Travel Guide to the world (NO SPAM)

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 5:06 pm

Specifically, this world. Try to focus on the interesting stuff that isn't touristy, things you enjoy seeing in your nations, or enjoy in others, as well.

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 5:14 pm

Antigua, Guatemala - wonderful Spanish Colonial architecture and great archaeology all over the place! The volcanos....

San Agustín, Colombia - there are a set of small bamboo cabins set high on the hill - so peaceful! The bus ride to get there from Cali is breathtaking in the upper altitudes. There is a small restaurant run by a French-trained chef. Also, the archaeological site is amazing!

VoodooDali · Post by **VoodooDali** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 7:11 pm

Originally posted by Gwalchmai
Antigua, Guatemala - wonderful Spanish Colonial architecture and great archaeology all over the place! The volcanos....

San Agustín, Colombia - there are a set of small bamboo cabins set high on the hill - so peaceful! The bus ride to get there from Cali is breathtaking in the upper altitudes. There is a small restaurant run by a French-trained chef. Also, the archaeological site is amazing!

Antigua's nice, but the most touristed city in Guatemala. I recommend anywhere around Lake Atitlan. Chichicastenango is really nice too. Also touristy, but not as much. (You can tell Antigua is over-touristed when the locals won't even barter anymore....)

Acajutla, El Salvador. Nice beach town.

Placencia, Belize. Last time I went there, it had beautiful beaches and was very quaint. May have become touristy by now.

Trujillo, Honduras. Highly recommended. Beautiful white sand beaches. African culture--the garifuna people.

Zipolite, Oaxaca, Mexico. The only nude beach in Mexico. Need I say more?

Mihrleft, Morocco. Had an excellent time there. On the beach south of Agadir. If you go, you must look up a guy named Ahmed Speed. He's lived there all his life, and knew Jimi Hendrix when he was living down there.

Sevilla, Spain. Loved it.

Places I still want to go--Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. Goa, India. Thailand. Amalfi coast, Italy. Turkey & Greece for the ruins. The list goes on and on...

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 7:22 pm

I was in Toronto last year and absolutely loved the place. If I'd known Aegis's igloo was close, I'd have dropped in on him. It is a very clean city and the taxi drivers I rode with were some of the safest and most polite people I've ever met (they'd last about four minutes in NYC).

You can do a lot of different things in Toronto from visiting Casa Loma (a mansion which was featured on A&E's America's Castles) to exploring the underground shopping center which winds its way through downtown to seeing the famous Second City comedy troupe.

In downtown Toronto, there is a restaurant called Canoe which is on the 54th floor of the Toronto Dominion Tower. It caters mostly to the business crowd, but they'll serve ordinary schleps like me, too. The food there is pricey (entrees run about $25-45 Canadian; $17-30 American when I was there) but very, very good. The view of Lake Ontario and the rest of the city is fantastic and something not to be missed.

There is a fabulous little sushi bar called Japan Deli over near the intersection of Bloor Street and Yonge Street that is inexpensive but excellent. They have tempura and teriyaki as well as a full sushi bar; the sashimi is fresh and the staff is very friendly.

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 11:20 pm

Tropical Paradises in Asia

Just came from a week-long vacation at Koh Samui Island and Phuket Island in the southern part of Thailand. The former located in the Gulf of Thailand while the latter is in the other side of the peninsula, touching the Indian Ocean.

It's sad though that a lot of these tropical paradises (along with Indonesia's Bali and the Philippines' Boracay Island) are now becoming too commercialized that there are a few sites in these islands that you can enjoy some real peace, quiet and a little communing with nature.

On the other hand, Bangkok is a great place where you can see a preserved harmonious mix of the modern and the old.

And yes, there is more to Bangkok than that pathetic over-exposed, overrated red light district called Patpong.

Thailand is so rich in culture... makes me want to know a whole lot more their ways...

...btw, I would love to get the chance to go to Cambodia and see the old temple of Angkor. Remember Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider?

fable · Post by **fable** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 12:00 am

It's sad though that a lot of these tropical paradises (along with Indonesia's Bali and the Philippines' Boracay Island) are now becoming too commercialized that there are a few sites in these islands that you can enjoy some real peace, quiet and a little communing with nature.

That's what I've heard about the Balinese, Javanese, and Sundra cultures. I'm told even the traditional Gamelan music is changing, with newer Asian pop tunes being adapted, and centuries old music being abandoned.

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 12:33 am

This one is for Gwally...

...I would assume that he is also into Geology aside from Archeology.

Try visiting my country, the Philippines, and check out the most beautiful volcano in the world --- Mount Mayon.

What makes it beautiful? It has the PERFECT CONE shape. Unlike Japan's Mt. Fuji (with its breath-taking snow-capped crater but "flat" top), Mt. Mayon looks "pointy" at the top...

He would have also enjoyed the Hot Springs in that area.

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 12:39 am

Money changes everything...

Originally posted by fable
It's sad though that a lot of these tropical paradises (along with Indonesia's Bali and the Philippines' Boracay Island) are now becoming too commercialized that there are a few sites in these islands that you can enjoy some real peace, quiet and a little communing with nature.

That's what I've heard about the Balinese, Javanese, and Sundra cultures. I'm told even the traditional Gamelan music is changing, with newer Asian pop tunes being adapted, and centuries old music being abandoned.

...and I wished that people would give more premium on what is truly interesting and worth preserving, rather than just see "what's in it for them."

That is why I have so much admiration with the way the Thais preserve their culture, arts and music without having to be "diluted" with western or modern influences.

It seems that most places that are worth seeing for me are those that are not in the city... but Bangkok is one of those few exceptions.

