Travel Souvenirs/Mementos

[oldschoolto]

View attachment 415351 I bought a gigantic Iguana - overnighting in Phuket I needed to go to an Aussie bar to watch the Lightening Stakes (I had racehorses at the time) so some dude with the obligatory iguana take picture was strolling along and I was watching this poor iguana getting dropped, having beer poured in his mouth etc the usual Bangla road stupidity so I bought the Iguana after much negotiations to save him from another night in and out of the clubs and bars. Seemed like a good idea at the time, except I was staying in a very expensive 5 star hotel on another part of the island so I spent the night cleaning up iguana guano and ordering various menu items to see what he would eat. Even worse, I had a dive boat transfer picking me up at 7am. I'm probably one of the few people to ever turn up with a large iguana as a dive buddy. I paid the driver to look after Iggy for me while I was diving (thankfully he did) but then had to do something with the iguana as there was no way I could sneak him through customs. I had friends living down in Songkhla so I caught buses and taxis to the end of the country to give him to my mates where he still lives happily today. All up the iguana souvenier cost me about $2500 including his likeness I had tattooed on my back seeing I couldn't take him home.

I try to now buy things that aren't so..stupid...Spices from spice islands are my usual thing, some nice carved bowls from PNG, lace work and Valiha's from Madagascar..also not technically allowed through customs but much easier to conceal than a large iguana

Love the story.... Sounds like one of my adventures... But, you were sober..

Jim..

 

[Skulmoski]

Dive t-shirts mostly. However, if I ever get to Bali, I will pick up bulk fabric to make shirts. Bali has artisans that make high quality batik fabric. If you know what to look for, you can even find batik with natural dyes. I have also picked up beautiful hemp fabric with a bit of high quality cotton mixed in.

GJS

 

[KathyV]

View attachment 415351 I bought a gigantic Iguana...All up the iguana souvenier cost me about $2500 including his likeness I had tattooed on my back seeing I couldn't take him home....

This is the best ever souvenir story, you are a good person for saving that iguana!

 

[drbill]

Since my bags are packed to the weight limit, I rarely get any souvenirs on trips. An occasional t-shirt perhaps. Mainly I bring back video from my trip so I can relive the experience as I edit... and edit... and edit.

 

[Newdiv]

I always get a magnetic bottle opener for my beer refrigerator in the garage. It has to have the city name and the cheesier the better.

 

[Darnold9999]

I look for musical instruments local to the area or if there is no particular instrument a bell. Examples are a gong and bamboo flutes from Bali. Native American flute from Arizona, didg from Australia. Bells include sheep bells from Greece, temple bell from Thailand. Some things are a pain to transport but it is interesting finding them. (I try to go to the source for example got the gong in Bali at the forge that makes them - took a day to find it)

 

[Sam Miller III]

< Great Thread Richard !--a tip of the snorkel to you >


Mrs... Miller and I did most of our foreign dive travel prior to current weight limitations and 9-11 (one trip I sent a set of double 44s as baggage )

We always sent a large cardboard box as baggage filled with packing material therefore all our purchases could be securely packed and shipped home safely as baggage - Dishes, ceramics, prints and other decorating items -- But NEVER T shirts!

We were big fans of Egypt and the Red Sea diving and purchased a lot of gold and all the various Egyptian symbols on our trips . One trip we purchased "Cartouches" and gold chains for ourselves and all the children and their spouses.

The procedure was to fill out a slip for every order indicating male of female , for as I understand there is a difference in male and female Cartouches. I filled slip out for daughter Randi indicating -female - (my daughters are Roni, Randi, Keni, & Micki) Concurrently filled a slip out for husband Shaun indicating (Boy)

They wore them with pride -- one day while checking out at a local grocery store the clerk saw the Cartouches dangling around their necks said " I am studying Egyptology at UCAL and can read your Cartouches ?

She did and said your name is Randi and read Shaun's and said your name is "Shaunboy?

Since 9-11 I we no longer wear the Cartouches have never returned to Egypt and never will return -- There is no place on earth that I would rather dive than California-- where it all began!

Sam Miller, III
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<<<< a side bar FYI >>>>

Some years ago I wrote the first dedicated diving news paper column in the US, tilted "Dive Bubbles"

For one article I researched the history of T shirt advertising. I discovered it began with the "Hang Ten" brand produced in Ontario California in the 1970s.(now almost 50 years ago.)

Some of you must recall the little feet on the shoulder ? The shirt was designed and developed by a surfer for surfers but soon caught on with the general public.

All too soon almost all shirt manufactures were developing symbols for their shirts-- the pony, the alligator, etc . Which was soon followed by massive silk screening of shirts which covered a large percentage of the garment.

Now the entre world wears shirts as waking living bill board as to what school the attended were they have traveled, what is their passion in life

All waking billboards ..

School dismissed

sdm

 

[KathyV]

...I usually only buy only one [Christmas] ornament on a trip but I got 4 in Egypt because they were so beautiful..I finally decided to suspend them from the light fixture in my dining room. I love the way they look there and it reminds me of Egypt whenever I see them...

If you have a large mirror in they room would look nice hanging out in front of the mirror.

Thanks, there is a glass and mirror breakfront in the dining room for displaying crystal glassware, and the ornaments do look lovely reflected in the mirrors!

 

[Dizzi Lizzi]

I always get a magnetic bottle opener for my beer refrigerator in the garage. It has to have the city name and the cheesier the better.

You had a lot of trips planned this year you need a bigger beer fridge

 

[Newdiv]

You had a lot of trips planned this year you need a bigger beer fridge

I've been grinning and bearing all of them! On my way home from Norway as we speak with 5 more bottle openers.

Btw, beer fridge is plenty big at this point. Nothing allowed but beer!