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Post by Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power on Jul 25, 2022 0:36:21 GMT
We took the bus from Havana to Trinidad and on arrival were mobbed by around a hundred women touting their casa particular. Those we saw looked distinctly dodgy so we were delighted to bag the last room in the bland and boring Iberostar. The bus hit and killed someone on the way back, I saw it happen, the only time I ever saw someone die. Unfortunately it's my abiding memory of Cuba. But don't let that put you off, it's a fantastic country with fantastic people. They say that if you want to compare communism with capitalism, compare Cuba with Jamaica. Pretty much everyone and everything works in Cuba, in Jamaica not so much. Kentish Seeing something like that will put a downer on a trip for sure, thankfully I’ve never seen such a thing. I did witness a young kid open a train door at high speed in Morocco, only for his dad to grab hold of him at the last second before he fell out, which was harrowing enough. I’ve been to Jamaica before, (not for just over a decade mins) so it will be interesting to compare on that front. |
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Andrewlang
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Post by Andrewlang on Jul 26, 2022 13:31:41 GMT
Most harrowing thing I experienced while travelling was a lady approach me begging for food in India while holding a very obviously dead baby in her arms.
It changed me and still haunts me about 15 years later.
Andrew
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squibbon
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Post by squibbon on Jul 29, 2022 19:25:20 GMT
Cuba anyone? I’m going for a fortnight in November, having spotted flights via Madrid at an outrageously cheap price back in January and can’t wait to see the place. Getting currency sorted out on arrival seems rather complicated, but I’ll figure it out. Anyone got any tips or know of any must sees? I’ll be in Havana for 5 nights, then down to La Boca on the opposite coast for a week then back to Havana. I’m still doing my research and other than where I’m staying, the only fixed plans are rum and cigars. We went for our honeymoon back in 2002. It was amazing. We visited Havana and went to the Tropicana nightclub and El Bodegita (I think) where Hemingway used to hang out. All the walls there are covered in signatures including JFK and most of the Rat Pack if you try to find them. Santa Clara was really interesting. It's where the revolutionaries derailed a train which put them on the path to victory and they built Guevara's mausoleum there. The rum was great. I tried the cigars but they made me cough. Would go back to Cuba given the opportunity. Loved the old revolutionary imagery everywhere and the clapped out 50's cars driving around the place. I don't know if it would be the same now as relations with America have been eased. |
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Post by Jerry1971 on Aug 1, 2022 10:05:06 GMT
Cuba anyone? I’m going for a fortnight in November, having spotted flights via Madrid at an outrageously cheap price back in January and can’t wait to see the place. Getting currency sorted out on arrival seems rather complicated, but I’ll figure it out. Anyone got any tips or know of any must sees? I’ll be in Havana for 5 nights, then down to La Boca on the opposite coast for a week then back to Havana. I’m still doing my research and other than where I’m staying, the only fixed plans are rum and cigars. I went to Cuba in 1999. It was a superb trip - we combined a few nights in a beach resort with Havana which probably still remains my favourite City which I have visited (even ahead of Moscow which was superb but thankfully in more peaceful times). In 1999, Havana was still wonderfully shabby and real, I'm not sure it will be quite the same now. There were also far fewer tourists back then as it wasn't a particularly recognised destination. The rum was amazing and in those days really cheap, but I can't say I cared for the Cigars particularly. One thing which really sticks in my mind was the immense thunderstorms we witnessed when we were in Havana, which just added to the majesty of the place! |
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Post by Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power on Aug 4, 2022 9:51:20 GMT
Thanks guys, good info and my appetite has been sufficiently whet. Can’t bloody wait.
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Bendigeidfran
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Post by Bendigeidfran on Jan 10, 2023 17:45:33 GMT
Paris. Talk to me. Looking to go in May and wondering what the best sort of areas are to book. I've had a look at prices etc but I'm wondering if there are any areas in particular that are preferable to go or to avoid? It'll be my wife, my 13 year old daughter and I going, so thinking a family friendly area rather than thumping nightlife.
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Denton
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Post by Denton on Jan 10, 2023 18:40:27 GMT
Paris. Talk to me. Looking to go in May and wondering what the best sort of areas are to book. I've had a look at prices etc but I'm wondering if there are any areas in particular that are preferable to go or to avoid? It'll be my wife, my 13 year old daughter and I going, so thinking a family friendly area rather than thumping nightlife. Pick any other city in europe and go there instead |
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Bendigeidfran
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Post by Bendigeidfran on Jan 10, 2023 19:29:20 GMT
I would, but it's our daughters choice. She missed out on a school trip so said we'd go there to make up for it.
