If you like cities, go to Merida. It's awesome, cultural, the beach isn't far way, it's close to Chicken Itza and a ton of other Mayan sites, and virtually devoid of the average partying tourist. You could also hit up Isla Mujeres, which is a small island off of the coast of Cancun that most people haven't discovered yet. It's still touristy, but not nearly as bad as Cozumel or Cancun. If you don't want to fly to the other side and can deal with no ruins, I'd highly recommend La Paz. It's in the Baja, about 2 hours north of Cabo. My 2nd favorite place in Mexico (behind Taxco). One thing to take into account on the east coast of Mexico is that you're going right in the middle of hurricane season.
I'm currently working on the greek island of kos. Just got a flight out, arrived at 5am, dunk, then wandered round looking for somewhere to stay. The next day I went looking for jobs and got one in my hotel easy peasy.
Has anyone here been to Costa Maya, Mexico? I'm planning a cruise for the wife and I sans children this October, and I was wondering if this is a port worth seeing. Quite frankly I don't care because for me it's all about the cruise itself and not the ports of call, but we've been to all the others(Western Caribbean) and I know nothing of this place other than what Royal Caribbean has on their website.
The port itself at Costa Maya sucks. Just a small tourist trap with a few bars that cater to the spring break crowd, a small beach, and a mess of junk stores that sell the same 14 items. I don't know anything about the surrounding area though, there might be a worthwhile excursion or something. Or you can stay on the boat, and drink and play shuffleboard all day. That's what I would do.
Thanks, and like I said for me it's more about the cruise anyway, but my wife was wondering if there is anything worthwhile to see. Meh, we'll probably do Grand Cayman and Cozumel with a couple of days at sea. Like you said, I can just as easily get drunk on the boat.
So it looks like my visa for Russia might be a no-go, and it's too late to register for classes back home for this semester. What places around the Mediterranean/Europe are somewhat affordable for a person on an American student's budget/where does the USD go furthest? I'm learning Russian, speak some Spanish, and I think my English is passable.
Spain is fairly cheap in the southern part of the country. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are cheap and good for working on Russian. Montenegro's cheap too.
I'm traveling to Innsbruck Austria for school in October and I will be flying into Munich during Oktoberfest. Obviously since I'm there, I'm not going to miss it. If you've attended Oktoberfest, give me an idea of what to expect and recommendations on where to go & stay? I'm struggling to find accommodation right now, so if anyone lives in Munich and wants a Canadian drinking buddy for a few days let me know. I'll bring you all the hockey pucks and maple syrup you want, maybe Elisha Cuthbert too. Also, any suggestions on places to visit in and around Innsbruck are cool too. I'll be there for a year so I have plenty of time. Cheers!
I'm going on a cruise to Belize in a month and want to go scuba diving. I've never been and was wondering what to look for in dive operations (warning signs of shoddy equiptment, what's a good price so I don't get ripped off). Also does anyone know of good bars near where the ships dock that aren't Hard Rock/Senor Frog tourist bullshit. When I went to Nassau in the Bahamas I found a pool hall under a Chinese restaurant where I was the only white person and I had a blast.
I'll probably post this in another thread if I don't get a response, but I figured I would try here first. Does anyone in the mid-atlantic like to camp? A couple friends and I are looking to go next week, but we don't know where. I'd love to be near swimming be it in a lake/ocean/river or whatever, and more secluded is better (I like few people and few restrictions). We'd consider anything up to about 7 hours driving distance from Baltimore or Philly, but that's probably the outer limit. I'm open to any suggestions though, and will keep them in mind for future trips. My google-searching made the Catskills seem like a good option, but I had a hard time narrowing down specific campsites there.
If you want the woods, the Poconos are nice, and there's a ton of places to choose from in that area. If you want shoreline and the beach, check out Chincoteague, VA. I went camping there every summer until I was about 13 and it's a nice place to go and relax with a nice beach a short drive/bike ride away. Plus, if you like seafood, they've got some of the best seafood places around in that area. (sidenote: I haven't been there in a few years, so do some research and make sure there's enough of the things you like to do in that area to make it worth your while.)
