Passport story

[devonwoody]

Fiftyeight years ago a classmate and I decided we would do a cycle tour of the Low Countries.

So we applied for our first passports, I filled in a form (which eventually got pasted in to the passport) of my personal details.

The passport was duly issued; and when I read through the details I had entered on the form (which was pasted into the passport) I realised | had not entered my correct date of birth, in fact I had entered the year current, (1951).
I thought this might give trouble so I altered the year of birth to 1937, it was not a very good alteration but do you know that passport lasted 5 years and four trips and never gave any hiccups when passing through any immigration controls over most probably 20 borders during that time.

So not only was passport office inefficient in those days and border controls were a laugh, it appears there is not much different these days :wink:

 

[CNC Paul]

There wasn't many Talibans about then to give border controls a problem.

 

[Rich]

Several years ago, I renewed my passport to attend my sisters wedding in Gib', we flew to valletta (where the villa is) and travelled to Gib from there, we spent 3 lovely days and returned home in reverse order, I STILL have no stamp on my new passport, so much for border controls.

Rich.

 

[devonwoody]

Hi,



Hi Rich, I usd to beg for passport stamps, until I realised that if you filled your passport you had to pay for another one. :wink:

 

[Woodmagnet]

I've never had a passport,
never been to McDonalds (or any other fast food place),
and never seen Star Wars.
And i've never missed any of them. :lol:

 

[devonwoody]

The best thing about Macdonalds is that if you are touring they do have clean toilets.

 

[Jenx]

Thats known as 'Going for a McSh*te'

Nipping in to Maccy-D's .. buy NOTHING, and just use the "facilities" !

A well-known, oft-practiced, slightly mischevious act, which never ceases to bring a wry smile to ones face. :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[head clansman]

Hi all


Me and my wife have flown in and out of Holland several time a yr for the last six years and never a stamp on either of our passports .hc

 

[Grinding One]

I've never had a passport,
never been to McDonalds (or any other fast food place),
and never seen Star Wars.
And i've never missed any of them. :lol:

You have got to get out of the house more often,your getting barn sour...
Last check,MacDonalds are on every street corner over here...Heck Even Chinas got them :lol:

 

[Jenx]

Nobody ( Countries ) within the EC has stamped passports for years :wink: 8)

Even on EC member countries ( Norway for example ) don't seem to bother much... I rode my bike off the ferry at Bergen, passed immigration and the bloke didn't even ask me to take my full face crash hemet off.. Gave him the passport out the top pocket of the bike jacket, and 'signalled' about taking off my lid.. he just said "no problem Alun, have a nice holiday, enjoy Norway" in perfect english.. and I was on my way.

 

[Krysstel]

Hmm, yes, probably the reason why Norway (thinks !) it has the highest percentage of illegal immigrants in Europe. They obviously all come on bikes via the ferry to Bergen, and keep their helmets on !

 

[Jenx]

Ha ha ha .... you could be right Krystel ! ...
although, I'm not sure you have as many there as there are in the UK :wink:

It is a fantastic country... wild, breathtaking scenery all the way from Bergen right up to Mageroy, ( E6 ).
The Jotunheim was immense ( Didn't get to do Hardangavida.. but will do next time :wink: )
I cant wait to go back !
It was brilliant there. absolutely brilliant. ... So clean, compared to this manky dump over here :wink: 8) :lol:

 

[Dibs-h]

Hi,



Hi Rich, I usd to beg for passport stamps, until I realised that if you filled your passport you had to pay for another one. :wink:

I was in China a few years ago, in Schenzen and crossed into Hong Kong a few times. To say they stamped the sh.t out of my passport is an understatement.

1 return journey involved a Chinese Stamp, a HK stamp, a HK stamp & a Chinese stamp, with each little toad insisting on a fresh page!

 

[devonwoody]

Hi,



Hi Rich, I usd to beg for passport stamps, until I realised that if you filled your passport you had to pay for another one. :wink:

I was in China a few years ago, in Schenzen and crossed into Hong Kong a few times. To say they stamped the sh.t out of my passport is an understatement.

1 return journey involved a Chinese Stamp, a HK stamp, a HK stamp & a Chinese stamp, with each little toad insisting on a fresh page!

You forgot the soldiers standing by the desk with rifles in case you complained.

 

[Dibs-h]

Hi,
You forgot the soldiers standing by the desk with rifles in case you complained.

I didn't see any to be honest, but the toads on the desk had that look that said - "if you even look like you're going to complain - I've got this red button that means you're fcuked!"

