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Skateboarding => Travel Guide => Topic started by: sexualhelon on August 02, 2015, 06:23:46 PM
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I say most interesting but I'd like this to be all encompassing. I'm keen on also hearing about the most dangerous, dirtiest, place with the most attractive women, cheapest, most expensive, was totally not what you expected, etc.... Basically if you've got anything to say about a place you've traveled that stands out let's hear it!
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Cape Town in South Africa probably hits all of them except for most attractive women, which is in Prague (and they are also mostly hookers or mob wives, so you might die if you hit on them).
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I don't have a most interesting, but the country of Colombia has the best looking people on the planet, serious genetic mashup that always comes out right. I was scared to go, but slept on the streets there and went all over and came out the other end one month later. Stick and poked myself in the mountains on my bday and lost my mind with the village poet. Good times.
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Most interesting places I've been, in my opinion: China, Japan, Catalina Island, SF/Oakland
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Personally, I'd have to say the most interesting places I've been are Thailand and Albania. SE Asia and Eastern Europe/the Balkans are super interesting regions.
Bangkok to me is such an insane experience if you dive into the seedy underbelly of it all - the prostitutes, the drugs, the corrupt police, the start-up scene, trannies, ping pong shows, etc... then you add in the actual politics of the country and it's mind boggling. All that combined with the tropical weather, beaches, and resorts where a lot of people stay and see none of it. You could also go somewhere like Chiang Mia which is completely different. That's just Thailand though, there's still all the other countries in the region as well.
Eastern Europe is heartwarming. People still have this idea that it's dangerous but the women are beautiful, people insanely trusting as well as caring, and all the history dates back along with being recent. I lived in Poland for a while then Serbia for a bit. Albania is the place to go if you're searching for "that" feeling though. The highways are dirt roads, prices super cheap for everything, and wandering around feels like a time warp. Public transportation doesn't exist so people have literally taken it upon themselves to show up to some petrol station everyday in an Astro van and charge everyone 2 or 3 bucks to load in and go to whatever city.
Now, as far as most interesting experience goes, I was kidnapped by the police in Mexico once. They pulled me away from my table for one as I was enjoying some tacos and a Margarita to frisk me. When they pulled out my pocket knife they told me pocket knifes were illegal in Mexico and threw the cuffs on me. These guys fucked with me for a while, stopped for drinks at a bar I'd been to before, then fake arrested and threw one of their friends they just shared a beer with in the back seat with me. I asked him why he was back there and he said "pocket knife" in a super crazy accent then I asked him why he didn't have cuffs on and he gave me the "ssssshhhh" sign like "don't tell them, they forgot to put them on me" haha. I started pleading and saying things like I was still a virgin, I only came down to buy cigarettes because I wasn't old enough to get them in the states, that I'd never been in a serious relationship, and basically anything else they might believe and would make them sympathize.
Dude eventually stops in this seedy alley, tells me whatever deal we make is between him and I so to stop saying anything in the car. I say take whatever you want know then and let me go. He keeps my garage door opener, the pocket knife, and my 50 bucks. I still had my credit cards so on the way back I bought churros and the carton of Lucky Strikes I went there for. Best goddamn cigarettes I've ever smoked, best food I've ever eaten.
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Historically: Egypt (the Pyramids) Greece (Parthenon) Vietnam (Hue/Hoi An) Jordan (Petra)
Topography: Iceland, Okinawa, Palawan.
Sex, drugs and rock and roll: Denmark (Christiana), Thailand (Bangkok), Amsterdam.
Japan is probably up there for sheer culture shock but it is actually really normal in a weird way...
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The Seychelles or perhaps Tillamook Oregon. Tough call.
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Most dangerous/ crowded/ dirty/ downright sketchy for me is Bangladesh. I'm actually posting from there as week speak.
It's my 3rd time and it still trips me out...
Having said that if I lived here I'd probably get used to it. Manila and Kathmandu tripped me out too the first few times I went there but now I'm used to it. It's like what frip was hinting at I think, sure Japan (and many other places) seems pretty trippy for a FOB but after living there for over 10 years now it has become my norm.
I really enjoyed my last trip to Nepal, tis a shame about the recent earthquake :'(
Cheapest = Vietnam. Also a contender for best food imho
Jakarta reminded me of Manila a lot i.e. SE asian ghetto slum planted next to a a huge shopping mall full of rich people, rinse and repeat x100. Would love to see somewhere outside of the big smoke there though. I guess this is true for most places I visit as I'm usually there for work.
I really like Seoul as a city and think it will be the next China in terms of untapped skate spots (having been saying this for years now). Great foodie/ cafe/ nightlife scene too. Reckon it could outparty Tokyo any day of the week too
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Good info. When someone says a place is sketchy or or tripped them out it makes me want to go there haha.
I'm actually debating on what trips to take this year - Colombia/Peru, South Africa/Ethiopia, China/South Korea, Moscow/St. Petersburg. I'll probably try to do two and leaning towards the Colombia/Peru and China/SK trips.
Shit, speaking of sketchy, lots of that in Midtown NYC or skid row in LA.
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Good info. When someone says a place is sketchy or or tripped them out it makes me want to go there haha.
I'm actually debating on what trips to take this year - Colombia/Peru, South Africa/Ethiopia, China/South Korea, Moscow/St. Petersburg. I'll probably try to do two and leaning towards the Colombia/Peru and China/SK trips.
Shit, speaking of sketchy, lots of that in Midtown NYC or skid row in LA.
Yeah, I mean sketchy is all relative really. People think Manila is sketchy but I never thought it was that bad.
Bangladesh though ... I don't know. Maybe it's just overwhelming due to all the people/traffic (I'm talking Dhaka here) coupled with not speaking the language?
