Playing golf in Portugal was much cheaper and easier than in New York.
Travels with George: 1968 to 1972 (Part II)
By: George Noga – July 31, 2022
During these dog days of summer, I am taking a break from defending liberty and skewering government. I worked at a major airline in New York City from 1968 to 1972 and had a pass good for free first-class travel on any airline anywhere in the world. This is the second part of my misadventures; if you missed the first part last week (Israel, Athens, Marrakesh, Hong Kong, Macau, Djakarta), it is on our website.
East Africa: I went on a photo safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Seeing my first lion in the wild was exciting; seeing the 100th lion, less so. Unfortunately, my visit coincided with Idi Amin expelling the Indians from Uganda. I planned to go from Nairobi to Bombay, but the airport was jammed with thousands of Indians trying to get on flights to India; more thousands were camped around the airport. Just getting inside the airport was daunting. I was lucky it took me only two days to get on a flight.
India: My bad luck continued; I arrived in Bombay just as war broke out between India and Pakistan. The Pakistanis were bombing Bombay and there was a blackout in effect the entire time I was in India. I had a pre-dawn flight from Bombay to Bangkok and my taxi ride from the hotel to the airport (a considerable distance) in total darkness was harrowing, as no vehicles could use headlights nor was there any street lighting.
Portugal: Beside me, there were a few other unmarried TWA management personnel who liked to play golf, which was next to impossible living in Manhattan. It actually was easier and cheaper to golf in Portugal. Periodically, we flew (first class) Friday after work, arriving in Lisbon early Saturday. We checked into the 5-star Hotel Palacio in Estoril just outside Lisbon. We then played 36 holes with caddies at a nearby championship golf course. We napped briefly before dinner at the best restaurant in Portugal, followed by a succession of fado bars. We played another 18 holes Sunday before our afternoon flight to JFK. The total cost for everything – $60 per person!
Note: A few words are in order concerning prices: The USA was on the gold standard until 1971 and Europe was still recovering from WWII. Consequently, the dollar was absurdly strong; in many places the local currency seemed like monopoly money.
Hungary: I took my parents to Hungary as my mother was of Hungarian descent and spoke fluent Hungarian. This was my first time behind the iron curtain and crossing from Austria into Hungary was unforgettable. Our train was descended upon by a phalanx of armed police before crossing no-man’s land of dogs, razor wire, minefields and towers with searchlights. Welcome to the people’s paradise of Hungary.
Even after converting our dollars into forints at the official exchange rate, everything was ridiculously cheap. One night we had dinner for six (we invited a family we had met on the train) at a fine restaurant with ample Hungarian wine; the tab was $20. We stayed at a guest house in Budapest; the cost for all three of us including lodging and breakfast was $1.20. We traveled to the village where my grandmother was born and met relatives who never knew we existed. It was draining emotionally for everyone.
Austria: Just as with golf in Portugal, it was cheaper and better to ski the Alps. Over the Christmas – New Year’s holidays we would ski in Lech, Austria, one of this world’s top resorts. We stayed in a 5-star hotel that cost $16 per person per night including lodging, three meals and afternoon tea with live music. I skied Lech 6 times; one memorable trip there was with my wife in 1976. We spent an entire month in Europe during which we skied for three weeks in Lech. We stayed at a nice hotel (including breakfast) with a balcony overlooking the slopes, skied every day but one, and ate dinner at the finest restaurants. The total cost for the month including air was $2,000. Note: I took my family of four to Lech in 1999; the cost was well over $1,000 per day.
Switzerland: During all my travels I never missed a day of work. Once I flew from Australia arriving at JFK at 7:00 Monday morning. I changed at the airport and arrived at work on time. The only time I missed work was on a late flight from Switzerland (I was skiing in Zermatt) that got cancelled for mechanical reasons and there were no other flights to the US. It was on the flight the next day that I met my future wife.
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Ruminations: I visited over 30 countries while still in my 20s. I visited most of them again 40 to 50 years later after I had retired. A half century ago each country was distinctive; today, they all blend together. It was interesting to observe the incredible changes that took place throughout the world during the 50 years between my visits.
Although not well-off by any stretch, I was able to travel the world in high style at a young age. Thanks to my airline pass, huge airline discounts at hotels and an incredibly strong dollar, I was privileged to sample the very best this planet of ours has to offer.
WE ARE TAKING A SUMMER BREAK. THE NEXT SCHEUDLED POST IS SEPTEMBER 4; HOWEVER, WATCH FOR POSIBLE UNPLANNED POSTS.
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