Disappointing destinations

[Sniffer]

The thing about India is it’s so noisy with car/lorry horns beeping constantly. As I said in a previous post on this thread the minute you walk down the steps of the plane your senses are attacked by blazing dry heat, the wonderful aroma of spices and then the noise. As started earlier Goa is alright just but the Western Ghats are beautiful and the people amazing.

I think it depends where (and, quite possibly, when) you are in Goa. I was in a small fishing village, Chapora, with one dusty street and a handful of shops and food places (restaurants would be too grand a word) in the north of Goa. I had a rented room in a house in the dappled light of the surrounding trees with chickens scratching around in the dirt outside and a 5 minute walk to the beach. Idyllic.

I took a bus from Mapusa, the nearest town, to Mysore and then up through the Ghats to a wildlife reserve and then on up to Ooty to stay in a palace. Then back down to Cochin and the backwaters to Aleppy and on to Kovalam beach in Kerala, staying in a guest house on the edge of a paddy field. Then to Chennai and Delhi and a flight to Bangkok and 2 months has gone by in half-a-dozen sentences.

[Selby White]

Have you been to San Francisco? (there's a song right?....)

Yes I'd go along with you about Chicago, there's a more enjoyable vibe than NYC about the place and the setting on the Lake is very pleasant. Think these days, though, it's blighted by homelessness.

Been to SF 3 times yes liked it a lot but doesn't beat the windy city for me(museums, navy pier, sports, pubs, music clubs, parks, lake and I like a big building).

Seattle is another worth a visit imho.

[mapperleywhite]

Have you been to San Francisco? (there's a song right?....)

Yes I'd go along with you about Chicago, there's a more enjoyable vibe than NYC about the place and the setting on the Lake is very pleasant. Think these days, though, it's blighted by homelessness.

Been to SF 3 times yes liked it a lot but doesn't beat the windy city for me(museums, navy pier, sports, pubs, music clubs, parks, lake and I like a big building).

Seattle is another worth a visit imho.

What I like about SF is that physically it's different to most US cities set on the bay with hills and ever changing views. Far too many US conurbations are just sprawls of a grid system interspersed with plaza's containing shops, gyms, dentists, McDonalds etc etc. It's all so predictable and uninspiring.

[NottinghamWhite]

Sniffer that sounds a fantastic trip in Goa we stayed at the resort of Baga Beach in a cheap hotel rather surreally we ate a couple of times at Italian restaurant which had white pillars outside looking as though it was modelled on some Italian villa it was there on its own in the middle of nowhere. Breakfast was usually taken in a German restaurant I still remember it was incredibly good and always packed.

We were given advice many years ago & Goa was the first place we heeded that advice. You look around & it would be easy to be upset at what you were seeing but we always took a couple of dozen pairs of little girls knickers and gave them to a orphanage something we’ve done in Africa as well as Asia. This was the advice take something that’s useful and give it direct that way you know it’s not going to some Fagin type character. The people in the orphanages we’re always extremely grateful but it was just us doing our bit, chocolate bars went down well also

[Sniffer]

It was a fantastic 18-month trip. Backpacking in your mid to late 20s you feel you can do anything, go anywhere.

I could have got killed a few times but for staying just the right side of the line of total stupidity:
Nearly fell off a cliff walking back from a non-existent Full Moon Party in Goa (Friends: let's stay on the beach and watch the sun come up and see dolphins. Me: I need my bed).
Nearly marched in to Burma to join the Rebel Army.
Nearly got myself and my 2 female companions murdered by verbally abusing 4 cut-throats who were extorting money from us on a deserted road in the jungle in northern Thailand. The discretion/valour balance reasserted itself thankfully.
Ran TOWARDS shooting to find out what was going on during the May Events of '92 in Bangkok.

A fantastic trip. I'd do it all again and wouldn't change a thing. Although Singapore was DISAPPOINTING DESTINATION.
And we're back on track.

[NottinghamWhite]

We were in Southern India when the tsunami hit the area luckily we were in the hills at a place called Top Slip.

In Peru when we caught up in landslides that was scary I kid you not.