Heard Uzbekistan is pretty sketchy. On the flipside I've only ever heard good things about Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
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Good info. When someone says a place is sketchy or or tripped them out it makes me want to go there haha.
I'm actually debating on what trips to take this year - Colombia/Peru, South Africa/Ethiopia, China/South Korea, Moscow/St. Petersburg. I'll probably try to do two and leaning towards the Colombia/Peru and China/SK trips.
Shit, speaking of sketchy, lots of that in Midtown NYC or skid row in LA.
Man, I had a trip planned to Ethiopia this summer that fell through. Had been studying Amharic, planned out our route and everything, but then got denied at the border because, ironically enough, my wife is Colombian and they wouldn't give her a visa. Insane stuff to see there, especially Omo Valley and the Danakil Depression. Hopefully some day...
(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee290/jb3000_photo/erta-ale-lava-lake-mf9404-e1389904953314.jpg) (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/jb3000_photo/media/erta-ale-lava-lake-mf9404-e1389904953314.jpg.html)
(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee290/jb3000_photo/NELS120799-TRIBES-OMO-VALLEY-001.jpg) (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/jb3000_photo/media/NELS120799-TRIBES-OMO-VALLEY-001.jpg.html)
Most eye-opening for me was Havana.
(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee290/jb3000_photo/642_121627890007_3263_n.jpg) (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/jb3000_photo/media/642_121627890007_3263_n.jpg.html)
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Good info. When someone says a place is sketchy or or tripped them out it makes me want to go there haha.
I'm actually debating on what trips to take this year - Colombia/Peru, South Africa/Ethiopia, China/South Korea, Moscow/St. Petersburg. I'll probably try to do two and leaning towards the Colombia/Peru and China/SK trips.
Shit, speaking of sketchy, lots of that in Midtown NYC or skid row in LA.
Yeah, I mean sketchy is all relative really. People think Manila is sketchy but I never thought it was that bad.
Bangladesh though ... I don't know. Maybe it's just overwhelming due to all the people/traffic (I'm talking Dhaka here) coupled with not speaking the language?
Heard Uzbekistan is pretty sketchy. On the flipside I've only ever heard good things about Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Yeah, Myanmar nor Sri Lanka were sketchy to me. Myanmar has some of the most amazing food, tons of temples, and as a visitor there the people are nothing but hospitable. When you look at the government, politics, and what life's like for most people - what you're not allowed to see - then it's a different story.
Sri Lanka had the recently uncovered genocide atrocities I think? When I was there it felt to me like a much less intense India. The food's a bit spicier, more coconut used in ingredients for things, and Sri Lankan airlines is one of my favorite airlines.
I never thought of Manilla as that bad. Haven't been to Bangladesh but a co-worker of mine just got back - his fiance is from there. He didn't say anything too crazy about it, really. From the documentaries I've seen that took place there it looks like there's tons of gnarly shit that goes on.
Aleksander, how was Havana eye-opening for you? I haven't really looked into it yet but hopefully it's not too hard to do Ethiopia and South Africa in the same trip.
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I'm not 100 on "most interesting", i've been all over the USA, some of my favorite spots were just random towns in the middle of nowhere that had funny names though like "Arcade, NY". I was all spun out on acid and trying to think that it was infact an arcade and that donkey kong and miss pacman would come out of nowhere.
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Australia! I went expecting minimal culture shock, everything is so different. Everyone has pets, everyone owns a boat, everyone has money and even the wealthy are upfront racists. They claim everything in Australia is the best in the world. Girls will approach you, just to talk. Here girls need to be hunted they would never approach a random stranger. There's so much money changing hands all the time, a muffin costs 4$ yet a pack of rolling papers is 49 cents. Also any idiot can get a job in Australia, and earn double what they currently make. Slappers should all get work permits hahah
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Girls will approach you, just to talk. Here girls need to be hunted they would never approach a random stranger.
Girls come up to you just to talk. Sounds fucking annoying and just like the states. You "hunt girls" in Canada?
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Girls will approach you, just to talk. Here girls need to be hunted they would never approach a random stranger.
How many hot girls just approach you in the streets in the USA? I'm not talking about hookers just normal people
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Girls will approach you, just to talk. Here girls need to be hunted they would never approach a random stranger.
Tons in certain parts of the country man. Go to California and tell me girls don't want to annoy the shit out of you in random places like waiting to get a cheeseburger.
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Haven't been to Bangladesh but a co-worker of mine just got back - his fiance is from there. He didn't say anything too crazy about it, really. From the documentaries I've seen that took place there it looks like there's tons of gnarly shit that goes on.
relevant news from other thread: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33819032 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33819032)
That's some gnarly shit!!!
Have you seen that vice documentary about voting/ riots here? Bangladesh can crazy with the best of them, I retract my previous statement of it maybe not being sketchy
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I just stayed over in Manila for a night and confirm it is a hole. Not sure how dangerous it is though. Just shitty.
If you want to feel poor head to Norway or most of the Scandinavian countries.
Atlantic City and Harlem (early 90's) seemed pretty sketchy to me. South America too.
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The Tenderloin, pre-Twitter. LA's skid row used to be post-apocalyptic, so that was fun.
I haven't really been able to travel to any of the places I actually want to travel to. Been to UK/various western European countries a few times not by choice, but I couldn't really give a shit about Europe. I can't be that far North. I do really like Spain though. Madrid and Barcelona are beautiful. Hopefully at some point in my life I'll get to head down to South America, especially Argentina and Peru. Would like to go to Cuba sometime as well.
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The Tenderloin, pre-Twitter. LA's skid row used to be post-apocalyptic, so that was fun.
