Big Soccer Users Who Are Yanks Abroad!

Discussion in 'Yanks Abroad' started by GiallorossiYank, May 7, 2017.

  1. Brotheryoungbuck

    Jan 24, 2015
    parts unknown
    I've actually been to South Africa and it was probably my favorite trip. So this sounds interesting. How big of a problem will it be if I can't drive manual? My mom has a manual, and I don't live super far from her at school. I could probably start going back to learn but that may be less preferred.
     
  2. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    99% of the roads in Namibia are (good) dirt track (think your basic really long farm driveway - a bit of gravel, mostly packed dirt, then a rutted washout from a seasonal stream) so you do use the 4x once in awhile, but except for the sand track to the dunes (and I would suggest not driving that. It's not that expensive to get a shuttle in and it's easy to get stuck even with a 4x.) it's all fairly managable for an average driver. Our truck was stick, but an email to a couple of the companies will let you know if they have automatics. I'd assume some do. I have a moderate high-profile automatic AWD in the States that would have been able to handle 99% of the roads we ended up on, and we could have avoided the one crazy driveway that my truck might not have made it up!

    You can also join small tours - but that's probably pricer and not our style. If you really are interested there are a bunch of tour companies that will even put together a self-drive itinerary for you on "spec" to give you an idea of the prices you can expect. You can do it cheaper, generally, but some of the ones we got were not far from what we spent and had some better camping. The most difficult thing is getting reservations inside the Etosha park in high season. We ended up staying just outside the park (you can only go in and out between sunup and sundown unless you're in one of the 2 or 3 "official" fenced camping areas. But camping is relatively cheap so if you think you might want to go, get reservations in the park anyway, even if you end up burning them.

    And always have a ton of water in your truck. There are no stores anywhere outside Windhoek and Swap and even in the park the shelves can be picked clean at tourist season. But if you like road trips with amazing scenary, no billboards or street lights, truck stops, trucks, few other cars outside the city or Etosha or stops signs ever for 2500 miles, incredibly nice people (when you see them, which is not often!) I can't recommend Namibia enough.
     
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  3. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    You spent 2 weeks driving around Namibia? Do you want to adopt me, DAD?
     
  4. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    You gotta know how to google to be my shotgun! (warning, the Sat Nav they rent you is not 100%, but you got to take it cuz cell connection is super spotty, esp in Damaraland.
    2015_Namibia_Elephant_spray.JPG
     
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  5. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    Dude, I'm ready and willing. Your next trip to Africa, bring me please. And my dad. He's been looking to visit West Africa for years now.

    Really, awesome man. Please continue, I'd like to hear more.
     
  6. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    Here's the thing about Namibia. It is 100% a nature/scenery trip. Namibia vies with Mongolia to be "lowest population per sq mile." It is like driving through Chiuauau/Navajo Nation/South Utah/Nebraska/Dakotas/Manitoba - a lot of nothing but more vareity of natural beauty in shorter drive time - and African animals. Most of the folks you will meet are from "someplace else" - mostly the northern Angola border or some other more densely populated. The "locals" - most of whom travel at least a day to get to work (in the back of private pick-ups mostly, since there are few buses and they are expensive, pick-ups stop in the small towns and folks pile in the back for negotiated prices) will be from any number of Namibian ethnic groups - Herera (seemed to be the most common in the north-east, Damara, Ovanga, Kavango, the more rare Himba (Herero's cousins - can understand each other) or "Bushman" - you can pick them out by very different size, features and clicking language. Some of the others have a few clicks in their dialect, but Bushmen really have it. Many of the better game spotters/guides will be ethnic Bushmen.

    Namibia, since it was German before WWII (and the Herero were badly decimated by German "pre-holocaust" mass-camp extermination) and then South African after the war and gained it's independence in the 90s, has a very "our country and we're proud of it" feel among Namibian nationals. There's a lot of corruption in the cops/politcis apparently (big signs greet you at the airport: anti-bribery campaign in effect) but as a tourist you are treated exceptionally warmly. I travelled with wife and 2 teen girls and had no concerns from humans. (Animals are a different story - watch out for giraffes on the road!) The facilities were surprisingly clean and well mantained (though

    Anyway, the charm of Namibia for us was that you can do a road trip in relative safety and relatively inexpensively and it's below the malaria zone for the most part, so most Euros don't take malaria meds - which can be hard on a person. We took them, and boy are your dreams wild! (biggest issue is car accidents. You can't drive after dark - although we did due to a flight delay and almost hit a giraffe in the dark our first day/night. Emergency care is terrible. Get medivac insurance. If anything happens you'll fly to Johannesburg.) Some Namibians - esp between Windhoek and Swap (and coastal "city" where some go for weekend vaca) can drive scarily fast - but mostly it's Europeans in trucks or on safari - and a few buses of Chinese these days - tooling around checking stuff out.

    It's a big country, so you either need to like to drive, or you can do a couple of small in-country flights if you want to see it all/much of it. You can PM me if you want to learn more. I don't want to take up the whole thread.
     
