Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

Things You’ve Seen & Done That Will Always Stay With You


Anubis
 Share

Recommended Posts

Just watched Nomadland and part of the theme of the film is the experiences people remember as part of their lives.

 

For me, in terms of sights, the three things I always immediately recall are:

 

1. Watching the Space Shuttle Discovery take off in Florida. I was a few miles away at one of the popular observation points, but it was still an absolutely amazing sight in the early Florida morning.

 

2. Kilimanjaro. Not the mountain itself, which is pretty impressive, especially seen from the air as you’re coming into the airport, but rather get above cloud cover and you can look out across the top of the clouds and it’s like an ocean of cloud. You feel as though you could wade out into it and start swimming. Almost surreal.

 

3. Kilimanjaro again. This time the night sky above cloud cover. No obscurity. No light pollution. Just the incredible sight of the universe (or our little part of it) laid out like a tapestry. You just never realise how full the night sky is until you see it like that.

 

I wondered what it is for other people. Events, sights, experiences?

  • Upvote 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

(1) Having lunch at the bottom of the grand canyon. They flew us down in a chopper and I blew chunks on the decent as I'd been out the night befor, I managed to catch most of it in an Asda bag but it had a hole in it.

 

Flying over it and the Hoover dam though was amazing. We had lunch at the bottom with our pilot who'd been a squaddie in Iraq but retrained as s commercial pilot, and tbis nice chubby American couple. 

 

I was conscious walking around down there how relatively few people in history would have done the same.

 

(2) dinner at some posh restaurant at the top of the Eiffel tower. The meal was terrible, nine courses of mostly raw foods, but the view at night was breathtaking. I'd never even been to France before so being up there was amazing.

 

(3) Going on a submarine trip in Fuertaventura. It was a commercial sub that went about 30 metres down and it was crystal blue, could see manta rays on the seabed. There was a shouty German tourist onboard who was bladdered which gave the whole thing a magnificent Das Boot vibe too.

 

(4) The first time I saw Manhatten and the Vegas strip. Vegas is basically a patch of lights with a green hue and a lazer shooting into the sky from a pyramid, slap bang in the middle of a pitch black desert. We had steak at the top of the highest point, the stratosphere hotel in the presence of an Elvis impersonator while helicopters whizzed past the window.

First time you see Manhatten in the flesh, there's nothing like it. Driving through urban areas then over the hill and bang, there it is. 

  • Upvote 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm

 

The first time I stood very very close to a nuclear bomb. it didn't look much different to normal bombs but still pretty crazy.

 

Kruger national park at some ungodly hour of the morning out watching the lions (bloodied faces) returning from their breakfast.

 

Swimming with dolphins at Monkey Mia (WA) 

 

Cutting the umbilical cord at the birth of my youngest daughter. 

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I once saw a guy stood in a pub doorway, “shaving” with a beer can ripped in half, using the brass plaque thing as a mirror. Literally just pulling the skin off. Harrowing and I’ll never forget it.

 

On a lighter note, we went swimming with wild dolphins when on holiday a couple of years ago. My wife was pregnant and there was a load of spinner dolphins we were following and swimming around. The other dolphins you get there are bottlenose, but they don’t mix apparently. Out of nowhere this bottlenose swam straight up to my wife and stopped within a foot or two and did that clicking noise for about 30 seconds and then shot off straight back down. The fella was gobsmacked it happened as he’s never seen them mix like that, especially one with about 20 of the spinners. He reckoned it knew she was pregnant and was scanning her. Absolutely surreal that 30 seconds when it was facing her.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Visiting the Taj Mahal. You dont appreciate what an incredible spectacle it is until you see it up close and hear the stories behind its construction ( the Moghul chopped the hands off the builders after they finished it so that they couldnt create anything as good afterwards).