I haven't really been able to travel to any of the places I actually want to travel to. Been to UK/various western European countries a few times not by choice, but I couldn't really give a shit about Europe. I can't be that far North. I do really like Spain though. Madrid and Barcelona are beautiful. Hopefully at some point in my life I'll get to head down to South America, especially Argentina and Peru. Would like to go to Cuba sometime as well.
not trying to get into an internet fight really, but this just makes you sound like an ignorant American. I mean, if you really like Spain, you'll probaby like Portugal, Italy, the south of France, Greece etc. and that's all Europe.
Anyways, here are the places that tripped me out:
China in 2005: I felt like I was on Mars, super hard to communicate with people because of the language barrier.
Egypt before the regime change: VERY militarized and touristy at the same time. weird.
Iceland: craziest landscapes.
Also I was in Colombia last December, super fun, but you really feel like you have to watch your back. Nothing happened, but still you can feel it.
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Scenic- Scotland and Iceland
Poorest but probably most friendly people I've ever met were on the island of Grenada.
Most fun ever on a skateboard- winter in Dayton Ohio in a parking garage after a Cow Skates contest. I was so hyped from seeing actual pros for the first time in person that me and my crew skated for hours in 16 degree weather. Broke a baseplate it was so cold.Pure stoke. Which goes to show sometimes it isn't the place but the mindset.
Travel is the best thing to open your mind.
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Stoked to read that many places all over South East Asia; this part of the world is so gnarly! Indonesia was insane to me - both the big city like Jakarta (completely insane for a 'caucasian person' as they say) and the completely remote places like the Toba Lake
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Stoked to read that many places all over South East Asia; this part of the world is so gnarly! Indonesia was insane to me - both the big city like Jakarta (completely insane for a 'caucasian person' as they say) and the completely remote places like the Toba Lake
Lake Toba is a beautiful spot byt so is most of Sumatra- especially Aceh.
I've done a fair bit of traveling around Asia and the Middle East. I've been pretty lucky in avoiding anything too dangerous but have still found myself in a few tricky situations over the years.
Egypt is probably my favourite country I've ever been. It has such a great mix of ancient cultures, beautiful landscapes, amazing food, interesting 21st century present day culture and crazy politics. I was there in 2012 whilst the Arab Spring was on. I spent a fair bit of time up at Tahrir Square which was amazing. I read that at some of the protests I was at, there were 200,000+ people in attendance.
As mentioned by a few people, Manila is a pretty nasty joint. I love the Philippines but try to avoid Manila at all costs. Something about just feels way dodgier than the usual Asian city. One time I was walking along side a canal and these two naked boys jumped out. One of them reached into his ass and pulled out a folded up piece of paper and they ran off.
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As mentioned by a few people, Manila is a pretty nasty joint. I love the Philippines but try to avoid Manila at all costs. Something about just feels way dodgier than the usual Asian city. One time I was walking along side a canal and these two naked boys jumped out. One of them reached into his ass and pulled out a folded up piece of paper and they ran off.
WTF ??? I just got back from Manila again on Monday and all I have to say is .... FUCK that traffic!! Ugh, it's seriously getting worse than Dhaka.
Having said that, if I was 15 years younger and didn't have to be there for work I would wake up at midnight, catch a taxi over to Bonafacio/ The Fort and tear that place a new one. Soooo much untouched marble/ skateable architecture there :o
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My first wife was Indian, so we went to see her extended family and just sort of take it in. She was born there but left when she was very very young, like as soon as her mom was able to get on a plane young, and hadn't been back.
That place is a dangerous shit hole.
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Hanover, New Hampshire. Realest spot on the East Coast. If you're lucky you can crush a shopping cart in a trash compactor there.
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well i grew up in Cuba and i can tell you out of the few places ive been its definitely the most interesting. Cancun is pretty cool too, i just didnt like how dangerous it was to be outside at night (not down to get kidnapped). Cuba kills it, its safe, its cheap, its dirty, and chicks will drop panties for anyone with an american passport. Seems like its easier than ever to go there now
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The navy took me to Colombo, Sri Lanka and Noumea, New Caledonia. There were some decent spots, but I really enjoyed the food and tea.
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Where do people have planned for upcoming travel?
I got back from a trip to Turkey and Ireland a few months back so won't be heading away any time soon unfortunately. I reckon next trip will be back to Indonesia (keen to check out Sulawesi) or to Burma perhaps
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Where do people have planned for upcoming travel?
I got back from a trip to Turkey and Ireland a few months back so won't be heading away any time soon unfortunately. I reckon next trip will be back to Indonesia (keen to check out Sulawesi) or to Burma perhaps
Headed to Shanghai (for work) next month. Not really that interesting in the scheme of things... have heard great things about Burma/ Myanmar, all of the pics from there look crazy too! Never been outside Jakarta in Indonesia so my memories of there are just like any other huge city in SE Asia - tonnes of traffic, pollution, ghettos and shopping malls (oh yeah and 50 yo white guys with 25 yo "girlfriends" hanging off their arms)
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Where do people have planned for upcoming travel?
I got back from a trip to Turkey and Ireland a few months back so won't be heading away any time soon unfortunately. I reckon next trip will be back to Indonesia (keen to check out Sulawesi) or to Burma perhaps
Headed to Shanghai (for work) next month. Not really that interesting in the scheme of things... have heard great things about Burma/ Myanmar, all of the pics from there look crazy too! Never been outside Jakarta in Indonesia so my memories of there are just like any other huge city in SE Asia - tonnes of traffic, pollution, ghettos and shopping malls (oh yeah and 50 yo white guys with 25 yo "girlfriends" hanging off their arms)
I haven't been to Jakarta. I applied for a job there last year and was unsuccessful. I'm actually kind of glad now that I think back.
I've only been to Sumatra. It was great. Beautiful natural scenery- mountains, beaches, jungles etc and probably the friendliest people I've ever met. Made getting about and meeting people super easy.