We were caught up in a General Strike In Kathmandu and boy do they take it seriously we lost the first 2 days of our holiday as they were rioting just down the road. They beheaded the local chief of police and stuck his head on a spike for all to see.

Just about to leave the hotel in Quito when a armed battle between a gang and the police started it went on for over 45 minutes when constant gun shots.

Would we do any of it again of course we would all part of life’s rich tapestry.

[Selby White]

Have you been to San Francisco? (there's a song right?....)

Yes I'd go along with you about Chicago, there's a more enjoyable vibe than NYC about the place and the setting on the Lake is very pleasant. Think these days, though, it's blighted by homelessness.

Been to SF 3 times yes liked it a lot but doesn't beat the windy city for me(museums, navy pier, sports, pubs, music clubs, parks, lake and I like a big building).

Seattle is another worth a visit imho.

What I like about SF is that physically it's different to most US cities set on the bay with hills and ever changing views. Far too many US conurbations are just sprawls of a grid system interspersed with plaza's containing shops, gyms, dentists, McDonalds etc etc. It's all so predictable and uninspiring.

The horrifying thing about the West Coast cities is the amount of homeless people, its truly sad and got much worse in recent years.
I know its everywhere but we did a road trip from SF to Seattle (including Portland) just before Covid and all 3 cities where worse than 3rd world countries with the sheer volume of people now having to live on the streets.
I can speak for experience that Its certainly far worse than previous trips to that part of the world (had been to SF twice and Seattle once before), a real American issue.
Makes you wonder if this really is the 21st century, just shouldn't happen.

[Selby White]

It was a fantastic 18-month trip. Backpacking in your mid to late 20s you feel you can do anything, go anywhere.

I could have got killed a few times but for staying just the right side of the line of total stupidity:
Nearly fell off a cliff walking back from a non-existent Full Moon Party in Goa (Friends: let's stay on the beach and watch the sun come up and see dolphins. Me: I need my bed).
Nearly marched in to Burma to join the Rebel Army.
Nearly got myself and my 2 female companions murdered by verbally abusing 4 cut-throats who were extorting money from us on a deserted road in the jungle in northern Thailand. The discretion/valour balance reasserted itself thankfully.
Ran TOWARDS shooting to find out what was going on during the May Events of '92 in Bangkok.

A fantastic trip. I'd do it all again and wouldn't change a thing. Although Singapore was DISAPPOINTING DESTINATION.
And we're back on track.

Despite been old gits Mrs SW and myself had a backpacking trip pencilled in from Bangkok through Malaysia to Singapore for last year until Covid took charge and cancelled.
Had all the routes (buses/trains) planned but was looking at decent hotels for the most part rather than hostels, got to have our small luxuries at our age.

Envy your experience as never got chance to do the backpacking when younger as went straight into an apprenticeship then work and other commitments took over, nearest I got was following England around Europe in the late 70s early 80's but that was only a few days at a time staying at campsites.

[NottinghamWhite]

We were looking at doing something similar Mick but in our case it would have been more suit casing rather than back packing. My dream was renting a beach house/hut in Thailand wearing nothing but shorts & flip flops. Might have looked for a bargain basin basement Thai bride whilst there

[Selby White]

We were looking at doing something similar Mick but in our case it would have been more suit casing rather than back packing. My dream was renting a beach house/hut in Thailand wearing nothing but shorts & flip flops. Might have looked for a bargain basin basement Thai bride whilst there

We actually bought ourselves a couple of decent backpacks and although not yet been abroad with them have so far got a bit of use out of them during covid by doing train hols in this country. Far better than been stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway.
Sort of select 4 or 5 nice towns and stay 2 nights in each (Prem Inn or similar) which gives you the middle day at each place to see the area without the backpack. Planned ahead to get best prices on hotels & trains of course.
Really enjoyed the each trips, off top of my head we've visited Chester, Stratford-upon-avon (twice), Leamungton Spa, Banbury, Stafford, Lincoln, Oxford, Shrewsbury (twice), Hereford, Great Malvern & London.