Features

Illustration: CC, GDJ. Edits: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik.
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You’ll laugh only because you weren’t there

While seeing the world is a dream for many of us, every now and then you hit some bumps in the road and it turns into a nightmare.

The Burj Khalifa

I was travelling to Dhaka for an internship, and my supervisor had purchased my flights through a travel agent. Well, the agent booked my flights on Biman Bangladesh, a sub-par airline with a notorious reputation of delays.

Let’s just say I spent an unexpected 27 hours in Dubai and missed my first day of work. On the upside, I did get to see the Burj Khalifa.

—Miguel Marchildon

That last drink

Don’t travel hungover. This has happened to me on multiple occasions and every time I regret it. If you think going through airport security is bad sober, try doing it slightly nauseous with a pounding headache, reeking of alcohol and poor decisions.

—David Campion-Smith

Snoring all over the world

Since I’m still a student, I often stay in hostels while travelling to save money and to meet other young people. Most of the time, it’s an excellent experience.

But once, after a great day in Prague, I returned to the dorm to find two men who had just arrived. They must have had pneumonia, because they were snoring and choking so loudly and so erratically in their sleep that it was absolutely impossible for anyone else to fall asleep. After a few hours, the rest of us gave up trying and the two men dozed peacefully until 8 a.m.

—Janoah Willsie

The strangest place to find a diaper

If you ever go to Marrakech, Morocco, you can’t miss the famed Jemaa el-Fna, a beautiful plaza filled with shops, restaurants, and even some animals.

One evening while in town with a friend we decided to take photos with two monkeys, who seemed less than happy to see us (to be fair, I doubt they’re treated very well). It was all fun and games until our handlers decided to get the monkeys to sit on our heads. While the monkey was perched on my head, I realized that it was wearing a diaper. My friend was a lot more resistant to her sudden visitor, and rushedly handed the monkey back to the handler.

Needless to say, we didn’t try to take photos with the snakes after that.

—Nadia Drissi El-Bouzaidi