The New Travel Thread: Now with write ups in the OP

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Jax Teller, Apr 8, 2015.

  1. Spontaneous Cumbustion

    Spontaneous Cumbustion Well-Known Member
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    Yeah I don't really want to go to Mexico in normal times. I'll just wait and save up for a trip to a place I want to go to next year. Was supposed to go to Australia in October, hoping things will be good enough to go next year at the same time. Would love to go to Europe next summer but not going to book anything until next year.
     
  2. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    The hard part is getting everyone on the same page regarding COVID. We are currently at our final decision point on whether or not to go forward with our wedding in October. The venue has plenty of policies in place, along with outdoor options, to ensure we could do it safely. The problem we’re having is a lot of my family are truthers that don’t think it’s a big deal, so when I told them masks would be required at certain points and some of the guidelines they scoffed at the notion. Going to make it even easier to cut down guests if they decide not to attend purely out of ignorance
     
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  3. Nug

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    Missing out bigly :twocents:
     
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  4. tspa

    tspa Well-Known Member
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    I would suggest getting tested as near as you can to your departure. I had to do that for my trip to Alaska about a month ago, and it made me feel much better knowing that I wasn't bringing the virus into the state. I still always wore a mask, didn't eat inside, really didn't do anything inside except for quick trips to grocery stores or gas stations, but I felt good about not spreading the virus. I also got tested when I got back. I think if your trip is focused on outdoor activities you can feel more comfortable traveling right now.
    In my area testing places aren't overwhelmed, so that also makes a difference.
     
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  5. THEBLUERAIDER

    THEBLUERAIDER Well-Known Member
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  6. tspa

    tspa Well-Known Member
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    I've done this trip and it's one of the best areas of the country. I would suggest two weeks, 10-11 days is doable but you are limiting the time you can spend at each park. And I am someone who enjoys a road trip with lots of driving, and will do 12-16 hours of activities in a day. This summer I did one trip where we drove 2,500 miles and another with about 2,000.
    Most people just drive through Capitol Reef, but if you can mange it spend at least a full day there and two if possible. My first time through the area I just drove through, but last summer I visited again. It may be my second favorite of those parks behind Zion.
    I like the North Rim of the Grand Canyon better than the South. It is so much less crowded. Also If you can only do one, the North fits your trip better.
    I don't know that Monument Valley is necessary to go in, you can see much of it from the highway going past.
    Also skim through the National Parks thread. There should be some good info on each park.
     
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  7. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    I really need to take a work trip to Costa Rica before the end of the year if I can get in. We've made several huge changes and I need to implement some new processes.

    Starting tomorrow you can enter if you're a resident of 8 select states or DC, and then 9/15 they add CO, PA, and MA to the approved list. Since I'm a resident of a very dumb state (Texas) it may be a while before I'm allowed in. For those they are letting in, they require a negative test, a completed epidemiological form, and proof of overseas health insurance.
     
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  8. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
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    vamos rent a car sent me an email saying they were letting Americans in soon (I forget the date). Breaking it down by state.
     
  9. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
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    Honestly to me it depends on your tolerance for risk on planes. You can control your behavior once you get to destination, avoid big crowds, etc.
     
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  10. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    sorry, fellow dumb state resident. It will be a while

    https://cr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/#:~:text=U.S. tourists from the list,non-authorized state or country.&text=Pase de Salud).-,U.S. citizens with permanent or temporary Costa Rican residency,a 14-day quarantine.

    As of September 1, 2020, U.S. citizen tourists who are residents of New York, New Jersey, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia may enter Costa Rica on limited flights departing from the United States. As of September 15, residents of Colorado, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania can also enter Costa Rica. U.S. citizen tourists from these states wishing to enter Costa Rica must complete a digital epidemiological health pass, obtain a negative PCR-RT coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of their departure from the United States, and purchase travel insurance that covers accommodation in case of quarantine and medical expenses due to COVID-19.
     
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  11. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    :peekaboo:
     
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  12. Weedlord420

    Weedlord420 Well-Known Member
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    I’m traveling to the outer banks in a couple weeks as a replacement for any international travel this year and I’m still going to tread very lightly. Keep human contact to a minimum, socially distance, etc.

    I see it as having a 275ish pound burden to bear in doing my part as a human. Euros are luckier than me in that their leadership did its part to minimize the risk their countries had on the rest of the world.
     