 

 

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Kevin D said:

Was also at the M.E.N when Mr " I fight for me wife and me kids, never forget" got sparked clean out:

 

FlamboyantTemptingHaddock-max-1mb.gif

I was there as well. At the back, and when I say at the back I mean right at the fucking back. £90 a ticket as well, Hearn Cunt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m with @Section_31 on seeing the Manhattan skyline. Even before a first visit it feels like a place you know so well. 
 

Ground Zero impacted me far more than I thought it would. Not just to site itself but the energy of the place. 
 

Standing on Red Square in Moscow gave me quite a buzz as well. 
 

I’ve other, less obvious and more personal ones but maybe later. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Elite said:

I was there as well. At the back, and when I say at the back I mean right at the fucking back. £90 a ticket as well, Hearn Cunt.

 

Mine was £40 and we had a really great overview of it.

 

Aside from the knockout, my overriding memory of the night was trying to go and pee and the men's toilets having an 8/9 layer of piss on the floor next to the urinals.

 

People are fucking animals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

(1) Having lunch at the bottom of the grand canyon. They flew us down in a chopper and I blew chunks on the decent as I'd been out the night befor, I managed to catch most of it in an Asda bag but it had a hole in it.

How is Chunks these days? Not seen him for a while 

  • Upvote 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Kevin D said:

 

Mine was £40 and we had a really great overview of it.

 

Aside from the knockout, my overriding memory of the night was trying to go and pee and the men's toilets having an 8/9 layer of piss on the floor next to the urinals.

 

People are fucking animals.

The toilets are always a mess, you end up with people pissing in the sinks as the night progresses. We were sat near loads of evertonians, as soon as that punch landed I remember them all grumbling and leaving almost immediately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Kevin D said:

 

Mine was £40 and we had a really great overview of it.

 

Aside from the knockout, my overriding memory of the night was trying to go and pee and the men's toilets having an 8/9 layer of piss on the floor next to the urinals.

 

People are fucking animals.

Ahh - like the good old days at the football. At least boxing hasn’t gone soft

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a fantastic idea for a thread! I think this is one I’ll keep coming back to as things occur to me but here are the first few that spring to mind:

 

1. Standing on the top of one of the twin towers (don’t know which one) while on honeymoon and seeing a biplane fly beneath us as we looked down over the city. A truly disorientating and amazing experience.

 

2. A day sailing out to the great barrier reef to go scuba-diving. We went on an old tea clipper crewed by a load of mostly young women who were getting crewing experience so they could race and it was a really fantastic day. There was great food, plenty of beer, games and storytelling – which sounds a bit naff, but it wasn’t. It was fantastic. The scuba-diving itself was absolutely incredible! Two baby sharks, probably about four or 5 feet long, swung past us which was unnerving to say the least but still amazing fun.

 

3. Going on a trip down the Daintree river through the rainforest in the evening and seeing thousands of fruit bats come out of a cave and fly over our heads about 6 to 10 feet above us. Also seeing loads of alligators in the water as we went by.

 

4. My next one is something which I’m not sure is ethically sound anymore, but at the time we didn’t perceive there to be any problem with it: swimming with dolphins in Florida. We had a full day at Discovery Cove and the dolphin part  lasted about an hour. You truly felt like you were in the presence of another person.

 

 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, YorkshireRed said:

What did you think of St. Petersburg in general?

We were only there for two days, stunning to look at, like someone pumped Venice up on steds and dropped it into the middle of an 80s council estate. 

 

Was coppers and troops all over the place as they were expecting a demmo the next day about the new mayor being Putin's classmate or some shit though.

 

When we were out and about we were with guides.

 

One thing though, I've never been so 'warned' about a place before. We'd gone as part of a cruise and had to attend a mandatory event, even sign to say we'd been, where they warned us about pick pockets, dodgey coppers etc.

