Far flung and/or remote globe trotters

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

India is one that I'm fine missing.
 
One pseudo regret is that I didn't get to more weird places before having a kid. I'm hoping to get some work travel in that takes me to China (and maybe Japan? Japan is definitely bucket list) at some point, and I may get to BFE Brazil at some point this year.
I've been to Europe a few times, the most out of the way I've gotten is Moscow. Or I guess probably the airport in Chisinau, Moldova. We were flying through KIV from Rome which (without looking at a map) I had assumed was Kiev. I did not even know what a Moldova was. I don't think that Moscow is really that weird or out of the way, but I'm glad I went and especially now given the likelihood that... I'm unlikely to go back for a while. Some of the cold war stuff aside, Moscow really had some of the prettiest stuff I'd seen - reminds you that these may be the red army soviet potato eaters but also all of the ballet, music, art.

I think it’s pretty bad ass you got to see Moscow. I mean, you never know when it will be a no-go zone again. Seems like we are headed that way. The architecture does look amazing.

Where in Brazil? I have I guess a decent amount of travel there, 7 states and capital cities. I love it there and find that most of the pearl clutching is overstated. Especially if you are not dumb and have your head up your ass.

[956 Worldwide 34736]

4 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I bet the cabrito burgers after the game were delicious haha.

Seriously though, that is bad ass. I am jealous. Not of your nuts.

We ate plov (Uzbek style pilaf) spread out on the ground with lemon tea. Yes, goat meat played a big role. 

Tailgating scene at the game:

Bukhara is the Silk Road city that haunts your dreams. This is where the famous  British Great Game explorers had their heads chopped off. 

Edited March 27, 2023 by 956 Worldwide

[Ghost of LL 15539]

4 hours ago, South Austin said:

Unfortunately I have a very limited comfort zone when it comes to travel out of the U.S.  Like only Europe.  I have no desire to go to Asia, South America, Africa, or the Middle East.  I'm sure I'm missing out on great experiences. 

That said, I love Parts Unknown, and I used to be a big fan of The Amazing Race.  I guess I like watching shows of people going to places to which I would never travel.

I used to be like that.  But then I started doing it.  And I have to tell you--some of my favorite travel experiences have been outside Europe.

We just got back from Japan, and it is one of my favorite places I've been.  You can check out the thread on this very board for tips and pictures.  But it was great.  The food, the people, the culture--it's amazing to be in a country where you can feel like you're in the future in one block and then travel a few blocks and feel like you're in the first millennium. 

A couple years ago we went on safari in Africa.  It was probably the time when I've seen my entire family the happiest.  Everybody had a great time.  And just everything exceeded expectations.  Whether it was Victoria Falls or seeing a lion chowing down on a buffalo in the Masai Mara or just landing on a dirt strip after having to do a fly-by to clear the zebra off the runway, just everything exceeded my expectations.

But I think my favorite was Egypt.  And I'm not really an Egyptology guy.  But we spent a few days in Cairo and then took a cruise up the Nile to Abu Simbel.  That one really was life-changing.  

 

Now I'm kind of looking at India.

I've been to India once.  It was a brief stop on a cruise.  And it was . . . interesting.  The first time you see a person just squat on the sidewalk and drop a deuce is pretty surreal.  And the first time you see a little orphan kid begging without a scrap of clothes is heartbreaking.  But at the same time, some of the sights are absolutely out of a dreamscape. 

Anyway, we have friends from the neighborhood who are from India and who are apparently pretty well-off.  Her father is like the Indian equivalent of Roger Goddell.  They keep saying that we need to come with them one summer and hang out at the family compound.  We may have to do that next year.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

[midtown 3346]

I think there are a lot of ways you can get into international travel and make it easier.   

First is baby steps.  Don't try to go to Mongolia on your first intl trip.   Try a place a little closer to home but where you still are out of your comfort zone.   Learn to deal with customs, locals, public transport, language barriers, exchange rates.  

Two.  Learn to travel light.  Lost luggage and the lack of flexibility can ruin your experience.  Invest in good luggage and by that I mean backpack.   Attempt to alleviate all things that can irritate you.   ie pay for clear, pre, and global.   Realize you can wash clothes everywhere.  I always pick a spot half way and look for laundry or hotel laundry.  Usually coincides with a rest and or work day.

