I'm going to Edinburgh and Napoli for a few days in November. any bars or clubs or something spectacular that 1 might recommend?
First of all, public transport is well organized. You can plan your movements by train in the site http://www.ns.nl/en. This site will give the connecting buses and times too, if you put in the postal code of the adress where you are and the postal code of the adress you want to go to. The site www.9292.nl is the general public transport site. Rotterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem are by train about an hour travel time. The Hague is about 45 minutes. See for door to door travel time the internet planners. In the train there isnot much difference between 1st and 2nd class. 2nd can be crowded at certain times and in the weekend. You unfortunately picked the time to come just between all kinds of interesting events. Free festival 25th of june: Parkpop; The Hague Zuiderpark; www.parkpop.nl https://www.djguide.nl/events.p/festivals?language=en Amsterdam info: http://www.iamsterdam.com/en Utrecht info: http://www.visit-utrecht.com/ Rotterdam has been on top of the list of cities to visit from CNN, NY Times, Lonely Planet, Rough Guide etc. the last few years. http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/rotterdam-nl-zh-rott.htm "12 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Rotterdam" Written by Bryan Dearsley To go off the well known tracks you could have a look at the In the Wire mentioned infamous Rotterdam Harbour. tourist site:https://www.spido.nl/en/tochten-cruises/rotterdam-havenrondvaart You might like to have a condensed look at the Netherlands in the miniature city of Madurodam, located in the Hague. https://www.google.nl/search?q=madurodam&client=firefox-b-ab&tbm=isch&imgil=dXLyTMUYX-4cyM%3BAAAAAAAAAAABAM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fnl.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FMadurodam&source=iu&pf=m&fir=dXLyTMUYX-4cyM%2CAAAAAAAAAAABAM%2C_&usg=__G_qA1flm60mf-eRjAdfuqmRFE60=&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiY6ruD-ZTUAhURblAKHQEXBn0QuqIBCJkBMBA&biw=1280&bih=647#imgrc=HiBklbzYh2FADM:
Cool thread. I studied in Madrid from Jan.- May 2014. Best experience of my life. Met some great friends... my roommates and I -other American guys and a pretty Italian Girl- became good friends with a few German guys. We had bets on the outcome of the USA-Germany game in Brazil later that summer (didn't go well for me, obviously). I saw a couple great games live at the Bernabeu and Vicente Calderon. At that time, Atletico was holding off Real and Barcelona for La Liga title- that was fun to experience in the city. Champions league was also insane with Real, Atletico, and Barca all involved late. I have done other various short trips, but nothing compares to living in another country. I would love to go back to Spain and possibly teach English, but finishing school, starting a career, and entering a relationship have all sort of gotten in the way. I feel as though I will regret not doing it, but it really wouldn't work out now- maybe someday. The Spanish lifestyle just agrees with me.
I am back in DC, but can provide some general traveling and living abroad advice after living in the following countries. I have also traveled to see matches in France, the UK, and Germany: Bogota, Colombia for 2 years (Once Caldas winning the Libertadores and met the team) Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2.5 years. (Supported Zeljo, but watched more Bundesliga and Serie A. Traveled to Munich to watch Wolff and Berhalter play). Bamyan, Afghanistan for 1 year (okay not much soccer there other than playing with local kids, but people do follow the sport there) Madrid, Spain for 3 years (Leti fan, but spent time watching all teams and saw Real Madrid more as their stadium was about 1 kilometer from my house in the city; traveled to matches in Barcelona, San Sebastian, and Pamplona). Turkey for 2 years (supported Besiktas, but work kept me from actively following much sports) I also trained with some squads in Bratislava and Prague, but that was a long, long time ago and only for a short time.
Argh, well the Tokyo sumo competition ends in September, so no go there. Japan World Series is usually in October. The food alone is incredible, but I personally list the green spaces and gardens as my personal favorites I would also see if you can take day trips to Hakone or Komakura. Hakone is great if you can spend a night there at a ryoken. That said, Tokyo is so huge and so incredible, I think it depends on what you like to emphasize.I personally find the gardens incredible. I also love that it feel so foreign. In Japan I can get totally lost and not understand the alphabet at all (after so many years abroad, I can generally get around in latin alphabets, and usually can figure it out in Arabic script and Slavic languages, but Japan makes me feel like a little kid, which I enjoy).
If you can get a free day, I would take a day trip to Hiroshima to see the Atomic Bomb memorial. Its worth seeing a place where one era in history ended and a new era started,.
You've captured my thoughts as well - fantastic food, nice green spaces, love the extra foreign feel. I spent two weeks in Japan in June - a week in Tokyo and a week in Osaka with a couple day trips to Kyoto. I just enjoyed walking all over Tokyo and exploring. I did an overnight trip from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko - nice views of Mt. Fuji and an enjoyable stay in a ryokan with onsen. I really want to go back and explore more of Japan.
