Cyprus, on a cheap Ryan Air flight from Stansted, super seats

Sunny Cyprus, is a popular holiday destination, an island on the Eastern end of the Mediterranean sea (the word Mediterranean means middle of the territory or land). 

From Stansted you can fly from the UK to Cyprus (and many other European cities) on 'budget' Ryan Air. Booking early means you can get those cheap flights. People who booked a day or two before the flight had to pay a premium.

Stansted was very busy in May 2022, with the world opening up to travellers, business, family reunions and holidays after Covid-19. Welcome signs greeted everybody on arrival. We had booked meet and greet valet services (which still require a bit of a trundle to their reception with your hand luggage on wheels).

Ukrainians Welcomed

 Inside the airport were welcome signs under the blue and yellow horizontal oblongs of the Ukraine flag. The kiosk for them offered help with accommodation, transport and more. I was glad for them.

Well-organized England. It made me feel glad to be British, because we were organized. But also, a relief to be on a holiday, a holiday maker, not a refugee. 

Fine Food

We had cautiously arrived early. Our early arrival left time for a delicious chicken sandwich from Marks & Spencer. 

On board we had pre-booked a hot meal which was surprisingly good. The Thai green curry did not look like the picture which showed the ingredients but was very tasty. I had a glass of Prosecco.

We had no films to watch. The seats did not recline. That is Ryan Air. Nothing like the luxury of Singapore Airlines which charges everybody a lot more.

Money Saving

We also saved money by not booking the priority booking - which was very popular, the larger hand luggage with overhead locker space, and choosing who to sit next to and where on the plane.

Wonders of the Window Seat

I got moved around and ended up in a window seat, although I find the aisles less claustrophobic. I thought, it's a cheap flight. Just go with the flow. I was rewarded with great window photos of the clouds and wings of the plane showing the airline name.

Our flight was slightly delayed, so we arrived at 1.30 pm UK time instead of 1 pm, which was 3 pm Cyprus time.

We took a taxi from the Paphos airport, although we had an Avis hire car the next day. Taking a taxi was costly, but saved us having to drive in the dark and find our small hotel. 

Stansted Spelling

Yes, the spelling of the airport is Stansted. Sted. Not Stead. If you don't have a flight ticket to check, you can easily check by typing it into Google, Chrome, and seeing what comes up.

In Cyprus, at Pahpos, the first night hotel was a delight. See my next post.

What is free or cheap in Hanoi? And what is not free or cheap?

Flag of Vietnam. From Wikipedia.

What did I love most about Vietnam and the capital city and second largest city in terms of population? To visit - from Hanoi, which we did, or from anywhere in Vietnam to their top attraction, a trip to Halong Bay where the jagged conical peaks of stone half covered in greenery are reflected in the blue water. 

To buy as souvenirs - the clothes, the ladies' long side slit dresses which you can buy everywhere, and embroidery of the swirling dresses on bags,

Police Museum
The Police Museum is free. Two storeys of exhibits. copious captions and photos and models.

Vespa Exhibition in Restaurant
Have tea or dinner at the Italian restaurant where you can see exhibits of Vespas and pictures and stories about its invention.

Food
Note cafe has notes all over walls and chairs and the toilet; so with your coffee and cake or snack a constant entertainment.

Breakfast and fridge for leftovers
Breakfast included at some hotels for residents such as the Sunline Paon where I stayed.
They had no lunch or dinner but a fridge in the room so we could save leftovers from meals out in the evenings.
After staying there a week and saying goodbye, they said we could take anything we liked from the buffet for our journey.

Souvenir Keyring
Take the blue hop on hop off bus and you are given a free souvenir key ring and map.

Walks
Walk around the lake in the old quarter.

No Reductions
No reductions for seniors for overseas visitors at museums.

Free Slippers
Overnight guests at Sunline Paon hotel are invited to take home the towelling slippers.

Free Drinking Water
Our bedroom at Sunline Paon hotel was supplied with two small bottles of water every day. (They advise against drinking tap water.)

Overview

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanoi

For hotels

booking.com

Comparison site:

https://www.clicktripz.com/rates/search/index

For cheap airlines and deals

travelok.com

Budget Airline

vietjetAir.com (Comprehensive list of budget airlines in Wikivoyage.)