Third.  If you traveling with someone be absolutely sure you have similar travel styles.  Traveling with women is a whole new ballgame. They come with too much luggage (see light travel comment) and generally don't want to take public transpo or have to deal with issues and they stress out.  Because eventually something is going to go sideways. 

[Al_4_ISU 12473]

35 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

That would be awesome. I think.

Some of the far flung places I would like to check out are:

Tristan da Cunha. It’s so fucking remote and tiny, would love to see it. I’m not much of a drinker but would be cool to have a beer or two in the one pub they have there.

Skeleton coast in Namibia should be on my short list.

There are a few posters on this site I would like to send as a scouting party to the NorthSentinel Island.

That looks like it would be a really cool place to visit.  Had never heard of it.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I think there are a lot of ways you can get into international travel and make it easier.   
First is baby steps.  Don't try to go to Mongolia on your first intl trip.   Try a place a little closer to home but where you still are out of your comfort zone.   Learn to deal with customs, locals, public transport, language barriers, exchange rates.  
Two.  Learn to travel light.  Lost luggage and the lack of flexibility can ruin your experience.  Invest in good luggage and by that I mean backpack.   Attempt to alleviate all things that can irritate you.   ie pay for clear, pre, and global.   Realize you can wash clothes everywhere.  I always pick a spot half way and look for laundry or hotel laundry.  Usually coincides with a rest and or work day.
Third.  If you traveling with someone be absolutely sure you have similar travel styles.  Traveling with women is a whole new ballgame. They come with too much luggage (see light travel comment) and generally don't want to take public transpo or have to deal with issues and they stress out.  Because eventually something is going to go sideways. 

My wife’s and my travel styles are pretty different. She isn’t a big shopper, but she does like hotels. Well, to her credit, they don’t have to be expensive, but nice.

My travel style is much more spartan. Some underwear, toothbrush and my camera gear. I was perfectly ok with sleeping on the ground in a plaza in Pamplona.

[GenXer 2896]

When I worked for a software company in the early ‘00’s, they sent me to Bangalore India for three weeks.

They had three guest houses with full-time houseboys that cleaned, cooked food, and ran the house. They slept on mats on the kitchen floor. It was a very spartan life. They were not hired for their cooking skills.

The commute each day was a reminder of how great city planning is in the US and Europe. Each day, a driver would come to the guest house and pick us up. The morning commute was always interesting. A different route was taken each day based on traffic flow. Regardless, it was at least an hour in the morning. In any given intersection, we’d see a busload of people with people sitting on top of the bus and riding on the bumper by hanging onto the bus, a few delivery trucks, a few dozen auto-rickshaws, a permanent neighborhood made of tents and boxes, a cow or two standing in the road, miscellaneous cars and motorcycles, and a six year old girl wandering through the traffic. Pure chaos.

The evening commute was after dark and took much longer. Eventually, I just slept on the evening commute back to the guesthouse every day.

One weekend, I flew to New Delhi, stayed the night in Delhi, took a train to Agra, toured the taj mahal and other sites, took an overnight train to Jaipur, found a hotel at 3 AM, toured Jaipur the next day, took a train back to Delhi, and flew back to Bangalore.

When I got off the train in Agra, there were lots of locals offering tourists tours of the taj mahal and other sites. I got a private tour of the taj, agra fort, mini taj, they took me to lunch and dinner, and a few shops to buy stuff. Cost for the tour was $20. I think I tipped them $40.

I got this marble mosaic plate at one of the shops for $50.

On a separate trip there, there was a terrorist attack on several hindu temples. None that were anywhere near me.

On the second trip, we got food poisoning from the houseboys’ cooking. Mine kicked in on the flight from bangalore to frankfurt. I had to make a connection there on my flight back to dallas. I spent the entire flight from frankfurt to dallas in the airplane restroom. Flight attendants made me de-plane in a wheelchair. Wife surprised me by meeting me at the airport; I surprised her when I rolled up in a wheelchair .

Memorable trips.

 

[South Austin 52523]

5 minutes ago, midtown said:

I think there are a lot of ways you can get into international travel and make it easier.   

First is baby steps.  Don't try to go to Mongolia on your first intl trip.   Try a place a little closer to home but where you still are out of your comfort zone.   Learn to deal with customs, locals, public transport, language barriers, exchange rates.  

