LOST IN TRANSIT

10 Hilarious Travel Mishaps That Went Viral

Image: Erik Odiin

Part of the fun of being a tourist is that everything is kind of new. And more often than not, this means that traveling abroad is filled with little moments of excitement and unpredictability. But sometimes, these unexpected twists can lead to situations so bizarre that they end up making headlines worldwide.

From misplaced pets to mistaken destinations, here are 10 travel blunders that had the world laughing along.

Image: Patrick Hendry

Even pets can have unexpected adventures. Bluebell, a family's pet pup, found itself on an unintentional journey to Saudi Arabia after being mistakenly placed on a flight to Riyadh instead of San Francisco. When the worried family contacted the airline, they apologized and told them what had happened. Luckily, the furry traveler arrived unharmed and was reunited with its owners as quickly as possible.

Image: Gerrie van der Walt

If the perspective of being trapped inside a normal public restroom for any length of time is already unpleasant, imagine being trapped for almost the entirety of a two-hour flight inside an airplane bathroom! That's precisely what happened to an unfortunate passenger during a trip from Mumbai to Bengaluru on a SpiceJet Airlines flight in India. Despite efforts from the flight crew and fellow travelers, he remained trapped until the plane landed at its destination and a team of engineers could unlock the stubborn door.

Image: Alvaro Reyes

Three tourists in Australia relied a bit too much on their GPS when attempting to drive to North Stradbroke Island. Failing to account for the fact that the island is… well, surrounded by water, the GPS traced a course that led them directly into the sea. Eventually, they found themselves stuck in mud and water, and were forced to abandon their vehicle. Lesson learned: never trust a machine blindly!

Image: Andre Mouton

In 2014, during a visit to Bali, a tourist experienced an unexpected encounter with a mischievous monkey. While busy feeding other animals, his GoPro was stolen by a cunning primate who, in a matter of seconds, snatched it and ran away into the forest. Fortunately, a local woman intervened, making a "deal" with the monkey by offering fruits in exchange for the return of the expensive equipment. But when the tourist finally recovered his camera, he was delighted to find that the monkey had filmed himself during the whole ordeal, in true "selfie" fashion.

Image: Jerry Zhang

A few years ago, a viral story claimed that an airport in Salzburg, Austria, had a dedicated help desk for people who mistook the tranquil alpine destination with Australia. As funny as it sounds, the story turned out to be fake - but that doesn’t mean similar occurrences are completely unheard of. Far from it, from soccer fans ending up in the wrong country for a match to travelers mistakenly flying to Grenada instead of Granada, mix-ups in destinations are more common than you'd think. Remember: always double-check your travel plans! Otherwise, you might end up far, far away from your intended destination.

Image: Karl-Heinz Müller

In 2019, diver Rainer Schimpf had a whale of a tale to tell after being briefly swallowed whole by a huge Bryde's whale off the coast of South Africa. Confusing him for some tasty fish, the enormous creature opened its mouth and took Schimpf into its massive jaws. Luckily, the animal quickly realized he was no ordinary fish and spat him out. The man managed to escape unscathed from the strange ordeal, but his story quickly became viral, earning him the nickname of a modern-day Jonah.

Image: James Eades

A Texan grandma's holiday photo op turned into a media sensation when she was swept out to sea while posing on an iceberg throne in Iceland. While her son was taking a picture of her, the chunk of ice she was sitting on suddenly separated from the shore, sweeping her and the block of ice into the freezing sea. Fortunately, the coast guard quickly launched a rescue operation, and she was returned safely to shore.

Image: JESHOOTS.COM

You might assume that once you've passed through the departure gate, missing a flight would be impossible. However, easyJet made headlines when they overlooked 29 passengers trapped between security doors and the gangway. Days later, the company found themselves in the news again, this time dealing with a drunken passenger causing chaos in the nude. It's safe to say it was a turbulent week for them.

Image: David Clode

A Scottish woman got the surprise of her life when she found a 24-inch-long spotted python in her luggage after a trip from Australia to Scotland. Amazingly, the snake had managed to hitch a ride unnoticed during the 11,200-mile-long and had even begun to hibernate in its makeshift shelter within one of the woman's shoes. Fortunately, the clueless reptile was taken unharmed to a wildlife sanctuary. So, if you are planning a trip to the Down Under, remember to check your boots before coming home!

Image: Jan Huber

Even with careful planning, sometimes things take an unexpected turn. Such was the plight of passengers aboard a British Airways flight destined for Dusseldorf in 2019, only to find themselves landing in Edinburgh due to a crew error. Mid-flight, some passengers noticed something was amiss, but the plane nonetheless continued its journey, leading to their bewildered arrival in Scotland instead of Germany. Apparently, the pilots were given incorrect flight details and only found out their mistake when confronted by the angry passengers upon landing.

