Favourite cities

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NottinghamWhite
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by NottinghamWhite »

This has turned into a cracking thread keep ‘em coming guys ;)
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by Deleted User 728 »

dlw10 wrote:We didn't actually come to any harm in Joburg - we were on the 1st leg of a SA tour following our youngest on a rugby tour there. Funnily enough we flew to Victoria Falls first for a couple of days and I agree that was stunning. We then went to Joburg. Again cutting a long story short, the boys played one game at a posh white school just outside the city and we got lost coming away on foot looking for a pick up point where we were being met: it was going dark. It was a bit panicky as every flipping house was protected by huge fences and security and dogs! There was no one around to help and our driver couldn't find us! Fortunately though the driver didn't give up (he told us he'd have kept looking no matter how long it took as he knew we could be in danger!) and he eventually found us. The moral of the story was always check what dialling codes you need on your mobile in a strange country as that was why we couldn't contact anyone!!!!! We ventured in to central Joburg on foot and we were constantly told we shouldn't do that! No one walks anywhere as it's considered too dangerous!
A few days later we played a game at a very poor school somewhere out near Soweto - it was a requirement of the tour. The lads were given boots and kit for the game by the state to be able to play us. You know what, they were brilliant lads as were the teachers - it was a fantastic experience whereas the other posh school felt very awkward. Anyway, from Joburg we went to Port Elizabeth and up to Shamwari Safari Park and that, along with the Falls is a fabulous memory as was the final leg of our trip to Cape Town.

That's a great story - and you were lucky, I think.
There's not much choice in a situation like that and I think over here to keep moving would've been the right idea, but over there you may have been better off staying put and being in numbers, I don't know. With the kids in tow it must have been a heart-wrenching scenario for you :o

I know what you mean about the posh school - my sister is deputy head at the one where Australia based themselves for 2010. It's a bit like Loughborough University over here : enormous campus with accommodation, loads of playing fields, pools, etc and all behind security and electric fences, though to be fair pretty much everyone has them around their house. Most of the time it's not much of a deterrent.

I remember going to a place in Zim called Troutbek : a holiday resort in the deep country with a massive lake for fishing (duh !) and a golf course, tennis courts, modern gym, a couple of pools, etc. We all went - my mum and stepdad were still alive and my sis had two kids and another on the way. We split up for the day and I ended up playing 18 holes with my sister - neither of us had ever played a full course before, mind.
We had a black caddy each - mine had a knackered old pair of moulded football boots on his feet with no laces.
We chatted on the way round and had a good laugh with the two of them - being English we were a lot nicer and a million times more respectful than most of their clients. It was baking hot, obviously, and they basically just carried our clubs around the course for us.
There was one hole late on - a short par 3 - across a small lake, maybe 110 yards to the pin, tops. I took at least five shots and couldn't get the damned ball up and over the lake - the green was elevated maybe another ten yards but mostly flat itself, so get it on the middle and the ball's good, but anywhere close to the edge and you were in the drink. I couldn't even get it over and onto the green as mine were all getting wet ..
My caddy was trying not to laugh as I got more and more frustrated and in the end I blew up, half-mockingly (only) and handed him the wedge, saying "You ****ing well have a go then if you're so clever !"

... of course, he put the ball about two feet from the hole. I let him finish it and carried what then became his clubs for the last two holes after that while he played.

At the end, we were supposed to tip them whatever we liked. I took some money out but he indicated he didn't want money, just the t-shirt I was wearing, which was a blue "Slush Puppie" promotional jobbie with a logo like this emblazoned across it :
Image


Two days later we left for home and he was still wearing it, waving me off at the gate as we drove away with a massive, proud grin on his face .. and he still didn't have any laces in his shoes.
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NottinghamWhite
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by NottinghamWhite »

A few more for me Havana loved the place probably the most vibrant city anywhere in the world. Barcelona had a couple of trips here great city with a good vibe. San Diego really enjoyed seeing the battle ships & the place on the docks with the statues. We were having a drink in the sun when a lady saw we were English & started asking us for updates on Corrie as they were 6 months behind :D Cusco is a fabulous city steeped in culture a million miles different from the capital Lima. It’s high in the Andes & there’s chance of altitude sickness.
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zigzag
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by zigzag »

Bit off track but on the Southern Africa theme, in 1999 we went on honeymoon to SA & Vic Falls. At Vic falls we were accosted, in nice way, every time we walked past them on the big bridge by some young boys from the Zambia side, aged around 10, who wanted to sell us some carvings. To get us talking they asked us where we were from and when we said England they talked about about David Beckham. Well I rose to the challenge and spent all our time there telling them that Harry Kewell was much better than Beckham, they were quick learners and after a day or two their patter had expanded to include Kewell and Leeds.

