To all my readers, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
No pictures of me, but three of a friend who left us a year ago.
On Sacred Mount in Morocco
Sunset in a sand storm – Morocco
I stilll miss you
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pierreo.com – Join me on my journey
This is where I share my adventures traveling around the world and sometimes even what happens in every day life
Soon after I came back from South Africa, I had to go to the UK on a business trip. Business travel can be exciting, and I am not one to refuse an opportunity to go on one. However the timing of this one could have been better. I was not looking forward to having repeated jet lags and being away the week before I was scheduled to run a 1/2 Marathon.
The trip went quite well, and 5 hours ago, I completed the run (my third for this distance) in my best ever time of 2 hours and 16 minutes, There were over 40000 participants in the full marathon, the 1/2 marathon and a 10k run. I waited at the finish line to see some of my friends finish their marathon and than we had lunch together. It was again a great experince.
But back to Business trips. They do not always turn out as expected. Here is the write up I made last year following a particularly eventful trip – all 100% true.
Business Trips.
Some people believe that they are glamorous and that anybody going on a lot of business trips must be very lucky. I do not necessarily disagree with this view – I have been on many business trips and enjoyed a few of these.
Here is an example of a recent experience I had.
The Concept:
Go to Italy for meetings with potential vendors at the end of June 2006.
The Plan – Version 1:
Fly to Milan on Friday evening to arrive on Saturday morning
Fly on to Marseille to spend the week-end with my parents in Cassis
Fly to Milan around midday on Monday and drive 240 km to Schio, where we have our first meeting on Tuesday
All day review with one vendor on Tuesday than drive 200 km to Bergamo
All day review with second vendor on Wednesday
Fly back to Singapore on Thursday.
The Plan – Version 2:
Fly to London on Friday evening to arrive Saturday Morning
Fly on to Marseille to spend the week-end with my parents in Cassis
Fly to London on Sunday afternoon
All day meetings on Monday in Reading, near London to organize the visits
Leave London around 5PM for Milan than drive 240 km to Schio. Expected arrival at hotel around 11PM
All day review with one vendor on Tuesday than drive 200 km to Bergamo
All day review with second vendor on Wednesday
Leave Milan around 7PM to go back to Reading. Expected arrival at hotel around 10PM
More meetings in Reading on Thursday to summarise meetings and decide on path forward
Leave London for Singapore on Thursday evening.
Reality:
Monday – a week before the trip: All flights from Singapore to Europe are fully booked for the week-end. I am on the waiting list for 6 different flights
Wednesday – three days before departure: One flight opens on Saturday evening, arriving in London on Sunday Morning. This does not give me enough time to go to Cassis so I am making alternate plans to visit Belgium instead.
Friday 2PM: I am told that there is a seat for me on the evening flight out of Singapore leaving at 11 PM
Friday 2:20 PM: I book a flight from London to Marseille via Paris with the local Singapore Air France agent, who wonders why I am going to London first – she had a good point.
Friday 2:40 PM: I book a rental car on-line at Marseille
Friday 2:45 PM: I tell my parents I am coming.
Friday 6:30 PM: I pack one small bag and my back-pack
Friday 9:00 PM: Off to the airport
Saturday 5:00 AM: Arrive in London Heathrow 45 minutes early. Big deal, it just means I have to wait an extra 45 minutes for my next flight to Paris.
Saturday 8:50 AM: Leave for Paris where I arrive at 10:50 local time.
Saturday 11:20 PM: The flight to Marseille is announced with 30 minutes delay.
Saturday 12:45 PM: Flight to Marseille leaves 45 minutes late.
Saturday 2:50 PM: Flight arrives in Marseille.
Saturday 3:30 PM: After long wait in line, I finally have my car.
Saturday 4:30 PM: Arrive at my parent’s house.
Saturday: Some shopping, lot’s of talking, good dinner, local news and finally to bed.
Sunday: More shopping, excellent lunch in the old port.
Sunday 2:00 PM: Leave for the airport.
Sunday 4:30 PM: Leave for Paris.