Two.  Learn to travel light.  Lost luggage and the lack of flexibility can ruin your experience.  Invest in good luggage and by that I mean backpack.   Attempt to alleviate all things that can irritate you.   ie pay for clear, pre, and global.   Realize you can wash clothes everywhere.  I always pick a spot half way and look for laundry or hotel laundry.  Usually coincides with a rest and or work day.

Third.  If you traveling with someone be absolutely sure you have similar travel styles.  Traveling with women is a whole new ballgame. They come with too much luggage (see light travel comment) and generally don't want to take public transpo or have to deal with issues and they stress out.  Because eventually something is going to go sideways. 

Great points.  On the baby steps, London was a perfect first international trip for me.  They speak English, and there's so much about London and the surrounding country that I grew up reading in history and literature courses in high school and college.  So it all wasn't so "foreign."  A great way to pop the travel cherry, so to speak.  I think Germany and France would also be good first trips.

One other recommendation -- get the Global Entry pass.  It takes a lot of the travel headache out of the equation if you can bypass the general customs and security lines, especially when you get back to the States after a long flight.

[Celery Man 20981]

33 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Where in Brazil? I have I guess a decent amount of travel there, 7 states and capital cities. I love it there and find that most of the pearl clutching is overstated. Especially if you are not dumb and have your head up your ass.

I think Rio Verde or nearby? Agriculture related. I'm not super worried about it although I'll probably switch my Omega for a Seiko.

[956 Worldwide 34736]

16 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

India is one that I'm fine missing.

 

One pseudo regret is that I didn't get to more weird places before having a kid. I'm hoping to get some work travel in that takes me to China (and maybe Japan? Japan is definitely bucket list) at some point, and I may get to BFE Brazil at some point this year.

I've been to Europe a few times, the most out of the way I've gotten is Moscow. Or I guess probably the airport in Chisinau, Moldova. We were flying through KIV from Rome which (without looking at a map) I had assumed was Kiev. I did not even know what a Moldova was. I don't think that Moscow is really that weird or out of the way, but I'm glad I went and especially now given the likelihood that... I'm unlikely to go back for a while. Some of the cold war stuff aside, Moscow really had some of the prettiest stuff I'd seen - reminds you that these may be the red army soviet potato eaters but also all of the ballet, music, art.

Just a few years ago, I’d have been on here advocating vociferously for Russia as a place anyone who wanted to say they were “traveled” should go see.

And till 2022, I would be hyping Kyiv. I visited Crimea in the real wild east days (early 2000s) and if it is ever back in Ukrainian control, I’ll be buying a ticket. 
 

For anyone wanting to do “entry level exotic,” let me pitch the Balkans beyond Croatia. It’s a short hop from German airports, you’ll feel like you had a real adventure, but it’s also safe and you can easily stay out of real trouble. Bosnia is freaking cool.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I think Rio Verde or nearby? Agriculture related. I'm not super worried about it although I'll probably switch my Omega for a Seiko.

Haha I was about to say “the fuck you going there for?”

I get around the watch/jewelry thing by just not owning any haha.

I have not been to Goiás yet. Some of my family came from Uberlândia, just over the state line Minas. You will be fine. Probably a decent amount of petty theft, but meh. Just remember, hotels are for sleeping and motels are for fucking.

[956 Worldwide 34736]

My bucket list at this point is the Southern Cone and Brazil, a safari in Africa, and New Zealand. Not sure how many of those I’ll actually tick off. 

My regret is not doing more backpacking and adventure travel back when I was younger and my feet could handle it better. 
 

If you’re single or kidless and in good health, take the plunge on the exotic and hard destinations now. 

Edited March 27, 2023 by 956 Worldwide

[Ghost of LL 15539]

35 minutes ago, midtown said:

  I always pick a spot half way and look for laundry or hotel laundry.  Usually coincides with a rest and or work day.

Preach.

I am a convert on the use of the hotel laundry.  It's not that fucking expensive (probably about double what you'd pay at your dry cleaners at home), but they pick up your shit and return it to you the same day usually.  And that allows you to pack just a handful of changes of clothes for a two-week trip.

[midtown 3346]

17 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Preach.

