From Asia to South America, via Europe...

[B727]

Latin America will have to come next year (and who knows? perhaps SQ will be flying there by then...)

I'll drink to that!

[Kiwi]

Speaking of bowing, I think the award for perfect synchronised bowing by an air cabin crew during pre-take off announcements goes to Asiana Airlines

Yes - very formal on Asiana

[B727]

I am a partner in an investment firm, and the amount of bowing in Korea became somewhat ridiculous as did it in Japan and China. I understand it is tradition, but I am glad I am in America where someone is not bowing every 10 minutes

Speaking of bowing, I think the award for perfect synchronised bowing by an air cabin crew during pre-take off announcements goes to Asiana Airlines

[Bridge2Dream]

Thks for your updates, and your report on this Latvia leg is indeed filled with new knowledge for me!

[Kiwi]

Thanks for the report N_Architect, and glad you are getting better.

The Holiday Inn at MUC Airport has a shuttle bus costing EUR8 (each way) IIRC.

[N_Architect]

We may have cancelled the South America...

...part of our journey for health reasons but that doesn't mean we've stopped flying altogether...

N_Architect presents: RIGA, LATVIA.
(well, it'll be a very short presentation, anyway)

I am here on business for a night's stay only. The city is not very big, but astonishingly beautiful (and the ...women are indeed even more beautiful here, as I had been told by a friend before my departure from ATH earlier today )

Arrival was on BT (Air Baltic), in Y, ex-ATH. It was a one-way ticket, as I am returning tomorrow on OK (Czech Airlines, via Prague). Tried to upgrade today in ATH by asking for a quote on the price difference and found out they wanted Eur 490 or something like that. Yea, be my guest...

Return has already been upgraded to C class by paying Eur 101 through Czech Airlines' office in ATH (via cc over the phone, great service, though had to wait quite a bit on the line in order to talk to them).


View from Reval Hotel Latvija, the tallest building in the city of Riga.


A Christian Orthodox church right next to our hotel.


Standard room, very basic indeed. Hotel is fairly modern downstairs, room does not match this modern view, though.
Price for this is around Eur 100, which is quite a bit actually.


Bathroom, very basic as well.

Will try to get more pictures tomorrow.

[N_Architect]

It's interesting that the FAs appeared to be wearing different shoes!

I think the three on the right wear the same ones, while the one on the far left wears a different pair. From those three wearing the same pair, the two have not put up the little black ankle 'strap' (I think so, anyway).

[Bridge2Dream]

KE FAs waiting for our plane to arrive from Seoul.

It's interesting that the FAs appeared to be wearing different shoes!

[SQtraveller]

post deleted

[N_Architect]

The journey continues, with changes...

Dear all,

I have canceled my trip to Latin America (Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro). Recovery is going steadily but slowly. Under the circumstances, with my digestive system not in full balance, a trip there would be risky.

Due to this condition I can now clearly see why I had been (and still am) feeling this feeling of fatigue on a daily basis. Health recovery and work come first. Latin America will have to come next year (and who knows? perhaps SQ will be flying there by then...)

I am flying to northern Europe today on an interesting but very short trip and if I take any pictures I will do a write up (now I do have plenty of time as I am officially on sick leave).

Nick_C: Thank you.

Paint Horse: Agreed, but recovery is very slow and I am extremely cautious with the diet now.

stargold & philfna: Guys, apologies if sometimes I am kind of rough or exaggerate things occasionally, but I guess the main reason is that if I was in Seoul or in Busan, or working in a different shipyard, things would be at least marginally better. And it is also true that every country and culture have their own characteristics that make other nationals uncomfortable sometimes.

[philfna]

I am a Korean-American, but have not been back to Korea that often. I did get married there three years ago, and I agree with N_Architect's comments in post 29. However, I understand the pride stargold feels. I for one could *NOT* live and work in Korea long term. I am a partner in an investment firm, and the amount of bowing in Korea became somewhat ridiculous as did it in Japan and China. I understand it is tradition, but I am glad I am in America where someone is not bowing every 10 minutes.

My relatives are involved in running a chaebol in Korea, and my cousin who is next in line to become Chairman of the company has a great deal of expectations on him both by our family and society. I appreciate the enormous weight it is to be responsible for so many others. You speak of rigidness and totalarian state behavior in Korea which makes sense you've had dictators and Confucian ethic a lot longer then democracy.

Reading your reports makes me want to go back and visit Asia. So for my 3 year late honeymoon I booked two F tickets on SQ to Asia. You and Nickbots inspired me to go. Every culture is different good and bad, but we're all the same trying to better our lives.