    #21812 Weedlord420, Aug 31, 2020
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2020
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  13. LSUTigers1986

    LSUTigers1986 Well-Known Member
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    Just got back from a week in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Will skip some of the travel details and focus more on the Covid safety aspect. I can expand more on the trip, if people really care.

    It was the first time I had left a 50 mile radius of our house in Houston since March and my wife and I were starting to lose it. Flew Southwest and we felt safe at Hobby airport and on the flight. Only time I was a little sketched at the Los Cabos airport. Airport is under construction so everyone walks down the steps of the plane onto the tarmac and gets on a bus to the terminal (same process on departure). You could see it in the faces that everyone was uncomfortable. Also the customs line was so long you had to get within 2 feet of each other, but everyone had masks.

    We stayed at Zadun, a Ritz Reserve property out in San Jose del Cabo, cause it was 50% off if you booked a week. Masks were required at the resort for all staff and if you were inside somewhere. It was never above 50% capacity and down to 20% midweek so was comfortable there. We stayed on the resort 6 days out of 7, except for a cruise out of Cabo San Lucas and two outside dinners off property, Flora Farms and Acre... both great.

    Overall, San Jose del Cabo did a good job making us feel safe for 98% of the time. Cabo San Lucas was a little more iffy (people in bars, no masks, etc). I’d say if I didn’t see people wearing masks in public, the majority of times they were Americans. At Flora Farms, the whole staff wore shields/goggles, which I rarely see in Houston. No symptoms or anything but have a Covid test on Wednesday so will know if it was worth it in a few days.
     
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  14. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    Given that there’s no clear end date in sight, I have no problem with traveling internationally in certain circumstances. Some of my decision factors:

    Personal safety - I’m young and healthy so I’m willing to bear that risk, within reason. That being said, I don’t really want to get the disease abroad, so would avoid countries with bad covid statistics, especially more developing countries with uncertain healthcare systems (as a foreigner), even if the chances I’d even have to use it is very low.

    Other safety - Will you spread to family? Personally I don’t live close to family so I won’t have that guilt. Will you spread to others in society? If you’re going to a country with better or equal current covid statistics then I don’t see a huge risk here, especially if you follow precautions otherwise.

    Enjoyment - will things be open? Can you go to restaurants? Probably easier in a Mexico type of place where you can sit on the beach, so definitely a bigger consideration for cities.

    Uncertainty - things keep changing rapidly. Will you get stuck in a foreign country due to a swift government travel ban or something? Will a place suddenly lockdown rendering you to your hotel room/rental the entire time?

    Quarantine rules - if you have to quarantine coming back it makes shorter trips likely not worthwhile.

    Money/Insurance - is it worthwhile to spend on travel if you can’t fully enjoy where you’re going due to restrictions? If something happens while you’re away will insurance cover you due to the prevailing travel advice?

    FOMO - if others are legally traveling, why can’t/shouldn’t you? You’re one person and your actions are extremely unlikely to save/doom a country during a pandemic.


    I’m hoping to be able to do a longer trip next February or March, where I can work remotely if I have to quarantine, but we’ll see. There’s a lot to consider and it’s difficult to plan in advance during these times unfortunately.
     
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  15. Eathan Edwards

    Eathan Edwards Well-Known Member
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    We're doing this exact trip in about a week (depends on how long we spend in New Orleans and Texas). Will report back anything interesting.
     
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  16. tspa

    tspa Well-Known Member
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    Since you'll be there soon here are a couple of things I would consider must dos that may not come up in your first google search for the parks.
    -In Canyonlands the Grand View Point trail is one of my favorite in the country, and considering how short and flat it is that is saying a lot. You walk on the edge of a mesa with incredible view in every direction.
    -In Capitol Reef the Cathedral Valley Loop drive is an awesome drive, and something not many people do. It's a 50-mile dirt road among some giant rock formations with some short walks off of it. When I did it last summer I saw fewer than 10 cars on the whole road. I've talked to people who have done it and seen just two or three other people in 50 miles.
    -In Zion the hike to Observation Point from the valley has been closed for a while because of a rockslide, but you can still get there from a trail that starts outside of the park, the East Mesa Trail. The views at Observation Point are tremendous, and its worth the trip to the park just for that.
    East Mesa is a lesser known trail, it's probably becoming more traveled because the valley trail has been closed so long, but last summer I had to correct a ranger who was sending a group on the East Rim trail to Observation Point. She had never heard of East Mesa and East Rim is like 18 miles compared to East Mesa's 7.
    Here is a link to the trail https://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/eastmesatrail.php

    There is obviously a ton more to do in each park, but these are things that might be easy to miss.

