Sure I raised an eyebrow the first time they happened, but by now, you become used to them as a part of daily life in South Africa. For the casual traveler, you probably wouldn’t encounter 75% of these surprises, but if you do, it’s your not-so-subtle reminder that you’re not in Kansas anymore. None of them were insurmountable hurdles, nor did they impact my ability to enjoy the country. They all make for a great story someday.

So what exactly happened…?

• One of our driver’s cars was broken into one evening. Nothing was stolen thankfully, but it meant needing to find alternate transport
• I have had to work in a venue with no running water
• I have also had to work in venues with no soap in the soap dispenser
• Oh yes, some toilets had no seats and the stall doors no locks
• While watching television, warning signs come on asking you to turn off unnecessary appliances to conserve electricity because the grid is nearing capacity
• Power has been lost more than once and I couldn’t see the hand in front of my face
• Some hotels have candles on the nightstand for just this purpose
• Our driver was pulled over for “speeding” and got away by paying a bribe
• Spending evenings in hotels with no Internet or working phone lines
• People run across highways all the time
• At many city intersections, people will try to sell you oranges, sunglasses, phone chargers for your car, flags and more
• Electrified fences and barbed wire surround virtually every home
• Cows, donkeys, goats and roosters sometimes wander on the rural roads, stopping traffic
• I’ve had to sleep with no heat in the hotel room because the aircon was broken

Are any of these shocking to you? Would you be nervous if you encountered anything on this list, or would you dust them off and move on? Leave your thoughts by commenting.

For more tales of travel, visit my Facebook Fan Page here.

I’ll see you out there…!

I like it when big corporations have personality. Not too long ago I wrote about airline Kulula.com’s funny Safety Information Card. Last week I stayed at the Protea Hotel Landmark in Polokwane and was smiling all day.

The Protea Hotel Company turns ordinary hotel amenities into laughable moments. Sometimes it’s the small things that make a difference, especially after a long day at work. Here are a few of my favorites…

The Door Hangar Alerting the Housekeeper I Have Laundry

A Box of Matches

My Lunchbox

The Condoms in the Dresser

(Yes, the Protea Hotel Company doesn’t ignore the fact that much love-making happens in hotel rooms!)

I’ve posted a whole bunch more on my Facebook Fan Page. You can view them here. After you’re done, come back and let me know which hotel amenity slogan was your favorite by commenting.

I’ll see you out there…!

Today’s post was another avenue to involve our readers in our travels to Thailand. The goal was to show them what they wanted to see. With the hectic schedule we had, we weren’t able to create a singular post that answered our readers comments – but we did try to incorporate them into other posts.

This was a big experiment that worked to some extent. But that was the point. To use this platform to try new things. Blogging is fantastic!

Anyway, I’m still out of the country. If you’d like to stay up-to-date on my adventures in South Africa, follow me on Facebook here.

*****

Hey Explorers,

Before we elaborate on today’s post, watch this YouTube video for the details…

Simple enough right? Any questions?

International travel is wonderful because there are so many great sights to explore. But sometimes the little things are just as magical. A colleague of mine, whenever she travels, likes to discover the different flavors of Potato Chips (Crisps) found in the grocery store. Some like to eat new pizza toppings, while others like myself (as you saw in the video*) find the ordinary to be interesting. So what do you want to see?

While we are actually going to Pattaya, we haven’t forgotten that you voted to send us there. We want to bring you as close to the excitement as possible. So as you heard in the video, tell us what you want to uncover. We’ll debunk myths, seek out the weird and wonderful and investigate the secrets underneath. Some thought starters might be…

• I’ve always wondered…
• Is it true that…
• I once heard…
• Show me what…
• Or create your own…

You can ask your questions up until the last day we are in Pattaya (December 15th). Submit those questions by commenting below or send them to us via Twitter and add #benbrian to your tweet. We are curious as to what you’re curious about!

Voting starts December 1st. More on that tomorrow.

We’ll see you out there!

*Update 30/11/09 – while I wasn’t clear in the video, I stated my interest in seeing the toilet water swirl in the opposite direction – but after countless trips to toilet stalls the country-over it doesn’t always. Thank you to a reader for sending a note clarifying that point. And that’s the kind of stuff we’d be interested in discovering in Thailand for you!

Yes, that statue is doing what you think it’s doing. The educated know that Brussels, Belgium is the center of the European Union. The slightly irreverent (which would include myself), know that Brussels is the location of the famed Manneken Pis Statue.

I’m a sucker for kitsch. If you have a landmark in your hometown that is well-known, tacky and very touristy, chances are you’ll find me there when I’m in town. Yes I do go visit the more “cultured” attractions a city has to offer, but there is something very fun about seeing, in this case, Jerome Duquesnoy (the name of the statue) taking a leak for travelers from around the globe.

Brussels is boring. It’s a political city, which means that it is full of bureaucrats and politicians – the antithesis of fun people. This statue is exactly what Brussels needs to liven up the place.

I found myself in Brussels en route to Amsterdam via Paris. Brian and I had a few hours to kill in between. So we searched for this iconic of landmarks.

We encountered some difficulty locating the statue because the map we had wasn’t so great. But after wandering for a bit we encountered Manneken Pis. Now before you start thinking that this is a gross and inappropriate statue, consider this. Countries from around the world send the statue cultural costumes to wear. These costumes are rotated on an ongoing basis. If memory serves me well, the photo from above has a Norwegian Costume. When not being worn, the costumes are housed in a nearby museum. We didn’t have time to check it out. This is probably Belgium’s most famous tourist attraction, seriously.

Besides Jerome, there isn’t much to see here really. After you fight through the mob of people to get your photo of the statue peeing on you, you leave.

Before leaving, I purchased a small statue for my brother and for myself. We both have the same sense of potty humor. In fact, all through the street corner you can find various items such as statues, ash trays, playing cards, thimbles and spoons of this urinating child.

The statue does have a history to it. Several tales tell of a battle between two armies that, depending on the version, end up with a boy peeing on the opposing army or burning fuse and saving the day. It is thought that the real reason the statue was created came from a legend of a mother who found her lost child peeing in a street corner to the relief of the townspeople (and I’m sure the child). It’s quintessentially European, what can I say? Or should I say, Europeein’ ? Hahahahaha

Afterwards we went on a scouting mission to find Jeanneke Pis. While Manneken Pis was constructed in 1619, someone thought there should be equal time for equal sexes. Built in 1987, Jeanneke Pis is located down a narrow, dark alley behind a cage. It’s the kind of setting found in movies, just before the main characters are attacked. Even though we went during the day, it was creepy.

Poor Jeanneke Pis is in a rather compromising pose. While most are familiar with the peeing boy, many less know about his younger sister – and for good reason.

Europe is full of irreverent, shocking and fun tourist sites. What’s the most irreverant tourist site you’ve ever encountered? Comment below. And when you’re done, become a fan on facebook here.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen at an airport? Leave your comment below.

There’s more adventures to be found on my facebook fan page. Click here to join.