On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 22:48:54 -0500, Reef Fish
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>A mini London Nedfest this week?  :-)
>
>>...Or if I'm back in Europe,
>>Huw
>
>Too bad we won't be able to have an repeat of a SchnappsFest in London.

Given my experience in London last week, I may not have enough USD
to buy even hamburgers there for any future visit.  I may have seen
all I'll ever see in London during this life time.  :-)  NOW I see
why Huw and Kat made their pounds in London and spends them in Oz
and elsewhere.  :o)

>
>I'll probably have a rendevous with Monsieur "Jacques Noir" at the
>Rendezvous Casino, next to the Park Lane Hilton where I'll be.
>
>Hope I'll GAIN a few pounds there (at the Casino, i.e.).   :-)

I did gain over three hundred pounds in three short evening visits
there, but they didn't even cover the most expensive SPEEDING ticket
I've ever gotten in Georgia (the sheriff at "butts county" (real name)
kicked my butt figuratively)!  $678 for doing only 98 mph on I-75!

It was the prices in London that made me suddenly realize the
worthless value of the Merkin' dallars abroad (and at home) thanks
to the billionz and billionz Bush poured into the drain hole in Iraq
and the voters wanting MORE of the same.  ;)

A cup of COFFEE at the London Hilton is now $4.5 pounds Stirling,
which is slightly more or slightly less than $9 USD, depending on
where you exchange the dough.  If not for the "free" usage of the
Executive Lounge there, a continental breakfast or a glass of
champayne would EACH have cost over $40.

At the airport, $100 USD got LESS than 47 pounds in everyone of the
public exchanges there.

I was shopping for a large TV (bought a 65" Mitsubishi yesterday),
and wonder what prices were like at UK.  I did see one smaller than
65" at Harrods for about 34,000 Brit pounds.  :-)  But even at the
"Virgin" (discount) shops at Oxford street, all the electronic and
music items cost about DOUBLE the prices in the US, without adding
their 21%(?) tax.

I am happy to say that I didn't support the British economy on this
trip, other than using up some Hilton POINTS for staying at their
Executive level, which would have cost more than $700 per night if
paid by the worthless USD!

Ob scuba:  Hope to see both hammerheads and mantas at Nuku Hiva
again, in a couple of weeks.  :-)

Da po Feeesh.