I didn't know where else to ask but I feel like you guys are an industrious bunch, and it is related to the topic. So I got surprised with a trip to go visit my good friend who was a foreign exchange student from Scotland when I was in high school by my girlfriend and his girlfriend. I want to note, that the surprise was more that we were going and I still have to pay but at $470 round trip with some sick student discounts I don't mind. We will be going the week of our Thanksgiving break. It struck me that my friend plays on his towns pub team and I wan't to try to do that for one game so I have a few questions that I thought maybe someone could help answer or point me towards an answer at least. His team is in the Scottish Junior Football East Region North Division, which is affectively the 9th division of Scottish football. So first questions could I even register? My friend says he's not sure if non Scots can register. Where can I find logistics on that even and if theres a process where should I start? It may be too late to register. How talented should I be to play at this level? My friend could have played collegiately at my college (JMU), but was never offered a scholarship. He also played for pretty decent 1st division academies in his time. But comparatively to Collegiate players does anyone have any idea where this would stack up? I have played with kids from JMUs varsity team and plenty of players from club and have never looked way out of place. I lead my high school team in assist many moons ago, but I never really stopped playing since then and if anything I'm a more composed better player now. I'm 6'2 170 but will probably get down to 160/155 while really conditioning in this time frame because thats mostly beer weight from being at school. I run a 21.10 5k and run about a 6 minute mile when I go for PRs. All advice is appreciated, if I can make it happen I'll make myself a Yank Abroad page and you guys can all be a part of it happening. I have friends on similar pub teams in Brazil, Spain, and Germany and I plan to visit all of them within the near future so we can maybe make this an annual thing. If you have anything dope to do/see in Scotland I'd like to know too. I will be stopping in Dublin for like 6 hours on the way there and Munich for like 16 hours on the way back, lay overs man.
Here are the bylaws: "In all League games clubs must not have less than seven registered players in the starting line-up. Clubs failing to comply with this rule will be fined £100 for each unregistered player over the number allowed. The opposing club will receive £10 of each fine for the number of unregistered players. Upon expiry of contract, a Professional/Contract/ Non-contract player may only play a maximum of three trial games for any other club whilst out of contract." Seems to me you could play as a non-contract player for a couple of games. Also, I assume you are going over to the UK on passport through the visa waiver program. If you do that, you cannot receive compensation. Here is a link to the site and the bylaws: http://www.ultrasoft2.co.uk/ersjfa/default.asp
I've not got a passport or visa with the UK at all. I only have a passport for the US and as far as I'm aware I'm not eligible for citizenship anywhere else. The people I'm going with are my girlfriend and god sister (who is actually dating the Scottish guy), were all just college kids who will be on break during Thanksgiving. My girlfriend and I both are big fans of traveling so we try to save money at every corner and work odd jobs to go places. Fun (unrelated) story I went to Europe with her in August and visited London, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Amsterdam. We weren't even official until a few weeks after we got back we only had gone on our first date maybe 3 months before that. We just bought cheap tickets to anywhere and stayed in Air BnBs. We paid for the whole thing ourselves too, she's a student and a waitress and I'm a student and a delivery driver.
I said in another thread I'd share some pics from Bulgaria, the Bulgaria few see and some customs. Here's a few. If people are interested I'll share more. I'll start with Christmas Eve. First up is this thing, not sure what it's called but the tradition is a fire is lit inside of it with some religious herb, then you walk around to each room of the apartment and bless it for good luck during the next year. So my mother in law lit it, then went around asking and praying for various good things in every room. Next tradition is to have either 9, 11 or 13 different "dishes" or foods on the table. None can include meat or animal products. So we had various things from fruit to pickled veggies to bean soup to stuffed peppers. On Christmas day you then eat a dinner based heavily around meat. This is the homemade bread. Inside was a coin, 1 leva and the custom here is the head of the household, the father, breaks the bread and hands everyone a piece. You keep going until someone finds the coin. If you get it it means you'll have great financial success in the coming year. I got it as I'm a badass. Now my father in law is expecting me to buy him a new car for next Christmas. And lastly, the homemade pumpkin banitsa. This stuff is real good. Bulgarians eat it all the time made with either feta, apple or pumpkin. For Christmas Eve there's little "lucks" in it, sort of like a fortune cookie. If you're wondering, yes, Bulgarians are quite superstitious about a lot of things. Or they just carry on old traditions. Apparently almost every household engages in the above on Christmas Eve.
Headed to Bali on Saturday. To anyone who has been there, are you able to catch bundesliga games in bars/hotels? A problem I had in thailand was that my foxsports app didn't work and I couldn't find games on TV anywhere.
This thread is dope. I grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, my mom is an American from San Francisco, and my dad was born in Geneva, but lived most of his life in Southern California. I moved to LA when I was 10, but my family and I went back and forth until I went to college. I've been very fortunate to be able to travel to a lot of places around Europe, as well as Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia, and Morocco outside of the continent. I really, desperately, want to travel to Osaka in Japan, as well as Buenos Aires, Lima, Santiago, and a host of other places. Not really informative at all, but I thought I would contribute what little experience I have. Big ups to you man, you guys are intelligent to spend your money on traveling and gaining life experiences early, rather than all the bullshit most of us spent what little money we had in college on.
