Fortean Traveller

[SimonBurchell]

@SimonBurchell
Re https://forums.forteana.org/index.p...where-do-you-stand.11500/page-12#post-2237785

Was it always central/south Americas for you Simon?
(Sometimes all it takes is a tv programme when you're young).

My first trip abroad was to Bolivia and Peru in the mid-1990s, I loved the Latin American culture but was frustrated at my inability to communicate - so I learnt Spanish and set out from Mexico City in the late 90s, three months exploring central and southern Mexico before moving on to Guatemala, where I met my wife and ended up living for a number of years. From there I was able to make repeated forays to surrounding countries (Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador). I still return regularly to Guatemala. I've also, over the past 10 years or so, made increasing forays into Europe (Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Portugal and, of course, many trips to Spain (a very easy destination since I speak fluent Spanish). I love Latin America and southern Europe - warm climate, good food and friendly people!

What fascinated me many years ago was a photo of an "Aztec" pyramid in a school textbook in middle school - actually a black-and-white photo of the Ciudadela at Teotihuacan - some centuries older than the Aztecs - when I first sat down in front of it in 1998, I couldn't believe I was there!

 

[Floyd]

My first trip abroad was to Bolivia and Peru in the mid-1990s, I loved the Latin American culture but was frustrated at my inability to communicate - so I learnt Spanish and set out from Mexico City in the late 90s, three months exploring central and southern Mexico before moving on to Guatemala, where I met my wife and ended up living for a number of years. From there I was able to make repeated forays to surrounding countries (Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador). I still return regularly to Guatemala. I've also, over the past 10 years or so, made increasing forays into Europe (Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Portugal and, of course, many trips to Spain (a very easy destination since I speak fluent Spanish). I love Latin America and southern Europe - warm climate, good food and friendly people!

What fascinated me was a photo of an "Aztec" pyramid in a school textbook in middle school - actually a black-and-white photo of the Ciudadela at Teotohuacan - some centuries older than the Aztecs - when I first sat down in front of it in 1998, I couldn't believe I was there!

Brilliant! You definitely have a fantastic life!

 

[ramonmercado]

A man from Germany once told me that in Europe, travelling by bicycle is extremely popular.
If a cyclist gets knocked off his bike by a car, he gets up, dusts himself off and goes on.
In the USA, that same cyclist would sue for millions.

In reality the same happens in Europe. They won't get millions though unless they're quadreplegic.

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

In reality the same happens in Europe. They won't get millions though unless they're quadreplegic.

Over here I've heard of a few cases of a car accident being the cause for a lawsuit, wherein a wife is suing the owner of the other car for the husband 'being unable to sexually perform'.
I also know of a case where an employee at a construction company slipped off a roof during work, with the workman's comp policy being sued by the wife for the same reason.
Wonder how they prove that though? LOL

 

[Floyd]

@escargot
If you do go to Anglesey, just up from Lligwy beach is another called 'Ora'. It was totally deserted and the sand was like the Caribbean- (although it was November so perhaps that's why it was quiet). A nice walk along the clifftops from Moelfre as well.

 

[Floyd]

@Zeke Newbold

The location today, of the 'cafe scene' in Easy Rider. Morganza Louisiana;

 

[Floyd]

@Ronnie Jersey

Actually I should have said ''Noo Joisey'' shouldn't I?

I don't know if there are different accents in New York and New Jersey, but concerning the 'New York' accent we hear in films etc - I met an old boy from New York once who had this accent and I just couldn't help but think of gangsters/mafiosi when he spoke.

Listening to Paul Simon last night made me smile too. Not in a 'laughing at him way', but it is a great accent.

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

@Ronnie Jersey

Actually I should have said ''Noo Joisey'' shouldn't I?

I don't know if there are different accents in New York and New Jersey, but concerning the 'New York' accent we hear in films etc - I met an old boy from New York once who had this accent and I just couldn't help but think of gangsters/mafiosi when he spoke.

Listening to Paul Simon last night made me smile too. Not in a 'laughing at him way', but it is a great accent.

I'm always told that I have a NY accent, but I have no idea what that is.
I must say I never tire of hearing the British accent, it is viewed as very upper class and 'posh' as you say, a word we never use here.
What I do think about speech in Jersey is that everyone screams when they speak, to the point where it is deafening. I was brought up to speak without shrieking, and not to end every sentence with 'Ya know? Ya know?' which is another thing I hear all the time, it's stupid. My parents were European, and thank goodness they brought me up that way.
I'm not trying to put down Americans, it's just that I see a sharp division here vs. Europe, as to attitudes and upbringing. And the schools here should have mandatory teaching in behavior and class, something totally lacking.