I have two weeks in china visiting the gf's family. Much of it will be with them and just following them around, so I don't have a ton of flexibility in my schedule. Does anyone have any interesting 'must do' things in Shanghai or Hong Kong. I would rike to see some stuff at the world expo, but I heard that the rine is velly long. Any ideas? Food suggestions at the very reast?
I was at Expo the last week in July. The long lines are limited to about 5-10% of the pavilions. The rest are anywhere from a 5-20minute wait. I highly highly recommend it. Also if you go to the Cuba pavilion look out for the writing in block letters on the wall saying 'CAPITALISM RULES'. I wrote that.* * This wasn't overt graffiti the pavilion encourages writing notes on the wall.
Will be spending a month tooling around Italy, Portugal and Spain from early October. Can anyone recommend any good hotels in Milan and Ferrara? Also looking at stopping by Barcelona for a week any pointers? Also tossing up between Corsica and Sardinia on the ferry back from Spain to Rome, will do one but not both, which one would you do? We are leaning towards Corsica. Thanking you in advance, I will of course post pictures of Spanish boobs.
In Barcelona, start with Las Ramblas. It's a series of streets that have all kinds of shops and restaurants that you can literally wander around for hours. Check out the Gaudi architecture, especially Sagrada Familia (it's even cooler looking when it's raining or at night) for truly touristy stuff. I'm an architecture nerd and Barca is a pretty good European city to see a few examples of everything. There's plenty more, but depending on time and sobriety those are two things to not miss. Also, if you see a bar named Chupitos (there are a few of them scattered around the city) check in there around 9 or 10. They have gimmicky shots for a euro a piece, so college students and young travelers flock there but they get crowded early and empty rapidly. Also, they light everything on fire with absinthe. One final thing, they have festivals pretty often there, so check ahead and if there's one while you're there, GO. The entire city turns out to party until 7 a.m.
Barcelona: I wasn't that impressed with Las Ramblas to be honest, it was cool and busy but it felt like a tourist trap. Better shopping, food and safer is on Placeau Gracia. I really enjoyed the Gaudi stuff, the Picasso museum is a MUST, there is a tiny but quirky Dali museum in the old city area (toward the beach, east of Gothic, west of Ramblas... next to Barcelona Cathedral) that is decent. The big museum of Catalan history is apparently really cool but I've never been. My favorite district was the Gotic district and I spent a couple of days just having coffee and hanging out there. Parc Ciutudella is a good place to relax right next to there. Parc Monjuic is a MUST and you have to try to find Franco's statue. It's hidden in there. Park Guell is really awesome too and is basically an all-day excursion. The Sagrada Familia (Gaudi's church) is worth it, Gaudi's tiny house museum in park Guell is NOT worth a penny don't bother, Casa Battlo is tremendous and so is La Pedrera. There are some clubs by the beach, namely Opiumbar, that are busy and cool. I had just returned from Ibiza when I went so I was bored with the music but it's still miles ahead of Montreal (which is miles ahead of most other places in the world, in that regard.) On Monday nights at around 11 try to make your way to Nasty Monday's at Apolo. It's rock/pop/dance music at a rock bar in a random casino, the crowd is a bit grungier but it's really something else. If you get there after a certain time, you'll be in line for hours. The place closes at 5am though. Personal recommendation: There is a tiny resto-shack kind of place that's owned by this really awesome Canadian guy and serves Mexi-Spanish food. The guacamole is out of this world, I'm craving it right now. I think it's around here, <a class="postlink" href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Barcelona,+Spain&daddr=41.381265,2.182518&hl=en&geocode=Cbea5Yd2-o09FY2HdwIdPxwhACn1KO0mcZikEjEwA6Qh4PoABA%3B&gl=ca&mra=mift&mrsp=1&sz=19&sll=41.381244,2.182546&sspn=0.001053,0.002411&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=19" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s ... 