Have fun in Shanghai
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I've been living in Jakarta for the past 9 months or so. GISM's description is pretty spot on, but there is also heaps of cool shit going on. Decent skate scene from what I can tell, and a huge custom/ vintage motorcycle scene too, if you're into that sort of thing, which I am. It's not an easy place to live and you have to figure out how to tap into it, but once you do it's an interesting place. And it's cheap and easy to get to some epic tropical paradii.
Just got back from a work trip to Cambodia, next stop Christmas in Lombok.
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I've been living in Jakarta for the past 9 months or so. GISM's description is pretty spot on, but there is also heaps of cool shit going on. Decent skate scene from what I can tell, and a huge custom/ vintage motorcycle scene too, if you're into that sort of thing, which I am. It's not an easy place to live and you have to figure out how to tap into it, but once you do it's an interesting place.
Oh I'm sure there are good pockets of the city (I also saw some pretty nice bikes last time I was there, could NEVER ride in the traffic though!). I know they also have some great cafes and fruit is so cheap you could go raw vegan if you lived there. Bear in mind that most of these places I visit, I visit for work so I don't get to explore as much as actual expats living there. Still though, I couldn't deal with that traffic on the daily...
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I've been living in Jakarta for the past 9 months or so. GISM's description is pretty spot on, but there is also heaps of cool shit going on. Decent skate scene from what I can tell, and a huge custom/ vintage motorcycle scene too, if you're into that sort of thing, which I am. It's not an easy place to live and you have to figure out how to tap into it, but once you do it's an interesting place.
Oh I'm sure there are good pockets of the city (I also saw some pretty nice bikes last time I was there, could NEVER ride in the traffic though!). I know they also have some great cafes and fruit is so cheap you could go raw vegan if you lived there. Bear in mind that most of these places I visit, I visit for work so I don't get to explore as much as actual expats living there. Still though, I couldn't deal with that traffic on the daily...
You're right man, it's like anywhere once you get a good crew and start to know the place. The traffic is definitely a bummer. I ride my Super Cub an hour each way for work most days, and while it does suck, I'd much rather be in control of my own ride than on the back of an ojek. What work do you do over here?
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A friend and me went to Philly last summer to skate Love Park.
By sudden we went to Strawberry Mansion in North Philly.
This was the most "interesting" place i´ve ever been to.
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Debating on a visit to Manila for a few days or so in march - there's a deal for RT tickets at $450 from NYC and I could give myself a day layover in Seoul. I'm debating on it or just doing Seoul and maybe finding a good layover in Beijing or something for $200 more. What wold you guys say? Is the $450 ticket worth a Manila/Seoul stopover for $450 or would you pay $200 more for Seoul and possibly a China stopover?
Figured I'd ask here since you guys have said some mixed sounding things about Manila haha. For reference though, I'm usually into pretty sketch cities - love Bangkok for instance that a lot of people seem to love/hate.
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i've traveled from dog island new zealand to richford vermont and a hell of a lot of places in between
and i gotta say my absolute favorite place in the world and what it think is the most interesting place in the world is........
vinalhaven maine
amazing people, beautiful landscape, cool architecture
the whole bit.
contenders in particlar order
1) cape santa maria, bahamas
2) lost coast california
3) ocean highway by cape reinga new zeland
4) Acadia National Park, Maine
5) i am going to the island of vieques in February... i am adding bio bay ahead of time.
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Debating on a visit to Manila for a few days or so in march - there's a deal for RT tickets at $450 from NYC and I could give myself a day layover in Seoul. I'm debating on it or just doing Seoul and maybe finding a good layover in Beijing or something for $200 more. What wold you guys say? Is the $450 ticket worth a Manila/Seoul stopover for $450 or would you pay $200 more for Seoul and possibly a China stopover?
Figured I'd ask here since you guys have said some mixed sounding things about Manila haha. For reference though, I'm usually into pretty sketch cities - love Bangkok for instance that a lot of people seem to love/hate.
Oranges and Apples. I'd take Seoul over Manila any day of the week but then again, it's fucking freezing in Seoul at the moment. "Sketch" cities are fine, I just don't know if you are ready to deal with that traffic :o
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I mean, it's a pretty cheap ticket so if it's an interesting enough city I'd probably just go to have brews, skating, explore the nightlife, and maybe a beach day trip. That's basically all I'm looking for so whatever would give me the best of those things would be meant. From what I understand Filipinos are a lot more open to westerners/white people as opposed to Koreans but not sure exactly how that fares out or would affect my trip.
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I mean, it's a pretty cheap ticket so if it's an interesting enough city I'd probably just go to have brews, skating, explore the nightlife, and maybe a beach day trip. That's basically all I'm looking for so whatever would give me the best of those things would be meant. From what I understand Filipinos are a lot more open to westerners/white people as opposed to Koreans but not sure exactly how that fares out or would affect my trip.
Fair enough. If I was going to visit for pleasure Manila would be the last place I would choose to go in the Philippines. If you moved around outside of business/ traffic hours though you might be fine. If you take your board hit up the fort at night; SOOOOO many untapped spots there
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I'll definitely make a trip later in the year to Korea/Philippines or something but actually just bought a ticket to Bogota, Colombia for a little over a week in February. Haven't been to Colombia before either so I'm pretty stoked. I'm curious to see if every Colombian woman has the biggest ass I've ever seen haha.
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I'll definitely make a trip later in the year to Korea/Philippines or something but actually just bought a ticket to Bogota, Colombia for a little over a week in February. Haven't been to Colombia before either so I'm pretty stoked. I'm curious to see if every Colombian woman has the biggest ass I've ever seen haha.
K, nice!
