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Would You Take a Free Trip to Paris?

Would You Take a Free Trip to Paris?


  • Total voters
    77
Yep, it was old. Many of the good old south Austin bars, like Beverly's and the 81 Club on South Congress have closed too. We still go to Giddy Ups occasionally or to Riley's Tavern for live music. We rarely venture north of the river into Austin.

Riley's Tavern: Texas' First Tavern After Prohibition

Don't forget the "South 40"... God I haven't been to Riley's (Devil's Backbone?) in forever. And I don't live that far from there.
 
That is part of the dangers of foreign travel. My daughter, whose rather "tough" (but doesn't look it), when to Costa Rico with another woman had been in offshore Coast Guard (drug interdiction ship) and a Man who had recently got out of the Marines as a combat squad leader (she defines him as "a weapon" - VERY tough). They got off on a wrong road finding themselves is what they sensed a very danger shanty-area trying to figure how to get out of there.

My point is that no matter how much caution a person can show, things can go wrong (here or in foreign countries). Also, in most foreign countries unless you have CASH or the money readily available on credit card in the event of a medical crisis or accident injury, they'll let you die as they don't treat a person without pay.

The only country we travel to is the Bahamas, for which except in a major criminal case they prefer to just ship you back to the USA and bar you ever coming back, and Miami for hospital is close for airlifting for medical care, plus since the Bahamas is a rich folks haven they do have excellent medical facility. But even there, there is the "good" parts of the Bahamas and the rest tourists are advised to stay out of.

"Staying safe" when touristing - particularly if a non-English country, a person has to fairly stay on the tourism path, which I tend not to care for.

I've been fortunate in that I've traveled a bit and the only place I'd say was fairly dangerous was in Mexico. We don't go to the border towns anymore. Even Monterrey is isn't safe anymore. That's a shame. Interesting city of about 5 million people.

We always try to check out indigenous sections of places we travel to. Like in Paris. There are incredible small restaurants that tourists don't usually go to. We like to get a personal guide to give a day tours of places with the purpose of seeing nontourist sights. Dunno. Life is way, way short. Life for me is really way, way short. So I guess I'm willing to take calculated risks, you might say. I'm not going to set myself up for trouble if I can help it. But, I'm just not going to live in fear and not take little adventures from time to time.

For example...in the near by and by...we're going to Ushuaia, Argentina. The farthest city south anywhere...before the Antartica.
 
That is part of the dangers of foreign travel. My daughter, whose rather "tough" (but doesn't look it), when to Costa Rico with another woman had been in offshore Coast Guard (drug interdiction ship) and a Man who had recently got out of the Marines as a combat squad leader (she defines him as "a weapon" - VERY tough). They got off on a wrong road finding themselves is what they sensed a very danger shanty-area trying to figure how to get out of there.

That was definitely not my experience in Costa Rica, and we were in a very off-the-tourist-path place.

I think a lot of people falsely associate "shanty" with dangerous. Crime is Costa Rica is very low and foreigners, in any part of the country have little to fear. Honestly, I think parts of West Virginia are likely more dangerous than anywhere in Costa Rica.

As far as I'm concerned, it's like the Switzerland of Central America.

Again, I think a lot of people (even ostensibly tough types) falsely associate "shanty" with dangerous. Further, I think they falsely label places as shanty. Not everything is as hermetically sealed as buildings it is in the U.S.

"Staying safe" when touristing - particularly if a non-English country, a person has to fairly stay on the tourism path, which I tend not to care for.

I don't think that's necessarily true, simply being respectful has taken me a long way.

I've definitely been in closer calls on the tourism path in 'english speaking' countries than I ever have in non english-speaking countries.

Honestly, I can only think of one even remotely awkward situation where two kids tried to intimidate me into giving them my wallet/ money in Kutna Hora, CZ.
 
For example...in the near by and by...we're going to Ushuaia, Argentina. The farthest city south anywhere...before the Antartica.

That actually sounds like a really good trip.

How'd you pick that?
 
As long as the trip includes all expenses, sure.

I doubt I could afford to stay there if it just covered travel.
 
When you go to another country you not only fall under their laws nor have citizen's rights, but police, judges and jurors are always friendly towards foreigners. Increasingly this can be particularly true concerning Americans.