Those kids didnt have a lot so every day we raided all the toilets, bathroom, desks etc of the hotel for pens, pads, the little soaps & shampoos etc and gave them to these boys who didnt have much at all, just big smiles.
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Selby White
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by Selby White »

So many contenders

Europe - 1.Budapest 2.Berlin 3.Copenhagen (long time ago so may have changed).
North America 1. Chicago 2.San Antonio 3.San Francisco (plenty could add)
South America 1.Buenos Aires 2. Montivideo 3.Valpariso
Africa n/a
Australia n/a
Asia only been to China 1.Xian 2.Shanghai 3. Beijing

Left out UK cities.

And as NW says Havana is up there with the greats.
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Selby White
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by Selby White »

Thinking more about this a lot depends how long you have in a city. If I go anywhere new I like to spend 5 to 7 nights there to try to see as much as possible.
A couple on my list are based on only a day or two there and more would possibly be too much in certain places.
Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
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mapperleywhite
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by mapperleywhite »

Most of the best travel experiences I've had were when accompanied by the locals.

My daughter bore this out when recently she related about going to stay at her Maltese friend's mothers house. She just thought the island was superb, and wondered why more people don't go there - I'm guilty here as it's never come onto my radar.

I guess I'm very fortunate that a lot of my travelling was done on business so inevitably was accompanied by colleagues from the local office, who quickly learnt that I'm happy to try out local places and cuisine (hence probably why some of my posts on 'what are you having for dinner' seem odd :lol: ).

Also had some quasi-romantic trips - before Mrs MW, I hasten to add - to Clearwater, Florida, Riga - interesting history and scenic coastline, Geneva - lake setting spectacular, suburbs really drab like E. Europe, and Lisbon - gorgeous weather, inexpensive, great food and the Caparica coast to the south is an undiscovered gem of golden beaches with a minimum of visitors. I should include Milan in this grouping, a sprawling mess of a city, very uneasy on the eye, which is contradictory to it being a major centre of fashion.
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dlw10
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by dlw10 »

zigzag wrote:Bit off track but on the Southern Africa theme, in 1999 we went on honeymoon to SA & Vic Falls. At Vic falls we were accosted, in nice way, every time we walked past them on the big bridge by some young boys from the Zambia side, aged around 10, who wanted to sell us some carvings. To get us talking they asked us where we were from and when we said England they talked about about David Beckham. Well I rose to the challenge and spent all our time there telling them that Harry Kewell was much better than Beckham, they were quick learners and after a day or two their patter had expanded to include Kewell and Leeds.

Those kids didnt have a lot so every day we raided all the toilets, bathroom, desks etc of the hotel for pens, pads, the little soaps & shampoos etc and gave them to these boys who didnt have much at all, just big smiles.

Brilliant! I remember the young lads on that bridge too! Total contrast to the swanky hotel we were staying in!
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Selby White
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by Selby White »

dlw10 wrote:
zigzag wrote:
Those kids didnt have a lot so every day we raided all the toilets, bathroom, desks etc of the hotel for pens, pads, the little soaps & shampoos etc and gave them to these boys who didnt have much at all, just big smiles.

Brilliant! I remember the young lads on that bridge too! Total contrast to the swanky hotel we were staying in!
Not the same part of the world but we did the same for the locals when touring Cuba. Sometimes its easy to forget how lucky we are in this country.
Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.
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ChilwellWhite
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Re: Favourite cities

Post by ChilwellWhite »

The big problem with these kids is that a lot work for a Fagin type character and they have to hand most stuff over to him.
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