Was in Shanghai for the weekend and I really dug it (apart from the pollution and the fact that my taxi driver fell asleep at the wheel on the freeway). Wish I wasn't there for work/ had my board with me; saw so many spots just travelling around. Seems like it would be a great city to just cruise around at night with no particular destination in mind.
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your mum.
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(this is the thread I was looking to bump btw)
So this: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36692613 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36692613) happened over the weekend for those of you who avoided the news.
Fucking HEAVY! I stayed like a 100 meters from that bakery last time I was there and went 3 or 4 times during the period of one week.
The really crazy thing about it is that it's one of the safest parts of Dhaka. I'm scheduled to go there again in Sept. and I really need to have a meeting with management to convince them that it's a really really bad idea :-\
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Super fucking gnarly, yeah. My coworker's wife is from there and he just got back from a trip.
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Super fucking gnarly, yeah. My coworker's wife is from there and he just got back from a trip.
World is fucked :-\ Luckily (?) management saw the light and were like, "yeah... maybe you should go this year". Maybe?... :'(
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Most fun I've had on and off a skateboard by far was in Copenhagen (https://www.instagram.com/p/_MtiAAExoZ/?taken-by=doctor__sus (https://www.instagram.com/p/_MtiAAExoZ/?taken-by=doctor__sus) this spot was so fucking fun), Rotterdam, and Paris (biased because I met my fiance there)
But for cheap everything and stupidly attractive women, Krakow was the place to be. $5 US for 2 liters of beer, a shot of vodka, and a 3 course dinner. There were also some really good granite ledges and banks once you go just outside the city center.
Avoid the train station in Marseille at all costs.
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hunters point in sf, almost got boxed in and car jacked there once when i was younger, it was tight, lol
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Definitely not for skateboarding, but I'd have to give it to Nepal. I was there for 6 weeks back in 2008, we only had electricity for a couple of hours every night, which was hard considering we were shooting a documentary. People were awesome, super nice, great hospitality, best food and once you got over the difficulties like wiping your ass with your hand as there is no toilet paper available, not having electricity, sleeping in mud-walled houses without doors, and the fucking worst traffic I've seen in my life, it's just an awesome, beautiful country with tons of trustworthy people that will invite you to lunch to their homes even though they just met you. Be prepared to only use gestures for communicating, but don't worry, everyone will try to help you - just make sure to get out of Kathmandu and explore the countryside and not get stuck in the tourist spots at the Himalaya range.
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Super fucking gnarly, yeah. My coworker's wife is from there and he just got back from a trip.
update: someone affiliated to my current workplace may have been involved in orchestrating the attack. This shit is waaaay too close to home :o
but I'd have to give it to Nepal.
Fair call, I love Nepal and I've only been to Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Pokhara. Not really in the mood for travelling at the moment but I will be heading there in December for work.
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Mount Emei outside of Chengdu
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I just returned from a 3 week holiday it Sri Lanka. It ticked all the boxes- beautiful natural scenery i.e beaches and highlands, everything was cheap, lots of animals, friendly locals, good food, amazing ancient cities and ruins and cool old colonial era trains and archietecture. To anyone considering a visit, I would highly recommend it.
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Yo, I'm going to Sri Lanka for a month this summer, all of this sounds rad!
Did you bring your board or saw anything even remotely skatable?
I'll probably invest in some softer wheels, was thinking about those 54mm (bigger and i'll need risers :/) rictas 92a, do you think it might be enough?
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Instead of starting a new thread, I thought bringing this one back might be a good idea.
Cuba was probably the most interesting place I've been. It was amazing to see a place where everyone had food, but there was little selection. Everyone had a place to sleep, but many of the homes needed renovations. It was amazing that people could live off of 20 dollars a month, but it was sad that people lived off of 20 dollars a month. It was amazing that everyone had so much free time and it was sad that so many people needed work. Everything was a contradiction of some sort. Life there seemed amazing and sad all at once. I was envious of them and thankful for all the stuff I had back home.
The most interesting part was to see how "charities" actually work. It seems nothing is free. Christian charities go over there and literally attempt to trade skateboards for God. Also, I don't trust many of the skate charities. It is hard to tell who is really benefiting. The locals of the guys running the charity.
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Instead of starting a new thread, I thought bringing this one back might be a good idea.
Cuba was probably the most interesting place I've been. It was amazing to see a place where everyone had food, but there was little selection. Everyone had a place to sleep, but many of the homes needed renovations. It was amazing that people could live off of 20 dollars a month, but it was sad that people lived off of 20 dollars a month. It was amazing that everyone had so much free time and it was sad that so many people needed work. Everything was a contradiction of some sort. Life there seemed amazing and sad all at once. I was envious of them and thankful for all the stuff I had back home.
The most interesting part was to see how "charities" actually work. It seems nothing is free. Christian charities go over there and literally attempt to trade skateboards for God. Also, I don't trust many of the skate charities. It is hard to tell who is really benefiting. The locals of the guys running the charity.
I'm curious which skate charity in Cuba are referring to and what experiences you've had with others to make you generally not trust them?
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Instead of starting a new thread, I thought bringing this one back might be a good idea.
Cuba was probably the most interesting place I've been. It was amazing to see a place where everyone had food, but there was little selection. Everyone had a place to sleep, but many of the homes needed renovations. It was amazing that people could live off of 20 dollars a month, but it was sad that people lived off of 20 dollars a month. It was amazing that everyone had so much free time and it was sad that so many people needed work. Everything was a contradiction of some sort. Life there seemed amazing and sad all at once. I was envious of them and thankful for all the stuff I had back home.
The most interesting part was to see how "charities" actually work. It seems nothing is free. Christian charities go over there and literally attempt to trade skateboards for God. Also, I don't trust many of the skate charities. It is hard to tell who is really benefiting. The locals of the guys running the charity.