For transport

https://www.grab.com/vn/en/
Avoid hailing taxis in the street. They can run meters fast.

Free Vietnamese Language on the internet

Duolingo.com 

Vietnamese

https://www.duolingo.com/skill/vi/Alphabet-1/3

Free list of popular Vietnamese words and phrases

At the back of a hotel magazine.

(Remember to click on the sound symbol to hear how words are pronounced.)
If you are going to gourmet Corner restaurant in La Siesta Diamond hotel look for the hotel group magazine in the lobby. Either take or photograph all or photograph some or copy out or memorize the words in the handy language list on the inside back page.

The Gourmet Corner Restaurant - Elegance Hospitality

https://www.elegancehospitality.com/group/the-gourmet-corner-restaurant.htm

Located on the top floor of La Siesta Diamond hotel, the Gourmet Corner restaurant boasts the finest food.

Free Maps
Look in the lobby of hotel receptions for a free map. Tour package shops also have maps. The ones advertising the hop on hop off buses are good. These maps are given away free at the hop on hop off booking kiosks when you book a tour.
Hotels also have a one sheet simple map showing their location. Often if you are in a restaurant in the hotel, or just pop in to enquire, you can ask for the map and get the receptionist to mark the hotel and a nearby landmark.

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Please share links to your favourite posts.

How To Buy And Use A Mini-Tripod With Your Mobile Phone

I just took a photo with my mobile phone on a tripod, for the first time. Success? What took me so long?

Problem
For years I had seen people setting up their mobile phones on desks to record themselves giving a speech. I had also seen people set up a mobile phone on a tripod to take a wide-angle photo of a group, set the timer and run to join the group.

I had suggested that a group I belong to should invest in a tripod so that members and visitors could record themselves speaking.

I recall the format: attention, interest, desire, action.

Why record yourself?

Attention
You can share your photos and make friends and win kudos. Keep in touch with guests.

Equally important, look at the photo. The camera makes you pay attention to yourself and your surroundings. The camera does not lie. Friends will be polite. You look in the mirror and from the front you look okay. But from the back, the mobile phone photo or video reveals, your hair is uncombed.

Hair - Bald Patches and Roots
Your camera says that when you walk onto the stage everybody can see your bald spot. Back view shows the roots of your hair are a different colour. Nobody will tell you that. The camera will tell you.

Interest - Your Outfit Analysed
The camera shows if your shoes are down at heel, or your shirt is hanging untidily below your jacket. If you got your appearance, your look, just right, the camera tells you that you looked wonderful, even if everybody else was too busy to take time to congratulate you.

The Room Revealed
The camera will tell you that the room looks a mess and a fire hazard with bags in the aisles. The Sargeant-at-arms responsible for the room set up and health and safety should be like the air hostess before take-off. He or she should walk up and down the aisles to check the route to the exit is clear and ask for obstructions to be removed, before they trip up somebody running up the aisle to speak on stage.

Desire
Yes, I had wanted to record for years. The camera can be set up on the front table. No need to have yourself on recorded telling somebody else, 'Press here'. If other people are too busy with their own speeches, never mind, you can record youself.

In Focus
The other great thing about the tripod is that you can take photos indoors, at night, in poor light and artificial light, with less risk of camera shake.

Action
How did I do it? The first surprise was that the tripod was so cheap. I already had a tripod. I must have bought it from the Poundland Shop in Harrow, London, England. The tripod was still attached to its backing, which said that it came from Birmingham, which is on many items supplied to the Poundland Shop.

So it had cost me only £1!

First step was to cut the plastic ties, relasing the tripod from the instructions and backing and pop the tripod into my bag. The tripod folds up small.

At the venue, second step was to attach the camera. I struggled with this. I was trying to pull the supports sideways and they clearly would not go. I asked my friend Anand for help and the problem was isntantly solved. You really have to be logical. It's like those taps in toilets. Process of elinination. If the door won't push, try pulling. If it won't go up sideways, try up and down. The camera was fixed by pulling the grip upwards, inserting the camera into the space, and letting the grip back down.