I am a convert on the use of the hotel laundry.  It's not that fucking expensive (probably about double what you'd pay at your dry cleaners at home), but they pick up your shit and return it to you the same day usually.  And that allows you to pack just a handful of changes of clothes for a two-week trip.

When we were in Laos we stayed at a very nice hotel with a beautiful pool.  We turned in our laundry for $10 a bag and sat by the pool and sucked down drinks.  Came back to our rooms with folded laundry.   In Bruges I found a laundry mat two doors down from a little restaurant/bar a few blocks from my hotel.  Put my clothes in.  Went and had lunch.  Went back and put them in the dryer.  Went back to the bar and read while they dried.  Easy peasy

Edited March 27, 2023 by midtown

[Mo Horn 8852]

I can't give enough reps, or recommend enough, going and experiencing the world and other cultures. And don't go stay and eat at the 5 star hotel. Try and experience the real culture of the everyday person. A lot of my travel was for work, but I've been to some pretty remote, or what is considered, dangerous places. I used to, at least 2 times a year, fly into San Pedro Sula, Honduras, which many years is the murder capitol of the world. Most of that is gang on gang, so like has been said, don't be stupid and don't go where you shouldn't go. I've felt more unsafe in places here in the US, than I have in other countries. I spent the weekend in the mountains in middle of nowhere Honduras in a family's home that had dirt floors with one room being a "shower"... ie big barrel of water and a bucket that you poured over you the get wet and rinse off. I was the recipient of great hospitality in more places than I can count,  and had food I couldn't get amends else. I've been served guinea pig in the middle of nowhere Peru, where the live ones are running across your feet;omorrow's dinner; and cow udder in Bolivia.  Some of my most memorable times have been traveling. But beware... it will change you. IMO for the better. You cannot not be changed, if you travel and truly try to be part of the local culture. 

[texasdago 7575]

Ah... on jewelry... yes, wear a Timex/Seiko, replace your wedding band with one of those silicone bands and don't just stick your phone in your back pocket.  Obvious things but sometimes we forget.  

1 minute ago, Mo Horn said:

And don't go stay and eat at the 5 star hotel.

YES! Like the people who say, "we visited Costa Rica".  Where did you stay?  "The Four Seasons"

 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I’ve never taken off my wedding band in Brazil.

[deadshank 24653]

I've been to Georgia on a fast train, honey.

Never been anywhere outside of the continental US of A, excepting the Bahamas and Old Mexico (and some of Mexico's finer carcels).

South America is my bucket list.  Patagonia, the Andes, Amazon, Colombia and what not.  Hunt, fish, drink, lay about, cause international incidents.  Would like to do it.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I’ve never taken off my wedding band in Brazil.

Hard to get it out of your nose all by yourself?

[midtown 3346]

I will admit that there are certain levels of comfort I want to have when I travel at my age.  I don't need a five star hotel but I'm also not down with sleeping on a dirt floor when its 90 degrees in a mosquito net.  Nor am I going to spend 18 hours on a train with a squat toilet to save $100 on a flight.   I will admit though that one of the most fun days I had was finding the backpakers in Hue and hanging with them.  They welcomed this old dude into their flock

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I can't give enough reps, or recommend enough, going and experiencing the world and other cultures. And don't go stay and eat at the 5 star hotel. Try and experience the real culture of the everyday person. A lot of my travel was for work, but I've been to some pretty remote, or what is considered, dangerous places. I used to, at least 2 times a year, fly into San Pedro Sula, Honduras, which many years is the murder capitol of the world. Most of that is gang on gang, so like has been said, don't be stupid and don't go where you shouldn't go. I've felt more unsafe in places here in the US, than I have in other countries. I spent the weekend in the mountains in middle of nowhere Honduras in a family's home that had dirt floors with one room being a "shower"... ie big barrel of water and a bucket that you poured over you the get wet and rinse off. I was the recipient of great hospitality in more places than I can count,  and had food I couldn't get amends else. I've been served guinea pig in the middle of nowhere Peru, where the live ones are running across your feet;omorrow's dinner; and cow udder in Bolivia.  Some of my most memorable times have been traveling. But beware... it will change you. IMO for the better. You cannot not be changed, if you travel and truly try to be part of the local culture. 

Good post.

