ilcannone

1) booking the wrong date to go to SGN, which ultimately left me with all of 16 hours there rather than 2 full days

2) not booking a FRU-ULN-FRU ticket when I had the chance to go to ULN sans visa and unable to get into Uzbekistan (with 4 days in FRU which was far too long in October)

3) not so much a mistake but maybe just too overcautious - ending up being stuck in DMK for about 7 hours after arriving by train from Vientiane actually on time (I kind of expected to be late), and this was after leaving Vientiane earlier to get the train in time

4) relying on buses (as I don't drive) between Riyadh and Bahrain, which once took me 15 hours to complete (after breaking down on the Bahrain end of the causeway for 4.5 hours before anything happened) and missing work the next morning

5) forgetting to date my Interrail pass and slapped with a fine between Ventimiglia and Genoa

DutchessPDX

I've missed a flight once but nothing beats the time I'm walking around Marrakesh exploring the souks looking for the leather tanners and realize I'm lost. Now to my defense street signs don't exist, and the merchants in the souks were being incredibly aggressive. Any faint interest in their goods was met with a VERY hard sell and I had a couple block the way when I tried to leave so I was walking around with sunglasses and headphones on trying to ignore them. So I'm trying to find where I'm at based on landmarks in the guidebook but it's a no go. I see a tour guide with two American tourists and consider asking him but I don't want to look foolish and figure I can do this. I end up walking around in circles for a bit and eventually a little kid wearing a school uniform, couldn't have been more than 10 or 11 years old, walks up to me and asks if I'm lost. I am relieved, he offers to show me the way to the main square. I follow him for a while but realize it shouldn't be this far to walk. Eventually he turns and starts asking me for money. I flatly refused, he starts yelling at me and demanding money. I tell you, that kid learned some new English swear words that day. Luckily while I was berating this kid I saw a car drive by at the end of the long alley.

I ran down the alley knowing if I can find a road I can find a cab. I was in luck, a little ways down there was a taxi stand in the middle of a square. I waited for a cab what seemed like forever, just not a well traveled road, and during that time I get accosted by no less than 3 or 4 people asking if I need help. I refuse at first but I was getting impatient and wanted to get back and eventually someone offers to give me a ride on his motorcycle back to the main square for 100 dirham (like $10 US). I figure what's the worst that can happen, can't travel too fast on a motorcycle so if I have to jump off I can just bail, so I reluctantly agree. He tells me to wait as he needs to get his motorbike. Just after he walked away a cab came up, so I quickly jumped in the cab and said take me to the Jemaa el-Fnaa! Of course motorcycle dude sees this and comes up yelling. I show 50 dirham into his hand and say thanks. He says something to the taxi driver and we're off!! We pick up another passenger on the way which concerned me and after what seems like forever we make it to the square. I tipped the guy generously and was relieved to be back in familiar territory.

When I made my way back into the souks....I'll be ....ing damned if I didn't get turned around AGAIN!! I was so pissed. Just when I thought all was lost a kid pops up and says he'll show me the way to square! I asked him which way? He pointed left. So I walked the opposite direction and was back on track in a minute but not before the second kid let out his tirade of curses.

I didn't venture very far after that!!!

greycap7

Yeah Marrakesh was crazy for me. I felt like I was in a labyrinth walking around the Souks.

Marquis790

While on holiday visiting a friend in Hong Kong, leaving my passport in the hotel room in Tsim Tsam Tsui when we were already in line to go on catamaran ferry to Macau. I figured with the reacquisition by China it would all be internal regulations, but Special Administrative Regions still require passport checks. While my friends boarded the ferry, I raced back to the hotel and up multiple flights of stairs (it was an odd hostel in the center of TTT with lots of trading shops around, very sketchy, and a maze without many elevators), then managed to get back to the ferry for the next boat. When I landed in Macau and went to meet my friends, I realized the taxi driver took me for a bit of a ride to and then dropped me off a bit far from my actual meeting spot (to increase fare and not have to go through the busier pedestrian area). I raced to the top of the hill near the church ruins' lookout. More than 5 years later, my friend still teases me about it

jackal

Ah, yes...I myself have stayed in Chungking Mansions several times.