I'm curious which skate charity in Cuba are referring to and what experiences you've had with others to make you generally not trust them?
I'm not going to name names on this one. (Even if the charity sucks, I don't want any less shit to be donated to the dudes down there.)
However, I'll just say--on top of all the other shit that I was bummed on--the last straw was when the guy running the charity ate the candy my mom donated for the locals. My mom bought a few boxes of candy which I gave to the charity to distribute. A few days later, I rolled over to where the dude who runs the charity was staying and he was eating the fucking candy my mom bought. It is small, but holy fuck, I just don't understand why an American who can easily afford to buy candy from the store in Havana is eating the shit my mom bought for the Cuban kids.
I've heard the charity has gotten better, but I'm skeptical. It is tough to say if the dude who runs it is getting more than he gives.
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Instead of starting a new thread, I thought bringing this one back might be a good idea.
Cuba was probably the most interesting place I've been. It was amazing to see a place where everyone had food, but there was little selection. Everyone had a place to sleep, but many of the homes needed renovations. It was amazing that people could live off of 20 dollars a month, but it was sad that people lived off of 20 dollars a month. It was amazing that everyone had so much free time and it was sad that so many people needed work. Everything was a contradiction of some sort. Life there seemed amazing and sad all at once. I was envious of them and thankful for all the stuff I had back home.
The most interesting part was to see how "charities" actually work. It seems nothing is free. Christian charities go over there and literally attempt to trade skateboards for God. Also, I don't trust many of the skate charities. It is hard to tell who is really benefiting. The locals of the guys running the charity.
I'm curious which skate charity in Cuba are referring to and what experiences you've had with others to make you generally not trust them?
I'm not going to name names on this one. (Even if the charity sucks, I don't want any less shit to be donated to the dudes down there.)
However, I'll just say--on top of all the other shit that I was bummed on--the last straw was when the guy running the charity ate the candy my mom donated for the locals. My mom bought a few boxes of candy which I gave to the charity to distribute. A few days later, I rolled over to where the dude who runs the charity was staying and he was eating the fucking candy my mom bought. It is small, but holy fuck, I just don't understand why an American who can easily afford to buy candy from the store in Havana is eating the shit my mom bought for the Cuban kids.
I've heard the charity has gotten better, but I'm skeptical. It is tough to say if the dude who runs it is getting more than he gives.
I haven't made it a point to do much research on charities in general but religious one's always seem like they have an ulterior motive to me.
The last time I did volunteer work was for Peace Boat back in the day but I've always wanted to volunteer for a Skateboarding one. I tried to link up with Skatistan the last time I was in Cambodia but it's all handled by the locals. They don't let anyone outside the organization in the park because of the child sex trafficking problems there. It seems like they've generally set everything up and handed it over to the locals so they don't really need foreign volunteers which is great - getting everything to be sustainable is part of the point.
I've emailed with the guys at EthiopiaSkate but they don't seem to have a proper volunteer program set up yet. They told me to just fly out and bring as much product to donate as I can since getting product in is the hardest part. That was over a year ago though so maybe I'll reach back out to them.
I did apply to volunteer at SkatePal for March/May but I'm waiting to get the official confirmation back from them.
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going to havana in the end of january with friends who doesn't skate... tempted to bring my board.
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I haven't made it a point to do much research on charities in general but religious one's always seem like they have an ulterior motive to me.
The last time I did volunteer work was for Peace Boat back in the day but I've always wanted to volunteer for a Skateboarding one. I tried to link up with Skatistan the last time I was in Cambodia but it's all handled by the locals. They don't let anyone outside the organization in the park because of the child sex trafficking problems there. It seems like they've generally set everything up and handed it over to the locals so they don't really need foreign volunteers which is great - getting everything to be sustainable is part of the point.
I've emailed with the guys at EthiopiaSkate but they don't seem to have a proper volunteer program set up yet. They told me to just fly out and bring as much product to donate as I can since getting product in is the hardest part. That was over a year ago though so maybe I'll reach back out to them.
I did apply to volunteer at SkatePal for March/May but I'm waiting to get the official confirmation back from them.
Yea, the religious charities I ran into were super sketchy. I interviewed one dude from a religious charity and he didn't give a shit about anything other than pushing his religion on the locals. It was a huge bummer.
What exactly is SkatePal?
The Ethiopia Skate would be interesting. They recently built a park, right? I wonder if any of the skate dudes from China are doing things out there since China is heavily investing in Ethiopia with their "One Belt One Road" initiative.
Also, that Pushing Boarders conference had a whole panel on skate charity. I think they posted the discussion on youtube.
going to havana in the end of january with friends who doesn't skate... tempted to bring my board.
Bring your board and bring some random stuff for the locals. Shoes, bearings, wheels, boards, flash drives with videos on them, whatever.
The main meet-up spot in Havana is 23rd Street and G Street. Also, San Antonio has a super fun little park. I think it is like an hour away from Havana and worth the trip out there. Just don't drink the tap water or any Kool-aid made from tap water.
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Went to Cuba this past fall. Stayed in Varadero on a resort, and only made it out as far as Matanzas. Never made it to Havana unfortunately. I've never been anywhere hot before, so the heat was next level for someone coming from Canada. I've never sweat that much just sitting. So much respect for anyone that lives in that type of climate. Obviously they're somewhat used to it, but to see people doing physical labour in that heat is impressive. But maybe I'm naive.
Copenhagen was one of my favourite places I've traveled. Didn't get to explore to much as it was a school trip, complete with an intensive workshop type program. But was staying in a hotel 15 minutes from Cristiania, so was obviously enjoying what they offered there. Spent a lot of time walking around at night, just randomly exploring. Girls seem rad there.