 

Our Russian guides too were also constantly saying 'dont stop while we walk through the market it's full of pickpockets, don't stay too long in the church, it's full of pickpockets.'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Elite said:

The toilets are always a mess, you end up with people pissing in the sinks as the night progresses. We were sat near loads of evertonians, as soon as that punch landed I remember them all grumbling and leaving almost immediately.

 

Much to my shame, that is exactly what I ended up doing.

 

I was wearing suede shoes and if I had walked in any further, they would have been K.I.A.

 

It's strange, you never think of yourself as the type of guy who pisses in sinks, but there really wasn't a better option.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Section_31 said:

We were only there for two days, stunning to look at, like someone pumped Venice up on steds and dropped it into the middle of an 80s council estate. 

 

Was coppers and troops all over the place as they were expecting a demmo the next day about the new mayor being Putin's classmate or some shit though.

 

When we were out and about we were with guides.

 

One thing though, I've never been so 'warned' about a place before. We'd gone as part of a cruise and had to attend a mandatory event, even sign to say we'd been, where they warned us about pick pockets, dodgey coppers etc.

 

Our Russian guides too were also constantly saying 'dont stop while we walk through the market it's full of pickpockets, don't stay too long in the church, it's full of pickpockets.'

It’s certainly stunning. You do have to be slightly wary, not unlike most major Cities, but I always found it fine. One of my very favourite places. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Kevin D said:

 

Much to my shame, that is exactly what I ended up doing.

 

I was wearing suede shoes and if I had walked in any further, they would have been K.I.A.

 

It's strange, you never think of yourself as the type of guy who pisses in sinks, but there really wasn't a better option.

I hope you washed your hands in the urinal afterwards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Kevin D said:

 

Much to my shame, that is exactly what I ended up doing.

 

I was wearing suede shoes and if I had walked in any further, they would have been K.I.A.

 

It's strange, you never think of yourself as the type of guy who pisses in sinks, but there really wasn't a better option.

so shitting in handbags is ok, but...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, stringvest said:

so shitting in handbags is ok, but...

 

I'm happy for Elite to take the piss, but you weren't there, man.

 

You didn't see the scenes we saw. You didn't have to react in real time.

 

They drew first blood.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Kevin D said:

 

I'm happy for Elite to take the piss, but you weren't there, man.

 

You didn't see the scenes we saw. You didn't have to react in real time.

 

They drew first blood.

blood and urine.   Not a happy combination.  Hope all is ok.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, Paul said:

What a fantastic idea for a thread! I think this is one I’ll keep coming back to as things occur to me but here are the first few that spring to mind:

 

1. Standing on the top of one of the twin towers (don’t know which one) while on honeymoon and seeing a biplane fly beneath us as we looked down over the city. A truly disorientating and amazing experience.

 

2. A day sailing out to the great barrier reef to go scuba-diving. We went on an old tea clipper crewed by a load of mostly young women who were getting crewing experience so they could race and it was a really fantastic day. There was great food, plenty of beer, games and storytelling – which sounds a bit naff, but it wasn’t. It was fantastic. The scuba-diving itself was absolutely incredible! Two baby sharks, probably about four or 5 feet long, swung past us which was unnerving to say the least but still amazing fun.

 

3. Going on a trip down the Daintree river through the rainforest in the evening and seeing thousands of fruit bats come out of a cave and fly over our heads about 6 to 10 feet above us. Also seeing loads of alligators in the water as we went by.

 

4. My next one is something which I’m not sure is ethically sound anymore, but at the time we didn’t perceive there to be any problem with it: swimming with dolphins in Florida. We had a full day at Discovery Cove and the dolphin part  lasted about an hour. You truly felt like you were in the presence of another person.

 

 

I've done the barrier reef and the Daintree river. Saw a crocodile on the embankment nearly as big as our boat. Did you do Cape Tribulation and all that as well? Truly stunning part of the world. The Bat thing is mental, I stayed in Cairns for a bit and every tea-time it seemed like millions (and I mean millions) used to fly across the sky into the forest on the mountain. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...