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Post by Jerry1971 on Jan 11, 2023 16:00:07 GMT
Paris is an amazing City. Back in the late 90's I was based there for work purposes for six months or so, as such I got to know it fairly well. I'll say to you now exactly what I said to folks visiting then - whilst it is generally a safe place to visit please do be careful on public transport such as the RER and Metro. Bag and wallet thieves are fairly rife, and like any major City there are the usual array of vagabonds about so do please just take care.
The main areas are really just to the North of the Seine. The Louvre, the grand streets etc, many of the major sites are really easily accessible on foot or by Metro. If you fancy art, the Orangerie in the Tuilerie Gardens is a must visit, especially for Monet's incredible water lillies, and Place de la Concorde is right at the end of it so you can do the whole 'off with their heads' bit as that is where Marie Antoinette (amongst others!) lost hers! Do the Eiffel Tower to say you've done it, but BOOK IN ADVANCE!!!! The queues are horrific, and now the World is open again post Covid group tourism is booming at present, so make sure you get slots booked if you want to go up the Tower. Similarly for The Louvre, Musee D'Orsay etc - these are some of the World's greatest attractions and are incredibly popular.
Check out the Ile de la City which houses the Notre Dame, and if you fancy a Seine Boat Tour the Boat from Pont Neuf on the Ile is a good choice.
Just be really careful not to stray too far from the central areas, Paris can flip from wonder to ghastly very quickly. Do also be cautious of some of the guided tour offers which are really not always that good. Restaurants can range from excellent to dreadful, so shop around. As for shopping, La Galleries Lafayette at the Opera is extraordinary, and the Opera building too (you can tour around it, it was where Phantom of the Opera was set) is well worth a visit.
Above all, have fun!
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Post by hoolaohanrahanrahan on Jan 11, 2023 21:01:17 GMT
Paris is just a dirtier, ruder, London.
But the Sacré-Cœur probably just about tops Ally Pally in fairness.
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Post by Mark Peters’ Bonce of Power on Jan 11, 2023 21:57:33 GMT
Can’t really add anything to Jerry’s comments, but I thoroughly enjoyed my one and only trip to Paris a few years back, highly recommended.
This bumping of the thread has reminded me to report back on my two recent trips, firstly Cuba. What. A. Country. Fantastic people, incredibly hospitable and welcoming, delicious food and lovely drinks. Had some wonderful cigars and rum cocktails and the sights were incredible.
Firstly Havana, I stayed in a rooftop studio in the heart of the old town for five nights, clean comfortable and great views from the terrace and my host could not have been more helpful, picked me up from the airport, arranged taxis, recommended bars and restaurants and even changed my currency for me, at a rate of CUP150 to £1, instead of the CUP120 you get at the official exchange. The city itself is everything you want it to be, beautiful old colonial buildings and squares, but with a wonderfully shabby sort of feel to it. Days spent just wondering the streets taking in the hustle and bustle, evenings spent enjoying wonderful food and drinks enjoying the views from rooftop bars and restaurants.
Met a bloke who helped me with a couple of things including tickets to a show, in exchange for paracetamol and toothpaste (sporadically hard to come by locally apparently) and also asked if I had any spare clothes so gave him a U’s shirt I had with me which he gave to his wife. Took a day trip to Varadero, billed as the most beautiful beach in The Caribbean and it was absolutely stunning. I was also struck by how safe the place felt, I was able to walk around very late at night carrying my phone and a fair wedge of cash, but no one looks at you twice, no dodgy characters hanging around and I was able to leave my bag, containing my wallet, phone and keys on the sun lounger whilst taking a dip and no one around even thinks about taking it. Imagine doing that on a beach in Spain, Greece or even parts of The UK, I wouldn’t dream of it!