Seoul was an interesting experience. That was probably the most exotic place I had been at that point in my life. Thankfully was traveling with people who spoke Korean, so I didn't have to work that hard translating, or figuring out where to go. People are nice, food is great, beer is super cheap. You can bring fried chicken to the baseball games, which is a common thing over there.
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I haven't made it a point to do much research on charities in general but religious one's always seem like they have an ulterior motive to me.
The last time I did volunteer work was for Peace Boat back in the day but I've always wanted to volunteer for a Skateboarding one. I tried to link up with Skatistan the last time I was in Cambodia but it's all handled by the locals. They don't let anyone outside the organization in the park because of the child sex trafficking problems there. It seems like they've generally set everything up and handed it over to the locals so they don't really need foreign volunteers which is great - getting everything to be sustainable is part of the point.
I've emailed with the guys at EthiopiaSkate but they don't seem to have a proper volunteer program set up yet. They told me to just fly out and bring as much product to donate as I can since getting product in is the hardest part. That was over a year ago though so maybe I'll reach back out to them.
I did apply to volunteer at SkatePal for March/May but I'm waiting to get the official confirmation back from them.
Yea, the religious charities I ran into were super sketchy. I interviewed one dude from a religious charity and he didn't give a shit about anything other than pushing his religion on the locals. It was a huge bummer.
What exactly is SkatePal?
The Ethiopia Skate would be interesting. They recently built a park, right? I wonder if any of the skate dudes from China are doing things out there since China is heavily investing in Ethiopia with their "One Belt One Road" initiative.
Also, that Pushing Boarders conference had a whole panel on skate charity. I think they posted the discussion on youtube.
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going to havana in the end of january with friends who doesn't skate... tempted to bring my board.
The main meet-up spot in Havana is 23rd Street and G Street. Also, San Antonio has a super fun little park. I think it is like an hour away from Havana and worth the trip out there. Just don't drink the tap water or any Kool-aid made from tap water.
To quote SkatePal's website:
'We are run by a committed team of local and international volunteers who, through teaching skate classes, building skateparks and providing equipment, are enabling an ever-growing number of Palestinian skaters to empower themselves and inspire the next generation of Palestinian youth.'
So as a volunteer I'd be helping teach skate classes, possibly building skateparks as well, and sort helping manage one of the parks as well by providing equipment to the kids. A lot of the kids don't have boards so SkatePal keeps loaner boards at the parks. The whole operation seems fluid and they seem to be doing really amazing things for the youth/skate community in Palestine.
Ethiopia Skate actually just recently finished a second park in Hawassa. It doesn't seem that any skate dudes from China are helping out with Ethiopia Skate. They seem to be slowly growing and mostly managed by locals. I believe it started as a small crew of dudes in Addis who managed to get skateboards then the co-founder Sean ran into them on a trip to Ethiopia when he went out skating. Those dudes basically asked if he could help them build a park and get product, he said yes, and that's how Ethiopia Skate began.
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SkatePal is dope.What they do over there really makes a difference
Do it if you get the chance
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SkatePal is dope.What they do over there really makes a difference
Do it if you get the chance
Good to hear. I actually just got the confirmation from them so I'll be headed there to volunteer for a month pretty soon.
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The most interesting place I traveled to was Xel Ha. It's beyond beautiful. https://www.xelha.com/xelha-mexico-attractions.php?sA=977499523282019010813
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im updating my entry to this to southern crorsica. Particularly the cliffs of Bonifacio. it is just the greatest place i have ever experienced.
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SkatePal is dope.What they do over there really makes a difference
Do it if you get the chance
Good to hear. I actually just got the confirmation from them so I'll be headed there to volunteer for a month pretty soon.
Awesome. Keep us posted on how everything goes out there.
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Debating on a visit to Manila for a few days or so in march - there's a deal for RT tickets at $450 from NYC and I could give myself a day layover in Seoul. I'm debating on it or just doing Seoul and maybe finding a good layover in Beijing or something for $200 more. What wold you guys say? Is the $450 ticket worth a Manila/Seoul stopover for $450 or would you pay $200 more for Seoul and possibly a China stopover?
Figured I'd ask here since you guys have said some mixed sounding things about Manila haha. For reference though, I'm usually into pretty sketch cities - love Bangkok for instance that a lot of people seem to love/hate.
Ive been to Manila several times but never skated it. If you book with Philippine airlines you can get a direct flight from JFK I paid $650-$700, it’s a very long flight with a layover but sure you already know that. Manila looks like it’s got a lot of spots but it’s kind of rough, side walks and the people. It’s also huge, I believe it’s bigger than NYC. Philippines is nice and super cheap the people are very friendly. I’d pick Seoul over Manila personally it looks like there’s more plaza type spots.
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Debating on a visit to Manila for a few days or so in march - there's a deal for RT tickets at $450 from NYC and I could give myself a day layover in Seoul. I'm debating on it or just doing Seoul and maybe finding a good layover in Beijing or something for $200 more. What wold you guys say? Is the $450 ticket worth a Manila/Seoul stopover for $450 or would you pay $200 more for Seoul and possibly a China stopover?
Figured I'd ask here since you guys have said some mixed sounding things about Manila haha. For reference though, I'm usually into pretty sketch cities - love Bangkok for instance that a lot of people seem to love/hate.
Ive been to Manila several times but never skated it. If you book with Philippine airlines you can get a direct flight from JFK I paid $650-$700, it’s a very long flight with a layover but sure you already know that. Manila looks like it’s got a lot of spots but it’s kind of rough, side walks and the people. It’s also huge, I believe it’s bigger than NYC. Philippines is nice and super cheap the people are very friendly. I’d pick Seoul over Manila personally it looks like there’s more plaza type spots.
