would be available there. But later on realized that it was Taipa Terminal. Immediately booked a cab and drove there.
A Whimsical Medley
Twinkle Eyed Traveller
Thanks to you too
Yeah thankfully
Sure Parul
Great. But we seriously got worried that night