Sunday 7:30 PM: Arrive London – no problems in Paris.
Sunday 9:00 PM: Arrive at the Hilton Heathrow Airport, after 30 minute wait for my luggage, a 15 minute walk to the train, a 10 minute wait at the train station, a 5 minute train ride, another 10 minute walk to the hotel and a 20 minute wait to check-in.
Monday 7:00 AM: Car takes me to Reading for an 8:00 AM meeting.
Monday: Several more meetings and discussions during the day.
Monday 3:15 PM Leave for Heathrow Airport.
Monday 6:30 PM: The plane finally taxis away from the gate.
Monday 6:45 PM: The plane taxis back to the gate.
Monday 7:00 PM: We disembark into busses.
Monday 7:35 PM: We are finally allowed to leave the busses, not having any idea what has happened or what will happen next.
Monday 7:40 PM: As I wait for my luggage, I call our travel agent (we have a 24 hr emergency number we can use – the agent seems to have an Australian accent!) to see when I can get the next plane to Milan. Not tonight, but the first plane in the morning leaves at 7:30 AM. I ask her to book it and a room at the Hilton Heathrow for tonight.
Monday 7:55 PM: Still no luggage so I call the Hotel in Schio to cancel my reservation there and to leave a message for the rest of the group not to expect me that evening.
Monday 8:15 PM: I finally get my luggage and head for the British Airways Ticketing office to confirm what is happening.
Monday 8:30 PM: Reservation for 7:35 flight the next day is confirmed. They will not pay for the Hilton as they will be making other arrangements for all passengers soon – I have been in that situation before, waiting hours for all passengers to be ready to move etc… I tell them not to bother as I will be in the Hilton.
Monday 9:05 PM: Arrive in my room at the Hilton after a 15 minute walk, no wait for the train station, a 5 minute train ride, a 10 minute walk to the hotel and fortunately only 5 minutes to check-in.
Monday 9:30 PM: Dinner at the hotel.
Tuesday 5:00 AM: Wake up call
Tuesday 5:20 AM: Check out
Tuesday 5:40 AM: Train to terminal 1
Tuesday 6:00 AM: Check in to airport
Tuesday 6:20 AM: Call travel agent to ask them to arrange rental car in Milan (change the reservation I had for the day before) – same Australian accent???
Tuesday 7:30 AM: The plane taxis off – good sign
Tuesday 7:40 AM: The plane actually takes off – we are making progress.
Tuesday 10:30 AM: Arrive Milano Linate
Tuesday 10:40 AM: Message from the travel agent tells me they were not able to get me a car. I call back and they have only checked with National, not Avis or Hertz. They suggest that it will be easiest for me to make arrangements directly at the airport.
Tuesday 11:10 AM: With my bag, I go to National where I indicate that I had a reservation (for the night before) and would like a car. They only have a Mercedes C220 available, which I gladly accept.
Tuesday 11:30 AM: On my way to Schio
Tuesday 1:15 PM: After driving 240 km (yes, in less than 2 hours), I am close to the plant, but cannot find it. Fortunately the secretary is able to guide me by phone – I am glad I had packed my ‘hands-free’ device, and that I can converse in Italian.
Tuesday 1:30 PM: I join the meeting already underway since 8 AM
Tuesday 6:30 PM: The meeting finally breaks up and we leave for Bergamo
Tuesday 8:45 PM: Arrive in Bergamo after 200 km in a three-car convoy, occasionally driving as fast as 160 km/h
Tuesday 9:00 PM: Group dinner (for 8 people) on the top floor of the hotel with a beautiful view of the Cita Alta. Who says you do not get to do any sightseeing on a business trip?
Wednesday 6:30 AM: Wake up call and early breakfast. At breakfast, we find out that one of our team members forgot some key papers in Schio and left very early to go get them. He will not be back before 11:00 AM so we will have to start the meeting without him.
Wednesday 8:30 AM: Get to second vendor shop and start meeting.
Wednesday 4:05 PM: Time to go back to the airport.