Ha, I don't even remember what I did on that trip. Seoul's definitely better for skating. Skating around Cult Park feels like you're in a THPS 1 level. I'm pretty keen on Seoul in general - it's one of my favorite cities. Although Seoul's not necessarily a budget destination you can get by fairly cheaply. Curious to hear more on what you thought about Manilla. What did you like/dislike?
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Debating on a visit to Manila for a few days or so in march - there's a deal for RT tickets at $450 from NYC and I could give myself a day layover in Seoul. I'm debating on it or just doing Seoul and maybe finding a good layover in Beijing or something for $200 more. What wold you guys say? Is the $450 ticket worth a Manila/Seoul stopover for $450 or would you pay $200 more for Seoul and possibly a China stopover?
Figured I'd ask here since you guys have said some mixed sounding things about Manila haha. For reference though, I'm usually into pretty sketch cities - love Bangkok for instance that a lot of people seem to love/hate.
Ive been to Manila several times but never skated it. If you book with Philippine airlines you can get a direct flight from JFK I paid $650-$700, it’s a very long flight with a layover but sure you already know that. Manila looks like it’s got a lot of spots but it’s kind of rough, side walks and the people. It’s also huge, I believe it’s bigger than NYC. Philippines is nice and super cheap the people are very friendly. I’d pick Seoul over Manila personally it looks like there’s more plaza type spots.
Ha, I don't even remember what I did on that trip. Seoul's definitely better for skating. Skating around Cult Park feels like you're in a THPS 1 level. I'm pretty keen on Seoul in general - it's one of my favorite cities. Although Seoul's not necessarily a budget destination you can get by fairly cheaply. Curious to hear more on what you thought about Manilla. What did you like/dislike?
Ive been there like 7-8 times but never spent too much time there to be honest. I'd usually stay one night at a hotel near the airport rest up after the 24-30 hour trip there and head out the next day. My Ex is from Olongapo, about 4-7 (pending traffic) hours north west of Manila, so all my time in the Philippines has been spent there. From my little bit of exposure to Manila I can say that the traffic is probably the worst I've ever been in, and its pretty polluted due to all the traffic etc. That being true of most major cities though, I am a bit bummed I never really got the chance to explore it more, I'm sure there are a lot of districts that are great for skating, but I've only really been around the Pasay City/Airport Area. Im contemplating going back in the next year or 2 though.
I love the Philippines over all very beautiful country/beaches, not really a skate destination that I saw outside of Manila but I wasn't there to skate anyway. I'm not a huge fan of Filipino food, but the people are super friendly, its really cheap, and there's tons of beautiful women. Any recommendations on things to check out or skate if I make it back there?
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Sedlic Ossuary in Czech Republic.
I went here in 2001. It is a church decorated with the bones of about 40,000 people that died in the plague.
Usually it is quite busy, but we were there on the last half hour of the day and had it to ourselves.
This was before the EU and Eastern Europe was stupid cheap to travel in. I did a 16 day trip from the US for under $1300, including the $450ish airfare from Oregon.
Beer at a show in Pilzen were around $0.38. Filet Mignon dinners in Slovakia were $6.
(http://www.thebohemianblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Sedlec-Ossuary-Czech-Republic-12-DR.jpg)
(http://www.thebohemianblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Sedlec-Ossuary-Czech-Republic-1-DR.jpg)
(http://www.thebohemianblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Sedlec-Ossuary-Czech-Republic-9-DR.jpg)
http://www.thebohemianblog.com/2014/09/bone-churches-of-bohemia-the-sedlec-ossuary-at-kutna-hora.html
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Tbilisi, Georgia. The nature there is really fantastic. I was on a 3 day tour package there and visited Okatse Canyon, a place near Kutaisi that is really worth seeing, Bagrati Cathedral (11th-century), cave of Prometheu and it just blowed my mind. Next time going there for a longer time. Tbilisi - Imereti tour (https://onewaytour.ge/incoming-tours/imereti-tbilisi/) is in summer, August or September. I’m going solo this year and looking forward to meet some folks for co-tripping.
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Tbilisi, Georgia. The nature there is really fantastic. I was on a 3 day tour package there and visited Okatse Canyon, a place near Kutaisi that is really worth seeing, Bagrati Cathedral (11th-century), cave of Prometheu and it just blowed my mind. Next time going there for a longer time. Tbilisi - Imereti tour (https://onewaytour.ge/incoming-tours/imereti-tbilisi/) is in summer, August or September. I’m going solo this year and looking forward to meet some folks for co-tripping.
Oh man I'm jealous. I was supposed to go there in 2017 but family stuff prevented it from happening. Was thinking about heading there early next year but don't think winter would be a good time to go. I'll get there at some point I hope.
Armenia looks really interesting too
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Tbilisi, Georgia. The nature there is really fantastic. I was on a 3 day tour package there and visited Okatse Canyon, a place near Kutaisi that is really worth seeing, Bagrati Cathedral (11th-century), cave of Prometheu and it just blowed my mind. Next time going there for a longer time. Tbilisi - Imereti tour (https://onewaytour.ge/incoming-tours/imereti-tbilisi/) is in summer, August or September. I’m going solo this year and looking forward to meet some folks for co-tripping.
Oh man I'm jealous. I was supposed to go there in 2017 but family stuff prevented it from happening. Was thinking about heading there early next year but don't think winter would be a good time to go. I'll get there at some point I hope.
Armenia looks really interesting too
My wife is from Tbilisi, so I’m headed back in a few weeks. All of Georgia is really amazing. We took a trip to Shatili on my first visit in 2009. It’s by far the most interesting place I’ve been. They had just recently gotten electricity up there and it was straight medieval. There’s still a pit where people with diseases were sent during the plague. It’s filled with human remains. Beyond that, it’s breathtakingly gorgeous up in the mountains.