 

[Floyd]

What I do think about speech in Jersey is that everyone screams when they speak, to the point where it is deafening.
And the schools here should have mandatory teaching in behavior and class, something totally lacking.

Well, that's the same here now in a lot of cases. It's definitely got worse these last few years. Why people feel the need to put their phone on loudspeaker while walking down the street is beyond me.

Americans were always considered 'loud' by us, but I think that is probably also the case in some other countries too. All the Americans I've ever met (outside of America- I have never been) have always been very polite and nice people.

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

Well, that's the same here now in a lot of cases. It's definitely got worse these last few years. Why people feel the need to put their phone on loudspeaker while walking down the street is beyond me.

Americans were always considered 'loud' by us, but I think that is probably also the case in some other countries too. All the Americans I've ever met (outside of America- I have never been) have always been very polite and nice people.

I am speaking about my area of NJ, the rest of the country I am sure is different and has different areas.
For instance, at the hospital the other day I waited many hours in the family waiting area, as were others. But of course there were the screamers who were carrying on in their languages for hours, as if they were the only people there. I finally asked them to keep it down, but it didn't last long. I got up and moved down the hallway along with others who wanted a little peace and quiet.
By the way, that always tickles me - the phones on loudspeaker so we all get to hear both sides of conversations.

 

[Floyd]

I am speaking about my area of NJ, the rest of the country I am sure is different and has different areas.
For instance, at the hospital the other day I waited many hours in the family waiting area, as were others. But of course there were the screamers who were carrying on in their languages for hours, as if they were the only people there. I finally asked them to keep it down, but it didn't last long. I got up and moved down the hallway along with others who wanted a little peace and quiet.
By the way, that always tickles me - the phones on loudspeaker so we all get to hear both sides of conversations.

Ah, right.
I don't know what it is, although I did read that the reason some types shout and have to be loud all the time is because they're used to not being listened to from an early age.

 

[Frideswide]

Phones on speakers. Listening with a receiver close to my ear makes my hearing problems worse. If I don't put it on speaker, it's too quiet for me to hear once it's far enough away

Mind you, I don't think I reached double figures of phone calls last year. And most of those were medical or finance ones of me confirming verbally that I really am me and that they should check the notes where it says that any and all info can be given to and discussed with Mr Frideswide! Teamwork!

 

[maximus otter]

Not much Fortean to report, but the memsahib & I are just back from a delightful long weekend in Sheringham, up near @Swifty -ville. Here are a few (very) random images from the break:

Sheringham: Very "Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad"...

Blakeney: "Wot you lookin' at?"

WTAF?

Off to a fave haunt: Cley Spy, vendors of top-end optical kit, where this rare visitor was drowsing in the sun, blissfully uncaring regarding the 647 telescopes being pointed at him:

Long-eared owl (crappy shot as I only have a 300mm lens, and I'd inadvertently left the ASA rating at 3200...)

My high point of the trip was taking the North Norfolk Railway steam train from Sheringham to Holt & back. Here are some pictures (I know naff-all about steam trains, and I'm not an anorak...):

Train shadow

Hare & corvids frightened by the train

Lovely Norfolk scenery

Holt station. No idea...

Georgian satnav, Holt

A wonderful weekend for the mem and I. The only vaguely unsettling sight was this disturbing, peeling mural on Sheringham seafront. Tell me that this isn't a depiction of the most sinister-looking transvestite you could imagine:

I mean, look at that kid's face: Have you ever seen a child wearing that expression while being presented with an icecream?

I suspect that this infant was a previous recipient of a...99...from that vendor:

Life is good.

maximus otter

 

[Floyd]

My first trip abroad was to Bolivia and Peru in the mid-1990s, I loved the Latin American culture but was frustrated at my inability to communicate - so I learnt Spanish and set out from Mexico City in the late 90s, three months exploring central and southern Mexico before moving on to Guatemala, where I met my wife and ended up living for a number of years. From there I was able to make repeated forays to surrounding countries (Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador). I still return regularly to Guatemala. I've also, over the past 10 years or so, made increasing forays into Europe (Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Portugal and, of course, many trips to Spain (a very easy destination since I speak fluent Spanish). I love Latin America and southern Europe - warm climate, good food and friendly people!

What fascinated me many years ago was a photo of an "Aztec" pyramid in a school textbook in middle school - actually a black-and-white photo of the Ciudadela at Teotihuacan - some centuries older than the Aztecs - when I first sat down in front of it in 1998, I couldn't believe I was there!

Just saw this Simon;

Thousands of tattooed inmates pictured in El Salvador mega-prison​

The first group of 2,000 suspected gang members in El Salvador have been moved to a huge new prison, the centrepiece of President Nayib Bukele's self-declared war on crime.
Tens of thousands of suspected gangsters have been rounded up in the country under a state of emergency following a spike in murders and other violent crime.