I stayed with my family in Honduras for a month five or take. Most of that was in San Pedro Sula with my aunt and cousins. I never felt unsafe. We would play soccer in the fields and walk to the gas station for a Coca Cola slurpee. Older cousins drove us out to Copan de La Rosa. Stayed at a rental house in Tela. Also spent several days in Tegucigalpa with my grandmother (a Brazilian, it’s a long story). Because of construction and poor utilities, had to do the bucket shower several times. The fanciest place we stayed was when my grandmother took us to Roatan for a few days. That was in a hotel obviously.

Speaking of hotels. Hahaha, I just don’t understand people. I work with this gal, a Pakistani that moved to the US when she was 11 I think. She went to Turkey with her husband so he could get hair plugs or some such vain bullshit. I was all excited “oh fuck, I bet the food was amazing (I love the food from that part of the world)!” No, it was bad she said. Well, the hotel food was bad. They never left the hotel. I get that maybe he couldn’t with a bloody head, but fuck man…how do you go all the way there and not check out the country. Do some planning you jackasses so that you have a few days before you have to glue your hair on.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I've been to Georgia on a fast train, honey.
Never been anywhere outside of the continental US of A, excepting the Bahamas and Old Mexico (and some of Mexico's finer carcels).
South America is my bucket list.  Patagonia, the Andes, Amazon, Colombia and what not.  Hunt, fish, drink, lay about, cause international incidents.  Would like to do it.
 
 
Hard to get it out of your nose all by yourself?

I’m pretty sure you could cause some international incidents without leaving Houston.

[Mo Horn 8852]

11 minutes ago, midtown said:

I will admit that there are certain levels of comfort I want to have when I travel at my age.  I don't need a five star hotel but I'm also not down with sleeping on a dirt floor when its 90 degrees in a mosquito net.  Nor am I going to spend 18 hours on a train with a squat toilet to save $100 on a flight.   I will admit though that one of the most fun days I had was finding the backpakers in Hue and hanging with them.  They welcomed this old dude into their flock

Agree. Used to be different when I was younger. My requirements for travel are clean sheets, hot water (although I'll forgo this in places where the temp never falls before 90), and internet. We usually look for 2 or 3 star hotels.

One of the top experiences in my life however is hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. 4 days in a tent on the ground and using squat toilets, some with no water. One of the most painful things I've done, but also one of the greatest. I was late 40s at the time, so not young. You go with a group so they carry everything and set it up, and cook all the meals, which were phenomenal. 

[Sam Lin 3559]

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Anyone ever been to Mongolia?  That place fascinates the hell out of me.

I've been fascinated ever since reading one of Walter Colebatch's rides across Siberia/Mongolia on ADVrider. Recent profile of him:

https://www.adventurebikerider.com/article/you-never-thought-youd-get-this-day-job-2/

 

This is his ride thread (prepare a lot of time, get some snacks, remember to hydrate before you start reading):

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/sibirsky-extreme-2012-the-toughest-ride-of-them-all.834987/

[Mo Horn 8852]

27 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I’ve never taken off my wedding band in Brazil.

Been to around 40 countries and never once took mine off. When Mrs Mo goes she changes hers for a nice game diamond band, which I get. 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I never put my phone or wallet in my back pockets in the US.

[South Austin 52523]

1 minute ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I never put my phone or wallet in my back pockets in the US.

I wouldn't put them in your front pockets either in Rome.  I wore a pretty lightweight money belt that was over a shoulder but under my shirt.  Somebody like texasdago might say that's going overboard.  But Rick Steves (for what that's worth) had warned of pickpocketing in Rome, and I found that a lot of areas i the city got pretty crowded, like some of the piazzas, with a lot of street kids and vendors approaching you from all angles. 

[Ghost of LL 15539]

46 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

 And don't go stay and eat at the 5 star hotel. 

Let's not get carried away.  The Four Seasons in Cairo was very nice.

That's not to say that you should spend all (or even a lot) of your time at the hotel.  I'm a big fan of street food, and Cairo has a really fun nightlife.  But it is to say that, particularly at my advanced age, I really like being able to go through a door at the end of the day and have a quiet sanctuary with plenty of amenities and a feeling of home.

 

2 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I wouldn't put them in your front pockets either in Rome.  I wore a pretty lightweight money belt that was over a shoulder but under my shirt.  Somebody like texasdago might say that's going overboard.  But Rick Steves (for what that's worth) had warned of pickpocketing in Rome, and I found that a lot of areas i the city got pretty crowded, like some of the piazzas, with a lot of street kids and vendors approaching you from all angles. 