PASS THE FISH SAUCE

Go Beyond Mayonnaise, Ketchup & Mustard: 10 Condiments To Spice It Up!

Image: JACQUELINE BRANDWAYN

Sure, there is nothing wrong with good old mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup. But those classic flavors would be even more appreciated if given a rest for a while. And, in the meantime, here are ten condiments from all over the world that have been waiting on the benches for their day on the spotlight on your diner table. Did you ever hear about oyster sauce? Or lingonberry jam? Take a quick look and see if any of these flavor enhancers tempt you!

Image: Davide Cantelli

Let us start this list with a sauce that is served throughout the Balkan nations as a relish or a side dish. The so-called "Serbian Salsa", ajvar is a condiment made principally from sweet bell peppers and eggplants.

The relish became a popular side dish throughout Yugoslavia after World War II and is made of roasted peppers. Ajvar can be consumed as a bread spread or as a side dish. Ajvar has a few variations. One variation contains tomato and eggplant, and another green bell peppers and oregano.

Image: Viviana Rishe

Hoisin sauce gives a tangy glaze to any dish. Essentially a Chinese barbecue sauce, this condiment lies at the intersection of brown sauce and hot sauce. Peking ducks are almost always dressed with hoisin sauce.

This is a thick, fragrant sauce commonly used as a glaze for meat, an addition to stir fry, or as a dipping sauce. It is dark-colored, sweet, and salty. Although regional variants exist, hoisin sauce usually includes soybeans, fennel, red chili peppers, and garlic.

Image: Nick Karvounis

A Korean sauce, gochujang is a savory and spicy hot pepper paste that gives many dishes from its country of origin their unique taste. It is made from chili, fermented soybeans, sticky rice, and salt, it’s mostly combined with other condiments when used.

Traditionally, it would be naturally fermented over years in ceramic vessels on an elevated stone platform in the backyard but these days it is prepared in a more industrial environment.

Image: Caroline Attwood

As the name implies, fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish. Its pungent smell may come as a shock to the first-time user but it is a flavor one gets used to. It helps enhance the taste of the ingredients it touches.

It is mixed with sugar, chili, lime juice, and garlic, and due to its ability to add a savory umami flavor to dishes, it has been embraced globally by chefs and home cooks. It can be used as a seasoning during or after cooking and as a base in dipping sauces.

Image: NordWood Themes

A familiar name to many, chutney is made of fruit or vegetable marinated in vinegar, spices, and sugar, chutneys can be sweet, savory, or spicy. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt, or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion, or mint dipping sauce.

Vinegar was added to the recipe for English-style chutney that traditionally aims to give a long shelf life so that autumn fruit can be preserved for use throughout the year or to be sold as a commercial product. In Western cuisine, chutney is often eaten with hard cheese or with cold meats.

Image: Ashim D’Silva

Miso is a byproduct of soy sauce, but it has a life of its own. Apart from being used to make soup, the paste can be served directly as a topping on rice.

High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, it is used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables, fish, or meats. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savory.

Image: Kiyoshi

Another familiar name on the list, aioli begins with a ground garlic paste before whipping in egg yolk, olive oil, and mustard. The emulsion is sometimes seasoned with lemon juice, saffron, or chili. It is a perfect dip for seafood, veggie crisps, or french fries.

The names mean "garlic and oil" in Catalan and Provençal. It is found in the cuisines of the Mediterranean coasts of Spain and France.Some versions of the sauce are closer to a garlic mayonnaise, incorporating egg yolks and lemon juice, whereas other versions lack egg yolk and contain more garlic.

Image: Tyson

Perhaps it is more than "just" a condiment, as it also has steamed, fried sausage, usually pork, typically cut into bite-sized chunks. But in this case, we are highlighting the curry ketchup that goes with it.

Currywurst sauce is based on spiced ketchup or tomato paste topped with curry powder, or a ready-made ketchup seasoned with curry and other spices. The dish is often served with french fries.

Image: Raphael Nogueira

As exotic as the name sounds, it is not a rare condiment. Oyster sauce is a viscous dark brown condiment thickened with corn starch, made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt, and water.

Oyster sauce is saltier and is used more often in everyday cooking than hoisin sauce. It’s as suitable for marinating a steak at home as it is for dressing boiled choi sum.

Image: Fábio Alves

Lingonberries grow on a short evergreen shrub in the Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America. And, in Sweden, these little berries are used to make delicious jam that is used as a condiment for meat courses, such as meatballs, beef stew, or fried herring.

Traditional dishes such as potato pancakes, spinach pancakes, and black pudding are commonly combined with lingonberries. The jam can also be paired with oatmeal porridge, mashed potatoes, and some desserts.