 

[Krysstel]

Ha ha ha .... you could be right Krystel ! ...
although, I'm not sure you have as many there as there are in the UK :wink:

It is a fantastic country... wild, breathtaking scenery all the way from Bergen right up to Mageroy, ( E6 ).
The Jotunheim was immense ( Didn't get to do Hardangavida.. but will do next time :wink: )
I cant wait to go back !
It was brilliant there. absolutely brilliant. ... So clean, compared to this manky dump over here :wink: 8) :lol:

Well, nobody really knows since they're illegally in the country but supposedly we have the highest percentage in Europe.

Yes, I can imagine it looks like paradise, as a tourist, however living with the worst roads in Europe (and that's official !), almost non existant public transport, exorbitant taxes and 6 months of snow makes it a little less fantastic when you live here. But the air's clean, there's loads of space, and we don't have to work very hard to earn a living, ie; more time for woodwork

 

[Jenx]

Ah, yes, I follow you.. Percentage-wise, that could be right enough !

Most of my journey was on the E6, apart from the bit from Bergen across to ( I think it was ) Lom or Dombas .. and it wasn't too bad as a road, ... similar to a lot in Scotland.
I guess it must be difficult to maintain a good surface with all the frost damage. :wink:

You are a great country for tunnels ! one was 26Km, then out of it for about 500m, and into another for 18Km ! Incredible ! :lol: :lol:

In one of the tunnels in the north, ... the Reindeer were sheltering :shock: ... and in one other - I got a huge shock when there was a Moose in it ( Caribou ? ).. Reindeer sh*t is very slippery under motorcycle tyres ! :lol: :lol: :lol:

We didn't really see too much of the towns, as the road goes past most... I did see Mo-i-rana, Narvik, Alta etc... but didn't get actually into Tromso or Hammerfest, but next time ! :wink:

If I remember... there was a ferry at Bodo, well 2 ferrys. .. one to 'continue' on the E6, and one boat went to the Lofoten Islands .... it is an ambition to go to Lofoten, it looks amazing. 8) 8)

I can understand when you tell you have "problems"... I guess everywhere does in some way. As a visitor.. I thought your country was spectacularly beautiful... like this ! : -->

( to let others see.. if they haven't been !! :wink: )

Cheers Krysstel :lol: 8) 8) ,
All the best ...
Alun

 

[devonwoody]

Yes I can see they get a lot of immigrants with scenery like that, beats the Sahara anyday.

 

[Krysstel]

Ha-ha, they don't live where there's scenery like that. Not many people do, including me! Oslo is bad roads, traffic, trains that don't come and terrible winter smog. But, we only work 37.5 hour weeks, the city is surrounded by forrest, and we have a cabin 3 hrs drive away in the mountains - so life isn't so bad

Yes, Lofoten is amazing - one of Norway's world heritage sites. But you have to go the one week each summer when it doesn't pour with rain - really I mean it !

We have elk in Norway. Caribou are smaller and live in North America.

 

[Jenx]

:lol: "Elk", sorry ! I knew there was a proper name for them !... just couldn't remember what it was ! :lol: ..

It was certainly a big thing .. comparable to the size of a shire horse. !

I think we were very lucky, with the weather.
.. when we rode to the Cape, ( June/July 2003 ), we did it over 12 days.. and in all that time, it rained on us for half an hour !
.. we were up crossing over the Saltfjell at the time, and wow, did it ever rain for that 30 minutes !! Never seen that amount of water fall in such a short period ! ... but the odd thing was, 20 minutes after it stopped.. everything was dry again.
We were very lucky... every day was +25 degrees C, or better .... all the way up and back. It was wonderful.. the best part of two weeks living under canvas, carrying everything for the trip on the bikes... it was a great adventure. I loved Norway :lol:

Didn't get to meet too many people, but the ones we did meet were very nice. Most seemed to have very good english, and were all very friendly.
I had the misfortune on one of the days to get seperated from the other 4 guys on the trip, in the far north, near a place called Olderdalen.
-- I stopped for fuel at an unmanned fuel station, and whilst fuelling, a woman ( she was gorgeous too ! ) also pulled in and came over to ask what I was doing ( must have seen the 'foreign' registration on the bike, I guess ).. I told her, and she invited me to a party ! :lol: :lol: ... When I said I was 'lost' from the other 4 guys, she asked if I had a mobile phone, and if I could give her the number, she would send me a SMS Text if she saw them on the road, as she was headed in the opposite direction, so that I'd know roughly where they were. She did send a message, if only to say she'd not seen them after about 45 minutes travelling ... and I got the message at my next stop. -- friendly people ! :lol:

The trip was a fantastic adventure, and one day.. I hope to do it again.
. Realled loved it. Never saw Oslo, but Bergen seemed to be a nice town 8)
My work leads me to have dealings with quite a few guys over in Norway still... they're all good to deal with, and have a great 'relaxed' attitude.
But yes, I see what you mean about the 'short week' ... can never get any of them after about 3.45 ( your time ) in the afternoon ! :lol: :lol: :lol: