What places do you have absolutely no desire to visit?

[clubbyjones]

I don't have interest in countries that will look similar to others. i.e. why visit Iraq if its not too different from Iran. Mississippi and Alabama, same difference. Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, etc. I've been to Costa Rica so I have no desire to see Nicaragua or Panama. So when I say I want to see it all, these are the shortcuts I plan to do in order to see as much as possible. I assume most people who want to travel the world are somewhat similar.

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by clubbyjones

I don't have interest in countries that will look similar to others. i.e. why visit Iraq if its not too different from Iran. Mississippi and Alabama, same difference. Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, etc. I've been to Costa Rica so I have no desire to see Nicaragua or Panama. So when I say I want to see it all, these are the shortcuts I plan to do in order to see as much as possible. I assume most people who want to travel the world are somewhat similar.

That was the most ignorant post I've ever read here...I hope it was ironic.

 

[Kempt]

My desire to visit (and my friend's mentioning of Prague) was mostly in relation to the architecture, fwiw.

Whether a city is "played out" doesn't make a bit of difference to me. I don't care if there's zero tourists or only tourists if I'm going to a place to see landmarks/architecture.

Why does everyone have to be the person that visits some obscure city that no one has ever heard of so they can lord it over their friends that like to travel?

 

[Kempt]

Originally Posted by clubbyjones

I don't have interest in countries that will look similar to others. i.e. why visit Iraq if its not too different from Iran. Mississippi and Alabama, same difference. Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, etc. I've been to Costa Rica so I have no desire to see Nicaragua or Panama. So when I say I want to see it all, these are the shortcuts I plan to do in order to see as much as possible. I assume most people who want to travel the world are somewhat similar.


That's like saying "I've been to NYC so why visit Portland, Maine?"

You're generalizing across entire continents??! I've seen a single country in Central America so why visit any in South America??!

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by clubbyjones

I don't have interest in countries that will look similar to others. i.e. why visit Iraq if its not too different from Iran. Mississippi and Alabama, same difference. Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, etc. I've been to Costa Rica so I have no desire to see Nicaragua or Panama. So when I say I want to see it all, these are the shortcuts I plan to do in order to see as much as possible. I assume most people who want to travel the world are somewhat similar.

That is probably the most marsupialed, douchey, misguided and ignorant thing I've ever read on this forum, and that says a ******* lot.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by RJman

I think I have some sort of mental block against going to Germany, but I can't articulate why.

Did, you have a, bad experience, with, a German sausage at, the beer festival?

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by Kempt

My desire to visit (and my friend's mentioning of Prague) was mostly in relation to the architecture, fwiw.

Whether a city is "played out" doesn't make a bit of difference to me. I don't care if there's zero tourists or only tourists if I'm going to a place to see landmarks/architecture.

Why does everyone have to be the person that visits some obscure city that no one has ever heard of so they can lord it over their friends that like to travel?

Well I can speak for myself and many others when I say that it isn't about obscure places rather than a place you can just enjoy a little easier because there's less gift shops, people drawing portraits and charicatures (the Charles bridge, for example, is completely ruined by this kind of ****). When a place is just a massive throng of people you really don't ever get a sense of a place, unless that is in fact part of what it's like to live there (ie. Tokyo). You don't ever really get the breath the air of the city, you're suffocated by artifice. That's my big problem with Prague, and that's why I enjoyed Pilzn (I believe the 2nd largest city?) so much more.

There are so many great places to visit and often the more out of the way (and often not so out of the way) places are totally ignored in favor of more famous cities. You can really get a sense of how people live, and enjoy things like architecture, culture, and food in a far less cluttered and artificial environment. Also, if you're budget conscious, this alternative is often cheaper.

 

[redcaimen]

Maybe I am reading his post incorrectly, but it doesnt seem like he is generalizing across continents to me.

I have seen this happen before but with cattle.

 

[Flambeur]

Originally Posted by SField

Well I can speak for myself and many others when I say that it isn't about obscure places rather than a place you can just enjoy a little easier because there's less gift shops, people drawing portraits and charicatures (the Charles bridge, for example, is completely ruined by this kind of ****). When a place is just a massive throng of people you really don't ever get a sense of a place, unless that is in fact part of what it's like to live there (ie. Tokyo). You don't ever really get the breath the air of the city, you're suffocated by artifice. That's my big problem with Prague, and that's why I enjoyed Pilzn (I believe the 2nd largest city?) so much more.

There are so many great places to visit and often the more out of the way (and often not so out of the way) places are totally ignored in favor of more famous cities. You can really get a sense of how people live, and enjoy things like architecture, culture, and food in a far less cluttered and artificial environment. Also, if you're budget conscious, this alternative is often cheaper.