I'll tell you, I've never been pickpocketed.  And I think it just comes with having a base level of paranoia.  I mean, just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean someone's not trying to pick my pocket.

So I don't go in for the money belt or anything else, because for one thing it's unfamiliar.  I know when my wallet is in my pocket because I can feel it; it's always in my pocket and it feels weird when it's not.

I will say that in Rome (and elsewhere in Italy), you need to watch out for the gypsies.  If one approaches you, there's a high likelihood that there's another nearby looking to snatch your wallet (or your wife's purse).  If someone approaches you begging or bumps into you or anything like that, it's time immediately to go to Red Alert and put your hands in/over your pockets.

[South Austin 52523]

1 minute ago, Ghost of LL said:

I will say that in Rome (and elsewhere in Italy), you need to watch out for the gypsies.  If one approaches you, there's a high likelihood that there's another nearby looking to snatch your wallet (or your wife's purse).  If someone approaches you begging or bumps into you or anything like that, it's time immediately to go to Red Alert and put your hands in/over your pockets.

I mean, I was going to say gypsies, but thought that term was out of favor.  But yes, those folks will come at you in Rome.  In my experience, not so much the other places I've been in Italy.

And for me, even though I've never been pick-pocketed in my life, I've always assumed that those fuckers can work pretty fast and seamless, so just because you can feel your wallet in your pocket one second doesn't mean its going to be there the next one.

[Brisketexan 105172]

3 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Anyone ever been to Mongolia?  That place fascinates the hell out of me.

We ALMOST went around 10 years ago -- Ulan Bator was our diplomat friends' first posting.  BUT....I did the math on just the travel time and cost: to get there was well over a 24 hr travel day, and just the air and train costs for 4 was going to be $10k.  At the time, that just wasn't practical.  Still kinda wish we had gone when they were there, but I also don't second-guess that call not to go.  

Their next posting is Malawi, though -- we're definitely planning an Africa trip to see them in a couple of years.  It's kinda sweet to tool around in a car with diplomatic plates, and of course, you get all the scoop on what's safe/reliable and what's not.

1 hour ago, Patricio Swayze said:

My wife’s and my travel styles are pretty different. She isn’t a big shopper, but she does like hotels. Well, to her credit, they don’t have to be expensive, but nice.

My travel style is much more spartan. Some underwear, toothbrush and my camera gear. I was perfectly ok with sleeping on the ground in a plaza in Pamplona.

I had an eye-opening moment when my now-wife and I were dating as a college couple.  We were headed to Disney World with another couple, and we drove on through all the way to Tallahassee.  Time to get a motel for the night.  I point to the Motel 6, or 5.5, or whatever shitty one it was, because a room was $19 a night.  She says "NOPE."  It had to be someplace of "newer construction and clean."  Ended up at a $49 a night Hampton Inn.  Fucking extra $30 out of our limited booze and grub budget.

In fairness, while she sure likes the luxury hotels and such, she's also just fine in a more budget place, a simple AirBnB, that sort of thing.  And....

43 minutes ago, midtown said:

I will admit that there are certain levels of comfort I want to have when I travel at my age.  I don't need a five star hotel but I'm also not down with sleeping on a dirt floor when its 90 degrees in a mosquito net.  Nor am I going to spend 18 hours on a train with a squat toilet to save $100 on a flight.   I will admit though that one of the most fun days I had was finding the backpakers in Hue and hanging with them.  They welcomed this old dude into their flock

....this.  I've gotten to an age where "hey, as long as there's a flat surface I can sleep on, and plumbing somewhere nearby" doesn't cut it.  I at least need a decent bed, and preferably some sort of climate control (AC/heat).  And yeah, we'll take a quick flight as opposed to a longer, more grueling train or bus ride....although we DO take trains and buses plenty.

Finding a travel style that suits both of you is important, and it can take some time to figure it out.

[Brisketexan 105172]

8 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Let's not get carried away.  The Four Seasons in Cairo was very nice.