Image source, Reuters
The jail will eventually hold more than 40,000 people.
Pictures show the first massive group of inmates - tattooed and barefoot - being led led to the facility.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters
The prisoners are left sitting on the floor with their hands behind their shaven heads, stacked closely together, before being taken to their cells.

Image source, Reuters
President Bukele tweeted that the first 2,000 people were transferred "at dawn, in a single operation" to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism, which he says is the largest jail in the Americas.
"This will be their new house, where they will live for decades, all mixed, unable to do any further harm to the population."

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters
The mega-prison - in Tecoluca, 74 kilometers (46 miles) southeast of the capital San Salvador- comprises eight buildings. Each has 32 cells of about 100 square meters (1,075 square feet) to hold "more than 100" prisoners, the government says.
The cells only have two sinks and two toilets each.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters
President Bukele declared a "war on gangs" last March, passing emergency measures which have been extended several times.
The emergency measures have been controversial as they limit some constitutional rights, such as allowing the security forces to arrest suspects without a warrant.

Image source, Reuters
More than 64,000 suspects have been arrested in the anti-crime drive.
Human rights organisations have argued that innocent people have been caught up in the policy, but Bukele's anti-gang push remains popular with Salvadorans.

Source; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-64770716

 

[Floyd]

@blessmycottonsocks
Re Egypt

Hi mate.

A lot of people say they don't like Egypt (and I'm talking mainly of Cairo here- which I think is a great city). It's noisy, and chaotic (to the untrained eye) and full of humanity, a lot of them very poor (it's very corrupt) but it really is a wonderful place for many reasons.

It took me quite a few trips to get used to how things work there, (which I know you probably don't have the time or inclination for and you just want to go once maybe) and it is certainly better suited to a 'younger traveller' if you want to explore on your own as opposed to organised tours- which is what I definitely recommend if you were to go- as the hassles you will come across as a lone traveller can really drain you- (don't get me started on taxis!)
Even crossing the road is an art form- but once you know the rules you'll be fine!

As I've mentioned elsewhere, Egyptians are great people and you will be perfectly safe walking around at any time. In fact, in Summer there are families out until the early hours. I even used to play football with the street kids under the flyover.

Tipping; some people cannot get used to the fact that in Egypt people rely on tips, from the kid who holds the door open for you or the guy who is in charge of toilets in a museum for eg. An Egyptian pound or two is expected.


A young woman was complaining the other day about Cairo. I think she wanted it to be clean and ordered like a rich American city for some reason. She was in a nice air-conditioned vehicle (as opposed to a Cairo taxi with plastic seats in 45c heat and just a window for 'air-con') but still moaned. And also moaned about the hotel. Everything in fact. I think people have become too soft and want everywhere to be like everywhere else which I cannot fathom at all.

When I first went to the Sinai (Dahab) - which you may also want to visit for the beaches/diving etc - I had just a small rucksack and I slept on the beach for a few quid a night- a lot did then- but it's all changed now and lost that 'hippie' vibe it used to have.


In short - go to Egypt (not during Ramadan), and maybe in Winter if you don't like heat, book an organised tour (the hotel will sort all this out) and you'll be fine.

I'm not sure what you didn't like about the food in the video- it looked ok to me! But in any case, you will find plenty of places where you can get whatever you want.

 

[Floyd]

@blessmycottonsocks
Just one more thing- if you or anyone else is thinking of going to Cairo and you want to be in a pleasant, reasonably priced but central area, I recommend Garden City. It says 'for wealthy tourists' on the wiki page, but I found it perfectly affordable and I had s-d all money. (There are very expensive places as well of course, but this area has more character imo).

 

[Sollywos]

I think people have become too soft and want everywhere to be like everywhere else which I cannot fathom at all.

Very true that!

 

[JahaRa]

I haven't visited any fortean or strange places but I grew up in New Mexico, have worked in Roswell, been to a place that is supposed to have a landing area for space ships where there is an exchange of earth humans and space humans. It is a military reservation (with no known base). I have been many times to a place that was described in The Philadelphia Experiment when the ship was flopping through time and some people got off and others got on. I grew up knowing about the caves in the mountains where the military stores things and know someone who had a job delivering equipment to that cave. I spent Dec 31st 2011 and Jan 1st 2012 at Chaco Canyon. Lots of people from all over traveled there to camp on the coldest night they had in decades. Most weren't prepared for the cold. A family from NY city didn't even have jackets or a tent. They ended up sleeping in the rest room which was not warm but warmer than their car.