    I did see where Zion has closed the chained section of Angels Landing because of COVID. While that was probably a wise decision, in my opinion it's not worth doing the hike to the chains if you can't finish it.

    Outside of the parks but near Zion is Kanarra Canyon trail. It's a slot canyon trail where you walk up a creek and climb two waterfalls. I think it can get really busy and you do need a permit, but when I was there it was pretty calm. Because it is outside the park a lot of people will miss it, but it's worth a trip.
    https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/utah/kanarra-creek-canyon-trail
     
  17. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    If we’re unable to go ahead with our wedding in October we’ll have a week and a half of extra vacation to burn so were talking about a road trip; something through Colorado to these parks is near the top of the list so I appreciate the insight.
     
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  18. tspa

    tspa Well-Known Member
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    Look through the national parks thread, there is some good info in there. I've done all of the parks in Colorado and Utah, and while I'm no expert I can provide some recommendations. Feel free to ask if you have questions.
     
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  19. pianoman

    pianoman my drinks are free
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    For all those planning trips to Southern Utah and specifically Zion. Make sure to look into some of the other stuff around the area as Zion can quite easily get overcrowded. Explore the Kolob Canyon section of Zion which is a little to the northwest of the main entrance. Very few people go up there so it's quite easy to have almost the whole place to yourself. Or go drive up Cedar Breaks National Monument. It's essentially a smaller less defined Bryce Canyon. But again very few people know about it so you'll have it mostly to yourselves.
     
  20. tspa

    tspa Well-Known Member
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    Yes. Definitely visit Kolob Canyon if you have time. I did the Taylor Creek trail it's a nice little walk, that is very different from the main part of the park. I might not recommend it for those going in the fall because it involves several creek crossings which might be a little chilly. The drive through the area has some nice pull offs as well.
    Cedar Breaks is neat, and the drive to it is nice because as you gain elevation the landscape become so different. I couldn't do much when I visited because the snow was covering everything still in late June. I would like to go back.
     
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  21. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Even if I didn't have a young baby, I wouldn't be going to Mexico right now. Just seems like it's akin to going to bars and restaurants here with no precaution.

    Sucks, but suck it up and realize you can't really travel safely right now
     
  22. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
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    I'm going to Mexico again this weekend, but that's only because I can drive across the border and stay relatively secluded.

    I've gotten close to pulling the trigger on longer trips, but it just isn't worth it to me. It seems like even the most 'open' of international destinations still have testing requirements or some type of self quarantine in place.

    I've mentally moved on to 2021 regarding any international travel. The good news is I'll have nearly six weeks of vacation saved up by then.
     
  23. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I guess I'm about 50/50 at this point. I could fly to the beach in Oaxaca (RT) for sub-$500, and get a beachside bungalow or $50-60/night and work from there for 3-4 weeks. Not going to pull the trigger at this point, but will follow closely.

    Argentina/Patagonia -- which would require lots of domestic flights + a shitload of time on buses -- is shot
     
  24. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Maybe just donate some blood, get that free antibody test, and live that 941Gator antibody life
     
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  25. Eathan Edwards

    Eathan Edwards Well-Known Member
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    New Orleans is a damn ghost town right now.

    Really weird feeling having grown up here.
     
  26. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    Can anyone give a good two week itinerary for Ireland. Starting to think about next summer. Wife doesn't want to do the one night each place thing so every stop would have to be 2-3 nights. I like being in a city, wife wants to stay in cool castle hostels so we'd do a mix. Also will have a 1.5 year old. I have only been to Dublin before so don't need too much time there. What areas are can't miss? Seems Belfast and Galway will be on the list. Is cork worth going to? or where else in the SW or NW is good? I also like to golf, so while this isn't a golf trip, I plan to bring my clubs and try to play 2-3 of the big ones- royal county down for sure, and then maybe ballybunion, royal portrush, and/or lahinch
     
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  27. Eathan Edwards

    Eathan Edwards Well-Known Member
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    One of my clients is Belfast based - just texted him your post and will let you know the response.
     
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  28. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
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    2-3 days in Galway should be plenty but it's definitely worth visiting for sure. I also visited the Cliffs of Moher while in Galway but one of your other stops may be closer (about a 1.5 hour drive south).
     
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  29. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    i've been wanting to do like two weeks driving through Ireland, ferry over to Scotland, then down to London for years

    so will also enjoy the answer to this
     
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  30. pianoman

    pianoman my drinks are free
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    Make sure to drive the Ring of Kerry. Supposed to be the best drive in the country. We've got three weeks planned for Ireland, Scotland, and England if travel allows next year.
     
