Holidays

Started by Oakleafer93, June 03, 2009, 01:17:25 PM

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Mikhailov

Quote from: omaghjoe on June 23, 2015, 05:47:28 PM
Gread read thanks Gallsman sounds like ye had a blast, was it just you and herself? Aye resorts aint my cup of tea either, I find no pleasure in them at all apart from the showers. Sterile is how I would describe them.

Was thinking of going this year but with young weans maybe not that doo-able ATM. But then again worried I'll miss "Old Cuba" with the impending mass influx of tourists and Starbucks that will inevitably come with the improving American relations.

Yeah there's a Cuban place down the street from me, actually love it, seems to be alot of stew type stuff and of course frijoles with everything, by jaysus I wouldn't be long getting sick o them tho.

Omaghjoe - were are you living at the minute. Is it SoCal somewhere...?

omaghjoe

#781
Si Senor, vivo en el sur del california. Porqué?

gallsman

#782
Quote from: omaghjoe on June 23, 2015, 05:47:28 PM
Gread read thanks Gallsman sounds like ye had a blast, was it just you and herself? Aye resorts aint my cup of tea either, I find no pleasure in them at all apart from the showers. Sterile is how I would describe them.

Was thinking of going this year but with young weans maybe not that doo-able ATM. But then again worried I'll miss "Old Cuba" with the impending mass influx of tourists and Starbucks that will inevitably come with the improving American relations.

Yeah there's a Cuban place down the street from me, actually love it, seems to be alot of stew type stuff and of course frijoles with everything, by jaysus I wouldn't be long getting sick o them tho.

Yup, just the two of us and herself loved it as well. I could spend days writing about everything we saw. My post reads a bit like an honest tour guide but there's so much more that should be mentioned. I've travelled a good bit both socially and with work but this was my first time leaving a "western" (I'm including Australia and NZ in the definition) country, with the exception of maybe a weekend in Krakow. I thought I'd seen some poverty before but this place was truly eye opening at times. I'd brought a load of shirts that were too big for me for covering up at the beach and decided to give them away at a cathedral in Havana. The Loyola worker who took them off us welled up with tears in her eyes and couldn't stop thanking us. To me, they were a few shirts and football tops I had no real use for as I'd lost a good bit of weight since I bought them (at a mall, in Vegas). It really hits you at times. Yet they largely have electricity, running water, air con and food, so it's nothing compared to what you see on TV of Asia and Africa. I found it quite troubling at times.

What was truly incredible though was the friendliness and warmth of the people. Everyone is helpful as they're reliant on tourists so I didn't expect it to be any different but everything seemed so genuine. A really joie de vivre about the place, yet people will tell you about the issues they face if you ask them and there aren't any cops around. You get hassled a bit by people trying to sell you stuff, bring you somewhere to sell you stuff or get you to take their taxi/horse and cart/rickshaw but a wave of the hand or a "no gracias" and they leave you alone. A wonderful people and the racial integration, especially amongst younger generations was incredible to see.

One of our (and everyone we met) reasons to go this year was to "get there before the yanks come and wreck it" (that's tongue in cheek Stew/Mike/Whitey/Fox, so don't get your panties in a twist) but having been there I don't think there's that much rush. Change will be very, very slow and the mass influx of Americans won't be as great as I'd previously thought. Those that do go initially will go for the resorts (we didn't meet any Canadians outside the resorts despite them being the biggest tourist group by far to the country) I think. If you explore Havana an get out into the countryside and the other towns, you'll still see the "real" Cuba for a good while yet in my opinion.

Anything in particular you've questions about, just drop me a PM.

johnneycool

Who in the black north is offering the best exchange rates for sterling to euro notes?


mylestheslasher

Quote from: johnneycool on June 24, 2015, 09:22:43 AM
Who in the black north is offering the best exchange rates for sterling to euro notes?