I'm hoping to visit Warsaw/Poznan for a week and Sicily for a week in early August. I wanna use my Italian I learned in the Fall, but I kinda need to pass Algebra 2 or I'm gonna be too depressed. I never visited Poznan before neither Sicily, so new experiences. My favorite places in ole Europa was Netherlands, Italy, England, Sweden and Poland. Though Germany was way better than I had expected. France was cool. Spain was HOT. Slovakia was okay. Kinda like medieval. I spent a day in Lithuania. Ukraine was UBER-weird. Like out of a Soviet novel of the Cold War. Not the funnest time being Black and having everyone stare. Norway was too expensive. Denmark was okay. I love Europe, but someday I need to go backpacking through Asia and Africa.
Thanks, we're also probably traveling again soon. Soooooooo, if anyone has suggestions (because it seems like people hear have some experience) I would like to hear. We are pretty much interested in anywhere for this summer, so anything that anyone has a decent reason for I'm open to. We probably are looking to spend less than $1,000 a piece plane tickets and all (she graduates in the fall so after this we will probably do a bigger trip). We have discussed backpacking Peru, Bangkok, and doing some kind of trek from Croatia to Greece. But if anyone has dope places that aren't one of these that can be done for potentially cheap please fill me in. Also if they can be trips were we'd go through multiple countries in one trip we would be interested
Oh man, I'd love to visit Peru. I'd recommend Eastern Europe. It would be cheaper and more exotic. Or Italy if you wanna head to a WE place with little English spoken (which I personally enjoy). Norwegian airlines bro. You'd fly cheaper with them.
Ah shit. Wish I saw this thread when it was first created. I have lived abroad about 8 years of my life, all in Germany. Most recently I was a German Chancellor Fellow in both Bonn and Berlin, but that ended February of last year. I'm now back in my home state of Mississippi trying to implement some of the research I did over yonder. I've travelled all over the globe and have spent a bunch of time throughout Western Europe especially. Favorite country would probably be Cyprus. Favorite city is a tie between Bangkok and Budapest. South East Asia is the next area of the world I hope to learn more about and adventure in while I can. Awesome thread!
Black Sea in the summer is underated. Cheap, beautiful, great food, plenty of partying if that's your thing. Girls are so pretty your neck will hurt. If I had never been to the region I might do something like land in Belgrade, rent a car, see that city, drive to Bucharest which I think is a cool place, then go to Varna and drive down the coast. Hit up Burgas, then drive down thru Greece which also has beautiful and cheap beaches, finishing in Athens. That would be a pretty cheap trip as far as Europe goes. Your money goes very far on the Black Sea. Greek beaches are also quite cheap. Athens would cost a little more but it's Athens.
I've only been in Indonesia in the summer, but in Bali (or anywhere) outside of the main tourist hotels (and there are a lot of them), it's pretty local/pathwork, so I'd try to figure out the app before you go. The touristy places cater to Aussie and Euro tourists so you will likely find something. But if you get out to the north or center of the island (and you really should, screw the Bundesliga, get away from the drunk Aussie and hang with the Balinese, great people.) you might have to find the biggest local hotel/bar. In the tourist areas, like Kuta, try the Stadium cafe - I watched some early EPL there one late-August. In legian my Aussie buddy just wote to me about a place called the Sports Bar or Y Bar... something like that. I've not been. But it's eat, pray, love... so bring your yoga mat and leave the Footie at home!
By far the best trip I've done - (and I've lived in Edinburgh, Paris, Toronto, Milan, Zurich, Vancouver, LA, NYC, Munich, Amdsterdam, Manchester [among others] and done extended driving through/around entire continental US, Iceland, Turkey, Moorea, Hawaii [all islands] Cook Island, Fiji, Tonga, Japan, Gaspe Penninsula, Vancouver Island, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Austiria, Great Britain etc.) - but by far the best trip of them all (and my two girls will agree) was flying to Windhoek, renting a 4x4 Toyota truck with a tent on top and driving around Namibia for 2 weeks. Flying to Windhoek (or Swapkopmun and going other way) can sometimes be under 1000 bucks, but you have to keep your eyes open and find special/sale fares - South Africa will do cheapos once in a while (depending where you are going from.) But once there, it can be pretty reasonable if you are open to camping. You should go in summer if possible. Book camping inside Etosha for a few days. Drive the Damaraland. If you can get up toward Angola all the better (we couldn't). We did not do Victoria Falls. Heard mixed responses and it is a long drive up the pan-handle or, easier, a flight on the way to Johannesburg. Having seen Niagra, Icelands many waterfalls and most of West US, folks we know that saw Victoria said we were fine to miss. Get down to Swakupmund and then the Dunes (from the last Mad Max). You can camp outside the dunes and drive in in the morning. (the pix of the truck below is a random rental company I just now snagged off the web. There are all sorts of companies. use tripadvisor or yelp to see who has good trucks at the moment if you go. We got a bad one (not from these guys) that had been in an accident, but they swapped it out no problem - even came to us with other truck in middle of night.) But the etosha water holes in the summer are amazing - and if you don't mind camping or staying at less-than-superfancy lodges, you can do this cheap after airfare (and truck costs something. Go as a 4 some if possible.)