Paid for a driver to take me down to La Boca, a little fishing village just outside Trinidad, where I rented a beach front cottage and it was a wonderful little place. On the way down, we stopped at the Che Guevara museum in Santa Clara, which was very interesting and well worth the pit stop. The view from the cottage terrace overlooking the bay, was phenomenal and I thoroughly enjoyed sipping rum whilst watching the sun set over the sea. It was wonderful to watch the fishing boats go out each evening and come back in the morning, even more wonderful to eat said fish at the sea front restaurants for dinner. Very quiet little place, lovely people and the perfect chilled contrast to the hustle and bustle of Havana.
Got the bus back to Havana for a day and a half before flying home and revisited my favourite spots from the week prior and even bumped into the bloke I’d given the U’s shirt to, his wife was with him and sporting it proudly!
Overall thoughts apart from how obviously wonderful everything was, it’s remarkable that despite it’s many flaws the still (largely at least) Communist regime in place ensures no one goes homeless, everyone has enough to eat and every child gets a good education. There are few odd things that take some getting used to, as with anywhere you go with a weak currency, it initially takes some thinking about to work out exactly how much you’re spending on things. There are some seemingly odd discrepancies in how much certain things cost compared to each other, for example a Mojito is cheaper than a can of beer, but then you realise there is minimal brewing on the island and the beer is imported and the rum made locally. A 1L bottle of water is more expensive than either. It’s also the only place I’ve been where it can prove difficult to actually spend the local currency, everyone from tour guides to taxi drivers and even state owned enterprises like the cigar shops want paying in USD or EUR wherever possible. All in all, a great trip, highly recommended and I’ll definitely be back at some point.
In stark contrast, my five day jaunt to Munich last week (which I only went on in the first place as I had rapidly expiring easyjet credit to use up following cancelled trips early in the pandemic) was something of a bust. The famous ‘Bavarian hospitality’ was lacking to say the least. Unlike anywhere else I’ve been in Germany, I was made to feel unwelcome and an inconvenience almost everywhere I went.
The hotel receptionist was very militant when I arrived a little before lunchtime time to drop my case off and later the same afternoon at the world famous Hoffbrauhaus, I was treated with utter contempt by an unbelievably surly waiter. After ordering my first beer, it took an hour to get his attention again to order another and some food. When I wanted to pay the bill with a card rather than cash, he looked at me like I’d shat on the floor and marched me round to the counter, slammed the card reader down in front me and gestured towards the door as soon as it went through.
Sadly that was probably the highlight, every bar, restaurant or shop I went into was the same, treated like an inconvenience rather than a customer. Not too many interesting sights either, the Marienplatz was a nice little town square and there are a couple of nice churches but overall even the old town doesn’t have much to say for itself. I appreciate most of it was flattened during the war, but the way it’s been rebuilt out of concrete and then painted over to give it an older/more authentic look isn’t very convincing.
Finally very uncharacteristically for Germany, the place was filthy. Litter and cigarette butts all over the place. I even went into a ‘kiosk’ thing full of vending machines to grab a drink whilst wandering about and it stank of piss and even featured a large turd in one corner. I’d probably go back with a few mates for Oktoberfest which I’m sure I’d enjoy, but for the sort of 4-5 day city break I like to take by myself, it was unimpressive at best.
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Post by artvandelay on Jan 12, 2023 9:35:00 GMT
Paris is just a dirtier, ruder, London. But the Sacré-Cœur probably just about tops Ally Pally in fairness. London is ruder than anywhere on this planet, or indeed any other that may be inhabited. |
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Bendigeidfran
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Post by Bendigeidfran on Jan 12, 2023 9:54:56 GMT
Thanks for the info Jerry, much appreciated.
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Post by hoolaohanrahanrahan on Jan 12, 2023 10:19:39 GMT
Paris is just a dirtier, ruder, London. But the Sacré-Cœur probably just about tops Ally Pally in fairness. London is ruder than anywhere on this planet, or indeed any other that may be inhabited. And yet, Paris is ruder! It's always one-upmanship with that lot. |
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Post by artvandelay on Jan 12, 2023 12:08:03 GMT
London is ruder than anywhere on this planet, or indeed any other that may be inhabited. And yet, Paris is ruder! It's always one-upmanship with that lot. I went to school for a year in Paris and lived in London for five years, working in pubs, as far as I'm concerned London is in a different league when it comes to rudeness. The passive aggression of the middle and upper classes are what make London truly special when it comes to treating fellow humans with contempt. In fact, you may be technically correct that Paris is ruder as London goes beyond impoliteness and bad manners. It's sheer contempt for humanity! |
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