Slab Murphy

johnneycool

Quote from: mylestheslasher on June 24, 2015, 12:24:55 PM
Quote from: johnneycool on June 24, 2015, 09:22:43 AM
Who in the black north is offering the best exchange rates for sterling to euro notes?

Slab Murphy

Where is Slab now?

charlieTully

heading to Vegas in Oct, would like to try some small stakes poker, any recommendations or advice appreciated?

omaghjoe

Quote from: charlieTully on June 24, 2015, 07:43:08 PM
heading to Vegas in Oct, would like to try some small stakes poker, any recommendations or advice appreciated?

Who Slab M?

armaghniac

Quote from: omaghjoe on June 24, 2015, 08:11:47 PM
Quote from: charlieTully on June 24, 2015, 07:43:08 PM
heading to Vegas in Oct, would like to try some small stakes poker, any recommendations or advice appreciated?

Who Slab M?

You must be very young. He was a prominent businessman from the Louth/Armagh area.
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

charlieTully

Quote from: omaghjoe on June 24, 2015, 08:11:47 PM
Quote from: charlieTully on June 24, 2015, 07:43:08 PM
heading to Vegas in Oct, would like to try some small stakes poker, any recommendations or advice appreciated?

Who Slab M?

ok, apologies for the lazy post, I am heading to Vegas in Oct, would like to try some small stakes poker, any recommendations or advice appreciated?. There is no getting away from smartarsed tryone hoors.

foxcommander

Quote from: charlieTully on June 24, 2015, 08:20:30 PM
Quote from: omaghjoe on June 24, 2015, 08:11:47 PM
Quote from: charlieTully on June 24, 2015, 07:43:08 PM
heading to Vegas in Oct, would like to try some small stakes poker, any recommendations or advice appreciated?

Who Slab M?

ok, apologies for the lazy post, I am heading to Vegas in Oct, would like to try some small stakes poker, any recommendations or advice appreciated?. There is no getting away from smartarsed tryone hoors.

I mentioned before Charlie -  Excalibur has some daily poker tournaments at small buy in rates (about $40).
At least this way you aren't going to have sharks jumping in and out of your table fleecing you.
You sign up and they assign you a place. As people get knocked out then other tables will merge with yours.

At least you keep your losses low and its a bit of fun if you have buddies along.

Feel free to PM me for any advice on LV
Every second of the day there's a Democrat telling a lie

LeoMc

Quote from: armaghniac on June 24, 2015, 08:17:11 PM
Quote from: omaghjoe on June 24, 2015, 08:11:47 PM
Quote from: charlieTully on June 24, 2015, 07:43:08 PM
heading to Vegas in Oct, would like to try some small stakes poker, any recommendations or advice appreciated?

Who Slab M?

You must be very young. He was a prominent businessman from the Louth/Armagh area.
I think OJ's statement was missing a punctuation mark rather than a copula. It was a joke rather than a search for knowledge.

Who? Slab Murphy? rather than Who is Slab Murphy?

AZOffaly

Lads, the parents are heading to Albufeira in August and are looking for an apart-hotel (basically a self service apartment within a hotel type complex) within walking distance to old town. Any ideas? I've searched hotels.com etc and have seen a couple like Alagoamar or Ondamar, but they are about 1km from the Old Town square. Anyone know anything in that line a bit closer?

DennistheMenace

Quote from: AZOffaly on July 08, 2015, 02:43:48 PM
Lads, the parents are heading to Albufeira in August and are looking for an apart-hotel (basically a self service apartment within a hotel type complex) within walking distance to old town. Any ideas? I've searched hotels.com etc and have seen a couple like Alagoamar or Ondamar, but they are about 1km from the Old Town square. Anyone know anything in that line a bit closer?

Tell them to go to Vilamorua instead.

AZOffaly

I prefer old town Albufeira myself to Vilamoura to be honest. I don't like the Yachty set :)

Actually Lagos is my favourite town so far on the Algarve, but it's not me going :)