What, so you just shouldn't go?

Or maybe the answer is, try not to do anything overtly and stupidly illegal when visiting other countries (or anywhere)?
 
It's only a little funny, but more sad, that your criteria for liking a place is how similar it is to the US.

Friendly, reasonably attractive people, more or less clean cities, etca, etca...

Seems as good a standard as any to judge a country on to me. :shrug:

I'm frankly not even comparing Germany to the whole of the United States here so much as the South. lol
 
Friendly, reasonably attractive people, more or less clean cities, etca, etca...

Seems as good a standard as any to judge a country on to me. :shrug:

I'm frankly not even comparing Germany to the whole of the United States here so much as the South. lol

Sorry, you're wide open for this one, I just have to take it...

You can't really be saying that you think one of the USA's strong points is attractive people, can you?
 
I have to admit, even from a foreign perspective, it does appear that North Korea is cartoonishly anti-American. But that's the only one.

That might be one actual example, but I'd counter that we are equally anti-North Korean.

Honestly though, I've read some interesting travel stories. From what I've seen, it's actually one of the safest places to travel.
 
My first instinct would be to say... Yes, compared to the people you saw in Paris.

I was unimpressed to say the least. I frankly think I see more beautiful women on an average night here in downtown Charleston than I did in my entire time in the city.

My (Indian) hotel clerk was kind of cute, and I saw one or two strikingly attractive Asian women walking around here and there. Everyone else was a pretty solid "meh" at best.

Exactly the opposite was the case in Germany. I couldn't leave my hotel room without running into at least a couple of mid range 7s, and even the occasional 8 or 9.
 
I was unimpressed to say the least. I frankly think I see more beautiful women on an average night here in downtown Charleston than I did in my entire time in the city.

My (Indian) hotel clerk was kind of cute, and I saw one or two strikingly attractive Asian women walking around here and there. Everyone else was a pretty solid "meh" at best.

Exactly the opposite was the case in Germany. I couldn't leave my hotel room without running into at least a couple of mid range 7s, and even the occasional 8 or 9.

Really? I always hear about how beautiful and elegant French women are.
 
Yeah, sure. It's sort of middling on my list of remaining places in Europe I haven't spent time yet. It's kind of like the feeling I have about New Orleans. I feel like I should see it, but there's always something else I want to see more.

But free? Yeah, I'd go for that. As long as I don't have to do some kind of stupid tour bus crap. Just drop me there and leave me alone.
 
Really? I always hear about how beautiful and elegant French women are.

That's honestly what I thought going in as well. :lol:

When you think of German women, you think of some brawny "Helga" type who will kick your ass while screaming at you. French, on the other hand, is supposed to be the "language of love," or some such nonsense.

In my experience, at least, it was pretty much the opposite. German women were gorgeous, and the French variety barely left an impression at all. :shrug:
 
That's honestly what I thought going in as well. :lol:

When you think of German women, you think of some brawny "Helga" type who could kick your ass while screaming at you. French, on the other hand, is supposed to be the "language of love," or some such nonsense.

In my experience, at least, it was pretty much the opposite. German women were gorgeous, and the French variety barely left an impression at all. :shrug:

:lamo It's probably because it's an abrupt-sounding language that people would expect German women to look like that.
 
:lamo It's probably because it's an abrupt-sounding language that people would expect German women to look like that.

If they've got an ass that can literally stop traffic, they can bark all they want. :lamo

Seriously, I actually had it happen a couple of times. Some girl would come sauntering through the interchange, and literally every guy's head would swivel to follow her. I think we might've actually missed a light change at one point. lol
 
I can't think of any reason why I'd want to go to Paris.

Maybe if it was all expenses paid and instead of going through all the hassle of traveling there I could instantly teleport there and back I'd do it just out of curiosity and for free stuff.
 
I can't think of any reason why I'd want to go to Paris.

Maybe if it was all expenses paid and instead of going through all the hassle of traveling there I could instantly teleport there and back I'd do it just out of curiosity and for free stuff.

I'll be honest. This is just an added incentive to go there.
 
That actually sounds like a really good trip.

How'd you pick that?

