Cu Andras Foldvari m-am intalnit, unde altundeva decat… pe un aeroport! El este omul care a bifat 605 aeroporturi din intreaga lume si are de gand sa intreaca orice record – in caz ca mai exista vreun temerar in aceasta competitie! Am aflat de aventura lui de la prietenii mei de la Turkish Airlines si mi s-a parut interesant sa il intreb cateva lucruri pe care, doar cineva care a calatorit atat de mult le poate judeca!
Doamnelor si domnilor, Andras Foldvari raspunde la cateva intrebari cat se poate de… pamantene! Enjoy! 🙂
Above the clouds
I met Andras Foldvari, where else but in an airport! He is the man that has traveled to 605 airports around the world and he wants to win a record – if there is anyone else interested in challenging him!
I have heard about his adventures through my friends at Turkish Airlines and I thought it would be very interesting to ask him about some things that only someone that has travelled so much, can judge.
Ladies and gentlemen, Andras Foldvari is here to entertain us with some very ‘grounded’ answers! Enjoy!
1. Maria:
Cate aeroporturi si in cat timp?
How many airports, in how much time…?
Andras:
Pana in acest moment am bifat 605 aeroporturi! Mi-am inceput calatoriile in 1968, pe cand aveam 17 ani. Asadar, in curand se va implini o jumatate de secol de cand calatoresc cu avionul…
My current total is 605 as of today! I started collecting airports back in 1968 at the age of 17. So soon it will be a half a century…
2. Maria:
Cum te-ai hotarat sa incepi aceasta aventura?
How did you decide to start this adventure?
Andras:
Atunci cand am calatorit cu parintii mei spre – la vremea aceea – Germania de Est, aterizand pe aeroportul din Dresda. Primul meu zbor a fost cu Interflug, iar returul cu Malev, reusind astfel sa compar serviciile de zbor, dar si infrastructura aeroportului.
Asa a inceput totul – pasiunea pentru aviatie spunandu-si cuvantul –, stiind foarte clar ca nu pot deveni pilot din cauza problemelor de vedere ce nu puteau fi corectate, am decis sa devin un calator cu experienta! ☺
My parents took me to East Germany back then, at the Airport of Dresden. My first flight was with Interflug, but the return flight was with Malév so I could compare flight services and airport infrastructure.
The spirit of aviation fuelled my passion despite knowing I couldn’t be a pilot as I have limited uncorrectable vision, so I decided become a frequent traveler instead.
3. Maria:
Cam cate aeroporturi au mai ramas de vizitat? ☺
How many airports do you still have left to visit?
Andras:
Oh, este aproape imposibil de estimat… Doar in America de Nord sunt mai mult de 1.500 de aeroporturi! Chiar si pentru inca o viata in plus si tot nu as avea timp suficient sa bifez macar un continent!
Oh, it’s almost impossible even to tell. In North America alone there are more than 1500… Even in another lifetime, it would still be a challenge to visit all airports in just one continent.
4. Maria:
Cel mai bun aeroport de pana acum?
What was the best airport till now?
Andras:
Cel mai bun de pana acum este Changi, din Singapore. Are o minijungla si o cascada… si castiga in fiecare an toate premiile ce pot fi castigate!
Imi place si aeroportul din Hong Kong; are o lumina naturala foarte frumoasa, dar si un tren robotizat care il leaga de port. Insa preferatul meu este cel din Koh Samui, Thailanda, un aeroport fara pereti solizi, cu tavan din frunze de palmier, fara cabluri la vedere si care foloseste un minitren electric pentru transportul pasagerilor spre avioane.
Best airport was Changi in Singapore, with a mini jungle and waterfall; they win year after year every possible award.
I do like the new airport in Hong Kong as well; it has nice natural light and a robotic train from the seaport. My personal favorite one is the island of Koh Samui in Thailand, with no solid walls, a roof made of palm leaves, underground cabling and a mini electric train to carry passengers to the planes.
5. Maria:
Cea mai buna experienta de shopping?
And the best shopping?
Andras:
Raiul cumparaturilor trebuie sa fie Dubai-ul, cu posibilitatile sale nesfarsite de shopping, de la electronice… la bijuterii. Voi incerca sa imi tin sotia departe de astfel de ispite! ☺
Shopping heaven has to be Dubai; endless shops carrying electronics to jewelry… I try to keep my wife away from it!
6. Maria:
Ce mai placuta experienta culinara?
Best food experience?
Andras:
Aeroporturile exagereaza cu preturile atunci cand vine vorba despre mancare. In Tampa, Florida, se gaseste un Hard Rock Café original, unde mancarea nu este chiar de nivelul stelelor Michelin, dar atmosfera e de neuitat.