8&t=h&z=19</a> (Yeah on second thought, it's exactly there. It's not haute cuisine or anything but I felt the urge to recommend their salty, delicious menu) There are two tapas restaurants next to each other on Gracia that are expensive but awesome, one is called Quasi Queviures and the other is right next to it. Check them out if you feel like Tapas. <a class="postlink" href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Barcelona,+Spain&daddr=41.381265,2.182518&hl=en&geocode=Cbea5Yd2-o09FY2HdwIdPxwhACn1KO0mcZikEjEwA6Qh4PoABA%3B&gl=ca&mra=mift&mrsp=1&sz=19&sll=41.381244,2.182546&sspn=0.001053,0.002411&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=41.389896,2.16822&spn=0.001052,0.002411&z=19" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s ... 02411&z=19</a> If you want authentic Spanish or Catalan food away from most tourists, check out the other "Rambla", Rambla Del Poblenou. Great food there, pretty cheap. If you need a Hostel and are under 35, you HAVE to go to San Jordi Allberg. Don't bother with reviews or whatever, they're often the best rated hostel in the world and the place is super clean, super safe and very helpful. 10/10. Hotels are boring anyway. If you like Hemmingway and awesome, old bars, find London Bar off of Las Ramblas. It's drenched in bohemian history and Hemingway drank there. I was there for 3 weeks so I got to really soak in the city, if you have any questions PM me. Don't be an idiot: Have your wallet in the front pocket at all times. Don't have a shitty camera hanging off your neck. Don't leave you shit lying around past arms length and try to be in SMALL groups (two, three, four tops) at all times. Big groups get stalked, loners too. I spent a lot of time alone but I didn't bring my camera or wallet, just 40euros and my hostel key, and I enjoyed not feeling paranoid. I won't lie, there was like four or five pickpocket victims at my hostel (it was a big hostel though) every week. The victims I knew were idiots who left their giant wallets hanging out their back pockets at busy clubs, they deserved it. Other Europe: Between the French and the Italians, the French speak English far more and are more helpful. Just make sure to approach them in French first, "Est-ce que vous parles Anglais?" and then ask in English. Not a single Italian I encountered knew how to speak anything other than their bumfuck local dialect. Romans are the worst. That ferry ride between Italy and Spain is 20 something hours. I wouldn't recommend it at all. It's a shitty ride too, from what I've heard. Skip the ride and spend an extra day in whatever city. It'll cost the same to you anyway.
So, I'm about to get out of the military soon and I'm planning on doing a big trip for most of next year. I'm thinking about buying a sleeper van or small RV and driving through Mexico, into Central America for a few months, with a friend or two. Has anyone done this, or anything similar? I'm just wondering on the semantics on this. How expensive is it to drive through these countries? Is it safe (enough)? etc. I'm fairly well traveled, and I speak enough Spanish to get around.
I found middle-aged or older Italians to be helpful and friendly. But I agree with you 100% on younger Italians, especially in Rome. Rude fucks. You're right on safety in Barcelona. Just don't walk around with a ton of expensive shit or credit cards and you'll be fine. I'd take whatever cash I needed and my camera and was set. I did a lot of stupid things over a few nights there and never once felt unsafe. Stayed in a Sant Jordi hostel too. Not much more expensive than anything else in Barcelona (still expensive) and easily the nicest hostel I've ever been in. It was full of guys when I stayed there, though. They have a few locations scattered around the city so if one is booked ask them if they have beds elsewhere.
I think this is due to the near-universal French reflex of suddenly speaking English whenever an anglophone starts mutilating their beautiful language. Or maybe just a Quebecois thing.
It's quite contrary, in Quebec the Francos refuse to speak English unless their "culture" is acknowledged first. They all know English but refuse to speak it unless absolutely necessary. But in general, it's best to respect the other person's language before you ask them anything in English. I got by with "Habla Ingles?" in Barcelona most of the time. Travel tip: Rome is pretty shitty, you can see everything "historic" in less than a day, so try to minimize your time there. I had a bad taste though, the Romans were dicks, it was 40*C and no one spoke a word of French or English. Still, Trevi Fountain is majestic.