K0r/\/f1@k€$ · Post by **K0r/\/f1@k€$** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 2:43 pm

Originally posted by fable
That's what I've heard about the Balinese, Javanese, and Sundra cultures. I'm told even the traditional Gamelan music is changing, with newer Asian pop tunes being adapted, and centuries old music being abandoned.

I understand your viewpoint, but if we had decided to stay with good old wooden sleds and never bothered with the wheel it wouldn't be possible for us to be having this conversation now. And as for cultural interference, isn't exchange what keeps a society strong and prevents it becoming introverted (plenty of historical examples here, I'm sure).

Finally, and only semi-seriously, surely it's a little selfish for us all to decide that they should keep their old music for our listening pleasure and not be able to develop?

frogus · Post by **frogus** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 2:50 pm

Come to Oxford!

The only place in the world where graffitti artisits write in Latin.

ps @Ysh, no comment please

Minerva · Post by **Minerva** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 5:00 pm

Originally posted by frogus
Come to Oxford!

The only place in the world where graffitti artisits write in Latin.

You obviously haven't been to Cambridge yet.

Istanbul: Just been there.

It was surprisingly easy to visit, food was great, and you can feel like being a multi milionair! (£1=1.8 million Turkish Lila) Only if you can cope with their driving style...

Tunisia
Andalucia
Paris
Dartmoor

I forgot...

Ireland!

VoodooDali · Post by **VoodooDali** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 10:49 pm

Cornwall looks beautiful...any of you British SYMers visited there?

Gwalchmai · Post by **Gwalchmai** » Sat Apr 20, 2002 11:03 pm

Originally posted by VoodooDali
Antigua's nice, but the most touristed city in Guatemala. I recommend anywhere around Lake Atitlan. Chichicastenango is really nice too. Also touristy, but not as much. (You can tell Antigua is over-touristed when the locals won't even barter anymore....)

Hmmm. Things must have changed since I was there.

El Salvador too, has changed considerable since the ending of the war.

Minerva · Post by **Minerva** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 3:07 am

Originally posted by VoodooDali
Cornwall looks beautiful...any of you British SYMers visited there?

I'm living in Devon, just a few mile from the Dartmoor, so I have visited Cornwall.

It's beautiful area, and great place to walk around.

Actually, my housemate is planning to run from Exeter to the Lands End on the Coast Way (appr. 260miles) in 10 days this summer for charity. So, I'll have a chance to go the area, in order to wave at her during her run.

frogus · Post by **frogus** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 5:51 am

You obviously haven't been to Cambridge yet.

cambridge shmambridge...

I used to go to Cornwall all the time when I was little, but if you're going for heaths and English'ey forest type stuff, go to Wales. The most beautiful (natural) place I've been is the top of Cader Idris(sp?), but I haven't travelled very much....

more seriously, Oxfordshire really is a gorgeous place. If you're into th kind of secret gardeny magical oak-forest faery-land, oxfordshire's your place. I think the fact that everyone famous with a lot of money comes to live here once they're 45 is good evidence.
And while you're here, don't forget to visit port meadow at 6 o'clock in the morning...it's a flood plain, probably about three miles across and one mile along, and is still common ground, so any oxford citizen is allowed (and still do) to graze their animals on there without prosecution. In the dawn-mist, with horses keeping perfectly still in the cold, its about as ghostly and other-worldly as any place I know.

Kameleon · Post by **Kameleon** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 6:30 am

Originally posted by frogus
And while you're here, don't forget to visit port meadow at 6 o'clock in the morning...it's a flood plain, probably about three miles across and one mile along, and is still common ground, so any oxford citizen is allowed (and still do) to graze their animals on there without prosecution. In the dawn-mist, with horses keeping perfectly still in the cold, its about as ghostly and other-worldly as any place I know.

Let's hear it for Oxford...I have to support this, Port Meadow is a really strange place early in the morning, especially in spring. The rest of the county's not bad either

And I go to Cornwall quite regularly - not the yucky North, with St. Ives' kamikaze seagulls, but the tranquil south is great, we stay near Falmouth and Truro , on a little peninsula called Roseland. The weather is lovely - it seems to stay sunny whatever season it is

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 7:15 am

@fable

Would it be okay if I get to post some pics in this thread of yours?

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 8:54 am

@VDali I've been to Cornwall several times, it is beautiful - moorland and coastline. There are quite a few ancient ruins and stuff as well - I liked the ruins of Tintagel castle, on the top of a cliff, quite dramatic, and they've been (tenuously) linked to Camelot, if you have any interest in Arthurian legend - even if it's not Camelot, you can imagine it being so

Oxford's nice if you like old buildings... trouble is, it's full of tourists and students

On a different note, I'm going to Australia later this year, and would appreciate any tips for things to do/see (other than the obvious).

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 12:09 pm

Re Cornwall

Tintagel is lovely, also worth a visit (just north from there) is a village called Boscastle which is rich in history of paganism and witchcraft. It has a museum of witchcraft, one of the largest IIRC, which is fascinating - and incidentally owned by a 'warlock' and visited regularly by a village 'witch'. On the east coast is Fowey, a beautiful natural port with it's high rocky coastline, and not far from there is St Austell which has St Catherine's castle (the English Heritage sign has been vandalised to read Cornish Heritage

) You can also take a tour of the St Austell brewery

Bodmin Moor is a beautiful but desolate place, as is Dartmoor further north...here you can see the prison, a very bleak looking place....

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Apr 22, 2002 3:22 am

The Netherlands: I went looking for the "Bridge Too Far" in Arnhem and I wasn't disappointed. We also found my girlfriend's Uncle in the Canadian cemetry at Bergen-op-Zoom. Utrecht has some neat Italian-style fortifications.

UK - Dover has a wonderful castle. Durham castle & cathedral cannot be missed. Hadrian's wall is awesome. I am a bit of a cathedral buff.