Airports are generally overpriced when it comes to food. In Tampa Airport in Florida there’s a full size Hard Rock Café; maybe the food quality was not of Michelin star equivalence but the atmosphere was unforgettable.
7. Maria:
Cel mai curat aeroport?
Cleanest airport?
Cel din Helsinki, Finlanda, cu siguranta! Pardoseli din lemn, fara de pata, cu mobilier foarte practic, de tip nordic…
Helsinki, Finland for sure… spotless wooden floors with very nice nordic/scandinavian practical furniture.
8. Maria:
Cel mai prost aeroport de pana acum?
Worst airport till now?
Andras:
Vechiul aeroport din Kuala Lumpur. O mizerie si o degringolada totala. Acum este inchis…
The old Kuala Lumpur low-cost terminal. A total mess and disorganized. Now it‘s closed.
9. Maria:
Cea mai proasta mancare?
Worst food?
Andras:
Este si o problema de gusturi, dar am suferit profund pe aeroporturile cu zboruri interne din China. Unele produse erau destul de greu de identificat… Dar, intre timp, situatia s-a mai imbunatatit…
It’s a matter of taste but I suffered a lot at domestic airports in China; some of the food items were hard to even guess what they were. It’s improving nowadays…
10. Maria:
Cel mai murdar aeroport de pana acum?
Dirtiest airport till now?
Andras:
Recent am schimbat zborurile in Las Vegas si am fost foarte dezamagit… Covoare foarte uzate, aparate invechite de jocuri mecanice, pop-corn imprastiat peste tot… mare pacat!
Recently I changed flights in Las Vegas and it was a big disappointment… neglected carpets, old one arm bandits with spilled pop corn, etc..it’s a shame really.
11. Maria:
Cel mai scump aeroport?
Most expensive airport?
Andras:
Gardermoen, din Oslo… Trebuie sa spargi o banca pentru a putea plati un sandwich cu creveti, dar trebuie sa recunosc ca… a fost foarte gustos!
Oslo Gardermoen! You need to rob a bank first to pay for a shrimp sandwich, but I have to admit it… it was very tasty!
12. Maria:
Cel mai “prietenos” aeroport?
Friendliest airport?
M-am simtit foarte bine pe noul aeroport din Reunion, Franta, numit dupa Roland Gaross – celebrul aviator francez care s-a nascut chiar in acest oras. Personalul a fost extrem de amabil, ajutand cu informatii utile si ocupandu-se foarte atent de familiile cu copii mici.
I really enjoyed the new airport in La Reunion named after Roland Gaross who was born there.
The staff was extremely helpful, giving information and assisted families with small children in a very sympathetic way.
13. Maria:
Prietenos cu fumatorii?
Smoker friendly?
Andras:
Aeroportul din Varna, Bulgaria, are o cafenea foarte simpatica in aer liber, foarte draguta, cu vedere spre pistele de decolare. Personal prietenos si multe scrumiere!
Varna in Bulgaria has a lovely open air terrace café with a view on the tarmac. Friendly service with plenty of ash trays.
14. Maria:
Cel mai bun lounge?
Best lounge till now?
Cel din Istanbul! De departe cel mai bun in ceea ce priveste confortul si serviciile. Se spune ca este mai mare decat multe dintre aeroporturile din lume! Si pot sa iti garantez asta! ☺
Istanbul is the top by far in size, comfort and services…
They say the lounge is bigger than many airports in the world… I can guarantee that 🙂
15. Maria:
Cele mai bine organizate servicii de transport spre si de la aeroport catre exterior?
Best organized transportation services to/from airport?
Andras:
Am fost placut surprins de Ponte Delgada, in Insulele Azore!
Toate transferurile spre/dinspre aeroport se fac cu transport direct, din usa in usa! Pentru TOTI pasagerii!
Nu am mai auzit de asa ceva pana acum!
I was pleasantly surprised in Ponte Delgada in the Azores islands. The scheduled airport transfer bus gave EVERY passenger a door to door service into town.
I never even heard of something similar before.
Maria
Andras, iti multumesc mult pentru aceste informatii si abia astept sa ne revedem curand, sa sarbatorim un numar cat mai mare de aeroporturi bifate!!
Thank you for this opportunity and let’s see each other soon to celebrate a bigger number of airports visited!!
Andras
Eu multumesc! Sper sa va foloseasca experientele mele si sa va placa materialul realizat de Turkish Airlines si dedicat aventurii mele!
Thank you and I hope you will enjoy my expertise and the video that Turkish Airlines has dedicated to my travels!
Sursa imagini: WEB si Youtube