That's not to say that you should spend all (or even a lot) of your time at the hotel.  I'm a big fan of street food, and Cairo has a really fun nightlife.  But it is to say that, particularly at my advanced age, I really like being able to go through a door at the end of the day and have a quiet sanctuary with plenty of amenities and a feeling of home.

 

I'll tell you, I've never been pickpocketed.  And I think it just comes with having a base level of paranoia.  I mean, just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean someone's not trying to pick my pocket.

So I don't go in for the money belt or anything else, because for one thing it's unfamiliar.  I know when my wallet is in my pocket because I can feel it; it's always in my pocket and it feels weird when it's not.

I will say that in Rome (and elsewhere in Italy), you need to watch out for the gypsies.  If one approaches you, there's a high likelihood that there's another nearby looking to snatch your wallet (or your wife's purse).  If someone approaches you begging or bumps into you or anything like that, it's time immediately to go to Red Alert and put your hands in/over your pockets.

My approach is to preemptively pickpocket any gypsies I see.  Really throws them off their game.

[South Austin 52523]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

In fairness, while she sure likes the luxury hotels and such, she's also just fine in a more budget place, a simple AirBnB, that sort of thing.  And....

This is me and my fiance.  Sure, I'll splurge for the Four Seasons Toronto because the exchange rate has been so favorable when I've gone there.  But for the most part, when we go on vacation, we just don't like to sit around the hotel, so for us the hotel is just a place where we sleep and fuck, and for the later, she'll be just as horny in a Kimpton or a decent AirBnB as she will a Four Seasons.  I'd rather spend my travel money on the airfare, nice dinners, and tickets to shows and ballgames.

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I've gotten to an age where "hey, as long as there's a flat surface I can sleep on, and plumbing somewhere nearby" doesn't cut it.  I at least need a decent bed, and preferably some sort of climate control (AC/heat). 

And this.  In a lot of places in Paris and Rome there's no AC, because the folks historically haven't needed it except for a relatively short part of the year.  But this global warming shit is real, and those cities have experienced more abnormal summer heat waves over the past decade.  My friends went to Paris during one of those a couple summers ago and didn't have AC in their flat, and for a few nights they said it was miserable for them.

[JCHIL 414]

Outside of USA and a several trips to Switzerland, France, Italy, and Germany - top 3 most exotic trips and most scenic places I have been:

1) Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador and Galapagos Islands - honeymooned there in 1997 - still #1 most interesting of all places ive visited to date

2) Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park - Vancouver Island, BC - Drove 5 hours from Victoria - maybe the most beautiful place ive visited to date

3) Santiago and Portillo, Chile - Visited Santiago then snow skied in Portillo, Chile - I loved Chile, the people and scenery, Andes, Wow.

 

Bucket List: Japan, Columbia, Brazil, Australia to name a few....

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by JCHIL

[Ghost of LL 15539]

12 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I mean, I was going to say gypsies, but thought that term was out of favor.  But yes, those folks will come at you in Rome.  In my experience, not so much the other places I've been in Italy.

And for me, even though I've never been pick-pocketed in my life, I've always assumed that those fuckers can work pretty fast and seamless, so just because you can feel your wallet in your pocket one second doesn't mean its going to be there the next one.

I use the term "gypsies" with a lowercase "G" because that's what they call them in Rome.  Ethnographically, I don't know what they are.  Maybe they're Roma, maybe they're Arabs or Turks or Sicilians.  And I suspect it's a melange of all of them.  I think to the Romans any dirty person who engages in petty criminality and is of a somewhat darker complexion than the average Roman is a "gypsy."

[Mo Horn 8852]

4 minutes ago, JCHIL said:

Bucket List: Japan, Columbia, Brazil, Australia to name a few....

 

I always laugh when people ask me what's on my bucket list. I tell them it's the whole world. 

[South Austin 52523]

3 minutes ago, JCHIL said:

3) Santiago

I've always wanted to see the Celinto Catayente Towers.  How were they?

[tx 3 putt 77224]

I highly recommend Southern Argentina. It’s damn beautiful and very chill 

[Brisketexan 105172]

10 minutes ago, South Austin said:

And this.  In a lot of places in Paris and Rome there's no AC, because the folks historically haven't needed it except for a relatively short part of the year.  But this global warming shit is real, and those cities have experienced more abnormal summer heat waves over the past decade.  My friends went to Paris during one of those a couple summers ago and didn't have AC in their flat, and for a few nights they said it was miserable for them.