I lived near White Sands testing facility and saw all kinds of intereting lights in the night sky, above the base and above my house. I have been to Marfa, Tx to see the mystery lights and I have driven through Dulce, NM where the supposed underground base is. It isn't, that underground base is in Albuquerque under Kirtland Air force base. I can't think of any more but I have experienced weirdness all my life in New Mexico and Texas.

 

[pandacracker]

As I mentioned in the Minor strangeness thread #13,960 I had a trip to Bavaria.

Other things we saw/experienced that may be of interest to you Fortean Folk are:

A visit to Wieskirche (wikipedia page) that has a weeping statue story

A visit to the Kehlsteinhaus (wiki page) that has a Nazi dictator story

We, of course, went to Neuschwanstein but didn't go inside. Interestingly though, the morning we left our airbnb in Berg was the morning of the memorial ceremony for the death of Ludwig II, so we went along. We got there a bit late so sat outside the memorial chapel of the Wittelsbachs while the minister, after welcoming present members of the Wittelsbach family, local dignitaries, members of the Society of Friends of Ludwig II (!) etc droned on and on about his life. Time constraints meant we had to leave before the end but we did hear a local complain to his friends that usually the service only lasts about twenty minutes then it's down to the lakeside to throw flowers etc. He wasn't impressed.

As to eating and drinking; lots of good beer, and I ate pike (again, I think?)

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Having taken a short boat trip on the Elbe, I am at Teufelsbrück (Devil's bridge) west of Hamburg today.
It's at the point where two fast-flowing steams join the Elbe. Legend has it that bridges built here were cursed and would either be swept away or wagons crossing them would spontaneously break an axle or wheel. In the 16th or 17th century, a builder allegedly made a pact with the devil, who agreed to make the new bridge strong enough to survive floods, but in exchange he wanted the soul of the first living thing to cross the bridge.
On the opening of the bridge, instead of a traveler or trader crossing it as the horned one anticipated, a hare ran across. The devil, feeling cheated, sank hissing and cursing into the Elbe.
There is a ferry terminal but no bridge here at present, but a statue "Teufel und Hase", marks the spot where it was supposed to have happened.
Will post a photo when I get home - the server doesn't seem to like pics from my smartphone.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Here you go; the Teufel und Hase statue at Teufelsbrück, depicting a rather pensive devil, contemplating how he was tricked out of the soul he'd traded for:

 

[maximus otter]

7 Of The World’s Scariest Haunted Houses​

For some people, spooky season means scary movie marathons. But others like to take things a step further and actually immerse themselves in he scariest haunted houses, which pretty much feels like being on a live-action set of a horror film, complete with gory decor, spine-chilling jump scares and Hollywood-like animatronics.

At the scariest haunted houses, no detail is left untouched—actors may have gone through scare camps or auditions, and some of these haunts even create spooky smellscapes to engage your senses and make you feel like you’re at a creepy carnival or transport you to an earthy-smelling cemetery. Some of the scariest haunted houses even lend you 3-D glasses to make the scenes feel that much more real.

From a haunted ship in Minnesota to a troubled, 160-room mansion in California and a year-round haunted house in New Zealand, here’s where you’ll find the most terrifying haunted houses (if you dare).

HellsGate Haunted House in Lockport, Illinois​

HellsGate is a legendary Chicagoland haunted house, with a creepy backstory: The haunt is built on land that was once a cemetery used to bury wards of the state whose bodies were not claimed by family. Hidden in the woods, scare-seekers wander through more than 40 rooms and encounter 150 actors on any given night.

13th Floor Haunted House Near Denver, Colorado​

You can be bougie (make that boogie) at this scare factory, where VIP haunted house fans can rent out the “RIP Cabanas” that come stocked with drinks, games, and, design accents like skull chandeliers. But the best part are the scare actors who make unexpected cabana cameos and pose for spooky selfies. The 13th Floor haunt plex has two different haunted houses (one you arrive at in a shaky elevator, locked in with a monster), and a total of three storylines to explore. Hidden bars are also behind secret doors in the haunt, like an arcade-themed “spookeasy.” Mini escape games and axe throwing round out the fun.

Etc.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanyanas/2024/10/23/scariest-haunted-houses-worldwide/

maximus otter

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

When I was in Hamburg in September, I wish I'd known about the highly Fortean Klaus Störtebeker legend.

The most famous legend surrounding the pirate Störtebeker relates to his and his crew's execution in Hamburg in 1401. Störtebeker is said to have asked the mayor of Hamburg to release as many of his companions as he could walk past after being beheaded. Following the granting of this request and the subsequent beheading, Störtebeker's body arose and walked past eleven of his men before the executioner tripped him with an outstretched foot. Nevertheless, the eleven men were executed along with the others.

Didn't Hunt Emerson do a cartoon strip about this in the FT many moons ago?