There are places in prague that are still pretty authentic and untouched. The old castle in the southeast part of the city is one of the places where there are actually more locals than tourists. That area in general (vinohrady+ i guess) doesn't have many tourists at all actually, the restaurants are more like neighborhood hangouts where barely anyone speaks english, the prices don't have the tourist multiplier, and it isn't artificial at all.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by Flambeur

There are places in prague that are still pretty authentic and untouched. The old castle in the southeast part of the city is one of the places where there are actually more locals than tourists. That area in general (vinohrady+ i guess) doesn't have many tourists at all actually, the restaurants are more like neighborhood hangouts where barely anyone speaks english, the prices don't have the tourist multiplier, and it isn't artificial at all.

uhh, are we thinking about the same castle (hradcany?)

 

[ratboycom]

Originally Posted by Fuuma

That was the most ignorant post I've ever read here...I hope it was ironic.

+1 I mean seriously Iraq and Iran the same??? This dude probably thinks: "why visit Eastern China when you can go to Japan"

 

[Kempt]

Originally Posted by SField

Well I can speak for myself and many others when I say that it isn't about obscure places rather than a place you can just enjoy a little easier because there's less gift shops, people drawing portraits and charicatures (the Charles bridge, for example, is completely ruined by this kind of ****). When a place is just a massive throng of people you really don't ever get a sense of a place, unless that is in fact part of what it's like to live there (ie. Tokyo). You don't ever really get the breath the air of the city, you're suffocated by artifice. That's my big problem with Prague, and that's why I enjoyed Pilzn (I believe the 2nd largest city?) so much more. There are so many great places to visit and often the more out of the way (and often not so out of the way) places are totally ignored in favor of more famous cities. You can really get a sense of how people live, and enjoy things like architecture, culture, and food in a far less cluttered and artificial environment. Also, if you're budget conscious, this alternative is often cheaper.
Yeah I understand and agree for the most part. When I was in Paris I actually had a guy come up to me and we held a conversation for a couple minutes asking where something was while we looked at his cartoonish map. It finally got to a point where I couldn't remember the word in French and said it in English and he looks at me funny and says "Oh for ***** sake you're a bloody yank!" Then we figured out where he was trying to go in English. While the throngs of tourists can be annoying, it was still just as satisfying to visit some of the amazing landmarks however cliche (Notre Dame etc). Generally if I'm going some place that is known for being touristy, but at the same time containing things that are hard to miss making them must see stops I just plan to go outside of peak travel times in the year.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by Kempt

Yeah I understand and agree for the most part. When I was in Paris I actually had a guy come up to me and we held a conversation for a couple minutes asking where something was while we looked at his cartoonish map. It finally got to a point where I couldn't remember the word in French and said it in English and he looks at me funny and says "Oh for ***** sake you're a bloody yank!" Then we figured out where he was trying to go in English.


Neither of you could tell by your accents that neither of you are french?

 

[Kempt]

Originally Posted by SField

Neither of you could tell by your accents that neither of you are french?

He started the conversation by asking me if I could speak French in French, to which I responded only a little. I knew he wasn't French if only for the fact that all the French in Paris immediately reverted to English once they heard me speak and he had a goofy cartoon map of Paris. Literally the major tourist landmarks were enlarged and the map didn't even have a majority of the streets labeled. There was a cartoon bubble with the Mona Lisa in it hovering over The Louvre. I think he realized I wasn't French when after criticizing his map, I pulled out mine that was appropriately labeled and didn't look like something you'd pick up at Disneyland.

To be honest my first thoughts were "Oh good I must not look like a tourist if this guy is asking me for directions, mission one accomplished. Ooh he's speaking slow so I can understand him too, time to practice my French since the French don't like me desecrating their language!"

We actually had a good laugh about it as he waited for his wife to join him. He said he thought I was deliberately speaking slower so he would understand, but knew I was a tourist also after I whipped out a map.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by Kempt

He started the conversation by asking me if I could speak French in French, to which I responded only a little. I knew he wasn't French if only for the fact that all the French in Paris immediately reverted to English once they heard me speak and he had a goofy cartoon map of Paris. Literally the major tourist landmarks were enlarged and the map didn't even have a majority of the streets labeled. There was a cartoon bubble with the Mona Lisa in it hovering over The Louvre. I think he realized I wasn't French when after criticizing his map, I pulled out mine that was appropriately labeled and didn't look like something you'd pick up at Disneyland.

To be honest my first thoughts were "Oh good I must not look like a tourist if this guy is asking me for directions, mission one accomplished. Ooh he's speaking slow so I can understand him too, time to practice my French since the French don't like me desecrating their language!"

We actually had a good laugh about it as he waited for his wife to join him. He said he thought I was deliberately speaking slower so he would understand, but knew I was a tourist also after I whipped out a map.

Yea that is pretty funny, and that map sounds awful.