  7. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    2016_Borneo_Gibbon01.JPG 2016_Borneo_Klotok01.JPG 2016_Borneo_prob_1.JPG 2016_Orang_baby01.JPG All right, one other travel trip: Borneo. Esp a klotok up to the leakey Orang rehab camp in Tanjung Puting. The Arab Emirates are planning to enlarge the small local airport and that will change the whole deal. Right now you basically "camp" on a boat while you take a slow trip up-river. Fly into Pangkalan Bun, cab it to the docks, get on a boat. Sit back and putt-putt up river. 3 or 4 days. (take the longer trip.) boat to yourself (family of 4) 3 Orang feeding stations. Some "wild" orangs in the woods. Probiscus monkeys, Gibbon. No showers. Sleep on deck. Fresh fish for breakfast if the fisherman comes by. Pretty amazing. Also reasonable once you get there.
     
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  8. GiallorossiYank

    GiallorossiYank Member+

    Jan 20, 2011
    NJ/Roma/Napoli
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Went to visit friends in Manchester this past Easter weekend. Stayed a night in York and then visited Durham the next day, I've been to London two times, I really do love London, but Northern England is underrated.
     
  9. FC Tallavana

    FC Tallavana Member+

    Jul 1, 2004
    La Quinta
    I've lived in SW England and NE England. While the weather and beaches were nicer in the south, the people and quality of life (esp cost of living) were hard to beat up north. And yes, London is nice, if you are there for less than 72 hours and you have money to burn.

    I've spent time in York and Durham myself. Both had their appeal, but I really liked Durham.
     
  10. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Raleigh and Chapel Hill are both better.
     
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  11. FC Tallavana

    FC Tallavana Member+

    Jul 1, 2004
    La Quinta
    Not at basketball, at least this year.
     
  12. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ??? UNC won the rubber match in the ACC tournament.
     
  13. KicksNgiggles

    KicksNgiggles Member

    Aug 18, 2016
    BHM
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I shot a DM to @GiallorossiYank before I could find this thread. So I will mention it here again.

    My wife and another couple we are good friends with will be travelling to Italy in early to mid October. Flying into Rome. Will be headed down to Naples, Amalfi and then to Sicily (specifically Palermo). Any suggestions??

    We of course would love to catch some matches, Napoli and Roma in particular but international break is the Oct 8-16. Which is the middle of our travel. May can find a Sunday match before the break though.

    Cheers in advance. Er... I mean.. salute!
     
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  14. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    I spent a few days in Napoli last November. And I'm going to Sicily for a week in August.

    For Napoli, I recommend the Pompeii/Vesuvius tour. It's like 8hrs and only 100 euros or so. Very worth it and they serve you a bigass pizza. Also, the Napoli Underground for like 5 euros and you spend 90 minutes exploring under the city.
     
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  15. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He gave me a mini travel guide for my stop in Rome in Jan. Quite helpful and his restaurant recommendations were great.

    As was his warning not to stop and talk to strangers. The bracelet scam is alive and well in Rome. Almost got into a fight over it. Should not have stopped and talked when some dude approached me and complimented my shoes.

    BS should invent double rep in GYank's honor.
     
  16. KicksNgiggles

    KicksNgiggles Member

    Aug 18, 2016
    BHM
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    [​IMG]
    Ahh yes. Mount Vesuvius. Definitely want to do that. The underground also sounds cool. How was the weather when you went? hear it can be very rainy in October. And did you see any matches?
     
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  17. KicksNgiggles

    KicksNgiggles Member

    Aug 18, 2016
    BHM
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah I was wondering about that. Hopefully we will be able to get around OK without having to chat anyone up too much (none of us speak Italian any way. Although..... "I speak the most EYE-Talian"). Thanks for the tip!
     
  18. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    Perfect temperature. I was there Wed to Monday in late November. There was a crazy rainstorm on the Sunday night. It was hilarious. But it was overall, 70 degrees when I visited. I loved it.

    Sadly no games, I don't remember why I didn't check out the local stadium. I really should have. I will try to visit Palermo and Catania stadium. Maybe I luck in and get to see a friendly.
     
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  19. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Don't let anyone come up, shake your hand and start tying or putting a bracelet on your wrist, telling you it's a free gift.

    They targeted my wife a number of times.

    That scam is common in Paris too.
     
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  20. mattjo

    mattjo Member+

    Feb 3, 2001
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    or folks flashing a badge saying they are confiscating counterfeit money and then had you a receipt to recover real money at the police station. That one was popular in Colombia. Istanbul has tons of scam artists as well. I figure Bosnia and Herzegovina and Afghanistan had the fewest scam artists of the various countries where I have lived.
     
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  21. Eighteen Alpha

    Eighteen Alpha Member+

    Aug 17, 2016
    Club:
    Stoke City FC
    The Blue Grotto tours from Amalfi kick ass. Check in advance because the tides determine access to the caves.

    I also like Tropea in the south of Italy. Very friendly, open people and great food.
     
  22. taylor

    taylor Member+

    Jun 9, 2000
    Fav team: FC CARL ZEISS JENA
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    I have a Vereinsclubheim pub in Berlin. Bsc Suedring Berlin. Come drink with me!
     
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  23. VBCity72

    VBCity72 Member+

    Aug 17, 2014
    Sunny San Diego
    Club:
    Plymouth Argyle FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Living in Japan for this WC. The games are on at 9pm, midnight and 3am so I don't really watch plus I hate trying to find streams in English, American VPNs, I'm not tech savvy at all. So all in all I'm sad we aren't playing but i'm kinda glad at the same time because of how difficult it would be to catch games.
     
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