The shops are sketchy but anything more than petty crime is (AFAIK) pretty rare, and many of the lodging options are very seedy, but if you find one that is well-rated and recommended, you can get a small but clean room for ~US$30--very good for Hong Kong.

Dweeb007

My first big trip overseas in 1990, had an overnight stay in singapore on the way home from the UK. Had a great day out exploring but forgot to change my watch to local time...got to the airport in time to wave my flight to Auckland good bye.. Spent two days in the airport till the next flight home lol

On the upside if you're going to get stuck in an airport Changi isn't a bad choice

ysolde

My husband and I were going on our annual month-long trip to Europe. I had done all the preparing: from cat sitter to mobile phone service in Europe to having all the relevant clothes dry cleaned. Of course, I had ordered all our prescriptions. Mine sat on my desk, ready to be placed in a black bag I use for travel.

I suffer from migraines, and take a couple of prophylactic medicines. I had a bottle of about 5 of one of them, which I stuck in my purse, and packed the rest of the meds in the black bag, which went into my carry-on. Or so I thought. When we got to the first hotel in Europe, I realized I was missing the new bottle of one of my migraine prevention meds. Serious problem. Suddenly, I had to go to a doctor in Germany, explain the situation, and get a prescription for the medicine I had so carefully gotten a refill for just a few days before. Fortunately, I had the bottle with a few pills in it with me, and she was understanding. She gave me a prescription, which I filled at an Apotheke. The whole ordeal was also mercifully inexpensive.

Ironically, however, the stress gave me a migraine.

When we came home, I saw the medicine bottle on my desk. Mocking me.

Efrem

Did the same thing with my thyroid supplements on a trip to Sweden. Went to a pharmacy in Stockholm. They sent me down the street to a clinic. Clinic receptionist apologized (in perfect English): "I'm sorry, sir; the only physician here now is a gynecologist." (I'm male.) I said "For what I need, a gynecologist will be fine." I showed her the nearly-empty bottle, which fortunately was for a medication that is not easily abused, and got the prescription. Back to the pharmacy; it was filled in five minutes. Total cost: less than my co-pay back home.

ajGoes

When I ran out of a prescription nasal spray in Paris, I walked into one of the ubiquitous pharmacies, showed the bottle to the very charming pharmicienne, and explained that I had both misjudged the quantity remaining in the dark-brown bottle and caught a cold, meaning I really needed a refill. I thought it was going to be a laborious process involving faxes and phone calls back to the States. Instead, she looked up the product, walked to the back of the shop, and came back with a bottle of the stuff for only €14 (little more than my co-pay back home).

When I said "Don't I need a prescription?" she answered "Yes, but it's not important." (Si, mais ce n'est pas grave.)

sailor279

After a late night of partying with business associates in Stuttgart, I got up late and had to rush to the train station to get to the airport. Being less than 100% due to the previous nights fun, and not familiar with the station, I heard the train approaching, ran with my luggage up the steps and boarded. I spent the next 30 minutes trying to decipher why all the stops were "wrong" until I reached the end of the line! At that point, it occurred to me that I took it in the wrong direction -- and essentially burnt an hour of time.

I frantically retraced my route and got to the airport 20 minutes before the flight departed but they had already closed the gate. Despite my pleas, BA could not care less. They whacked me for a OW tix to LHR €600 (and that was when the € was nearly $1.30). Costly mistake but at least I got my return flight to LAX.

MADPhil

I have been taking 80mg aspirin for many years. On a trip to Ireland about 10 years back I scratched myself on a bramble and was puzzled by the rapidity with which the blood coagulated. That was when I finally realised that I had forgotten to bring any aspirin. After looking around for some and finding only 300mg tablets I asked about it and learned that it required a prescription. Fortunately pharmacists in Ireland are allowed to prescribe and so I was able to get an adequate supply for the trip. Even so, it cost little more than the US over the counter price.

ft101

And she threw in some Spanish/Italian to confuse you?

GadgetGal

That looks correct to me: the use of "Si" in French as a positive answer to a negative question

ft101

Oops, apologies ajgoes, I must of skipped school the day of that lesson.

ajGoes

You're forgiven. I'm assuming that I said Mais il ne faut pas d'ordonnance ? That means "But doesn't it need a prescription?" In France (but not in Quebec), the positive answer to a negative question is Si ("Yes, it does").