We don't normally travel in Feb or early March. So we wanted to go to some place that we haven't been that's warm. We seriously considered going to head to the south pacific and start out in Bora Bora and hit a couple other French Polynesian islands. But we found out that it's typhoon season and it rains in feet, not inches. So obviously that wouldn't be prudent.

My wife and I happened to see a National Geographic program on Argentina. It was really fasinating. Thus we started planning this trip about a year ago. We'll start our little journey in Buenos Aries...and trek down to Ushuaia. As far as I know, there is no city more south anyplace on the globe.

By the way, it's summer there. The daily high temps should be in the low 80s in Buenos Aries and in the mid 50s in Ushuaia. We've booked a trip to go to an area in Ushuaia that is a reserve of sorts that will allow us to walk along ocean beach area among penguins and get close range to a seal habitat. And we're hoping to see whales...somewhere between Buenos Aries and Ushuaia.

A plus for us is that my wife is fluent in Spanish...although the language (we're told) is Spanish with a bit of Italian mixed in. Now she does speak a little Italian, too. So that'll be helpful. She speaks a little French and even a tiny bit Chinese, strangely enough. She went to China in her early teens and picked up a little bit of the language.

Yep, she has a gift for languages. I took two years of Spanish in college. $10,000 and two years later all I could say is "Taco Bell". :mrgreen:

Check it out on the web.

Thanks
 
We don't normally travel in Feb or early March. So we wanted to go to some place that we haven't been that's warm. We seriously considered going to head to the south pacific and start out in Bora Bora and hit a couple other French Polynesian islands. But we found out that it's typhoon season and it rains in feet, not inches. So obviously that wouldn't be prudent.

My wife and I happened to see a National Geographic program on Argentina. It was really fasinating. Thus we started planning this trip about a year ago. We'll start our little journey in Buenos Aries...and trek down to Ushuaia. As far as I know, there is no city more south anyplace on the globe.

By the way, it's summer there. The daily high temps should be in the low 80s in Buenos Aries and in the mid 50s in Ushuaia. We've booked a trip to go to an area in Ushuaia that is a reserve of sorts that will allow us to walk along ocean beach area among penguins and get close range to a seal habitat. And we're hoping to see whales...somewhere between Buenos Aries and Ushuaia.

A plus for us is that my wife is fluent in Spanish...although the language (we're told) is Spanish with a bit of Italian mixed in. Now she does speak a little Italian, too. So that'll be helpful. She speaks a little French and even a tiny bit Chinese, strangely enough. She went to China in her early teens and picked up a little bit of the language.

Yep, she has a gift for languages. I took two years of Spanish in college. $10,000 and two years later all I could say is "Taco Bell". :mrgreen:

Check it out on the web.

Thanks

That sounds gorgeous! I hope you have a great time! :) Lucky! Don't forget to think of us poor sops sitting here in the crappy weather! Lol!
 
We don't normally travel in Feb or early March. So we wanted to go to some place that we haven't been that's warm. We seriously considered going to head to the south pacific and start out in Bora Bora and hit a couple other French Polynesian islands. But we found out that it's typhoon season and it rains in feet, not inches. So obviously that wouldn't be prudent.

My wife and I happened to see a National Geographic program on Argentina. It was really fasinating. Thus we started planning this trip about a year ago. We'll start our little journey in Buenos Aries...and trek down to Ushuaia. As far as I know, there is no city more south anyplace on the globe.

By the way, it's summer there. The daily high temps should be in the low 80s in Buenos Aries and in the mid 50s in Ushuaia. We've booked a trip to go to an area in Ushuaia that is a reserve of sorts that will allow us to walk along ocean beach area among penguins and get close range to a seal habitat. And we're hoping to see whales...somewhere between Buenos Aries and Ushuaia.

A plus for us is that my wife is fluent in Spanish...although the language (we're told) is Spanish with a bit of Italian mixed in. Now she does speak a little Italian, too. So that'll be helpful. She speaks a little French and even a tiny bit Chinese, strangely enough. She went to China in her early teens and picked up a little bit of the language.

Yep, she has a gift for languages. I took two years of Spanish in college. $10,000 and two years later all I could say is "Taco Bell". :mrgreen:

Check it out on the web.

Thanks

Now that sounds like a trip we would like to go on. Warm weather and beaches.
 
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