My latest piece of travel writing is now up on Alvinology. It's a piece of anti-travel writing. You know how travel writers try their best to tell you about how beautiful and charming a city or country is, how the people are so friendly and you really should go there on your next holiday. Well, I have looked at my Tripadvisor map and found three places I have no desire to ever return to. Have a read and let me know if you agree with me - two of these places are actually fairly popular with tourists, so I am perhaps courting controversy by condemning them! Many thanks for reading.
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Hi LIFT,
ReplyDeleteNorthern Ireland is quite interesting, if you are into the history, Bloody Sunday and the Saville reports. The Free Derry museum is quite educational in that respect, plus the brewery tours are always a fun trip out.
I actually have a question to pose to you, since you are quite a frequent traveller, what luggages do you use? I'm looking for a good carry on luggage and just wondering if you have any recommendations or reviews of the luggages you use.
Hello Ian. Well, yes and no. I am aware of the history of Northern Ireland but it's not entirely evident when you go through the streets. It's like when we were in Omagh where the big bomb went off, The memorial was built after I went there and it was like, okay that's where this horribly big bomb went off and killed 29 people. It's a bit grim and sad, but it's not the same as in Berlin. I did a walking tour of Berlin with a history guide who retold the fall of the Berlin wall - now that was in my lifetime and I do remember it well and it was excellent (and i would do it again if i go back to Berlin) but otherwise, I think the business of northern Ireland is just a little bit too close for comfort as I do have Irish family connections (hence that's why I got dragged back to Ireland in 2013 for my mother-in-law's birthday party - I didn't go there for fun, rather out of duty). It's a topic I don't dare to talk about too much given how tempers can flare - like I am an atheist, a committed one at that. The idea of Catholics and Protestants fighting each other over religion is just hideous to me. And I am from Singapore, so I see Northern Ireland as an ex-colony that deserves independence: no ifs, no buts, just bloody give it back already and the protestants living there can do whatever they want: move back to England/Scotland, stay there, whatever, but give NI back to the Irish already. It's a matter of principle.
DeleteOh and I don't drink. I'm teetotal. And the Irish drink too much. Trust me. I was the only one at my mother-in-law's party who was sober. And at least I didn't have to be the designated driver.
I have 2 bags I use for luggage. One is a lightweight backpack (knapsack) which is rather old but unbreakable, it allows me to take the full weight on my back and have my hands free. Doesn't contain much but usually enough for a couple of days. For longer trips, I have a bigger rectangular bag designed to maximize volume whilst fulfilling the carry-on baggage size limit. It even has wheels if I get lazy, but that is far harder to move around stairs, railways stations, crowded airports etc.
@Ian, I used to be quite a road warrior traveling every month so maybe I can answer your luggage question. Don't get Samsonite, period. It's all marketing and their warranty is worth nothing when it breaks and it will break if you do any decent amount of traveling.
DeleteInstead go for Briggs and Riley. They have a no fuss lifetime warranty that covers even airline damage. I've used my Briggs and Riley piece (that i got someone to handcarry from US of A). While my Samsonite barely lasted 6 month before breaking down while i was in Tokyo, my B & R luggage has seen some very hostile mainland China terrain and just keep rolling like brand new. In fact I estimated it has traveled some more than 200k air miles with none the worse for wear.
Just google that brand and you can see all the reviews on that brand. It might be abit more costly but the lifetime no hassle warranty is worth the price.