Wednesday 6:15 PM: We are all back at the airport, having returned the rental cars and checked-in to our flights. We have our first opportunity to discuss and summarise the meetings and see where we stand while we are all in the same place.
Wednesday 7:40 PM: The plane finally leaves the gate 40 minutes late because one passenger was supposed to be on an Alitalia flight instead of the British Airways flight. Even after three checks of Boarding Pass and Passport, nobody had noticed the error!
Wednesday 10 PM: Arrival at the Holiday Inn South in Reading. I change and go to sleep immediately.
Wednesday 11:36 PM:
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
What?
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
Where am I?
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
I am not dreaming!
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
Fire alarm – no panic – no smoke – no flames – must get out!
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
Put some pants on top of my P-Js – take a phone – do not forget to take card-key
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE! OOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEEEE!
Walk out of front door – fire truck in front of hotel, still no flames or smoke
Wednesday 11:52 PM: All clear, we can go back in. I am not sure what happened and I was never told.
Thursday 6:00 AM: Wake up call.
Thursday 7:30 AM: Check out and walk to office only 1 km away.
Thursday: More meetings, more updates, more checks of how we will proceed, and many other people who want to discuss matters with me “While you are here…!”
Thursday 4:00 PM: Leave office for airport.
Thursday 5:00 PM: In the First Class Lounge of Singapore Airlines, relaxing.
Thursday 6:20 PM: As we are settling into the plane, the captain announces that there might be a delay of up to 1 hour – I do not quite understand the reason and honestly, do not really care.
Thursday 7:20 PM: We leave 40 minutes late.
Friday 2:25 PM: Arrive in Singapore.
The End
Does everybody agree that business travel is glamorous and fun?
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We have arrived at the last stop in our trip in South Africa and are spending three days in Cape Town. Thanks to Olivier, we found a great place to stay in the ‘Waterkant’ district. We have a three bedroom townhouse in this old part of town within walking distance of many restaurants and the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. After settling in, we go explore and near one of the marinas, we get our first good glimpse of Table Mountain.
We are not done with wildlife sightings here. Near the docks, there are seals relaxing, we suspect, after a hard day of fishing
The following day, we decide to head towards the “Cape of Good Hope” and see if we can go where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. We head South along the coast and once outside Cape Town and the near suburbs, the scenery becomes very rugged
We never got there as the main road to reach it was closed and it would have taken a huge detour to still make it – we decide it is not worth it. While we are having lunch, we spot a whale
An eagle
and the crew of a Singapore Airline flights taking advantage of their lay-over to do some sightseeing. I could not resist the temptation to take a photo of the “Singapore Girl” – out of uniform … We chatted with them and unfortunately they would be on the flight from Cape Town to Singapore and not mine from Johannesburg to Singapore.
Our patience, and a little luck paid of in the end, with the “classic” whale shots of the fluke slowly disappearing into the sea as the whale dives.
We then headed to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. It is fabulous – the situation, on the back side of Table Mountain is already scenic. The plants and, especially at this time of year (spring in the Southern hemisphere), the flowers were spectacular.
We finished the day on Table Mountain. We did not get the full “Table Cloth” effect, but still had very interesting views thanks to the clouds which were generally below us.
The next day was our only “city” day of the whole trip. We did a walking tour of Cape Town and discovered both the good, and some of the bad of South African history and society. We started at a museum that ‘celebrates’ District Six. One of the saddest episode of Apartheid when ‘black’ residents were forcibly removed from a whole neighbourhood that had been declared “white” in the early 60’s. Even though it was eventually emptied and most houses raised to the ground, nobody ever moved in as the ‘beginning of the end’ of apartheid prevent local authorities from executing the plans they had. Recently, the first residents forcibly removed in the 60’s and 70’s have been allowed to come back.
We stopped for lunch in a small cafe
and we finished the day on the foothills of Table Mountain as once again the clouds were offering spectacular views.
We started at Telegraph Hill
moved on to Table Mountain
followed by the Lions Head
We went back for dinner at the Waterfront and had a last view of Table Mountain, very different from our first day here.
It was a fabulous trip!
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