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  31. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    Remember to

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    Driving off the ferry at Dover was a lot of fun
     
  32. Eathan Edwards

    Eathan Edwards Well-Known Member
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    For anyone in New Orleans anytime soon - the Ace Hotel and Maison properties are awesome.

    It's a shame the restaurants are very obviously not the same due to Covid.
     
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  33. pianoman

    pianoman my drinks are free
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    Yeah, we drove through the highlands for a week a couple years ago. It was weird as hell starting out but after a day or so you get used to driving on that side.
     
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  34. phunkybuck

    phunkybuck Your pennies have been in my ass
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    Killarney is a great town and good place to stay for the Ring of Kerry drive. Then can hit Cliffs of Moher on the way to Galway. That was our path through south and west Ireland.
     
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  35. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    We pretty much drove from Dover to Canterbury and back a few days later, but that first hour driving into Canterbury and navigating roundabouts (KEEP LEFT KEEP LEFT) was a lot of fun
     
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  36. Eathan Edwards

    Eathan Edwards Well-Known Member
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    Man, the Ace and Maison de la Luz in Nola are so much cooler than the hotels we have in LA.
     
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  37. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Emailed several airbnb hosts and hotels in Oaxaca beach and Tulum -- beaches are open, social distancing enforced (hopefully?), starting to open for tourists.

    99% sure I'm going to pull a CoastalOrange and head to Mexico after Christmas for 3-4 weeks to work remotely on the beach.

    In normal times, would probably go with Tulum, but since partying won't really be an option I'll probably opt for Oaxaca. That and Tulum would probably be much more crowded. Flights are super cheap right now.
     
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  38. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    What did you do in Tampa?
     
  39. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    I thought Tulum was sort of viewed as not a party town, which I assumed was bad info
     
  40. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I think it is what you make it. There are plenty of places to relax and chill out, but it has a pretty big electronic scene.
     
  41. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    Definitely doing a month down in Mexico between thanksgiving and Christmas.

    hit northern rim of Yellowstone today. Soooo many buffalo and elk it was dope
     
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  42. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I just booked flights for after Christmas. Fly into Huatulco (Oaxaca beach) on Dec 26, fly out of Cancun in late January. Going to spend a few weeks in Oaxaca, see how I like it, eventually make it to Tulum before I return.
     
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  43. mc415

    mc415 Well-Known Member
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    I think Oaxaca will be your vibe.....you really should check out Chiapas since you’re going to be there for a month
     
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  44. WC

    WC Bad Company, ‘til the day I die.
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    Belfast and Galway for 2 days each is probably fair- both are great spots, but very different. A historical tour in Belfast is worth it just to hear what that city/country has gone through.

    We did the cliffs at Slieve League (Sliabh Liag they may be called) and they’re the tallest in Ireland and incredible, plus there’s a great hike along the top of the cliff. Highly recommend if you want a less touristy spot than Moher.

    Giants Causeway is also pretty cool to see if you plan to be on the northwest coastline.

    We also stayed at Kilronan Castle for a night- it’s more of a modern hotel on the inside but may serve your purpose.

    I’ve only done the northern half of the island so can’t help you with anything south of Galway/Dublin.
     
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  45. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Looks awesome, thanks for the rec.

    Right now plan is to spend a majority of time in Mazunte/Zipolite. Will probably get a bungalow/beach cabin for 2-3 weeks and use that as a base -- will still be working a few hours Mon-Fri.

    And taking the 3 hour ride of to San Jose del Pacifico, where the indigenous magic mushrooms are legal: https://www.livingoutlau.com/guide-to-magic-mushrooms-at-san-jose-del-pacifico-oaxaca/
     
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  46. Fran Tarkenton

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    Have you watched the Munchies Guide to?
     
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  47. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Have not. To Oaxaca? What service is it on?
     
  48. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
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    Vice. Theyve done a few things on Oaxaca and make the area look amazing. 5 part series here, episode 3 is on the Mushrooms (also know its on their youtube channel)

    https://www.vice.com/en_us/topic/munchies-guide-to-oaxaca
     
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  49. Fran Tarkenton

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    I want to say this series also went to Oaxaca. I know theyve done some fresh lobster diving there, discuss the cheese, and maybe the lebanese al pastor origins.

     
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  50. southside

    southside Well-Known Member
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    I don’t think I could do a month in Oaxaca. Would gain a looot of weight
     
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