USING THE TIMER
At the end of the evening, we took a group photo. Another expert came to my aid. He set the camera up at the back of the room, checked everybody could be seen (small epople at the back come forward into the front row). He set the timer and ran to join us.

Afterwards, I went to take a photo but nothing happened. The camera was still set to timer so there was a delay.

REMOVING THE TIMER!
I ran after the photographer and asked him: 'How do I turn off the timer, and set the timer?'

He showed me that on an LG phone, the timer is in settings. You can move the timer through three settings, three seconds, ten seconds, and off.

Practising Using A Tripod
Before setting off to a meeting, try out your new tripod. Go onto the internet and type in the brand of your phone and the question, how do I set the timer.

Practice doing it at home. No tripod? Ask to see somebody else's and ask how the delay device works. Now that you know how to use it, you will be more inclined to buy one for yourself.

Buying a Tripod
If you don't have a tripod, look for one next time you are in a camera shop. You don't see one displayed?  Ask if they have one? Too expensive? Ask if they have a cheaper model. They might have a different one. Or they might mutter, "You can get one down the road in ... shop.'

Alternatively, look in a budget shop. You might also get one cheaply on the internet.

Happy snapping!

If you are running a speaking club or a photography training session, look for a cheap tripod to record your training, or to demonstrate the tripod to your pupils.

Harrow, London, England has both a Poundland and a One Pound Shop. Keep checking because their  stocks change all the time.

A miniature tripod from a budget store is also an inexpensive gift which is small enough to go in a Christmas stocking for children or adults. You'll be surte to get good use from it, taking pictures of the family's Christmas dinner.

Useful Websites
Lazada
A sturdy tripod at S$16.99
https://www.lazada.sg/products/heavy-duty-tripod-ubeesize-phone-and-camera-tabletop-mini-tripod-with-cell-phone-clip-holder-for-iphone-smartphoneswebcams-compact-camera

You Tube Demo of Poundland tripod


Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Please share links to your favourite posts.

Fixing Broken Spectacles When Travelling

Problem
On holiday in Madeira, I was sitting down for lunch on a maountin trail, hiking, when a fly zoomed across my vision. I yanked at the right of my spectacle frmae to pull off my glasses. The tinted lens fell. I found it. But the screw was missing.

Answer
The screw was in my lap. I carefull saved it inside a zip up plast see-through bag. I placed that with a note warning about the contents of the bag, so as to find the screw and be sure neighter I nor any other tidy minded person throw away or filed and stored the bag. I stored the bag in a zip up pocket, not just a flap pocket, to be sure it did not fall out and blow away.

Back at the hotel, we used a lens repair kit which we always carry to repair the spectacles.

Back in London, England, I went into the shop where I had bought the glasses. I had worried slightly that:
a) They would say the glasses were broken and buy another pair
b) They would have to send the glasses away for repair so I would be without for a week

I remembered that my late father who was an optiician would always do minor repairs such as adjusting glasses or tightening a screw for free.

I wished I had gone in straight away rather than postponing it and worrying for two and a half days.

The man in the Eyecare was so charming.

When he disappeared behind a screen I decided to follow and find out what he was doing. Always a useful exercise.

First he tightened the screw with pliers. But his pliers had a plastic cover over the end so that they did not damage the frame or lens.

Then he placed the scapectacles, open, on the desk top 'to check balance'. Were the two sides level.

Before leaving, I asked if he had a cheap pair of spectacles I could buy as a spare.

The cheapest he had were £100. That is frames only. I would have to add on an extra hundred or two for triple focus lenses, trifocals, for distance, computer in mid-distance, and close up for reading a book or menu, plus Reactolite (reacting to light, making them dark) so they go dark automatcially when you step out of a restaurant into the sun. (I think Boots sell them cheaper - but on a rack for children and the free or subsidised glasses for the impecunious.)

I had noticed in Madeira that glasses curently seem to have gone back to large and round, instead of small and oblong. I had an opportunity to update my glasses with a new frame, albeit a cheaper one.

I can drive safely becuase I can see pretty well in the distance without glasses. I could read a menu close-up using off the peg glasses, or borrowed reading glasses, or old reading glasses.

However, the computer screen is the problem. I want to use that all the time.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.