[stargold]

<About Korea>

I find myself in an odd situation where on one hand, as a Korean national, my first instinct is to take offense at your post - yet, on the other hand, after spending 14 years in the UK I can see that most of what you say is absolutely true. It was definitely an interesting read and it got me thinking more about my own future - I've strongly suspected for a good while that I won't be moving back to Korea to live permanently, and you just reminded me why.

You certainly raise some interesting points and observations regarding the Korean culture, and I suspect that shipbuilding as an area, and being outside Seoul, did not help alleviate the characteristics that you describe of Korea.

At the same time, I'd just like to add that every culture has its "faults" depending on your own viewpoint, and when you go outside your own country it becomes a matter of looking for one that is the ideal match to your priorities. In that respect, not too dissimilar to looking for a partner, I guess.

As for the rest of the trip report, I've always enjoyed your trip reports as it always has "something extra" on top of the flights and hotels, and allows a brief glimpse of you as a person rather than just a traveller. Sorry to hear about your ailments (I must agree with Paint Horse as to his diagnosis ) and I hope you get better soon!

[Paint Horse]

Well N_Architect, although not of the medical type I am a doctor, so let me be bold enough to suggest that the source and therefore treatment of your Irritable Bowel Syndrome is easy to identify. Just read post 29 back to yourself.

[Nick C]

Thanks for sharing your TR once again N_Architect! Good to know that you are on the road to recovery.

[N_Architect]

Checked in for LH 717 ICN-MUC. Agent asks me whether I want my luggage to go directly to ATH on my flight next morning or whether I prefer to pick it up at MUC and then check it in again next day. I wanted the former but was not sure it would work. Agent says she will check it out now, does so, and advises me to proceed. I say ok, and she was right. It did work, and I picked up fine my one piece of luggage in ATH the next day. Well done LH.

Boarded the plane very late, as usual lately. Flight to MUC was roughly uneventful. I changed to my pajamas after take off, took as much rest as I could (and I will repeat that the SQ SpaceBed is much better for sleeping, as many of you already know) and only had liquids in very small quantities and fortunately managed to avoid dehydration. Stomach had ups and downs but having eaten nothing, I was kind of ok, couldn’t do anything more, really. Crew was attentive, smiling, and offered to assist, if they could, should I feel more uncomfortable with my stomach condition. J cabin was completely full. Apologies but no pictures.


MUC airport upon exit.





As I knew I would have to spend the night in MUC (since no seats were available on any evening flight to ATH), I had made a quick hotel booking while I was in Korea. Hotel was Express By Holiday Inn, five minutes away from Munich Airport. Cost of room was Eur 79 for a night including tax (or Eur 89 if you wanted to get a 1,000 points gift to your Priority Club card), internet was wireless or cable and cost Eur 2 for an hour or Eur 5 for a day (chose the latter, connection was great), breakfast was included in the price (skipped that of course, though) and 1 lt. bottle of mineral water from the bar downstairs cost Eur 6.

I liked Germany, at least the very few things I saw in the short time I was there. When I was 14 years old I did a year of German language, but then stopped it. As I am passionate about cars and high speed commuting, I’ve thought many times I’d really love to be in Germany. Of course the grass is always (or better to say ‘seems always’) greener next door, as they say. I have a feeling though that putting aside the good things, Germany must have pretty tight & strict rules on everything and (being the occasional anarchist I have now become) I am sure I wouldn’t like that very much. Yes, after living in Korea for three years I have now become a firm believer that indeed ‘rules are meant to be broken’, this not meaning though that under no circumstances you have to be extremely aggressive or unfair with people.

Holiday Inn room was very clean, hotel seems brand new, minimal amenities inside, but I am always prepared for anything so no probs.


View from my room at 4am.


Same view at 6am.



Room view.




Bathroom.




7:30am, just prior to leaving the hotel for the airport.


Used a taxi to come, and the hotel’s shuttle bus (Eur 8) to return to the airport.

The friendly (and good looking) female agent in Seoul had also issued me with my MUC-ATH boarding pass, so I went directly through security and passport control. Thorough search from the grim looking security agent (“Please open your belt”, yea, and I thought in Korea they’re bad...) and off we go to the gate after some quick shopping for my nephews and niece (three nice t-shirts).


At the gate to board the LH A321-100/200 that would take us to ATH that morning.

Flight was really great, was in 1F. Managed to get enough work done and abstained totally from eating and drinking, once again. J cabin was full here as well.

Next: Few days in ATH, possibly to go northern Europe on business for a night (to be confirmed), and setting off to Buenos Aires on LH J. Stay tuned.