Kattrax Shenanigans Back in the Day

Greetings Travelers,

There are times we can be still and reflect on travel adventures that bring pleasant memories and laughter. This blog will deal with sharing just that. Some go back so far the exact year is your guess is as good as mine. Names have not been changed to protect the innocent because we were all guilty.

I will start with a 14 day cruise on Azamara November 2013 sailing from Singapore to Vietnam and Bangkok. Road dawg Robbie Bell and I decided to spend the day in Da Nang, see China Beach and venture to Hoi An, known for its gastronomy. We had a delightful time, and a wonderful lunch until we headed back to the ship which was docked there for 3 days. The taxi dropped us off in the freakin shipyard, drove off and the police wouldn’t let us through. They actually tried to shake us down, demanding a crazy amount of money. We were not giving in. Finally, they agreed to take what we were willing to give and a tip. The joke was on them as we scurried away. The tip was: We are not to be “effed” with. Looking back in hindsight, I don’t think I’d try that again.

1995 Paris, France – A group of us had left Haynes Soul Food Restaurant walking in the 9th arrondissement, in the seedy part of town, passing bars with hookers in the doorway. Then a single brother from the Bay named Larry said, “ Hey, I want to go back to where it had pussy on the door”. Robbie snd I looked at each other and fell out and said, “knee grow, that’s Poussez, which means “push” in French.

2017 Cartagena, Colombia – There were only 4 of us. Man what a trip. We were dying to get on a Colombia party bus called a Chiva. It was Diva McPherson, Brandy Washington and Angelique Hadden and myself. We took seats towards the rear, each row had rum, coke, cups, buckets of ice and this loud azz live music and people partying. Lord, after a half an hour of this craziness the bus stopped at this deserted park, pitch black except for the colored lights on the Chiva, people were getting off to party in the park. Oh hell no. We decided to make our move. It took a bit for us to climb and jump down to the street but that’s all she wrote. The guide was running after us saying, “Ladies, Ladies, Ladies come back it’s too dangerous over here”. We didn’t stop walking almost running and I said, We’re from Oakland, we know dangerous but we are out of here”.

Same trip, last morning – Overslept, Diva and I woke up at 636a for an 8am flight. I swear we were at the airport like it was business as usual and checked in at 710a. To this day we refer to each other as 636.

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2018 Marseille, France – BJ lost her passport. Man were we on a beat the clock mission to get everything done before the US Embassy closed at 2p. First stop was the police station, we Ubered there, waited til we were called, made the report, then to a photo location another Uber to take her photos, then finally to the Embassy with very little time to spare. Goodness gracious! Thank God for favor.

Stay tuned…Tomorrow more shenanigans!