Yep.  A couple of summers ago, we got to Berlin at the end of a heatwave -- temps in the 90s. But I had planned for the eventuality and got us a nice, mid-market hotel room....with AC.  At night, esp as the heat wave subsided, we had the window open, and it was pleasant.  But during daylight hours, AC was absolutely necessary to keep it tolerable.

If we're traveling in the summer in anywhere but far northern Europe, I only book in places with AC.  France, Germany, the UK -- all can get balls-hot these days.

[Brisketexan 105172]

10 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

I highly recommend Southern Argentina. It’s damn beautiful and very chill 

Villa Langostura was the prettiest place we'd ever been.....till we tooled around the back country of fjord country in Argentina.  But seriously, that's stiff competition.  Patagonia is gorgeous, chill, great food, great fishing....we definitely want to go back someday.

[JCHIL 414]

14 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I've always wanted to see the Celinto Catayente Towers.  How were they?

They kinda look like this...

[tx 3 putt 77224]

8 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Villa Langostura was the prettiest place we'd ever been.....till we tooled around the back country of fjord country in Argentina.  But seriously, that's stiff competition.  Patagonia is gorgeous, chill, great food, great fishing....we definitely want to go back someday.

you better like : grilled beef, beer and Merlot 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Yep.  A couple of summers ago, we got to Berlin at the end of a heatwave -- temps in the 90s. But I had planned for the eventuality and got us a nice, mid-market hotel room....with AC.  At night, esp as the heat wave subsided, we had the window open, and it was pleasant.  But during daylight hours, AC was absolutely necessary to keep it tolerable.
If we're traveling in the summer in anywhere but far northern Europe, I only book in places with AC.  France, Germany, the UK -- all can get balls-hot these days.

The house I lived in Brazil didn’t have A/C, but the way it was designed, it stayed cool most of the time and down right cold at night. But my MIL house was not designed as well for air flow. Plus old Italian ladies love to close and lock every fucking window and door (interior doors included). Felt like what I imagine being buried alive feels like. Stifling.

[South Austin 52523]

4 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

you better like : grilled beef, beer and Merlot 

[tx 3 putt 77224]

Just now, South Austin said:

*malbec !!!!

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

you better like : grilled beef, beer and Merlot 

Hahaha fuck. Too slow.

[Brisketexan 105172]

5 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

you better like : grilled beef, beer and Merlot 

Wrong-o, moose breath.  Malbec, not merlot.

One of the best lunches of my life was on the banks of a dinky patagonian river.  Flyfished hard, took a break.  Lunch was chunks of crispy baguette, an apple, a couple of slices of ham, some mate, and the three of us split a bottle of malbec poured into plastic cups.  Under the wide open blue sky, fish doing their thing, Andean condors soaring within view.  Simple, but the best shit.

[tx 3 putt 77224]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Wrong-o, moose breath.  Malbec, not merlot.

One of the best lunches of my life was on the banks of a dinky patagonian river.  Flyfished hard, took a break.  Lunch was chunks of crispy baguette, an apple, a couple of slices of ham, some mate, and the three of us split a bottle of malbec poured into plastic cups.  Under the wide open blue sky, fish doing their thing, Andean condors soaring within view.  Simple, but the best shit.

illegal dove hunt. We were up all night enjoying the evening . The guide grilled uP a spread. I ate and took a great nap next a tree 

[DaysOff 7959]

Plan to hit all 7 continents before I kick it. We've got a long way to go, but we'll be empty nesters by fall once the accident baby leaves.

[Ghost of LL 15539]

1 minute ago, DaysOff said:

Plan to hit all 7 continents before I kick it. We've got a long way to go, but we'll be empty nesters by fall once the accident baby leaves.

I've got five of the seven.  The last two I plan to knock out in a few years after the kids go to college and Mrs.LL and I can take a cruise down to Antarctica from BA.

[Mo Horn 8852]

Just now, DaysOff said:

Plan to hit all 7 continents before I kick it. We've got a long way to go, but we'll be empty nesters by fall once the accident baby leaves.

I'm knocking 2 out this fall, Africa and Asia, but just barely. Not really enough but to say I've been on the continent. I'll eventually fix that. Antarctica will be the only one left, and I'm already long range planning for that.